I stepped on the scale today in anticipation, and lo-and-behold, it shows up as "256".

I was shocked. How could I have only lost 1 pound at my weight level, and it being the 2nd week, plus working out every-single-day of the week?

Could it be that I built up muscle and since muscle weighs more, the scale isn't accurate?

I need some clarification here folks. I'm going nuts.

One pound a week is healthy progress, but I understand you want to lose faster. I doubt you put on much muscle mass in a week, but it could be a fluctuation in water weight. You really can't conclude too much from just one week.

Are you sure you have enough of a caloric deficit? You could lower your calories or up your cardio to create more of a deficit.

Could be over training, body holding onto its fat as your putting to much of a strain on it.

I was shocked. How could I have only lost 1 pound at my weight level, and it being the 2nd week, plus working out every-single-day of the week?

I'm sorry you're surprised, but I'm not. This is completely normal. Your weight loss is going to fluctuate, and this is likely simply balance from last week's loss.

Look at it this way: you lost 6.5 pounds last week and one pound this week. That's 7.5 in two weeks, an average of 3.25 pounds per week. That's still higher than you'll be getting later. (And, actually, if you keep losing more than 2 lbs per week, I'd recommend adjusting your caloric intake accordingly.)

I'd say give it two more weeks, then look at what you've lost on average per week for the whole month. THEN start looking at necessary adjustments.

You should have seen me a couple of weeks ago... after losing weight steadily, I suddenly began gaining a pound a day for three days (on the fourth, I only gained a half a pound). :mad: It's since balanced beautifully. For a while I theorized that I may have gained weight because I was increasing participation in endurance sports, which makes the body more adept at storing glycogen and has the side-effect of storing more water. But, I've now decided that I was over-thinking it. It's all just fluctuation. And it's all normal. :)

I'm sorry you're surprised, but I'm not. This is completely normal.
Agreed.

Stop using the scale. Buy a tape measure and a camera phone. :)

I agree on the tape and the camera.

But my scale approach is opposite that of many here. I weigh daily, at the same time of day, between the same two meals for consistency. When I first started losing I would see 2-4 lb fluctuations from day to day. As I lost more the fluctuations got smaller. But the point is, if you weigh one week, and then the next week you weigh on a +4 day, and then the following week you weigh on a -2 day, and see a six lb swing, that's not the whole story, and it will make you neurotic unless you have the patience to see an 8 week trend. So I like to see my trend from day to day.

Example:
The 19th I was 251. The 26th I was 246. -5lbs in a week. But this doesn't tell the whole story. I was 249 the 18th. -3lbs. Tomorrow I could weigh in at 248 for all I know. The point is that I feel more data points give me more of a grip on what's really happening.

Don't panic because of 1 week's results.
Measure your progress in as many ways as you can.
Tape,Scale,bodyfat (many ways), pictures.
If there is no progress for 2-3 weeks than its time to rethink things.

Btw if you have just started working out with weights & are
at a high bodyfat % you can put on good amounts of muscles in the begining.

I was around 230lbs+ when I started lifting and had already been cutting for 3-4 weeks prior to that. The moment I picked up my first dumbell my weight dropped changed from 3lbs+ a week on avg to 1lbs+ a week. My waist however was shrinking at an alarming rate.

Shahar.

dont worry man. Just keep it up and it will eventually come off. You didnt gain it all in 2 weeks, so dont expect it to fall off in 2 weeks. Once you got the mental thing down and dont go 'up' in weight, youre golden.

Dont let the scale make you paranoid. Here are my last 7 weeks of scale results.

270 - I weighed myself at night bloated with diet soda and todays food
265 - next week I dropped supposedly 5 pounds but more like 1 maybe
258 - This was pretty shocking but I had a great week of exercise
255 - Good weight loss here
258 - new I would gain after my Sunday free day
252 - Basically 255 to 252
254 - Not a big suprise after free day
253 - today - little dissapointed but I need to clamp down on diet and cardio

So we are looking at really 12 pounds in 7 weeks which is just fine by me. I have included good diet,cardio and weight lifting. My strength has gone up and my cardio has really been great.

I actually weigh myself daily. Unfortunatley my weight has been a roller coaster the past 3 years. My lowest has been 235 and highest has been 270. I weigh myself daily but use it more as a reference. I pretty much know from my diet,and exercise where I am at. Like last week I missed morning cardio 3 times and let some bad carbs eek into my overall diet. I knew this was not good and the scale proved that as a refernce. Now I know I need to crank it up.

Like I referenced before, I am not more focused on lifestyle changes and the weight loss will be a side affect. Enjoy the process and the progress will come in time. Dont make this a time you would wish you could just fast forward to your goal.

Congrats on your progress.

Dont let the scale make you paranoid. Here are my last 7 weeks of scale results.

270 - I weighed myself at night bloated with diet soda and todays food
265 - next week I dropped supposedly 5 pounds but more like 1 maybe
258 - This was pretty shocking but I had a great week of exercise
255 - Good weight loss here
258 - new I would gain after my Sunday free day
252 - Basically 255 to 252
254 - Not a big suprise after free day
253 - today - little dissapointed but I need to clamp down on diet and cardio



Soltrain is alluding to something I experimented with quite a bit in early 2005.
I would do daily scale readings and kept food logs.

