That’s a strong early drop. In the first week or two, losing 8 lb is common—especially if you changed how you eat—because a lot of it is usually water weight and glycogen, not just body fat.
What’s likely happening:
- Less carbs / less sodium → your body holds less water
- Smaller portions → less food sitting in your digestive system
- Some fat loss → likely part of it, but not all 8 lb
A useful rule of thumb:
- 1 lb of fat = about 3,500 calories
- Losing 8 lb of pure fat in a week would require an extreme calorie deficit, which is very unlikely
- So the scale drop is real, but it’s probably a mix of water + less bloat + some fat
What to expect next:
- Weight loss usually slows after the first week
- A more typical pace is 1–2 lb per week
- That slower pace is often the sign of real fat loss
What matters most now:
- Keep doing what made week 1 work
- Don’t panic if week 2 is smaller
- Watch the trend over 3–4 weeks, not day to day
- Take waist measurements and progress photos too
An 8 lb first-week drop is encouraging. The next phase is consistency.