When we first started to talk about "whooshes" here, it was mostly in the context of people who weren't losing steadily. They'd diet strictly, but lose nothing, nothing, nothing, and then whoosh.

We "whooshers" envied those who lost slow and steady, because it was hard to know whether you're on the right path when you see no weight loss day after day, and sometimes week after week.


In my fifth decade of dieting, I've learned that there is no universal pattern to weight losses and gains.

Some people lose slow and steady.

Some people "whoosh" losing only every couple weeks or even every couple months, and for those of us who are extra lucky (not) with metabolic issues like insulin resistance, PCOS, thyroid issues.... sometimes we lose as erratically as whooshers, but in as small an increment as the slow and steady crowd.

It's perfectly normal to

lose consistently at a rapid rate

lose consistently at a moderate rate

lose consistently at a slow rate

lose inconsistently, a a rapid weight (awesome whooshing)

lose inconsistently at a moderate weight (whooshing)

lose inconsistently at a SLOW rate (slow whooshing)

Unfortunately, I'm a slow woosher. I have insulin resistance, autoimmune disease, thyroid issues and other metabolic and heal.th issues. I go weeks, and even sometimes months when my weight won't budge no matter how hard I try. Then I'll suddenly lose two pounds. Two pounds isn't a very big whoosh for two months worth of work.


So, no not everyone will loose in whooshes, and even those who do, won't always whoosh in a big way. Personally, I'ld much rather lose slowly and steadily than slowly and inconsistently, but we don't get to choose how our bodies work.

Some people will pretty much stick to one pattern of losing, and another person may see different patterns along the way.

But what we all need to understand is that it's all normal. We're going to lose at whatever pace our body is designed to, and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. The whooshers wish they would see steady losses, and the steady losers want whooshes, but there's not much you can do to change your body's natural pattern, and even less reason to try - because both types of weight loss have their advantages and disadvantages (so even if you somehow change your body's pattern, you'll likely wish for the "good old days" when your pattern was different).

When I was younger, I lost fast and steadily at first, and then slow and steadily as the weight loss progressed. I had no idea how lucky I had it. Now I'm a slow and inconsistent loser - even on a semi-crash dieting (which REALLY REALLY SUCKS!!!!).

I've been experimenting with PSMF, drastically cutting my calories hoping to speed up my weight loss, and instead I can barely stay conscious. The less I eat, the less energy I have for anything. It's the same dilemma we face with our fat cat. The less we feed her, the less she moves, and the less time she spends conscious.

I'm kind of at my wits end, trying to find a way to lose weight at a reasonable pace, while having the energy to have a normal life. It makes me want to scream sometimes, but it is what it is. It just makes me realize what an idiot I was in my twenties when I gave up on a diet because I was losing too slow at less than a pound a week. Heck, what I wouldn't do for that "slow" weight loss now.


I don't know whether to think it's sad or wonderful, but it's all "normal" because you'll find people whose bodies follow every pattern imaginable.

I've never heard of the term wooosh before...so it's like a sudden weight drop after not losing awhile even though on track? :?:

Hi avalonmoon... No it seemed like EVERY pound that I lost this time around was just VERY, VERY, OBSTINATE!!! :D

When I lost weight in the past I set my calorie target at around 1500 , but this time around I wanted the weight off... like yesterday... (who doesn't, right? lol..) so I tried 1200... But I always seemed to be "cheating" a little bit and coming in at around 1500 anyway, so I finally just quit trying to kid myself and went back up to 1500... But I would get extremely frustrated with my "slow" losses, which in reality weren't slow at all... So I would do some sort of PSMF for a week or two which would give me a pretty good "whoosh" but then I might not lose anything for the next couple of weeks. It always left me wondering if I could have lost about the same amount of weight by just sticking with a more moderate approach...

And for me at least, when I increased the exercise (my main thing is running) it seemed that's when the scale would become very stubborn and wouldn't want to budge... But it was just my body holding onto water... It came off eventually... Still made me a little crazy at times though... :dizzy:

It sounds like you had an anti whoosh.

Exactly.

I see :)

I whoosh! And anti-whoosh too, though not to the same extent, I suppose more like a particularly aggressive plateau. Having dropped 2.5 pounds a couple of weeks ago (WOOHOO!), lost nearly a pound each for the last two weeks, then, this week, up two pounds again!

Seems unfair to me, and it's quite demoralising, but bodies are weird. Got to keep...pushing...through!

Kaplods~ Thanks for explaining it like that. I think I'm a wooshless wonder. lol

But I am moving the scale slow at least, now I don't feel hopeless. I was (around the time I asked this question in this post) not getting much by way of scale results..it just took time. So I don't get the big number drops per time like many of you do.
I hope everyone gets their wooosh visit for Christmas. Happy holidays everyone..

TripSwitch~ You have really fought down to almost the last one. So close. You have done amazing with those obstinate little demonds. Congrats on your many losses along your journey.