Understanding Early Weight Loss
February is around the corner, and some of you may have recently started working out again, or for the very first time—after leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle. For most people, this is when you’ll see the biggest changes on the scale, simply because you’ve gone from doing nothing to something.
This is sometimes called the Tortoise and Hare Factor (Beginner vs. Experienced).
When you compare a beginner to someone who has been consistent with training and nutrition for years, the results look very different. The experienced person is chasing small gains because their body has already adapted to a high stimulus. A beginner, however, introduces a brand-new stimulus, and the body reacts quickly—often with rapid initial weight loss.
That early drop on the scale is usually not fat loss. It’s mostly water weight. When you start moving more and eating better, your body burns through stored carbohydrates (glycogen). Each gram of glycogen holds onto about 3–4 grams of water, so as glycogen is depleted, water is released. This is why the scale can drop quickly in the first week or two.
That initial loss is exciting—and it should feel rewarding—but it’s important to understand what comes next. After those first couple of weeks (where you might see 5–10 lbs down), weight loss will typically slow to about 1–2 lbs per week if fat loss is the goal.
For many people, this slowdown becomes discouraging. In a society driven by instant gratification, it’s easy to feel like “it’s not working” and give up—when in reality, this is exactly how sustainable progress looks.
This is why it’s critical to measure more than just the scale, especially if you’re doing the right kind of exercise, including resistance training. As you build lean body mass (LBM), the scale may not be as generous—but other signs of progress will be:
- Clothes fitting better
- Improved energy and mood
- Better sleep
- Moving and functioning better
Regular body composition assessments are far better indicators of success. Tracking lean body mass, inches, body fat percentage, and total body fat will give you a clearer picture of what’s actually happening—and help keep motivation high.
Another huge benefit we often overlook is underlying health. Many chronic disease risk factors almost always improve and sometimes resolve completely when you change to these new healthy lifestyle changes, including:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes
The most important thing: keep going—don’t give up.
You want to see a larger drop in the beginning followed by a slowdown. If weight continues to drop extremely fast for an extended period, you’re likely losing lean body mass, not just fat. This usually means you’re under-fuelling your body. That leads to burnout, stalled progress, and eventually regaining the weight—often with extra—because the body goes through a survival mode.
Your goal should be to build and protect lean body mass, which keeps your metabolism higher, supports fat loss, strengthens your immune system, and helps protect bone health to stave off osteoporosis.
Slow, steady, and fuelled progress wins—every time.
This is why our programs at DEEM Health & Fitness focus on body composition, lean body mass, and long-term results—not just scale weight. If you’re ready to do this the right way, reach out and let’s get started.
Mikkie Nettles-Pollon, Certified Personal Trainer/Holistic & Sports Nutritionist
Not sure where to begin, contact me at info@deemhealth.ca
250-541 -0411.
www.deamhealth.ca
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