Throughout the year, I will be answering the Quora questions I get the most from my followers, and the question of the day is:
Is it normal not to lose weight after 2 weeks of working out?
When I was doing my original body transformation in 2008, I didn’t lose any weight for the first four weeks. I was also participating in an on line forum with other women and men who were using weightlifting, interval training, and whole food nutrition, (nothing out of a bag or a box) to get lean and lose weight. I remember that about 25% of the posters on that forum didn’t experience any weight loss for the first few weeks.
After I began working as a certified trainer in 2012 I noticed the same thing in some clients who started a training program. Here is my theory on what happens to keep the scale from moving at the beginning of new fitness program. First, there is truth to what you have heard about muscle being heavier than fat, but beyond that, if you are training hard enough to experience muscle soreness, you will retain water due to the process of body re-composition.
Muscle hypertrophy is caused by the micro tears in muscle tissue that happen during a body re-composition training session. It takes water to heal those micro tears, and I believe that soreness and water retention can explain why the scale doesn’t move even though your body is getting leaner.
This is why I recommend taking at least three measurements at the start of a training program, and continuing to measure for life. The scale can’t tell you if you’re getting leaner or smaller if dropping sizes is your goal. So Measure your chest, waist, and hips as a reference.
In addition, you need an eating and macro-nutrient plan if you are serious about your goals. I am not making a recommendation, but I will share that I overcame obesity with a ketogenic approach that includes 80–90 grams of protein, 90 grams of fat, and fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrate per day, mainly from vegetables that grow above the ground.
When my clients’ weight loss got off to a slow start I would suggest tracking, weighing, and measuring their food for a week.
I hope these suggestions help you to start getting the results that you want, because I believe so strongly in the benefits of working out for life.
Do you have a question about fat loss? Leave it in the comments.
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