Weight Watchers - Consistently Losing 2 Lbs a Week ? ...

So my latest goal in life is to average two pounds a week. I know that this falls into the WW healthy weight loss range of 1-2 lbs per week. But honestly, it seems like most people in my meeting (who are sharing) are losing less than 2. Right now I am averaging 1.46 pounds per week. I am only four weeks in and and haven't started exercising yet (I am planning to this week).

I know there will be higher and lower weeks, but is anyone actually averaging 2 a week? And if so, what do you attribute your steady losing to??? Thanks :)

Losing an average of 2 pounds a week is an unrealistic goal. Every body is different and you can't compare yourself to anyone else. If you lose weight without exercise, you are losing muscle as well as fat and that is bad.

Losing an average of 2 pounds a week is an unrealistic goal. Every body is different and you can't compare yourself to anyone else. If you lose weight without exercise, you are losing muscle as well as fat and that is bad.

I disagree. I don't think that you can say it is unrealistic for everyone. In general, 2 pounds per week is a perfectly safe and healthy rate to lose at, but I do acknowledge that it may not be for everyone. Like you said yourself, every body is different.


For the entire 5 months I was following WW strictly, I averaged 2.3lbs per week (but for the last 2 months alone the average was only 1.1 lbs per week). I attribute that to eating as many whole foods (rather than processed foods) as possible. For what it's worth, I rarely ate weekly points except when there was a special occasion or night out to splurge a bit on. I also combined diet with a well-rounded exercise plan and usually didn't eat back the activity points that I earned.

I have been consistently losing about 2lbs per week on the PointsPlus plan (I have been following it since it came out). My biggest secrets are trying to avoid processed food as much as possible, avoiding, but not eliminating carbs, drinking plenty of water (at least 64 oz per day plus coffee), and tracking EVERYTHING I eat, even if I "cheat" or go off plan. I also try to eat every few hours to keep my metabolism up and avoid hunger.

When I first began losing weight I was averaging around 2 pounds. I'm sure some of that was water weight though. Now I don't usually drop 2 pounds a week. More like 1-1.5.

It's hard to set a goal that you have little control over - like how much weight your body will drop each week. Why not set a goal about sticking to the plan, exercising a certain amount or eating a certain % of power foods every day.

I have never consistently averaged 2 pounds a week, not even when I got to goal and weighed 119 pounds.

The best I ever did was 1.5 pounds and that was with exercise.

When I started a little over a year ago I also lost 2lbs consistently for almost 10 months =D Now some weeks I lose under a pound and I believe it's due to being closer to goal.

Hmmmm..... Maybe I am setting my sights too high. Its just so hard, as I know you guys know, to see it go away so slowly when you have so much to lose.

But the one thing that I am determined to do this time is NOT QUIT, no matter what. So if its a pound or a pound and a half a week that will have to be that. A pound and a half a week is 78 pounds in a year. Thats what I keep telling myself.

And I do appreciate your tips - I'm doing well with the day to day portions, good foods, and tracking. I know that right now there are (at least) three things I can improve on : limiting my weekend (extra point) treats, starting to exercise, and drinking much more water. So there's my focus right now.

Thanks Ladies :)

When I did WW many years ago, I lost 25 lbs. in 3 months, which is an average of almost 2 lbs. a week. And that got me below where I'd initially set my goal weight - went from 144 to 119.

However, I was 28 years old and I was exercising HARD 6-7 days a week. I'd often do an hour of step aerobics followed by an hour of body pump/muscle conditioning class. And I followed plan PERFECTLY.

Now I am happy to lose a lb. a week. I'm at the gym 5-6 days a week, but my workouts are more like 40 minutes-an hour. I have a young son at home now plus I work full-time, so I feel like I spend enough time away from him as it is.

If you have a large amount of weight to lose and can consistently eat 29 points or less (and not excessive fruits/veggies) you can probably easily lose 2 lbs a week.

