Frustrated. Need advice.

FurMom77

Since January I have been working out and watching what I eat. I haven’t gone over 1,400 calories. As of last week, I was at a loss of 13.5lbs. Well, today I stepped on the scale for my weekly weigh in and I gained weight. I don’t want to sound like a whiny pants or anything, it was “only” 0.7lb, but still. Why? How? I am so frustrated. Any suggestions? Words of wisdom?

etherealanwar

That is within the normal realm of weight fluctuation due to things such as water weight or even your TOM. No need to stress as it is perfectly normal.

concordancia

PMS?
Constipation?
More salt than usual over the last few days?
More carbs than usual?
Has the weather changed?

Your body will always fluctuate, it is a complicated system constantly balancing inputs and outputs.

You are doing great, keep with it!

seska422

Look at your overall weight trend over time. Here's a 3 month span where I was at or below my calorie goal every day. My weight, and even my trend, was all over the place but my overall trend was downward.

Tacklewasher

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

Melonpaul

First off congrats on your loss already, that's an accomplishment that should be celebrated!

Now as for the gain, totally normal! Perfect personal example, I have been under my (net) calories since Sunday and I gained on Monday and returned to Sunday's weight as of today. (see below)

Sunday: 152.2
Monday: 154.6
Tuesday: 153.6
Wednesday: 152.2

So even though I have some gains as long as I keep up with the consistency of logging and CICO I will either return to my plateau or eventually break through it and get closer to my goal. Also, one thing I've noticed is that closer I get to my goal weight the harder it is to lose those last few pounds, but it's hard NOT impossible.

You've got this!

RecognitionT

FurMom77 wrote: »

Since January I have been working out and watching what I eat.

I sure hope "watching what you eat" includes the use of a food scale.

"Healthy" foods have calories too. If more calories enter your system than go out, you'll gain weight, regardless of whether the calories came from spinach and brussel sprouts or chocolate and ice cream.

collectingblues

RecognitionT wrote: »

FurMom77 wrote: »

Since January I have been working out and watching what I eat.

I sure hope "watching what you eat" includes the use of a food scale.

"Healthy" foods have calories too. If more calories enter your system than go out, you'll gain weight, regardless of whether the calories came from spinach and brussel sprouts or chocolate and ice cream.

Considering the OP has lost 13.5 pounds in 9 weeks, it sounds like the logging must be pretty close. .7 pounds is a basic fluctuation, not a logging error.

FurMom77

Thank you everyone who has replied. I appreciate the words of encouragement, examples, etc. I will of course keep at it. I’ll also watch my carb intake a little more. It is also close to my TOM, I’ve never factored that in though. Thanks again!!

Edit: I have been using a food scale at home to ensure accuracy. At work, I don’t, the lunch lady looks at me when I’m crazy, because I will ask to see the nutrition facts on everything she serves so I can be as accurate as possible without using a scale.

Seffell

FurMom77 wrote: »

Thank you everyone who has replied. I appreciate the words of encouragement, examples, etc. I will of course keep at it. I’ll also watch my carb intake a little more. It is also close to my TOM, I’ve never factored that in though. Thanks again!!

Edit: I have been using a food scale at home to ensure accuracy. At work, I don’t, the lunch lady looks at me when I’m crazy, because I will ask to see the nutrition facts on everything she serves so I can be as accurate as possible without using a scale.

You don't need to watch your carbs. That's not what the above posters ment. It is just one reason your body could be holding more water. But this is not a bad thing. It is a normal thing. Just explaining why your scale weight has gone up, not that it is imparing your weight loss (or should I say fat loss) in any way.

AnnPT77

FurMom77 wrote: »

Thank you everyone who has replied. I appreciate the words of encouragement, examples, etc. I will of course keep at it. I’ll also watch my carb intake a little more. It is also close to my TOM, I’ve never factored that in though. Thanks again!!

Edit: I have been using a food scale at home to ensure accuracy. At work, I don’t, the lunch lady looks at me when I’m crazy, because I will ask to see the nutrition facts on everything she serves so I can be as accurate as possible without using a scale.

To clarify: Carbs per se are not a real problem (for non-diabetics, with respect to body weight). If you eat more carbs than usual, your body will retain a little extra water weight until the carbs are metabolized, because that's how the process works. If you're within maintenance calories. it's not fat; don't worry about it.

If you normally eat (say) around 150g carbs, the amount of water needed to metabolize those carbs is an invisible part of your normal body weight. If one day you eat 200, there's extra water held. No big deal. Fluctuations (of up to several pounds) are normal. Don't make yourself crazy trying to micromanage.

MonaRaeHill

Yup. I would second everything that has already been said.
Most pre-menopausal women, retain water, around their cycle. My weight used to fluctuate monthly, by almost 10 pounds.
There's also the fact that food STILL weighs a LOT, when it hits your colon.
One of the months I fasted, (a few years ago), I literally weighed myself b4 the B. M. (it had been 10 days), and afterwards, and I was 8 pounds lighter. True Story. I just thought it was funny how much waste, actually weighs! My weight did not budge until after my system finally woke up to the fact that I had made a change. Oiy, Yiy, Yiy!
I once read a book called: Psycho-Cybernetics, and in that book, it said that it literally takes your hind-brain, 6 WEEKS, to 'catch-up' to any change you make. So yea. Patience........I'm not good at it, either! lol.

aeloine