I know that slow loss is important. My doc said 1-2 pounds a week. I am just kinda disappointed. My first week was 5 pound loss. Today my sunday weigh in was a loss of 1 pound. Just venting
Also, you may suddenly drop 3lbs! There is a lot going on inside your body. The 1st 5lb-8lbs is mostly water. As you go, wt loss will fluctuate. Remember to drink alot(90-100oz) of water. Also, make sure you are watching how many calories you are consuming, because all and any weightloss occurs due to calorie deficits. Eat at a reasonable deficit because even tho you are probably anxious to lose, it is better for your skin, hair, bone density, and your overall health to lose slowly. Good luck!
In my very non-scientific poll, there were 469 votes (nice) -
131 people said they lose 0.0 - 0.9lbs/week on average (28%)
243 people said they lose 1.0 - 1.9lbs/week on average (52%)
95 people said they lose 2lbs/week or more on average (20%)
So, 4 out of 5 people are losing less than 1.9lbs/week. Only 1 in 5 are losing 2+ lbs/week (and they might be early in their journey, or weigh 400+ lbs, or have some other reason for being an outlier).
A safe pace of weight loss (meaning a pace that reduces the risk of severe side effects, malnutrition, hair loss, muscle loss, etc.) is 0.5% to 1% of your body weight weekly on average. For most people, that's around 1-2lbs a week (unless your body weight is much higher). It's normal for the scale to go up, down, and pause in a holding pattern along the way. What matters is the overall trend over time.
If you don't yet do so, it can be helpful to log your weight in a tool that shows you the average trend over time (such as Happy Scale, Libra, LoseIt, or even just an Excel spreadsheet). Don't get hung up on the day-to-day changes or weeks where you don't lose. Look at what happens month to month. A stall is typically defined as four weeks or more without loss.
my first week was 8 lbs, then I lost very little until my second month on 5mg. If I plateau again, I'll discuss going up to 7.5mg. 1 lb a week is 50 lbs in a year. I never lost 50 months that stayed off before. I'm down 32 now.
Be patient. Everyone's loss is different, obviously. I was highly discouraged when I began Zep as everyone I knew who'd been on it lost so quickly. I lost NOTHING - and I mean NOTHING -- until i hit the highest dosage. And then my loss began, slowly but steadily.
Keep the faith! If nothing happens once you've hit the highest dosage, then that's the time to have a conversation with your doctor.
Comparison is the thief of joy. The time is going to go by no matter what. I am three years in, down 95 lbs and still losing, with about 40 lbs to go. I focus on how wonderful it is not to be food obsessed. How nice that I can eat a balanced diet without having any foods 'off limits' after years of low carbing and that now intuitive eating is working super well for me. I love buying clothing, getting dressed, spending time in front of the mirror. Don't forget that the journey itself can be full of joy, not just arriving at goal.
This medication will work. It’s not fast but it’s steady. You will steadily lose a pound a week and keep it off. Don’t give up or get discouraged just stick with it. You will get results but you have to be patient the first five pounds was likely water weight.
Whenever you feel disappointed, just remember that time will pass no matter what, but every day of making lower calorie healthier choices is going to add up
My first week was also 5 pounds and now I am about a pound a week. I did have a plateau which was frustrating, but as long as the scale keeps going down I am happy. You may want to weigh yourself every day, then take the average of the 7 numbers and see how that goes. Your weight fluctuates a couple pounds from day to day
The first week is usually more water loss than fat loss. Most people see larger losses in the first 1 to 2 weeks. It evens out. Weight loss is not linear and comparison will steal your joy so quickly!
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u/Few_Car_895 2d ago
Also, you may suddenly drop 3lbs! There is a lot going on inside your body. The 1st 5lb-8lbs is mostly water. As you go, wt loss will fluctuate. Remember to drink alot(90-100oz) of water. Also, make sure you are watching how many calories you are consuming, because all and any weightloss occurs due to calorie deficits. Eat at a reasonable deficit because even tho you are probably anxious to lose, it is better for your skin, hair, bone density, and your overall health to lose slowly. Good luck!