the reason i ask is that i've eaten pretty on track, no binges, around 1800-2500 calories per day (depending on level of activity) for a week and a half, and no loss. In the past, there have been times when i wasn't watching what i ate, and ate EASILY over 3500 calories every day...no gain. Of course, i eventually gained, which is why i'm where i'm at now. Basically unless i'm strictly dieting (which to me, means keeping it under 1800 calories every single day), i can see almost no correlation between what i'm eating and the scale!! But, that does not mean i'm going to go back to eating 3500 calories a day...because i figure it will eventually catch up with me, maybe weeks or even months later. Has anyone else experienced this????
(Yes, i know some will suggest that i increase my calorie deficit...i am working on it, but right now i'm focusing on some other diet goals, such as not eating sugar, and i'm not terribly concerned with losing weight immediately)
I think that level of calories either breaks you even or gives you maybe a couple hundred calorie deficit a week. At that level, yes, it will probably take months to see any difference. If you're ok with that, keep it up! If not, eventually start making your calories a little lower.
For me, fluctuations on the scale can be big depending on factors aside from weight loss: TOM, water retention, how much sodium I ate, constipation, etc. I am the same way, though: can eat a ton of calories each day and not see much of a scale difference, but it DOES eventually creep on unnoticed.
I really think weight loss is a matter of long term. You'll hear that a lot around here, and it's true. It's habits over the long haul that count. A consistent calorie deficit will lead to weight loss... eventually. And speed of that loss depends on how many calories you've cut, your activity level, quality of calories, etc. A consistent calorie excess will lead to weight gain... eventually.
It takes me months to gain weight, and months to get it off. Other people can just look at a doughnut and gain, and others have the weight whoosh right off the minute they start dieting. It's really very dependent on personal factors.
But, I can sympathize. My body is very similar.
