What'd I do wrong???
Klopford
Posts: 129
I gained two pounds this week! 
I know I was pretty good with the tracking and the exercise... I didn't track Saturday because I went to a convention so I called that an off day (probably my first ever since starting) and even then I didn't eat too much. Since I started tracking I've dropped two pounds a week but now I gained? The only thing I can think of that I did not do last week was drink lots of water (I ran out of Mio.) Does water really help with weight loss THAT much?
I know I was pretty good with the tracking and the exercise... I didn't track Saturday because I went to a convention so I called that an off day (probably my first ever since starting) and even then I didn't eat too much. Since I started tracking I've dropped two pounds a week but now I gained? The only thing I can think of that I did not do last week was drink lots of water (I ran out of Mio.) Does water really help with weight loss THAT much?
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Replies
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If you didn't track Saturday, I am thinking you at a lot of processed foods. It's probably your sodium. Drink some water and weigh in in a few days.0
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Sure it does! If you're dehydrated, you're retaining water. And I'll bet even if you made good choices at that convention, you were eating all prepared foods which are high in sodium so that's even more water retention. It's really important, especially when you're active, to stay well hydrated at all times. Stock up on the mio so it's no longer an excuse to skimp on the water and by the end of the week you should be back in balance.0
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If you didn't track Saturday, I am thinking you at a lot of processed foods. It's probably your sodium. Drink some water and weigh in in a few days.
I know it wasn't a one-day gain because I weighed myself in the morning about mid-week or so just for the hell of it and the scale said the same thing... up two pounds from last weigh in.
I'm certainly going to drink my water this week though!0 -
Water helps with 'retention' (which can be perceived as slow rate of loss or false gains). Most individuals consume way more sodium than is required by their bodies for normal functions. All this extra sodium causes water in your system to be retained and sometimes when you have a day where you eat a lot of sodium you will not be able to get rid of the excess and thus you will register a false gain. You did not actually gain 2 lbs unless you went over your calories by about 7000 on the weekend (which I doubt)
When you go out to any restaurant or eat a lot of packaged foods, fast foods and just in general the 'typical diet' including things you don't cook from scratch you are at risk for water retention due to the excess sodium. The solution for this is to drink more water to flush out your system.
You may want to track Sodium as one of your nutrients - it may give you an insight.0 -
If you didn't track Saturday, I am thinking you at a lot of processed foods. It's probably your sodium. Drink some water and weigh in in a few days.
I know it wasn't a one-day gain because I weighed myself in the morning about mid-week or so just for the hell of it and the scale said the same thing... up two pounds from last weigh in.
I'm certainly going to drink my water this week though!
Just looking through your diary a little, it does look like you do eat out a lot. Take away is really bad for sodium. That is probably very much your problem. Drink more water and try less processed food.0 -
I'm kinda curious... if you're retaining water and you drink more water... how come your body doesn't retain that water too? Or retain what it was going to retain while you pee out the rest?0
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Cut out all refined carbs (Bread, Cakes etc) and sugars. Have no more than 100grams of carbs a day. Before every meal drink 2 glasses of water. Follow a high protein, low carb diet and cut out all sugars. Protein and apples are appetite suppresors. Also remember diets by themselves don't work. People loose 5kg and then gain 6kg. They Yo Yo. You need to make positive changes in your life in small steps so that you can carry on with for the rest of your life. You need to have an regular exercise program with your diet. You need to exercise for an hour twice or three times a week where you actually build up a sweat.
Meal Plan 1:
Before Breakfast drink two big glasses of water.
Breakfast: 3-4 egg omelette + 1 apple + 300ml of milk to drink or to use in the omelette
Snack: 1 apple
Before lunch drink two big glasses of water
Lunch: Can of tuna + Salad
Snack: 1 Apple
Before supper drink two big glasses of water
Supper: 2-3 pieces of chicken + dark green vegetables.
Drink 2 litres of water a day.
No carbs
No Sugar in any form
Meal Plan 2:
Breakfast: Big bowl of oats with milk but no sugar
Snack: 1 fruit
Lunch: Protein(eggs, fish, tuna or chicken) + Salad
Snack: 1 fruit
Supper: Protein(eggs, fish, tuna or chicken) + dark green vegetables
Drink two litres of water a day.
