[kellie105]

Well in the last ten days ive lost 10 pounds!!! I have gotten so used to getting up in the morning and running to the scale to see a half a pound or more gone...well not this morning. Now that the weight has stopped falling off should I weigh only once a week? I found so much motivation by seeing that scale go down every day but now that its stopped I dont want be frusterated every morning. What keeps you going when the scale doesnt move as quick as you would like?

[Jodie Dennison]

That happened with me but I still found myself going every morning even the couple of point would keep me motivated to keep going and never loose sight o the goal ahead of me each point is a step closer to your goal weight good luck

[JohnP]

There are pros and cons to both.

Since you're new I'll point out that most of the 10lbs you have lost is not fat. This isn't designed to demotivate you but to educate you.

Learning and understanding the difference between weight loss and fat loss is a key to not getting frustrated in the future. Some people the scale never sticks and others it stops moving for weeks at a time and then suddenly drops 3-4 lbs over night. The reason why is fat loss is not the same as weight loss.

[kellie105]

John- I am aware that all those pounds are not fat but it sure doesnt hurt my motivation one bit to see the scale go down. Ive been on the weight roller coaster for awhile (ive been here since 06, so def not new) but years of infertility, hormonal imbalances and back to back pregnancies have taken a toll, oh and my cake addiction didnt seem to help either!
Jodie- thanks!! I need a new scale as mine only weighs by .5 and not each point.

[Natasha22]

Seeing those pounds melt away is definitely great for your motivation. You'll continue to lose weight, but at a slower pace. Try weighing once a week, or once every couple of days, figure out a routine that works best for you. I know people who notice clothes fitting better, while the scale shows no change, so it's not always about the number.

[alitorry]

Same thing happened to me. First week I lost 7 pounds. The next week, it slowed and I was so upset thinking my body wasn't working for me anymore. My husband tried to explain what John is explaining, but I was so upset. I eventually realized that if I stuck to it, the weight would continue to come off, but at a slower rate, like Natasha says. And as you can see, I have lost almost 45 pounds since Jan 6th. Just stick to it and stay motivated. If you weigh everyday, you need to understand there are going to be flucuations or non movement of the scale. But to me, that doesn't mean anything, because in the end I always lost weight, even if it was just a pound. you'll be just fine

[mkroyer]

Kellie-- there are pros and cons to daily weinging, and you have to decide which category you fall into.. can you handle not seeing the scale move down EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Can you look at it objectively and not freak when one morning the scales moves UP (it WILL HAPPEN). Are you able to chart your progress and still see a downward trend, even if 5 out of 7 days there is no noticaable change. Do you understand how your body works, with regards to water retention during your cycle. do yo understand when the scale moves up, it does not (necessarily) mean you are doing anything wrong?

If not, DONT WEIGH DAILY or you will go crzay crazy crazy...

Not to offend, but becasue you have a fairly significant amount to lose, id wager if you weigh in once or twice a week, you will, *mostly* see a downward trend..... for those with less to lose, it is a MUCH SLOWER process.....
Id recommend (if you cant handle daily weigh-ins) once or twice a week, and then do your measurements every 1 or 2 weeks, AND take a progress pic (same pose, same clothes, etc) once a month. The scale doesnt tell the whole story.

BUT i will tell you this! Given that you DID drop 10 lbs so fast (albeit mostly water) then you can rest assured that you ARE eating in a deficit and if you continue doing whatever you are doing, you will continue to lose... real fat.

Good LUCK!! hope that helped

[tricon7]

Back when I first started my diet, I immediately started dumping water and lost five pounds in a flash. I knew it was mostly water-weight, but I also knew that my body was somehow reacting to this new restriction of calories, which was a good thing.

I'm on the verge now of going into the "180s" again, so I'm weighing every day just like you just to see that benchmark again. I exercised hard the other day and undoubtedly didn't drink enough fluids before bedtime to replenish my stores, and voila! I had lost four pounds overnight! It sure was sweet to see those numbers on the scales, but I knew it was disappointingly temporary. I just hoped that even some of it would stick the following day. I ultimately wound up losing one pound of honest-to-goodness fat in the last few days - not four *sigh*.

Losing weight can be like trying to keep a beach ball underwater; you have to keep it up and not relent, or the weight will skyrocket right back.

[thistoo]

I'm a daily weigher. It can be frustrating, especially on days like today when the number goes up. BUT if I don't get on the scale every day (or nearly every day) it's a lot easier for me to justify little cheats, and then the scale really does start creeping up.

So I get on the scale every day just to keep myself focused, then I put the number in Sparkpeople. You can get a graph of your numbers on there, so even if you are up a few days, you can still see the downward trend and that's very motivating. Some people use spreadsheets to track their daily progress for the same reason.

[redbird92]

I'm a daily weigher too. I don't like surprises and feel that knowing my daily number keeps me in check. If it's up, it's motivation to exercise longer or eat less that particular day and if it's down that's motivation to keep going!! Like thistoo said, it can be frustrating but it keeps me more focused and accountable. If I only weigh in weekly, then I'm more likely to overeat and cheat in the beginning of the week. However, I only formally track once a week so my graph is comprised of weekly weigh-ins not daily.

[LAgreeneyes]

I would only weigh once a week but I changed that to weight once or twice (morning and night) a day. I'm like everyone else. I don't want any surprises at the end of the week. Weighing daily has helped me soooooooooooooo much. I know what I need to do if I am at the same weight for 3 or 4 days at a time. Weighing daily is motivation for me. I love it!

And I as the others, only track once a week for my weight loss. Whatever my weight is on Saturday morning, then that is my weight for the week.

[Amy23]

I did exactly the same thing when I first started. It was so motivational and so exciting. But when the weight started coming off slower, or stalled, I panicked. People here on 3FC advised me to stop weighing myself every day and take measurements instead, and that was sound advice, but I continued to weigh myself daily.

As time goes on you begin to understand and accept small changes, fluctuations and even gains without panicking. I found that when I gained a little, I was usually retaining water, and when I stalled for a week or so it was time to have a cheat meal.

10 pounds in 10 days is awesome, though, so congratulations! I know I lost weight very quickly in the early stages of my diet but I don't think I lost that much!

[baker23]

I'm a fan of daily weighing, but only if you can do it without going crazy...if seeing fluctuations bothers you enough to effect your day, then maybe doing it once a week would be better for you...Recording and gaffing weigh ins and looking back on them are a great motivation, especially after a few months. Trying on old clothes, trying on new sizes in stores, and reaching fitness goals can keep you motivated too

When I started out, I was averaging 14-15 pounds a month of loss...towards the end, it became more difficult to lose, and I was lucky losing 2-3 pounds a month...

Good luck. And congrats on what you've lost so far