Starting gaining weight back :(

davidjenny

Hello, my name is Jenny and I had lost about 16 pounds when I noticed I gained 4 pounds back! I have worked SO hard and am scared I will continue losing all that I've lost! I continue working out each day, although my eating I know could be better.

I have a big weight loss goal and need some encouragement. What have you done if this has happened to you?

head_in_rainbows

Whar about your measurement? Maybe you actiually put on muscles? You said that you work out every day.
But anyway, you should remember that weightloss actually in 70% happens in kitchen so if you can improve that than it would be a key.
Don't feel dicouraged.

AnitraSoto

Friend request sent...

jrutledge01

make your diary public

with that said, weight fluctuates. i weighed in at 256.8 this morning, currently at 262 - dont let a few pounds of water weight or whatever scare you

Graceious1

I actually gained a few pounds recently too then I looked at my diary for the last weeks and put it down to poor food choices (alcohol, high sugar and sodium) and an increase in exercise (weights and martial arts). I did, however, measure myself and found that I had lost inches around particular parts of my body (waist, arma, legs). For that one disappointment on the scale I can bet you that there are more non scale victories to speak about such as clothes feeling different on you. I have a size 14 dress I bought 12 years ago and when I wear it now it feels nice and loose on me. Please don't feel discouraged and feel free to add me as friend if you wish. I love sharing information and exchanging ideas.

Graceious1

Graceious1

I actually gained a few pounds recently too then I looked at my diary for the last weeks and put it down to poor food choices (alcohol, high sugar and sodium) and an increase in exercise (weights and martial arts). I did, however, measure myself and found that I had lost inches around particular parts of my body (waist, arma, legs). For that one disappointment on the scale I can bet you that there are more non scale victories to speak about such as clothes feeling different on you. I have a size 14 dress I bought 12 years ago and when I wear it now it feels nice and loose on me. Please don't feel discouraged and feel free to add me as friend if you wish. I love sharing information and exchanging ideas.

Graceious1

Lleldiranne

Watch your sodium as well as calories. I know that when I go over on my sodium I end up with a slight gain. It's pretty much water weight, though. I am also thinking I need to watch my sugars (not the natural fruit sugars, but added and refined sugars are not doing me any favors!) and see if that makes a difference.

walkdmc

What I've done and what I'd advise someone else to do are different.

What I've done....gained everything I lost plus.

What I would do if the same thing happened again.
1. Continue working out
2. write down an eating plan for a week and stick with it, clear tempting trigger foods out of sight/out of the house
3. drink water throughout the day and limit carbonated sugary drinks
4. get enough sleep even if it means giving up your favorite nighttime TV show (DVR it or watch it on Hulu).
5. stay off the scale for at least 2 weeks...hide the scale, give it to a good friend for safe keeping, just stay off it!!

Honestly, 4 pounds is peanuts. That could be water weight depending on the time of month. Don't give up. Even when you reach your goal weight a 4 pound fluctuation can be very normal.

Finally, if you trip and fall down a couple of steps do you get up and throw yourself down the rest of the stairs?

Sailatsorf

I agree with these folks - check your inches! Also, you may want to be aware of your time of the month... My weight fluctuates wildly around that time, usually from a day or two before up until a day or two after it's gone. I can gain 4 pounds overnight during that time of the month, but it always goes away after it's all over.

cchartzell

The only thing you can really do is pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep after it. It sounds like you know where you went wrong (with your nutrition), so focus on tightening up your diet and you will see results.

Minor fluctuations in your weight will be common, so I'd say don't let it trip you up. Just go harder after your goal and you'll get there.