I noticed a direct link between scale fluctuations and sodium intake. Naturally, it is not the only thing that casues scale fluctuations, but I strongly beleive that it can be the biggest influence.

I noticed that when I would eat a high sodium meal (Mexican food, pizza, fast food anything, etc...) I could gain as much as 4lbs. due to that one meal. The sodium makes your body retain water, just like camels and horses do.
The day after a high sodium meal, I would usually shed about 2 or 2.5 of the extra pounds, and then the next day another pound and by the third day the effect would be gone.

The idea is to not let scale fluctuations derail your progress, while you are losing weight in the form of bodyfat, you are adding muscle and dealing with fluctuating water weight...

I noticed a direct link between scale fluctuations and sodium intake. Naturally, it is not the only thing that casues scale fluctuations, but I strongly beleive that it can be the biggest influence.


This is very interesting, and something that I hadn't thought about recently. I can see the same type of fluctuations on a day to day basis in weight. I had been eating a lot of turkey cold-cuts (high in sodium) and then dropped them from about last Thurs. until yesterday. I had pretty much levelled off at weighing in at between 210-214 every day for a few weeks. Then, over the past week, I saw a steady decline, until I ate some turkey cold-cuts again yesterday. Yesterday I weighed in at 207.4, and then today at 208.8. Maybe I'll keep the sodium levels especially lower for the next few weeks to see how that changes any progress. The last 12-15lbs are turning out to be the most stubborn :evil:

The sodium makes your body retain water, just like camels and horses do.


Camels and horses make my body retain water?!? :eek:

Sorry, couldn't resist. :D

But, I have to say that I stole someone's idea about keeping a running five-day average of weight and am much happier. I weigh daily and use a spreadsheet to compute a five day average (along with some other borderline OCD data). I use that as a more reasonable measurement of my weight, though it's still not perfect. If someone wants me to post a sample of my spreadsheet, I'd be happy to.

But, really, Paradigm, please don't be discouraged. As frustrating as it can be at times, remember that these things happen. If you're doing everything you can to lose weight at a reasonable pace, it'll happen.

It can't not happen. :)

I agree, daily weigh ins are preferable. Plus the data makes nicer graphs :) I've got used to the 2 steps forward, 1 step back kinda feel to it.

I agree on the tape and the camera.

But my scale approach is opposite that of many here. I weigh daily, at the same time of day, between the same two meals for consistency. When I first started losing I would see 2-4 lb fluctuations from day to day. As I lost more the fluctuations got smaller. But the point is, if you weigh one week, and then the next week you weigh on a +4 day, and then the following week you weigh on a -2 day, and see a six lb swing, that's not the whole story, and it will make you neurotic unless you have the patience to see an 8 week trend. So I like to see my trend from day to day.

Example:
The 19th I was 251. The 26th I was 246. -5lbs in a week. But this doesn't tell the whole story. I was 249 the 18th. -3lbs. Tomorrow I could weigh in at 248 for all I know. The point is that I feel more data points give me more of a grip on what's really happening.

I agree on the tape and the camera.

But my scale approach is opposite that of many here. I weigh daily, at the same time of day, between the same two meals for consistency. When I first started losing I would see 2-4 lb fluctuations from day to day. As I lost more the fluctuations got smaller. But the point is, if you weigh one week, and then the next week you weigh on a +4 day, and then the following week you weigh on a -2 day, and see a six lb swing, that's not the whole story, and it will make you neurotic unless you have the patience to see an 8 week trend. So I like to see my trend from day to day.

Example:
The 19th I was 251. The 26th I was 246. -5lbs in a week. But this doesn't tell the whole story. I was 249 the 18th. -3lbs. Tomorrow I could weigh in at 248 for all I know. The point is that I feel more data points give me more of a grip on what's really happening.

This is my approach too:)

I agree on the tape and the camera.

But my scale approach is opposite that of many here. I weigh daily, at the same time of day, between the same two meals for consistency. When I first started losing I would see 2-4 lb fluctuations from day to day. As I lost more the fluctuations got smaller. But the point is, if you weigh one week, and then the next week you weigh on a +4 day, and then the following week you weigh on a -2 day, and see a six lb swing, that's not the whole story, and it will make you neurotic unless you have the patience to see an 8 week trend. So I like to see my trend from day to day.

Example:
The 19th I was 251. The 26th I was 246. -5lbs in a week. But this doesn't tell the whole story. I was 249 the 18th. -3lbs. Tomorrow I could weigh in at 248 for all I know. The point is that I feel more data points give me more of a grip on what's really happening.

I totally agree with this approach. I weigh first thing when I get up every morning and it's crazy how much weight can fluctuate from day to day. I was just on a trip to San Diego. I did well with workouts but definitely indulged in the local cuisine. (Wow San Diego has great restaurants!)

When I returned my weight was up from 170 to 174. Got back on disciplined diet and in one day was down to 168. :confused:

I think I was retaining a lot of water from too much sodium. Today scale is back to 170 which is more like it. So don't get crazy about the fluctuations, weight will bounce around from day to day but will steadily drop if you stick with your plan!:nod:

Thanks for the replies guys.

Thankfully, my 3rd week has been a lot better: 4lbs.

I'm going to start watching out for sodium foods, and start factoring it in the equation. I forgot that it retains water! Sheesh.