Ugh....why didn't i lose??

finfan76
finfan76 Posts: 5 Member
Okay, very angry today. I have been watching what I eat, calorie counting (coming in under goal every day), i have exercised 4/7 days last week. Really pushing myself. I weigh today and I GAINED 3lbs! ???? So disappointed. What did I do wrong?
Any one with suggestions....tips...help. Ugh.. ruined my day.
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Replies

  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Are you new to exercise? It's probably water weight gain. That's normal for people who are new. You'll pee it out in a few days once your muscles heal. Just keep going. It takes about 4-6 weeks to start to really see results. Just be patient.
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
    ^ This... also, if you're not weighing your food you may be consuming more calories than you think.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    Open your diary so people can give some input with regard to logging. Reading the stickies at the top of the forum is a very good place to start too.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Is the exercise new? You may have gained from water weight in the muscles as they repair themselves. This takes a few days to go away. Other possibilities: your period (or mittelschmerz), higher sodium foods, you weren't as accurate in your weighing/measuring/logging as you think you were, medications like Aleve, etc.
  • PurdueGuy2001
    PurdueGuy2001 Posts: 22 Member
    Day to day, even week to week, you won't always see a drop in weight. Water weight can fluctuate. Log everything, and you should see a decline over time. Patience is key. Over time, if you are not losing weight, or just maintaining, then it might be that MFP estimates are too high, and you'd need to compare to other calculators. (such as http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/)

    What rate are you attempting? Are you trying for 0.5/1/1.5/2 lbs per week?

    I've gone two weeks at the same weight, to suddenly be 3 lbs lighter on the next weigh-in. When I look at a few months progress report, I can see the downward trend, even though some weeks are flat or even upticks.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    I've gone two weeks at the same weight, to suddenly be 3 lbs lighter on the next weigh-in. When I look at a few months progress report, I can see the downward trend, even though some weeks are flat or even upticks.

    yup- happened to me just recently. 2 weeks of nothing (if anything a slight gain) .... 3 days later.... poof! 4 pounds gone!

    gotta love our bodies LOLOL
  • BeckyD1105
    BeckyD1105 Posts: 444 Member
    How high has your sodium intake been? Could be retaining water from that. Weight loss definitely isn't linear. As I was once told you always get the weigh in you deserve...however you don't always get it in the week you deserve it.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    I think that opening your diary would be a big help. It could be water weight from sodium, but with the amount you have to lose it should practically fall off with exercise and a drop in calories.

    (At least it was that way when I started and 180lbs to lose).

    I'd make sure you're are measuring and weighing your food and making sure you aren't overestimating your exercise calories.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    What did you do wrong ?

    You ate 10,500 more calories then you burned.
    Watching what you eat is not the same as accurately weighing and logging every bite of food that you eat.
    Exercising is great for your fitness but doesn't make you lose fat if you do not eat at a calorie deficit.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    An open diary is a start point ... there's no way to know if you're doing something wrong without seeing what you're logging for intake and exercise.

    It could be water weight from a recent change in exercise. It could be fat. It could be normal weight fluctuations.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    What did you do wrong ?

    You ate 10,500 more calories then you burned.
    Watching what you eat is not the same as accurately weighing and logging every bite of food that you eat.
    Exercising is great for your fitness but doesn't make you lose fat if you do not eat at a calorie deficit.

    She said she counted calories and came in under goal every day.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    It's pretty hard to actually gain three pounds of fat in one day.

    A few things:

    Make sure you're weighing all solids on a food scale, measuring all liquids in cups and spoons. Even that little pat of butter you might use to cook your eggs, and the creamer in your coffee.
    Make sure you're weighing yourself under consistent conditions - first thing in the am, naked.
    Don't let the scale be your only measure of success. Your journey cannot live or die by a single variable - use other things too, like photos, measurements, exercise goals, etc.
    It's very common for people who go from no exercise to heavy exercise to retain water - it'll pass.
    Your weight may very well fluctuate before/during/after your period - this is not real weight gain - this will pass, too.

    Don't give up.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    I know that the usual thinking is that you should only weigh in once a week, but I actually find it informative to weigh in every day ... at least for a few weeks. My weight ebbs and flows in a pattern throughout a week.

    Maybe try weighing in every day for a little while and see what your pattern is.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Are you using a food scale to weigh everything that you consume ?
    Also, my weight fluctuates all the time , its just water weight and nothing to worry about . If your sure that you weighed and measured all your foods and Drinks properly , then its likely just water weight.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    What did you do wrong ?

    You ate 10,500 more calories then you burned.
    Watching what you eat is not the same as accurately weighing and logging every bite of food that you eat.
    Exercising is great for your fitness but doesn't make you lose fat if you do not eat at a calorie deficit.

