The Struggle is real! HELP!!

hansolo420

Hey guys, just wanted some advice! I have been on a strict weight loss/exercise plan for the last 35 days. I lost 7 lbs, feeling good. Then I woke up this morning for my weekly weigh in and BOOM, there is the 7lbs, right back on me, overnight! How do I keep at this with such disappointment? Any words of encouragement and/or motivation to keep me from just giving up and ending this struggle would be helpful, because right now my mind set is "life is too short to deny myself things that make me happy (like food and booze) for absolutely no reason at all!" Sorry for the rant, but the struggle is so real! Thanks fitness friends!

zac775

Hi, are you using the same scales? I know its a stupid question but I had to ask, also have you looked at you sodium intake? as this can have an effect on the weight. Also with ladies there are other things which can make this happen, with out sounding crude on a monthly basis.

RodaRose

Change things so that you are less strict with yourself. And do not pay much attention to the scale. It is o.k. to weigh once a week but keep in mind that the body does not function on a 7 day clock. Also, retrain your thinking so that you see this as a long game. Drink alcohol and foods you like in moderation.

ninerbuff

To gain 7lbs over night, you somehow indulged in something that caused a lot of water retention. So what did you eat?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

blktngldhrt

Have you been eating a high sodium diet the past week and/or not drinking enough water? Have you been exercising in a way that your muscles need to be repairing themselves and are holding water?

If you are eating at a deficit, you are probably just holding onto water and not actually gaining mass. The scale isn't always the best way to gauge your weight loss efforts. How you feel, how your clothes fit, what your measurements are doing..those are all better ways to determine if what you are doing is working for you.

Brace yourself for the "don't you dare deny yourself foods you love" crowd. However, if the way you are eating now is making this journey difficult for you, change it. Find a way to eat at a healthy deficit that includes the foods you love.

SnuggleSmacks

Just think: You'd have to eat 3500 EXTRA calories to gain even one pound. Seven pounds? That's 24,500 calories over maintenance. Did you do that?

Probably not. So you can rest assured that you didn't actually gain seven pounds of bodyweight. What you did probably gain was some water.

We retain water for lots of reasons, including hormonal fluctuations, muscle repair from increasing or changing physical activity, sodium consumption and even eating too few calories. It can mask the actual bodyweight we lose, and it can be frustrating. This is why it's so much better to not rely on the scale to track your progress.

Try keeping track of your measurements once a week. Even better, progress photos: Have someone take a pic of you wearing something revealing (swimsuit, underwear, tight workout clothes, etc.) from the front, arms down and flexed, back, arms down and flexed, and the sides. Do this about once a month, wearing the same clothes or something similar, preferably in the same spot, same time of day, same lighting situation, etc. Keep everything as same as possible. Then pull them up on your computer side-by-side and prepare to be amazed.

hansolo420

Thanks everyone! All of the comments above are well received and much needed! Thank you thank you fitness friends!

yoovie

where in those 35 days was your cycle? not trying to be TMI and you dont have to answer aloud, but it's a pattern worth tracking, just to prevent freakouts later when the scale fluctuates.

I gain 8 pounds every time I catch the cotton mouse.

mgfarias84

If I eat a lot of sodium or take a day off I can gain as much as 6 pounds of water weight, it seems to take me about 4 days to completely get rid of it but once I do I'm back where I started or lower.

sokie88

I've been going through the same thing. I'd do great during the week with food and working out, but come the weekends with girls nights, dinner parties, weddings, family events etc, I gain everything I've lost back. What's helped me finally stay in check is more frequent weigh ins. I weigh myself first thing in the morning, not everyday, but since I know my downfalls are weekends, I weigh myself Friday mornings and Monday mornings to see the damage the weekend had done. I also weigh myself after a day where I know I've been excessive. On those days, I definitely see a 2-4 lb gain in 1 day! Be it water retention or something else like everyone else says, it really is an eye-opener. When I do see the scary looking increase, I tend to keep myself more in line the rest of the weekend. So maybe try weighing yourself more often than once a week? This may help you curb the gains before it becomes more difficult to reverse.

Falcon

For me I tend to hold onto around six to seven pounds of water weight just by fluxuating hormones every month. I can't trust the scale for around two days to a week. Depends on how much sodium intake I consume during that week.

It can be a real pain but high sodium intake and not enough water releasing can lead to instant weight gain. Nothing to freak out over unless you're eating more then you think you are. Give it a few days and watch the sodium intake.