Lag time in actual weight loss? Topic

U1189360405 03/29/21
So I’ve been tracking my calories with the app now for almost 2 months and it’s been going great! This is my second go around with losing weight so I already have everything I need in terms of how to do it. But this time I’ve been very specific about tracking everything because I wanted to see how weight loss looked in numbers. I’ve been weighing myself every Monday to see if I’ve met my goal for the week. Here’s what I’m curious about:

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a lag of about a week in translation between calorie intake/burn and actual weight loss? For example, last week I wasn’t very strict with my diet and didn’t work out as much because I had family visiting and I was cringing on the way to the scale. I thought for sure I was going to have gained weight. Instead it said I lost 3lbs! Now this week I’ve been doing really good again, staying in my budget and working out and this weeks weigh in I only lost 1.6lbs. It was very curious to me. I’ve noticed this a few times before as well. I know that as we work out we gain muscle and that weighs more than fat, but it’s still kind of interesting to me. Has anyone else noticed something similar??

U1189623755 03/29/21
I agree there is a lag.. also just a reminder - muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat 1lb of each is still 1lb of each... muscle is denser than fat so 1lb takes up less physical space

U1189251433 03/29/21
Hi! There can sometimes be a lag, especially when you increase your exercise as you can have some water retention to help aid muscle recovery. I find it helps with motivation levels to have more than 1 way to track your body changing. Sometimes the scales won’t always change.
I would always say to take measurements of your body as a second way to keep a track of your progress & try not to focus on the what the scales say all the time because inches will be coming off. Hope this helps!

Dietician 03/29/21 replied to U1189360405
Hi U1189360405- Weight loss is certainly an art and a science!
There are many factors that impact the number on the scale besides fat loss, making it sometimes challenging to tell where you are at.
For example, hydration, sodium intake (which can cause fluid retention), whether you've had a bowel movement or not, to name a few, can muddy the waters when it comes to getting an accurate weight.
It sounds like you have a solid plan to check your weight and you mentioned things are going well. Way to go on changing your habits! Checking your progress on the scale in the morning, after you have used the bathroom, at the same time each week, wearing the same clothes, will help you to see patterns. Keep up the great work! Best, Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

Lag time in actual weight loss?