I gained 5 pounds in a week and I need help figuring out why...

scarlettsmom87

27/F/5'8"/210.4lbs

I have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) and insulin resistance. I was around 135-140 in high school, which is a healthy weight for 5'8''. And, as typical for women with PCOS, the weight gain came on fast and strong. I gained 60 pounds in 3 months without changing a thing about my diet/exercise. I became depressed and ate super unhealthy on top of it. I had always had an irregular period but after this, it became worse. I would get one every 6 months. An ultrasound revealed I had 15+ cysts on each ovary. I was devastated.

Anyway, I've been in the 200's my entire 20s and I'm sick of it. I believe my highest weight was around 240 judging from photos because I was too ashamed to use a scale. I went on a strict, practically starving diet back in 2011 and lost around 20 pounds, then miraculously became pregnant with my daughter, who's 2.5 now. My husband and I thought I was infertile since we hadn't used a single form of birth control in 4 years. After giving birth, I got down to 201 and my periods came back.

Then, in 2013, I hit the gym HARD and pushed myself to the brink of death and got down to 191. I couldn't go any further no matter how hard I tried and I ended up slowly gaining again, as per usual for me. It's a serious struggle. I've read that women with PCOS should eat as low as 900 calories per day just to try and lose weight since we tend to process even healthy foods incorrectly.

So a week ago, I decided I'd go back to counting calories again. I weighed myself and saw that I was 207. I was frustrated, but knew it was doable. Well, after two days, I got down to 205 and I was pretty pleased. I can't afford the gym anymore and I don't have time with one full-time job and full-time college on top of being the mother of a very busy toddler. So counting calories is all I have right now. HOWEVER, my full-time job is that of a waitress and I bust my *kitten*, sometimes walking 2-3 miles per shift. So why in the heck is it so flipping hard to lose weight?

So on day two, at 205, my husband's family decided to come down from another state to see us and visit for a few days. This meant going out to eat at restaurants that serve delicious yeast rolls and I.... can't help myself with those. So the past three days I've been eating poorly, but still working and still busting *kitten* on my feet at the restaurant. I've kept count on every single calorie that's gone in my mouth and the approximate amount of calories burned through work. According to MyFitnessPal, I've gone over on my calories for the WEEK in the amount of 3,642.

So we all know a pound is 3500 calories. I understand I've been bad and eaten poorly, but this morning I woke up to 210.4 pounds. Why? According to MFP, I should have only gained a little over a pound. Why am I 5.4 pounds heavier than I was a week ago? I'm so distraught and I don't understand. Can anyone shed light on this?

As for going to the restroom, I have twice this week. I'm very very very irregular with that situation and always have been. Should I try a laxative? Is that maybe the problem? the only other thing I can think of is that I'm two days away from a visit from aunt flow.... if there are any women reading this, do you gain some bloat right before she comes?

Thanks in advance for any tips....

holly55555

Ok, I don't know anything about PCOS but just in general:

You cannot outrun a bad diet. Being on your feet all day isn't burning as many calories as you would think. Let's say you burned an extra 600 calories on a particular busy work day. You then go out to dinner eat 1000 cal in one meal - which frighteningly easy to do. Let's say you ate that way for all three meals. That 600 cal doesn't really combat the extra maybe 1500 calories you consumed all day.

The other thing is even the most strict calorie counting is said to be off by 20%. You almost always eat more than you log. It's just a law of nature, especially because food labels aren't 100% accurate either.

That said, you absolutely did not gain 5 lbs in three days. It is most likely water, salt, etc, from the food you ate. Your fat loss is probably the same, you are just bloated, and yes, your period will affect this.

I can fluctuate roughly 10 lbs in a few days depending on my salt content and time of day! I just make sure the lowest number I've seen on the scale keeps going down. Does that make sense?

In example: On Monday I could be 135 lbs, Tuesday 137, Wednesday 134, Thursday 133 lbs. I log 133. Then Friday could be 139, Saturday, 135, etc. The next week the lowest number I'll see is 132. I log that. This is why they recommend not weighing yourself every day! (I just have no self control and want to see haha)

Don't worry about it and start actually hitting your calorie goals. It will come off soon enough and you'll be right back on track!

Clawsal

If you have been eating at restaurants you have probably been eating more salt than usual --> water retention
If you will have your TOMs soon --> water retention

So this weight fluctuation is normal.
Using a laxative will make you lose weight but that's pointless... It's waste not fat and it will come back.

malibu927

Sodium intake from eating out and TOM will do it. I gain two pounds about five days before mine comes, and it falls off a couple days after it starts. Some women gain much more and will retain it until it ends.

