Help, gained 5 pounds over night?

Hello, I'm confused.
I weigh 5-6 pounds more than I did two days ago. I don't get it, I haven't gone over my 1200 calories very much, apart from one day and even then it was only by 3-400 calories so that shouldn't cause me to gain overnight?
I drank plenty of water yesterday incase I was retaining water or something, weighed myself today and its still 5 pound up.

I have an event to go to in a week! Weeks worth of counting calories and exercise for nothing!

Replies

  • sunlover89
    sunlover89 Posts: 436 Member
    Measurements changed?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Workout routine changed? If you've started working out more or doing something that exercises more muscles it could be water weight. Your body will hold on to that to repair and will let go when it feels like, possibly weeks from now. Don't worry about it.

    Other possible causes: Lots of salt in your food or TOM.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    You didn't gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. Weight fluctuates daily due to many things. Could be water due to new exercise or too much sodium, could be hormonal, who knows. Just relax, stick to your plan, it will likely drop back off.
  • Mock_Turtle
    Mock_Turtle Posts: 354 Member
    unless you're about to enter some type of sporting event where there is a weight restriction I don't understand why you're concerned?

    1 night is a useless sample size.
  • akilahleemarie
    akilahleemarie Posts: 80 Member
    Did you have too many carbs or too much sodium? both cause water retention (which is why people on tha atkins diet lose 10 pounds in the first week!) is it close to that time of time month? I don't even bother weighing myself once its about 5 days before TOM because I literally retain 5 pounds of water. I would weight myself the same time every morning, weigh yourself in the morning the same time after your last meal...I weigh after 12 hours of sleep and not eating and drinking...so maybe I will eat and drink at 7pm and then weigh myself at 7am.
  • camhappybunny
    camhappybunny Posts: 3 Member
    Please, I've had an 8 lb weight change during menstruation. Don't worry about it. If it really came on that quickly, it will probably go off quickly too.

    Also, forget about weight. Check your measurements. If they haven't gone up significantly, don't worry about it.
  • I started using a bottle of wine as a weight to build my arms up, until I purchase some proper weights, and using one of those ab belts which zap you. Its not TOM. Maybe over did it with the salt, and pizza the other day? I avoid bread and such things usually. Inches maybe gone up half an inch?

    It just saddens me to lose weight and gain it again, I seem to do well for a couple weeks then end up binging and putting weight back on. This was yesterday I weighed myself and gone up 5/6 pound, did so again today and its not gone back down.

    Thanks for the comments people!
  • marisposa
    marisposa Posts: 34 Member
    Me too but its that TOM and also salt does it for me give yourself a day or too your body always fluctuates.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    I have noticed that many people on here are only looking at short term goals and become obsessed about day to day fluctuations in weight. Think long term and if you stay with the program you will succeed. As a life long yo yo dieter, I'm confident that this time it will work for me. I am tired of being overweight and the older I get the harder it is lose, the body just doesn't want to cooperate. I hope that a year from now (or less) I will have reached my goal weight and achieve a fitness level that allows me to be comfortable with all my outdoor pursuits. (skiing, hiking, etc.). Maybe if MFP (or the internet for that matter) had been around when I was in my 20's I could have done this years ago.
  • You must be retaining some water! But keep working out and watch your sodium intake. Im sure your fine! Keep up the good work!:smile:
  • kfitz85
    kfitz85 Posts: 19 Member
    Ignore the weight gain, it's meaningless to measure any change in weight within a 48 hour time span. Here's what you should do. Weigh yourself at the exact same time, only once a week. Be VERY consistent.

    Example: Every Monday - 7:45 AM - Before Breakfast - Before Water Consumption - After Restroom

    I'll weigh myself one morning and see that I'm 163 pounds because I just used the restroom, haven't eaten breakfast and haven't properly hydrated since I went 6-8 hours without taking in any liquid (since I was sleeping).

    The next day, I'll weigh myself at 11:00 PM before I go to bed after I've drank 8 glasses of water over the course of the day, consumed 1500 calories, lifted heavy weights causing muscle water retention. It'll also be before I've had the opportunity to digest it so I would not have used the bathroom. I'll weigh in at 170 pounds.

    Remember that you probably eat 1-2 pounds of food a day, and the 8 cups of water that's recommended for a healthy body weighs 4 pounds. If you're consuming lots of cabs and sodium or doing intense workouts, you should weigh 3-5 pounds more if your body is functioning correctly.

