I GAINED 4.5 f*cking pounds this week!

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JenMarie8781
JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last week I lost 3 and then this week I GAINED 4.5 pounds. I will admit, I wasn't being very careful about what I was eating and I haven't been exercising since I injured my knee last month. But still... I'm pretty sure I wasn't going over my BMR and I certainly didn't eat enough to gain 4.5 pounds of FAT. I am thinking it has something to do with the fact that I've barely been drinking water and getting too much sodium. But still... how discouraging. This whole weight loss thing sucks sometimes.

Is it possible that this is water weight from too much sodium and not enough water intake? Can you gain that much in one week from retaining water?

Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Weight fluctuation is normal.
    Relax.
  • kellenas
    kellenas Posts: 154
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    I have, but that was during my menstrual cycle. After that was over, the 4 lbs went away. I don't weigh anymore. It just discourages me. I just see how my clothes fit and how I feel.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Psssst ... I'll tell you a secret. You can gain that much in a day from water retention.

    Don't worry about fast weight gain like that. It can't possibly be fat.
  • purple_tux1
    purple_tux1 Posts: 250 Member
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    We've all been there. Don't let it discourage you. Just keep doing that you're doing. It's likely water weight. <hugs>
  • JenMarie8781
    JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
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    We've all been there. Don't let it discourage you. Just keep doing that you're doing. It's likely water weight. <hugs>

    Thanks :)
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    Last week I lost 3 and then this week I GAINED 4.5 pounds. I will admit, I wasn't being very careful about what I was eating and I haven't been exercising since I injured my knee last month. But still... I'm pretty sure I wasn't going over my BMR and I certainly didn't eat enough to gain 4.5 pounds of FAT. I am thinking it has something to do with the fact that I've barely been drinking water and getting too much sodium. But still... how discouraging. This whole weight loss thing sucks sometimes.

    Is it possible that this is water weight from too much sodium and not enough water intake? Can you gain that much in one week from retaining water?

    You know why your progress stalled. Get your numbers where they need to be, and you'll lose weight. When your activity level drops, your calorie limit also needs to drop. You've got to redo your equation and make sure you track all of calories accurately. There's no getting around that.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,657 Member
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    http://justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/

    It's the water weight from glycogen stores replenishing.
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    First of all, you shouldn't be eating below your BMR. If you do, this happens. You should be eating 20-25% below your TDEE.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    Don't sweat it i gain water weight of four to five pounds approx. 2 weeks before my mensies happens. By the time it is done i am usually down that plus some. It happens :happy:
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
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    General convention holds that a pound of fat is about 3,500 stored calories. Did you perchance overeat by 15,750 calories this week?

    Kinda doubt it.

    Drink more water, eat less sodium.
  • Rainyday816
    Rainyday816 Posts: 29 Member
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    I'm sure it's just water weight - I'm not a scientist but sodium makes you retain water, so I don't think drinking more water would help much. I find that if I eat something high sodium like pizza for dinner, the scale will always say I've gained a little the next day, even if I stayed under my calories and exercised. If I were you I would try to eat very healthy and "clean" for a few days and then check the scale. I'm sure that will help you "reset" a little bit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    On Monday I was up 5 Lbs from my Friday weigh in...on Tuesday I was up another 1/2 Lb...on Wednesday my weight was pretty much static...maybe down a couple ounces...today I'm down 4.5 Lbs from yesterday...

    moral of the cool story brah...weight loss isn't linear and your body weight isn't static. Everyone has natural fluctuations...weight loss, maintenance, and gain are trends over a long period of time, not a day or two or even a week.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    I'm sure it's just water weight - I'm not a scientist but sodium makes you retain water, so I don't think drinking more water would help much. I find that if I eat something high sodium like pizza for dinner, the scale will always say I've gained a little the next day, even if I stayed under my calories and exercised. If I were you I would try to eat very healthy and "clean" for a few days and then check the scale. I'm sure that will help you "reset" a little bit.

    Yes you do drink more water because it flushes the excess sodium out of your system faster. Staying well hydrated helps you liver process things like minerals, and toxins faster. Ensuring they are not stored in your bodies fat stores for your liver to deal with at a later date, because it doesn't have enough of the good stuff (water) to help flush it on through your digestive system. You should be shooting for about half your body weight a day (in ounces) of water. For example: I weigh 211 lbs. I drink about 13 /8 oz. glasses per day, or ruffly 104 ounces.
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    I always weigh more the day after not drinking enough water. When I drink enough water, I maintain or weigh less. This is assuming that I'm staying within my caloric deficit, of course.

    I prefer to weigh daily, it makes the up-down thing less shocking. What if I picked a bad day every week to weigh and thought I was just gaining?
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
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    sodium makes you retain water, so I don't think drinking more water would help much

    Your body wants to maintain a specific water/salt ratio. The more sodium you eat, the more water your body will retain to keep that balance.

    If you overload on sodium, your body will trigger your thirst mechanism to get you to drink more water and your internal salt/water levels will even out. (This is when you step on the scale and freak out at the extra poundage). If you then continue to drink more water after that, your body will flush both the excess water and excess salt from your body. This step can take a couple days though, depending on your kidneys etc
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
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    im sure its water weight and what not. but seriously if you say you havent watched what you ate..why on earth are you so mad? turn your anger into motivation and tighten your crap up and get it goin in the right direction.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    It's just one day out of 75 or so years. Keep pushing along. Monitor what you can so you'll know better next time it happens and you can anticipate changes or curb them from happening.
  • emuoil
    emuoil Posts: 3
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    Last week I lost 3 and then this week I GAINED 4.5 pounds. I will admit, I wasn't being very careful about what I was eating and I haven't been exercising since I injured my knee last month. But still... I'm pretty sure I wasn't going over my BMR and I certainly didn't eat enough to gain 4.5 pounds of FAT. I am thinking it has something to do with the fact that I've barely been drinking water and getting too much sodium. But still... how discouraging. This whole weight loss thing sucks sometimes.

    Is it possible that this is water weight from too much sodium and not enough water intake? Can you gain that much in one week from retaining water?

    Just in case you didn't know, if you are exercising and dropping weight, you will shed the fat and gain muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. That's why you measure yourself to see the diff. You my not loose lbs., but your measurements are shrinking. ;-)

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