How can I have gained a half-pound??

boku70

Hi. I wonder if anyone has any insights on how I could've gained a half-pound yesterday?

I'm male, 40, 272 lbs. Calories yesterday were:

Intake: 1,436
- Exercise: 784 cal
= Net: 652 cal (Goal: 1720)

Water: 8 cups
Carbs: 221 (MFP Goal: 345)
Fat: 28 (MFP Goal: 82)
Protein: 84 (MFP Goal: 94)

I've had all kinds of bloodwork. Metabolism/thyroid, sugar is fine.

Body fat analyzer also says that my body fat content went up a tiny bit over yesterday.

I know I did everything right yesterday. What's at work here?

thanks for any thoughts!!

b

elainegsd

How much sodium did you take in yesterday? Have you had a bowel movement? Either of these could cause weight fluctuations from one day to the next, regardless of your exercise or caloric intake.

Enigmatica

Water retention and or more food in your gut can add more than half a pound easily!!!

javamom

sodium, sodium, sodium. that's the way it is with me anyway.

ChristieDF

You could have a little bit of fluid on you. I know we women get blotted but that might be it. Other than that I don't know.

Christie

sassyg

A half a pount is hardly anything, that's just normal fluctuations

I wouldn't worry about it.
In fact, I'd be more concerned if someone's weight DIDN'T go up and down by a little bit each day.

jhardenbergh

It could be water weight I would maybe weigh yourself once a week, so you don't get too frustrated. If you ate alot of sodium you could be retaining water. I wouldn't worry too much about, if you eat like that for a week and you gain, then I might worry about it.

TheWatchStander

Maybe you were holding your breath?

tahoemads

Hi! Check your water intake - for your weight, you should increase your hydration. A great way of calculating the ounces each day is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of water in ounces. For instance, for my weight I should drink approximately 60 ounces a day, at the very least.

Also, your sodium intake makes a huge difference! Definitely causes water retention.

JulieTX86

One liter of water equals 2.2lbs...... maybe you drank a lot of water?

treekins

The calories burned could have been off?

mmamitchell

sodium!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grumble:

Mads1997

I never tracked my sodium and couldn't work out why I gained 300gms overnight, this has happened a few weeks in a row. I finally figured it out this morning. So even though I was under my cals I was over in sodium on each and every day I gained weight overnight.

jhardenbergh

Hi! Check your water intake - for your weight, you should increase your hydration. A great way of calculating the ounces each day is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of water in ounces. For instance, for my weight I should drink approximately 60 ounces a day, at the very least.

Also, your sodium intake makes a huge difference! Definitely causes water retention.

Is that true about the divide weight in half and drink that many ounces of water. If so I have to drink way more I currently drink at least 80 oz a day. If I drink anymore I will have to put a urinal or a bedpan in my car and office.

skyski_tige

Your carbs seem very high to me. I try to stay under 100 per day if possible.

sunshine79

Half a pound? That really is nothing to worry about considering your weight can fluctuate up to 3lbs within the same day.

Please, if it concerns you this much then just stick to weighing once a week. That way you will be able to see the pattern of your weight loss.

Stay positive and just focus on eating healthy and being active

All the best

caburk02

Okay, gross honesty coming your way:

I weighed myself as soon as I got up this morning and I weighed the same as I did yesterday. Then I used the bathroom (both) and I had lost .10 lbs. All that waste weighed nearly a pound! I couldn't believe it.

I always try to weigh myself in the same circumstance as I did the day before. Any of the following can change your weight without changing your body composition:
Clothes; jeans and a t-shirt can add over 4 lbs.
Your flimsy little underpants weigh .1 lb.
Eating food
Wet hair adds .2 lbs (for a girl with chin-length hair)
Using the bathroom
Standing on the scale differently (Always try to stand in the same position)

kadye

I don't know about the .5 lb, but you really need to eat more than that. That is really not enough net calories to be healthy.

kelligonzales

your not eating enough. You should be netting more than 600 calories. I did that gained 5 lbs in a week. your body can survive off 600 calories. And watch your salt. You should be drinking more than 8 glasses of water if your salt intake is crazy.

boku70

Thanks for your responses, everybody!!

Some additional info, and a conclusion:

- Sodium yesterday was 2093 (goal: 2500).

- I weigh myself under the same conditions every morning when I get up. (I won't inflict TMI on you with details of my morning ritual, but I keep everything very constant. :-) )

- I'm doing medically supervised HMR, so the level of carbs is consistent with medical direction.

- Calories burned may be too high, as I'm relying on my Garmin GPS/training device. But even if they're too high, I was still *way* under goal for the day.

I guess I'm not that concerned about it--like I said, I know that I did everything right yesterday--but I'm just kind of more curious about the mechanism. (A sustained weight gain over several days would be of more concern to me.)

thanks again!! :-)

b

jbug100

Could be many things! I wouldn't focus on small day to day fluctuation...you will make yourself crazy. Stick with program and weigh once a week under same circumstances. If you are in this for the long haul (permanent healthy changes) patience will be your best friend:)

boku70

I also wonder whether I'm getting too much exercise right now, considering my caloric intake. Even if the correct "burned" figure is 2x the right amount, I'm still netting in the neighborhood of only ~1,000/day.

elainegsd

I also wonder whether I'm getting too much exercise right now, considering my caloric intake. Even if the correct "burned" figure is 2x the right amount, I'm still netting in the neighborhood of only ~1,000/day.

If what you are doing is medically supervised, this question is best left to your doctors.

patch1964

If you're worrying about half a pound in a day then I suggest you get out more!
Weight loss is the long haul.
Not what you were yesterday or tomorrow.
Look at what you'll be in a month or six or a year or 5.
Stop stressing over the little things and look at the big picture.

If you carry on stressing you'll never see it through because you won't enjoy it.

And you should!!

deearra

It happens to me all the time. But I find that if I keep trying, I'll see that half pound or pound go away along with another one or even two within two days. Still, it bums me out. In fact it happened to me a couple of days ago an I haven't weighed myself since. I couldn't eat less and so I have been sticking to it. Tomorrow I will weigh myself again. My fingers crossed.


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