Is it Possible to Gain 4 lbs in 1 Weekend???

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Deev79
Deev79 Posts: 74 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I just started MFP on July 1 and I was so pleased to lose 7 lb in just a month!! We had a great couple of days planned with friends last weekend and I did a little cheating...FOUR POUNDS WORTH!! I was so happy Sat & Sun mornings when I stepped on the scale and it was staying low. But come Monday morning, I about passed out to see I had GAINED 4 pounds in just 3 days. It took 29 days to get 7 pounds off, and 3 days to gain over half back. SO unfair!!!

So my question is...could I have really been that bad to gain 4 pounds of fat back in such a short amount of time? Or do you think it's water weight or something?? Advice!!?? Now I'm feeling really sick about it and somewhat unmotivated. If so much hard work can be undone in such a short amount of time, then what's the point???
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Replies

  • lanamilo
    lanamilo Posts: 15
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    I'd guess water weight is most of it- probably from excess sodium consumed. Just be good for a few days, drink extra water and I'll bet you see the pounds come off again quickly.
  • AliDarling
    AliDarling Posts: 373
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    it could be your sodium intake too. becareful with salty snacks and water weight could explain it
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
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    No I wouldnt think that would be fat..probably just water. Jump back on and it will come off :-)
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    It might not be from salt, check how much carb rich food you're having. You could easily have built up glycogen stores too. The diet plan I follow calls for low carb during the week and high carb on the weekend, Monday morning I come in weighing about 5lbs heavier usually.
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
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    sounds like water weight IMO I would up my water drinking and weigh again in a few days and bet it comes right off
  • Mommyof3texans
    Mommyof3texans Posts: 347
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    This just happened to a friend of mine and it was gone plus some in four days. Most of it is likely water weight from too much sodium and will come right back off after a few days of being back on track and drinking lots of water!
  • Justcallmejenny
    Justcallmejenny Posts: 92
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    I did it too, just two weeks ago. Don't get discouraged..just get back on track. This morning on the scale the 4lbs are gone. Good luck and don't give up! :drinker:
  • Gettinfit2
    Gettinfit2 Posts: 254 Member
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    Only if you ate about 14,000 more calories than you needed, otherwise it is probably water weight.
  • ♥♥YoungMrs♥♥
    ♥♥YoungMrs♥♥ Posts: 178
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    i think it takes something like 3500 cals to gain a lb of fat..so sodium is probably your culprit
  • footballmom2000
    footballmom2000 Posts: 15 Member
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    I just gained 8lbs myself in two weeks and lost 4 of it already in two days. Don't be discouraged the weight will come right off.
  • retta515
    retta515 Posts: 3 Member
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    This happens to me. My husband would tell me that it was water weight because it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound. I finally believe this myself. I have been using MFP since January and have lost 24 lbs. Of course, I have really ramped up the exercise and that is a big reason that I was so successful. Alcohol, carbs, and some foods, like pork or ham (maybe it's the salt) are real culprits for me, but I find if I "get back on the horse" I can bring the weight down to where it was in 2 or 3 days with just my typical dieting and not starving myself or extra exercise.

    Good luck!:happy:
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
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    Don't stress it. Your body has normal fluctuations in weight. This one could be caused by several reasons as folks have mentioned. Excess sodium/lack of proper hydration can cause water weight gain and this tends to happen naturally once a month anyway, ehem. Someone mentioned carbs, which is a possibility. It could also be waste that's built up in your system and just hasn't moved yet, ehem. If this is the case, why has waste built up in your system?

    Either way, don't stress it. This too, shall pass. Just evaluate what could be causing this.
  • Rynatat
    Rynatat Posts: 807 Member
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    Sodium can wreak havock on a diet (I use that term as in food choices for a lifestyle change, not a diet since it's a word that has the word "die" in it!).
    Make sure you're monitoring sodium as well as protein & fiber - add extra water into those days you may eat/drink more than usual (we're all human & enjoy celebrating with friends & family) and I also like to add xtra cardio for a couple days after to help remind my body it needs to work at this journey, it's not just along for the ride.

    Congrats on your first loss, do not be discouraged as this is a lifestyle change - your body needs time to adjust to the change and there will be hills, slopes, mountains & cliffs on this journey. Just know that others are there with you, have traveled these roads (some of us a time or two!) and know there are rest stops before you can continue. :flowerforyou:
  • derynb
    derynb Posts: 22 Member
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    For a start....DO NOT get on the scales more than once a week at the most, its crazy getting on them every day as your weight fluctuates quite dramatically over the space of a week depending on your activites and your fluid intake etc. Focus on the positve, you have lost 2 lb in a month, THATS GREAT and 2 lb that you don't have to carry around any more. Its much better to loose weight slowly as its more likely to stay off....keep up the good work !!
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
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    Dont stress, just be mindfull...:) Give it a week or less...drink lots of water.it will go away. :)
  • CaptainMFP
    CaptainMFP Posts: 440 Member
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    Most likely culprit is water retention brought about by either too little water, too much sodium, too much of something else (e.g. excess sugar (i.e. carbs...they all become sugars when they enter the blood and glycogen is just a glucose polymer)) dissolved in the blood, or some combination thereof causing osmotic concentration of the blood to be high and therefore water to be retained. Watch sodium carefully and make sure to take in lots of water over the following days and you'll erase it quickly.
  • Deev79
    Deev79 Posts: 74 Member
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    Okay, thanks everybody... so I guess I'm clueless here. What should be my max sodium intake per day??
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
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    It is water weight. You would have had to consumed 14,000 calories! Just get back on track with your plan. :)
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    To put it in perspective, 4 lbs of fat would be about 14,000 calories (since 1 lb of fat contains 3500 calories). I really doubt you went over by that much in 2 day. So chances are it's not fat.

    There are about 1800 calories in a lb of carbs (I got this from 4 cal/g and 454 g/lb), so even if that weight was carbs (ie glycogen stores as suggested), that would be 7200 calories extra in 2 days. That's still a lot, you probably didn't get that much extra.

    16 oz (1 pint) of water is 1 lb. So 4 pints (or 1/2 gallon) would be 4 lbs. Is it possible you retained this much because of sodium, etc? I don't know - probably. Much more likely, IMO.

    So I agree, don't stress it. Watch your diet this week, especially sodium, and drink extra water. Also exercise regularly, that can help, too.
  • 707janette
    707janette Posts: 77 Member
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    I gained 10 pounds in 12 hours. I ate 8 chicken dogs that were only 45 calories each but had tons and tons of sodium. It was a very hot day and I was at the lake and drank many bottles of water. I was playing volleyball in the water and everything. So I got more exercise than usual. But 24 hours after that very freeky weigh in I was actually down a pound. It was all water weight.

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