Really? I gained two pounds when I made my biggest effort

proudmommy1003

So last week I tried to eat the healthiest possible and exercised almost everyday. Well, the results are not what I expected
I gained two pounds, I wouldnt cared the extra pounds if I had lost inches but not even a centimeter.

I feel so discouraged :-(

LilacDreamer

you are aware that its most likely water weight, right?

do you monitor your sodium? I recommend that people stay within the 1500-1800 range. Also, if you strength train, your muscles retain fluid...hence, water weight.

glovepuppet

where are you in your cycle?

meshashesha2012

i know you're discouraged but think about it logically. it's just water weight. eventually the scale and measurements will catch up.

texastango

So last week I tried to eat the healthiest possible and exercised almost everyday. Well, the results are not what I expected
I gained two pounds, I wouldnt cared the extra pounds if I had lost inches but not even a centimeter.

I feel so discouraged :-(

Don't get discouraged. Both posters above make valid points. Truth is that it's hard to predict when your weight will go down. It does though. My Mom (after seeing my progress) began her journey. She became very discouraged when after three weeks her weight was the same. Then (for what ever reason) she got on the scale the next day after her last weigh in....and boom. Two pounds down. She didn't believe the scale....so she got on it again a few days later. Same result.

Sometimes it's water weight and sodium intake does have a lot to do with that. Other times, it's other factors. I would also recommend not eating back all of the calories burned in exercise. I've been doing that for six months and I've been as much as one thousand calories or more below.....but yet have remained exactly the same weight. That's because MFP may over estimate calories burned or we may underestimate calories consumed. Just keep at it. Friend me if you need support!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Orient_Charm

Hi,
Give your self more time, and please note that those case happend to everyone have diet, for many resone your scale could tell you (you have gained ) while the real case is ( lose ) may be ( water weight - dinner of yesterday weight........) but it can not be ( fat weight ).....
I think your scale will pay for your biggest effort, just give your self some time.....

meerkat70

you are aware that its most likely water weight, right?

do you monitor your sodium? I recommend that people stay within the 1500-1800 range. Also, if you strength train, your muscles retain fluid...hence, water weight.

I agree it's almost certainly water weight (your mucles retain water as part of their self-healing process after exercise). But what are you basing the recommendation of 1500-1800 on? Seems a bit arbitrary.

proudmommy1003

Water weight?
Huh? Never thought of that... I'm also a breastfeeding mom and somebody told me that sometimes if baby is going through a growth spurt I'm mostly to retain fluids too.

I'm really lost. I should read more about general diet first and what I should expect when starting one.

proudmommy1003

where are you in your cycle?

What do you mean?

LilacDreamer

you are aware that its most likely water weight, right?

do you monitor your sodium? I recommend that people stay within the 1500-1800 range. Also, if you strength train, your muscles retain fluid...hence, water weight.

I agree it's almost certainly water weight (your mucles retain water as part of their self-healing process after exercise). But what are you basing the recommendation of 1500-1800 on? Seems a bit arbitrary.

It's hardly arbitrary. The MFP sodium goal is entirely too high. Do a little research on sodium. Your body does not need more than 1500mg of sodium. I say 1500-1800 because some people freak out about 1500 and feel better about 1800. Once you go above that, water retention is inevitable, and it can take a few days for it to subside.

LilacDreamer

Water weight?
Huh? Never thought of that... I'm also a breastfeeding mom and somebody told me that sometimes if baby is going through a growth spurt I'm mostly to retain fluids too.

I'm really lost. I should read more about general diet first and what I should expect when starting one.

you aren't on a diet. you're changing your lifestyle. so stop looking at it as a day to day thing, and start looking at it from a new perspective.

and your cycle refers to your menstrual cycle...

proudmommy1003

So last week I tried to eat the healthiest possible and exercised almost everyday. Well, the results are not what I expected
I gained two pounds, I wouldnt cared the extra pounds if I had lost inches but not even a centimeter.

I feel so discouraged :-(

Don't get discouraged. Both posters above make valid points. Truth is that it's hard to predict when your weight will go down. It does though. My Mom (after seeing my progress) began her journey. She became very discouraged when after three weeks her weight was the same. Then (for what ever reason) she got on the scale the next day after her last weigh in....and boom. Two pounds down. She didn't believe the scale....so she got on it again a few days later. Same result.

