[Cglasscock1]

I was looking at some weight loss logs that I kept over the years. I actually have a log that is from 1995! And 1999! and 2002 and 2009. I find it very insightful to go back and review exactly when and how much weight I lost during those past tries. One thing that really stands out to me in these logs or listings is just how UNEVEN my weight losses were. For example, usually in the first month, I would lose 8-10 pounds. Then maybe 3 pounds the next month. And then maybe no weight loss for a month or two then all of a sudden a 5-7 pound loss in a month.
The reason I am writing about this is that I think a lot of us have fallen for the proverbial wisdom that by eating correctly and exercising, a person should lose 1-2 pounds per week. I challenge this oft quoted idea. It seems to me from my own results and after reading many posts on 3FC, that this is JUST NOT TRUE. If we didn't believe this old opinion, maybe we would all have a little more patience with ourselves and continue on our eating and exercise plans until our body gets ready to shed pounds. I know that is what I am having to do. It's not fun, but it beats doing nothing! What is your experience?

[wrdfrog]

Hi! I agree that the weight loss can be pretty inconsistent from week to week.

I think that the 1-2 lbs per week that people are usually quoting is an average over a long period of time and not the number of lbs that you literally lose per week. I've found that even if I've had stalled weeks and such that if I average out how much I've lost over say two or three months, it comes out to 1-2 lbs per week, but maybe that's just me!

On a slightly related note, I was thinking about weight loss patterns the other day. I have some logs from past weight loss attempts too and while looking through them I realized that my weight loss looks nothing like a straight down line, but instead like a series of increasingly smaller hills going downward (if that makes any sense). Noticing this has helped me be much more patient when my scale doesn't want to move. I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this or if the pattern is different for everyone.

[mkendrick]

Absolutely!

This is my first time losing weight, so I don't have anything to compare it to. But it is fairly predictable.

From 183lbs-150lbs, I lost 1-2lbs every week except the week before my TOM in which I lost around .5lbs.

At 150, I plateaued for about a month. Hovering between 151 and 149. It stressed the heck out of me, but now looking back, I think that was a very vital time in this journey. It was kind of my make it or break it moment. I continued on the lifestyle, staying more on plan than ever, even without the reward on the scale every week.

Then I started losing again, but it's been in a totally different, but predictable pattern ever since. From 149-now, I will lose AT MOST 1-1.5lbs in the three weeks between my TOM. I won't lose anything the week before I start. Really I just bounce around within those same 2lbs, but I might inch down a bit in those few weeks. Then I start my TOM, and bam, lose at least 3lbs over a few days. This last month, I went from consistantly seeing 139-140 to consistantly seeing 135-136.

[Cglasscock1]

wrdfrg,
Yes, I agree that the 1-2 pound loss is usually quoted as an average loss over a time period (I should have made that clearer). But I still think that that standard can make us feel a failure on the weeks that we don't lose.
A sense of panic sets in that we are not EVER going to lose. I guess what I am saying that it would be very beneficial if we can ride out these weeks, knowing that our weight loss may be very erratic and that it will happen if we
stay the course. I think this is key to avoid giving up during plateaus. A lot of us are always in a rush, trying to fit into a certain dress by a certain time. We have our loss timetables figured to the inth degree. It just doesn't seem to work that way!

[PeanutsMom704]

this is a shorter time frame but esp. since I started doing daily WIs, I see that I lose weight the first half of the month and then I tend to go up and down a lot the second half. This matches my cycle - ovulation midmonth and TOM at the end, and both of those can make the scale do funny things. It was kind of a relief to look at 3 months worth of daily numbers in black and white and see that pattern.

I also agree about the small hills going downward. If I look even week over week, I don't always see a steady loss, but month over month, it's there.