How does one gain 3 lbs overnight?

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  • kvcreed
    kvcreed Posts: 29 Member
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    3 lbs of fat would requires 10500 calories ABOVE TDEE and your body's max capacity to transport that to cells. Try drinking more water to reduce the salt retention.

    I count things in calories like this guy. I doubt you ate 10500 extra calories over night. :flowerforyou:


    I doubt I could even EAT o many calories extra over one day without serious planning on how to get it into me without throwing up...
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    3 lbs of fat would requires 10500 calories ABOVE TDEE and your body's max capacity to transport that to cells. Try drinking more water to reduce the salt retention.

    I count things in calories like this guy. I doubt you ate 10500 extra calories over night. :flowerforyou:


    I doubt I could even EAT o many calories extra over one day without serious planning on how to get it into me without throwing up...
    I could give a go, though - if it helps
  • wendiewildthing
    wendiewildthing Posts: 3 Member
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    Water weight i can gain 5 pounds in 1 night and it will be gone the next day sometimes if your body in not getting enough water it will retain it but i drink 8 glasses of water a day and eat good but if my body gets to much salt it will retain it everyone is driffrent
  • Madholm
    Madholm Posts: 167
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    As everyone said it's just water weight from extra sodium. If I eat a pickle at night then I won't show any loss the next morning because of the water retention. Conversly you can spend your exercise calories on alchohol and show a bigger loss in the morning from slight dehydration.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    relax - I know someone with polycystic ovary syndrome - (she gave up on MFP when so many of the more charming specimens who post in here kept telling her that PCOS does not cause weight gain, just makes it more difficult to lose - like there's a difference [strewth!]) - anyway, she was getting anguished and giving me serious telephonic earache because she'd only lost a kilo in over a month - then she rang to say she'd given up on the scales because her clothes were so baggy that she measured herself and found she's lost 6 inches.

    there is often light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes it even isn't an oncoming train

    trust me - I 'm a serial weight loser - I've done it hundreds of times (but this time either this is it or, at my age,THIS IS IT!)

    Best wishes

    Thank you. I also measure, but the only change this week was a half an inch off the hips, unless I'm measuring them wrong. I need to stop being a scale nazi....
  • Jessicapages1
    Jessicapages1 Posts: 114 Member
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    You don't gain 3 pounds overnight!! It is just water weight!! :smile:
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    As everyone said it's just water weight from extra sodium. If I eat a pickle at night then I won't show any loss the next morning because of the water retention. Conversly you can spend your exercise calories on alchohol and show a bigger loss in the morning from slight dehydration.

    I freaking hate water retention! But I'm drinking up water, so hopefully it helps!
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    It's probably the carbs you had last night, they hold grams of water for every one you eat.... drink water and it will be gone tomorrow... :)
  • fastsquatch
    fastsquatch Posts: 10
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    Everyone else has the right answer but the larger problem is the psychological roller coaster of the daily weigh-in. In my opinion, the daily weigh-in data is actually really useful - it keeps you honest and it should be done. But what to do with that number (besides freak out!)?

    The worst thing to do, in my opinion is to compare it directly with the previous day's number for all the reasons the folks here stated. You judge yourself based on that comparison then have a happy or sad day when it's really meaningless.

    The better thing to do (again in my opinion! grain of salt etc) is to put it into a program that gives you what's called a "smoothed average" of your weight. Even better if it's an "exponentially backed off smoothed average". What that means is just that you get a few days averaged into today's "weight", or even better with a little more consideration given to recent days, and you just focus on that average number.

    The best example I've seen of this is "The Hacker's Diet Online" (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/online/hdo.html). I track my calories here in MFP, but I use their weight tracking because their chart is so nice, and takes me off the roller coaster.