clowdusc

This has definitely happened to me, I lost all the weight I wanted to and then I gained all of it back. I started my journey to lose it all again in January, and I'm about half way to where I want to be again.
I'm not sure what your diet is like, but with me the reason I gained all my weight back was because my diet wasn't something I could stick with. In January, I started to pay attention to myself. I was striving for a diet that could allow me to lose weight, but wasn't making me miss out on anything that I loved. Moderation is key, but one big thing that has changed for me are my connotations to food. I don't look at fast food the same anymore. I feel extremely guilty and gross after I eat it, same with junk food or anything generally unhealthy. Even without changing the connotations to food though, strive for a healthier lifestyle you can stick with. Start making simple changes that will lead to a bigger change. With me, I started with the flour I was using. I make almost everything homemade, by the way. Then, I cut out refined sugars. Next, I moderated my dairy intake - cheese was a main ingredient in all my foods, and that needed to stop. After that, I added more fruits and veggies to my diet. Now I'm focusing on cutting out meats, and adding more protein rich meat substitutions. I don't want to be completely vegetarian, but I find that I go over my protein, fat, and calorie intake a lot quicker with actual meats than I would if I were eating vegetarian substitutions. The changes I've gradually made have changed the way I look at food. I garden also, and the cost of food has made an impact on what I eat. A dollar cheeseburger might feed me for a meal, but that dollar could go toward something else that could last longer - such as a packet of seeds to grow tons more food, for example. What your stomach can handle will change too, but that change is the hardest in my opinion. I use to be able to eat ample amount of food, but now one little 200 calorie healthy snack makes me feel really full, and can get me through a few hours of the day instead of just ten minutes like before I started dieting. My cravings and reactions to food have changed as well. Eventually, I strive for a general healthy lifestyle, and I'm getting there.

Hope this helps

aschristy

My situation has been pretty similar. I spent the first few weeks here with scale barely moving. Then it dropped quickly, so that by the end of 10 weeks I had lost 14 lbs. (a bit faster than was my goal). A week after having a great weigh-in (I only weigh myself once a week, same time, same day), I was back up four pounds. This week, I had lost those four and am back to where I was two weeks ago.

It was depressing to see little movement or even reversals. But I'm also having a change of attitude. I'm paying less attention to the scale and more attention to changing habits and NSVs (non-scale victories). So while the scale hasn't been my constant friend, I have gone down a pant size and have started wearing a shirt that months ago I couldn't wear (for fear of bursting the buttons). NSV! I was a competitive swimmer when I was 6 through 18, but have never been able to get back into the pool in any sustained way since then. Yesterday, however, I completed the 5th week of an 8-week training program on Speedo Pace Club and I'm now swimming consistently and for twice the distance I had done at any point in the last 30 years. NSV! When tired I have always been drawn to bad snacking--chips and such--but now my snacks and my meals are mostly whole (not processed) foods that I prepare myself, with lots of vegetables and fruits of a wider variety than ever before. NSV!

In the past, when I heard that a safe pace to lose weight was about 1 lb. per week, I would feel depressed because while I was confident that I could sustain that through bouts of exercise over a period of two months or so, I was not at all sure that I could do it for longer. Eventually stresses in life and work would reassert their hold on me and I'd revert to bad habits. Durable weight loss seemed out of reach.

I began this with a goal of losing 50 lbs. by my 50th birthday (42 lbs. to go in 51 weeks). Now my goal with MFP (and a couple of other sites/apps I use) is to fundamentally and permanently change my lifestyle for the better. Using MFP helps me make very conscious decisions for health and fitness. My positive reinforcement doesn't come from the scale, it comes from reflecting on a day in which I made good decisions. For example, I had some errands to run in town and I did them on my bike rather than by car. That's a positive change! The foods I eat now are more healthy and, frankly, more tasty and more interesting. That's a positive change. My sons want to go to the beach! Let's go (and I'll ride the waves longer than they will)! That's a positive change. Family sitting around on a Saturday morning? I mobilize them to hop on their bikes and go with me to the local farmer's market where one son surprises a nearby woman by calling out to me, "This purslane tastes great! It would be awesome in a stir-fry with broccoli! And it has logs of omega-3!" That's a positive change!

My feeling now is that whatever the oscillations of the scale in the short term, if I change my lifestyle for the long run, the scale will eventually take care of itself. So I look for my positive reinforcements from daily life. I make a small change, stick with it, then add another. I find a category of change (food, for example) and play with it and challenge myself.

So as others have said in other threads, the scale is, more often than not, a source of frustration rather than positive feedback. I'd like to see a different kind of timeline available for those of us who are trying to lose weight without a destructive emphasis on lbs/kg/stones. I'd like a scale reflecting positive sustainable life changes.

ullgetthere

I totally agree with everyone here! The scale is nice to use from time to time but we can't depend on it oo much. I don't care what it says I am continuing my good work. Relying on the scale is the mistake I made the first time around and I will not do it again. I started writing down how I feel when I make good choices and go to the gym. Perhaps don't weight yourself every week, stick to every 2-3 weeks. I will start this myself. Something I learnt on these forums (like aschristy as mentioned ) is the NSV (non scale victories) and that means so much because these are choices that you have made and has resulted in a change of lifestyle.

Feel free to add me as s friend cause support is the number one motivation!

fairestthings

I don't see your diary so I'll just say this...

