I don't understand...gaining weight?

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Scandinavia
Scandinavia Posts: 291 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there. I've lost a little under 100lbs, and am only looking to lose 5-10 more lbs...but the past three or four days I've movedupwarlds on the scale daily! Last Saturday, I was 145. Today, I was 146.5! I've stayed within my calorie budgets every day, so I'm not sure why this is happening? Can someone please help?

Replies

  • jafski
    jafski Posts: 11
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    Do you lift weights? It might be muscle instead...or you could be stuck at a plateau
  • Scandinavia
    Scandinavia Posts: 291 Member
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    No, I don't lift. I just do dance for cardio.
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
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    How's your sodium intake?
    Have you started any type of new exercise?
    How many calories are you consuming?
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Sodium? Monthly cycle? Stop weighing yourself daily if it's going to freak you out, you can't gain fat that fast.
  • Scandinavia
    Scandinavia Posts: 291 Member
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    Usually my sodium is under 2500. Yesterday it was a bit over because of restaurant visit. I haven't started any new exercise, and I'm not on my monthly cycle. I usually eat about 1400-1500, but the past few days, I've only been around 1100-1200. I am 5'8.
  • jillymurdoch
    jillymurdoch Posts: 42 Member
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    Sometimes it could just be the scale being wonky. I thought I had gained 5 lbs, and the same day my hubby said the scale showed him as 5 lbs heavier too (but on a different scale, he checked in at his normal weight).
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
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    If I'm over my sodium, or even 200 under, the scale goes up. It's not "weight" tho so don't worry about it. Also, if you've only been eating 1100-1200, I'd bump that back up. If I eat under 1250, I won't lose. I try to stay closer to 1400.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
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    after losing my first 100lbs, I had the similar problem. I changed my exercise and started lifting weights, not super heavy, but still on . a calorie deficit, lots more protein and veg and managed to get more weight loss. congrats btw, I know how difficult it was x
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Welcome to being a slim person. Seriously. when you were very overweight and losing, you probably didn't see these fluctuations, but its actually SUPER normal to fluctuate within a 5lb range over different days. I've fluctuated as much s 7.

    Its nothing to worry about at all. It just happens. If you go for an entire month and you're still up in weight, you can worry but for now just keep what you're doing and don't fret.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    Carbs. I looked back over 2 weeks and you fluctuate quite drastically with your carbs, with many days getting as much as 296 grams and then back down as low as 139 grams.

    Stored glycogen is a solute which attracts water. 1 gram of stored glycogen attracts 2.7 grams of water. Just an example, 225 grams of stored glycogen is 0.5 lbs, which thus brings in 1.35 lbs of water.

    Let's say Friday you store 100 grams of carbs and then store 296 grams on Saturday; that's 0.44 lbs in stored glycogen with 1.18 lbs of attracted water. Thus, if you weighed yourself Sunday, you would see a gain of 1.6 lbs. This is a very simplistic example and does not consider anything else such as sodium or sudden spikes in cortisol levels, but is one cause of temporary weight gain.

    If you drastically up your carbs, you'll notice gains in water weight due to the above. Up your protein and healthy fats and decrease your carbs.

    In general, though, since you are under your calorie goal, don't worry about such small, temporary fluctuations - you are not gaining fat.
  • Jpinpoint
    Jpinpoint Posts: 219 Member
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    Carbs. I looked back over 2 weeks and you fluctuate quite drastically with your carbs, with many days getting as much as 296 grams and then back down as low as 139 grams.

    Stored glycogen is a solute which attracts water. 1 gram of stored glycogen attracts 2.7 grams of water. Just an example, 225 grams of stored glycogen is 0.5 lbs, which thus brings in 1.35 lbs of water.

    If you drastically up your carbs, you'll notice gains in water weight due to the above. Up your protein and healthy fats and decrease your carbs.

    In general, though, since you are under your calorie goal, don't worry about such small, temporary fluctuations - you are not gaining fat.

    ^ This. Perfectly said.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
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    I would say, for the last slog, don't weigh yourself every day, because like everyone says, water weight rapidly fluctuates and especially from having the high of losing 100lbs, the last slog takes longer and is slower and that one or two lb fluctuation every day can be really disheartening or give you the impression you are putting weight on.

    I would just do it once a week at the same time in same clothes / or without!
  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
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    Maybe your body is telling you that it's time to stop losing and just be comfortable at your current weight. Our bodies have a funny way of telling us things.
  • LauraDotts
    LauraDotts Posts: 732 Member
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    Constipations?
  • Findekano
    Findekano Posts: 116
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    Carbs. I looked back over 2 weeks and you fluctuate quite drastically with your carbs, with many days getting as much as 296 grams and then back down as low as 139 grams.

    Stored glycogen is a solute which attracts water. 1 gram of stored glycogen attracts 2.7 grams of water. Just an example, 225 grams of stored glycogen is 0.5 lbs, which thus brings in 1.35 lbs of water.

    Let's say Friday you store 100 grams of carbs and then store 296 grams on Saturday; that's 0.44 lbs in stored glycogen with 1.18 lbs of attracted water. Thus, if you weighed yourself Sunday, you would see a gain of 1.6 lbs. This is a very simplistic example and does not consider anything else such as sodium or sudden spikes in cortisol levels, but is one cause of temporary weight gain.

    If you drastically up your carbs, you'll notice gains in water weight due to the above. Up your protein and healthy fats and decrease your carbs.

    In general, though, since you are under your calorie goal, don't worry about such small, temporary fluctuations - you are not gaining fat.

    A little off topic, but thank you for this wonderful explanation! I've never see glycogen storage/depletion explained so clearly, but precisely.

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