No refined carbs
No Sugar in any form0 -
Dude... I didn't ask for that here.
It's all about calories in vs calories out. I know I'm doing good on calories. I'm just going to drink way more water to see if that helps.
I would still like an answer to my question about why the body doesn't keep retaining water if you give it more water though...0 -
Protein and apples are appetite suppresors.
Not for everyone :laugh: Apples make me violently hungry! If I have an apple after dinner at night, I know I'll be in the snack cupboard an hour later... also contains sugar, which you said to cut out alltogether...
Protein however, is the way to go! for example, eat the egg whites from a hard boiled egg (if you still have some spare fat to eat, eat the yolk too, it's healthy...)0 -
Dude... I didn't ask for that here.
It's all about calories in vs calories out. I know I'm doing good on calories. I'm just going to drink way more water to see if that helps.
I would still like an answer to my question about why the body doesn't keep retaining water if you give it more water though...
if you drink more water the body gets rid of it,because it knows its going to get more.If you dont drink a lot of water the body will hold onto it because it doesnt know when it will get more....thats how i look at it anyway xx0 -
don't sweat it. I can only speak from experience of having had a lot to lose and having my first goal in sight but this happens to me all the time. sometimes there was a cause that could be identified like too much salt (for me that means eating out), sometimes I had really been pushing it hard in my work outs and sometimes it was that curse women have once a month. Other times I could not figure it out, but it always passed and if I was staying on track through a gain or a stall I usually went right past the hiccup a week or two later. seriously my weight chart looked like a heart beat monitor for the first 50 pounds. This is a lifestyle change for most of us and consistency is the key. You are going to have ups and downs don't let them panic you, just keep making healthy choices and take one day at a time.0
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I would still like an answer to my question about why the body doesn't keep retaining water if you give it more water though...
I wonder about that too :-/0 -
Your body retains water by a number of different reasons. Swelling of the musucle when you workouts, salt, inner methabolic workings. There is no guarantee that if you drink an ocean that the water will flush through you. That's why you have the whole water 'releasing' substances, like green tea, dandelion tea, cranberries, a world of supplements, sauna.
Weight and fat loss is not an engineered process, when if you get your inputs correct, you get the same desired output.0 -
Hi hun, you are doing really really well. Half a stone already and I bet you can feel it.
Water I am told is they key and the more you drink the better it is 2 ltres is about right but take care not to drink too much expecially if you are doing lots of cardio work outs.
I'm sticking to the calories I'm aloud and walking fast a few times a week and its working for me.
Well done, keep it up0 -
When you eat a lot of sodium, it's dehydrating. The human body is an amazing organism and it's main goal is self preservation. Since one of the basic needs is water, it does what it can to make sure there is enough. When there is a shortage (less water or more sodium, or both), your body will hold on to anything it gets, because it doesn't know how long the shortage will last. Once you start providing water regularly, it will dump the extra. Think of it like people stocking up on groceries before a big storm. Once the storm passes, they go back to shopping like normal.
Oh, and when I gain water weight, it can take up to a week for me to drop it. So, even if it doesn't drop right away, that doesn't mean it's not water weight. Give it time, it will come off again.0 -
I would still like an answer to my question about why the body doesn't keep retaining water if you give it more water though...
if you drink more water the body gets rid of it,because it knows its going to get more.If you dont drink a lot of water the body will hold onto it because it doesnt know when it will get more....thats how i look at it anyway xx
Yup, this is right. If you're not getting enough water, either through foods (eating a lot of raw foods helps with hydration too) or drink, your body is holding on to what it can. When you drink enough and keep your hydration levels fairly stable, the body is better at processing everything and therefore will release more water. Think about it - the more you drink, the more you pee right?! This is why.
Speaking of pee, it's a great way to tell your hydration level. Assuming you're not on meds that effect your urine... Dark yellow, especially with an odor, means you're dehydrated. Clear means you're overhydrated. Somewhere in between (light or very light yellow) is ideal.