    Being concerned or excited about weight fluctuation over a period anything short of a week is unnecessary.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    You live and die by the scale. One shouldn't weigh everyday if they can't handle the daily fluctuations. Use mathematics here. If you gained 5lbs of fat you would have had to consumed 17,500 calories over your normal TDEE in one day. So how many carts of fries did you eat?
    Reality is that it's water.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • SwimFan1981
    SwimFan1981 Posts: 1,430 Member
    It's probably poo :smokin:
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    It's probably poo :smokin:

    I feel sorry for the drains if it is, lol.

    Op, it won't even show at this event you are going to.
    No-one there is going to notice or care if you are 5 Ibs heavier or 5 Ibs lighter, except you.
    Use a bit of logic, and observe the weight gain objectively, if you can, as a curious observer, then you can note patterns but not get emotionally distraught over it. Your worth is not dominated by that manmade number and your focus should be health. If you are doing the best that you can for your health, then that is what is important.
  • Hazel2005
    Hazel2005 Posts: 175 Member
    I started using a bottle of wine as a weight to build my arms up, until I purchase some proper weights, and using one of those ab belts which zap you. Its not TOM. Maybe over did it with the salt, and pizza the other day? I avoid bread and such things usually. Inches maybe gone up half an inch?

    It just saddens me to lose weight and gain it again, I seem to do well for a couple weeks then end up binging and putting weight back on. This was yesterday I weighed myself and gone up 5/6 pound, did so again today and its not gone back down.

    Thanks for the comments people!

    Don't put so much pressure on yourself with a deadline. If you are truly committed and setting reasonable and attainable expectations (and eat) you will get there. Be patient, honest and accountable. Just start, and take what you get for your event. By the next one you might have already exceeded your first goal. Good Luck!
  • Sincere24
    Sincere24 Posts: 126 Member
    ^ it probably is, or could be a variety of things really>> water retention, T.O.M, ovulation, sodium intake, increased/new exercise routine etc

    I recall increasing my exercise intensity and having gone up in weight by a few pounds in a matter of two days. Finally took a rest day yesterday and despite eating around my maintenance calories 1800+ or so yesterday, lost the two pounds this morning. Hence the scale can be all too deceiving, so don't hold your breath and take everything in strides.

    Weigh in once a week to see your trend and don't do anything drastic like slash your calories it'll backfire and may lead to binges.
  • DanielleHinkle24
    DanielleHinkle24 Posts: 29 Member
    I've had this happen before. Don't give up! After it happened to me, I stayed at this same higher weight for almost 2 weeks - then dropped 4 pounds in a week. Hang in there. It is frustrating, but our bodies are interersting creatures with a mind of their own. Don't let the scale dictate how you feel about your self - it is evil. Pay more attention to how your clothes fit and your energy levels.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    ^ it probably is, or could be a variety of things really>> water retention, T.O.M, ovulation, sodium intake, increased/new exercise routine etc

    I recall increasing my exercise intensity and having gone up in weight by a few pounds in a matter of two days. Finally took a rest day yesterday and despite eating around my maintenance calories 1800+ or so yesterday, lost the two pounds this morning. Hence the scale can be all too deceiving, so don't hold your breath and take everything in strides.

    Weigh in once a week to see your trend and don't do anything drastic like slash your calories it'll backfire and may lead to binges.

    Interestingly, when I took a few days off from exercise, and ate rather badly, my measurements decreased, no idea how that works since exercise is meant to decrease inches.
  • droneofvelvet
    droneofvelvet Posts: 290 Member
    Don't weigh yourself everyday. It will make you crazy.
    Put a reminder on your calendar to just weigh once a week. Weight can fluctuate 5++ lbs everyday and night. Remember your body is holding all the food and liquid you have consumed in the past 24 hours or so. If you ever weigh your food it can weigh a few lbs sometimes even if you are eating super healthfully.
  • easycure
    easycure Posts: 152 Member
    I gain 5 lbs every month during my period... comes back off about 5 days later. <3
  • awesomek001
    awesomek001 Posts: 167 Member
    For me, I can expect to be up for a few days after pizza, even if it's not loaded in sodium (which lots of them are). I try to stay away from anything with yeast - - and just accept the fact that if I want to indulge in "bready type" foods, I'm going to be up. Of course, those cravings always seem to hit during TOM, so it's a double whammy!

    Don't loose hope - - just stay the course and it'll drop off.