I've lost 10 lbs, but I don't know how - can you advise?

[emarcatkin140]

From the beginning of this New Year resolution, I've been using Fitday.com to track my calories, protein, sodium, nutrients, etc.

My estimated weightloss math was based on "900 calories equals 1 pound lost". WRONG.
All other sources say "3,500 calories equals 1 pound lost."

And yet, based on my 900 cal/lb math (2570 base cal, 1800 cal diet, 200 cal burned in exercise) I have lost 10 lbs in 11 days. These are the "first" pounds, so they traditionally come off easier than the later ones, thus I've been able to loose them mostly with diet and a little bit of increased activity.

But since my math cannot be right, how am I loosing this weight?!?

[kathietaylor]

It is 3500 calories equals a pound, whether it is eating that much over - and you gain one pound - or eating that much less - and you lose one pound.

However, anytime I have started a new eating plan I always lose the most weight in the first week or two. So losing 10 pounds in 11 days isn't unusual at the very start, but you weight loss should level out and more like 2 pounds a week from here on out. Unfortunately our bodies are not calculators and can be affected by stress, hormone levels, fatigue, etc., so we will not always see what we expect to see.

My advice would be to keep it up, and see what happens as your body adjusts to these changes.

[emarcatkin140]

Hey, thank you for the very prompt reply. But I'm still confused. Why do we loose more in the beginning? Is it retained water, aka "water weight"?

[kathietaylor]

I believe it is often water weight we lose, because generally we up our water intake and will dump any retained fluids we are carrying. I think also the body takes a few days to adjust to the different caloric intake and will dump some fat right away.

[emarcatkin140]

Hey, thanks again! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but I googled "Water Weight" and came across this article on About.com on the molecule Glycogen (Glycogen Definition - What is Glycogen). Apparently it is how the body stores glucose for later to help with digesting carbohydrates and accessing sugars. These molecules often has water attached to them, as well. When we start a lower calorie eating pattern, a goodly portion of these ready-to-use glucose stores get flushed, as there are less carbs being eaten that require digestion, and thus the extra "Water Weight" is lost.

Thank you for helping me find my answer

[_itsme_]

Originally Posted by emarcatkin140

From the beginning of this New Year resolution, I've been using Fitday.com to track my calories, protein, sodium, nutrients, etc.

My estimated weightloss math was based on "900 calories equals 1 pound lost". WRONG.
All other sources say "3,500 calories equals 1 pound lost."

And yet, based on my 900 cal/lb math (2570 base cal, 1800 cal diet, 200 cal burned in exercise) I have lost 10 lbs in 11 days. These are the "first" pounds, so they traditionally come off easier than the later ones, thus I've been able to loose them mostly with diet and a little bit of increased activity.

But since my math cannot be right, how am I loosing this weight?!?

you need to burn 3.500 cal to lose 1 pound of fat
a quick weight loss in the beginning of any diet is mostly a "water weight" (body loses excess of water).
especially if you were eating lots of processed foods previous to the diet and then started a more wholesome healthy diet
so be prepared that eventually your weight loss will slow down a little