Hoping this is normal...

ptrose13

I'm thinking this is normal, but wanted to see if anyone else has had the same experience.  I usually weigh myself on Wednesdays, and this is my 2nd full week of using MFP.  First week was great-the 5 lb loss that broke my several month long plateau that I was so excited about.  Second week-6 ounces, are you kidding me?  Is it possible to be back to this again?  I'm hoping it's just my body adjusting and getting used to a new plan and that next week will come out to the typically expected 1-2lbs.  I am very motivated by the fact that with every day I log in at the bottom it has that little 'you could weigh this amount by this date if every day were like today' thing, except it didn't happen this week to work toward that motivating amount.  Did anyone have this happen? I don't need this to happen for weeks on end again!

Lobsters25

pt - you'd have to refresh my memory on how much you are trying to lose, but yes, these fluctuations are very normal.  For me, I typically only see one real loss every few weeks.  

But, you need to remember, any loss is a loss!  I like to call it Biggest Loser syndrome - even if it isn't the number you want, it's a negative, so be proud of your work!

Stressing over it certainly won't help you lose any weight, though.  How about setting yourself a non-scale goal for this week, to take some of the pressure off of the scale?  Maybe running a certain distance, or pushing yourself through a class that normally intimidates you - just something where any scale number won't detract from recognizing your great work and physical progress.

cnf2013

That happens. Especially if you're just trying something new, and something new enough or a big enough adjustment to drop five pounds in one week. You're body will realize you lost so much so quickly and then sort of hold on to everything for a bit before it totally adjusts to the new things you're doing and mellows out to a 1-2 pound a week loss. Don't sweat it. Just keep working hard and you'll lose. An extreme example is if you've ever watched The Biggest Loser. They always call it the "curse of week two" for this very reason. 

I know weighing in everyday is not for everyone, but honestly, the average person can bounce about 3 pounds of fluctuations around in a given day. Only weighing in once a week doesn't allow you to learn how your weight fluctuates. Like for me, I know I tend to fluctuate in a 3 pound range, so for example, right now I'm sort of fluctuating around 131-133ish. On the flip side though, some people get overly obsessive if they weigh in so frequently. I'd suggest maybe weighing in two or three times a week until you learn about your weight fluctuations, which will help you feel less down trodden about a small loss week. 

ptrose13

Yeah, I watch the Biggest Loser- and that's what I kept on thinking too- it's week 2! Of course this will happen!  I'm aiming to lose at least 40 more pounds before the wedding (November this year), which is totally doable I think, more would be great- I have it to lose, but I don't want to overstress about an unrealistic goal.  Weighing in frequently probably wouldn't be good for me, I would probably get too obsessive- my overall feelings about my weight etc, are constantly on my mind as it is. Here's to a new week!

1moreJohnson2be

Something else to consider, muscle is 4 times denser than fat. So if you're doing any new fitness stuff you're gonna build muscle as you lose fat. I try to ignore my scale as much as possible and focus on inches. I can gain 4 lbs but lose 4 inches because it's swapping fat for muscle. And the other girls are right, don't get hung up on the number. The first few pounds are always the easiest and it gets in your head. Any loss is a loss and as long as the number goes down, even if it's slowly, it's still going down.

Also, it's probably just me, but I can't stand the "if every day was like today" from MFP. While it can be motivating, it also causes frustration because they aren't looking at all the factors and it can be discouraging when the numbers they say and the numbers you get don't match. What's your MFP user name? I'd love to add you if we haven't become "friends" yet!

ptrose13

My name on MFP is the same as here.... ptrose13.  Feel free to friend me, i don't have any on there yet