So mad. Ready to give up, read me, and give advice!

LoriIone
LoriIone Posts: 88 Member
in Motivation and Support
Okay, for some reason I cannot seem to lose weight. I track all my food, eat a high protein diet and have been lowering carbs. I have been working out an hour 4-5 times a week. Doing 30DS, elliptical, biking or walking. I finally budged a couple pounds, I started at 245, then got to 225. I am 5'7. I used to be able to drop weight much easier before I had kids.
Now, why I am SO upset...this past Thursday and Friday my mom and sister and I went out of town over night. I didn't eat perfect, but I didn't eat horrible, either...and we did LOTS of walking while we were gone. When I got home, I got on the scale, and have gained 8 pounds!!!!!! 8 pounds in TWO FRIGGIN' days?!? That doesn't even seem possible. Could it be from too much salt? I walked a ton while there, this doesn't seem possible. I was in tears last night over it. I feel like I am working mt a** off for nothing.
Help me. Any advice???

Thanks!
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Replies

  • niki87lewis
    niki87lewis Posts: 147 Member
    Most probably sodium, has happened to me before, and test I really wanted to take a hammer to the scale! Drink lots of water and give it a few days
  • gabegrammy
    gabegrammy Posts: 147 Member
    Not looking at the scale, how does you clothes fit? sometimes we lose the weight and gain muscle. so clothes feel a little lose.
  • BrotherBill913
    BrotherBill913 Posts: 662 Member
    Most times when you eat out it is loaded with sodium. The walking was great, but it's still what you put in that counts most. Plus did you stick to water or did you have any wasteful calories that you drank???
  • LoriIone
    LoriIone Posts: 88 Member
    I did have some water, but not my 8 cups per day, I have diet soda and coffee mostly.
  • Hazel2005
    Hazel2005 Posts: 175 Member
    You said you didn't eat perfect but did you log it? In addition to lots of sodium, without measuring and knowing the content of the foods you were eating, it is soooo easy to take in more calories than you think. Also, I know when I started exercising, I seemed to retain fluid for the first little while. I'm trying to brace myself for that as I am not doing much exercise just yet. Don't give up, just log, measure and move - you got this!
  • Lady_Bane
    Lady_Bane Posts: 720 Member
    Those are going to dehydrate you, plus the sodium in diet soda will help you retain water. Stop drinking it all day and have one or two colas and only coffee in the morning. Drink your water. The more water you drink the more your body will shed it. If you dont drink enough water....then your bodies gonna hold onto it like its the end of the world.

    Watch, drink 12 cups of water today....pee clear ALL DAY, take ONE DAY with no cola and only ONE cup of coffee......lemmie know what you weigh tomorrow.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    It seems the more weight I lose, the more sensitive my body gets to salt. Don't know why, only that it's happening. Sugar also leaves me way, way more bloated than it used to. Extra bloat means extra numbers on the scale, even if it is only temporary.
  • BeckyS32
    BeckyS32 Posts: 66 Member
    When I see a weird weight gain, I always just remind myself that there is NO way that I ate enough calories to have gained. I am sure that even if you didn't eat perfect, you didn't eat enough to gain 8 lbs. listen to everyone else, drink water and don't let the number on the scale get you down. Hang in there!
  • mj1209
    mj1209 Posts: 6
    Hey!! You don't say how old you are but if you are in your 40's it could be perimenopause. Also, when is the last time you had bloodwork and a checkup from your doc? I gained 9 pounds over Christmas 2 years ago after following a healthy eating plan then came to find out that I am hypothyroid!!! My metabolism was nil! Energy nada Some depression,. Vit D was very low. Now that I am regulated I am losing slow but sure with 5/6 days a week workouts ( walking and bike, nothing fancy) and calorie control. 37 lbs since last year. Good luck!! I am sooooo on your side!!!
    Marla
  • jojo37696
    jojo37696 Posts: 93 Member
    Welcome to my world. Frustrating isn't it.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    CHILL DEAR AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF. YOU'VE LOST 20LB AND THAT'S FANTASTIC. TAKE IT SLOW AND KEEP GOING. THINK HOW MUCH HEALTHIER YOU ARE... THINK OF NSV'S..I'M SURE YOU'RE BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE. THERE REALLY ISN'T A DEADLINE...
  • lynn14
    lynn14 Posts: 116
    Don't give up...Don't give the scale that much power. I too have had the same experience.

