Suspecting I won't have lost 1 this week :(

FiresongUK

Hi guys, really frustrated right now. I had a sneak peek at the scales this morning and I'm 0.5 lbs more than I was last weigh-in. I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow but I'm thinking of postponing it until Sunday because I'm not going to have lost any ¬.¬ I have gone over my 1200 calories quite a few days this week but I haven't gone over my TDEE which is like 1800, so I don't get why I've put on weight. What's frustrating is that my friends have been getting together a lot over the last week and we've been drinking and stuff, so I think the alcohol is to blame. I also went out for a few meals which I was kinda obliged to because of celebrations and birthdays and stuff, and even though I've been trying to go for the "healthy option" I still feel bad for it.
I'm also trying to give up smoking. I'm not going cold turkey though and I've got an e-cig which replaces the nicotine so I was hoping that'd help with stopping any weight gain to do with that but I'm not sure?

Chezzie84

So you havent lost anything this week, it happens. Do not too hung up over what goes on with the scales, its more about the inch loss.
As for "putting on weight" its half a pound!! Not a big deal. That could be anything.

Stop beating yourself up. Its too early in the game for that. It will take time to adjust eating, drinking and exercise habits.
Just perservere and it will come right.

3laine75

Probably just a wee fluctuation - stick to the same day and time each week.

FindingMyPerfection

A number of things can contribute to this.
- excess sodium(water weight)
- not enough water ( body stores water weight till you drink enough)
- time of the month (water weight)
- Change in exercise (water weight to repair muscle fibers)

If you didn't go over TDEE you didn't gain fat.

Karmynzahringer

I am in the same spot as you almost exactly. Also trying to quit using the ecig and nicotine patches combined with wellbutrin my doc prescribed to help stave off nicotine and food cravings. Its hard to make two big changes at the same time. Give yourself a pat on the back and be thankful you havent gained more. I always gain when trying to quit smoking so I will be happy if I can simply maintain the next few weeks while getting through the rough part of quitting. Also do try to avoid the alcohol for a few weeks. Not only will it hinder weightloss but I am willing to bet it will hinder the quitting smoking too. I always smoke more when I drink!

VoyageurDesBrumes

Honestly, it happens. It fluctuates for no reason sometime. You might go on the scale one day and be like "Holy **** I gained a pound?". Then the next day you have suddenly lost three. Our bodies are weird. I wouldn't be too worried. Just keep doing what you are doing, and you will see that weight loss. Don't get stressed about one day or week.

phocid

Have you considered switching to weighing only once per month to reduce any anxiety about the weekly scale numbers? A woman's weight fluctuates monthly and that often has nothing to do with actual fat.

starrylioness

Don't weigh so much. I had the same issue, always worrying about if I was down or not. Just focus on being healthy, drink more water (because bloat happens, as we all know) and just keep on going! Don't give up.

geebusuk

This morning I tapped the scales, got on again and I was about .8lb down. Sorted .

Some people will take three separate readings.

I'd generally say weighing every day, but use a spreadsheet for a graph / average.
So you either look at the average of the last few days, or better a graph which shows the overall trend.

All sorts of things can affect your actual weight even if you have super-accurate scales too as above - maybe you're holding a bit more water and so on.

malibu927

Weight can fluctuate by the day. Last Wednesday (my normal weigh-in day) I had lost weight. I checked again Saturday for a challenge and was a pound heavier. Then yesterday I had dropped a pound over the week and two pounds from Saturday. It didn't bother me at all because I didn't change anything throughout the week. As long as you're feeling good about what you're doing, don't worry about it.

TapouTFTW

Get on the scale tomorrow and log the weight. Failure does not define us, what we do after does. That said, I am going to let you in on a little secret, the weight scale is a liar! Weight is subjective. Body Fat Percentage is not. Let me give an extreme example:

Lou Ferrigno weighed in at 285 lbs @ 6'5" in 1975 and was one of the tallest body builders of his time.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz87SKDmNAo/UG6zGXzlkiI/AAAAAAAABTA/LyxuvhctLdU/s1600/biceps.jpeg

John Goodman is 300 lbs @ 6'2" right now.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/John_Goodman_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/490px-John_Goodman_by_David_Shankbone.jpg

Now lets give John the benefit of the doubt and make him 3" taller and magically shed 15 lbs. So they are both 6'5" and weight 285 lbs. Their weight says they are the same. Their BMI is 33.8, and anything about 30 is obese. Do you think Lou is obese?

The weight tables for determining a person health were developed by an insurance company. An INSURANCE company decades ago. BMI was developed by Adolphe Quetelet between 1830 and 1850 based on "Social Physics"!?! Both are subjective nonsense IMHO. Body Fat Percentage does not lie. You might gain a fraction of a percent due to a few pounds of water weight or not flushing your system, but that is it.

There are a dozen sites out there and apps that calculate your Body Fat Percentage. Here is one of them...

https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat

Change you MFP to record these stats. Weigh yourself once or twice a week, take measurement once or twice a month. Take photos of yourself once a month. Compare at the end of 30 days.

I am looking toward the day when MFP lets us set our target to a BF% instead of just weight. BF% + a standardized fitness test, like the Army APFT, gives a better understanding of our overall fitness level. Weight alone, is just a stat.