Whyyyyy? What is happening?

I've been on my fitness kick for a month. Exersizing and running a calorie deficit. I've been loosing weight very steadily -- I always waited for 3 days of consistent weight before recording it ( I wanted to make sure it is not water).

I lost 11lb. I was thrilled.

Than for the past week I've been up 2-2.5lb every day! Now I'm up 3+ lb. I'm still running a calorie deficit and running at least every other day. I now can do 2 miles in 24 min -- an achievement for me. But I'm gaining!!!!!
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Replies

  • okcat4
    okcat4 Posts: 224 Member
    try increasing calories, you may have hit starve mode. You are probably also adding muscle now. HTe easy weight is off, now on to the stubborn. You can do it, don't give up!
  • First things first STOP WEIGHING EVERY DAY.
    It will destroy and discourage you. Once a week is plenty. Some people only weigh once a month.
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    I am not in starvation mode -- look at my food diary.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Are you measuring your food and logging accurately?
  • Amy106Days
    Amy106Days Posts: 172 Member
    .
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Is it your TOM? You can easily be up that much either before or during TOM due to water retention. It'll go away after.
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    Yes. I measure every ingredient down to serranos and onions. Everything on a scale. Things like olive oil by measuring spoons. it is like an obsessive compulsive disorder now.
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    TOM in not for another week.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    .

    exactly what i thought.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    TOM in not for another week.

    then you're in perfect zone for retaining a little water, don't fret.
  • JulieRobe
    JulieRobe Posts: 1 Member
    Try throwing in a cheat day. You don't have to go nuts, but just add 300 extra calories or so.

    Also, stop being obsessive compulsive. Stress causes your body to gain weight, despite your calorie deficit. Plus it doesn't sound very fun :(
  • Sincere24
    Sincere24 Posts: 126 Member
    ^ Loool.

    Really OP, hop of the scales, it's only been a week. How much more were you expecting to loose in a month, 11 lbs in incredible Weight loss is not linear, so one should not expect a loss every week.

    Take a breath, and continue what you're doing. Kudos thus far
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    TOM in not for another week.

    Can happen the week before. Unless you've been seriously over-eating then it's unlikely you've put on 3 lbs of fat. It probably isn't 3 lbs of muscle either because that doesn't happen over night. It could be water retention from something else. Have you been eating a lot of high sodium foods? Lifting weights or heavy workouts can also cause your body to retain water while your muscles repair themselves.
  • roselee1213
    roselee1213 Posts: 8 Member
    I have done this before, and mine was a plateau. I kept going and eventually the scale went down. I haven’t read your diary but if you are not eating enough protein and eating too many bad carbs this might slow you down. Also diet sodas do slow down the metabolism too. I am not able to eat flour of any kind, it has to be gluten free, and no sugar for me either this slows my weight loss down too, and increases pain in my body.

    If you are doing all the right things stay positive, keep making good choices and drink your water, we will all go through plateaus.
  • bevmcarthur
    bevmcarthur Posts: 341 Member
    maybe try eating a little more you only eat 3 times a day ?
    How tall are you ?
    Also i would add sugar to your chart you may be getting more than you think
    i eat every 2 to 3 hrs and i am 5.3 and i eat about 1300 cal
  • You could try increasing exercise and maybe an extra 100 calories of food intake..?

    And I agree, back in December I weighed myself everyday, and I had the lowest self-esteem of my entire life during that time period. Try weighing once a week! At first, it is difficult, but slowly you'll get used to it. To help me, I put my scale in a different room.

    Also, make sure you aren't going to bed hungry, because that may cause your body to go into "starve mode".

    Best of luck!
  • 1st. Don't listen to what others are saying about weighing yourself everyday, make best friends with your scale, weigh yourself only in the morning when you wake up. You won't get a most accurate number any other time of the day. Weighing in at every morning brings motivation =)

    2nd. Even if you cut calories/are at a calorie deficit, not all calories were created equal or are burned equally. If you are trying to lose weight, burn excess body fat, then you also need to cut your sugar. You also need to cut refined Carbohydrates (sugar is one of them) others are bread, pasta, croutons in salads, Potatoes etc... If you reduce your carbs to 50g per day (50g is just enough for your brain to function properly all day) and with at least an hour cardio you will start losing weight. Watch out for your sodium intake too because that will retain water.

    3rd. You might want to get your proper working target heart rate by using the Karvonen Heart Rate Method, by working out and having your heart rate bpm in your proper range you will be burning fat instead of muscle, blood glucose etc.

    There are a lot of things you have to understand and learn about your body and how the body works, it's easy and once you get the hang of things you'll be getting significant results. =) Hope some of this helped.
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    TOM in not for another week.

    then you're in perfect zone for retaining a little water, don't fret.

    Does not explain whole last week.
  • ikudbne12
    ikudbne12 Posts: 63 Member
    For me it is always about the carbs... regardless of my calorie intake (of which i very rarely go over) i always gain pounds on days after i go over say 100 gms of carbs for a day. Try restricting carbs for a day or 2 .
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
    11 lbs within a month is terrific progress. There are many reasonable reasons for a plataeu, but I like to use a plateau as a time to do some more tweeking.

