Sudden gain?
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hjma
Posts: 29 Member
I’ve been calorie counting and dieting for almost 6 weeks and have (or thought I had) lost 3 pounds. For the last week my scale has said that I’m up two from where I had weighed in the previous two weeks (went from 144.8 to 146.6). I did have a few days of vacation (& not sticking to my diet), but I didn’t go crazy and ended with flushing my system.
I’ve continued my routine and the number is not budging.
It’s not my time of the month for ladies or anything.
Any ideas?
I’ve continued my routine and the number is not budging.
It’s not my time of the month for ladies or anything.
Any ideas?
0
Replies
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It's two pounds. Well within the daily fluctuation range.
Keep logging food, stay in calories. Could be anything - your "over" days adding up, salt, sleep, you don't mention exercise, stress, hormonal changes, weather...
If it continues you may have logging problems.
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You don’t think that the lack of change over a week is concerning? I do exercise mildly, but stick to my calories regardless.0
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You don’t think that the lack of change over a week is concerning? I do exercise mildly, but stick to my calories regardless.
If you log food consistently and set your Goals realistically and reasonably, you'll be able to sort it out.
It's a bit of an experiment for all of us. If you feel you have consistently logged food accurately, then you need to adjust.
It's two pounds.No cause for concern.
Weight loss isn't a straight downward line -
Here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
Also, I'd suggest reading the "Most Helpful Posts" at the top of the General subforum, here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads#latest
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As others have said, two pounds is potentially nothing. I know it feels huge and it sucks when you've been working so hard. But most people, when they reach goal, have a range for personal acceptable weight. And it's usually more than a pound or two because our bodies are sensitive to changes. TOM, extra salt, less sleep, extra stress, extra carbs, or a harder than normal workout can all lead to added water weight. You might be carrying some extra water weight.cmriverside wrote: »It's two pounds. Well within the daily fluctuation range.
Keep logging food, stay in calories. Could be anything - your "over" days adding up, salt, sleep, you don't mention exercise, stress, hormonal changes, weather...
If it continues you may have logging problems.
Exactly this. You've only been up in weight for a week. Your body needs a little time to get back into a routine. That being said, you said you took some vacation days where you didn't log. That's ok but you may have also eaten more than you think. I'm not saying that the whole two pounds is fat. I would be surprised if at least a portion want water weight from extra carbs. But let's say for the sake of argument that you vacationed for three days and that for all three days you are 300 calories over maintenance, that would equal just about a pound of actual weight put on if the rest of the week you were at maintenance. Again, this may or may not have happened but your body needs a little time to balance the check book.
My suggestion would be to make sure that your logging is as flawless as possible (weighing solid with a digital scale and logging everything) as well as getting a weight trending app. I use Libra on Android and I think the one that most people use on Apple is called Happy Scale. If you can weigh everyday without it causing added stress, I would recommend doing that for at least a month so that you can see not only how the time of the month effects you, but also so that you can have a better idea of what's a normal fluctuation for your body. It really is eye opening to see and it makes it easier to be patient when your body decides to hold some water weight. And reference the chart every now and again just to remind yourself. I had a there and a half week span where my body was losing and gaining the same two pounds. It's hard to keep going in times like that but we all have to remember that it's not time to think about it being an actual plateu until you've passed that 6 week mark.
Also, maybe take measurements. Notice how your body is changing in other ways than on the scale. Maybe you lose half an inch here or there. Maybe your pants for better. Maybe you have more energy. Maybe your endurance is increasing and your workouts are getting easier. Maybe you aren't noticing any of that but you take comfort in knowing that you are eating an extra serving of vegetables a day so you're getting more vitamins and minerals from your food.
Good luck!1 -
Thanks. It is very frustrating because my loss has been super slow and I feel like I’ve gained back all I’ve lost...even though it’s possible that it’s not really a gain. I am definitely going to look into the app and see if that finds me comfort.0
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I think it’s reasonable to keep your wits about you. And it’s true that the two pounds may well be nothing more than normal fluctuation. OTOH, it’s very easy to get yourself into a bit of a mental trap where you start attributing all ‘incidental’ gains to normal fluctuation. Which means you should always be reflecting on what the number means.
For example, you indicate you had a vacation where you didn’t ‘stick’ with your diet and at the end of which you ‘flushed’ your system. I’m not even sure what this last part means, although there some interesting visuals. Did you actually try to analyze how much you didn’t ‘stick to your diet’? It’s perfectly reasonable to say “hey, this was a vacation, I didn’t want to be dealing with tracking/measuring” but you would need to accept that you have less control over your weight in that case, particularly if alcoholic beverages were involved.
As a rule of thumb, I don’t consider any weight until 48-72 hours after return from a trip to be reflective of my overall weight management. Too many variables.0 -
I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.1 -
You don’t think that the lack of change over a week is concerning? I do exercise mildly, but stick to my calories regardless.
No, if I eat more over a weekend, I can gain 6 lbs of water weight and it can stick around for about 10 days or so. It's just water weight from eating more. Relax. And no, you don't have a super slow metabolism. You just may not be logging correctly. You don't need to do flushes or detoxes - they don't help anything, obviously, since you didn't lose weight after doing it.4 -
This morning when I woke up my weight showed me to be 2KG up from 73.4 to 75.6 since last week ( I have been logging and exercising)... 2 hours later - after a bath and going to the bathroom - I weighed myself again (because i was still a bit shocked by the sudden gain - I weighed 73.6 kg. My point is - water weight is a thing. Don't panic. Some people find weighing in too often gets a bit obsessive. I find weighing in every few days has helped me realise how much weight fluctuates day to day (and even within a day).2
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I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.
how are you measuring that you have a slow metabolism?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.
how are you measuring that you have a slow metabolism?
Well, not measuring necessarily, but I know my body routine. A year ago it was an almost daily thing to “flush”. This past month it’s gone 3,4,5 days. Once I hit the 4,5 day mark I take steps to help.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.
how are you measuring that you have a slow metabolism?
Well, not measuring necessarily, but I know my body routine. A year ago it was an almost daily thing to “flush”. This past month it’s gone 3,4,5 days. Once I hit the 4,5 day mark I take steps to help.
have you seen a doctor about that?
how often you poop isn't really what i would call a metabolism issue3 -
Something as simple as you drank water later/earlier than usual can cause this 2 lb gain. More salt intake the day before or eating a little later than normal.
I know the up in weight can cause concern but womens weight can fluctuate by up to 5lbs dependent on many variables! Dont give up!0 -
You don’t think that the lack of change over a week is concerning? I do exercise mildly, but stick to my calories regardless.
Losing weight isn't a linear function...it looks like this...for everyone...
TavistockToad wrote: »I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.
how are you measuring that you have a slow metabolism?
Well, not measuring necessarily, but I know my body routine. A year ago it was an almost daily thing to “flush”. This past month it’s gone 3,4,5 days. Once I hit the 4,5 day mark I take steps to help.
That has nothing to do with the speed of your metabolism.2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »I have a super slow metabolism, so often if I have a week where things aren’t moving along, I help my body out (if you get me). Unfortunately, it’s been a weekly thing lately. Even after that there was still the same weight.
I often track on my cheat days, but this time I did not. So maybe it’s a legit weight gain, which majorly sucks. I follow the rules 6 out of 7 days and it’s going at snail’s pace.
how are you measuring that you have a slow metabolism?
Well, not measuring necessarily, but I know my body routine. A year ago it was an almost daily thing to “flush”. This past month it’s gone 3,4,5 days. Once I hit the 4,5 day mark I take steps to help.
have you seen a doctor about that?
how often you poop isn't really what i would call a metabolism issue
Yeah, I agree, see a doctor.
If you are using laxatives, that can eventually have a negative effect. Please don't mess around with that kind of "help" if that's what you're saying.
You're not even logging food consistently or accurately as far as I can tell, so there's no way to know what's going in and out.
Some metabolic issues can be a sign of illness, but a "slow" metabolism? That's not really a thing unless you're sick. Even thyroid issues or depression only change things (calorie needs) very slightly. I'd see a doctor.2 -
It is very common for a week to go by without a loss. It is common to gain water weight after a trip. It is common to gain fat weight after going off plan for a few or several days. It is not normal to be constantly "flushing" your system, whatever that means, and using laxatives on a regular basis without medical direction. It makes no sense to be concerned about the weight of your bodily waste. It is common to not have results if you don't weigh your food on a digital food scale. It is common to not have results when you think you already know your body, your metabolism, etc etc. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings in each of your posts. Most have been mentioned by others.
I suggest you read the sticky posts at the top of each forum, read similar other threads already going on the forum, reeducate yourself, and get a MENTAL reset.2 -
Flush? What's that? You take laxatives so you can see the scale drop a pound or two. Not to be harsh, but you need to get your head in the right place. Your ideas and concepts of weight loss are unhealthy. See a doctor, tell them about your 'flush' routine. And start to work on developing a healthy mindset towards health, weight loss and your poor over flushed digestive track.
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Yes, logging every day. I’ve lost major weight three times in my life (using calorie counting and walking), so I’m not new to this and I’ve been successful before. It’s just harder this time.0
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Yes, logging every day. I’ve lost major weight three times in my life (using calorie counting and walking), so I’m not new to this and I’ve been successful before. It’s just harder this time.
This will likely sound a bit harsh, but if you have lost and gained significant weight 3 times that only shows you haven’t learnt anything...
You need to educate yourself on how to loose weight sensibly and then how to maintain successfully.
Your current strategy of eating very low cal 1200-1300 per day and then loosing you deficit by over eating on other days just isn't going to work.
P.S. how much fibre are you getting? I get 30-40g per day and there’s a daily gift from me to the toilet bowl.
I used to be a 1 a week kinda gal like you when I lived on junk food and over restricted calories...
P.S I really dont mean to sound harsh. I want you to do well and I feel for you that you cant get to grips with how to lead your best life. Genuinely just wanna help.0 -
Two pounds is probably just normal daily fluctuation. Considering that, it can be helpful to weigh yourself every day and average it for the week.0
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