I gained 3 lbs in a week

eap20mn · April 2011

I weighted 157 on Tuesday then by the next tuesday i weighed 160

why is it that losing a pound is so hard and gaining them is sooo easy ... depressed ... i did overeat about 2 days but 3lbs ?? come on....

MelissaL582 · April 2011

Could be water weight. Do you watch your sodium?

mfkfoster · April 2011

could be water retention or too much sodium. I really doubt you consumed 10,500 extra calories! There's about 3500 calories in a pound so I don't think overeating is the problem. Check your sodium.

Annalotte · April 2011

Water... effing water weight. How are your clothes fitting? It's not all about the numbers on the scale.

goddessofmath · April 2011

I gained 1.2 overnight (the day before my weigh in of course) because I ate out the night before. Tacos and chips are so high in sodium. It was ALL water weight. Be sure to drink a lot the next few days, and some, if not all, of it will come off.

Good luck!

tehwhoaman · April 2011

Sodium helps retain a lot of water weight in your body. :P Or you may have put on a lot of muscle by lifting too much? (If you lift weights at all)

latoshia1 · April 2011

Don't let that discourage you, your weight will go up and down. And yes it could be water weight. So you are still doing great!

imogenboo · April 2011

Water weight is a definite possibility, have you been drinking enough water? Its probably just a hiccup, I know its tough but try not to get too depressed about it, that'll have the reverse effect of what you want to happen.

pftjill · April 2011

To have gained 3 lbs you would have had to have eaten more than 10500 extra calories. Which is quite a bit. I would chalk it up to water weight. We had weigh in day yesterday and one of my clients was up 7 lbs because it was TOM. So there are other things to factor in.

meggonkgonk · April 2011

No you didnt eat enough to gain that much.

Rest assured, you can do this. Some important questions to ask yourself:

1) Did you eat something high in sodium or highly processed on Sunday or Monday- these things can cause false gains. Sodium retains water, processed foods take longer for your body to ...well ...process- you know.

2) Have you been doing a new workout or anything particularly strenuous? Hard work causes minor tears in muscle, and as the muscle grows and repairs it self, it retains water to complete this process.

3) Are you eating enough? If you are consistently well under your cals and then splurge one night, your body is likely to panic and hold on to everything you've eaten on splurge night in case you actually start starving.

Behavioral · April 2011

I agree...sounds like water weight to me.

foxxybrown · April 2011

The soup, processed sandwich meat, and the popcorn are making your sodium levels high. If you aren't sweating it out or flushing it out with water, you could be retaining.

ladyprincess99 · April 2011

Make sure you drink you water and watch you sodium intake. Or it could be all muscle, But I would watch it to be on the safe side, I have high blood pressure so watching my sodium is a must, That's why I love mfp, I can keep track of everything.

LMBS05 · April 2011

Don't loose hope! A pound is 3,500 calories so unless you really really overate gaining three pounds in a day is impossible! That being said, your water levels will make your weight fluxuate and can be really upsetting. Just keep perspective try to stick to your diet and work out for a few days (and lowering sodium intake) and it should go back down. On the other hand if this weight tends to stick with you I might go see a doctor and get your metabolism tested!

clohessy · April 2011

I gained 5 lbs in a week. Increased my exercise by running an extra 30 mins every day! Just read that NSAID'S like aspirin and Advil can cause water retention I have been taking these for a week I gonna blame it on taking them. I"ll weigh again in a few days to see if that caused weight gain . Any one else know that?

AQHAShowgirl · April 2011

Don't feel bad....I just gained 2.4 lbs overnight!! I'm attributing it to one plate of Chinese Buffet goodness and no treadmill.

Regito711 · April 2011

I had the same problem. I started Couch to 5k and gain a 2 pounds. Yes I gained weight starting a running program! Don't get discouraged its just your body changing and adapting for new challenges . As long as you look leaner and your clothes fit like you want them to don't worry about it.

Wileyjoe · April 2011

likely water weight. I cycle calories and carbs each week. my weight can be up by as much as 5 lbs. after the higher days. By weigh in day I am back down to a little lower than I was the week before.

katm427 · April 2011

I understand your frustration, and I agree with everyone here who said that it could be water weight. I mean, I technically gained 6 pounds over the past week from being in the hospital, but you can't let it get to you. (Easier said than done, I know.)