A good guideline is to try for 1 oz of water for every 1/2 pound of body weight. Say you weight 180, that's 90 ounces or about 11 cups per day. Add at least 2 cups per day if you're active. Or make sure you're getting in some raw fruits/veggies for extra hydration through food.0 -
It's probably mostly sodium....and not drinking lots doesn't help. You need to drink even more and flush the sodium out!0
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I have found that it does...when I don't drink it I stop losing, start drinking it again, and I start losing again...drink it up!!!0
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When you eat a lot of sodium, it's dehydrating. The human body is an amazing organism and it's main goal is self preservation. Since one of the basic needs is water, it does what it can to make sure there is enough. When there is a shortage (less water or more sodium, or both), your body will hold on to anything it gets, because it doesn't know how long the shortage will last. Once you start providing water regularly, it will dump the extra. Think of it like people stocking up on groceries before a big storm. Once the storm passes, they go back to shopping like normal.
Oh, and when I gain water weight, it can take up to a week for me to drop it. So, even if it doesn't drop right away, that doesn't mean it's not water weight. Give it time, it will come off again.
This is absolutely the best explanation...thank you!!0 -
Cut out all refined carbs (Bread, Cakes etc) and sugars. Have no more than 100grams of carbs a day. Before every meal drink 2 glasses of water. Follow a high protein, low carb diet and cut out all sugars. Protein and apples are appetite suppresors. Also remember diets by themselves don't work. People loose 5kg and then gain 6kg. They Yo Yo. You need to make positive changes in your life in small steps so that you can carry on with for the rest of your life. You need to have an regular exercise program with your diet. You need to exercise for an hour twice or three times a week where you actually build up a sweat.
Meal Plan 1:
Before Breakfast drink two big glasses of water.
Breakfast: 3-4 egg omelette + 1 apple + 300ml of milk to drink or to use in the omelette
Snack: 1 apple
Before lunch drink two big glasses of water
Lunch: Can of tuna + Salad
Snack: 1 Apple
Before supper drink two big glasses of water
Supper: 2-3 pieces of chicken + dark green vegetables.
Drink 2 litres of water a day.
No carbs
No Sugar in any form
Meal Plan 2:
Breakfast: Big bowl of oats with milk but no sugar
Snack: 1 fruit
Lunch: Protein(eggs, fish, tuna or chicken) + Salad
Snack: 1 fruit
Supper: Protein(eggs, fish, tuna or chicken) + dark green vegetables
Drink two litres of water a day.
No refined carbs
No Sugar in any form
No sugar in any form but have an fruit as a snack?0 -
Alot of good information here on Sodium. To simplify; lots of sodium in the body, lots of water retained. Flush the sodium out by drinking water. Less sodium in the body, less water retained. When ever I eat a high sodium food, I always drink an extra glass of water. This helps me to avoid the up & down weight from bloating. Good luck to you!0
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In addition to other possible factors, you have to be absolutely accurate with the tracking. It's also a good idea to assume that the calories stated labels understate the true amount.0
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I noticed no one has brought this up yet, but where you're at in your monthly cycle can have a big effect on your water weight too. I sometimes "gain" the week before/during, then lose a HUGE chunk afterwards.0
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I doubt you gained 2 lbs in a week. I have weighed myself the morning after eating sushi and gained 4 POUNDS! It was all the water I drank due to the sodium in my soy/wasabi. I drank lots of water and flushed it out of my system and was back to normal in a few days.
Do not forget that our monthly visitor brings a couple pounds of baggage with it, so do not be surprised if you gain anywhere between 3 and 5 lbs that week. Just another cruel joke played on women by mother nature.
Hang in there, you are doing great! :flowerforyou:0 -
It's all about calories in vs calories out. I know I'm doing good on calories. I'm just going to drink way more water to see if that helps.
Well that's the basics but there's a lot more to it than just reduced calories. I could eat 1800 calories of pure cane sugar vs 1800 calories of grilled chicken and it DOES make a difference. It's not just how much you eat, but WHAT you eat and how often as well. Try to eat 'cleaner', meaning eat food as close to it's natural state as possible. Anything in a plastic bag or wrapper or prepared at a restaurant is going to have massive amounts of sodium. High sodium = water retention = the appearance of weight gain. Remember the old adage, "A pint's a pound the world around". So if you are retaining 2 pints of water (completely reasonable) that's 2lbs of water weight. P.S. You will save money if you eat clean and eat at home.
