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Gained a pound back :( What am I doing wrong?

aishlynn
aishlynn Posts: 181 Member
edited November 15 in Social Groups
Well, I've been on the LCHF diet for a week and I lost 5 lbs then gained one back. Am I doing something wrong? My diary is open if you want to look. Maybe too many carbs?

Replies

  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Question: "What am I doing wrong?"

    Answer: "Believing that day to day changes on the scale mean anything."
  • aishlynn
    aishlynn Posts: 181 Member
    LOL ok...thanks. I was losing my mind for a second.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    The trend is the only thing that matters.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    FIT_Goat wrote: »
    Question: "What am I doing wrong?"

    Answer: "Believing that day to day changes on the scale mean anything."

    kirkor wrote: »
    The trend is the only thing that matters.

    :+1:
    Perfectly said.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    edited March 2015
    In more detailed response, you can't really say anything without way more data than you would think. A single scale weight compared to another single scale weight is nothing. Seven scale weights in a row (averaged together) compared to seven different scale weights in a row (averaged together) is probably the start of a place where we can talk about what is going on.

    A properly calculated trend (like provided by Libra or other weight tracking apps) can be used to compare change, as long as you're looking at values at least one week apart.

    In short, you needs a couple weeks of data before you can even speak with certainty about changes in your weight. For now, focus on the fact that you're still down 4 pounds.

    Edit: At this point in my journey, I compare trend-weights only on a month to month basis. Where was I on Feb 1st? Where am I on Mar 1st? That's how much I lost in Feb. I weigh every single day. But, I don't look at anything shorter than a month. I would recommend you not look at anything shorter than week to week. And even that's really too short unless you're using averages or trends.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Agree with the above. Also, would add - giving merit to a 1 pound change, period. That could be water, that could be a #2 BM that just hasn't moved out yet, that could be female hormone fluctuations, that could be your body hoarding water if you didn't have enough the day before, that could be slow bowels, that could be any one of a million things. Now if you gained 10 pounds overnight and didn't still fit the same clothes, that should be a warning. However, I can go up significantly some days. But like they said above, the big deal is the overall trend. When we get to micro-obsessed with the teeny things, we miss the big picture.

    Personally, even if I never lose another ounce, I've gained health, and I feel so much better than I ever have in my adult life, and that's enough for me.
  • ldmoor
    ldmoor Posts: 152 Member
    I'm just going to add one more thing... you are a woman. :) Our bodies just act goofy at times. If over a period of weeks, then months, you continue to lose, even if it comes off slowly, you are a winner!

  • Mistizoom
    Mistizoom Posts: 578 Member
    edited March 2015
    Agreed with the others. Nothing is wrong. Just stay the course. Here is a pretty good article: "Why the Scale Lies" http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/weight/scalelies.htm. This is a good one as well, Myths and Facts about Weight Loss: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/myths-facts-weight-loss_n_3611969.html
  • aishlynn
    aishlynn Posts: 181 Member
    Mistizoom wrote: »
    Agreed with the others. Nothing is wrong. Just stay the course. Here is a pretty good article: "Why the Scale Lies" http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/weight/scalelies.htm. This is a good one as well, Myths and Facts about Weight Loss: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/myths-facts-weight-loss_n_3611969.html

    Thanks for the articles...very enlightening :smiley:

  • wheatlessgirl66
    wheatlessgirl66 Posts: 598 Member
    This is good for me to read today since I had a 1.4 lb jump this morning. All is well.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Also, make sure you keep up with your water. I worked a once a year outdoors job this weekend, and got less than half the water I needed each day. The fact that it was 4 days in a row of this, combined with the fact that even after returning to my normal schedule I was still struggling to intake enough water, those two things combined to result in a 7 pound gain so far. I know it's water due to restriction/retainage, increased activity, and my body freaking out over the change.

    It will come back off, but for any of us who fight for every ounce we get rid of, seeing a 7 pound gain over less than a week was disconcerting and freaking me out...but I got sunburned (retains water), did a bunch of physical labor I'm not used to doing (retains water), restricted water (retains water), stayed with keto sodium levels (retains water), and all in all, freaked out my body (retains water!). So, not surprising, logically, but still not fun...

    I've come to the conclusion that water consumption will make or break you on any LC / HF / MP way of eating.
  • gsp90x
    gsp90x Posts: 416 Member
    Yep. Same here KnitOrMiss

    I would be happy with a one pound change. My body constantly goes back and forth up to 6 or 7 pounds depending on what's going on. Mostly sodium and water intake for me. But yeah. I can make my body lose almost 10lbs in a few days if I have to (not that I ever would have to) but I know it's all water. I can also gain up to 10 pounds in a few days. So definitely for me it has to be a much larger set of data over a longer period of time. :)
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