    You can see an example here (and a few examples of where I would have totally freaked out but the happy red line progress allowed me to breath deeply and carry on...)

    weight_smoothed_average.png
  • amsohs85
    amsohs85 Posts: 166
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    Why is it that the knee jerk reaction to weight gain is to fast? I really wish people would stop doing that. It's an over reaction and doesnt help the fluid retention issue. Aso you are messing with your metabolism everytime you sling shot back and forth with your calories. Besides you would have to eat massive quantities of food to gain a couple pounds and it wouldnt happen over night. Instead you need to keep track of your sodium and water intake as well as how your weight fluctuates on a regular basis. Since so many people are scale obsessed and traumatized they cant weigh themselves enough to notice how their bodys work because they become frantic over every ounce!! I weigh every morning and usually once or twice a day. This is done not to jump on any weight gain but to see how my body works. I now have a clearer view of the slight fluctuations that occur when i eat and during that time of the month!! Typically my weight goes up .5 to 1.5 pounds during the day and then falls back down again in the evening. During TOM it may vary by up to 3 pounds. A friend asked me how do you know if you're losing weight then? Because if you honestly lose weight you will still fluctuate but you will see a reduction in all the numbers not just in the morning. Example... Last week your morning weight was 165...later in the day it was 166.2. this week your morning weight is 163 and later in the day it's 164.8. You have in fact lost weight. But if your weight zigzags up and down all over the place you either need a better scale or you are not watching sodium and drinking enough water!
  • GlutesthatSalute
    GlutesthatSalute Posts: 460 Member
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    It's probably the carbs you had last night, they hold grams of water for every one you eat.... drink water and it will be gone tomorrow... :)

    ^^^^^^ This exactly...

    You won't get FAT by eating bad one meal or even one day, Just like you won't get skinny by eating clean and exercising one day.. Relax.. drink water and press on :flowerforyou:
  • a_stone_girl_dances
    a_stone_girl_dances Posts: 76 Member
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    do what I do - BLAME THE SCALES!

    I think that's what I'm going to do. I mean, the scale I have is a couple of years old. I think I may need a new one....or one not from a thrift shop.

    I actually bought a new scale after a 9lb (yes, 9lb! eep!) jump in a week. It's been pretty much smooth sailing since.

    I do agree w/everyone above though and honestly, I still see the fluctuation between days just due to who knows what. Best of luck to you!
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    I don't get it! Maybe it's because I ate back a majority of my exercise calories? Maybe it's because I had a snack size McFlurry last night?! Or maybe my muscles are retaining water to repair themselves because I ran four days last week instead of only three? I'm trying to be logical here, but it's hard to be logical when you feel like your body is betraying you and getting fat despite your progress with diet and exercise....

    You would have to eat 10500 calories over you maintenance to come close to gaining 3 lbs over night. You'll be fine. Just remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Throw the scale out the window, or better yet...at the guy on the other post that told his girlfriend she's fat and she's lost 44lb. Sorry, this still amazes me. Where was I, oh yeah.
    get a measuring tape and Body Fat analyzer and go by that and your clothes and don't do that everyday either.
  • sunshinefrei
    sunshinefrei Posts: 73
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    My weight goes up and down a few day befroe I lose a big amout of weight I don't know why it does this but I alway know what is getting ready to happen. Now if I eat a lot of processed foods that is what happens to me I gain a lot at once. Sick to you food cout and it will come off.
    Try to have a good day and don't strees over the small stuff.:smile:
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Thanks everyone! My mind is back in logic mode and I'm going to drink water today and REALLY watch the sodium. Today is my break day from exercise, but tomorrow I'm back in action and next week is another week to improve upon myself. I'm keeping in mind that I do now fit in a size 10 pair of pants, so that's also helping a bit.

    Once again, thanks for bringing me back to Logic-Land!
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    There is one other factor that hasn't been raised but it is heading toward TMI territory - need I say more than Senna Pods? (possibly figs or, perchance, the healing power of prunes)
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I don't get it! Maybe it's because I ate back a majority of my exercise calories? Maybe it's because I had a snack size McFlurry last night?! Or maybe my muscles are retaining water to repair themselves because I ran four days last week instead of only three? I'm trying to be logical here, but it's hard to be logical when you feel like your body is betraying you and getting fat despite your progress with diet and exercise....

    Your 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, hormones, 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 cannot 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.
  • joeysox
    joeysox Posts: 195 Member
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    water retention. i gain a lot if i didnt drink enough the day before, ate more carbs than usual (even if i didnt go over ) i wouldnt worry about it too much x
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    I can EASILY gain 3 lbs over night just from water retention due to a high sodium meal. Get lots of water to flush it out over the next couple days, and don't sweat it. Water weight won't stay. :)
  • amuchison
    amuchison Posts: 274 Member
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    SODIUM ANYTHING OVER 2500MG AND U NOT DRINKING HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN WATER WILL EQUAL AND OVERNIGHT GAIN

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