    It sounds like you had a great time, which is so necessary, and your body freaked out from being out of the "norm".
    I do think it was the colas and coffee and sodium.

    I agree with tons of water....but help your body out recovering and add some fresh squeezed lemon. I am not a lemon fan, so I squeeze an ounce (that is all you need) and chug an 8 oz and then another 8 oz and it works. I do that sometimes mid morning and then afternoon.
    Lots of water....

    You can do this and it is just a bump in the road!!! :smile:
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Do you think you really ate 28,000 calories? Because that's what it would take to put on 8 pounds of fat. :noway:

    I know a lot of people say "one day at a time" but if you don't step back and see the big picture, that one day at a time thing (especially if you're OCD and try to micromanage/control everything to death) will drive you absolutely insane. It's like expecting to drive on the road at exactly 34.12357234524 MPH and never deviate for a microsecond even with wind, hills, and traffic, and then being like "oh no I failed, I might as well crank the wheel and slam into a tree!" :wink:

    The 8 pounds of whatever it was will fall back off at some point. The only way it won't is if you give up.
  • BethW01
    BethW01 Posts: 20 Member
    I go through this all the time. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! I repeat DO NOT GIVE UP! If you give up all your hard work is for nothing and you would feel awful about that. I understand sodium will do this to you but I also find that during my womanly time of the month I gave a crap ton. Could be that too?!?!? Who knows. I am just throwing out a suggestion there. I also know that when I am walking around like that sometimes my legs swell from retaining water (hence the sodium).

    Don't dwell on this ( I normally would) b/c dwelling on this will not help you. Stay strong and plow through this. Girl, you go this! :)

    Stay strong.
  • djmom1984
    djmom1984 Posts: 55 Member
    Whenever I see this (and it happens once a month!) I just double my exercise and water and wait it out. It disappears quickly. Perhaps you are eating too few carbs and your body is waiting for energy. Balance is everything. Hang in there. It IS worth it. You CAN do it.
  • comomx3
    comomx3 Posts: 4
    The same thing just happened to me. I went from 199 to 207 in about 3 days. I knew that there was no way it was weight. I drank lots of water. Kept working out. Kept eating right and yesterday I weighed 197. I have learned to Trust the Process. Be honest with your self on what you are eating. How hard you are working. Had some strength training. Trust the Process! Remember you will either live with the Pain of Discipline or the Pain of Regret. The pain of regret is horrible. Keep plugging along! I started out at 239. It's beautiful to reach below 200. I cried when the scale reached 199.
  • irjeffb
    irjeffb Posts: 275 Member
    Make sure you're taking measurements too. I've had periods when I exercised more than my "normal" or changed up my exercise where the scale didn't move, but I lost inches off my waist.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,629 Member
    I love eating out, but it often doesn't love me ...... even though I try to make healthy choices, there's no way I can be sure about the sodium, fats, sugars, calories, etc when someone else cooks ...... I hope for the best, but the numbers are usually disappointing ....... that being said, if I drink a lot of water, eat a lot of "plain" vegetables, and get some exercise, any increase on the scale usually disappears after a few days ..... just in time for hubby & me to eat out again :laugh:

    Don't give up ....... where will that take you ?

