Losing steady for 6 weeks then gained 4 this week!!

Maureen214

Ugh!! I want to cry! I want to give up! I lost 8 pounds week one and then two pounds each week for the next 4. Now this week I gained 4 maybe 5 pounds depending on time of day. My nurse tried to tell me TOM is natural, but I feel like all 50 days of hard work is out the window. I know I ate 2,000 calories twice this week and 1700 twice as pre menstral this week and might be retaining, but last week and the last 5, I've noticed a loosening in my stomach waist/ specifically that isn't there today. My goal is 1660 and I eat about 1500 most days to leave some room for error.
So do I give up?
Do I not worry for the next two more days where I know I'm very crampy and hormonal.?
And then do I go a little lower to maybe 1400 next week and then back to 1500? I know my wobbly bathroom scale shows different numbers than my doctor's weighted scale. But my home scale went from 257 to 241. My doctor's scale showed 262 to 252 from June visit to today.

GolfBird1

Perfectly normal for TOM! Don't give up or panic!!! Stay off the scales until your TOM is done and then weigh xx And no, your hard work is not out the window ...

_Zardoz_

Patience. Just keep doing what you're already doing and it will settle down. You know it works and you know why your weight has increased this week so that is no need to start playing around with what you are doing

SezxyStef

4lbs is equal to 14k calories...did you over eat by that last week? Not likely...TOM is evil

nelinelineli

From personal experience as well as the plight of virtually all my fellow female MFP-ers, weight usually comes down in bumps, once or twice a month. It is simply water retention, nothing new or strange.

I actually advise people of the total opposite - that is, to weigh themselves every day and use tools like trendweight.com which will show you the trend of your weight, always going down despite these fluctuations.

For an explanation (or at least confirmation that this is a "real" and normal thing) check out this link: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

And this is my weight over 3 months - notice the numerous "plateaus" and the overnight 4 lb losses:


More here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/1111515-for-the-nerds-in-you-tdee-estimation-with-graphs

That post has the sole aim to show that if you lost weight so far, you will keep losing, because it means you are at the right deficit.

EDIT to say: From the article I linked, you will see WHY the apparent "loosening" disappears. Water retention doesn't only affect scale weight, it also affects your measurements and appearance. But it will go down overnight, in the near future.

workout_ninja

So you have lost a total of 16lbs, then put 4 back on - so you have still lost 12lbs!!! How is that undoing all your hard work?? I dont know if its because its your TOM, but you seem rather overly emotional about this. You are fine, dont panic, wait til Aunt Flo leaves town and weigh yourself again. Dont undereat to compensate - or you will be back on here complaining that you hardly eat anything and are not losing!!! :flowerforyou:

padams2359

Don't have TOM, but water retention happens to everyone. Last Friday, I made Muffalottas. We were still under our calories, and they were delicious. Come Sunday, I was 3 lbs up. So close to target loss, then Bam. I drink my 64oz of water a day as recommended. 3 days + 64oz Water + Cured Meats = the Apperence of Weight Gain. It didn't balance out until Wednesday. One meal can give the apperence of weight gain, and take 6 days to flush and correct. Sounds familiar? Don't sweat the small stuff. Or, in this case, sweating may solve the problem quicker.

amytaylorwilliamdrake

bump

Ninkyou

First, my TOM makes me fluctuate upwards about 4 lbs. It sucks, but then it goes away around day 4.

Secondly, try just weighing once a day instead of multiple times... and do it the same time everyday (if you're going to weigh daily).

Third, don't give up. One of the hardest things about changing is keeping it up. Look at the bigger picture. A few weeks from now you'll look back at this and giggle, because it's really nothing. You've lost at least 12 lbs (if not 16, minus TOM). That's a good amount and you should feel proud.

elyelyse

Based on how you said you overate, you did not gain 4 pounds of fat. TOM can EASILY give you a 4 pound temporary increase. I've seen some women say they gain as much as 8. (I usually won't even weigh in around my TOM.) You CAN NOT get caught up in the number on the scale like that. It WILL go up sometimes. Do what you need to do consistently most of the time, and you will go in the right direction even if you occasionally step out of line.

If you get that caught up in the scale, put it away. Usually, I don't weigh in more than once a week.

nikkiclaire123

im in the same boat right now, i lost 4lbs over the previous 2 weeks but this week put it all back on and it is TOM. ive been told people avoid the scales for that week but it is very hard. just wait until its over and see if you lose it. and apparently drinking lots of water will stop water retention and help bloating

Maureen214

Thank you for your responses already. I guess it was more devastating because I saw the 4 pounds at home in the am and then 5 pounds In The afternoon at my doctor's and thought he'd see some big results. We also talked about decreasing and dropping one of my medicines that was the main culprit for me gaining 30 pounds in 2 months in May and June after i had meningitis. Cause again, I didn't eat that many calories to gain 30 pounds in two months. He warned me it won't come off in two months which also made me think he didn't think I was working as hard as I knew I was on my nutrition. And he ordered a water pill because I'm on blood thinners for blood clot issues and can barely walk since my ankles and knees are swelling. See I feel like I sound like an 80 year old woman, not 45. But all these health issues makes exercising still very very difficult and I was so happy with focusing on the calories to lose. I am 9 years cancer free next Tuesday so that's something big to celebrate. Because we discussed my annual PET scan which I will have done in December to continue to check for cancerous growths. So I'd love to be back on track with the weight at my next visit inDecember besides obviously an all clear on my cancer!!
And PS it's good to hear I'm not crazy because I a very very emotional over this!!!

kr1stadee

You lost 16lbs in a very short amount of time, gained a little (are you weighing at the same time? Weigh in the morning and stay off of the scale for the rest of the day!), and you want to give up??

I haven't really lost much in the last 4 months or so. I'm still here, whether I'm up 5lbs, or lost only .25 of a pound, I'm here. Why? Because it's worth the effort, the hardships, the tears.. I'm healthier, I'm happier, I'm smaller, I'm stronger.. I could go on and on.

Don't throw in the towel after 1 hiccup. This journey is tough, and only the strong-willed survive!

GrannyGwen1

:flowerforyou:

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padams2359

Damn that TOM guy. He always ruins everything.

I've read several pieces lately that recommend women stay away from the scale during this time.

Not having sometimes can do more ruining. Lol.

davert123

My weight goes up and down as well and I don't think its TOM for me lol (unless its a reaction to my wife's :-)) I think it is natural and just our bodies reconfiguring. If you look at the weight as a percentage of total then a 1 or 2% change due to random natural processes doesn't seem unreasonable. To answer your question 'should I give up ?' Hell no, giving up makes you put on weight and will get you back to where you felt so crap you decided to do this in the first place (in no time at all). Sticking with it will get you fit. It really is as simple as this (apart from the learning process along the way which we are all doing constantly)

therainandthunder

That gain is perfectly normal for TOM. I gain about 2-5 lbs