Weight loss slowing down

thehappinesspig
thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I was losing like 2 pounds a week and got down 15 pounds! Now it’s slowing down - I’m at a large calorie deficit not really on purpose, I’m just hitting less than my goal because it’s summer and I’m doing a lot of physical activity. The last two weeks I lost nothing. Overate one day and I went down a pound? What is going on? Does this make sense to anyone?

Replies

  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
    2lbs a week is a significant rate of loss. Your weight will fluctuate, go with overall trends you see in your weight ins from week to week. This is why I weigh every morning, so it's a more consistent measurement and I can see the overall way it's trending bc there's always a weird day here and there.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @allie_00p im not well over 200 pounds but I’m close to it, yes, and I’m not worried my weight loss is unhealthy. It’s happened easily and comfortably. But that’s a good theory - that may be it. It’s just frustrating having to eat more than I’m actually hungry for to avoid my body going into starvation mode.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @allie_00p i also weigh every day. It’s just an average. Some weeks it’s even more, and some weeks it’s much less. I lost 15 pounds in 2.5 months I think? That’s a little less than 2 pounds a week, I guess, more like 1.5. No cause for concern.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    You need a more realistic outlook on weight loss. It will not be linear.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @Chef_Barbell asking a question means I am not realistic?
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Have you updated your calorie goal lately? As you lose weight, the same amount of activity will burn fewer calories. Your calorie goal should be lowered accordingly.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    thehappinesspig wrote: »
    @Chef_Barbell asking a question means I am not realistic?

    No your responses are... weight loss is not linear. Patience will be your best ally.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @Chef_Barbell my response that yes, I am almost 200 pounds and her theory sounds probable to me? Ok
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    Regarding the comment about being realistic: they mean that the scale will not show a weight loss each time, simply because of water weight fluctuations. You can do all the 'right' things, lose weight steadily over time, but sometimes the scale will show a higher # than the last time because of water weight. That is ok. Understanding that, and accepting that the scale is not a great indicator of progress in the short term helps you to be realistic about how weight loss works.

    If you are consistently eating at a deficit, you should weigh less now than you did a month ago. If the scale from one week to the next (or one day to the next) does not show a decline, look back further to see if your trend is downward over a longer period of time. If so, then you are good. Though from time to time, also evaluate how you feel in terms of energy/satiety and assess if you need to change your calorie goal or focus on more nutrition based on how you feel.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @nanastaci2020 thank you!
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @sollyn23l2 i was asking a question, that’s all :) if I know what to expect, I’m happy.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    thehappinesspig wrote: »
    @sollyn23l2 i was asking a question, that’s all :) if I know what to expect, I’m happy.

    Good luck 👍
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Couple of possibilities. People presume losing weight to be a linear process, and it's not. It is normal to have more rapid weight loss in the beginning as we lose a significant amount of water weight early on as well as losing inherent digestive contents eating less. It varies by individual, but 4-6 weeks is typically the norm for more rapid and more linear weight loss...after that it slows down because actual fat loss is pretty slow. Here is what losing weight looks like in reality over time...

    Weight-Loss-Reality-Feature-1024x538.png

    Possibility two as has been mentioned, an aggressive calorie deficit coupled with lots of activity and/or exercise is a huge stress on the body and raises cortisol levels which can inhibit weight loss and cause further water retention.
  • thehappinesspig
    thehappinesspig Posts: 12 Member
    @cwolfman13 thanks!

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