I was good this week! I went to the gym five days this week, did cardio each time (for 30-60 minutes) and did strength training twice. I ate well, averaging 1500 calories a day. I ate good foods. I got in about 10 glasses of water a day. I was confident I'd hop on the scale and see at least a pound lost, hopefully two.

0.4lbs. Consistently. I didn't even lose half a pound! Now, the routine I outlined above, that's what I've been doing for awhile now, and I've been losing ~2lbs a week. I'm completely baffled by this week. Have I plateaued?

My threories about why my body might not want to let go of any pounds:
- I started taking a One a Day WeightSmart vitamin. I'm not thinking of it as a magic pill, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Could it somehow be hurting?
- I started working a 6pm-1am job. Now, instead of getting up at 7am, I get up at 10am. Instead of going to bed at 11pm, I go to bed at 2am. I'm getting the same amount of sleep, but I'm eating my last meal at 9:30pm instead of 7pm. Could this somehow be affecting things?

I just wish I knew what I'm doing wrong, so I could modify that behaviour.

Or maybe my body just sucks this week.

Kashi -

It could be your body hit a plateau. Maybe you should give yourself a day of rest or do something to trick your body. I know I have to do different workouts or my body gets use to them and they become less effective.


good luck and keep going !!

Nikki

I agree with the platewu theory. Your body just sometimes does that. Don't let the number on the scale be what you measure by. For a couple of weeks, I gain about a pound a week, but I was also taking my measurements and had lost there, so I knew that it was just my body readjusting itself. Did you take your measurements? When my body finally let go I lost 3 lbs this last week. Not a huge loss, but enough to get past what I had gained and an extra bonus pound. Your body just needs to readjust every once in a while. Also exersise needs to constantly be monitored. Are you working out at a higher intensisty or for longer? Your body needs you to every once in a while increase that. Just reasses what you are doing and your body will cooperate. You can do it and a plateau is just that a plateau.

Trish

One slower week (especially one that has all but a 1/2 pound of weight loss) is probably a bit too early to start calling plateau.

In the early part of the weight loss journey it is, for many people, very easy to lose 2 or even more pounds each week, every week. This gives a false impression that as long as we "are good" and keep up the same level of activity and intake, that this will continue.

However, weight loss just isn't something that you can program into your body. There are plenty of weeks (probably about a 3rd at the moment) where I don't lose any weight at all, or even gain a pound or 2, then the next week I suddenly drop 3, or 4, or even more pounds. You have to factor in hormones, water retention, "waste" retention, muscle development, and probably 4 or 5 other body functions that I don't know about that have an indirect effect to your weight as well.

This is why I've switched from focusing on the scale and really am trying to "feel good" based on how close I've followed my ideal lifestyle. I know that the eating and exercising I'm doing now will lead to loss over the long haul, (and more importantly, better health) no matter what happens this week... so the weeks when nothing happens scale-wise don't bother me. Only the days when I "don't feel" like following my plan and give into those feelings do.

I know I've posted this before, but I really do this, and I think it's part of the reason for my success so far: everytime I am about to get on the scale I always say to myself "I can only control my eating and my exercise".

Just keep at it no matter what games the scale plays and you'll see the benefits happen.

maybe your body is just retaining water. that's my guess. also do you remember to wear the same clothing every time you weigh yourself and this maybe a little embarassing but do you remember to go to the bathroom and not eat anything before weighing? doing those things make about a pound of difference in my weigh ins. don't get discouraged, look how far you've come along! good luck

What Jen said!

Seriously, weight loss is NOT linear! Just keep doing the great things that you are doing and you WILL see a loss over time. Some weeks it will be more, others less... some weeks you may even gain! Don't let the scale have this kind of control over you.

Be sure and change up your exercise routine every month or two, if you're not already doing that. Often, people even change it up weekly. Different cardio, heavier weights, more weight lifting, more intensity. Your body needs change or it gets to comfortable.

You've consistently lost 2 lbs. a week--excellent! And even though you didn't lose much, you still lost. I say that's a good thing. Sure, not what you want, but as others have said, weight loss isn't linear so look at what you've accomplished so far--you're doing great!

Its okay !! Dont get discouraged just keep at it and it will happen! Good Luck!

Dont be discouraged.. im thinking water retention or perhaps building muscle since youve been so dedicated at the gym. Remember that you still lost!! thats great! We did not all get fat overnight.. so we cant expect it to come off quickly either.. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK