4 pound gain after cheat day? Confused and discouraged!

chainedhollow

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

122ish

Are u keeping an eye on your sodium intake? Too much sodium causes water retention.
And justa quick tip 3500 cals= a pound. So in order to actually gain 4 lbs ove night one would have to consume 14000 cals on top the calories your body needs to maintain
I had cheat days all through my weight loss, other than water retention never gained weight.

If u feel you need to buy a scale to make sure unr eating the right amounts. Drink tons of water on high sodium days

lornablum

It sounds like just water weight! Don't be discouraged! Drink lots of water and eat tons of fruit to bring it back down. Also try drinking some green tea. Good luck to you! (:

tphil58

I had something similar happen a few weeks ago. Out to eat with friends, over calories, not by a ton but over several hundred. Scales showed a 2 lb gain but I knew I had not eaten 7000 (the somewhat arbitrary 3500/ lb of fat number) extra calories. I have read several places about how much our weights can vary, day to day or even hour to hour, scale on a different surface and decided not to let it worry me. Within the next 6-10 days those two pounds came off plus 4 more. I also know I didn't eat enough under my calorie need to lose those 6 pounds in 10 days. It is just the way our bodies work sometimes. I would hope you look at your overall loss which is really good, keep doing what you have been doing and the weight will start to come back off. Try to choose not to be discouraged. You are worth getting healthy! It has helped me some to know that it is a journey and like so may of our journeys it is not a straight line from point A to point B. Weight loss is not necessarily linear. Over any period of time our weights will vary, as long as the overall trend is downward in the long term, then we are on the right track! Good luck on your journey!

JankaLee

Agreed with the two ladies above me. Pizza is killer for salt. Drink some water, have a regular healthy food day today. All will work itself out

madaleingericke

Water retention? Perhaps. Don't get discouraged - it'll even out again. (Also, a "guilty conscience" after all those extravaganzas can weigh quite a lot...!)

dsjohndrow

Cheating and sodium are diet killer.

SoViLicious

This is very serious. You need to take action now!!!!!!!!

Beckaroo94

Perhaps you're weighing yourself too often? Maybe you're retaining water, or a little constipated. Try being extra meticulous with calorie intake, weigh everything, and drink plenty of water, do this for a week without weighing then see what it is? Wight can fluctuate lots though out a day/week. Good luck

1ConcreteGirl

Weigh yourself once a week, not every day.

The scale can fluctuate several pounds in a week, cheat day or no cheat day. Just as long as the overall monthly trend is downward, you have nothing to worry about.

DanielleDavids

My weight fluctuates by up to 6lbs randomly throughout the week. It's a combo of hormones, what you're eating, when you're eating it, when you last bowel movement was (TMI - I know), how much water you've had, how much sodium you've had, etc. My trainer has me weighing myself every day so I'm starting to understand my weight fluctuations. Sometimes after a cheat meal I'm over 4lbs heavier, but as long as I stay on track the next day it goes away! Don't get too discouraged. The numbers on the scale don't mean everything! One small tip: If you feel like you need to weigh yourself every day weigh yourself at the same time (I prefer mornings) and preferably after you've 'done your business'.

Samstan101

Firstly I'd suggest not weighing yourself every day. I weigh in once a week 'officially' at the same time of day (I occasionally get on once or twice during the week as I can't resist sometimes!). Secondly eating food high in salt (such as pizza) will cause you to retain water especially if you're not drinking enough. I found this when I weighed after eating gammon that was quite salty and despite having been eating at 1000 under my BRM I suddenly put on 5lbs over night. I drank a gallon of water that day and the following morning I'd lost 5lbs.

You say you've been stuck at the same weight for some time. It sounds obvious but make sure you log everything and you weigh/ measure everything as well. Its easy to miss bits and they add up. Good luck

JisatsuHoshi

In terms of "cheat day" then most likely water weight. which will go away in a few days. Dont stress it.

I usually gain 4~8 lbs on my refeed cheat days.

1 gram of Carb holds 4 grams of water retention. Make you wonder what I looked liked after eating this a few days ago...