I have lost an average of 1 pound a week for 12 weeks now, and this past week did my best to be 100% diligent. I tracked points and calories and ate 29, no more, and rarely less (1 or so max.) Every single day my calories averaged 1300-1400, no more, no less (so I know my range now.)

I will have a solid 2 lb drop (as I've also weighed daily and tracked exactly.) No extremes of anything any of those days, i.e. extreme carbs or sodium. I also got lots of regular exercise.

And I'm going to go for week 2 of perfect compliance too. It's sure not easy, but my daily target, an extra 49 and activity points just is too many calories to see a good solid consistent drop.

If I want to lose weight and see it on the scale I have to eat my 29 points (1300-1400 cals,) move my butt, and just not cheat. It's what it is...a diet. But find foods you enjoy, eat healthy foods and stop thinking so much about it, just do it.

Alright - I think it depends on the person and maybe age plays a factor.

For the last 2 months I've consistently eaten 29 points or less with only a handful of days above that and no day above 1350 calories (most days around 1100 calories). I eat little fruit (don't care for it) and eat low calorie veggies. I've recorded my calories as well as my points. I record my exercise and don't do extremes either. I am scrupulous about recording properly, weighing and measuring food.

I do not lose 2 pounds a week. During December I averaged about 1.5 pounds a week. During January, doing exactly what I did in December, I averaged about .5 pounds a week.

Again perhaps this is the fact I am older (I am 56). I am still doing better than I was before that (when I was eating most of my weekly points and was losing about .2 pounds a week).

It does vary somewhat from week to week and perhaps it will speed up a bit but it isn't consistent.

I've been following the WW plan now for 20 weeks and lost 39.6 pounds. An average of 1.98 pounds a week. I have only had one week that I gained +1 and all the other 19 weeks I have lost weight ranging from .4 to 3.8 pounds. I have not exercised much other than walking and some aquasizing classes or gym here and there. I do not eat my weekly points, in fact I have only once and it was the week I gained the pound.

I am not averaging a lb a week atm its reallt disheartening :(

I am not averaging a lb a week atm its reallt disheartening :(

Not everyone will. Are you eating healthier? Moving more? Feeling better? Is the scale moving in the general downward direction, no matter how slowly?

Everyone's body is different. Just settle into your journey and don't compare yourself to others.

If you stick with the plan, don't cheat (other than your APs or WPs), and exercise, you can expect to lose between 0.5 and 2 pounds a week. That is what the book says, and that is realistic. WW is not a magic pill, it is a healthy, moderate weight loss LIFE STYLE plan.

I think people who look at it only as a diet are bound to regain their weight. At one point, I was down to 153, but I was eating hardly anything, and working out a lot. It is easy to LOSE weight, but it is hard to MAINTAIN weight loss. WW teaches you moderation and to enjoy whole foods. People who try to crash diet and lose more than 2 a week are going to gain most of that back (I've done it).

I keep looking at this like my permanent way to live, vs. a diet, and I think that will work for me. I know it is slow! I HATE only losing 1-2 pounds a week, I wish it were more, but it will pay off.

My husband called it a snowball affect---at first, it is really small, but each week you pack on more snow (lose more weight), and suddenly it will snowball and you will be down 25 pounds in a flash! Even one pound a week is 12 pounds over 3 months---that is sizeable! At least one clothing size:)

Also, people who are larger will lose faster. Keep with it and it will pay off!

I have only lost ounces the past few weeks, and i've been tracking, following plan, drinking water, etc. I don't think we can set a number in our head for a weekly loss because then it's easy to say well forget it, i only lost X amount this week. I've learned to take each week as it comes. It would be nice to have a big loss like 2 a week but i don't count on it. Too many variables with fluctuation, for me anyways.

Here's my take on it... I refuse to do anything that I won't do once I hit maintainance. My goal is that once I hit my goal weight, the only thing that I have to do is add in a few points, find my maintenance level of points, and maintain. There is no "well, I can't have that food until I hit my goal" or "I'll eat plasticy diet food until goal and then I can start eating real food again" or anything like that. I don't allow food to have that much power in my life anymore. If I want something, I eat it, but I stay within my points each week. And by points, I mean daily points + activity points + weekly points. Eating your weekly points is not cheating!!!!!!!!

