[fluffy22801]

Hi.
I began Weight Watchers on 7/28. I started at 317, went to 308 at 2 weeks, up to 310 and back to 315 this morning. I had a rough week last week ran out of about 10 points at week's end (had a small binge).

There is so much weight to lose. I signed up for a year and promised myself I would stick to it for a year....yet I am not sure it's working.

Does anyone else bounce around so much and if so, how did the weight loss work over time? Are there any tricks that help the loss show up within the water weight fluctuations?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Koshka]

I found while I was losing weight that there were a lot of things that could impact weight loss on any given week, apart from my calorie deficit. In the long run, of course, the calorie deficit ended up making the difference. But, some of the things that made a difference for me at various times:

1. Water retention - For example, having a high sodium day could make my weight go up a couple of pounds.

2. Medication - Once I took a prescription that was known for causing water retention. I was up the entire time I took the medication (thankfully it was only necessary for a short period of time)

3. Constipation - Yes, that can make a big difference.

4. Eating out - If I eat out in the couple of days before weigh in that could easily add a couple of pounds.

5. Clothes that I wore to weigh in - Not all clothes wear the same. Eventually I had a weigh in outfit that I wore every time I weighed in.

6. Exercise activity - I found out the hard way that weight lifting the day before weigh in could result in a temporary weight gain.

I am post-menopausal so I didn't have hormonal issues. But, when I was younger time of month could certainly make a big difference in weight. So - there are a lot of factors that can cause a temporary gain. Of course, if there is no loss over a sustained period of time, it may be important to look at food and make sure and weigh and measure and look up the point counts to make sure everything is being counted properly. And, make sure not to overdo zero point foods.

[fluffy22801]

Thank you so much for the input and encouragement. I am happy to report the water weight seemed to finally flush out and happily I see my weight is down. My pants are also fitting in a more forgiving way. In the end, I finished up the first month down 8 lbs. So I learned that (in my case) sometimes weight loss takes a while to catch up and I should continue to work the program and believe it will work.

By the way, I love your blog! It's so inspiring to read your experiences and see that you have done so well. We're about the same age and it resonates and encourages. Thank you for your time and sharing with the world.

[karen0117]

I'm glad you're back on track, fluffy.

I'm doing well and if I don't eat out I'm fine.

[Koshka]

That is great! And, I know that I have also often found that sometimes it takes a while for weight loss to catch up. (And, thanks for the kind words).

[karen0117]

Today is my twentieth week WW anniversary and I have lost exactly thirtynpounds for a 1.5 a week average. I used to be disappointed with less than a two-pound loss but I'm in it for the long haul. I have lost mostly in my hips, thighs and face. Wish the belly would go down more. Now that the Texas weather is cooling down I hope to get in more aerobics.