HELP....What makes your weight fluctuate

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I was happy, ecstatic that I lost a total of 5 lbs in the last two weeks. Then I get on the evil scale and it’s up there yet again….what happened? How can those 5 maybe 6 lbs go back like that? I’m frustrated and a bit disappointed. Granted….I have not been doing extraordinarily well but not nearly as bad as I used to before I started this…I need help, guidance, support, encouragement :(

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  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
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    it could be a million things...water retention, eating more sodium than normal, not working out enough.....go over your diary and see what you ate and drank.
  • iheartella
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    Somedays I don't eat right or I forget to exercise but despite all that my weight can stay steady but one thing (well maybe 2) that will make my weight jump for sure are not drinking enough water and stress. I would watch your sodium intake and drink lots of water..also try to relax! :) Good luck!
  • linda1243
    linda1243 Posts: 166
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    Life
  • njgirl50
    njgirl50 Posts: 62 Member
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    It could be a lot of factors, what have you been eating? Sodium esp can cause you to retain water, I have heard red meat, even watermelon can cause a temporary weight gain. I have been trying to really watch my sodium level, limiting my processes food & I have been losing, not huge amounts, but a loss is a loss. Are you drinking water? If you need friends, feel free to add me - we can do it!
  • esthermarte
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    Thanks. I will def watch my sodium and yes lots of recent stress.....didnt work out much...Ok, so maybe I'm overlooking the signs and are too concentrated ont he scale number, scale I will put away to help calm my stress. Thanks for the feedback.
  • elliegreene
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    I've lost significant amounts of weight in the past (20 lbs+) repeatedly, and job stress or changing jobs stress inevitably pushes me back up. In hindsight, it's a logical evolutionary response to uncertainty and stress. In practice, it's incredibly disheartening. I also have trouble adjusting my own ideas of what to put on a plate.

    Takeaway: Emotional issues are dynamically entwined with weight management. You have to fix both. You cannot use food as a comforting mechanism.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I'll second what others have said about sodium, also hormones will cause us to retain water if you're nearing that time of the month. We retain water when we increase our workout routines, when we're stressed, or for a dozen other reasons. Make sure you're drinking enough fluids to help flush out the excess and see what happens over the next week or so. The scale should start to move in the right direction soon enough!
  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
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    Sodium can cause as much as 4 lbs in one day of water retention. I know because it has happened to me. I use to panic and became depressed hopeless over it, until I realized I did not even go close to 2000 calories so it would be impossible to gain that much weight in fat so it has to be water retention.

    Drinking plenty of water to dilute the sodium will eventually get the scale back down again in a day or more, depending on how good your kidneys work it varies for people. I never record sodium weight gain because I know it is not a true weight gain.
  • Bradleyjah
    Bradleyjah Posts: 48 Member
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    I'll echo what others have said...it could be a lot of factors. For me, the most common culprits are sodium, alcohol, and/or too many carbs. Most of the time it all goes away after getting back to my workout routine and working in some serious sweaty cardio, but it can take a week or two. One time, I had a serious "guy weekend" with lots of beer and salty/fatty foods, and I think I came back from that weekend up 5-7 lbs...but it all went away after about a week and a half. Good luck!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    When you start losing weight, the first 5 lbs come off instantly because you are losing your water weight - short-term energy stores called glycogen. Every time you eat over maintenance, those stores fill up again. Additionally, salt intake can cause short-term water retention, and sometimes you can be up a few lbs because you're a little constipated.
  • esthermarte
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    I know this is so personal but I'm loving you all right now. I took some of the suggestions and looked at what I ate...Sushi for once has so much sodium...OMG!...I'm tracking sodium now on my diary. Thnks a lot eveyone. You've been most helpful.
  • Anamdalta
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    Sodium, caffeine (really, water retention in both cases) - if you're eating fast food, even if you're under your cals, that's likely the culprit. The default sodium numbers on MFP are WAY too high (imho), so you might want to look at that.

    Also hormonal fluctuations around menstruation can mess with your water retention. Once a month, I gain back everything I lost in the previous 10 days... then, a week later, it's magically gone again, along with my normal weekly loss.

    Make sure you're drinking LOTS of water, esp. if you're taking in lots of salt.

    Hang in there!
    :)
  • Bradleyjah
    Bradleyjah Posts: 48 Member
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    Also, I should say that if you're just starting to lose weight, there are even more factors to consider (like your initial weight loss might have been a little bit of water weight..or maybe your initial weigh-in was on perfect day/time for you). However, once you get on a roll losing weight and weighing yourself regularly (if that's your thing), then these fluctuations will be easier to spot and/or ignore because you'll have a better idea of what your "real" weight is.
  • LizHowerton
    LizHowerton Posts: 329 Member
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    Salt, that time of the month, stress.
  • esthermarte
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    Also, I should say that if you're just starting to lose weight, there are even more factors to consider (like your initial weight loss might have been a little bit of water weight..or maybe your initial weigh-in was on perfect day/time for you). However, once you get on a roll losing weight and weighing yourself regularly (if that's your thing), then these fluctuations will be easier to spot and/or ignore because you'll have a better idea of what your "real" weight is.

    It's the very beggining for me so maybe I dont have a good sense on my actual weight yet. Thanks
  • esthermarte
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    Salt, that time of the month, stress.
    Salt and stress for sure...One I can control the other we'll have to watch :ohwell: