how does this happen

glike

I'm one day on mfp. I stayed under my alloted calories, exercised 1/2 hr, drank my water and gained 1/2 lb this morning. I'm 58 and confused on what I did wrong.

amyfly

You didn't do anything wrong! Everyone's weight fluctuates throughout the day - sodium intake, water, digesting food, even working out can temp. increase your weight (muscles swell after exercise) - weigh yourself at the same time every time you weigh - pref in the morning before you eat and be patient - if you stick with it results WILL come:)

pell53

It's a long process - for every 3500 calories you are under (500 a day for a week) you will lose one pound....so the work that you do each day adds up....that's when you see results. The calorie target set for you is to get you to lose 1 lb a week (500 under per day). Don't be frustrated - this was day 1 in a long process. YOU CAN DO IT!

amyfly

You didn't do anything wrong! Everyone's weight fluctuates throughout the day - sodium intake, water, digesting food, even working out can temp. increase your weight (muscles swell after exercise) - weigh yourself at the same time every time you weigh - pref in the morning before you eat and be patient - if you stick with it results WILL come:)

lindalee0315

If this is the first 24 hour period you drank all the water you're supposed to, it's very likely your body holding on to water. We tend to be dehydrated. Until your body is certain it's going to keep getting the water it needs, it will hang on to the water. Women can hold 5-7lbs in water weight (depending on your weight, age, height). Don't weigh in everyday. It will only frustrate you. Weigh in once or twice per week. After a few days you'll drop the water weight and likely "lose" a couple of pounds. Think about it: if you drank 8 glasses of water at 8 oz each, that's 64 ounces. If your body didn't flush all of that out, it will show up on the scale. It's pretty typical to "gain" weight when you're first starting an exercise program for precisely that reason.

FitnessTim

I'll tell you what you did wrong. You are not thinking long term. You expected immediate results and were not happy you didn't get it. Give it a few weeks, stay under your alloted calories and I guarantee you will lose weight. GUARANTEED!

If you don't lose weight, call your doctor and alert the medical and science community because you will have just broken the laws of physics.

Be patient and be commited for the long haul.

Good luck.

havingitall

If you weigh yourself daily and judge yourself on that you will go insane. Weigh once a week....same time of the day same clothing....preferably first thing in the morning, stark naked after going to the bathroom.

Remember that at first, your body is not used to all this. It will take a bit of time to show a change. Although you are mentally prepped for the change, your body has to catch up with the mindset and your body will fight your mind every inch of the way.

Good luck and be patient. You didn't gain the weight over night

glike

Wow! thanks girls, I love the input! I have 'no' Knowledge about managing Weightloss........this all makes sense

rjlam

Take it one step at a time. Again weight yourself only once per week at the same time and preferrably in the morning before breakfast. Keep doing what your doing and it will pay off. You did not gain it overnight and it will not come off overnight. Watch your sodium intake try going under you allocated amount. Sodium will make you retain water. Hope this helps. Keep up the good work.

Liliane

shellydd

Oh please! Are you really that naive? You've been doing this for one day and you are stressing out over a slight variation in body weight.

Texaganian

As everyone else has said... don't sweat it. You WILL see results over the long term.

However, I'm going to disagree with the anti-daily weigh-in folks. You'll see this advice a LOT on here and, at least for some of us, it is completely wrong.

Weight does vary a lot. Mine often varies four pounds during the day. If you weigh yourself AT LEAST once a day (and preferably twice), you'll quickly see this and understand it.

Had I not started doing this, I'd have never understood what was going on. And then if my weekly weigh-in just happened to fall on one of those peaks of the fluctuation, I'd have been massively perplexed and depressed for a week. I'm sure I'd have eventually given up.

But instead I started weighing myself twice at the same times every day, came to understand the fluctuations and have been successfully beyond my wildest desires.

So I strongly recommend weighing daily but don't fret about variations upward unless they continue for 10 days or a couple of weeks. Then, and only then, would be the time to look at things and determine what is happening. But if you stay to plan, I'll bet you'll never have an upward variation that prolonged.

❤B☩❤

Oh please! Are you really that naive? You've been doing this for one day and you are stressing out over a slight variation in body weight.

Well, excuse me for saying, but I think this comment, sir, was extremely rude and not very supportive. There is absolutely NO NEED for name calling and you should be ashamed of yourself. This NEW user is asking questions and hoping to get some answers and now all they got was here was ridicule. :frown:

Do YOU remember when you were new here and you had to learn the ropes? Everybody has to start somewhere. At least you wished them good luck. Kind words of support are ALWAYS welcome here. This is, after all, a support site.

myofibril

I'm one day on mfp. I stayed under my alloted calories, exercised 1/2 hr, drank my water and gained 1/2 lb this morning. I'm 58 and confused on what I did wrong.

Firstly, congratulations on commiting yourself to losing "weight" and taking positive steps towards that goal. That already puts you way ahead of many, many people who say they want to be slimmer yet do nothing about it.

I guess what you are really looking for in this post is reassurance - confirmation that your efforts will not be in vain. Well they won't be. You WILL lose weight. In the final analysis weight loss is simple maths. If you consume less calories than your body needs to maintain itself for a sufficiently long period then you WILL lose weight.

For many people, particularly women, it is not a linear process. One week they lose nothing or even gain weight and the next week they knock off 3 lbs. As many posters have said, knowledge is power. Keep a careful record of your efforts and you will begin to understand how YOUR body works. Then you will gain confidence and know that you will reach your goals if you stick to this game for long enough.

Finally, remember that scales do not tell you the full story about your body composition. When most people say they want to lose "weight" what they actually mean is they want to lose "fat." The scales simply reflect overall weight, including water, lean tissue, fat, bone etc. Just because the needle on the scale is not going down doesn't mean you have gained fat. In fact. just the opposite may be true. That's why tracking your body fat % and measurements are such a good idea when you get into this process (note to self: take your own advice!)

