Trying not let a 0.5 lb weight gain throw me off my game :) Advice welcome!

CJBasque1977

Hi!

Lost 76.5 pounds and desperate to keep it off and continue losing!

I've been on fitness pal for a little over a month now. Looking for support from people who know what it's like to constantly be on the yo-yo diet.

I'm 37 and I've been on a diet for about just as long. On Aug 19 2014, I finally asked for help and joined Simply for Life. It took a lot to get over myself and step on the scale. I weighed in at 252.5 lbs. As of July 15th, I had lost 77 lbs and then I went to my weigh in yesterday and I had gained half a pound.

I get that it's not a lot. But I feel like my weight loss has slowed down recently and I want to get the momentum moving back in the direction!

Any advice?

Cheers,

CJ

KateTii

Don't be discouraged, you have only "put on" 0.5lb! (So about 0.2 of a kilo?)
Your body will go up and down daily by way more than that!
Heck, eating breakfast will show a "weight gain" like that!

I haven't been on the "yo-yo" diet, but I've watched my mother do it my whole entire life. I "started" MFP to change the habits that would one day lead me into the same weight gain and then yo-yoing that my mother has done.

The best thing you can do is check how many calories you are consuming. Weight loss is simply a matter of making sure there are less calories in than calories out (while still not starving your body of nutrients).

How is your logging? Are you using a food scale?

If your weightloss has slowed and you are still not close to your goal, is it possible you have gotten slack lately with your logging?

LAT1963

I gain and lose well over half a pound within the span of a day. That's one 8 oz glass of water.

Have you kept records? Try looking at what you are doing now and getting a clear picture of it and any trends within it.

Are you deficient in any food category? In vitamins? Are you drinking enough water? Has your exercise been consistent?

Now that you weigh less, it takes fewer calories to do things because you don't have the built-in "weights" of extra fat to move around. It is possible that now you have lost weight, the same exercise that used to put you in calorie deficit just keeps you calorie-neutral.

Is it practical to decrease your calorie intake or make your exercise routine more challenging (faster, more weight, ankle weights during aerobics, etc.)?

If you are eating very few calories (eg: <1200) consider increasing your intake to 1400 or 1500 in case you've slowed your metabolism. Are you getting enough carbohydrate to mobilize fats (>20g/day)?

Any other changes in your health? I got blindsided by thyroid dysfunction, for example; check your most recent blood work from your doc, or get new work if it's due. Make sure hormones have not gone awry.

On that note too, check if you're pregnant.

labohn91

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/expert.q.a/10/08/water.weight.fluctuates.jampolis/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Most likely water weight, it changes through out the day. But without looking at your food log really wouldn't know if you ate a net gain of 1750+ calories.

On another note 1 ounce of water weights 0.52158775 lbs. fluid ounces is volume, scale ounces is weight which is mass*gravity.

sevenofnine01

Like everyone else has said, a half pound fluctuation can barely be considered a gain. It's a glass of water or a slightly full bladder.

Aside from that, take this as a sign that you're getting that much closer to your goal. When you have a lot of lose, weekly losses are almost guaranteed - once you start getting closer to that goal weight, you're going to find it much harder to lose. It's showing how far you've come, and how that distance is less than where you want to be, pound for pound. Try not to get discouraged.

Keep plucking away. You will get there in time!

lorrpb

It is not really a weight gain, just a fluctuation. I fluctuate as much as 5 pounds from one day to the next, and about 3 pounds from morning to night. It means nothing except that you are human. You probably weighed in on a day when you happened to be fluctuating "up". Just keep going and you will be fine. Some people here weigh daily and keep track of all their variations, then create a trend line for themselves. I weigh a few times per week first thing in the morning and write each new "low" on my calendar. After I hit my new low, I go up and down for 5-10 days, then hit a new low. I've learned to accept that this is my body's pattern.

Also be sure to weigh in at the same time of day every time, preferably before you've eaten anything, and wearing approximately the same clothes (or none if at home). You are doing great at -76.5 pounds!! You will make it to your goal!!

Alatariel75

It's a bit more salt than usual, an extra glass of water, a slow digestion day... 0.5lb is nothing. Like really, truly nothing.

970Mikaela1

I go up and down by pounds each day. Two or three pound swings are not uncommon.

CJBasque1977

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and advice

cMadison1211

@CJBasque1977 as everyone has mentioned, do not get discouraged. Slight fluctuations in weight such as these are easily attributed to water weight. With that being said, do yourself a favor and try not to obsess over the scale; sure you may have a goal weight you would like to achieve, but keep in mind, it is not necessarily what the scale says, but more as how you feel, and how HEALTHY you are. If you let yourself obsess so easily over the scale, you will easily give up. I once weighed 300 lbs, got down to 165 lbs, and there were times I continuously gained weight in between due to muscle gain (muscle weighs more than fat!). With that being said, I have put weight back on (I weighed 215 lbs 6 months ago, down to 210 lbs now) and am working on getting to my ideal weight of 185lbs. This is my first time on this forum so I hope that this is not too long of a reply (i do not know the etiquette for forums). Good luck and remain focused.....remember: "A single moment of pain, means a lifetime of glory!"

CJBasque1977

cMadison1211 wrote: »

@do yourself a favor and try not to obsess over the scale"

- so true! thanks for the encouragement I'm trying to adopt the new philosophy that the scale is just one measure of my progress and what really matters is sticking with it!

Good luck to you as well! You should be proud of your success but more so of your re-commitment!