Clawsal

Also, I have PCOs and I am losing weight. I think for some people it may be harder than others but it is definitely possible to lose weight when you have PCOs. I don't need to eat only 900 cal. I am eating 1200-1400 kcal and have lost 4kg since 11 January. I am 5'5, sit all day and barely go to the gym.

scarlettsmom87

Thank you holly! I do try to put in the correct amount of calories for what I consumed, but you're right, it's very hard. I read somewhere that a waitress who's 155 pounds can burn around 70 calories every half-hour working. I did the math and came up with a slightly higher number for myself, given the fact I weigh 210 and I'm carrying that around. I plug that number in along with how long I work in the shift and then downgrade it slightly so I'm not getting cocky. I really do bust my butt working. There's heavy lifting, bending, pulling, power walking, etc.... my legs look fantastic, LOL. They honestly look like they belong on someone who's 140 pounds but my stomach is just too much.

But as for PCOS, it really does blow chunks. I've been struggling with it now for nearly 15 years. I've tried doing the high-protein, super low carb thing, which caused me to lose 9 pounds in a week. I had so much energy but I couldn't keep it going because I craved carbs so bad. All I could eat was meat, cheese and veggies. No fruit, sugar, bread or dairy products. -_-' I'm willing to try it again because it's said that PCOS weight loss is only possible with depleted carb intake. I just don't have the will power.

Liftng4Lis

malibu927 wrote: »

Sodium intake from eating out and TOM will do it. I gain two pounds about five days before mine comes, and it falls off a couple days after it starts. Some women gain much more and will retain it until it ends.

Yep- additionally some experience this (me), in ovulation.

Kida_Adeylne

What everyone said above - fluctuation is normal, especially after eating out and at TOM
Have you joined the P.C.O.S. group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis I'm new there and haven't looked around that much, but there's lots of good topics in there about PCOS and weight loss.

Clawsal

In my mind PCOs affect where you gain weight. It's an hormonal thing, like the ladies that go into menopause and gain fat around their midsection. I also find that I have nice legs but so much fat around my stomach / love handles.

scarlettsmom87

Thank you everyone for your tips! It took me a minute to realize TOM meant Time of the Month, lol. I don't know the lingo here yet. I'm going to buy a diuretic later today so I can maybe shed a couple pounds and feel a little better. My pants are tight as for a laxative, is that a good idea? I've never taken one but I only "go" to the bathroom 2-3 times per week.... never been regular, even when I was a healthy weight. It's frustrating.

ninerbuff

Hormonal issues and a day's sodium intake greatly affect weight on the scale on a day to day basis. 5lbs of actual fat weight would be a surplus of 17,500 calories over what you normally eat to gain that much fat. And you know you didn't do that, so chalk it up to water retention.

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

scarlettsmom87

ninerbuff wrote: »

Hormonal issues and a day's sodium intake greatly affect weight on the scale on a day to day basis. 5lbs of actual fat weight would be a surplus of 17,500 calories over what you normally eat to gain that much fat. And you know you didn't do that, so chalk it up to water retention.

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

That makes me feel better! I was planning on trying a diuretic just to help shed a couple of those pounds so I can fit back into my pants, at least for this week.... ugh!

cwolfman13

I can fluctuate easily 1-5 Lbs day to day...most people can. You always have varying degrees of waste and fluid in your system...sometimes more and sometimes less...all of that has mass and thus weight and thus shows up on the scale. The scale is not very good at isolating fat as there is so much more to your body weight than just fat.

this is why it's important to view the scale as only one of many tools to measure success...also important to track trends over time, not the weigh in to weigh in numbers per sei.

Bretto

How much water are you drinking. I know for me I need to get in around 100 oz a day in order to keep my system flushed and be able to lose weight.

Remember to truly be healthy this needs to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. I have been seriously working on losing weight for 6 months! While I lost 10 lbs the 1st month, it has taken 3 1/2 months to lost the next 15. I sometimes go 2-3 weeks without losing a lb., but I am eating healthy and exercising, so I know I am getting stronger and healthier.

Keep at it! Don't give up! You got this!

retirehappy

scarlettsmom87 wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your tips! It took me a minute to realize TOM meant Time of the Month, lol. I don't know the lingo here yet. I'm going to buy a diuretic later today so I can maybe shed a couple pounds and feel a little better. My pants are tight as for a laxative, is that a good idea? I've never taken one but I only "go" to the bathroom 2-3 times per week.... never been regular, even when I was a healthy weight. It's frustrating.

Try drinking a couple of cups of BLACK coffee, best laxative and diuretic around. Much cheaper than buying pills and more natural.

It sounds like you are still doing your normal thing with the "going" issue, so don't sweat that. And make sure you don't start stressing so much about this you continue to eat stuff you know you should not be eating.

Follow the advice to join P.C.O.S. group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis to get some emotional support going too. They have to deal with your same issues, you are not alone.

Here are a couple of posting you might also find helpful in your journey:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

You'll be back on track in no time.