Also remember your weight can fluctuate 3-5lbs daily just based on water. Be consistent with your weigh-in day/time. Also be sure to use the same scale.I would still like an answer to my question about why the body doesn't keep retaining water if you give it more water though...
Your body has a point of optimal hydration. That's where you want to stay. The way you get there is to drink water continuously. If you want a quick way to see how much water you should drink for you personally go here: http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html
Once your body is hydrated properly it will simply take what it needs from what you are drinking and process the rest through normally (read as peeing). Urination is also a quick way to tell if you are dehydrated. When properly hydrated, urine is usually clear. The darker yellow it is the more dehydrated you are. BTW if it heads toward the brown end of the scale you need to get to the hospital immediately for severe dehydration. Anyway, now that the gross part is over... water is your friend. it will keep you from cravings, keep you from feeling hungry and will make the machine run efficiently. It will flush all the sodium out as well.
EDIT: Oh When you calculate how much water you need to drink, then spread it out over your waking day. Too much water too quickly can have adverse effects. (i.e. Water Intoxication)0 -
I meant no refined sugar in any form.
Breafast: Big Bowl of oats with milk but no sugar.
Snack: 1 fruit
Lunch: Protein(eggs, chicken or tuna) + salad
Snack: 1 fruit
Supper: Protein(eggs, chicken or tuna) + dark green vegetables
Drink 2 litres of water
No sugar in any form
No refined carbs0 -
How long have you been tracking now? (sorry if I missed it)
I ask because it took me about 70 days of tracking to nail my body's weight loss pattern. I will drop about 3 lbs every other week in a big chunk (average 1.5/week). If I then weight myself a week later, I will be back up two lbs, and then the next week down those two plus another 3. In other words, weight loss is not linear, and these spikes will occur, sometimes for absolutely no rhyme or reason.
I also agree with others that it is probably sodium. A mix between a spike in sodium, and your bodies natural weight loss pattern0 -
How long have you been tracking now? (sorry if I missed it)
I ask because it took me about 70 days of tracking to nail my body's weight loss pattern. I will drop about 3 lbs every other week in a big chunk (average 1.5/week). If I then weight myself a week later, I will be back up two lbs, and then the next week down those two plus another 3. In other words, weight loss is not linear, and these spikes will occur, sometimes for absolutely no rhyme or reason.
I also agree with others that it is probably sodium. A mix between a spike in sodium, and your bodies natural weight loss pattern
Been tracking for a month now. I started at SparkPeople then moved here.
I do eat things that are high in sodium out of convenience (I eat breakfast and lunch at the cafeteria at work and dinner is usually up to my parents) and personal preference (I like salty things!) Until we go to the grocery store, or I move out of the house (and by necessity would have to do things on my own), and I finally figure out where on earth the workplace refridgerator is so I can even store a packed lunch... preparing my own meals is kind of a no-go. I'll at least start tracking my sodium as well to see where I'm at.
I bought some strawberry/watermelon Mio and some blue raspberry walmart generic version of Mio as well yesterday (the blue raspberry one is absolutely yummy) and I'm sipping on it right now from my nalgene bottle. In fact, I now need a refill.
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I agree with tracking sodium. It will probably shock you at first how it creeps into EVERYTHING. Even if you don't necessarily try to lower it, you will at least be able to look back and say "oh yeah, I had a lot of sodium yesterday, so that's why the scale didn't drop". It definately helps save your sanity!0
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I know advice on your diet seems to be a touchy subject with you but I am going to say this any way. I am not wanting to offend you by any means and am surly not trying to hurt your feelings, but sweet heart, your diet is horrible.
Do you eat out every night? Why, at 24, are you not able to purchase your own food and prepare your own meals? There are better options at Pizza Hut and Taco Bell than the ones you are making. This has nothing at all to do with what the scale says and how much you weight, but what is your quality of life going to be like later in life? I hope and pray that after you get over being upset with me that you will reach out to someone that can help you with a diet plan that will work for you.
Feel free to check out my diary to get tips on better foods to eat. You will see cookies, scones, cheesepuffs and things of that nature in it, but the rest of what I put into my body balances it out, and all if it is in moderation.
Good luck and God bless with your journey.0
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