Is this normal?

H2theMac
H2theMac Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I've been doing this for one week and did my weigh in today. I lost 0.5 lbs. I am so disappointed as I feel it should be a little bit more. I exercised everyday and followed the daily calorie allowance. Anyone experience the same thing? Thank you

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Half a pound is a good rate of loss. It's progress!

    I'm not sure how much you expected to lose, but it's rare for people to lose at a completely predictable and linear fashion even when they do everything right.

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,826 Member
    You mention exercising every day. If you're not used to that, you might be retaining water (for muscle repair), masking fat loss on the scale.
  • FPlanner2021
    FPlanner2021 Posts: 44 Member
    edited April 2021
    Lietchi wrote: »
    You mention exercising every day. If you're not used to that, you might be retaining water (for muscle repair), masking fat loss on the scale.

    Plus its not uncommon to lose some weight, then gain, and repeat over and over. Because as mentioned you retain water in muscles or if you have more sodium that day..

    That's why like others I believe its easier to track progress by other measurements, or photos, or even your clothes, or when you see someone and they say "wow, did you lose weight" - though this statement has its own issues.

    Word to the wise, find an exercise regime that is fun but challenging (think progression bet it time, kms/mls, reps, etc), make sure to have rest days (aka not sit on your *kitten* and eat Cheetos but active rest days like going for a walk or yoga, or etc), and stick with it for a few months. I bet you will accomplish your goals (Remember Rome was not built in a day).
  • H2theMac
    H2theMac Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for your input everyone.....I'm not ready to give up yet!!
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 664 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    You mention exercising every day. If you're not used to that, you might be retaining water (for muscle repair), masking fat loss on the scale.

    I second this. Try this sometime: take a rest day the day before you weigh in. For a while, I was doing everything right, except for proper rest, and the scale was barely moving. It was frustrating, and then I realized I'd given up my "rest" days because I was so determined to burn more calories so I could eat more calories. Now the scale is moving again. Rest is important, as is sleep, lots of water and of course, staying within your calorie range.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    Also, the time of day you eat affects the scales.
    Eat exactly the same thing 2 days in a row, last meal 10 pm one day, last time to eat 5 pm the next. Weigh 7 am after bathroom, before eat, drink, or get dressed both days. The scale will read more the day after you ate til 10 pm. Of course, YOU actually weigh the same. Just water.
  • zheother
    zheother Posts: 28 Member
    You shouldn't stress about losing weight fast, the slower you lose the higher chance there is that it will stay off. If you go 0 to a 100 overnight you will just burnout.

    Keep a low deficit and track your weight, I personally weigh myself every morning but track the loss on a weekly sometimes bi-weekly basis because your weight constantly fluctuates, so what you're looking for is a downward trend, not a day by day loss, I was convinced I was stalling the past 2 weeks but after mapping out the weights I realized I was losing weight, but the scale wasn't showing it and at the end of week 2 I lost 3 pounds when in reality I probably lost 1.5 each week but it was masked by water weight.

    Keep calm, its a marathon not a sprint :)
  • robcharlton1945
    robcharlton1945 Posts: 11 Member
    All these replies are right on. Stay the course and it will pay off. There are so many variables in this that it’s really hard to say exactly why you are showing the loss that your having. But, I’ve been doing this for more than a year now, and can report that it’s really hard to accurately predict what what the scale will read each morning. But, over time it does move in the right direction if you’re doing things correctly. And, be sure to weight at the same time every time. I do it as soon as I get up...after bathroom and before drinking or eating anything.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,437 Member
    You don’t indicate how much you have to lose. If it’s under 30 pounds, it will be much slower than someone who has 100 to lose. If it’s under 15’ish, it will be even slower.

    Don’t try to hurry the process. Allow yourself adequate calories for satisfaction, so this will be something you can maintain once you “get there”.

    If there’s one thing I’ve noticed from my 30 months of reading these forums, slow losers are more successful. Jackrabbits are usually gone in less than a month. They’ve gone in too hard with too low calories, too much exercise, ratered, binges, cut harder and exercise more and then just give up.

    Those who go gangbusters in a hurry to “get there” haven’t learned long term habits.

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