Does this happen to anyone else

I find even though I am on my 1200 calorie target each day, if I eat anything like bread or potatoes or anything high in carbs I gain 5 lbs over night. If I am maintaining my calorie intake why does my weight go up so much over night. It is very frustrating does anyone else have this issue.

Replies

  • Kristan_Forsey
    Kristan_Forsey Posts: 103 Member
    Water retention. If I eat no meat one day and instead have black bean and corn or something I weighat least 3 lbs more the next day. The following day it is gone though.
  • jak1958
    jak1958 Posts: 82 Member
    It's likely water weight - when we eat starchy carbs our bodies store glycogen and water in muscles, etc. ... just remember it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat... so you know it's not fat :)

    Hope this helps ...
  • dovek11
    dovek11 Posts: 94 Member
    Consider the word ...carboHYDRATE..... "carbs" help hold water in our body. But water weight gain is only temporary.
  • FelicityEliza36
    FelicityEliza36 Posts: 252 Member
    So.... it seems like what you all are saying is that Carbs cause you to hold water. So is that why most people cut out their carbs? Is this something that I should do? I was currently on a 5 week plateau only 2 months in and have only lost 10 lbs. I think this might be my issue. I am just so sad to give up carbs lol
  • skimbrough28
    skimbrough28 Posts: 21 Member
    I noticed the same thing and its very frustrating because I don't even buy things like bread, potatoes,corn, or pop anymore. So, if I have something from those categories while I'm out of my house and within my calorie intake, I feel normal as long as I'm tracking. NOT SO! I drank my first pop in over a month and a half at the end of last week and gained 1.7 pounds overnight. I've been tracking it all, but it is very ,very frustrating. I'm starting to wonder if eating /drinking those things occasionally is doing more harm than keeping them in my diet, but in small amounts. For all of the people that believe I should cut those things out of my life forever, I try to be realistic with my new eating habits and weight loss. I can't promise I'm never going to eat or drink sugar, flour,bread, corn, etc for the rest of my life. But I can cut them down in my diet, refuse to purchase them and bring them into my home , to cut down how much I'm ingesting from those categories.
  • Yes I am the same way, and I am going away for 4 days this week eeeek.. I do not eat sugar but I watch what it is in and I cut out carbs and then had some what a shocker lol it comes on I put on 10 lbs in 2 days once and I was still on my 1200 calories so I guess carbs do not agree with me, back to none of those I go Thanks everyone it makes sense now, I just wish it would fall off as quick as it came on lol
  • slimsdown
    slimsdown Posts: 122 Member
    omg this has sooooooo happened to me!!! friday scales said i lost 5 lb, then this weekend went to bbq and had bread rolls now scales say i have not lost any weight!! was very upset after all my hard work,

    makes sense now...... bread is the enemy!!!!
  • jagar07
    jagar07 Posts: 266 Member
    So.... it seems like what you all are saying is that Carbs cause you to hold water. So is that why most people cut out their carbs? Is this something that I should do? I was currently on a 5 week plateau only 2 months in and have only lost 10 lbs. I think this might be my issue. I am just so sad to give up carbs lol
    I find that I need the carbs for fuel, personally. But what I do is I cut it out of two thirds of my diet. I found that even cutting back really helped me. Hope this helps :flowerforyou:
  • Carbs are something that you should only really eat in moderation after exercise -not a casual walk, but a workout, etc. My PT has given me a new rule of 'no carbs' after 6pm. He says, your body doesn't need them after this time and your metabolism slows itself before sleep, so they become unneccessary calories. Instead, aim for lean proteins like chicken and fish, with a salad or steamed vegetables -no white potato though. And don't forget a small portion of healthy fats to help your body absorb the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

    My carbs are only really in concentration at breakfast, and then a small amount with lunch -as part of the grains/fibre required.

    On a side note, sugar is worse than fat people! It truly is a sweet poison. The only sugar our bodies need are those naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Avoid it like the plague! I've been junk food free for almost two months and I've lost over 10kg :happy: (about 22 pounds) since I began my new lifestyle 10 weeks ago. (It took a couple weeks to get off the junk food!)

