Down 18 lb in 14 weeks, but the scale hasn't moved in 23 days. Waist is down another 1.5 inches, same pair of jeans fits looser, lifting 3x/week and walking 8k.
I'm eating 1,700-1,800 kcal, protein around 130g, sleep 6.5 hrs. Last labs: fasting glucose 91, basic panel normal.
Is this a whoosh setup or am I just recomping?
What data would you track next-tape, photos, lifts, or just keep going?
Tape > scale when lifting is in the mix. I stalled 4 weeks, then dropped 3 lb overnight after a high-carb day.
High-carb day? Like more rice or just overall calories?
For me it was mostly rice and potatoes, not a free-for-all. I kept protein the same and added maybe 80-100g carbs.
The scale jumped 2 lb for two days, then whooshed 3.5 lb by day four. Could be glycogen and water, not fat.
I'd keep calories steady and watch weekly averages. If your waist and lifts are trending well, the scale is lagging, not lying.
But if weekends are loose, that can hide a small surplus too.
That was my pattern for two months, and it only made sense once I compared Saturday weigh-ins to Monday.
Sleep 6.5 would wreck my appetite. Any chance lifting volume is holding water?
I'd track waist same spot, morning fasted, plus photos every 2 weeks. Scale is noisy.
Weekly average is the only thing that kept me sane. I had a 19-day flatline while my squat went up 20 lb and waist dropped an inch.
I wasn't recomping magically; I was retaining water from new lifting volume and eating more salt than usual. Once I logged sodium for a week, I saw the pattern.
Not saying that's you, but the scale isn't giving you the full story. Keep the tape and maybe add a monthly photo.
If the trend is still flat at 6 weeks, then I'd look at intake.
I disagree that it's always water. If calories crept up, 23 days is enough to mask a small surplus.
Fair, but OP listed 1,700-1,800 and 130g protein. That's not a huge creep unless weekends are wild.
Weekends are the wildcard. Mon–Fri the food log sits around 1,800, then Sat–Sun lands at 2,600 and I barely notice it happening.
This. I started weighing Saturda yand Sunday, not to restrict, just to see. My 'plateau' was a 900-calorie daily average gap I couldn't see.
Once I logged two weekends honestly, the scale started moving again at the same weekday intake. It wasn't a metabolic mystery. But if your waist is truly down, you're still changing shape. Maybe give it another 10 days before changing anything.
If lifts are up and waist down, I'd keep going another 2-3 weeks before cutting. Sounds like recomp, not failure.
23 days is nothing when your waist is dropping — tape beats scale every time. What's your sodium been like this week?
6.5 hours is probably doing more than you think. I slept like that for a month and my scale froze for 26 days while my waist dropped an inch; got to 7.5 hours and a 4 lb whoosh hit within a week. Bad sleep keeps water and inflammation hanging around even in a real deficit. I'd fix sleep before touching your calories.
Same jeans fitting looser is the real data point — the scale is just the loudest, dumbest roommate in the house.
More tracking won't fix impatience, and you already have your answer: 18 lb in 14 weeks is solid. If it were me I'd weigh once a week, same morning, post-bathroom, pre-coffee, and log top-set reps instead of daily scale drama.
Recomp while lifting 3x tends to stall the scale 3-6 weeks at a stretch. You're not stuck, you're just early.
My scale stalled 26 days after a whoosh, ten dropped 3 lb overnight. Tape and lifts are your real scoreboard.
I’d log weekly waist, hip, and arm measurements, plus a Saturday morning weight after a normal Friday. Weekends hid my 400-cal surplus.
Lifting 3x can mask 2-3 lb water for weeks. I added a rest day and dropped 2 lb by Monday, no calorie change.
Your 1,700-1,800 may be maintenance some weeks. I’d weigh food for 5 days, not forever, to check oils and bites.
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