Sometimes it's water weight and sodium intake does have a lot to do with that. Other times, it's other factors. I would also recommend not eating back all of the calories burned in exercise. I've been doing that for six months and I've been as much as one thousand calories or more below.....but yet have remained exactly the same weight. That's because MFP may over estimate calories burned or we may underestimate calories consumed. Just keep at it. Friend me if you need support!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Thanks for the support. Today I started again my exercise routine and I'll hide the scale for a couple of weeks (I'm getting addicted to it). I hope to see results after a month...

Umeboshi

You're not going to see any real results after only a week, especially not inches.
The 2 pound gain is probably water weight, constipation, or the result of weighing at a different time of day.

xxxMumof2xxx

Water weight?
Huh? Never thought of that... I'm also a breastfeeding mom and somebody told me that sometimes if baby is going through a growth spurt I'm mostly to retain fluids too.

I'm really lost. I should read more about general diet first and what I should expect when starting one.

you aren't on a diet. you're changing your lifestyle. so stop looking at it as a day to day thing, and start looking at it from a new perspective.

and your cycle refers to your menstrual cycle...

Changing your lifestyle, what a good way of looking at it!

proudmommy1003

where are you in your cycle?

I had a baby 7 months ago and I'm still breastfeeding. I guess I wont have a menstrual cycle until I stop breastfeeding.

proudmommy1003

You're not going to see any real results after only a week, especially not inches.
The 2 pound gain is probably water weight, constipation, or the result of weighing at a different time of day.

I weight every monday morning before eating and used to lose 1/2 lb every week. Maybe that's why I'm so paranoid.
I don't know why I'm so addicted to the scale

xxxMumof2xxx

Remember that too much exercise can cause your milk to dry up.

meshashesha2012

So last week I tried to eat the healthiest possible and exercised almost everyday. Well, the results are not what I expected
I gained two pounds, I wouldnt cared the extra pounds if I had lost inches but not even a centimeter.

I feel so discouraged :-(

Don't get discouraged. Both posters above make valid points. Truth is that it's hard to predict when your weight will go down. It does though. My Mom (after seeing my progress) began her journey. She became very discouraged when after three weeks her weight was the same. Then (for what ever reason) she got on the scale the next day after her last weigh in....and boom. Two pounds down. She didn't believe the scale....so she got on it again a few days later. Same result.

Sometimes it's water weight and sodium intake does have a lot to do with that. Other times, it's other factors. I would also recommend not eating back all of the calories burned in exercise. I've been doing that for six months and I've been as much as one thousand calories or more below.....but yet have remained exactly the same weight. That's because MFP may over estimate calories burned or we may underestimate calories consumed. Just keep at it. Friend me if you need support!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Thanks for the support. Today I started again my exercise routine and I'll hide the scale for a couple of weeks (I'm getting addicted to it). I hope to see results after a month...

definitely hide the scale. i've been doing everything right but have only lost about 4 pounds since a month ago. meanwhile i've lost a pant size and about 10 inches. i figure eventually the scale will catch up

xxxMumof2xxx

You're not going to see any real results after only a week, especially not inches.
The 2 pound gain is probably water weight, constipation, or the result of weighing at a different time of day.

I weight every monday morning before eating and used to lose 1/2 lb every week. Maybe that's why I'm so paranoid.
I don't know why I'm so addicted to the scale

Yeah, I think you are. Give yourself a break and remember baby is only 7 months old. My son is one and I have only just started dieting. Your body will be holding the weight for feeding baby.

proudmommy1003

Remember that too much exercise can cause your milk to dry up.

Thanks for pointing that out...
And yes, I was afraid of that at the begging and didnt exercised until he was 6 months. The thing is sometimes I feel like I blame it on the breastfeeding thing for not exercising. I think I'm not doing to much though

MSxJENNY

That happened to me before, I didn't lose any weight for 2 weeks! (well... I didn't eat super healthy but didn't eat bad either) my trainer told me that I need to drink a gallon of water everyday. When I don't lose weight & get frustrated, I would add something to my diet like making a green drink by blending all my greens & drinking it because it's easier to drink than eat all my greens. Try doing different things.

proudmommy1003

That's why I love mfp I get feedback right away.

Thank you all for the support. Eventually I hope to post my good reasults!!!
and Yes! I'm hiding my scale...

meerkat70

you are aware that its most likely water weight, right?

do you monitor your sodium? I recommend that people stay within the 1500-1800 range. Also, if you strength train, your muscles retain fluid...hence, water weight.

I agree it's almost certainly water weight (your mucles retain water as part of their self-healing process after exercise). But what are you basing the recommendation of 1500-1800 on? Seems a bit arbitrary.