    She said she counted calories and came in under goal every day.

    Obviously that is untrue.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Wait longer than a week. People have already listed a lot of reasons why your weight might be fluctuating. Give it time.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    I agree with the others and don't waste any more time or energy being upset about it :) soooo not worth it!
  • Sophiasmomma
    Sophiasmomma Posts: 155 Member
    BeckyD1105 wrote: »
    How high has your sodium intake been? Could be retaining water from that. Weight loss definitely isn't linear. As I was once told you always get the weigh in you deserve...however you don't always get it in the week you deserve it.

    OOH I like that saying and will have to rememeber it

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Open your diary.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    edited April 2015
    X
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    What did you do wrong ?

    You ate 10,500 more calories then you burned.
    Watching what you eat is not the same as accurately weighing and logging every bite of food that you eat.
    Exercising is great for your fitness but doesn't make you lose fat if you do not eat at a calorie deficit.

    She said she counted calories and came in under goal every day.

    Yes she said that and I read it. But that doesn't mean her goal is set to a true deficit, or that she is using accurate food data or if she is even accurately weighing her food. Nor does she tell us if she has lost any fat using her settings or methods. She also doesn't mention if her exercise routine is new or ongoing. She is "watching what she eats" which I take to mean monitoring things like sodium intake. Nor do we know her weight In schedule. All we really have to go by is she gained 3 pounds which all else being equal reguires a 10,500 calorie surplus. The devil is always in the details.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    X

    What proof do you have that it's 3 pounds of fat versus water weight?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    X

    What proof do you have that it's 3 pounds of fat versus water weight?

    Nobody has "proof" of anything.

    That's why the diary needs to be looked at.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Can you open your diary? Also, is the exercise new?
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    You probably didn't gain. Track it over the month, drink lots of water and you will see the pattern.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    X

    What proof do you have that it's 3 pounds of fat versus water weight?

    Nobody has "proof" of anything.

    That's why the diary needs to be looked at.

    Oh, I completely agree! I just think it's a little bit aggressive to automatically assume it's fat and tell the OP that she must have eaten 10,000 extra calories.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    What did you do wrong ?

    You ate 10,500 more calories then you burned.
    Watching what you eat is not the same as accurately weighing and logging every bite of food that you eat.
    Exercising is great for your fitness but doesn't make you lose fat if you do not eat at a calorie deficit.

    She said she counted calories and came in under goal every day.

    Obviously that is untrue.

    Nothing is obvious. Without a lot more information there is no way to ascertain if the gain was water weight, fat, bodily waste, or a combination thereof.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    X

    What proof do you have that it's 3 pounds of fat versus water weight?

    Nobody has "proof" of anything.

    That's why the diary needs to be looked at.

    Oh, I completely agree! I just think it's a little bit aggressive to automatically assume it's fat and tell the OP that she must have eaten 10,000 extra calories.

    10,500 LOL

    It's not aggressive nor is it a personal attack or judgemental. It's just a simple fact.
    To gain 3 pounds of fat you need to eat 10,500 calories over your maintance.
    I seriously doubt she is asking about 3 pounds of clothing because she weighted in dressed this time. one has to assume by now
    most folks have learned to reconize when they are bloated and retaining water but that is also a good guess. Sure there are many variables but since we are here to lose fat
    I will address how she gained 3 pounds of fat since we have little else to go by. Feel free to add your own insight on the myriad of possible causes of scale flluctioation.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    If I have a whole week of high sodium I can gain up to 5lbs, easily.

    No, it wasn't a personal attack or meant to be judgemental but it can cause increased frustration and make someone on the edge want to give up instead of motivating them to keep going.

  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    maidentl wrote: »
    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    X

    What proof do you have that it's 3 pounds of fat versus water weight?

    Nobody has "proof" of anything.

    That's why the diary needs to be looked at.

    Oh, I completely agree! I just think it's a little bit aggressive to automatically assume it's fat and tell the OP that she must have eaten 10,000 extra calories.
    To gain 3 pounds of fat you need to eat 10,500 calories over your maintance.

    Absolutely, 100% true. However, we do not know (and in fact it is HIGHLY unlikely) that she gained three pounds of fat in a single week. It is much more likely that at least a good chunk of it is water weight or retention due to sodium levels, new exercise program, hormones, etc.

    Is it possible that she's not logging totally accurately? Of course. Is it LIKELY that she's underestimating her intake by over 1000 calories a day (which is what it would take to gain three pounds in a week)? No, that's not likely at all.

    I think it's just plain silly to assume this is fat gain, or at least ALL fat gain.
This discussion has been closed.