The Honeymoon Phase of Weight Loss

Ahhhh the first couple weeks of weight loss.  These are often blissful weeks of incredible success on the scales.  There are always some folks out there who continue to see phenomenal drops on the scale for weeks on end.  Then there’s the rest of us. Our “honeymoon stage” ends after just a couple weeks, and we find ourselves losing the traditional 2 lbs per week.  Please don’t fret. 

For the sake of maintaining the integrity of this article, I should mention that 2 lbs per week really is phenomenal weight loss.  But let’s be honest – most of us need more gratification than 2 lbs per week.  We need to know that the hard work and food preparation is paying off, and sometimes 2 lbs per week is just not enough. 

A few things to point out: the larger you are, the faster you lose.  For example, it is not uncommon for a 400 pound female to “drop the LB’s” faster than a 200 pound male.  However, weight loss is not linear… we lose on a parabolic scale. This means that we drop a LOT more when starting out, and less near the end of the transformation.  So a 400 lb female losing an average of 5 pounds per week for the first 3 months will find herself losing 3-4 pounds per week for months 4-6, then 2-3 pounds per week for months 7-9, etc.  Do you see the pattern?

I must note that if you are near the end of your transformation (final 20-30 lbs), then you’re right on track and should be thrilled with your consistent weight loss.  NOTE: If you were losing more than 2 lbs per week, you’re probably tapping into your muscle and putting yourself in a dangerous situation, risking a weight rebound.

If you don’t fall into the above category, you’ve found yourself down into the 2-pound-per-week rut, let’s examine a few of the issues and troubleshoot this:

1. Take a look at your calorie intake.  Sometimes a few extra calories can creep back into the daily regimen, to a point where they slow or stop your weight loss.  Time to revisit your portion sizes (either using the hand chart, or your STAX portions).
2. What are the flavors you’re using for your foods?  Let’s reduce them by 1/2.  This means all of your low-fat sauces and low-fat dressings, and any spice blends that have sodium in them.  Trust me, if you’re eating clean, healthy food, you’ll still taste the flavors just fine!  By doing this, I’m trying to reduce your sodium intake – which can hold water in our bodies like a magnet.
3. Increase your water intake.  Increase your water intake.  Increase your water intake.  If you’re not getting at LEAST a half-gallon a day, you’re not getting enough.  And you know me…I prefer closer to a gallon.  The larger you are, the more you need.  If you’re over 300, grab your gallon.
4. This may sound weird, but if you’ve plateaued for over 2 weeks, it may be time to reset your metabolism and push more starchy (but still clean) carbohydrates for the next week with each meal.  Still follow your portion sizes (fist size, or even better - STAX’d portion).  In combination with your proteins, fats, and flavors for your meals, this should increase your calorie intake to a point where we can slowly raise your metabolic rate and jumpstart your body for some good fat loss again.

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