If Your Weight-Loss Progress Looks Like This Chart, Don't Worry — It's Totally Normal!

Max Weber, a personal trainer who helps clients with fitness, nutrition, and weight management, posted these two photos to ease your mind about your weight-loss progress. He said, "weight loss is NOT linear. This means the number on the scale is not going to go down by precisely 0.2 pounds each and every single day, or by 1.4 pounds every single week for the duration of your cut/diet." Small weight fluctuations are totally normal, and what the scale says depends on the time of day you weigh yourself and whether or not you've eaten, drank, exercised, or gone to the bathroom.

Max equates weight-loss progress to skiing. He said, "You don't french fry straight down the hill, that's unsafe and quite unrealistic. Instead, sometimes you will 🍕 to slow down, or carve a big beautiful turn ⛷ to pick up momentum, and sometimes you'll fall on your ass 🍑 and have to re-gather yourself to get back on track."

Be somewhat relaxed with your weight loss, and don't expect it to go exactly the way you intend it to. It will probably take longer than you expect, and some days you won't lose any weight at all — you may even gain! This zigzag pattern is totally normal, and recognizing this now will make your journey that much easier to continue. As long as you see a downward trend over time, you are on the right track, so keep doing what you're doing!

Keep in mind that the scale isn't always the best judge at determining your progress. Taking monthly pics can help you see your progress, and you'll get a much better read by assessing how your clothes fit, your energy levels, how strong you feel, and what you're able to do.