I wanted to post some encouragement to all the ladies out there who, like me, have been super diligent about dieting and exercising for several weeks and are losing neither inches nor weight.
Apparently there is this thing called a whoosh! It goes like this - you exercise and diet for awhile and don't see any change. Then, one day, as if by magic, the scale shows a signficant drop. Apparently, what happens is that the body kinda freaks out when you start exercising and dieting. Your fat cells lose fat, but at the same time the fat cells are losing fat, they are expanding with water because the body doesn't feel safe losing the water for some reason. At some point, the body feels safe and it loses the excess water stored in your fat cells all at once and the scale goes crashing down.
It makes a heckuva lotta sense to me, because I have noticed it before when I have tried to lose weight. I go along for several weeks or a month, counting every calorie, kicking my own butt in the gym 5-6X a week along with taking my dogs for four mile walks and nothing happens. Then, one day, my jeans are falling off of me.
I just hope that it will happen for me this time too.
And for all you ladies in the same boat - have faith. It will happen for us. We just have to keep going and resist the urge to throw our scales into the Pacific Ocean!
Last edited by jillianfan; 11-06-2009 at 02:42 PM.
This definitely does happen. I usually experience it during a stall. It's especially frustrating when the clothes don't match the weight. Pants fall off, weight stays up!
I have found, though, that instead of waiting for it to happen, a few days of staying ridiculously hydrated helps it along. I was on a 7 day stall, drank twice my normal intake of water for two days, and dropped 3 pounds. Not exactly a "whoosh"...but I'll take it.
Actually, Altari, that is exactly what I am doing. Staying ridiculously hydrated, I mean. I am planning on drinking about a gallon of water per day, with a bit of natural cranberry juice mixed in, and hope to force my whoosh, 'cause I am tired of waiting for it.
hey jilllianfan - thanks for the post. The scale has been stuck for me for two weeks but I am seeing some nsvs like more muscle tone and looser clothes so I'll take it. But I'm certainly hoping for a whoosh myself - onederland looms so close and I want it to get closer!!!
I had responded to one of your earlier threads as our stats are very similar, and you had asked me to let you know how it was going w/ low-carb. I switched to low-carb on Sunday and have lost 4.5 lbs. since then. I know some of it is water, but it got me below 150, which I've been trying to do on and off for months, so I'm happy. Still exercising 5X/week and keeping my calories about 1200. I actually find it hard to get to 1200 since I'm not eating so many foods right now. Going to try to stick with this for a few more weeks and then gradually add healthy carbs back.
Wow, Natamars, good for you! Sounds like you got your woosh!
I was intending to low carb myself, but it just too difficult for me. That said, how low are your carbs? I could probably limit myself to the 125 gram number, but any lower than that, I fear I will be chewing my arm off!
Here's an article that explains the mechanism behind whooshes. Really interesting, I think, and encouraging at the same time. I've found this to be true with my weight loss, including the bit about squishy fat.
Waiting for my whoosh!
