Gained 6 pounds in 4 days..

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RHwoodxxxx
RHwoodxxxx Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I just got back from a long travelling trip, during which my weight fluctuated a fair bit - I started off not watching my weight/what i ate at all, not doing serious exercise etc. Then i realised this so sorted my act out, started my running again and eating as healthy as possible, with treats sometimes as I'm not one for restricting myself. At the end of it I weighed myself, in the morning, in clothes (cotton shorts and a vest top so nothing heavy) after eating quite little the day before, and it was on a scale outside a supermarket where, 3 weeks before, I had weighed 9 stone 11 pounds.

This time, I weighed 133 pounds (9 stone 5) which I was pretty happy about. When I left for the travels 3 months ago I was 9 stone 9. I changed my lifestyle a bit before that and was 9 stone 7 at my lightest but somehow put on 2 pounds again. I wasn't too worried about this. I always weigh myself in the morning, naked (except that last time when I was travelling)

I've been home a couple of days, its now monday and i weighed myself on thursday. I've not been eating ridiculous amounts or drinking any alcohol - went for dinner on saturday night and ate quite a bit meal and dessert, a big lunch that day but only lots of healthy things - salad, a little cheese, ham, wholewheat bread roll etc. Yesterday I ate quite normally but in the evening had a couple of slices of toast (wholewheat with marmite), a packet of low cal, low fat crisps and a low cal/sugar hot chocolate.

This morning I felt like I look fine, not any fatter than last week. And yet I weigh 9 stone 11!! I feel like my stomach looks flatter than ever (maybe not as flat as last thursday since i had eaten very little the day before that) and my legs feel the most toned they've been in a while. I don't have a tiny flat stomach there is still fat there but its a LOT better than it used to be and i feel much more comfortable - but why the weight gain and SO much fluctuation all the time?

Also.. this may be a dumb question but is it possible that my body looks better simply because i have a tan and not actually because ive lost much weight? don't laugh if this is ridiculous.

I don't want to be worrying about my weight anymore.. I want to be eating healthy as I enjoy doing so because it makes me feel better in general than eating crap all the time, and I want to be able to have some like ice cream or chocolate every now and then without thinking about it and feeling guilty etc. But I feel like I need a solid weight to maintain so I can do this. I also still want to improve my stomach but think I can do this without serious 'dieting' and just do it by doing stomach exercises and running (i'm not aiming for a tiny tiny, six pack abs kind of thing)

Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    If you look fine then don't obsess about scale weight. A high salt intake could actually account for 6lb variance in a single day.
  • RHwoodxxxx
    RHwoodxxxx Posts: 7
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    So is the salt actual weight gain, like fat weight gain? Can I lose this quickly by drinking a lot?
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    Is it your time of month?
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    So is the salt actual weight gain, like fat weight gain? Can I lose this quickly by drinking a lot?

    Salt gain is really water gain, eating high quantities of salt causes you to retain water.

    Drinking more water helps your body flush the salt out of your body.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    So is the salt actual weight gain, like fat weight gain? Can I lose this quickly by drinking a lot?

    It was just an example but like has been said if it IS just salt then yeah just cut back on the salt a bit work out and get plenty of fluids. The weight will fall back off again.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    If you are going to weigh yourself frequently, then you need to understand that your weight will fluctuate up and down, no matter what, especially if you are a woman, as hormone levels also impact on weight. Most women 'gain' severqal pounds while on their period, only to lose it shortly after their period has finished.

    You should concentrate on weight changes over the long term, i.e. 4 to 6 weeks.

    Alternatively, you can use other methods, such as measuring your body, taking photos etc.

    I would recommend a combination, which is what I do.
  • debraculpharmon
    debraculpharmon Posts: 1 Member
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    One of the reasons for a large increase in weight, especially after eating out, can be related to the sodium content in the food. Therefore, putting on water weight. Sodium causes a person to hold on to water as it tries to dilute the influx in sodium that is consumed. Typically restaurant food contains excessive amounts of sodium.
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
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    This time, I weighed 133 pounds (9 stone 5) which I was pretty happy about.

    133lbs is 9 stone 7, not 9 stone 5. Looks like you've divided the lbs total by 14, but as there are 14lbs in a stone you can't do this.

    Better to work out that 140lbs is 10 stone and then deduct 133 = 7.
  • RHwoodxxxx
    RHwoodxxxx Posts: 7
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    ah yeah i just realised this - it's actually the google converter that was wrong!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Agree that it could very well be water weight. Sometimes the scale is a pain in the rear.

    Also wanted to point out that you mention using two different scales. You really shouldn't compare your weight this way as what you're wearing, what food/liquid might be in your digestive system, etc could make a big difference. Just go by the scale at home.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Water retention.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Not sure what kind of trip you were on but I know long periods of time spent sitting in a car or on an airplane make me retain water. I wouldn't worry about it. :)
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Your most likely retaining water. Just stop weighing for a little while, drink your water daily and you'll even out.
    ( I saw the list of foods you had eaten, and just wanted to add in that it doesn't really matterwhat you eat, when it comes to weight loss. It's about calories in, calories out. So for weight loss, it's about how much your eating not what foods you eat)

    And yes, everything looks better with a tan. :-)
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Water weight and take a dump.
  • thinklivebefree
    thinklivebefree Posts: 328 Member
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    Your body is in Starvation mode .......gigity
  • rasp0000
    rasp0000 Posts: 4 Member
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    Did you eat 21000 calories over your maintenance? If not, it's probably water retention from sodium.
  • oremus1
    oremus1 Posts: 100 Member
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    all these can cause water retention
    - period
    -flu
    -salt
    -carbs
    -certain meds

    although you apparently only have 0.5lb of glycogen in the liver, my personal experience is up to about 5 or 6 lbs water weight which is there one day gone the next.

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