It's normal to lose 4–8 lbs the first week of a diet — and equally normal to lose 1–2 lbs the second week. Understanding the shift keeps you patient.
Glycogen: cutting carbs empties muscle glycogen stores (which each hold ~3 g of water per 1 g of carb). That's 2–4 lbs of water alone.
Gut contents and reduced sodium add another 1–3 lbs.
Starting in week 3, fat loss settles at about 1 lb per 3,500 kcal deficit. That's the number to plan around.
Set a realistic deficit for the long haul.
Calorie / TDEE Calculator →
BMI can label muscular athletes as overweight or obese. Here's when BMI misses the mark and what to use instead.
The clearest waist guideline for women, based on the NHS and Ashwell Waist-to-Height ratio — no charts, just one rule.
How age changes your healthy weight range, and the simple WHO/CDC formula that answers "how much should I weigh?".