I started on 16 August, this time seriously (like, cheated two times just because the occasion required it) and I lost 2.7 kilos in a month, which was exactly how I planned it, even a bit more. I want the weight loss to be steady and not too fast.
So, it's been a week since 15 Sept, when I measured myself and ever since then I am the same weight, nothing happened in that week.
I am not too worried, because like...it's just a week and I am not gaining weight, plus I also have some ideas what might be happening here:
1. The weather became really cold in a week here. Like, it felt like summer and now it feels like deep autumn, quite suddenly. Could it be that my body doesn't want to lose as much now?
2. I was on period in the meantime (in my case, I have to go off pill to have a period, but still, it mimics what my hormones would be doing naturally, if I were healthy).
3. I did cheat a bit in this week. I am counting calories as well with the 16:8 thing, and my intake really was a bit higher for a day or two.
4. Since it got cold and I still haven't adapted, I am much less active. I don't really feel like walking too much or going to the work by my bike, so that might be contributing as well.
Do you think that these might be the culprits here? Or is it all too minor to cause my weight to plateau?
Share some wisdom, fellow fasters please 😊
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A tip if I may - please consider that the amount of poop can change by several pounds over one week. Which means, there is too much ‘noise’ in the data to make conclusions when time span is shorter than 2-3 weeks in the very least.
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2 can cause noticeable bloating and water retention. It can definitely impact the scale.
Try to keep your activity up as much as you can. You may not feel like doing anything, but once you’re warmed up you don’t notice the cold so much.
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My 2cnts, if you are on 16:8 and have cheated a bit in the week that seems like a normal eating schedule.
What I understand from IF (mind you I am a new y myself also) is that your body has to have a serious time span without any kcal to go into a fat burning mode.
The schedule you referred to above is, I think, perfect to remain your weight but not if you want to lose additional kg.
Like someone else said though.. it’s a very short timeframe to really draw conclusions!
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Anything less than a month, is not a plateau, its a stall. Many things can trigger a stall. Stress, sugar, salt, inflammation… Be patient, good things are happening, even if it doesn’t show up on the scale. The scale is probably the least reliable form of progress reporting.