Ed98043

Never weigh yourself the morning after a cheat day. Your intestines are still full of food and you're retaining water. Wait at least 3 days for everything to work its way through.

1ConcreteGirl

In terms of "cheat day" then most likely water weight. which will go away in a few days. Dont stress it.

I usually gain 4~8 lbs on my refeed cheat days.

1 gram of Carb holds 4 grams of water retention. Make you wonder what I looked liked after eating this a few days ago...

GET IN MAH BELLEH

beattie1

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

If you're going to weigh yourself every day (as I do too) you need to relax about the daily ups and downs! Your weight can vary by a number of pounds from day to day. Water retention due to sodium or time of the month, constipation, all sorts of factors can make your weight go up and down unpredictably. I get that you've been stuck yoyoing up and down for some weeks. That happens, keep eating sensibly and you will lose weight.

AmyRhubarb

It's been one week. Not long enough to gain any muscle, not long enough to see any "real" results, and one day of indulgence has no undone any progress you have made.

As others have said, it's likely water, both up and down on the scale. I'm a daily weigher - it's just a habit - I get up every day, use the bathroom, step on the scale. I can go up and down several pounds all week long, even if I've been under goal and exercising all week long. The body naturally fluctuates all the time.

Starting a new exercise routine and eating habits will definitely give the scale free reign to mess with your head, so don't let it. Know that your weight changes daily, and it's due to many factors already mentioned - water weight, new exercise, sodium, time of the month, hormones, etc. Track the downward trend of your weight over time, and grab a measuring tape and track your measurements as well. The tape tells a better story than the scale does.

jrodriguezjr17

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

FIrst off, Id like to take the time to point out that none of the answers given have come along side any credentials. And it sounds like most people dont really understand whats going on. Let me start by introducing myself. 14 year fitness veteran, played sports my whole life, I am NASM CPT and NFPT CPT certified. Have been a trainer for 6 years, and am now training bodybuilders and female fitness and strength competitors. I typically dont respond to forum posts, but with the info given, Id like to offer you some help to really get you going.

The very first issue I see with what is going on, is you are taking in FAR to few calories. Given your weight, its fair to say you have, for a while at least, consumed upwards of 3000 cals per day (really, really easy to do if the foods not right). To effectively cut your calorie intake in half is nothing short of starvation. You may lose some weight, but this is not sustainable over the long haul (i.e. your lifetime). My bikini competitors, who weigh anywhere from 118-132lbs consume between 1800-2100 cals depending on their body type. While they do well in competition, Ive yet to get one to win. Im saying this to give you a rough idea of where you should be at. I would recommend starting at about 2200 CLEAN cals and start working down from there as you continue dropping weight. 2200 clean cals is going to be A LOT of eating, and will definitely keep you feeling full all day (number 1 cause of program failure).

The next thing that is going to be crucial, especially in the first 6-9 months of your transformation, is going to be to STAY OFF THE SCALE!!! Unless you have been lifting weights for several years, and have a significant amount of muscle mass, any exercise and proper eating is going to lead to muscle gain. 1lb of muscle takes up about 20% the space as 1lb of fat. So in the beginnning as your body is building muscle and dropping fat, you WILL go up in weight. its inevitable. Muscle is built faster than fat is lost, in the beginning. after about 6 months, you will be in full fat burning mode, and at that point, by all means, weigh yourself daily! until then, keep it to once a week, AT MOST! Whats more important is how you look. as the fat comes off, you will start to notice it. Look at yourself fresh out of the shower, EVERY SINGLE day! There is no better gauge in the beginning than how you look.

Now, to the root of this post... the "cheat day." I should first say this. you should never give yourself and entire day to cheat. you WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work. Give yourself a cheat MEAL. One. Not two or three, not dinner AND dessert. One. I know at parties its hard, and for a birthday, maybe a slice or two of pizza and a small piece of cake is ok. any more than that, and..well, youll be asking what happened. Now, short of knowing just how much you ate, Im going to venture to say, you most likely ate more than 2100 cals if you had pizza and cake, AND still ate your regular meals prior to that. That also doesnt include and soft drinks or anything other than water, black coffee or unsweetened tea. the calories really do add up quick.