    Look at your hydration: what would happen if you switched to treated water that you filtered at home and did not put into plastic bottles? Look at meal timing; some people are getting good results by delaying their first meal until after their first workout of the day. Others are end eating in the mid-afternoon. Look at your ratios (carbs-fats-protein). Carbs in itself is made of 3 kinds of foods (celluose, starches, sugars--scientific terms) or (vegetables, legumes, tubers, grains, sugars--in cook and eaters terms). Change the balance within this ratio, known as carbs to emphasize vegetables over grains, as many have done. Lastly, it is nearly always a good idea to restrain the sugars. Do you track sugar? And when you eat sugar, so you eat a fat or protein along with it (i.e low glycemic eating).

    Just some ideas,,,and none of them are about reducing your kcal further.
  • Easy with it. You're going hardcore and you could end up burning yourself out. Stress can cause you to gain, so step back, take a breather, increase your cal intake like everyone said, and ease back into it. You'll do great. You are already. :smile:
  • sp7991
    sp7991 Posts: 20 Member
    Ideal time for weighing is early morning before any food. In day time because of water fluctuation you may misguided !
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member

    3rd. You might want to get your proper working target heart rate by using the Karvonen Heart Rate Method, by working out and having your heart rate bpm in your proper range you will be burning fat instead of muscle, blood glucose etc.

    Fat burning zone is a myth. Always better to work out at a higher intensity. You'll burn more fat overall and more total calories. It's more about total calorie burn for the calorie in vs calorie out approach.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    You are not a machine. Your an organic being that is massively complex. You can compare this all to fixing a car, but really its not the same. I live in a 5 - 10 pound swing range of weight as I go down. You had a good run, now its just going to fluctuate a bit. Either jog your system or wait a bit. If its a month or so, then you hit a platue. Really just keep calm for now. :flowerforyou:
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    You are not a machine. Your an organic being that is massively complex. You can compare this all to fixing a car, but really its not the same. I live in a 5 - 10 pound swing range of weight as I go down. You had a good run, now its just going to fluctuate a bit. Either jog your system or wait a bit. If its a month or so, then you hit a platue. Really just keep calm for now. :flowerforyou:

    This. Weight loss is not linear. Relax
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    ^^agreed. You also need to remember that water weight is impacted by our cycles as well as a bunch of other things. Water weight can mask 'real' weight loss.
  • rvicini
    rvicini Posts: 252 Member
    You are not a machine. Your an organic being that is massively complex. You can compare this all to fixing a car, but really its not the same. I live in a 5 - 10 pound swing range of weight as I go down. You had a good run, now its just going to fluctuate a bit. Either jog your system or wait a bit. If its a month or so, then you hit a platue. Really just keep calm for now. :flowerforyou:


    I would agree with Bill... I also have big fluctuations as well and since I weight everyday I notice them. Hiding the scale definitely won't make you lose weight!.
  • larnsperger
    larnsperger Posts: 161 Member
    Your diary is within your calorie range, but perhaps keeping the fruits to one per day and adding some leafy greens, in their place. I find it difficult to lose if I have too many carbs even if they are fruit. Nuts are another thing that can sometimes slow the scale for me. I try to keep it to almonds and I try to limit them to a few times per week. 'm also a big believer in the water, and lots of it.

    The body can be a mysterious machine at times, and what works for one person may not help another. This is a lifelong journey and can require quite a bit of tweaking to find what works for you long term. I don't deal with TOM anymore, but when I did the 2 weeks prior to that were HELL for me and the scale.

    When I was younger I lived and died by the number on the scale, DAILY. Made for a miserable day sometimes. Now I try to rely more heavily on monthly measurements and the way my pants fit. Weighing can become OCD, it's easy to say stop doing it but much harder to heed that advice.

    You are doing well, weighing measuring, running, these are all great habits that will help your continued success. Take a deep breath and hang in there. You will reach your goal!
  • Ryanmariem
    Ryanmariem Posts: 46 Member
    How much water are you drinking? You want to be close to 8, 8oz glasses or 1/2 of your body weight. If you are drinking enough water you usually will not retain it, as you will be well hydrated and your body does not need to.

    Also if you are not eating enough calories for your body, it will think it is starving and start to store fat... the key is to regulate your blood sugars.... check out " The Blood Sugar Solution" by Mark Hyman, he also has a good website... very informative.

    When I first started loosing weight back in 2003 while taking weight traing and nutrition... I had a similar problem, my first 10-15lbs melted off, then it seemed like I was gianing... it was because I was not drinking enough water and eating enough "healthy" calories... once I adjusted, I started loosing again, until the scale stopped, but that was because I was putting on muscle in fact the scale went up then back down... it was hard to tell by the scale if my diet and weight training were working, but my clothes were fitting better and becoming loose, although the scale had not changed. I did not care much what the scale said as long as I felt good and that I could see my clothes fitting better and I was going down in size. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. =)
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    My only advice is to be patient.

    You've lost 11lb in one month is a) a lot and b) far more than the recommended weekly weight loss.

    Your body is not a robot, it is not going to helpfully dump a specified amount of weight week in, week out, just to satisfy your desires. Some weeks you're not going to lose at all, some weeks you may even gain but then if you're doing everything right, you'll lose again and in the long term the result will be good.

    My honest belief is that being in an all-fire rush to dump the weight (that's generally taken years to acquire) in as short a time as possible, is a short-cut to frustration and ultimately failure.