Not losing weight :o(

kategr8

I lost 6lb in my first week. I'm half way through week 3 and have gained 3lb back. I've stuck to my calories (apart from one day last week when I went 1000 over) and I've excercised regularly (training for a 5km run at the end of this month).

I feel a bit bothered though I'm trying to convince myself that it will right itself. I just wish I knew WHY my body is reacting in this way as I'm sure I'd happily continue on the right path then.

My only theory is TOTM but I'm not sure I'm due on (I'm not regular, have 3 periods a year at most) and I rarely gain weight around that time anyway.

Can anyone help me rationalise this?

OpalFruitJam

If you have been working out a lot, you may have put on the "weight" in muscle. Common fact that muscle weighs more than fat. This is not to say you are fat. This is a healthy step towards your goal, so don't be disheartened!
Also, sometimes if you have been drinking alcohol or eating certain foods, this can cause water retention, and this can easily be lost. If you are working out a lot and don't drink enough, this will also dehydrate you and again, cause water retention.
If you are eating well and exercising, then there is no reason as to why you should put on weight as fat. Don't panic! And good luck!

happy115

I'm at my plateau stage right now too. I've been reading that you either have to cut a little more calorie (although, don't go too drastic 'cause if you're not eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode - which slows down your metabolism and makes the weight loss even harder) - or up your exercise - make it more intense or work out longer. It's hard to get motivated to do either, but I'm gonna try. I've been at my plateau stage for 2 weeks now.

Make sure you're not relying just on what the scale says. You should measure yourself too and keep a note of that, it's more accurate than what the scale will say. Sometimes when you're gaining muscle, it will weigh more.

absie107

Our bodies work in mysterious ways. Water weight, maybe.

The more important question is how are you feeling? Have you lost any inches? You're on the right path. Eat whole, nutritious, preferably local foods... unprocessed meat... just really good, home-grown stuff. Be sure you're eating your exercise calories... But the main thing is how you feel, not really what the scale says. Sure, it can be a good health indicator sometimes... but during the weight loss journey, there are lots of weird fluctuations. Your body is adjusting to how you're living now. Give it time.

kategr8

Does muscle REALLY weigh more than fat? surely 3lb of muscle weighs the same as 3lb of fat?!

Thanks for your help, shall have closer look at what I eat. I jst hope this isn't a plateau yet, I'v eonly been doing it for 3 weeks...

Cytherea

3 lb. of muscle weight the same as 3 lbs. of fat... obviously.

However, if you look at a pound of muscle NEXT TO a pound of fat, the fat takes up a LOT of more space. The muscle is dense. So the same AMOUNT of muscle weighs MORE than the SAME AMOUNT of fat. If you were to gain muscle, you would weigh more, but there would be LESS of YOU.

However, gaining that much muscle in a short amount of time (3 weeks?!) doesn't sound right.

Perhaps some of what you lost was water weight, and if you have been eating a lot of sodium you may have gained the water weight back. Or, that one day that you went 1000 calories over is just started to affect you now.

TOM could explain it too. If you do end up getting it, you'll know that's why!

Last, if you have been training and exercising a lot, you need to be eating more. If you aren't eating your exercise calories back, chances are, you are putting your body into starvation mode and your body will be storing everything, hence the weight gain.

There are plenty of things that it could be... don't give up yet!!