5 pounds gained in a week...what gives??

mom2ava07

Please tell me how in the world you maintain your sanity in maintenance?!?

I have gained 5.5 pounds in 2 weeks and 5 of those were in the last week alone!

I'm logging EVERY SINGLE BITE OF FOOD THAT GOES INTO MY MOUTH. I have not slacked off not one single bit! I still weigh my food and eat at what MFP has my maintenance calories set at. In fact, I'm set at sedentary, yet my Fitbit adds at least 300 calories to my allowance on a regular day at my desk job. On the weekends I "earn" many more calories and eat none of them. I also have negative calorie adjustments enabled.

This last week the only thing different that happened was I started working out on Tuesday and have daily (a jillian michaels dvd) so I know some is likely water weight retention from a new workout...but 5.5 lbs?!? The other difference was I added a 120 calorie protein shake (210 if I add skim milk) but again all within my caloric limits. This weekend my daughter had a softball tournament so I had to guess on 2 meals but I didn't even finish the concession stand meals even though I was still hungry. Even if I underestimated, I earned over 1000 calories on those days according to Fitbit with my workout dvd and walking a ton all weekend. Even those 2 guessing meals were not the sudden 5.5 pound gain, it has climbed daily.

It's not TOM, I'm regular in the bathroom....what gives? I get a little fluctuations but 5 lbs in one week can't be water weight can it?

Sorry but anytning over a couple pounds without a cheat meal making it worth it is driving me insane!

ElizabethKalmbach

It can TOTALLY be water weight. I was at 149 last week, I started lifting heavy on Thursday, and was at 155.5 on Saturday morning. I am back at 151 this morning, and will probably be back to 149 just in time for another lift session tomorrow.

Have confidence in the CICO that got you to where you are now. A new workout plan will generally cause an increase in water retention that will level off a bit after your body gets used to the new regimen. After I've been lifting for a few weeks, I'll probably only keep on 3 lbs after a lift session, not 6, but I'll still see it on the scale.

Don't panic. You know what you're doing. You've got this.

mom2ava07

Thanks for the encouragement.

I know I'm being totally irrational, but I've never had such a huge jump in weight in a single weight, even when eating tons of junk.

My husband swears it's the protein shakes, but seriously 120 calories...I doubt it.

Emilia777

mom2ava07 wrote: »

Thanks for the encouragement.

I know I'm being totally irrational, but I've never had such a huge jump in weight in a single weight, even when eating tons of junk.

My husband swears it's the protein shakes, but seriously 120 calories...I doubt it.

Unless the protein shakes are putting you in a caloric surplus, they have nothing to do with this. Just keep in mind that it would’ve taken you to overeat by 2500 calories every single day for a week to gain 5lbs. It sounds like water retention to me.

That being said, I would suggest you use a food scale to weigh your food to make sure you’re maintaining your deficit.

kdiamond

I'm small and my weight can be up 3-4 pounds in any given week. Sodium intake, water bloat, etc., but as long as it eventually evens back out you're fine. This is why the scale sucks!

ninerbuff

It water. Adding exercise will cause it as well as eating foods that are high in sodium even if you're in calorie deficit.
Basic math wins here: 5lbs of added fat would be 17,500 surplus over what you eat now. I'm sure that didn't happen.

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

mom2ava07

[/quote]

Unless the protein shakes are putting you in a caloric surplus, they have nothing to do with this. Just keep in mind that it would’ve taken you to overeat by 2500 calories every single day for a week to gain 5lbs. It sounds like water retention to me.

That being said, I would suggest you use a food scale to weigh your food to make sure you’re maintaining your deficit. [/quote]

I do use a food scale except like this weekend when I had go eat at a ballfield concession stand, that's why this was so bizarre.

I am so meticulous at logging, I log tic-tacs lol and people think I'm insane when I'm like hold on let me log that tic-tac

I'm hoping my muscles just freaked out and didn't know what to think with this exercising. Plus, I was out in the sun all day Saturday. I drank water but likely not enough so I do feel dehydrated still, and I got a little sunburned which I've heard can cause retention.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

Emilia777

mom2ava07 wrote: »

I do use a food scale except like this weekend when I had go eat at a ballfield concession stand, that's why this was so bizarre.

I am so meticulous at logging, I log tic-tacs lol and people think I'm insane when I'm like hold on let me log that tic-tac

I'm hoping my muscles just freaked out and didn't know what to think with this exercising. Plus, I was out in the sun all day Saturday. I drank water but likely not enough so I do feel dehydrated still, and I got a little sunburned which I've heard can cause retention.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

I wouldn’t worry, I have guess-work days too - it’s part of life. Foods high in sodium (like from a concession stand) would also encourage water retention. I’m pretty sure you’re fine, don’t worry about it . Your weight should normalize over the week.

I’ve had times when I gained 5-6lbs literally overnight, and they go away eventually

cwolfman13

body weight isn't static...nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs. you need to look at your maintenance as a range. For example, I can fluctuate anywhere from 1 - 5 Lbs day to day...I fluctuate from about 185 to 190 thoughout the week with my 4 months average being 188.

watch the trend and your averages, not the actual number.

also, how long have you been maintaining? as you watch the trends, remember that you do have to make adjustments per real world results...these calculators aren't gospel and neither are fitness trackers...they are good starting points...you still have to use your brain and make adjustments as necessary.

Edwardshar

I think your calorie intake for a woman working a desk job at 2500 might be a lil high. Just sayin.

