Doing it all for nothing? Feels llike it

SueSee

I just got back from my weigh in with my Dr. I gained 4 pounds. So in 35 days, or 6 weeks, I've lost 10 pounds and gained 4 back. I;ve busted my *kitten* every morning and evening, exercising. I've been staying on my restricted diet, drinking my water. I've been eating my exercise calories back. I've been doing everything right. And for what? So I could gain 4 pounds back in one week?

Sure doesn't motivate me to stay on this diet or exercise plan.

allimac09

It could be hormones, water weight, a plateau, or you're gaining muscle mass. Don't be discouraged. This happens to a lot of people around 6 weeks. I bet by week 10, you will have some great results. It's pushing through when you don't want to or feel like you can't that makes all the difference in the world. GOOD LUCK!

PantalaNagaPampa

Did the Dr. have any input on why he felt you gianed it back? Are you doing any lifitng exercises; are you gaining some muscle? What about water weight? Have you been taking in a lot of sodium, .. Excuse me, but is it that time of the month? Sooo many thinngs can cause a shift in wieght when you are not expecting it. Maybe you need to cut back on how many of the exercise calories you are eating back.

Let me/us know what you find over th enext few days. Whatever you do, don't quit. Not now. You didn't put all your weight on in 35 days, losing weight can be a slow process. Don't over think it and just keep at it, eventually it will happen.

Mads1997

Hard to say, check your sodium levels for starters, It's hard for anyone to check when your diary is closed.

bsw87

I try to stay under or right at my calorie goal for the day. I try not to eat my calories gained from exercise. I've found this helps me. Don't get discouraged!

Ridestolive6969

Since I have been losing, I have fluctuated a lot from day to day and week to week. I can easily pick up an extra few pounds from one salty meal! (never knew I was so sensitive to salt until I started eating healthy!)

Please dont be discouraged... you are achieving a healthy weight loss and fluctuating is normal!

AngelicaDulas

Was your original weigh in you logged using the same scale at the doctors? I notice that so many scales are so different in the truth/lies they tell. I also don't really like the scales at the dr office because in most cases the nurse is in so much of a hurry they don't really wait for the thing to stop moving before they say one thing or another. Don't get discouraged!! You'll make it eventually.

ruhimaach

Did you use the same scale last time to check your weight? Changing scales can make a difference. What abt the time of the day? Also, it's best if you weigh in without any clothes. Were you were a lot of clothes? That might have contributed too.

rachelleahsmom

Hang in there! You can do this. Even if the scale is not your friend today, you're doing the right things for your health. And 6 pounds is a great start! Don't give up. I get frustrated, too, because this damn process is so slow!!

heyitsmekatie

i completely agree with allimac09... i was doing really well for the first month or so, then nothing. i think i gained a good 4 to 6 lbs. i didn't really change anything and the weight started dropping again. don't get discouraged. the human body is a complex thing. you'll start losing again.

ashleighk2010

Is your scale usually 100% accurate with your doctors scale? Was it the same time of day that you usually weigh? Were the clothes you were wearing the same weight as usual? There are a lot of factors that contribute! It's very possible that even 4lbs is just normal weight fluctuation.

Don't worry too much about it! I know it seems rough but the scale slides around a lot. If you are consistent the weigh will come off. =] Good luck!

aprilmssmith

Could it be that you were on a different scale?

Samerah12

Take your measurements! In 2 weeks I've lost 0 lbs but an inch off my waist. ESPECIALLY if you're exercising that much I'll bet anything you're replacing fat with muscle and muscle being more dense than fat, you look like you're holding steady or even gaining.

Are your clothes fitting any differently? Do you feel any different? See if you can tell any difference in the way you look in photos.

soccermom004

First of all a pound a week average is healthy weight loss. With six pounds you have that. Second, did you weigh at the doctor at the same time you weigh at home? I weigh first thing in the morning, if I weigh at night I could be 3 pounds heavier. Lastly, remember that you did not put weight on in a month. The healthy way to take it off is slowly then keep it off. We all want a quick fit but this is a lifestyle change and a long term change not an overnight fix.

rachyrach1234

Sometimes Scales Don't Agree With Each other
Whenever i Go To The Doctor It Always Says I Weigh More Than My Home Scale.
Stick To One.

wildeyezz

Don't let the this one weighin bring you down. If you have truly followed your food and exercise goals, then you have nothing to worry about. Sometimes the scale can be misleading, depending on what time you weighed in, what you were wearing etc.
Just stay focused on eating right and exercise and the scale will catch up eventually.

Shantre

Don't get discouraged. Besides if you decide not to count your calories at all you will most likely gain even more weight back. Keep with it. Don't worry too much about the scale at this point. Make sure you are recording everything you eat and all of your exercise and make sure you are recording the calories accurately.

30tips

Often, your weight will change in a few days. _Not all is lost, though. You´re logging what you eat, and that is VERY Important. You are finally finding out what you REALLY eat.
There are lots of different things you can try.
-Eating less at dinnertime
-Making sure you didn´t just drink a lot of water before weighing yourself
-Being more precise at recording both what you eat and your exercise (trying to determine whether the numbers are accurate)
-Watching your sodium, like someone else mentioned
-If you don´t do it already, eat more times a day, even if you just have a teeny tiny snack (there are 25 cal mini snack options)
-Have hope for at least a week--the next time you weigh yourself, it usually turns out much better
Don´t give up! You´ll learn a lot from all this! When you start losing weight again, and figure out what happened, you´ll feel very proud of yourself.
All in all, the doctor´s scale is not really what you should depend on. We usually go to the doctor at the worst time of day (late in the day, after you´ve eaten a ton, and drunk a lot of water) You should rely on the same scale you always use.

