Today was my weekly weigh in and i didn't lose a single pound. I've been eating about 1500-1600 cals a day, walking 5 miles per day (6 days a week in my treadmill) in a fast pace (5 mph). I'm working sooo hard... i feel disappointed and not motivated at all. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong???? Please help...

You're not doing anything wrong.

There is a difference between fat loss and weight loss. Odds are very high you've lost weight in the last week but the scale just isn't showing it.

Read the sticky about water weight.

hi john i definitively going to read about water weight, thanx :-)

Sometimes you'll just end up being stuck for awhile and then have a big whooosh and those def help get your motivation back.

This a billion times over.

What they said.

I also wanted to say "holy speed walker, Batman!" Walking 12 minute miles for an hour is impressive. Way to go!

What you do today or this week doesn't necessarily show up on the scale tomorrow (or next week). It can take weeks to see results. Sometimes even people with a lot of weight to lose may not see results they can pinpoint to a specific day/week behavior.

If you're expecting to get a daily, or even weekly reinforcement for your behavior, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment and inevitably failure (because you can only feel like a failure so long, before deciding that it's permanent).

Weight loss is more like owning your own business. When and how much you earn is going to depend on your work (in the long run), but it may take weeks and even months to get each payday. The harder you work, the more positive results you will see, but the pay-off may not be on a predictable schedule.


It's not at all unusual to lose in "whooshes" (nothing for several weeks, and then suddenly a significant loss), and the whooshes may be on a 4 week or even longer or more sporadic/unpredictable cycle.


Just like owning and running a business, you can do everything right and still not see an immediate profit. That's ok, you just have to know that positive changes are yielding positive results (even if you can't see them yet).

It can take weeks to see results, and that is only discouraging if you expect something different, or think that everyone else is getting better results (they're not - more people "whoosh" than lose consistently).






Even gains aren't unusual.

Gains or non-losses can be due to a lot of things


water weight (for several reasons including muscle-building and repair - sodium intake - monthly hormones - illness or injury - stress - heat).

muscle gain (good weight gain)

constipation (or just the normal weight of undigested food and un-pooped poop in the digetive tract)

Stick with your plan ... you will see the results eventually on the scale and for sure in your clothes! You are building muscle and getting fit - don't give up!!!

This is one of the charts of my weight loss from a few years ago. As you can see, one week I wouldn't lose anything (or maybe even gain) and the next week I would lose twice as much to make up for it. There are many different reasons for this, most of which are not preventable (ie hormones), so you just have to be patient.

Perfect example of how dietary myths get started.

My answer to this would be to sleep an extra three hours. Last night I had a BIG serving of cashews right before bed. I normally eat only one meal a day around 7 pm, but last night I just felt *hungry*, so cashews it was. I woke up 1.2 pounds down.

I find looking at the scale very frustrating. Even though I know the scale may not accurately represent my weight loss or change in shape, I still get a feeling for my day depending on what it says...

However, the way I ought to look at things is how my clothes fit. Can I get into that pair of jeans now because I can button them b/c my waist is smaller? Do I look better in that shirt? Are the buttons not pulling? Am I not constantly pulling it down so that it doesn't ride up? These reflect changes in shape and not mass necessarily. I have lost weight for the month but lost it all in the first two weeks and haven't budged since. I'm looking forward to next month. But I also know that I look better in those pair of jeans because I've been exercising...

Sounds like you're doing a lot of walking... That's great!!

You know, it is a perfect example. If it were out and out wrong, it wouldn't go anywhere. But it's not. I also won't show movement on the scale if I eat late. Similarly, I will show movement on the scale if I sleep in and weigh myself later in the day than ususal. None of it has anything to do with how fat I am. All it has to do with is how much food and liquid is still in me, showing up for weigh-in.

If I am feeling a bit down about the scale number in the morning I weigh my cat. Once I set him down I have an immediate 13 pound loss. He hasn't figured out that I am using him yet. He just thinks it's bathroom cuddles. Shh!

LOL!