Sudden Jump in Weight - I just don't understand

bradXdale

It happens. Weight loss just isn't as linear as we'd like it to be. I was staying in my calorie budget the last 3 weeks, and for two of those weeks stayed the same weight, and even put on half a pound. It still makes me feel crappy after about a year and a half of doing this, but I've learned to push through it and trust the process. Sure enough, this last weigh in I had lost a little over 3 lbs, to equal out to the 1 lb I should have been losing per week. There have been many times in this journey where I have thought "WTF body, what are you doing???".
I wouldn't worry about being stuck or gaining a pound or so unless it continues for more than a few weeks.

^^^^^This^^^^

I've been doing great with my food, logging, exercise etc and the past three Saturday weigh-ins have looked like this.
Saturday: -1.1 lb
The Next Saturday: -0.4 lb
The Saturday After Next: + 0.6 lb

So yeah since I'm a weekly weigher it sucks when it's like that as it'll be another week to see how it's going. It's very hard not to get pissed and discouraged. But I've been doing this a long time so I know I have to trust that it'll work out in the end. I've lost 9 lbs since Thanksgiving, so I'm on track loss-wise for me. But it is hard not to be like WTF?

QFT.

Last week I weighed 257 even, this morning I'm at 259. You just have to learn that your body weight is not static. It changes.

Take progress pics every 7-14 days, take measurements every 14-21 days. Also get motivated by how you feel versus a number.

Are you sleeping better? Do you feel stronger? Are your clothes fitting better? Ask yourself these questions, write them down, make a post about them on the forums. Whatever it takes for you to reflect and say "Hell yeah, I'm doing good, just have to stay patient and keep pushing forward". It's a process. You didn't pack on all the weight in a month, so don't expect it to fall off that quick.

-bxd

annieconverse

Hi All,

I've been weighing and tracking my food for about a month now. Everything was going well. I've lost a little over 5 lbs. A week ago I cut back on alcohol as well and didn't drink all week (which is unusual for me). Sunday was my free day and I had some vodka martini's but stayed within my calorie goal (I stick to 1500 regardless of excercise, I'm 31, started at 170, 5'6). Monday I saw a gain on the scale but chalked it up to water weight, maybe from the alcohol? Today I was expecting to see myself go back to normal and saw another pound gain, for two pounds over two days. That's almost half the amount I've lost so far! How is this possible? I'm religious about weighing food, tracking everything, and yesterday I even went on my normal 3.5 mile run (I run about 4/5 times a week). What am I doing wrong? Is it normal to gain two pounds in two days? I will make my diary public after this post so you all can look. Any tips are appreciated. What a bummer to what was beginning to look like a good streak!

I wouldn't worry about it. 2 pounds in normal fluctuation in a day. Keep focusing on creating a normal calorie deficit every day and make that your goal. Also try to choose foods that will give you the maximum amount of nutrition and be active every day. If these are your goals, the weight will continue to come off.
For me, in the past, when I focused on the scale number, a gain in two pounds made me miserable and self-critical which always sends me straight to my friends, Ben & Jerry Instead, I just focus on the goals I mentioned above and so far it has been slow, but it's been working. Good luck!

wilsoje74

It's called a fluctuation

erickirb

About a month, you say?

Would it be time for your period?

I didn't know this made a difference?

after 17-20 years of having TOM you were unaware that women retain water during it?

Polarpaly05

Keep in mind that most economic scales can have as much as a +/- 2 pound accuracy on them. If you bought that really cheap one for $9 at Walmart, it can be up to 3 pounds.

Snarf5

Oh so important to understand for the ladies, your period has a TREMENDOUS influence on your day to day weight. I weigh daily, have for years, and it does take a certain mental toughness to be able to take days like that and not get the hopeless feeling and want to give up. And don't let it fool you because it's not necessarily right when you start your period that you're gonna see the number jump. For me it's a few days to a week before, and actually my weight drops a couple pounds (fluctuation) when it starts.

Here's the thing. You know when you're doing right/well by your eating and exercise. You kinda know even after a month how your weight will trend, whether you're sticking to the plan or having a cheat day, if you weigh daily, you know how your body will respond.

But the number on the scale is another story, if you had too little water or too much salt (and your body starts retaining water) or if you weighed 30 minutes earlier than normal because you had to get to work early (scale will be higher!), or if you weighed before you used the bathroom, or if your hair is still wet, or yes, the period thing. THAT'S where the confusion comes in.

If you just do the right thing most days, you'll get the response you want OVER TIME. But who knows what number will show up. I can't say don't do it, for me daily weighing is almost like a ritual, just re-focusing and trying to remind myself where I am and what I want to do. But if you treat it as a focus, it's likely to send you off course quickly. It'll drop randomly after you've been bad and make you feel like martinis help you lose weight, and it'll rise randomly after you've been good and make you feel like there's no point.

Good luck, just keep doing what you're doing.