    NEVER GIVE UP ..... KEEP ON TRUCKIN' !
  • VictoriaWorksOut
    VictoriaWorksOut Posts: 195 Member
    Do not give up.
    Another small change that makes big difference is not to eat your dinner late at night. Eat it so you have at least 3 hours before you go to bed.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Lots of walking = your muscles holding onto water to repair themselves = temporary weight gain

    Not eating "perfectly" (eating at restaurants?) = eating more sodium and carbs than usual = water retention (especially if you're normally low-carb and have eaten more of those) = temporary weight gain

    Even if this was a gain of 2 lbs of fat, which I seriously doubt it was, please don't let that make you give up. I lost 50+ over the last year, and there were several weeks where I gained weight. Once was where I had eaten quite a lot over my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) but all the other times, I was doing everything "right". Weight fluctuates though, it really does, and you can't let that get you down, or you'll never get to your goal.

    I don't know why you're finding it so difficult to shift the weight (although 20lbs is not "a couple"!). It might be worth looking at your calorie intake and see if you're taking in too many, or too few. It might also be worth considering a diet break for a couple of weeks: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html It's also definitely worth consulting your doctor to see if there's a medical reason.

    Don't give up though, where's that gonna get you? :flowerforyou:
  • RotterdamNL
    RotterdamNL Posts: 509 Member
    all i can say do some reall kick *kitten* workouts like insanity, tapout xt, les mills body combat etc
  • WarPonyV
    WarPonyV Posts: 25 Member
    Keep in mind that even if you are not currently seeing a decrease in your numbers, by eating right and exercising you are making yourself more healthy!!! That is NOT "working your *** off for nothing"!!

    8 pounds in two days is not a "real" weight gain. that is water weight or bloating or something else like that, so don't let it discourage you, it is temporary. And even if it was real weight, you are still making yourself healthier and eventually it WILL pay off in more weight loss!
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
    Like the others all said, DON'T GIVE UP, drink lots of water, log everything, and keep getting your exercising in, and the weight WILL come off! Just check out all the members who have lost anywhere from 40 to 150 pounds. MFP REALLY, REALLY, DOES work, so just stick with it! :smile:
  • ECA67
    ECA67 Posts: 802 Member
    Could it be pms ? I usually gain a lot of water weight 7-10 days before.
  • biscuitwelsh
    biscuitwelsh Posts: 86 Member
    As a person becomes obese, they become ever more efficient at storing excess calories as fat. There are a variety of medical terms that are used to denote this-- metabolic condition, insulin resistant etc. If you have this condition, counting calories isn't enough, you need to pay attention to the Glycemic Load of what you're eating and your blood sugar-- there are all sorts of books and information on the subject but I've found applying them has been the difference between success and failure.
  • 20poundsn5weeks
    20poundsn5weeks Posts: 1
    The main thing is to stick with it! The scale is a good tool but if you base your self worth on it you are probably in for an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes weight will go up and down depending on the time of the month. Just pick out a goal pair of pants(a size or 2 smaller than you wear now) or take some measurements(waist, thighs, hips etc.) and give the scale a rest for now. Also, adding some weight training a couple of times a week has helped me. Stay strong and stick with it, it sounds like your doing a great job!
  • gloria63
    gloria63 Posts: 9 Member
    I would try a 3 day liquid diet. You can even do the Mater Cleanse. Both will help clean out your system and get your metabolism going. I do the 3 day liquid diet once a month. Don't worry, the weight will come off. Good luck!
  • LoriIone
    LoriIone Posts: 88 Member
    I am overwhelmed by the supportive comments! Thank you everyone!!!
  • jhigg11
    jhigg11 Posts: 121 Member
    Lorilone, Don't give up. This journey is tough. I know it's hard not to look at the scale, because you want results, but I would say give the scale a break. Take out the measuring tape, it's far kinder. Also, I don't know if you have been tested, but I know you said you have kids. Have you been tested for a thyroid problem. This is what confounded me for so long. It would be so difficult to lose weight and I did give up several times. That's just something to think about. Drop the soda, it's not good for you at all. Good luck girl.
  • chelscc1984
    chelscc1984 Posts: 4
    I know exactly how you feel, because every time I fail to keep going it's because of sodium weight gain!

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