Plus you cant adjust your calories up for what your fitbit says you burn at your desk job. MFP already gives you a certain calorie burn for your job type. If you add more from another device you are doubling what you actually burn at your desk job. I hope that makes sense.

Emilia777

Edwardshar wrote: »

I think your calorie intake for a woman working a desk job at 2500 might be a lil high. Just sayin.

Her calorie goal is 1600 and she seems to eat back about half of the exercise calories added at most - this sounds right to me...

MireyGal76

Actually... the shakes could have something to do with it. They did with me.

At the risk of TMI... I started using protein shakes. Loved the taste, but I found that I just wasn't feeling well. My weight spiked by about 5-8 pounds, which isn't abnormal, but it stayed there. I started having issues with my tummy. Felt bloated, heavy, achy. Just not good.

I started looking at what had changed and realized that the only thing that was different was the protein shake. I stopped the shake and within two days I felt better and dropped 4 of the 5-8 pounds.

I have had this happen before - where I reacted poorly to the protein in the shake, so I need to look for a different kind of protein powder - possibly one that is not tied to lactose.

Maybe this is the case for you?

mom2ava07

Edwardshar wrote: »

I think your calorie intake for a woman working a desk job at 2500 might be a lil high. Just sayin.

Plus you cant adjust your calories up for what your fitbit says you burn at your desk job. MFP already gives you a certain calorie burn for your job type. If you add more from another device you are doubling what you actually burn at your desk job. I hope that makes sense.

I didn't say I consume 2500 (I wish! lol) I said my fitbit says I burn around 2500 calories on my more active days, which are usually weekends for me. I have a desk job, but in the evenings I'm on my feet all night long chasing my kids around and doing housework and I exercise. On those days my fitbit says I burn around 2000. I eat 1600-1700 on a typical day. I'm 5'5 and did weigh 127 now 132.5...given those stats I'm saying I see no way I gained 5 real pounds in a week.

ndj1979

just do the math ..

to gain five pounds of fat in one week you would of had to consume 17,500 calories over maintenance or 2500 a day over maintenance....

so more than likely it is water weight...

Sephixteeo

I second the water retention for a new workout. I didn't lose for close to 6 weeks when I started getting serious about working out in early March. And I don't watch my sodium (my doctor has told me to keep at my sodium because of lower blood pressure). Add in hormones and I was doubting myself for a month and a half nearly. Then I transitioned again to circuits with weights and lifting with cardio, and my progress would appear wiped out for almost a week at a time.
Now things seem to have worked looking back, I'm about to maintain.

And the protein shakes can do some bloating damage. I found out the painful way that I can't handle the whey. Good thing my husband likes it.


Keep at it!

MireyGal76

ndj1979 wrote: »

just do the math ..

to gain five pounds of fat in one week you would of had to consume 17,500 calories over maintenance or 2500 a day over maintenance....

so more than likely it is water weight...

or... like in my case... she's not pooping like she used to. LOL
Yes indeed, for a while there, I WAS actually full of *kitten* because of my body's reaction to the protein powder. :laugh:

mom2ava07

MireyGal76 wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

just do the math ..

to gain five pounds of fat in one week you would of had to consume 17,500 calories over maintenance or 2500 a day over maintenance....

so more than likely it is water weight...

or... like in my case... she's not pooping like she used to. LOL
Yes indeed, for a while there, I WAS actually full of *kitten* because of my body's reaction to the protein powder. :laugh:

I have had problems with being regular since having my gallbladder out last year. So I also spend most of my time full of crap, but strangely enough this week I have been quite regular lol so it's not that this time anyway

I started making one protein shake after working out on Wednesday and it is a whey protein. I do feel gassy and a little swollen in my fingers and my "cankles." That stuff was so good though amd satisfying my milkshake craving. Darn, I wonder if it's partly to blame. My husband likes it so maybe if I don't drink it for a couple days and see and find its the culprit, it won't be a total loss of 30 bucks.

MireyGal76

mom2ava07 wrote: »

MireyGal76 wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

just do the math ..

to gain five pounds of fat in one week you would of had to consume 17,500 calories over maintenance or 2500 a day over maintenance....

so more than likely it is water weight...

or... like in my case... she's not pooping like she used to. LOL
Yes indeed, for a while there, I WAS actually full of *kitten* because of my body's reaction to the protein powder. :laugh:

I have had problems with being regular since having my gallbladder out last year. So I also spend most of my time full of crap, but strangely enough this week I have been quite regular lol so it's not that this time anyway

I started making one protein shake after working out on Wednesday and it is a whey protein. I do feel gassy and a little swollen in my fingers and my "cankles." That stuff was so good though amd satisfying my milkshake craving. Darn, I wonder if it's partly to blame. My husband likes it so maybe if I don't drink it for a couple days and see and find its the culprit, it won't be a total loss of 30 bucks.

My weight spiked almost immediately, and also dropped almost immediately. (Within 48 hours). I felt this heavy achy feeling. I was still using the washroom, but I just felt full. Within two weeks, it was bothering me so much that my lower back was starting to ache and I was feeling crampy.

All that resolved itself within two days of stopping.

LivingtheLeanDream

ndj1979 wrote: »

just do the math ..

to gain five pounds of fat in one week you would of had to consume 17,500 calories over maintenance or 2500 a day over maintenance....

so more than likely it is water weight...

^^ this