Salt and sugar and alcohol need to be cut. There's nothing wrong with eating a treat here or there, but here or there is not every day. Really look at your diary. I bet you can look back every day and see something you could've replaced with something else that was healthier. If that's the case, then fret no more Just make better food choices and drink more water.

zaph0d

go make a doody

srp2011

Sounds like you actually know the answer - you say your eating could be better, so eat better. Exercise alone won't lead to weight loss - you really can't outrun a bad diet. And if you go back to your old eating habits, you will gain the weight back - that's what led to the problem in the first place. So, eat better. Quite simple actually. No magic.

mariagabriella

would you be able to open up your diary?

it could just be water weight. TOM, too much salt, exercising too much (or too little)?

when did you start noticing the weight gain?

cj_ks

Hi there -

I've lost 7 pounds, but for the last week my weight has been flucuating a lot. I will be up 2 pounds, and then 4 days later down 2 back to a 7 pound lost!!

I feel your pain!! I guess this is why its a marathon, not a sprint!

I'm looking for new friends!! Anyone want to add me?? Feel free!!

Good luck to all!! Tomorrow is a new day!!

CJ

lovesbikes

- It is a positive sign that you are worried about your weight.
-People who weigh themselves regularly are more likely to loose weight that those who don't.

About gaining weight, if you lost it once you can loose it again. You have done it once I am confident you will be able to do it again.

mhoward685

I am right there with you. I have list 18# and now scale says up 4#. I work out daily and my measurements haven't changed. My TOM is late and is probably part of it but the truth is I stopped logging my food. It was like the energy to keep going left me even though I want to succeed. Maybe we can help and support each other? The fact that we are still exercising shows we haven't given up completely.

davidjenny

Wow, thank you everyone for your overwhelming support and encouragement. Many of you said support is the key. I am thankful for family and friends to hold me accountable and am thankful for all of your support! We will reach our goals TOGETHER!

MindyG150

I feel like I lost, gained, and lost again the same 4 pounds this month alone! Just get back on the right path and start moving!

cool_caz

a wise person said to me just a few days ago "...you can slow down but just don't stop". I apply that to everything now.
We all get stumped, sometimes complacent, sometimes lose interest and sometimes start thinking we can't keep this up. But we can and we do and we keep going!

louised88

This has definitely happened to me, I lost all the weight I wanted to and then I gained all of it back. I started my journey to lose it all again in January, and I'm about half way to where I want to be again.
I'm not sure what your diet is like, but with me the reason I gained all my weight back was because my diet wasn't something I could stick with. In January, I started to pay attention to myself. I was striving for a diet that could allow me to lose weight, but wasn't making me miss out on anything that I loved. Moderation is key, but one big thing that has changed for me are my connotations to food. I don't look at fast food the same anymore. I feel extremely guilty and gross after I eat it, same with junk food or anything generally unhealthy. Even without changing the connotations to food though, strive for a healthier lifestyle you can stick with. Start making simple changes that will lead to a bigger change. With me, I started with the flour I was using. I make almost everything homemade, by the way. Then, I cut out refined sugars. Next, I moderated my dairy intake - cheese was a main ingredient in all my foods, and that needed to stop. After that, I added more fruits and veggies to my diet. Now I'm focusing on cutting out meats, and adding more protein rich meat substitutions. I don't want to be completely vegetarian, but I find that I go over my protein, fat, and calorie intake a lot quicker with actual meats than I would if I were eating vegetarian substitutions. The changes I've gradually made have changed the way I look at food. I garden also, and the cost of food has made an impact on what I eat. A dollar cheeseburger might feed me for a meal, but that dollar could go toward something else that could last longer - such as a packet of seeds to grow tons more food, for example. What your stomach can handle will change too, but that change is the hardest in my opinion. I use to be able to eat ample amount of food, but now one little 200 calorie healthy snack makes me feel really full, and can get me through a few hours of the day instead of just ten minutes like before I started dieting. My cravings and reactions to food have changed as well. Eventually, I strive for a general healthy lifestyle, and I'm getting there.

