First few weeks...

  • I'm into the middle of my third week. I've lost 7 lbs so far, but the last two weigh ins..I've gone up a pound. It's not my time of the month and I haven't changed the way I'm eating. I'm feeling a little frustrated, because I thought i would have no issues with stalling in my first month. When this happen, it seems to discourage me and trigger the sense of diet failure that I have felt before. Is this normal to not keep losing only after a few weeks?

    Thanks for your support,
    Sarah
  • Welcome Sarah and congratulations on making a positive change in your life.
    You are probably not stalling. Your body from time to time pauses to adjust to the weight loss. I am a very patient person, but I had to learn to develop even more patience when losing weight. Hang in there and don't get discouraged. We all want to lose weight rapidly. It does not happen that way for most people. The Biggest Loser is a great show, in my opinion, but we see these people lose massive amounts of weight each week and that is not realistic for most of us. Make sure you are pushing water. A pound fluctuation is quite normal and make sure that you check the foods that you are eating for sodium content. I like to say that I "ounced" my way down the scale. I was told when I started that if you stayed the same weight for 6 weeks that was considered a stall or a plateau. So I say don't worry, don't get upset, don't get frustrated. Believe it or not, your body senses your stress and the best thing you can do is to stay on plan and look ahead.

    Lynn
    Original goal of 50 lbs lost - accomplished
    Revised goal of 65 lbs lost - accomplished
  • Sarah, You most likely haven't really stalled, just had a little blip... As much as we'd like weight loss to be a quick march down, there are ups and downs. It is part of the process. It is frustrating, since we'd all like each weigh in to be a great success or to reflect our great work. But they don't always do that. You have to EXPECT this, as it is normal, and it is what most people who have successfully lost it have experienced. Good weeks and bad weeks. Weight just fluctates more in a week than you can lose in a week. It is just one of those frustrating facts. Just because the scale is not showing a loss, doesn't mean that it is not working. 7 pounds in 3 weeks is great. Really your body is probably just regrouping to drop a few more pounds. It is hard, hard work on our bodies to eliminate all that fat and suck in all those cells and reorganize it all... If you chose to think about your body regrouping for the next drop instead of stubbornly holding on to the fat, it is better.
  • Barb & Lynn,

    Thanks for the great support! What you said Barb about expecting your weight to reflect your hard work is so true! I'll take it a day at a time and know as long as I'm following the plan, there isn't any reason that it shouldn't be working!

    Thanks again, I feel better now

    Sarah
  • Sarah, I know you can do it, you are already doing it.

    Lynn posted at the same time I did, and she always has great advice.
    She succeeded by being super disciplined in what she ate. I was less disciplined in eating (but still following plan mind you but I will eat more of the higher allowed items) but maybe more disciplined in working out. So we all find our happy place where we are in the weight loss zone... and make this diet ours and not something that is thrust on us. I think it is easier after you get off the express (they didn't have that when I started). As then you have more options in what you can eat. Anyway, I just wanted to encourage you and let you know that it works for people who were successful exactly how it is working for you, so don't worry. Just keep going.
  • Quote: Lynn posted at the same time I did, and she always has great advice.
    She succeeded by being super disciplined in what she ate. I was less disciplined in eating (but still following plan mind you but I will eat more of the higher allowed items) but maybe more disciplined in working out.
    Hey Barbara,
    You owe me an apology. Where did you get the idea that I am not disciplined with my exercise program. I have consistently worked my tail off.

    I have been exercising since before I started LAWL. I joined a fitness club in Oct 2006. At first I was exercising 5 days a week, but in the last 6 months it has been 7 days a week - 5-6 hours total a week. I do treadmill, elliptical, recumbent cross-trainer and water aerobics. My water aerobics classes are estimated to burn 500-600 calories an hour. I would not have been able to make it down the weight loss ladder without both facets - program and exercise.

    Lynn
    Original goal of 50 lbs lost - accomplished
    Revised goal of 65 lbs lost - accomplished
  • Keep in mind that normal, realistic weight loss (read maintainable) is 1-2#'s per week. If you are down 7# in 3 weeks you are over the recommended rate of weight loss. If you lose more rapidly you will lose either water or muscle, period. Both of those losses are not maintainable.
    It took a long time to gain the weight it will take awhile to lose. Remember it is relatively easy to lose weight and much more difficult to keep it off.
    Any way that tis how I console myself. I am committed to getting to and staying at a healthy weight. FOR LIFE.
    Good luck. You are at the right place for great support. These people are the best.
  • Sarah -

    I was just looking at my daily weight log and during the 1st week I went up 1.2 lb at a WI and I almost died. Then the next WI I was down 3.2 (net of 2 lbs!).

    Then during the 3rd week my weight loss completely stalled for about 6 days. Then on the 7th day I was down 2.6!

    It's hard to stay motivated at these time but what really got me through it was expressing how I was feeling to the ladies at the center and on this forum. Everyone has been there and can offer some great advice/support.

    I too, had a really hard time w/ the "bouncing around" b/c I was expecting to lose every time. I've come to accept that this just isn't realistic.

    Think of it this way, the reason you're weight went up when you are working so hard is b/c your body is preparing itself to let go of a few pounds! I'm w/ Barbara that it is hard for our bodies to regroup and sometimes, they just need a minute.

    Here's my little "plateau buster" regime, I swear by it. It has worked every time for me.

    Drink 96 oz of H2O/day
    Increase your exercise time a little
    Do not touch the salt shaker

    And yes, the Express sucks. Hang in there. I just got off of it this week.
  • I had the same problem. I kept track at home on a calendar. When I started go up and down, I wrote week by week, my high and my low. I made a chart on my computer at work for both high and low. The line gradually went down like it should. Some weeks they were up but it was a steady downward line.