Will somone PLEASE explain to me...

allison7922

Why I have been consistently losing 2 to 3 lbs a week for the past 5 weeks but this week I GAINED???:sad: I have been doing pretty much the same thing every day! It was TOM LAST week and I still lost 3 lbs but gained 2 of those back this week. I now have this irrational fear that the scale will NEVER move downward again HELP

HappyHope0123

DON'T feel defeated. Are you seeing changes in your body other than the scale? Are you measuring yourself?

Regarding the gain, could it be muscle? Are you close to your cycle? Did you consume excessive salt this past week that could lead to swelling?

neandermagnon

just keep doing what you're doing and don't freak out about the scale.

2-3lb is a good rate of loss as you still have quite a bit to lose... as you get closer to goal it's a good idea to slow it down to 1-2lb a week (greater risk of losing lean mass along with the fat if you have less fat to lose)...... whatever you're doing is working, and just because you had one week where you gained, which is most likely water weight, doesn't mean the weight loss has stopped. Just keep on going, it's normal to have weeks where you don't lose or you lose more or less than expected... the long term trend is what counts, not the exact amount week by week.

bravid98

If what goes in doesn't come out you'll gain as well. That and water are responsible for most of my fluctuations.

Brownsbacker4evr

I cant say I know the cause, but I do know getting discouraged & down and out wont help. There's no way you'll keep gaining if you keep working hard at it. We all have had times where we've just been stonewalled. Keep your eyes on the prize. Good luck!

gypsy_spirit

A picture paints a thousand words.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437

BrittanyMG3

If what goes in doesn't come out you'll gain as well. That and water are responsible for most of my fluctuations.

^^ exactly what I was going to say, It's probably just water! try decreasing your sodium intake and upping your water! Hang in there!! I hit plateaus that lasted for MONTHS..it was terrible..I gave up..worst mistake I ever made because when I got more serious and stuck with it this time, I am already down 67lbs in 4-1/2 months!! It's hard and we all hit bumps and question why we are doing this but if we stay strong, our hard work WILL pay off!!

MinnieInMaine

Did something change in the last week, or even 2-3 weeks? Are you eating anything different? Did you happen to have a splurge? Did you increase or decrease your activity? Hell, it could even be hormone related. Some people gain during ovulation, some gain right before TOM, some might even gain after. The body does weird things.

I did do a quick glance at your diary and it seems like you're eating a lot of prepared foods which tend to be loaded in sodium. I'd track sodium instead of fiber, at least for a little while, to see how that looks. If you're eating too much sodium and not drinking enough water to compensate, you'll be retaining and that will lead to a stall or gain on the scale.

Ultimlately though, you seriously need to stop focusing on today and CELEBRATE your success so far. This is just the first of many hurdles you will face and getting all worked up about a tiny fluctuation is a quick road to quitting. Realize these things will happen and get over it. You got this!

kk_140

Well if you did the same thing this week than other weeks that odds are it is a fluctuation. You would be hard pressed to eat 7000 extra calories in 7 days! Breathe, drink some water, weight yourself again in a few days or next week and see where it lands you. This is a journey not a race, and it is certainly not a linear experience!

allison7922

Thank you everyone! I will start tracking my sodium, that could be the culprit! I really appreciate all of your comments!

MasonMelissa

Why I have been consistently losing 2 to 3 lbs a week for the past 5 weeks but this week I GAINED???:sad: I have been doing pretty much the same thing every day! It was TOM LAST week and I still lost 3 lbs but gained 2 of those back this week. I now have this irrational fear that the scale will NEVER move downward again HELP

sometimes it is not about what you do but what you eat. If you ate anything that had a lot of salt the day or two before you weigh yourself that causes the scale to add water weight.

bwogilvie

Weight loss isn't linear, because even losing 2 lb./week, you're only losing 4.5 oz. of fat a day on average. (Actually, you're probably losing more like 3.5-4 oz. of fat and 0.5-1 oz. muscle, unless you're eating lots of protein and lifting.)

Consider those 4.5 oz. next to the 11 pounds of food and water the typical person ingests in a day--it's only about 2.5%, so in any given day, your actual weight loss is dwarfed by fluctuations in how much of those solids and liquids your body retains.

The chapters on "The Rubber Bag" and "Signal and Noise" in John Walker's free online book The Hacker's Diet explain this, and how to use daily weigh-ins and some math (or a website) to filter out the signal from the noise. http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/

(Edited because I hit the post button before I was done - stupid jumpy trackpad!)

Kalikel

The only time I gain is during my period. I gain and lose 4-5 pounds every time. I don't count it.

Otherwise, if you eat less than you use up, you'll lose!