chaly
The Dreaded Stall
Jan 22, 2014
It has been an interesting few weeks. I have watched my weight go up and down the same five pounds over and over again. At times it seems rather comical as I am not sure how in the world it can be up five pounds eating what I am eating and walking 3 miles at least three times a week. I knew that the stall would eventually come. I knew that many others have had it far sooner than I did. I have to admit that I really want to see the scale to move in the right direction, but amazingly I am ok with where I am at. I know that if I keep to my program it will start to come off again. I believe my peace has come from the great Lord above. I have prayed about this very issue nightly and sometimes even more than that. I do not believe I would be ok with this had it not been for Him.
All this being said I have searched the internet for ideas, encouragement, or what ever else the internet can provide, and I came across this.
"The Inevitable Stall
By Diana C.
A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."
So if you're in a stall, just keep doing what you're doing and eventually the weight loss WILL start again :)
After finding this I began to search a little more and actually came across an article on the Mayo Clinic website that talked about the fact that people losing weight will drop rather quickly do to the glycogen being used. (Not particularly people who have had RNY, but those trying to lose weight.) The Mayo Clinic states...
What causes a weight-loss plateau?
The progression from initial weight loss to a weight-loss plateau follows a typical pattern. During the first few weeks of losing weight, a rapid drop is normal. In part this is because when calories from food are reduced, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen holds on to water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, it also releases water, resulting in substantial weight loss that's mostly water.
A plateau occurs because your metabolism — the process of burning calories for energy — slows as you lose muscle. You burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight even doing the same activities. Your weight-loss efforts result in a new equilibrium with your now slower metabolism.
I guess for me it just helps understanding the why of it. If it is in fact true. I have no reason to dissuade it at this time, so I choose to believe it to be true until I am told differently. What is your thoughts? Inquiring minds want to know.
