The 6 Stages of Weight Loss

I found this awesome explanation about the 6 stages of weight loss on a forum on myfitnesspal.com. I feel the need to explain it here so that I have it to remember and encourage me as I move along my journey. Most weight loss journeys tend to follow the same trends, and a lot of people give up or get discouraged when they hit a stage where they feel their weight loss isn't progressing, or even seems to be regressing. It's important to push through those plateaus and realize that they are just a part of the process.

So here is what weight loss will typically look like:

Stage 1: Let's Do This!
You've just begun and you are PUMPED! You're ready to make the change, lose the weight and become a whole new you. The first few weeks of weight loss, things are going great. You are eating right, exercising more, and after the first week or so, you are feeling less hungry and more energized. You might be seeing losses of 4 to even 10 lbs each week! This is amazing! At this rate, you'll be skinny in two months, right?! Hold on there champ... Most folks tend to see lots of weight loss in the first 2-3 weeks because they are losing all their excess water weight. Did you know that many people hold onto 5 lbs or water weight or more? This is the first dip in weight that you'll see when you begin a new fitness plan. The second most common reason for this huge dip in weight as you being your journey is due to the stores of fat that are right next to your blood vessels. This is where the most recent pounds that you've acquired are being stored. As you exercise and burn calories, these newest pounds will seem to melt away! This is great news, and often time this rapid weight loss seen in the first few weeks is the motivation that overweight people need to keep going. It's validating to get some quick, measurable results.

Stage 2: Am I Doing Something Wrong?
Around the 3 to 4 week mark, you'll notice that your weight loss appears to be slowing down. You may wonder what's going on! Am I eating more than I think? Why isn't the scale moving?! Ugh! Your body took a hit as you began to eat less and exercise more. Well, the shock has worn off, but your body isn't sure yet if these new lifestyle changes are permanent. It's gotten used to your new metabolic rate. In compensation for all those calories burned, and fewer calories consumed, your body has decided to hang on to some of that fat that you have. Your body is thinking: "What if we are starving or something?  Hang on! Hang on tight and DON'T LET GO!" You might not see the scale budge for a few weeks. But don't freak out! It's still working! And remember that as you burn fat and exercise you are building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat does, so you might not see the numbers on the scale go down, but you ARE improving your health. Plus, muscle is better at burning fat too. Muscles = Awesome! Don't we all want to be more toned? Anyway, the point is, don't get hung up on the numbers on your scale. Instead, focus on Non-Scale Victories (NSV). Expect this weight plateau and press through it. Don't give up!

Stage 3: Keep on Truckin'
You're about 2 months into this journey and you are used to the routine of eating better and exercising more. Your body is finally realizing that you mean business. This isn't just a quick fix, you are in it to WIN it! You'll start to see your weight begin to do down again, but it won't be as dramatic as it was initially. Your weight loss will probably be closer to 1 -2 lbs per week. And this is good! You probably put the pounds on gradually over a period of time, and it's healthiest to lose weight this way too. Quick, crash weight losses often result in regaining that weight again. And you don't want that! You'll start to feel more toned, and notice that your clothes are feeling more and more loose. You'll notice that your endurance is improving and you can exercise longer and harder than when you began. If you measure other parts of your body (your arms, legs, waist, hips, etc) you'll see the inches going down too. You're making slow but steady progress.

Stage 4: Another Wall
You've been at this fitness journey for about 4 months now, and you are in your routine. You are pretty happy with the way your journey is going, but the shininess of it all has worn off. You may feel tired of always having to work out. Maybe you miss being able to eat all your favorite things without wondering how many calories they are, and how hard you'll have to exercise to make up for it if you choose to eat that piece of cake. The novelty of the process is gone, and you feel a little deprived. Lots of people tend to give up at this point. They think "I've already made some progress and that's good enough for me, so I'm going to just stop right here. There are plenty of things that taste better than skinny feels!" Well that's true, and I don't personally believe that anyone should deny themselves chocolate for the rest of eternity. But the wall you're hitting here is more of mental block than a physical one. Things are feeling a little stale, probably because they are. Try finding some new, fun ways to exercise. Branch out of your regular healthy foods and look for new fruits, veggies and recipes to try to keep things fresh and encouraging. Talk with other people and let them hold you accountable. You don't want to give up now, even if you think you do! Beat the mind game, imagine your pride at reaching that ideal goal weight and press through.

Stage 5: Your Ship Comes In
You've kept at this health "thingy" for 5 or 6 or 7 months now, and you've got those last pesky 10 or so pounds to lose. Your body actually wants to hang onto those last 10 or so pounds. Because, what if there's a famine!? You're going to really have to change up your routine to tone up and lose those last few pounds. Try new toning exercises and hit them hard. Focus on different muscle groups each day, so that you can rest the muscles you worked the day before. Hit it hard and don't keep doing the "same-old, same-old" routine or you won't really progress. And add in some rest days here and there too. If you over-exert and strain your muscles then you're doing more harm then good. Plus, muscles will keep burning fat, even at rest. The last few pounds may take 3 to even 6 months to shed. It sounds discouraging, but don't let it get you down. Instead, realize how far you've come and keep pushing yourself.

The thing to remember with weight loss is, the less you weigh the slower you should lose the weight:
If you have over 70 lbs to lose, you can start off losing 2 lbs a week.
If you need to lose between 40 - 70 lbs, it's better to lose at a rate of 1.5 lbs/week.
If you need to lose 20 - 40 lbs, you're best off losing it at 1lb/week.
And if you have less than 20 lbs to go it's going to be slow going at about a half a pound a week.
You can't keep eating at a 500 - 600 calorie deficit when you only have 12 lbs to go. Your body needs those calories as fuel, and you don't want to put your body into "starvation mode." You want to consume enough calories to avoid headaches, keep your muscles fueled, and keep your skin elastic. Also, make sure to eat back some of your exercise calories too. Stay under your calorie goal, but keep your body healthy and happy. It might take a while, but you WILL reach that goal weight.

Stage 6: Maintaining the New You!
You don't want to slip back into old habits and eat away the world like you did before. You still need to exercise regularly and eat well to keep the weight off long-term. It can be difficult to keep at it when you've no longer got a goal to work towards (as far as losing is concerned). Make the changes in your lifestyle that need to happen in order for this new you to stick. Be active doing what you love. Eat the foods you love that fuel your body in healthy ways, but keep portion control in mind. It's normal for most people's weight to oscillate up or down 2 -5 lbs (especially us women who deal with menstruation). Eww! TMI Rach! Well... it's true and every woman knows it! Try not to weigh yourself every single day. Maybe check your weight every week or so. If you notice it going up more than you'd like, exercise more and eat a little better. If it's dipping to low, add some more healthy calories into the mix. Most of all by happy in your new fit life!


Back to me now. I'm personally beginning stage 2 of this journey and I was a little miffed to see the scale going up (a bit) and not down over the last couple of days. It was making me grumpy until I remembered this article, so I decided to sit down and re-compose it for myself as a reminder to keep pressing forward and focus on fitness. I hope it helps some of you too!