[8mickey2]

Well, I've been on WW for 3 weeks and 1 day, and have already started to plateau. I am doing everything right. I'm not cheating on the plan. I'm drinking my water. I'm going to the gym. I'm not even using my Flex points. I have dieted in the past, and have never faced a plateau after only 10 lbs. Is it because I'm getting older (is 25 "older"?) and my metabolism isn't what it was when I was losing weight as a 22 year old? I know 10 lbs in 3 weeks is healthy weight loss and I shouldn't be complaining, but doing everything correctly and not seeing the scale move at ALL is so frustrating to me.

I have heard all the suggestions for breaking plateaus before. I know I have to continue doing things right and wait it out. I guess the purpose of this post was mostly to vent.

I've already established that this is going to be a process, not a race. I know it will take at least a year to achieve my goal weight if I want to do it right. But instant gratification is fun, and I have yet to get the concept that it has no place in the lifestyle change I am trying to make.

[Jane]

Although you said you mainly wanted to vent, I have a couple of gentle suggestions for you. I noticed you said you aren't using your Flex points, and think that may be one of your problems. WW gives us the points for a valid reason - we're supposed to eat them, and they are built into our plan. If you include them I think you'll be surprised at the results. Personally, I split mine up daily - an extra 5 points a day. Eating the Flex points not only helps me stay OP, but when I get to maintenance, I'll have more daily points for the rest of my life.

Also, although you're staying with your points, are you eating healthy foods? Lots of veggies, some fruits, whole grains, dairy, etc? It's been my experience that I'll lose better when I don't allow too many junk food points.

What about exercise? Ya gotta move it to lose it!

One last thing, I know you want instant gratification, but as you said, this is a process, (a lifelong one at that) not a race. The added perk is that you will have a much better chance of keeping the weight off if you lose it slower.

Good luck to you, and let us know how it goes, ok? We care.

[Jane]

And, no, 25 is not "older"!!!! You're still a pup.

[modkittn]

I agree with everything Jane said and also wanted to add that you have lost 10 pounds (according to your ticker) in 3 weeks. This means an average of 3.3 pounds per week. When most people first start losing weight, they will lose a lot of weight at the beginning, usually water weight. After a few weeks, they might have a stall (since they just lost a big chunk of weight up front) while their body re-adjusts. Weight loss takes patience - one day at a time. As long as you are still following the plan, you are good. I think you have to wait it out and give yourself a pat on the back for having done so well!

A good thread to check out: Fluctuations in Scale Weight and Water Weight

[Lovely]

I wouldn't say that you've started to plateau if you've just lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks. If the scale doesn't move one week, that doesn't mean it's a plateau. It's a small stall that could be caused by any number of reasons. Were you eating some saltier foods recently? Are your hormones in a little flux? Did a clown drive by on a motorcycle singing the Happy Days theme song? Really, a myriad of reasons can cause the scale not to move for one week. (Some of which are still a mystery... )

Keep following your healthy changes this week. Access next week at the scale.

I have had weeks where I'd go up .8 and then the following week plummet down 4-5 lbs. I'm not saying that you'll experience the same, but just that our bodies do strange things, and that one weigh-in is not the entire story.

Take the above posts into consideration as well, maybe you need a couple more points even if you don't want to use all of the flex points. And what your points are made of is important, too. If it's all snacks & prepackaged, it's good to change those habits earlier on.

Stick with it! You can do this

[kelijpa]

I had the same experience as Faerie, up .6 one week, down 3.2 the next.

Jane has a good point about the points ( ha ha). You have to eat to lose, it sounds weird, but it's true. Your body is an engine, you have to give it good healthy fuel to keep it working at it's best.

When you say you're not even eating your flex points, that makes me think you might not be eating all of your daily points. You do not want your metabolism to slow down, eating right (and eating enough) and exercising are the best ways to keep your metabolism up.

Also, if you've started exercising you might see changes in your measurements some weeks more than at the scale, if you haven't taken your measurements, do it, it's painful the first time, but seeing them get smaller is a great motivator!

Best of luck to you, stick with it