week's worth of weight loss gained back in one day?

chocowalnut
chocowalnut Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have finally been on a good track for a week now, have been controlling my appetite and losing weight. I've lost about 7 pounds (went from 199 to 193) in a week or so. But today after one day of "treating myself" (went out to eat) it seems I gained most of the weight back just from one day. I don't understand and it makes me really depressed.

Replies

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I have finally been on a good track for a week now, have been controlling my appetite and losing weight. I've lost about 7 pounds (went from 199 to 193) in a week or so. But today after one day of "treating myself" (went out to eat) it seems I gained most of the weight back just from one day. I don't understand and it makes me really depressed.
    You ate out then came home and weighed yourself? It's just from the food you ate, maybe some water retention, natural fluctuation. You don't gain fat in a day, or even the same day you decide to treat yourself.
  • ywalchle
    ywalchle Posts: 101 Member
    Are you around TOM? Women tend to "gain" water weight at that time. Otherwise, don't weight yourself after indulging for a few days. Wait a few days and hop back on the scale. (Scared myself not too long ago with that fun)
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. Even the worst fast food dinner falls far short of (7 x 3500 =) 24,500 calories. What is more likely is you ate far, far more sodium than anyone should in a day--many restaurant entrees contain more than the RDA by themselves--and this is causing you to retain water. Some scales can show this. Watch your sodium when you eat out. :)
  • Pixelated21
    Pixelated21 Posts: 1 Member
    Your weight can fluctuate a lot in a day based on how much you eat and what you eat, as well as how much water you drink, how recently you've used the washroom, and just plain old hormone levels.
    Keep in mind that your weight is not a direct measure of fat on your body, but rather how much your body and everything in it weighs at that moment. For example, if you were to weigh yourself now, then drink a liter of water (which has no calories, sodium, fat, etc.), then weigh yourself again, you would weigh around two more pounds the second time. This does not mean you gained two pounds of fat from drinking the water, but rather that there is currently two extra pounds of water inside you.
    Basically, what I'm saying is that after your cheat day, you probably have more food in your body than you did when you were weighing yourself previously, and you may have consumed more sodium, which could make you retain some water for a few days. This does not mean you have gained any fat. It takes roughly 3500 excess calories to gain one pound of fat, so for you to gain seven pounds of fat in one day it would take about 26,500 calories.
    Bottom line: Don't worry. Your weight will fluctuate naturally, and as soon as you get back on track, you'll see that weight loss come straight back. :)
  • chocowalnut
    chocowalnut Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks for the replies and yeah that makes a lot of sense underdog. I am just worried the that the number wont go back down tomorrow after everything settles but I'll try not to over think things and keep up what I've been doing.
  • chocowalnut
    chocowalnut Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks pixel that makes a lot of sense :)
  • denisep1016
    denisep1016 Posts: 1 Member
    Don't be upset! Stay off the scale for 3 days. You have a fake reading! Continue to exercise, eat well, don't crash diet here! Go back to the things you were doing. THINK weight lose! You will be fine. If you don't allow yourself to go out and eat, you will never be successful! Keep up the good work!
  • Vorenus85
    Vorenus85 Posts: 112 Member
    Thanks for the replies and yeah that makes a lot of sense underdog. I am just worried the that the number wont go back down tomorrow after everything settles but I'll try not to over think things and keep up what I've been doing.

    Depending on what you ate and how much, it may not go down for several days or more, so just try not to get discouraged. Whenever I eat Chinese, it takes me up to a week to get a scale reading that isn't bonkers.

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