SunLove8

I agree with everyone else. There could be MANY explanations to the gain; however, don't give up! I know it's frusterating, for I went through a plateau and wanted to just give up but then I would have felt worse. Just keep up with staying within your calorie range, work out and if you are not seeing any changes within the next couple of weeks then I'd personally go see the Doc. Maybe shock your body by doing a more intense workout one day, take a day off, then does some strength training and then some circuit training.,...ect. Also Maybe eat your calorie allowance but then one or two days this week eat a couple hundred more. It'll come!!! :flowerforyou:

Sway

Yup it could be the scale thing. EVERY time I went to the Dr.s I was about 3-4 lbs more than my home scale was.

So after the Dr.s office, I remembered my weight and adjusted my scale to be the same.

My scale is set for about 4lbs more, just like you, and so I know it's more Dr. accurate.

I'm sure that's all it is, so although I completely understand your frustration, you should adjust your scale

30tips

Plus, the exercise is good for you regardless of whether you lose weight or not! So don´t give it up!

The only way for you to fail is to give up.

BillieRyanGreen

*Like*

DianaPowerUp

My weight has been back and forth so many times it's not even funny. Now I only weigh myself about 1x/mo, b/c those fluctuations (esp. for women) can make you lose hope. But keep at it, and the trend will be, over the long haul, that you will see a downward shift. More importanly, you'll be getting healthier. And that's a big reason to keep going, no matter what the scale says.

rwarren2

I encourage you to keep on going; it may seem like it's for nothing, but it is worth it in the end :-)

kartunes

We've all been there! Do not be discouraged, the important thing is you are being healthy and taking care of your body. If you are exercising regularly, you may have gained muscle mass instead which takes up less room in your body, but weighs more than fat. Just because you gained a few pounds, doesn't mean you haven't lost in inches! Try measuring your waist and other parts. Sometimes losing inches is as equally rewarding as losing weight.

arewethereyet

Keep a log and over the long run you will see this happens a lot along the way. I remember another member saying it frustrated him to see someone give up when the loss was right around the corner.

I lose very slowly, like 1/2 pound a week if lucky. So I can flux 1 up 1 down........and then BAM 2 gone.

The body is a wonderous machine. I hiked once for 3 days, eating good healthy foods the entire time. I thought "YES I will have dropped 5 pounds.!" NOPE I gained 7:noway: But my jeans were looser and I lost the weight a week later.

Dont give up!!

SueSee

All my weighins are at the Dr.'s: same scale. I'm always clothed, usually in my jeans and a shirt, no shoes. Usually I weigh in at noon, today it was 5:00. Not much to account for the gain. I've opened my food diary, if anyone wants to look.

Thanks for the encouragement.

30tips

Well, it looks like you are doing several things well--exercise, snacking, keeping your sodium within the recommended range, staying within your calories, recording the separate ingredients in your sandwiches, etc. I´m not sure if any of my questions will help, but I´m just brainstorming, so bear with me. Is there any reason your doctor should check thyroid or parathyroid hormones, just in case? Can you ask him what level of sodium he recommends for you? I´m asking just in case, because people that should have low sodium diet, should keep it at 1500. Not that you need a low sodium diet, who knows, it might be the opposite, you might NEED the 2500-level. I just noticed you are closer usually to the 2500 than not.
And next, is there any chance you might benefit from eating less at dinnertime? (The 3rd snack is after dinner, right? What if you had that third snack in the morning, instead, or early in the afternoon?) Just brainstorming.
Oh, and I´m not a doctor, or a nutritionist, by the way, so I´m not pretending to know about all that stuff...

beastmode_kitty

What time of the day did you go to the dr's office and how much did you eat and drink before hand? If you drank a lot of water and ate, your body hasn't had a chance to flush that all out yet, so it will give an inaccurate reading. I weight myself right when I wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom first. You have no food and no liquids in your stomach.

Sometimes we all hit a plateau, and usually the first bit of weight loss is in fact water weight, but don't let this discourage you! Take a look over your diary and see if you are going over your sodium levels. If you are (like me some days) then your body is going to retain water.

Whatever you decide to do, don't ever give up! If you have a scale at home, take a 5 pound weight and put it in every room of the house until the scale says 5 pounds. Leave the scale there and weigh yourself from there. I find the scales that dr's offices use very inaccurate.

I took a look at your diary and saw that over the past week there are days that you went over on sugar and fat. That could be a reason why you gained back some.

There are a number of factors that could have contributed to it. I know I was having that problem and still am, and are working hard to correct, but don't ever give up

PamDW

I think you might want to change up your numbers on your diet... you seem to be heavy on sugars and fat several times a week... look for proteins in a different manner that does not include fat... at this point in the weight loss game... there isnt much room for cheat meals.. avoid fried foods... fast food type things..
in the big scheme of things, plateaus ( for lack of a better word) are normal and can last days to months... it is perserverance and discipline. You have to decide what you want and why you want it.
I find what helps me is reading labels... It helps me to say no... "do I really want to put that in my body right now". I also will go on line to see what I can order healthy, before I go out to eat. Honestly, I dont even want to go out right now.
I am thinking for me, there will come a time where I can be more lenient on what I allow myself to eat, but I have to reach a level where I can still maintain the work I have done this far.

robertf57

Don't be discouraged. Re-examine how many calories you are attributing to your exercise. You may be way off on that estimate and thus going over on calories. Second, the first hundred yards doesn't determine a marathon. It could just be water weight gain, etc. stick to it, watch your calories and I'm confident you'll see results