Now what you are experiencing is DEFINITELY NOT legitimate weight gain.. one lb of fat equals 3500 cals. 4lbs in one day would be impossible, literally. What you have to remember is that that pizza and cake both have crappy calories, no fiber, and lots of preservatives. What this all adds up to is it moving REALLY slowly through your digestive tract. Along the way it retains water, and backs up and other foods you ate after it. You most likely are noticed the weight of the food in your digestive tract, coupled with a LOT of water retention from the very high amount of carbs, and refined sugars, plus the amount of salt in both. Give it a couple days, maybe go sweat in the sauna at your local gym for 15 mins, and drink a gallon of water a day—yes, a gallon a day—to flush the toxins and and sodium out of your system. Then, my next recommendation, is to go to your local gym and get a membership, if you already havent, and then go befriend a female trainer. Yes, a trainer. While MFP is great, and the internet is great, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like having someone who is already in good shape, who has an understanding of how to make these types of changes, and have them pass that knowledge on to you. When I was a kid, I didnt just start lifting, I had someone teach me. Then I went to school for it, to learn even more from people who know what theyre doing. Its like making clothes. You sure can find a lot of info on sewing online, but to actually learn it, takes a teacher. If you cant afford what the gym charges, let me know, and I can either point in the direction of someone who can help you, or help you myself via an video conferencing program i have. Its up to you.

Either way, dont sweat your one cheat day too much, get back on the horse and ride! And I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

blackeraser

Weigh yourself once a week, not every day.

The scale can fluctuate several pounds in a week, cheat day or no cheat day. Just as long as the overall monthly trend is downward, you have nothing to worry about.

^^ this

LisaDunn01

1. STAY OFF THE SCALE. Weigh in 1 time a month.
2. When you splurge, the body retains water or gets inflamed - especially when you eat foods that aren't good for YOUR body. Hence "weight gain" (which isn't real weight gain as many others have pointed out to you already).
3. Weight fluctuates. You lose two, gain one, drop two more, gain a half-pound. You have to not fight your body or yourself. If you have more good days than bad, you'll get where you want to be.
4. Go easy on yourself. You have the REST OF YOUR LIFE to eat. The great thing about life is if you mess up today, you can make a better tomorrow.
5. My goal is simple: When I sit down to eat, I try to make the best choices possible. (Example: If I want pasta which I consider a "no-no", I eat a big salad at the start of the meal before having the pasta.) And if I want something that I consider is "bad", I make a conscious decision to allow myself the splurge rather than fight myself on it. I also try to find healthier solutions to what it is I'm wanting. For example, if I want a chocolate shake, I'll blend up the following: 1 c. almond milk, 1 tbsp. chocolate powder, 1 heaping tbsp. peanut butter and 2 frozen bananas. YUM!
6. It's ALL ATTITUDE! Make it a game. Make it fun. Don't get all serious and depressed about it. Make REALISTIC goals. This is a lifestyle change. (See #5 above.)
7. Make sure to focus on what you are doing that's right and forgive or ignore the losses.
8. Nothing is "instantaneous" and this is not a race. SLOW and STEADY wins the race...

geekyjock76

Let's say you have a box which stores 5 blocks on "maintenance days." You then start only storing 3 blocks which reduces the overall weight of the box. Every now and then, you have a "cheat day" and once again store 5 blocks. What do you think storing a "maintenance level" of blocks will do to your weight?

vingogly

FIrst off, Id like to take the time to point out that none of the answers given have come along side any credentials. And it sounds like most people dont really understand whats going on. Let me start by introducing myself. 14 year fitness veteran, played sports my whole life, I am NASM CPT and NFPT CPT certified. ... Now, to the root of this post... the "cheat day." I should first say this. you should never give yourself and entire day to cheat. you WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work. Give yourself a cheat MEAL.

