There is an old saying: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
It’s human nature to desire instant gratification. However, anything worthwhile takes time and commitment. Weight loss is no different — it takes time.
Think about this: how long did it take you to gain the weight you are carrying now? One week? Three weeks? Three months? More? Yet many people expect to get back in shape in just a couple of weeks.
Weight loss is not a linear process. Your weight on the scale will not consistently go down every day, even if you do everything right. There are many reasons for this.
Typically, at the beginning of your journey you may see faster results. Then, there are adaptation times. Your body needs to adapt to a new lower weight to be normal. We call it a “set weight”. These can last up to a few days. Later, the leaner you get, the slower the number on your scale goes down. That’s just the way it is.
The speed and pattern of weight loss depend on your age, sex, amount of body fat, and the type of physical training you do. For example, if you do hard resistance training for large muscle groups like your legs, your weight on the scale may actually go up for a couple of days due to water retention in your muscles during recovery. Once your muscles recover, the weight will drop again. Also, with resistance training you build muscle, and muscle is very dense and heavy compared with fat. So, the number on the scale is not a true representation of how many pounds of fat you’ve lost at any given moment. Pay more attention to your reflection in the mirror rather than fixating on the scale.
Medication can also play a role and slow your weight-loss progress. If you take corticosteroids, certain antidepressants or mood medications, or some diabetes medications, expect your progress to be slower.
It can be discouraging when fat loss doesn’t happen as quickly as we want, but this is how the process works.
If you feel discouraged, remember: you didn’t gain the weight overnight, so you cannot lose it overnight. Keep following your plan and you will reach your goal!
Here is a tip to speed up your weight loss and/or prevent your body from storing fat.
Go for a brisk 8-10 minute walk right after each meal. Can’t leave your office? Run on the same spot or walk lifting your knees high for the same 8-10 minutes. By doing this, you will lower blood sugar spikes, keep your insulin stable and increase your resting metabolic rate. It’s simple and it works!