ChristieDF · April 2011

Don't get discouraged. It's probably just water weight. Keep working out, watch that sodium and drink water. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :happy:

meka325 · April 2011

What time of the month is it? Have you been exercising alot? Etc?

RoniDoll · April 2011

I weighted 157 on Tuesday then by the next tuesday i weighed 160 why is it that losing a pound is so hard and gaining them is sooo easy ... depressed ... i did overeat about 2 days but 3lbs ?? come on....

OMG!!!! THIS HAPPEND TO ME TO!!!!! I was 157.5 and after the weekend I was 160.5... after drinking water and working out I am finally back down to 158.5 but still! I was 157.5 and i was hoping to be at 156.5 by the end of this week! UGH! I feel you!!!

fitmom4ever · April 2011

I did the same exact thing last week. I binged out while under stress and gained 3 lbs in 2 days! :grumble: But thanks to my totally awesome and supportive MFPals

I picked myself up off the floor and started eating right, drinking plenty of water, and exercising again. As of today I have lost 2.2 of those 3 lbs and feel tons better! Don't let it get to you. Any gain that happens that quickly is likely to be temporary. Just get back on that wagon and everything should go back to normal shortly :flowerforyou:

monarch121560 · April 2011

I'm totally with you on this mystery! I was feeling the exact way this morning. It's so hard to log everything that goes in your mouth every day!! It does get very depressing........ but that's how watching our weight is. We're excited and thrilled and even proud of ourselves when we loose weight, even if it's only 1 pound. BUT, let be we gained, omg we're angry, devastated and ready to throw in the towel!! It's in those moments we need to hold onto that feeling we have when we loose cause we know that when we gain it's a temporary set back. We get up, dust ourselves off and remind ourselves we're not perfect nor are alone and we get back on track and then we start forgiving ourselves and we feel better. I know for me, I have good days and bad days in my quest to loose this weight. I think back 3 months when I was 297 pounds and then look at my current weight of 271 pounds and feel accomplished. I have never been this high in weight but I've shown myself that with hard work and dedication I can loose weight. I'm okay if I gain a little here or there causse I KNOW I can and will continue to loose. Hang in there and remember you're never alone.

NovemberJune · April 2011

my weight fluctuates A LOT from week to week! my little progress line is so jaggedy! but the overall trend is down so i try not to stress

good luck!

loseit65 · April 2011

I hear yea!. I've had a few doctors appointments in the past two weeks and everytine I get on the scale I'm gaining instead of losing. so frustrating and depressing! UG UG , but I'm not giving up.

iamhealingmyself · April 2011

Something else nobody mentioned yet, consider your bathroom habits. I know it sounds crazy but if you don't go, you're carrying around more weight. Had I waited 30 minutes before yesterday's weigh in I could have taken another 1.6lbs off my weight! Sounds crazy but it's true. I got on the scale just to see simply because I felt so much better in my tummy. I was even slimmer around the belly button area. You have no idea what you're carrying in there or how much it can weigh!

So yes, watch your sodium (I have that problem too and it's often when I swell that it registers with me that it's too high and I don't use table salt). Even if your sodium is in check, make sure you're drinking enough water every day. This will help with the above (as well as increasing your soluble fiber intake) as well as help flush out the sodium you are eating and also help your body remove fat.

Lunch meats are killer. If you have the means, make a roast or whole chicken and slice up the breast and meat yourself for sandwiches. It not only tastes better but you can control what goes into it. Salt is used as a preservative in those cases but if you're cooking and eating fresh, then it's not needed.

Don't give up. The answer is out there somewhere and it's not how much you're eating but what you're eating/drinking most likely.

fatchancemom · January 2014

I was very conscious of the amount of salt and cheat eating I was doing over the weekend. Had no discipline and couldn't stop myself, now I feel like I'll never eat a cookie again because I've gained 3 pounds since my last weigh in. I'll b e taking water pills and drinking a gallon of water today. Thanks for the post!