Why does my body like it when I treat it bad?

Ok, need some advice here.  I've cleaned up my lifestyle over the last 8 weeks.  I am 5'3" and was 153 lbs.  The first six weeks, I ate 1400-1500 calories, tracked everything I ate, input into CC, exercised at least 3 times per week - I did Zumba, couch to 5K running program and some weight training.  My weight bounced around, up and down over those 6 weeks but on average I only lost about 2.5 lbs.  Very slow and very frustrating.

Now the past two weeks, I was busy at work, somewhat frustrated with the slow loss so I didn't input my food, limited exercise, ate some fast food, etc. and then I go and lose 3 lbs over the last two weeks (1.5 per week).  WTH - why doesn't my body like it when I treat it well?

Mmm, could venture a guess that maybe not enough calories before (with the exercise).  Or maybe your body likes/needs to calorie cycle a bit more.

Also probably gained some muscle in the couch to 5k process.

Have you been taking your measurements?  Sometimes that can be a better indicator of change than the scale.

Sometimes for me I feel like I see results later than they are scientifically supposed to happen. you may have lost those pounds before and are just now seeing the drop on the scale. That's why I personally don't like to weigh myself too much, there is so much natural fluctuation with what we eat, drink how much we exercise, different times of the month, etc. that its not always overly accurate. I have "lost" and "gained" 5 lbs in a week before. Did I really eat or not eat that much to lose 5 lbs? Absolutely not, probably mostly fluid fluctuation. But honestly, if you continuously do the right things over and over for a LONG, SUSTAINED period of time, your overall weight will drop, you'll build muscle, and both look and feel better. It seriously does pay off to be active and fit and eat at least pretty well. Don't get discouraged, it will be worth it in the long run. Give it time. Who cares if it takes you months, even a year to get to your goal weight? If you can keep it off, its way better than losing it all in 2 months and eventually gaining to right back where you started, maybe even more. Be in it for the long haul and things will work out.

Original Post by tortoisewins:

Also probably gained some muscle in the couch to 5k process.

 

This is very unlikely.  Women eating fewer calories than they burn find it practically impossible to put on muscle - and running certainly isn't going to do it.  What it may do, though, is make muscles that aren't used to being used retain water.  That can result in temporary gains of water weight - which the OP then saw drop off when she took a break.

The take-home message here is that the weightloss was "earned" when she was eating well but didn't show up for a couple of weeks until her muscles released the water they were hanging onto.

Original Post by wannahotbod:

Sometimes for me I feel like I see results later than they are scientifically supposed to happen. you may have lost those pounds before and are just now seeing the drop on the scale. That's why I personally don't like to weigh myself too much, there is so much natural fluctuation with what we eat, drink how much we exercise, different times of the month, etc. that its not always overly accurate. I have "lost" and "gained" 5 lbs in a week before. Did I really eat or not eat that much to lose 5 lbs? Absolutely not, probably mostly fluid fluctuation. But honestly, if you continuously do the right things over and over for a LONG, SUSTAINED period of time, your overall weight will drop, you'll build muscle, and both look and feel better. It seriously does pay off to be active and fit and eat at least pretty well. Don't get discouraged, it will be worth it in the long run. Give it time. Who cares if it takes you months, even a year to get to your goal weight? If you can keep it off, its way better than losing it all in 2 months and eventually gaining to right back where you started, maybe even more. Be in it for the long haul and things will work out.

I think this is really good advice.  I myself am very impatient to see results but the important thing is that it's a sustainable lifestyle change which means it will last.

I'm just so freaked out that if I head back to the gym and start counting all my cals again, that I'll gain weight back.  What a crazy way to think.