Day 3 - strange: gained weight last two days

douglerner

I recommitted myself to starting afresh on February 1. Now it's February 3. I know it's been only two full days, but I gained weight each day!

That's weird. Usually when I restart a diet there is some initial sudden weight loss.

But after 1 day my weight went up by 0.4 kg. And after day 2 it went up 0.2 kg. So on my 3rd day I'm 0.6 kg heavier than I was when I started!

I know with absolute certainty that I'm eating within my 1640 calorie/day limit.

Maybe my body is still utilizing excess food I ate from the day before I started my diet?

Strange.

doug

myopus

You have to give it more time than this! Your body is dealing with both brand new changes and getting out the old. Many on here report gain before loss; definitely not uncommon, just stay with it. Also, check out these links to motivate you:

Does your weight loss seem too slow?
Courtesy of MFPer RickMckc:
http://hussmanfitness.org/html/TSInsideOut.html

Why some of us experience a temporary INCREASE when starting out
Courtesy MFPer tangal88:
http://goo.gl/OL9JQ

eschwab855

Nobodys success in here is measured in days, not in weeks and some don't get there in months as I have 100 pounds to lose I am looking at a year at least you cant look at it in 2 days are you nuts

thickmomma0519

Maybe you're getting muscle. It weighs more than fat, so initially when you gain muscle you gain weight. But the muscle will cause your body to lose fat quicker. It kinds feeds off of it. Or maybe your scale is BUSTED... I've been through several simply because people in my house jump on it like it's a trampoline. These things are delicate...

douglerner

Thanks for your replies, people.

Here on Day 4 I did see a weight drop - and the drop was enough to make it a net weight loss of about 1/2 lb since starting, even with the gains the last few days.

Glad I didn't get discouraged and go crazy and switch to Atkins. I have to admit that yesterday in the supermarket I was really really really really tempted by this fried chicken dish with egg tartar sauce I've eaten before. But I resisted.

Thanks,

doug

clearvisions

IS YOUR CALORIE INTAKE TOO LOW? SOMETIMES THE BODY GOES INTO STARVATION MODE IF WE CUT CALORIES TOO MUCH. I ASKED MY CHIROPRACTOR WHY I WASNT' LOSING WEIGHT. HE SAID THE MOST COMMON REASON IS A NEED TO DETOX. THE LIVER HAS TO PROCESS THE FAT THAT'S BEING BURNED, AND IF IT'S OVER LOADED WITH OTHER JUNK, IT CAN'T. I REALLY LOATHE DETOX AND AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! BUT, I GOTTA DO WHAT I GOTTA DO I GUESS I CAN JUST LOOK AT IT AS A WAY TO GET HEALTHY. HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

douglerner

I think "starvation mode" is very difficult to get into. It definitely doesn't hit until you are substantially below 1,000 calories per day. I'm eating the recommended number of calories suggested here at the site by filling in my current weight, age, goal, etc.

Thanks,

doug

douglerner

I admit I might get discouraged too easily. But something is wrong. I've been on low-calorie diets enough times in the past to know that what's happening now is different.

Every single time in the past I've been on a consistent, journaled, keep-track-of-everything low-calorie diet in the past I *always* lost a good amount of weight the first week and then consistently lost weight every week thereafter, not running into any plateaus for at least a year.

Today is just day 5, but my weight's gone like this:

Day 1: 129.4 kg
Day 2: 129.8 kg
Day 3: 130.0. kg
Day 4: 129.2 kg
Day 5: 130.0 kg

So after 5 days I'm 0.6 kg higher than I was when I started. And I have definitely been measuring and counting calories accurately (I'm an expert on this after all these years!) and have definitely been sticking with under 1640 calories per day, which myfitnesspal recommended if I wanted to lose 2 lb/week.

Could it be that at 55 years old my metabolism has now slowed down SO much that even 1640 calories per day is too much to lose weight?

That would be seriously depressing.

doug

myopus

I wouldn't think so based on the success stories here. Bumping for you; hopefully someone with some ideas on this will see your thread.

lisawest

Don't freak out yet. A few things to consider: 1) are you weighing at the same time of day? 2) are you weighing in the buff or with clothes on? If with clothes, is it the same clothes? 3) have you used the restroom right before weighing each day? 4) have you had the EXACT same eating pattern each day? 5) how much water are you drinking?

Several reasons I ask these. For #1 it's because your weight fluctuates throughout the day. For #2 it is because different items of clothing weigh different amounts, even if they are both pairs of tighty-whiteys. For #3 it's, well, because both forms of waste have weight, might as well get rid of all that excess weight before weighing! For #4 it is because your body processes different foods at different speeds. What you eat and when you eat it will determine how much of it is left in your system when step on the scale. Last but not least, water. Water helps move the food waste through your body and on out.

Having given you all that to think about, my recommendation is to only step on the scale once a week. You are going to drive yourself crazy with the minor fluctuations caused by all of the things mentioned above. It takes your body at least a month before it begins to react to changes in your exercise program, so if you've changed that at the same time that you changed your eating you'll see some gain because of that.*** I suggest not stepping on the scale until day 8 again. Then stay off until day 15. After day 29, then you will have a better idea of what is actually going on. Oh, and yes your age may have something to do with it. As we age our metabolism slows, but MFP takes that into consideration when calculating your calories (thus why they ask your age). Stick with it, it works. (I lost 40lbs initially on MFP, but then fell off the wagon and got dragged behind it for awhile and gained 10 of those back. Now I've pulled myself back up on the wagon by my fingernails.)

You CAN do this. It won't be easy, and it will take time. But consider how long it took you to gain the extra weight. That didn't happen overnight, and losing it won't either.

***And the gain is NOT caused my muscle gain! It takes thousands of excess calories to create new muscle, so it is nearly impossible for the normal person to add muscle while in a calorie deficit. However, it IS possible to reactivate dormant muscle. When that happens, the muscles begin to store extra glycogen (and water to hold the glycogen) until they get a good idea of exactly how much is required for this new activity level. This usually lasts about a month. Typically. Drinking more water will help with this, but it'll still take time.