Don't worry. You'll be a slimmer, more beautiful version of yourself in no time...

FitnessTim

Oh please! Are you really that naive? You've been doing this for one day and you are stressing out over a slight variation in body weight.

Well, excuse me for saying, but I think this comment, sir, was extremely rude and not very supportive. There is absolutely NO NEED for name calling and you should be ashamed of yourself. This NEW user is asking questions and hoping to get some answers and now all they got was here was ridicule. :frown:

Do YOU remember when you were new here and you had to learn the ropes? Everybody has to start somewhere. At least you wished them good luck. Kind words of support are ALWAYS welcome here. This is, after all, a support site.

When I was learning the ropes I didn't want someone to be coddling me and being all sweet and nice. Losing weight is HARD work and sometimes it is helpful to be pushed in the right direction. My entire comment was supportive and urged patience and commitment.

I'm sorry if it came off as judgemental but I wanted to really hit home how important it is to have a long term outlook. I wish nothing but the best for her and hope she achieves her goals.

bdwyerva

If you want to drive yourself crazy weigh ourself periodically throughout the day. You will note that your weight fluctuates. Some people believe to weigh yourself once a week. I personally recommend to weigh yourself with the same scale, same time of day wearing the same clothes daily. Ideally that would be when you first wake in the morning. Dont be discouraged, think of it as a learning experience.You will find that with some foods the weight will drop and with other meals you will gain. Some foods may contain high amounts of sodium which will cause you to hold on to water. Dont panic, it is natural, salt holds onto fluids. Watch your sodium intake and drink plenty of water, the extra weight will drop in a day or so.

amtrust

Oh please! Are you really that naive? You've been doing this for one day and you are stressing out over a slight variation in body weight.

Well, excuse me for saying, but I think this comment, sir, was extremely rude and not very supportive. There is absolutely NO NEED for name calling and you should be ashamed of yourself. This NEW user is asking questions and hoping to get some answers and now all they got was here was ridicule. :frown:

Do YOU remember when you were new here and you had to learn the ropes? Everybody has to start somewhere. At least you wished them good luck. Kind words of support are ALWAYS welcome here. This is, after all, a support site.

When I was learning the ropes I didn't want someone to be coddling me and being all sweet and nice. Losing weight is HARD work and sometimes it is helpful to be pushed in the right direction. My entire comment was supportive and urged patience and commitment.

I'm sorry if it came off as judgemental but I wanted to really hit home how important it is to have a long term outlook. I wish nothing but the best for her and hope she achieves her goals.

It IS possible to be supportive and encouraging without being condescending. You don't know this person. When I first read your response, I thought, "Thank God this isn't my first week on here!" I would've shut down knowing that I couldn't even get true encouragement here. Be kind, please.

Dlibo1013

Looks like after 100 days i am reading my first small fight thread :-) Hang in there kid it is a battle and you can win it.

jewelzz

Oh please! Are you really that naive? You've been doing this for one day and you are stressing out over a slight variation in body weight.



Well, excuse me for saying, but I think this comment, sir, was extremely rude and not very supportive. There is absolutely NO NEED for name calling and you should be ashamed of yourself. This NEW user is asking questions and hoping to get some answers and now all they got was here was ridicule.

Do YOU remember when you were new here and you had to learn the ropes? Everybody has to start somewhere. At least you wished them good luck. Kind words of support are ALWAYS welcome here. This is, after all, a support site.



When I was learning the ropes I didn't want someone to be coddling me and being all sweet and nice. Losing weight is HARD work and sometimes it is helpful to be pushed in the right direction. My entire comment was supportive and urged patience and commitment.

I'm sorry if it came off as judgemental but I wanted to really hit home how important it is to have a long term outlook. I wish nothing but the best for her and hope she achieves her goals.



OHH MY I have soo much to say about this.What in the world were you thinking,people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!Ten tears ago when I started my weight journey I had no idea that weight fluxuates during the day,and that you will hold water when first starting untill your body gets a clue.This is not coddleing its SUPPORT the more you know the better you will do.what works for one dosent always work for another.

Great for you for commiting yourself to you!!!!you will get the hang of it and do great!

glike

With confusion I left mfp and even shut down my computor real quick this morning....But I can see now that the support on here is' huge' and I Thank-You for your words and personal emails. I've decided to Move-On and keep focussed.

arewethereyet

With confusion I left mfp and even shut down my computor real quick this morning....But I can see now that the support on here is' huge' and I Thank-You for your words and personal emails. I've decided to Move-On and keep focussed.

Hi. I am Jeannie. 49 years young and been on here for 3 yrs January.

I lost 36 pounds in 1.5 years with diet and exercise. I averages 1/2 pound a week.

Weigh yourself 1x week, on the same day, at the same time (pref after bathroom break and early morning before food/drink)

I did an experiment once and my weight fluctuated SIX pounds that week! 6~~

Here was my experience. I would lose a pound, then go 2 or 3 weeks with nothing lost, or 1 pound gained, then lose 3 in one week. Our bodies are wonderous and have a mind of their own. I promise if you eat better foods, less calories and exercise each day you WILL lose weight.

Good luck!!

Jeannie

arewethereyet

If you weigh yourself daily and judge yourself on that you will go insane. Weigh once a week....same time of the day same clothing....preferably first thing in the morning, stark naked after going to the bathroom.

Remember that at first, your body is not used to all this. It will take a bit of time to show a change. Although you are mentally prepped for the change, your body has to catch up with the mindset and your body will fight your mind every inch of the way.

Good luck and be patient. You didn't gain the weight over night

Hi Vicky!!