week 1 down - a little discouraging

sailor789
sailor789 Posts: 33 Member
in Getting Started
i'm not new to using MFP - been using it on and off for a couple of years b/c i have to follow a special diet so i watch two areas - sodium and potassium. i also need to lose weight - about 40-50 lbs. i'm 51 y/o and have been yo/yo dieting for most of my adult life.

i started last monday on a 1250 cal diet, though, and have followed it religiously so far. i excercised 4x - 45 min walks each.

i weighed today and actually gained .5 lb.

that was a bit of a surprise and a little discouraging. i was expecting, the very least, a water loss.

anyway, i thought i'd share, perhaps there are others who have been disappointed in a first week results.

i won't allow this to get me down for too long. there must be a physiologic explanation that i don't understand, so i will continue with my goals and objectives and focus.

thanks for listening, and sharing your thoughts!

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Weight loss takes time. You have to keep at it.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    If you've been keeping to your calorie budget, that .5lb is probably water retention. You've been working out (walking is exercise!), and your muscles retain water to help them repair themselves after workouts. Also, if you aren't already, make sure you're using a food scale to weigh your solid foods and measuring your liquids - it's very easy to underestimate your calorie intake if you don't.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    sailor789 wrote: »
    i'm not new to using MFP - been using it on and off for a couple of years b/c i have to follow a special diet so i watch two areas - sodium and potassium. i also need to lose weight - about 40-50 lbs. i'm 51 y/o and have been yo/yo dieting for most of my adult life.

    i started last monday on a 1250 cal diet, though, and have followed it religiously so far. i excercised 4x - 45 min walks each.

    i weighed today and actually gained .5 lb.

    that was a bit of a surprise and a little discouraging. i was expecting, the very least, a water loss.

    anyway, i thought i'd share, perhaps there are others who have been disappointed in a first week results.

    i won't allow this to get me down for too long. there must be a physiologic explanation that i don't understand, so i will continue with my goals and objectives and focus.

    thanks for listening, and sharing your thoughts!

    So it sounds like you are attempting to use MFP as intended.

    So does that mean the 1250 eating goal is ONLY on non-workout days?

    Is that 4x 45 min walks each day, each week, each month?

    Or perhaps you have made it easier by just using Lightly-Active as activity level and NOT logging those walks as workouts?

    With only 40-50 lbs left, 1.5 lb weekly loss rate is at max reasonable.

    1 week is wayyyyyy too short, especially as a woman.
    Your hormones (unless past that age) mean you can't get anything meaningful from only a weight measurement until you have a months worth of logging.
    You probably know this about water weight fluctuations, right?

    Also, if you still have your scale manual, most I've seen only claim to be accurate to within 1-2 lbs, despite showing measurements to 0.2 lbs as if they are that accurate.
    So that much change in a week either direction could merely be the inaccuracies of the scale and you really don't know if there was a change yet.

    All to say - you basically have no data that is useful to act on.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Time of day matters when you weigh too. If it's in the middle of the day or end, you'll be heavier. First thing in the morning after using restroom should be when. And even then if you gained, it's NOT uncommon especially if you started exercising again.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • I_Want_A_Donut
    I_Want_A_Donut Posts: 101 Member
    I've always found that weight loss kicks in for me in week 2, but everyone is different. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll see results.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    If you're not new to mfp, you probably know that it can be discouraging in the beginning because you've made up your mind mentally, you've committed physically, and the results aren't immediate. THAT would be fantastic, but it's not how weight loss works.

    FWIW, I am trying to lose reeeaaally slowly so that when I get the weight off, I'm practically at maintenance and won't have to adjust much of the way I eat or how active I am. I tell you this because I know that I can't weigh myself daily, or even weekly, if I'm looking to see .5 pound a week coming off. It's going to take weeks, maybe even a few months. I took the pressure of wondering if it's working off myself by committing to the program, and planning on weighing after about 12 weeks. I'm 53, female, pre-menopausal... I will make myself crazy if I try to see each and every .5 pound coming off on schedule. It just doesn't work that way.

    Hang in there. Stick to your plan. Be patient. There's no medal or gold star award at the end. All you get is what you work for. And all you keep is whether or not you can live like that. You can do this :)
  • sailor789
    sailor789 Posts: 33 Member
    thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and reply. all of your insights are very helpful and motivating. it is not uncommon for me to attempt at a new diet for a week or so and give up, so i am mindful how difficult this is, and that it is not linear nor quick. i need to resolve to dig my feet in the trenches, work hard, stay positive, and know that i will see results in due time. thanks to each of you!
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    sailor789 wrote: »
    i started last monday on a 1250 cal diet, though, and have followed it religiously so far. i excercised 4x - 45 min walks each.

    i weighed today and actually gained .5 lb.

    that was a bit of a surprise and a little discouraging. i was expecting, the very least, a water loss.

    anyway, i thought i'd share, perhaps there are others who have been disappointed in a first week results.
    I would suggest one's initial focus be just on habit changes rather than scale results; exercise and diet changes/tracking. Feel good about your regular exercise and how you are eating better.

    Then after a couple weeks you have a new rhythm and it becomes much easier to start tweaking your habits for increased weight loss. Also, have you recorded your measurements, another good area to achieve non scale victories.

  • Back_4_more
    Back_4_more Posts: 92 Member
    I have a hard time losing weight when working out. In the past I would stick to dieting to lose what I need and then incorporate exercise. I'm going thru that at the moment. I'm thinking of going back to the diet and then start back w/ my workouts after I lose weight

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