I've worked with a couple of great certified personal trainers over the years, and from what I see on the exam requirements there's no focus on specific knowledge of nutritional science ... and my understanding is, to give nutritional advice you must be additionally certified as a nutritionist. See:

http://www.nfpt.com/certification/the-exam
http://www.ehow.com/about_5539648_nutrition-certification-personal-trainers.html

If you're going to claim expertise based on your credentials, then make an absolute statement like "you WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work", I would hope you'd provide research citations and also let us know what formal background you have as a nutritionist or dietitian. Also, what training have you had to help you understand the impact of what you're saying on people with eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, or other problems? Making absolute statements like this can do psychological damage to someone who's fragile, doing far more long-term damage than the cheat day. And that's based on MY credentials as a licensed mental health professional.

A lot of the rest of your advice, like not weighing yourself too often, I do agree is sound and helpful, by the way.

katieredmond5243

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

FIrst off, Id like to take the time to point out that none of the answers given have come along side any credentials. And it sounds like most people dont really understand whats going on. Let me start by introducing myself. 14 year fitness veteran, played sports my whole life, I am NASM CPT and NFPT CPT certified. Have been a trainer for 6 years, and am now training bodybuilders and female fitness and strength competitors. I typically dont respond to forum posts, but with the info given, Id like to offer you some help to really get you going.

The very first issue I see with what is going on, is you are taking in FAR to few calories. Given your weight, its fair to say you have, for a while at least, consumed upwards of 3000 cals per day (really, really easy to do if the foods not right). To effectively cut your calorie intake in half is nothing short of starvation. You may lose some weight, but this is not sustainable over the long haul (i.e. your lifetime). My bikini competitors, who weigh anywhere from 118-132lbs consume between 1800-2100 cals depending on their body type. While they do well in competition, Ive yet to get one to win. Im saying this to give you a rough idea of where you should be at. I would recommend starting at about 2200 CLEAN cals and start working down from there as you continue dropping weight. 2200 clean cals is going to be A LOT of eating, and will definitely keep you feeling full all day (number 1 cause of program failure).

The next thing that is going to be crucial, especially in the first 6-9 months of your transformation, is going to be to STAY OFF THE SCALE!!! Unless you have been lifting weights for several years, and have a significant amount of muscle mass, any exercise and proper eating is going to lead to muscle gain. 1lb of muscle takes up about 20% the space as 1lb of fat. So in the beginnning as your body is building muscle and dropping fat, you WILL go up in weight. its inevitable. Muscle is built faster than fat is lost, in the beginning. after about 6 months, you will be in full fat burning mode, and at that point, by all means, weigh yourself daily! until then, keep it to once a week, AT MOST! Whats more important is how you look. as the fat comes off, you will start to notice it. Look at yourself fresh out of the shower, EVERY SINGLE day! There is no better gauge in the beginning than how you look.

Now, to the root of this post... the "cheat day." I should first say this. you should never give yourself and entire day to cheat. you WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work. Give yourself a cheat MEAL. One. Not two or three, not dinner AND dessert. One. I know at parties its hard, and for a birthday, maybe a slice or two of pizza and a small piece of cake is ok. any more than that, and..well, youll be asking what happened. Now, short of knowing just how much you ate, Im going to venture to say, you most likely ate more than 2100 cals if you had pizza and cake, AND still ate your regular meals prior to that. That also doesnt include and soft drinks or anything other than water, black coffee or unsweetened tea. the calories really do add up quick.

Now what you are experiencing is DEFINITELY NOT legitimate weight gain.. one lb of fat equals 3500 cals. 4lbs in one day would be impossible, literally. What you have to remember is that that pizza and cake both have crappy calories, no fiber, and lots of preservatives. What this all adds up to is it moving REALLY slowly through your digestive tract. Along the way it retains water, and backs up and other foods you ate after it. You most likely are noticed the weight of the food in your digestive tract, coupled with a LOT of water retention from the very high amount of carbs, and refined sugars, plus the amount of salt in both. Give it a couple days, maybe go sweat in the sauna at your local gym for 15 mins, and drink a gallon of water a day—yes, a gallon a day—to flush the toxins and and sodium out of your system. Then, my next recommendation, is to go to your local gym and get a membership, if you already havent, and then go befriend a female trainer. Yes, a trainer. While MFP is great, and the internet is great, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like having someone who is already in good shape, who has an understanding of how to make these types of changes, and have them pass that knowledge on to you. When I was a kid, I didnt just start lifting, I had someone teach me. Then I went to school for it, to learn even more from people who know what theyre doing. Its like making clothes. You sure can find a lot of info on sewing online, but to actually learn it, takes a teacher. If you cant afford what the gym charges, let me know, and I can either point in the direction of someone who can help you, or help you myself via an video conferencing program i have. Its up to you.