I may not lose 5 lbs a week, but I'm down 23 lbs since the beginning of October and closer to goal. I can live this way for the rest of my life, so I don't long for the days of eating without control. What's the hurry? A few extra months is just a blip relative to the time you have left to live.

Also, if your stats are up to date, you've lost about 15 lbs in around 10-11 weeks. That's amazing!! Recognize your accomplishment instead of focusing on what you could have done.

Are you happy with the way you are currently living? If so, I say why make any changes just to increase your weight loss 0.5 lbs a week??

Since I started WW at the end of August up until the beginning of the year my average has been 1.5 pounds a week. The biggest loss was 4 pounds and one week I gained 1 pound. I had a few weeks where I didn't lose anything but the next week I usually lost 2. I can understand getting frustrated when you feel like you worked really hard but know that you are doing it the "right" way now, learning portion sizes, moving your body, making smarter choices.

And talk about frustrated - I hit a plateau at the beginning of the month I can't seem to break. It could be worse, I could be gaining. My plan is to step it up this week!

Not everyone will. Are you eating healthier? Moving more? Feeling better? Is the scale moving in the general downward direction, no matter how slowly?

Everyone's body is different. Just settle into your journey and don't compare yourself to others.

yea i am on ww new plan pro points and exercising i started in november first week i sts, 2nd and 3rd week i lost 2lbs and 4th week i lost 1.5lbs then had a 3 week break as the meeting was shut for xmas and i put 3lbs over xmas and then i lost 3.5lbs,1lbs and then sts. xxx

Here's my take on it... I refuse to do anything that I won't do once I hit maintainance. My goal is that once I hit my goal weight, the only thing that I have to do is add in a few points, find my maintenance level of points, and maintain. There is no "well, I can't have that food until I hit my goal" or "I'll eat plasticy diet food until goal and then I can start eating real food again" or anything like that. I don't allow food to have that much power in my life anymore. If I want something, I eat it, but I stay within my points each week. And by points, I mean daily points + activity points + weekly points. Eating your weekly points is not cheating!!!!!!!!

I may not lose 5 lbs a week, but I'm down 23 lbs since the beginning of October and closer to goal. I can live this way for the rest of my life, so I don't long for the days of eating without control. What's the hurry? A few extra months is just a blip relative to the time you have left to live.

This is me exactly. Lately I've been feeling like I wish I could lose more, but I've been averaging about a 1lb weight loss a week, but you made me feel better and put everything into perspective for me. I always wonder how much I would lose if I didn't use my weekly pts, but then again by the time my weeklies reset I am in the mood for something!! Whether that's a few beers, some chocolate treats or whatever. This is why I am on weight watchers. It's a lifestyle change. It doesn't feel like a diet when I stay on track during weekdays and then have a splurge on the weekends (using flex pts).
I started ww's oct 12 or so and have lost 21lbs or a bit more. That's actually amazing! :D

The funny thing is that I did WW years ago (like maybe 10-15) and people at my meetings were always losing in the 2-3 pound range. I would, too - but I was way younger then (in my 40s now). I can remember that if you would be down a pound or even 1.5 the weigher would ask what you thought you could do better on. So I do think the loss was quicker in those days. It never worked very long for me though, because I am extremely carb sensitive and had huge trouble sticking to plan back then (when "fat free" was all the rage).

I do think that a slow loss is more likely a permanent loss, though. So I am just going with that as well as adding the exercise to maybe speed it up just a bit.

I have actually lost 15.2 pounds in 4 weeks - but it is so weird, the first week I lost 10.8 ! I have no idea how or why. I mean I stuck to the points and plan but still ... I kept thinking that my weight was falsely inflated after the holidays. Although this week I found an old tracker from when I was trying to diet on my own last summer and I was up that high (even a bit higher ) then, too. So who knows. After that initial whoosh I have only lost about 4.4 pounds in 3 weeks. And I think I may actually be up a pound at the moment. Ugh.

