gained weight!!!

lovmyguy

OK. Here is the deal. I'm 5'5, 180lbs. Female and annoyed. I started dieting about 3 1/2 weeks ago. I have kept my calories between 1000-1300 most days. I exercise EVERY DAY! I do aerobics and burn 250-850 calories a day. 2 weeks ago I stood on the scale and was very happy to see it said 174 because I started at 179. I don't have a scale at home and wanted to know my progress and went to my daughters and stood on her scale. It said 180! No way. She said mom, my scale is off. So i bought a weight watchers scale. It says 180.4!!!! How the F am I gaining weight??!! It should be impossible!

Kalikel

1. Different sales will register different weights.

2. Weighing at different times of day, even the same day, will register different weights.

3. Water weight from sodium will increase the scale number...for me, as much as two or three pounds.

4. If you're coming up on a period, you may show extra pounds on the scale. They go away after it's begun.

5. Don't flip out about scale fluctuations. They happen all the time. Get used to them. Watch the trends over a month or two. If the line goes down, yay. If not, time to do some reevaluating.

Stick with one scale. Weigh yourself nekkid, after you pee in the morning. Record it, but don't let yourself get too happy about the number going down or too upset when it goes up. Trends, trends, trends.

shai74

Scales weigh differently. Mine even varies depending on where I put it on the floor. Doesn't mean you've gained weight.

I weigh myself first thing in the morning, naked, on the same scales in the same spot in the house, they're not moved. I "gained" 2.5kg when we moved house and I put them in our new bathroom.

Also, it's just possible if you're exercising that much you gained some muscle.

And, weight is not a steady downhill anyway. I can lose three weeks in a row then gain some back. Happened this month. I gained nearly 2kg and couldn't shift it for about 2 weeks.

thebradzter

You are putting yourself in starvation mode for sure.. Either increase your calories or drop the exercise.. this is a common problem with my clients (I'm a nutritionist who specialises in weight loss).

Secondly look into carb cycling.. superior weight loss method

hkristine1

Scales weigh differently. Mine even varies depending on where I put it on the floor. Doesn't mean you've gained weight.

I weigh myself first thing in the morning, naked, on the same scales in the same spot in the house, they're not moved. I "gained" 2.5kg when we moved house and I put them in our new bathroom.

Also, it's just possible if you're exercising that much you gained some muscle.

And, weight is not a steady downhill anyway. I can lose three weeks in a row then gain some back. Happened this month. I gained nearly 2kg and couldn't shift it for about 2 weeks.

This happens to me, too - if the scale gets moved, it can change by several pounds. I can gain up to 4 lbs from morning to night, and then lose those 4 lbs overnight. This often has to do with how much water and/or sodium I consumed in the 24-48 hours previous.

I also can stagnate - not lose any weight at all for 2-3 weeks, and then WHOOOSH, will drop 2-3 lbs in 1 week. It's cyclical. I also read an article about fat cells being super stubborn and not wanting to shrink, so when you start eating at a deficit, they will take on water to keep themselves nice and big... but ultimately, they do give up the ghost and actually shrink for real.

On my downward trend, I wait to record a new amount of weight lost until it's been down at the new number for at least 3 days in a row. The first time I see a new low, I know it's not going to stay there... but once it's been there for awhile, I feel like I can trust it a bit more. The scale is a fickle friend and provides only a portion of the information you will need as you move forward.

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z_bra

You are a terrible nutritionist if you believe in starvation mode.

Also you aren't gaining muscle if you are in deficit... It's physically impossible

hortensehildegarde

1. Different sales will register different weights.

2. Weighing at different times of day, even the same day, will register different weights.

3. Water weight from sodium will increase the scale number...for me, as much as two or three pounds.

4. If you're coming up on a period, you may show extra pounds on the scale. They go away after it's begun.

5. Don't flip out about scale fluctuations. They happen all the time. Get used to them. Watch the trends over a month or two. If the line goes down, yay. If not, time to do some reevaluating.

Stick with one scale. Weigh yourself nekkid, after you pee in the morning. Record it, but don't let yourself get too happy about the number going down or too upset when it goes up. Trends, trends, trends.

This ^

Yes for sure, but I wanted to say in regards to #4 last time it didn't go away for me until 5 days after it began, but of course that could have been due to reason 3.

As others have said if you are 100% certain you are weighing all your solids and measuring all your liquids and using correct entries to input calories and therefore are sure you are not underestimating your calories then you are not gaining weight and it's just scale fluctuation.

Your goals/expectations sound entirely too aggressive to maintain consistently all the way down to not being overweight, especially if you are already this frustrated. Unless being annoyed makes you more likely to continue and not more likely to give up. If you are only trying/expecting to lose .5- 1 lb a week then it's pretty easy to deal with the scale showing random things over a short time like 3 weeks given what we know about how unreliable scales are.

ETA: sorry went back and read you said "1000-1300 most days". If you are eating too much on the other days then you can undo your deficit. So long as you never eat over maintenance calories then you won't gain weight though.

lovmyguy

Thanks for everyone's advice. I know rule of thumb is to
1. Use same scale
2. Same time daily
3. Weight fluctuates

My concern is with my calorie burn and eating habits, healthy or not I should be losing. I know different scales weigh differently but.... 3wks ago Dr office scale said 179. Then a week and a half ago Dr office scale said 174 confirming weight loss. Yesterday daughters scale said 180 and new scale today said 180 confirming the weight coming back. If my math is right and it is.....
3 wks ago 179
1 1/2 weeks ago 174
Yesterday 180
At my net calorie intake I should be losing 1 1/2-2 lbs a week. Totaling average 5-6 lbs.
5-6 lbs from 179 is 173 even with a difference of average daily weight fluctuation it should not say 180!!

hortensehildegarde

Thanks for everyone's advice. I know rule of thumb is to
1. Use same scale
2. Same time daily
3. Weight fluctuates

My concern is with my calorie burn and eating habits, healthy or not I should be losing. I know different scales weigh differently but.... 3wks ago Dr office scale said 179. Then a week and a half ago Dr office scale said 174 confirming weight loss. Yesterday daughters scale said 180 and new scale today said 180 confirming the weight coming back. If my math is right and it is.....
3 wks ago 179
1 1/2 weeks ago 174
Yesterday 180
At my net calorie intake I should be losing 1 1/2-2 lbs a week. Totaling average 5-6 lbs.
5-6 lbs from 179 is 173 even with a difference of average daily weight fluctuation it should not say 180!!

If you have an average fluctuation of +5 and your scale is calibrated 3 lbs heavier than Dr. scale then that would be 173 + 8 = 181.

I don't understand why you acknowledge what everyone is saying and then discount it as impossible? When was the last time you pooped and when was the last time you pooped when you went to the Dr? Could be another 3 lbs there. Who knows! Yes it does get that crazy when it comes to the scale.

Be patient. 3 weeks is not enough time to track properly as weight loss is not linear anyway.

Otherwise your calorie counting may be off if it continues to be different than you expect.

Also 2 lb per week at your weight/height is quite likely too aggressive a goal.

lovmyguy

When I say most days its because some days I eat as few as 600. Frustration makes me eat less and work out more. I am obsessed. Cardio has taken me off my.blood pressure medicine. Now I will say I have P.C.O.S. it does make who gain weight in their top half. I wonder if it makes it harder to lose. I have taken measurements and my chest circumference has gotten smaller by 3 inches.

maidentl

I know different scales weigh differently but.... 3wks ago Dr office scale said 179. Then a week and a half ago Dr office scale said 174 confirming weight loss. Yesterday daughters scale said 180 and new scale today said 180 confirming the weight coming back.

It didn't confirm any such thing. You're weighing all over town at different times of the day. Pick ONE scale and weigh on it at the same time of day.

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lovmyguy

I ackonledge them because I have heard them. I discount them because my brain doesn't want to accept it. I pooped today. Thanks for asking. I went to Dr 3 weeks ago and again a week and a half ago for blood pressure stuff. He makes me get on the scale every time I go. My food diary is open your welcome to look. I know what I eat. Pretty accurately. I even count crackers and tbsp's.

hortensehildegarde

When I say most days its because some days I eat as few as 600. Frustration makes me eat less and work out more. I am obsessed. Cardio has taken me off my.blood pressure medicine. Now I will say I have P.C.O.S. it does make who gain weight in their top half. I wonder if it makes it harder to lose. I have taken measurements and my chest circumference has gotten smaller by 3 inches.

Yes PCOS makes it harder to lose. Did your Dr not discuss this with you? That is bizarre to me given that you seemed to be discussing weight loss with him? (or perhaps you were just discussing more active).

I see from your other posts you also have some kind of panic disorder and so I'll also suggest you find a good therapist/counselor/registered dietician. Someone who has experience in dealing with these multiple issues at once and can help you learn healthy eating habits and help you not let your disordered thinking sabotage yourself. You need more help than MFP can provide as we can tell you the rational answers but if you are too obsessed/wound up/impatient whatever you want to call it to listen and take the advice shared it will probably only serve to make you more frustrated.

Nobody here is going to be able to tell you how to consistently always show a 1.5-2lb per week loss on the scale. At least not in any way the least bit healthy.

lovmyguy

OK I posted a rational question hoping someone had a response that I could understand I get what people said. I was just hoping for something else.it never hurts to ask. My panic disorder does not have anything to do with this. My panic disorder does not define me or my weight. My panic disorder is a touchy subject. I have been on medication, done submersion therapy and see a therapist. I know what healthy eating is. I cheat occasionally but who doesn't. Please don't make me sound like some panic ridden obsessed freak who needs special help.

natasha2106

It can take a while for your body to adjust. One thing I have learnt is that I started on 1000-1200 calories and found I didn't lose much weight. I now have around 1300 calories per day and do exercise and find that this works. Also over a period of time you will see a pattern to your weightless. I certainly have noticed this with myself, I lose, then stay the same then put on then lose. So it is a long journey that we are on and we need to preserver and continue doing what your doing.