How can I have gained a half-pound??

boku70
boku70 Posts: 80
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. I wonder if anyone has any insights on how I could've gained a half-pound yesterday?

I'm male, 40, 272 lbs. Calories yesterday were:

Intake: 1,436
- Exercise: 784 cal
= Net: 652 cal (Goal: 1720)

Water: 8 cups
Carbs: 221 (MFP Goal: 345)
Fat: 28 (MFP Goal: 82)
Protein: 84 (MFP Goal: 94)

I've had all kinds of bloodwork. Metabolism/thyroid, sugar is fine.

Body fat analyzer also says that my body fat content went up a tiny bit over yesterday.

I know I did everything right yesterday. What's at work here?

thanks for any thoughts!!

b

Replies

  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
    How much sodium did you take in yesterday? Have you had a bowel movement? Either of these could cause weight fluctuations from one day to the next, regardless of your exercise or caloric intake.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    Water retention and or more food in your gut can add more than half a pound easily!!!
  • javamom
    javamom Posts: 309
    sodium, sodium, sodium. that's the way it is with me anyway.
  • ChristieDF
    ChristieDF Posts: 178 Member
    You could have a little bit of fluid on you. I know we women get blotted but that might be it. Other than that I don't know.

    Christie
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
    A half a pount is hardly anything, that's just normal fluctuations

    I wouldn't worry about it.
    In fact, I'd be more concerned if someone's weight DIDN'T go up and down by a little bit each day.
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    It could be water weight I would maybe weigh yourself once a week, so you don't get too frustrated. If you ate alot of sodium you could be retaining water. I wouldn't worry too much about, if you eat like that for a week and you gain, then I might worry about it.
  • Maybe you were holding your breath?
  • tahoemads
    tahoemads Posts: 64 Member
    Hi! Check your water intake - for your weight, you should increase your hydration. A great way of calculating the ounces each day is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of water in ounces. For instance, for my weight I should drink approximately 60 ounces a day, at the very least.

    Also, your sodium intake makes a huge difference! Definitely causes water retention.
  • JulieTX86
    JulieTX86 Posts: 303 Member
    One liter of water equals 2.2lbs...... maybe you drank a lot of water?
  • treekins
    treekins Posts: 73 Member
    The calories burned could have been off?
  • sodium!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grumble:
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I never tracked my sodium and couldn't work out why I gained 300gms overnight, this has happened a few weeks in a row. I finally figured it out this morning. So even though I was under my cals I was over in sodium on each and every day I gained weight overnight.
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    Hi! Check your water intake - for your weight, you should increase your hydration. A great way of calculating the ounces each day is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of water in ounces. For instance, for my weight I should drink approximately 60 ounces a day, at the very least.

    Also, your sodium intake makes a huge difference! Definitely causes water retention.

    Is that true about the divide weight in half and drink that many ounces of water. If so I have to drink way more I currently drink at least 80 oz a day. If I drink anymore I will have to put a urinal or a bedpan in my car and office.
  • skyski_tige
    skyski_tige Posts: 67 Member
    Your carbs seem very high to me. I try to stay under 100 per day if possible.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    Half a pound? That really is nothing to worry about considering your weight can fluctuate up to 3lbs within the same day.

    Please, if it concerns you this much then just stick to weighing once a week. That way you will be able to see the pattern of your weight loss.

    Stay positive and just focus on eating healthy and being active :smile:

    All the best
  • caburk02
    caburk02 Posts: 22 Member
    Okay, gross honesty coming your way:

    I weighed myself as soon as I got up this morning and I weighed the same as I did yesterday. Then I used the bathroom (both) and I had lost .10 lbs. All that waste weighed nearly a pound! I couldn't believe it.

    I always try to weigh myself in the same circumstance as I did the day before. Any of the following can change your weight without changing your body composition:
    Clothes; jeans and a t-shirt can add over 4 lbs.
    Your flimsy little underpants weigh .1 lb.
    Eating food
    Wet hair adds .2 lbs (for a girl with chin-length hair)
    Using the bathroom
    Standing on the scale differently (Always try to stand in the same position)
  • kadye
    kadye Posts: 136 Member
    I don't know about the .5 lb, but you really need to eat more than that. That is really not enough net calories to be healthy.
  • your not eating enough. You should be netting more than 600 calories. I did that gained 5 lbs in a week. your body can survive off 600 calories. And watch your salt. You should be drinking more than 8 glasses of water if your salt intake is crazy.
  • boku70
    boku70 Posts: 80
    Thanks for your responses, everybody!!

    Some additional info, and a conclusion:

    - Sodium yesterday was 2093 (goal: 2500).

    - I weigh myself under the same conditions every morning when I get up. (I won't inflict TMI on you with details of my morning ritual, but I keep everything very constant. :-) )

    - I'm doing medically supervised HMR, so the level of carbs is consistent with medical direction.

    - Calories burned may be too high, as I'm relying on my Garmin GPS/training device. But even if they're too high, I was still *way* under goal for the day.

    I guess I'm not that concerned about it--like I said, I know that I did everything right yesterday--but I'm just kind of more curious about the mechanism. (A sustained weight gain over several days would be of more concern to me.)

    thanks again!! :-)

    b
  • jbug100
    jbug100 Posts: 406 Member
    Could be many things! I wouldn't focus on small day to day fluctuation...you will make yourself crazy. