6lb gain in 2 days?

Why don't you log it?

I just don't see the need to keep clicking that button to fill the cup. All I drink is water, so it's not like I need to monitor that.

If all you drink is water, that's all fine and good, but the point of "tracking" things is generally people underestimate or overestimate thing. In your case, you've eaten incredibly sodium rich/processed foods the last week or so and saw a whopping 6lb increase in water retention. Perhaps, since you're not tracking your water intake, you're overestimating how much you drink.

i agree watch the sodium

You body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I pretty much proved that for myself by staying strong and building muscle and doing what I did. I'm the leanest, most muscular, and most fit that I have ever been in my life at almost 52 years old.

Seperating out the the two things worked for me:

1) Eat less to lose fat.

2) Exercise to gain or maintain lean body mass.

Ignore exercise calories because it's insignificant when you don't have to worry about starvation mode anymore and it's highly over rated. Of course you burn energy, but not nearly what any of the devices say you do.

If you are not doing a weight training routine you need to start one and do it the rest of your life to ward off osteoporosis.

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban

This is starting my 3rd week committed to MFP. I've been eating my recommended calories, walking for 30 min, 3x a week, and being super conscious about my every move.

The past two days I have indulged a little bit---family visiting---and I step on the scale and I'm up 6 lbs! For 2 days of not tracking. How is this possible?

Getting super discouraged that the last 2 weeks efforts were for nothing.

A) Unless you ate 10,500 cals over your maintenence level both days, it's most likely water from too much sodium and too little activity. (3,500cals=1lb)
Don't weigh so frequently. Not more than once per week, and CERTAINLY not the day after indulging like that (wait at least a full 24hrs).

Definitely make sure you are drinking enough water!! You may have consumed things that are high in sodium, and it can raise the scale within a matter of a few hours. I try to drink around 10 glasses a day, but no less than 8. It truly helps when you consume too much sodium, and over-indulge. It helps with water retention, too. Just keep eating healthy and making small changes in your diet, plus keep up the exercise and you will see great results over time. Remember, don't aim for perfection! It's the small changes that make a difference!!! This is for a lifetime, so adjusting your nutrition and habits should be gradual enough to make a habit of the new ways of living a healthy life. Good luck!

You need to step up the veggies and fruit and bump down the processed and sodium filled foods. Also, need to really increase your water intake!

When you shop at the grocery store always try to stay on the outside aisles of the store that is where you are going to find the good for you food, once you start going down the inside aisles that is where all the high sodium food is.

You have lots of pizza, maybe cut that back to once a week as a treat day.....say maybe on the afternoon after you weigh in so you have plenty of time to work that off.

^^^^ This ^^^^^ Got to fill your body with whole foods. It's a mindset, you have to WANT the change to make it happen.
Good luck!

It's an honest reply. Her food logging is spotty and her choices are very poor in general - you need to have a lot more good days than bad. Sugar coating your suggestions will not help. If you want to lose weight you need to pick good calories and work for the bad ones. A half a bag of Doritos for lunch is not healthy and will not help on the scale.

I am seeing what others are seeing in your diary. You are eating too much sodium and still eating too many foods that are not condusive to weight loss. Also, if you want to ramp up your metabolism, you should be eating smaller meals closer together. Also, you need to be drinking at minimum 64 oz. of water a day, I try for 96-128 ounces a day to counteract the caffeine I drink in Diet Pepsi. I also agree with others about eating more vegetables and fruits. I aim for 3 servings of protein, 4 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of COMPLEX carbs and almost nothing which is processed. Make your calories count and you will find that you won't be hungry.

You don't have to give everything up to lose weight, you just have to have your "cheat" days in moderation. I think your pizza needs to go on a cheat day, not most days. It is hard in the beginning because your body is still craving all the fatty and processed foods, but you will get used to it, it will just take some time. I have found that avocado works well with some of the fat cravings. It gives your body fat, but it is a healthy fat. It will get easier!

Everything you listed in your diary over the weekend is highly processed foods, means =more sodium. Drink lots of water the next few days, with lemon. Lemon is a natural diuretic and will help flush the fluid weight off of you.