Hitting a way

ChrisF132023
ChrisF132023 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’m 5 weeks into my weight loss, and this week it feels like I’m hitting a wall. Each week prior I’d lose 2-3 pounds or more, but this week I’ve gain 2 pounds, even though I’ve been well under my calorie limit. Anyone else experience this? And do you just keep going and will eventually break through???

Replies

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,229 Member
    Weight loss is not linear.sometimes weight goes up and this is usually from water fluctuations. A higher carb or salt week will cause water retention. If no further losses in 4 weeks you may need to lower calories.
  • Lildarlinz
    Lildarlinz Posts: 276 Member
    Hi Chris…
    First week I lost 3lb
    I went up a 1lb or two
    2nd week I lost 2lb but also went up a 1lb or two and then stalled
    3rd week I lost another 2lb but stayed the same for a whole week

    Like Tom said if you eat something salty like gammon, it can mess with the scales :)

    Just keep going and keep within your calories :)

    Your mind try’s to play tricks on you and tells u to start snacking..I thought we’ll I might aswell give up and eat chocolate and cheesecake but I didn’t

    Don’t give up :) keep going :) x
    I’ve lost 7lb so far :D xx
  • Flo131LB
    Flo131LB Posts: 9 Member
    I agree, with the answer above, just keep going, and you will probably drop a few pounds, all of a sudden !
    I’m on painkillers, at the moment, for arthritis and they dissolve, and they are full of Salt, so my weight has slowed down, but as long as I stick to the calories allowed, it will come off. Good luck
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Weight loss is odd. It follows a downward trend over time, but fluctuates a great deal. That can be discouraging. As Tom said, just keep going. If you have no weight loss after a month, then it's time to re-evaluate, and change things a bit. Seeing a trend takes awhile, so just be patient. Success will come.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,944 Member
    What is your current weight and your weightloss goal? The maximum this website gives you is 2lbs per week, and that's only for severely obese people. You lost a lot, and more than what's recommended. It's unlikely you regained fat. It's more likely waterweight and there's some recalibration going on. Put it that way: you're likely still on or even ahead of your weightloss target.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,260 Member
    edited September 2023
    Grab weight trend app or use web site or spreadsheet. Insert data under as identical conditions as possible. Review data once a week to look at your trend. If you have a monthly hormonal bcycle compare similar points in your cycle because of possible water retention.

    Reduced sampling rate = less information

    You currently don't know why you shot up 2lbs.

    But I would be willing to wager that your scale weight fluctuation has to do with other than changes to your accumulation of stored energy reserves (aka body fat)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You're not going to lose weight every single week. It is normal for people to lose in a pretty linear fashion for the first 3-4 weeks as much of that initial weight loss is actually water. After that is is up and down and all around and you really have to look at trends over time than doing a bunch of hand wringing over one individual data point. This is what losing weight looks like in reality. It isn't a linear thing no matter how precise and accurate you are with things. The human body is a complex biological organism, not a machine.

    Weight-Loss-Reality-Feature.png
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    I agree with everyone above who says that is how weight loss goes. Early on a person may experience continuous downward numbers, but eventually they will start bouncing around. That is not a wall, it is how the body works. The huge number of factors that can affect weight without fat actually increasing will come into play. Trust the process, and keep going.
  • history_grrrl
    history_grrrl Posts: 216 Member
    What others have said is exactly my experience, too. My weight loss has been pretty slow, but it is definitely happening. However, for example, I got overly excited last week about hitting 175 lb. (I started at 183-ish) and then had readings like 176.8, 176.2, 177, etc. This morning it’s 175.8. It’s the downward trend that matters. I also just tried on a pair of shorts I couldn’t pull over my hips a few months ago, and they fit. I also have more exercise capacity and overall feel lighter and more comfortable. Look for those other metrics, too.
  • ChrisF132023
    ChrisF132023 Posts: 3 Member
    Some really good feedback, my mind knew the answer but my heart needed to be reassured. Haha
  • MacLowCarbing
    MacLowCarbing Posts: 350 Member
    edited September 2023
    Great advice here. I was gonna say weight loss is more zig-zaggy than a straight downward line but the visual is much more effective.

    Also I'd add if I go a couple of weeks to a month with no loss/unexpected gain, I start measuring and weighing and recording everything more carefully to ensure I'm not slipping up somewhere.

    But I wouldn't worry about a couple of pound variation in a week.
  • jmattmacd09109
    jmattmacd09109 Posts: 1 Member
    I might be bonkers but I actually like those weeks because I know I'm under my calories so over the next 2-3 weeks that gain will come off again when whatever temporary thing caused it to go on PLUS my normal drop from being in a deficit, it feels like I've "banked" some extra loss for the next few weeks. None of this is based on any sort of science ofc.

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