Hope this helps

I love stories like these, I find them really inspiring! Thank you!

clowdusc

This has definitely happened to me, I lost all the weight I wanted to and then I gained all of it back. I started my journey to lose it all again in January, and I'm about half way to where I want to be again.
I'm not sure what your diet is like, but with me the reason I gained all my weight back was because my diet wasn't something I could stick with. In January, I started to pay attention to myself. I was striving for a diet that could allow me to lose weight, but wasn't making me miss out on anything that I loved. Moderation is key, but one big thing that has changed for me are my connotations to food. I don't look at fast food the same anymore. I feel extremely guilty and gross after I eat it, same with junk food or anything generally unhealthy. Even without changing the connotations to food though, strive for a healthier lifestyle you can stick with. Start making simple changes that will lead to a bigger change. With me, I started with the flour I was using. I make almost everything homemade, by the way. Then, I cut out refined sugars. Next, I moderated my dairy intake - cheese was a main ingredient in all my foods, and that needed to stop. After that, I added more fruits and veggies to my diet. Now I'm focusing on cutting out meats, and adding more protein rich meat substitutions. I don't want to be completely vegetarian, but I find that I go over my protein, fat, and calorie intake a lot quicker with actual meats than I would if I were eating vegetarian substitutions. The changes I've gradually made have changed the way I look at food. I garden also, and the cost of food has made an impact on what I eat. A dollar cheeseburger might feed me for a meal, but that dollar could go toward something else that could last longer - such as a packet of seeds to grow tons more food, for example. What your stomach can handle will change too, but that change is the hardest in my opinion. I use to be able to eat ample amount of food, but now one little 200 calorie healthy snack makes me feel really full, and can get me through a few hours of the day instead of just ten minutes like before I started dieting. My cravings and reactions to food have changed as well. Eventually, I strive for a general healthy lifestyle, and I'm getting there.

Hope this helps

I love stories like these, I find them really inspiring! Thank you!

You're very welcome Let me know if you need any more advice

joannbrunton

My situation has been pretty similar. I spent the first few weeks here with scale barely moving. Then it dropped quickly, so that by the end of 10 weeks I had lost 14 lbs. (a bit faster than was my goal). A week after having a great weigh-in (I only weigh myself once a week, same time, same day), I was back up four pounds. This week, I had lost those four and am back to where I was two weeks ago.

It was depressing to see little movement or even reversals. But I'm also having a change of attitude. I'm paying less attention to the scale and more attention to changing habits and NSVs (non-scale victories). So while the scale hasn't been my constant friend, I have gone down a pant size and have started wearing a shirt that months ago I couldn't wear (for fear of bursting the buttons). NSV! I was a competitive swimmer when I was 6 through 18, but have never been able to get back into the pool in any sustained way since then. Yesterday, however, I completed the 5th week of an 8-week training program on Speedo Pace Club and I'm now swimming consistently and for twice the distance I had done at any point in the last 30 years. NSV! When tired I have always been drawn to bad snacking--chips and such--but now my snacks and my meals are mostly whole (not processed) foods that I prepare myself, with lots of vegetables and fruits of a wider variety than ever before. NSV!

In the past, when I heard that a safe pace to lose weight was about 1 lb. per week, I would feel depressed because while I was confident that I could sustain that through bouts of exercise over a period of two months or so, I was not at all sure that I could do it for longer. Eventually stresses in life and work would reassert their hold on me and I'd revert to bad habits. Durable weight loss seemed out of reach.

I began this with a goal of losing 50 lbs. by my 50th birthday (42 lbs. to go in 51 weeks). Now my goal with MFP (and a couple of other sites/apps I use) is to fundamentally and permanently change my lifestyle for the better. Using MFP helps me make very conscious decisions for health and fitness. My positive reinforcement doesn't come from the scale, it comes from reflecting on a day in which I made good decisions. For example, I had some errands to run in town and I did them on my bike rather than by car. That's a positive change! The foods I eat now are more healthy and, frankly, more tasty and more interesting. That's a positive change. My sons want to go to the beach! Let's go (and I'll ride the waves longer than they will)! That's a positive change. Family sitting around on a Saturday morning? I mobilize them to hop on their bikes and go with me to the local farmer's market where one son surprises a nearby woman by calling out to me, "This purslane tastes great! It would be awesome in a stir-fry with broccoli! And it has logs of omega-3!" That's a positive change!

My feeling now is that whatever the oscillations of the scale in the short term, if I change my lifestyle for the long run, the scale will eventually take care of itself. So I look for my positive reinforcements from daily life. I make a small change, stick with it, then add another. I find a category of change (food, for example) and play with it and challenge myself.

So as others have said in other threads, the scale is, more often than not, a source of frustration rather than positive feedback. I'd like to see a different kind of timeline available for those of us who are trying to lose weight without a destructive emphasis on lbs/kg/stones. I'd like a scale reflecting positive sustainable life changes.