Dear Steph,
I’ve been consistent with my nutrition plan for weeks and barely see any progress. Does this mean I need to take more aggressive measures? Maybe cut calories more than I am or work out more?
XO, Impatient Mama
You Won’t Like My Answer
If I told you that losing 1-1.5 lbs/week is fast weight loss would you feel frustrated or relieved?
When you’re pouring energy into your health goals and only seeing small movements it can feel like you’re not doing enough, when in fact, it may be your idea of what "fast” is that’s the problem.
So the first step is to ask yourself…
Where do my expectations come from?
Is it the media?
I remember watching The Biggest Loser and seeing their weekly losses of 10-30 lbs. I also remember thinking it was probably only slightly exaggerated from reality due to the contestant’s context.
Their context: being obese, working out upwards of SEVEN hours a day, and eating as little as 1,000 calories a day.
Or maybe you’re noticing countless celebrities or people close to you dropping weight seemingly effortlessly after starting a GLP-1.
Even with those medications, it can take weeks for some people to lose weight as they ramp up their dosage. Even when they get to the higher dosage, weight loss can be around 1-3 lbs/week (depending on weight and the dosage).
Is it your history?
Maybe you have been successful in losing weight quickly in the past. It may have been easier when you were more active and had a healthy thyroid. In your youth, you may have simply moved a bit more and seen noticeable progress.
Now that you’re working full-time, not in a team sport, and get woken up at night, your progress feels like it’s moving at sloth speed.
Or maybe now that you’re older, you realize extreme measures aren’t healthy. You’re taking a more reasonable approach, which takes more time.
You’ve learned that keto is not sustainable or healthy for you long-term, but dang that quick drop in water weight feels reassuring!
Maybe you realize that cutting calories below 1,500 and being a cardio bunny isn’t as optimal for your health as Cosmopolitan magazine promised.
Is it your approach?
If you’ve been consistent for a month (be honest) and you’re not seeing ANY progress, it could be your approach.
By ANY progress I mean:
No non-scale victories
How is your energy, skin health, mood, digestion, and sleep?
No physical progress
There is zero movement on the scale or how your body feels.
No enjoyment
The approach doesn’t feel fun or flexible.
Your approach may need to be adjusted:
Increase total NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)
Even though you’re getting a workout in during the day, are you otherwise sedentary? It may be worth monitoring your step count.
Focus on your digestion.
You could be backed up. If you’re not having at least one satisfying (yes, I said it) bowel movement every day, your results may not show the progress that’s happening.
You’re placing too much focus on the scale.
Try taking weekly progress pics or taking monthly measurements (hips, thighs, upper arms, waist, chest, bust) as these can be more accurate and show more subtle progress.
You’re focusing on the scale at the wrong time of the month.
For women, the scale and your body may not be showing true progress anytime between ovulation and your period.
Due to fluid changes, bloating, changes in sodium or carbohydrate intake, and fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone in the luteal phase, you may notice an additional 3-5 lbs that isn’t true fat mass
The most accurate way to track scale weight is to weigh yourself consistently at the same time (ideally first thing in the AM, naked, before drinking or eating, and after going to the bathroom). Then take the average of your daily weight as your “weekly” weight gain/loss. Track that over the month and get your monthly average. Notice trends in your cycle.
Dive deeper
Final thoughts
It’s not uncommon for my clients to have expectations that they can lose around 2-4 lb per week or that a 10 lb weight loss over a month is reasonable. I wish it was that easy to do in a healthy way. But, alas, it’s not.
Before you throw in the towel, beat yourself up, or switch plans, take a moment to identify if the issue is the plan or your idea of what success looks like.
Success isn’t linear. Success does NOT mean you’re making significant progress or losing weight every week. It means showing up even when you don’t want to. If your plan isn’t the problem, be aware of what’s happening and be open to making small changes, but trust the process.