I'm not giving up, though .... it will all add up if you stick with it. Right ?:D

Here's my take on it... I refuse to do anything that I won't do once I hit maintainance. My goal is that once I hit my goal weight, the only thing that I have to do is add in a few points, find my maintenance level of points, and maintain. There is no "well, I can't have that food until I hit my goal" or "I'll eat plasticy diet food until goal and then I can start eating real food again" or anything like that.

I absolutely agree with this. The only way to keep the weight off permanently is to make PERMANENT changes in my eating habits -- starting now! I am using this time to figure out what works, what doesn't and what changes I can make that don't leave me feeling horribly deprived.

I have been a WW member several times over the last 35 years :o. I love the new PointsPlus program -- best program yet. By making carbs so "expensive" the program has forced me to cut back on carbs for the first time in my life and the result is that I no longer have "longings" for food. Hungry -- like rumbling stomach hungry--yes. But no cravings nor "longings" for a snack every hour! I eat all my daily points, some of my weekly points (less than half) and none of my activity points and am losing about 1-1.5 lbs a week.

Here's my take on it... I refuse to do anything that I won't do once I hit maintainance. My goal is that once I hit my goal weight, the only thing that I have to do is add in a few points, find my maintenance level of points, and maintain. There is no "well, I can't have that food until I hit my goal" or "I'll eat plasticy diet food until goal and then I can start eating real food again" or anything like that. I don't allow food to have that much power in my life anymore. If I want something, I eat it, but I stay within my points each week. And by points, I mean daily points + activity points + weekly points. Eating your weekly points is not cheating!!!!!!!!

I may not lose 5 lbs a week, but I'm down 23 lbs since the beginning of October and closer to goal. I can live this way for the rest of my life, so I don't long for the days of eating without control. What's the hurry? A few extra months is just a blip relative to the time you have left to live.


I like the above idea.

2 lbs a week is certainly possible, but I wouldn't count on it every week. I think it would take a lot of super dedication. A more realistic way to look at it would be if over a period of say 3 months you averaged a 2 lb a week loss.

One thing I have learned is weight loss is not linear and no matter how dedicated you are your body may not always cooperate.

The first time I did WW a few years ago, it took me 10 months to lose 51 pounds. I thought that was great. It took me 3 years to put back on 25 of those, so I figure if it only takes me 5 months to lose them, yay for me!

I'm way more working on thinking maintenance, I know I'll get the weight off, it's keeping it off for good this time that is my ultimate goal.

I'm way more working on thinking maintenance, I know I'll get the weight off, it's keeping it off for good this time that is my ultimate goal.

Me too! I've really been focusing on what maintenance will look like. I've been lurking over on the maintenance boards here and on the WW website and reading a few blogs of people who have been maintaining their losses. Whenever I've lost weight in the past, I never thought about what happened after I hit goal weight. Heck, the only other time I lost a significant amount of weight, I didn't even ever set a goal weight. What was I thinking? :?: Also I've realized that I'm not going to be fat all the way until the point that I hit my goal and then at that moment I'll be thin - that it's a progressive thing and I don't need to be in a hurry. Sometimes we focus so much on the goal that we forget that we should enjoy where we are and where we came from during the journey to goal. Instead of thinking negatively about how much more weight I have left to lose, I choose to think about how amazing it is that I've lost as much weight that I have so far! Weight loss is such a mental thing...

... There is no "well, I can't have that food until I hit my goal" or "I'll eat plasticy diet food until goal and then I can start eating real food again" or anything like that. ...

I totally agree. That's why WW is one of the few if not the only one that works for me. As soon as I am not allowed to eat something I crave it 24/7. Diet food doesn't satisfy and I want to live my life. Especially since I don't want to be on a diet for life. It is all about changing your eating habits and planning, planning, planning.

The first time I did WW (with 40 pounds weight loss) nobody knew what I am doing. They just suddently noticed that I am getting thinner. It is so flexible that nobody noticed that I changed my eating habits.

And I plan on doing it again :-)