Hello! I've been lurking on 3FC for quite awhile. I finally signed up a week ago and got incredibly serious about my weight loss. Before I began my new lifestyle, I was completely sedentary and lived off of fast food. This week, however, I have kept my calories between 1300-1500 and have worked out at the gym on the elliptical for at least 40 minutes. I haven't cheated at all. I'm in this 100%, and I've really surprised myself at how well I've stuck to this!

Anyways, I forced myself to wait a week before I weighed myself, and when I finally did tonight, I had gained a pound! I was so excited to see some sort of loss and that pound gain just really hit me hard. I guess my question is - is this normal to have not lost in your first week? I keep reading about how everyone lost the most in their first week, so I guess I'm just confused why that hasn't happened to me. Maybe my body is just shocked at such a drastic change in eating habits and activity level, and doesn't know what to do so it's hanging onto everything for dear life? I'm also on some medications, but if I'm counting calories, I don't see how those would effect it.

Any insight or encouraging/wise words would be great! Thank you all!!

Hi! Welcome to 3FC!

The scale can be a total JERKFACE (I picked a G-rated word, but really I wanted to use an R-rated one). Chances are, if you calorie count is accurate, it's water weight. If you've been formerly sedentary, adding exercise can play crazy tricks on your body. Another thing, is your TOM due anytime soon, that could be a double whammy.

If you haven't already, take measurements and pictures! I'm so glad I did this for myself, and now I have 8 months worth of other numbers to look at besides the scale, not to mention the pride of being able to see an amazing difference in the pictures. The scale does not tell the whole story!

Here's the thing, there will be many times like this throughout your journey, times of scale dismay and utter frustration at not seeing your hard work pay off in the numbers department. But, it WILL catch up. Your scale will reflect your hard work soon enough. Believe me I totally relate and have been through MANY frustrating and angering times with the scale.

Stick with it!!! You are doing GREAT!

Thank you SO MUCH for that post. It is really what I needed to read. Now that you mention it, my TOM is coming up, so that could definitely play a role in retaining water. I also went from drinking almost exclusively Coke to only water with the occasional crystal light for the past week, so maybe I'm just totally freaking my poor body out! Lol!

I don't have words of wisdom, but I think my graph speaks far more than I could:



subtract 10lbs from that and that was the result of nearly daily weighing last year. Down, up, maintain, etc. You see that it wasn't a straight line down, but I still did lose the weight in the end. There were frustrating moments, sure, but sticking with it is the best thing I ever did.

I agree with LockItUp, pictures and measurements are about to be your best friend! Sometimes the scale wont budge, but you can still really see a difference on the measuring tape/in a picture.

Also Adalie, in my experience, whenever I start working out harder than usual, I see a jump on the scale. This is because strenuous working out is essentially tearing your muscles, so they end up retaining water to repair and recover. I find that drinking extra water kind of helps me with this, but it's inevitable. Don't put too much focus on the scale! It's easily the most inaccurate measure of success for weight loss, in my opinion.

Yes, I totally agree, pictures and measurements are KING (or should I say queen? )

And also, as others already said, when you go from being completely sedentary to exercising a lot more - especially when you have/had sore muscles - you are most likely retaining water in your muscles. They do that to protect themselves from injury. It doesn't usually add more than 4lb and doesn't usually last for more than a couple weeks. And then your body will just let go of it again and it'll DROP off after that!

So don't get discouraged and keep doing. You're doing great!!

Also, when you do weigh yourself, do so naked in the morning on an empty stomach after going to the bathroom. You said you weighed yourself "tonight" which I assume means evening?

That's not your accurate weight cause you eat/drink different volumes of water/food during your day. It usually evens out by the time its morning but my evening weight can be super different.

Hope that helps!

I have to agree with everyone else that posted. And I really want to tell you to measure yourself - at least bust, waist, and hips. I didn't and really wish I had. After I had lost about 40 pounds I took part in a challenge at my gym. We didn't have to be measured but it was suggested that we do so. It was then that I wished I had done it at the start. Sometimes we don't want to see the bigger numbers, but when we have the smaller ones to compare them to, it's very heartening. I had kept a pair of pants that fit like a second skin and I measured them to get approximate numbers for my starting waist and hips. Then I gave the pants away.

Welcome to the forum and good luck!

Lin

Hang in there, it will work!!!