Very Frustrated

[SunsetRunner]

Had my Fitbit for 2 weeks. Logging everything I can. Drinking 72 oz+ water a day. Burning avg 1400 cal more than I take in, every day. Getting 10k - 15k steps every day. No junk food, protein, salads, some fats, very few carbs and no added sugar only what naturally occurs in fruits. No bread whatsoever ( I’m a diabetic) 

when I started I weighed 174. 2 weeks later I’m 176. I’m so frustrated by this lack of loss. Thought for sure I’d be 2 pounds lighter at 172. Over the last 2 years I’ve lost 180 pounds. Now it seems I’m going the wrong way. Aaaarrrggghhhh!

[Alysan]

You’ve been losing steadily for 2 years, it seems. 

What have you you been doing differently in the two weeks you’ve had your Fitbit? 

Were you losing a pound per week before you began using the Fitbit? 

[SunsetRunner]

Nothing other than drinking more water and walking more. Some weeks I’ve lost a lot other weeks nothing. Still eating the same foods, in the same portions. Appreciate the feedback.

[Daves_Not_Here · Accepted solution]

Welcome @SunsetRunner -- first of all, congrats on your 180 pound loss -- I believe it completely trumps the short-term challenge you are facing.

Here is one thought:  your weight will fluctuate within a 4 pound window due to water weight.  This can completely mask any "actual" weight loss you may have in the short term.  Also, I believe that when you first embark on an exercise regimen, you tend to increase water weight due to "exercise induced inflammation".  Your situation and frustration is frequently reported in this forum.

Another thought - given that you've lost so much weight, your actual calorie burn may be less than what Fitbit predicts (see our recent posts on Adaptive Thermogenesis and articles about how Biggest Loser contestants regained weight due to their lowered metabolisms).  Your 1,400 calorie deficit might actually be 1,000 calories or less.

Last thought -- you mentioned you are diabetic -- are you taking insulin, and if so, how do you find it has affected your ability to lose weight?

[SunsetRunner]

Thank you. Your thoughts are well taken. I’m only on one diabetes med now, metformin. I’ve been off insulin for over a year and the other pills for nearly that long. I bumped up my steps only 3000 or so. Been on treadmill all winter. It could be water gain since I seriously bumped up my water intake. Thanks again for your reply.

[WavyDavey]

Congrats. Be patient, it takes some time for the trend to form, and easy to get caught in the short term.

Look at it this way, it's like you bought a stock that went up 180%, and you're disappointed it's been down 2% in the last few weeks. No worries! Again, congrats.

[Alysan]

@SunsetRunner

Granted we are different people with different issues, but I too didn’t see any real physical changes within a couple weeks of getting a Fitbit. It helped motivate me in terms of calories in/out & logging, being more active apart from workouts, but I didn’t start losing a pound a week immediately.

I’d give it some more time. 

Like others have said, serious congrats for your weight loss. That’s impressive. 

[bourby]

hi. i dont think you should worry about 2 pounds after losing 180 pounds. if you focus too much on that, you might end up with a disorder instead of enjoying the new you.

its going to get harder to lose more weight, 2 pounds now is a much higher percentage to lose than it was at the start of your loss.

you will possibly be seeing some weight gains as muscle builds as well. muscle weighs 4 times what fat does.

water weight can vary things too. its not necessarily about drinking the 72 ounces each day, your walking and exercise will use different amounts of water depending on your effort and the temperature of the day. 

if you had a day off, your muscles can get some recovery time that allows them to grow which can add a bit of weight. 

what i'm saying is theres alot of factors that might be small on their own but add up when combined. 

when you are big, just walking will build muscles too. it throws perfect weights out the window when you have hidden muscles before you make changes. 

dont stress if you dont get to a so called perfect weight.... celebrate what you have done and what you can now do without needing a breether.