Screw this!

albayin

what has always gotten me through weight fluctuations is this......


"Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."

Very informative. Learning...

Amber82479

I'm so sorry trekkie. I know how unbelievably demotivating and frustrating that is. A couple of things... First, measure and weigh everything that goes in your mouth (unless it's packaged in a single serve size). Second, get lots of fluids. Third, find the article on this site that talks about weight gain in the first couple of weeks. It talks about muscle tearing, which causes inflammation in the tissues and keeps fluid in the body. This should start to go away after the first few weeks and you'll start to see a loss. Finally, have you been to the doctor? Could it be a thyroid issue? I hope you find the strength to stay on the wagon and keep going. I know how frustrating it is (I did P90X, counted calories and ran 6 days/week for 13 weeks before my wedding and saw virtually NO change!) but ya just gotta keep on fighting! We're all in it with you and pulling for you. *hugs*

albayin

I know from my own experience that when adding exercise, everything becomes more complicated. But dieting alone (by which I mean simply counting calories and protein intake) I was much more successful. Do you want to try just for a couple of weeks by just watching the calories, nothing else? I like this way; it keeps everything simple.

jg627

I know from my own experience that when adding exercise, everything becomes more complicated. But dieting alone (by which I mean simply counting calories and protein intake) I was much more successful. Do you want to try just for a couple of weeks by just watching the calories, nothing else? I like this way; it keeps everything simple.

that's what I did for my first month. It gives you encouragement to see the scale go down.

kathyaslade

Did you get your thyroid checked? there are medical reasons why people gain weight, when they are doing things right. I have thyroid issues and struggle to lose weight, most people do not understand it.

ejohndrow

Did you get your thyroid checked? there are medical reasons why people gain weight, when they are doing things right. I have thyroid issues and struggle to lose weight, most people do not understand it.

At 5'4" and 154 lbs she's 10lbs less than I am. I seriously doubt it's a thyroid problem, just a matter of lifestyle change. Trekkiebeth isn't fat at all, but perhaps just wants to get toned and healthy-understandable of course but I doubt it's anything medical. (About a year ago it seemed I couldn't lose weight to save my life-I saw a dr and he said he'd do a test but it seemed I just wasn't eating right, you know what? He was right all it took was switching to natural foods and the weight came off more easily-and then my dumbas$ started eating unhealthy again). Stick with healthy food and you'll see an improvement.

ninerbuff

I've been watching what I eat and working out regularly for 2 weeks now and I'm gaining weight faster than ever. If working out makes me gain weight, then I'm just going to stop.

And don't tell me it's muscle because you don't gain pounds of muscle after 2 weeks of cardio and a couple exercise DVDs.

If you guessed that I just got off the scale and cried for 5 minutes before posting this, you'd be right.

I'm qualified to tell you that the normal response upon taking up exercise is that for a week or two you'll gain weight (not tons) but for some, enough to discourage them. It's totally NORMAL. Your body is compensating by storing glycogen and water in your muscles cells. Glycogen for energy for the next workouts, and water for repair.
Patience is what it takes. Throw out your scale if you live/die by it. It will be your downfall if you can't handle the natural fluctuations.
And here's some tough love.................what do you get by quitting? More disappointment because while you can lose weight without exercise, you'll have flabby muscles, a lower metabolic rate, and you'll stall faster.
Get back up, brush yourself off and take it on the chin. You'll get results if you stay consistent.

Ruby11222

I've heard strenuous exercise causes the muscles themselves to retain water.