[diannawv]

Hello!

I am currently on 28 WW points range and I have been on WW for 4 weeks. The first week and second week I had NO weight lost. The third week, I hired a trainer to get me moving and to teach me how to workout to be fit. Week 3 no weight lost... then bam!... Week 4 I lost 4 lbs. Over a 4 week month, that would average out to 1 lbs a week, which is average for WW.

Recap:
Week 1 - 0 lost
Week 2 - 0 lost
Week 3 - 0 lost
Week 4 - 4 lbs lost... its about time!!
Tuesday morning is my next WI and I so hope that I lose something...

This is my current workout schedule:

Monday - train on my own <homework from my trainer>
Tuesday - step arobics 45 minutes then 15 minutes floor excercises
Wednesday - cardio for 30 - 45 minutes
Thursday - Trainer appointment for 60 minutes ... she kills me..LOL
Friday - cardio for 30 - 45 minutes
Saturday - day off or cardio if I miss Friday's cardio
Sunday - day off

Here's my question:
I ran into a lady who says she teaches Jazzersize at a local gym. She told me if I wanted to kick it up a notch to work on getting in only 1200 calories. Well, what if I were to move to 20-22 points.? What would happen to me?

[Ilene]

If you're losing well at the moment at 28 points just keep at that level till you reach a plateau, then go to the lower points...

[kaplods]

My opinion and nothing more:

Some people often lose weight in the pattern you describe. My personal theory is that you should not drop your calories to a level that you feel physically or emotionally stressed by. If you drop your calories and it drops your energy to exercise, you may have shot yourself in the foot.

As to your question "what would happen to me?" That depends a lot on you, and there's really only one way to find out, and that is give it a shot. If you're in reasonably good healty, it really shouldn't do any harm to you, unless you have a medical condition that would interfere (diabetes, especially if you're on medications, low blood sugar, cardiac conditions, electrolyte imbalances....).

Some people will tell you that your weight loss can stall at low or steady calorie levels because your metabolism will slow down. This doesn't appear to be true for short-term calorie drops (in other words, it would take weeks at the new lower calorie level to cause a drop in metabolism). There's also some evidence that the calorie drop also causes energy level drop, so the weight plateau is as more from your decreased activity than the calorie level. So, if you keep up your exercise, a calorie drop shouldn't cause a plateau (in theory). It is important that you don't drop your calories to a point that you feel tired, irritable, lightheaded, and mentally not on your A-game. Gradual calorie reduction is often more easily tolerated than a large sudden drop. A 6 pt drop is roughly a 350 - 500 calorie drop. This probably will net you a loss of 1 lb more per week than you would otherwise.

I've come to believe that experimentation is not a terrible thing. In the long run, it is giving up that causes weight gain, not experimenting with your weight loss program.

[Kelly_S]

If you drop to 1200 calories especially if you do that much exercise.

If you started exercising from the beginning of your weight loss efforts your muscles were in shock and not adjusted to it thus they tend to retain water to help repair and rebuild. This can also happen when you

I have a story I have told over and over about dropping down so much let me see if I can find it

[diannawv]

Yes.. I was in terrible pain! My trainer told me that I would probably be in pain in 24-48 hours later. but.. I was in pain literally in hours. The pain lasted for 2 weeks. I could hardly walk, but I excersized anyway.

Ok, then the water retention is the reason for me not losing?

I'd love to see your story when you have the chance to find it.

Thank you!

[Kelly_S]

I am still looking for it. I tried to search on here but it tells me that it can't find because I don't have enough search words. LOL!

[kelijpa]

I say take your measurements now, before you lose anymore. I was like you losing .2 sometimes .6 in a week thinking what am I doing here, but DH and I were walking 2 miles everyday and challenging each other to walk faster, run a bit here and there. Well, I was thinking my pants seemed a little looser and checked my measurements and was surprised, my loss is measurements was more motivating than my loss at the scale. That's catching up, but muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space.

I remember there was a picture, I think on here somewhere that showed a pound of fat compared to a pound of muscle, sounds gross, but I remember seeing it.

Anyway, I don't recommend dropping your pts. now, as you lose weight you'll get less anyway so as long as you're figuring things correctly, keep eating to lose.

Make sure you're drinking enough water, too, but not right before you weigh in, a pint's a pound the world around

[starsxxxstraps]

I have always been a point range lower then what I should be. but I was close enough that it probably didnt matter....but I lost weight...
and nothing bad happened. :]