Either way, dont sweat your one cheat day too much, get back on the horse and ride! And I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

This has made me think so much more positive today!! My treat day was yesterday I weighed today and as you guessed it I put 4 pound on gutted :-(!!

But water is Guna save me as am drinking and drinking so thank you :-)

SonicDeathMonkey80

Quit weighing yourself everyday. You'll go mad.

bostonwolf

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

When you eat a ton of carbs, especially after a stretch of eating lower carbs your body will suck in water.

My suggestion would be start adding in some weightlifting (the heavier the better but start lighter and move up) and start using a tape measure to measure your arms around the biceps, waist at belly button, hips, and both thighs.) Do it once a month and record it.

Exercising more also lets you eat more, which helps keep you sane IMO.

If your measurements are the same or less, who cares what you weight? Focusing on weight just makes you crazy and discouraged like you are right now.

Good luck!

eileen0515

Yep, not eating my own food does it to me every single time. Very sensitive to sodium. And watch those cheat days, till you are in a groove, and really understand your body. Cheat days if not careful, can throw you into maintenance, or horrors even gain. Not a fan of cheat days anyway. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. With that meal I would have exercised more portion control.

ELVISDEAN

huh? thats nothin..I gain as much as 9 lbs after cheat day...it goes away in 2 days plus a loss! you have MUCH to learn about the art of CHEATIN

ELVISDEAN

for what its worth I easily gain 3 lbs drinking some fuji water...

sudhama1447

u r fine ! its normal for weight to fluctuate from 0-6 lbs per day depending on ur sodium content..... so cut down salt and make sure sodium is not more than 1500mg.

and eat more fruits and sleep well to bring it back !!!!

ShannonMpls

Now, to the root of this post... the "cheat day." I should first say this. you should never give yourself and entire day to cheat. you WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work.

You see that weight loss below in my ticker?

The whole time I was achieving those results, I had 2-3 "cheat days" a month (though I never called them that).

Not cheat meals. Days. I did not track them. I did not binge, but I ate well over maintenance. Granted, my typical days were awesome and I exercised regularly, including on these so-called "cheat days". Others' results will vary.

But to say that a "cheat day" "WILL, without fail, ruin the ENTIRE WEEKS worth of hard work" is BS.

NikiChicken

I started exercising and being really strict with my diet(calorie counting) this week. I walked/jogged 3 days in a row. The first day I lost 2 pounds. After the 2nd day, I gained .4 pounds. I figured muscle or water weight fluctuation, etc. No big deal. After the 3rd day of walking it was a family member's birthday so I had a "cheat day" to eat pizza and cookie cake. At the end of the day I ate 2100 calories but the next day I gained 4 pounds! Yesterday I counted calories again, I did okay, and still I'm gaining weight.
I do not understand what's going on exactly! I've been stuck at the 215 area for weeks. I'll drop down to 211, then shoot back up to 215-217 right after. Even after exercising, being strict on calories, it happened! Seemingly all over 1 cheat day. I feel like I will have to be strict the rest of my life. I mean sure I ate 2100 calories, but it's not really a cheat day if I'm still eating 1500, and it was a special occasion, so whats the deal here?

If you're going to weigh yourself every day (as I do too) you need to relax about the daily ups and downs! Your weight can vary by a number of pounds from day to day. Water retention due to sodium or time of the month, constipation, all sorts of factors can make your weight go up and down unpredictably. I get that you've been stuck yoyoing up and down for some weeks. That happens, keep eating sensibly and you will lose weight.

This.

Your weight will fluctuate from day to day. As much as 5 pounds or more. Like someone else said, one pound = 3500 calories. Either relax about the fluctuations or quit weighing daily.