Regaining weight

morganpalmer9
morganpalmer9 Posts: 73 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've hit my goal weight, and actually have gone a bit under even but it seems if I have one cheat day or take a day off the gym I immediately regain 3-4 pounds, which I know doesn't sound like a lot but it's pretty noticeable to me on my frame. I've only been dieting/working out for three months, will this eventually stop happening? Or am I doomed to have to work out and never have a cheat day?

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Weight fluctuates for everyone, but more for women. Try not to sweat minor fluctuations of 5lbs.
  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
    Have you been losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds during the 3 months, or have you lost weight overall?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    I've hit my goal weight, and actually have gone a bit under even but it seems if I have one cheat day or take a day off the gym I immediately regain 3-4 pounds, which I know doesn't sound like a lot but it's pretty noticeable to me on my frame. I've only been dieting/working out for three months, will this eventually stop happening? Or am I doomed to have to work out and never have a cheat day?

    It's water. It's probably only noticeable to you....
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Water weight

    You don't have a scale weight you have a scale weight range ...ignore it
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    There is a blog on the Cheat Day mentality.

    It was a good read for me. I don't have cheat days all out. I have days where I eat more but no totally crazy huge bowl of ice cream binges or 4000 calorie days

    I feel crappy after eating some greasy pizza or something now. A cheat lunch of greasy pizza makes for a sluggish food coma and lazy workout.

    YMMV

    It sounds like you still consider what you are doing now for eating as dieting. Maybe there need to be some tweaks to where it can be a normal way of eating that you don't feel is the dirty word.... Diet....

    I couldn't stick to a diet. It took a change in the way I see food, nutrition, and calorie intake to match my activity level.

    Hang in there. You can master it and an occasional splurge won't wreck your physique.

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    A cheat day that involves more food, more carbs and more than likely higher sodium foods?

    .... Why wouldn't you be heavier?
  • morganpalmer9
    morganpalmer9 Posts: 73 Member
    lemonlionheart wrote: »
    Have you been losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds during the 3 months, or have you lost weight overall?

    I've lost weight overall but have been regaining and losing this same three lbs for probably a month now
  • morganpalmer9
    morganpalmer9 Posts: 73 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    A cheat day that involves more food, more carbs and more than likely higher sodium foods?

    .... Why wouldn't you be heavier?

    I mean I'm talking having two slices of pizza once a week. I would maybe expect a lb but not three, especially when I eat well and run everyday
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    A cheat day that involves more food, more carbs and more than likely higher sodium foods?

    .... Why wouldn't you be heavier?

    I mean I'm talking having two slices of pizza once a week. I would maybe expect a lb but not three, especially when I eat well and run everyday

    More carbs and sodium = water weight

    Why is two slices of pizza cheating? Is it inside your calorie defecit for the week? Is it over and above your maintenance level

    How do you think you put on weight eating what 500 calories maximum? ...3500 calories = 1lb ...you eating that much, over your weekly maintenance x 3

  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    lemonlionheart wrote: »
    Have you been losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds during the 3 months, or have you lost weight overall?

    I've lost weight overall but have been regaining and losing this same three lbs for probably a month now

    The first weight you lose when you start eating at a deficit is water weight. Your body works through glycogen stores, which is attached to water. So fewer glycogen stores, less water weight. Your body can't replace glycogen until you are eating at a surplus.

    So when you have a cheat day, your glycogen stores are replenished and you notice a 3-4 lb increase on the scale. This is normal and expected.

    I am shooting for 5 lbs under my initial goal weight because I want to be happy WITH the inevitable water weight.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    lemonlionheart wrote: »
    Have you been losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds during the 3 months, or have you lost weight overall?

    I've lost weight overall but have been regaining and losing this same three lbs for probably a month now

    This just sounds like typical maintenance to me. Salt, hormones, water retention etc. Just set a maximum weight which triggers restriction again and don't worry so much.

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,489 Member
    edited June 2015
    Use a program that extrapolates your weight trend from your daily weight-ins.

    www.trendweight.com, www.weightgrapher.com, happy-scale on the iphone, and various spreadsheets (scooby has one on his site, message me for link if you can't find one).

    If you are low carbing, carb replenishment will shoot your weight through the roof. If you are eating home cooked foods, a single high sodium meal at a restaurant/packaged food can shoot your weight through the roof. Both increases involve water weight. Time of the month water retention will also greatly affect you.

    What Rabbit said: You have a weight range, not a specific weight. If your weight range trends downwards you are losing weight.

    At any point of time I am convinced that my weight hasn't changed. Then I look back a month, and I am down 5lbs!

    June 11: 184.2lbs.
    June 23: 183.9lbs.
    OMG: 12 days and I haven't lost a thing!
    <-- This is absolutely true information and my actual data

    The same three lbs! OMG: why am I even bothering with all this tracking.
    I am at a plateau. I might as well give up!

    And below is what these 12 days really look like:

    https://trendweight.com/u/94660812e1d749/chart/4w.png

    2tq1g0y8mbof.jpg


  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Water retention.
  • morganpalmer9
    morganpalmer9 Posts: 73 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    A cheat day that involves more food, more carbs and more than likely higher sodium foods?

    .... Why wouldn't you be heavier?

    I mean I'm talking having two slices of pizza once a week. I would maybe expect a lb but not three, especially when I eat well and run everyday

    More carbs and sodium = water weight

    Why is two slices of pizza cheating? Is it inside your calorie defecit for the week? Is it over and above your maintenance level

    How do you think you put on weight eating what 500 calories maximum? ...3500 calories = 1lb ...you eating that much, over your weekly maintenance x 3
    That's why it doesn't make sense because I'm definitely not. For example, I weighed 129 last Friday. By Monday, after having one cheat dinner Saturday, I was 133.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    Sounds to me like you're somewhere that holds on to a lot more water when eating certain things.

    What's your sodium intake look like on these cheat days?

    If I go overboard on sodium, I generally feel bloated and may see a 1-2 lb increase on the scale. Sounds to me like yours is more like 3-4.

    If the number bothers you that much, don't weigh after these days or you can maybe try to lose a little more so your "high" weight number doesn't seem so bad. Not sure how low 129 is for you.

    ~Lyssa
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited June 2015
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    morganpalmer9 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    A cheat day that involves more food, more carbs and more than likely higher sodium foods?

    .... Why wouldn't you be heavier?

    I mean I'm talking having two slices of pizza once a week. I would maybe expect a lb but not three, especially when I eat well and run everyday

    More carbs and sodium = water weight

    Why is two slices of pizza cheating? Is it inside your calorie defecit for the week? Is it over and above your maintenance level

    How do you think you put on weight eating what 500 calories maximum? ...3500 calories = 1lb ...you eating that much, over your weekly maintenance x 3
    That's why it doesn't make sense because I'm definitely not. For example, I weighed 129 last Friday. By Monday, after having one cheat dinner Saturday, I was 133.

    Because....Say it with me ....water weight!

    hta49z39lms9.jpg


    3 months tracking on trendweight.com in maintenance. Every single peak and trough = Water Weight because of a big meal, a change in exercise, ovulation or menstruation, change in sodium


    It's water weight
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