GAINED WEIGHT! PANIC! SOS!

whitann
whitann Posts: 11
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Ever since I started dieting (3 weeks ago) I have been weighing myself on a scale at work. The first time I weighed in I was 186 (OK, fine). The next week I gained 5 pounds, this week I gained 6 pounds!!!! What the HELL?
I have been eating healthy, drinking water, 1500 calories a day! What is wrong? Do I need to be exercising more?

PLEASE! SOMEONE EXPLAIN! I AM DESPERATE FOR ANSWERS.
Maybe my body is holding on to the weight, or my cycle, I don't get it.

Replies

  • jacobjclemens
    jacobjclemens Posts: 1 Member
    what are your sodium levels at? If you are getting too much you will retain water. Diet sodas have a ton of sodium in them. Sometimes knowing you calories isn't enough.
  • cc_campbell81
    cc_campbell81 Posts: 622
    Without looking at your log it's hard to tell. Maybe you should buy a scale for home, the one you are using could be wrong. They don't cost much.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    what are your sodium levels at? If you are getting too much you will retain water. Diet sodas have a ton of sodium in them. Sometimes knowing you calories isn't enough.

    I wish people would stop saying diet soda has a TON of sodium in it. They don't. For an entire can of Diet coke there is only 40 mg. That's nothing. Read your labels people.
  • katie980
    katie980 Posts: 24
    Also, this might be too simple, but could it be what clothes/shoes you're wearing at the time? I like to weigh myself at home so I can minimize the clothes factor. Also, a lot of it could be water weight. If you drank 2 glasses of water right before you weighed yourself, it'll make you heavier. One last thought--I've read an article recently that said that if you've been in "starvation mode" so that your metabolism is super slow, then the first few (2-4) weeks of eating healthily it's typical to gain 5-10 pounds. Then, once your body's metabolism goes back up, the weight starts coming off. Stick with it!
  • mirandam1076
    mirandam1076 Posts: 39
    Ya know that "bad *kitten*" guy that drove you crazy in H.S!?:love::tongue: ....that is what happened your dinner!:flowerforyou: You know what's "safe" but "bad" yummy! You gotta have a fling every once in a while!:devil: :bigsmile:
  • mirandam1076
    mirandam1076 Posts: 39
    Ya know that "bad *kitten*" guy that drove you crazy in H.S!?:love::tongue: ....that is what happened with your dinner!:flowerforyou: You know what's "safe" but "bad" is yummy! You gotta have a fling every once in a while!:devil: :bigsmile:
  • SpectreCGR
    SpectreCGR Posts: 8
    Yep. Sounds like water retention for whatever reason. To really gain that much weight over two weeks (in fat), you would have had to consume the 1500 calories / day that you estimate you are consuming PLUS the difference between that and your BMI, PLUS an additional 2750 calories EVERY day. I guarantee that you aren't off in your consumption by anywhere near that much.

    As mentioned before you should check your daily sodium intake. If your daily sodium intake is much more that 2000 mg / day, then you really should reduce it. If you are anywhere near 2000 mg / day intake then you should probably get yourself checked out for sodium sensitivity by a doctor as this can lead to other health issues.
  • nolan_84
    nolan_84 Posts: 31
    I don't know of you are drinking Diet Soda... but the real reason diet soda isn't "so diet" is because it contains absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. People think that just because it has basically nothing in it, its the same as water... not true.

    But to your main point, 5 and 6 lbs... now i've been known to gain 6 lbs from a Christmas dinner, but it sounds like something isn't right. It's gotta be a combo of water retention, clothing and/or the morning meal. I would suggest changing your intake of carbs/fat/protein. Add 5% more protein and take away 5% carbs. That may help a little bit. Play with your calorie intake about every 2 weeks as well because it could be a combination of things. I know it's probably really hard with the recent scale misfortunes, but keep at it... things will turn around.
  • hiddenplace
    hiddenplace Posts: 2
    I'm suprised nobody pointed this out already but balance is not always the best adviser. Actually, we focus so much on weight while what we want is not a lower NUMBER, which is a bit meaningless when we think of it, but to be comfy in our skins, to be proud of our silhouette.

    Did you know that working out usually helps you not only burn fat but also... helps gain muscle weight ? Muscle mass weight more than fat (for the same volume), so if you work out a lot... it might explain the weight gain! Some people tend to develop muscle a lot more faster then others. I understand how you feel, for when I went to the gym, I gained about 2 pounds a week in the first month... how discouraged I was ! But then, at some point, it stopped and I started going down in weight for real (losing fat mass). See that as a privilege : people with a good muscle mass tend to be the healthiest in general.

    ...And yes, the others are also right about the sodium intake. Water retention might not help as well :S
    Try pressing on different parts of your skin (chicken wings, thighs, etc) and see how fast the blood starts running back under the skin (how long it stays white)... if it stays white for more than 1-2 seconds, that means you probably retain water. Retaining water happens for some women during PMS and menstrual period as well.

    Don't give up ! :o)
  • lemonllama
    lemonllama Posts: 124 Member
    Is it possible that the scale is broken?
    Or perhaps its a different time of day?
    Sometimes I weigh +5lbs more if I weigh at one time of the day and then -6 the next morning.
    my best advice would be to get a scale for your house thats really accurate and if it STILL goes up then maybe try to figure it out from there?!
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Not disagreeing with any post prior to this one, but in my opinion, the only way to weigh and have it mean something is to weigh on the same day, once a week, and do it right after getting up and visiting the bathroom.

    If you are eating breakfast, drinking water, going into work, weighing with clothes on there are too many variables. Those factors--in combination with the possibility that you are retaining water due to too much sodium, or it is prior to your TOM, or your body is adjusting out of starvation mode--result in any weight you have recorded not having much value.

    Just keep on with your eating plan and exercise and go hit Walgreens and buy an electronic digital scale. I paid less than $25 for the one I bought there, and other than needin a battery every year or so, it works flawlessly.

    Good luck.
  • whitann
    whitann Posts: 11
    Thank you everyone! I think you are right. I eat tons of salt, I love salt!. Plus, I know I haven't been exercising enough. My body could be in starvation mode. When you eat like a pig and then eat 1500 calories a day- your body doesn't understand.
    I do need to buy a scale! To the store I go!
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