weight fluctuations - can't make sense of them

cherys

@OAS5 - are you getting those fluctuations even though you are sticking to your MFP calorie allowance? I've stuck to my healthy eating plan every day except one day for nearly two weeks and not lost any weight at all, which is a bit disheartening when everyone claims you lose loads of water weight at first. Not here! But I feel so much better for cutting out sugar and refined carbs, not eating to excess, so much more in control and heading towards how I used to eat - healthily and sensibly through choice. So I'll keep at it. But some weight loss would be really welcome. I am so sick of being the fattest person in the room. And sick of being invisible.

kshama2001

If you started exercising two weeks ago as well, you could be retaining water from that. I gained 7 pounds of water weight when I started weight lifting.

If you have a menstrual cycle and are ovulating or premenstrual, you could be retaining water from that.

How much weight do you have to lose? From your diary, it looks like you are aiming for 1200 calories - if that isn't enough for you, that is stressful, and stress can lead to increased cortisol, which can make you retain water as well.



https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

https://bodyrecomposition.com/research/dietary-restraint-and-cortisol-levels-research-review.html/

Undereating can also lead to this:

yirara

cherys wrote: »

This has been so helpful. Thank you all for sharing your tips and knowledge. I'm going with this morning's weight as my official start weight. So 30-35lb is my goal weight loss. Weigh in first thing every morning and I'll try and find an app to do one of those charts that show fluctuations and trends.

You've got it!
Things just happen and weight fluctuates. Especially for women as changes in hormone levels usually lead to a change in water weight.
Mind you, I'm on a training course this week. Monday; as usual a low weight. Now normally my weight would go up a bit in the course of the week due to having an office job, bit of water in the legs, etc. Then go down again come Sunday. Thus this week:
Monday morning: lowest weight of the week
Tuesday morning: after sitting in a study room all Monday with far too little movement, too little drinking and no pooping my weight jumps straight to the expected Saturday weight.
Wednesday morning: still not been to the loo on Tuesday. Still too little movement. Bit more drinking. Yikes! That's a massive plus on the scale!
Thursday morning: we'll see...

OAS5

cherys wrote: »

@OAS5 - are you getting those fluctuations even though you are sticking to your MFP calorie allowance? I've stuck to my healthy eating plan every day except one day for nearly two weeks and not lost any weight at all, which is a bit disheartening when everyone claims you lose loads of water weight at first. Not here! But I feel so much better for cutting out sugar and refined carbs, not eating to excess, so much more in control and heading towards how I used to eat - healthily and sensibly through choice. So I'll keep at it. But some weight loss would be really welcome. I am so sick of being the fattest person in the room. And sick of being invisible.

I get fluctuations yes, but I have lost 74 pounds with just 15 more to go so I expect all this. I never, ever thought the last 15 pounds were going to be this hard and frustrating. Good luck and you can do it! Sorry I saw this post so late, I apologize.

Psychgrrl

cherys wrote: »

@OAS5 - are you getting those fluctuations even though you are sticking to your MFP calorie allowance? I've stuck to my healthy eating plan every day except one day for nearly two weeks and not lost any weight at all, which is a bit disheartening when everyone claims you lose loads of water weight at first. Not here! But I feel so much better for cutting out sugar and refined carbs, not eating to excess, so much more in control and heading towards how I used to eat - healthily and sensibly through choice. So I'll keep at it. But some weight loss would be really welcome. I am so sick of being the fattest person in the room. And sick of being invisible.

People doing keto lose loads of water weight initially. If you’re eating what you did before, just less of it, that likely won’t happen.

AZSCUBAMOM1

Check out this YouTube video by Jordan Syatt. He totally explains weight fluctuations in a way that is SO understandable. https://youtu.be/7EnY3Ya_soU

yirara

Found another reason for temporary water weight gain: having a stomach bug. Seems like everything I drink ends up in the intestines, to be expelled the next morning/noon of course after the scale visit

cherys

@AZSCUBAMOM1 Thanks for the video link. I'll take a look at that today.

I think I need to stop obsessing on the scales and just check the once a week trend is downward not upward.

Yesterday I felt really hungry. I'd been avoiding carbs, mainly, apart from a small amount of sugar-free granola. But yesterday I had extra granola, a bag of crisps (potato chips) and two small bags of popcorn as my body was shouting for carbs. And I went over my calories - not enough to gain but over by about 300. This morning, I'd dropped a pound! It makes no sense to me.

After the first two weeks of nothing happening, it seems my body has finally worked out it is getting less food and will have to use up the reserves!

amusedmonkey

cherys wrote: »

@AZSCUBAMOM1 Thanks for the video link. I'll take a look at that today.

I think I need to stop obsessing on the scales and just check the once a week trend is downward not upward.

Yesterday I felt really hungry. I'd been avoiding carbs, mainly, apart from a small amount of sugar-free granola. But yesterday I had extra granola, a bag of crisps (potato chips) and two small bags of popcorn as my body was shouting for carbs. And I went over my calories - not enough to gain but over by about 300. This morning, I'd dropped a pound! It makes no sense to me.

After the first two weeks of nothing happening, it seems my body has finally worked out it is getting less food and will have to use up the reserves!

I feel like the body has a mind of its own when it comes to water weight. It's possible to retain water weight when you eat carbs because of glycogen, and it's also possible to drop water weight when you eat carbs if not eating carbs is chronically stressful and cortisol is causing water retention. I just stopped questioning why and how and just take every weigh in at its face value - a single data point in a trend line.

amtyrell

Cherys - can I say how absolutely lovely it is how you are responding to the various members input. It is nice to see someone ask a question and then think about and consider the answers. To then use that information towards determining actions.
It is so nice and makes me feel so happy. Thank you.

cherys

Thank you @amtyrell. I'm discovering there is so much I don't know about how our bodies work with regard to weight loss and people on here are so helpful and knowledgable. I read MFP forums described as an online group of dedicated self-care the other day and thought what a great way of looking at it.

cherys

That video was helpful. Sounds like I fell into the second pattern of nothing happening for the first two weeks, then the weight drops. Worth knowing.

amusedmonkey

I wonder who disliked the video. He explained things well.

AZSCUBAMOM1

cherys wrote: »

That video was helpful. Sounds like I fell into the second pattern of nothing happening for the first two weeks, then the weight drops. Worth knowing.

So glad it helped! I really find his stuff helpful and that one made me look at the whole cycle differently for the first time ever.

Best of luck (and hard work) to you!