It's hardly arbitrary. The MFP sodium goal is entirely too high. Do a little research on sodium. Your body does not need more than 1500mg of sodium. I say 1500-1800 because some people freak out about 1500 and feel better about 1800. Once you go above that, water retention is inevitable, and it can take a few days for it to subside.

Ah, you're talking sodium. I thought you meant cals!

(That said, if you're doing heavy exercise, that salt level's a bit low.... long distance runners need more, for instance, and there's a lot of individual variation in salt replacement needs. so yeah, it's still kind of an arbitrary recommendation. )

xxxMumof2xxx

My milk was a pain, if I didn't eat well etc there wouldn't be enough. I still managed to put weight on though. Typical! I'm sure tie water and nothing else. Try weighing 2 weekly or monthly. If you aren't very heavy to start it will come off slower. The bigger you are the faster it comes off at the start.

Orient_Charm

Water weight?
Huh? Never thought of that... I'm also a breastfeeding mom and somebody told me that sometimes if baby is going through a growth spurt I'm mostly to retain fluids too.

I'm really lost. I should read more about general diet first and what I should expect when starting one.

Look.......
I will be very prife,.......what ever you have done to lose weight, the curve of losing weight will not smoothly go down, at some point it will go up......but the overall is going down.

meerkat70

OP - your confusion about water weight.

There are 2 potential sources for water retention - variation in water weight as a result of your menstrual cycle, and water retention as part of the muscles' healing process after exercise. As I said earlier, if you're working out more, the latter is likely to be your culprit.

When you work out, you get microscopic tears in your muscles. Healing these is how muscles 'grow' and strengthen. The process requires water retention (and one of the chemicals needed in the healing process is hydrophilic).

Orient_Charm

Water weight?
Huh? Never thought of that... I'm also a breastfeeding mom and somebody told me that sometimes if baby is going through a growth spurt I'm mostly to retain fluids too.

I'm really lost. I should read more about general diet first and what I should expect when starting one.

you aren't on a diet. you're changing your lifestyle. so stop looking at it as a day to day thing, and start looking at it from a new perspective.

and your cycle refers to your menstrual cycle...

Like....

Athena98501

where are you in your cycle?

I had a baby 7 months ago and I'm still breastfeeding. I guess I wont have a menstrual cycle until I stop breastfeeding.

I'm not sure that's typical (didn't happen to me, or anyone I know). I would check whether it's a side effect of your birth control, and if not, consult your doctor.

summer8it

where are you in your cycle?

I had a baby 7 months ago and I'm still breastfeeding. I guess I wont have a menstrual cycle until I stop breastfeeding.

I'm not sure that's typical (didn't happen to me, or anyone I know). I would check whether it's a side effect of your birth control, and if not, consult your doctor.

It is completely normal and natural for a woman's cycles not to resume while she is breastfeeding. The body is smart - while the baby is still making a lot of demands on the mother's body (it takes a LOT of calories to make milk for an exclusively breastfed baby) it is natural not to ovulate, because the body simply doesn't have the resources to support both a breastfeeding baby and a pregnancy. I nursed my son until he was 18 months, and didn't get my cycle back until he was almost a year.

Of course, everyone is different, and some women get their cycles back almost immediately after giving birth. But for most women who breastfeed, it takes quite a while for cycles to resume.

summer8it

...and I totally forgot the other point I wanted to make!

Proudmommy, I've heard from a lot of other moms that it was hard for them to lose weight while they were nursing... their bodies seemed to want to hold on to some extra weight as insurance, I suppose. Be careful about cutting your calories too drastically. I don't think MFP is set up to take nursing into account when setting a calorie goal. If I was in your shoes, I'd focus more on making sure I chose quality food over junk and getting exercise. Listen to your body, and if you are hungry, eat! Your body is working hard to feed your child.

proudmommy1003

...and I totally forgot the other point I wanted to make!

Proudmommy, I've heard from a lot of other moms that it was hard for them to lose weight while they were nursing... their bodies seemed to want to hold on to some extra weight as insurance, I suppose. Be careful about cutting your calories too drastically. I don't think MFP is set up to take nursing into account when setting a calorie goal. If I was in your shoes, I'd focus more on making sure I chose quality food over junk and getting exercise. Listen to your body, and if you are hungry, eat! Your body is working hard to feed your child.

Thanks for the input!

My doctor told me that as well. She said she bf her 3 kids and didnt get her period until she stopped. Also told me that body holds onto the last pounds as a reserve for milk supply. I didn't want to believe but I think is true now. It's getting so hard to lose the last 10 lbs...