Cannot stay consistent. Lose and gain back.

bellabonbons

The worst part is I don't know why. I see the scale going down and I feel great. Finally. Then I gain what I just lost, back. Hopefully I will master this and be able to become consistent. .

emmycantbemeeko

If these are daily fluctuations, this is normal. Weight loss is not linear, and things like fluid balance, food consumption, and waste excretion can influence your weight by several pounds over the course of a day or week.

For instance, I know that reliably, if I sleep until 8:30 or 9, my morning weight will be .5-1 lb lower than if I have to wake up at 5:30 for work. That doesn't mean I've gained or lost .5-1 lb of fat, just that the extra hours asleep increased my dehydration and lowered my scale weight.

Use an app like trendweight to see your weight trend, to determine if you're truly stagnating or just obsessing over normal fluctuations while gradually losing.

bellabonbons

Actually it is not water retention. I am going over my calorie allotment. But thanks.

callsitlikeiseeit

bellabonbons wrote: »

Actually it is not water retention. I am going over my calorie allotment. But thanks.

then stop doing that.

jkal1979

It might be a good idea to reevaluate your goals then. Depending on what your calorie goal is it might be unsustainable for you.

bellabonbons

jkal1979 wrote: »

It might be a good idea to reevaluate your goals then. Depending on what your calorie goal is it might be unsustainable for you.

I am trying to stick with 1200. Then up to 1300 to 1400. Need to find what works and keep it consistent. Thanks.

elaineamj

It has helped me to focus on weekly net calories. if I end up eating too much one day, I add an extra workout the next day and eat less. It also helped me to pre-plan for events where I knew I would eat more. I would pre-log and see what I had to do to be able to "afford" that meal as well as how much I could "afford".

Also, I upped my calories as I had them originally set pretty low and it was a bit frustrating and restrictive. I feel so much more in control now. I'm OK with losing at a slower rate.

bellabonbons

elaineamj wrote: »

It has helped me to focus on weekly net calories. if I end up eating too much one day, I add an extra workout the next day and eat less. It also helped me to pre-plan for events where I knew I would eat more. I would pre-log and see what I had to do to be able to "afford" that meal as well as how much I could "afford".

Also, I upped my calories as I had them originally set pretty low and it was a bit frustrating and restrictive. I feel so much more in control now. I'm OK with losing at a slower rate.

Thanks! For me stress plays a huge role and can derail me every time.

vmsolko

I'm guessing that 1200-1300 feels to restrictive and something you can't maintain long term. To me, MFP has been most beneficial because it has helped me figure out how to eat for the rest of my life. I'm not restricting for a few months until I hit a certain number. I feel like that is a fast way to gain the weight right back. Because of this my weight loss was probably slower than some other people's, but I've kept at it for almost two years now and don't feel restricted. I net around 1800-1900 calories every day, and if I have a special day with foods I want to eat, like the PP, I figure out how to "afford" it.

Stress is very real, and I've gained a few pounds myself because of it, but creating the habit of MFP and sticking with your routine can help provide some control when you feel other things are out of your control (ie: stress).

CeeBeeSlim

This has happened to me too. Got to my goal weight twice and was so happy. In weeks, both times, I had gained my 8 lbs back. Both coincided with a move and elder care responsibilities so i ate crap, knew I ate crap, but felt I was "thanking" myself and "treating" myself to Sonic, Dairy Queen, Kfc etc. Having said that I think I was too low (1200 calories, if that) given my activity to begin with. Had I been satisfied daily I don't think I would've been so quick to go fill up on Entenmanns apple pie! 1400 a day this time around.

kshama2001

bellabonbons wrote: »

jkal1979 wrote: »

It might be a good idea to reevaluate your goals then. Depending on what your calorie goal is it might be unsustainable for you.

I am trying to stick with 1200. Then up to 1300 to 1400. Need to find what works and keep it consistent. Thanks.

How tall are you and how much weight do you want to lose?

jkal1979

bellabonbons wrote: »

jkal1979 wrote: »

It might be a good idea to reevaluate your goals then. Depending on what your calorie goal is it might be unsustainable for you.

I am trying to stick with 1200. Then up to 1300 to 1400. Need to find what works and keep it consistent. Thanks.

1300-1400 probably isn't doing as much damage as you think. I'm willing to bet that you are still in a pretty decent deficit at that amount.

Are you weighing daily and finding these gains frustrating? If so it might be a good idea to use an app that shows the overall picture instead of just focusing on an individual weigh in.

TheGoblinKing19

I have been having the same problem. I finally reached my first goal of loosing 20 lbs and within 2 months I gained everything back. With no support, it is such a huge struggle.

Francl27

If you restrict too much, you won't stick to it.

Better lose more slowly than not at all.

bellabonbons

jkal1979 wrote: »

bellabonbons wrote: »

jkal1979 wrote: »

It might be a good idea to reevaluate your goals then. Depending on what your calorie goal is it might be unsustainable for you.

I am trying to stick with 1200. Then up to 1300 to 1400. Need to find what works and keep it consistent. Thanks.

1300-1400 probably isn't doing as much damage as you think. I'm willing to bet that you are still in a pretty decent deficit at that amount.

Are you weighing daily and finding these gains frustrating? If so it might be a good idea to use an app that shows the overall picture instead of just focusing on an individual weigh in.

Thanks. A friend here recommended downloading the Happy Scale app. I just downloaded it and thanks so much for your input.

bellabonbons

TheGoblinKing19 wrote: »

I have been having the same problem. I finally reached my first goal of loosing 20 lbs and within 2 months I gained everything back. With no support, it is such a huge struggle.

We need each other. For many having daily support is very important. To read other's struggles, perspective, defeats and victories is educational, supportive and confirms to all who is on this journey that it is not always smooth sailing.

CeeBeeSlim

So true. I'll start using the happy scale app again. Got so down with the fluctuations I hated to even enter the weights. Sigh!