    Two of the reasons that protein is so talked about is because 1-it has a high thermogenic effect, meaning our bodies burn around 30% of the proteins calories breaking it down, and 2-it's exactly what our muscles need, among other things.
  • mikeschratz
    mikeschratz Posts: 253 Member
    Add sodium to your diary. It looks like you might be taking in quite a bit of sodium, which will make your numbers skyrocket in a day! Just a thought!
  • mistyblue666 - who told you to go on a 1200cal diet? Unless you do no exercise, 1200cal is very restrictive. Having too few calories every day can further slow your metabolism, meaning it will take even longer to lose weight.
  • My Dr told me 1200 and sodium should be under 2500 mg a day I try and stay under that, which is only one teaspoon, and since everything contains salt I watch very carefully I thought I wasn't having much sodium at all I will have to go over my diary and check, Thanks for all the great advice
  • skinnyone2012
    skinnyone2012 Posts: 88 Member
    After reading this thread, I felt I needed to comment about the use of the word "carbs". I have been on Paleo for 2+ weeks now and havent had any white potatoes, noodles, or anything made with grain, sugar, etc. Yet I am getting lots of carbs. Im not going to get on a soapbox here but we have to realise a carb is not a carb. Yes we have to give up breads, and white potatoes, but we can have veggies, and limited fruits. Make your carbs count.
  • Add sodium to your diary. It looks like you might be taking in quite a bit of sodium, which will make your numbers skyrocket in a day! Just a thought!

    THIS! i eat carbs at basically every meal. i love bread, and corn and potatoes. as long as they fit in my calorie goal (of 1200) they go in my mouth. BUT sodium is the real enemy. if you are eating a lot of sodium and not getting enough water to flush it out, you will gain gain gain. as per the scale. if i eat stir fry with a lot of teryaki, i will weigh several pounds more the next day. and that is without bread and potatoes.

    it takes 3500 calories to equal a pound. so a 250 calorie roll does not infact make you gain several pounds for real.
  • acawle00
    acawle00 Posts: 28 Member
    Might want to consider a gluten allergy/intolerance. Also, if you cut carbs out completely like on Atkins, you will gain and a lot when you go back to them. I lost about 20 pounds cutting out carbs the month before my wedding, then promptly gained 35 pounds over the 3 months after my wedding. I still eat carbs just not as many as i would like. ive also heard not eating carbs after lunch will help-i just cant manage to give up dessert!!
  • Sure it does. Carbs are needed in our diet...there are good carbs and bad carbs...figuring out which ones are good is paramount. For example, a small potato is good for you, brown rice, whole wheat pasta etc. When you do eat these things, be careful to watch sodium content of the product and increase your water intake for the day. Hope this helps! :happy:
  • Just portion control is KEY!!.. Carbs after lunch is fine...in moderation of course. Moderation is the key in all of this. Cutting out carbs is NEVER a good idea. You will lose the weight you want, but put it back on and then some even quicker. WATER>>WATER>>WATER!!
  • NOOOO!!! Do not cut your carbs!!! Your body needs carbs as fuel...for example, the "good carbs" you need to re-fuel after a workout...like a grill chicken pita sandwich. You should always put a carb/fuel back into your body after a workout. Carbs after 7..no. I totally agree. All meals and snacks should be done by then because your body is in or going into rest mode and you don't want calories just sitting there. Increase your water intake and lower your sodium intake.
  • There are "good" carbs, which your body needs as FUEL and "bad" carbs which your body stores as fat.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    So.... it seems like what you all are saying is that Carbs cause you to hold water. So is that why most people cut out their carbs? Is this something that I should do? I was currently on a 5 week plateau only 2 months in and have only lost 10 lbs. I think this might be my issue. I am just so sad to give up carbs lol

    Personally, I am trying to just find something that is sustainable for the rest of my life. You could cut the carbs and lose some water weight, but it won't help you in the long term unless you plan on staying low carb.
  • MrsPackrat
    MrsPackrat Posts: 1 Member
    I think this happens to most of us. Love those carbohydrates, but oh what they do to us.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    NOOOO!!! Do not cut your carbs!!! Your body needs carbs as fuel...for example, the "good carbs" you need to re-fuel after a workout...like a grill chicken pita sandwich. You should always put a carb/fuel back into your body after a workout. Carbs after 7..no. I totally agree. All meals and snacks should be done by then because your body is in or going into rest mode and you don't want calories just sitting there. Increase your water intake and lower your sodium intake.


    I tend to eat carbs before the workout, then protein and glutamine after the workout. The carbs give me energy for the workout, then the protein helps my body repair the muscles I exercised. FWIW. :smile: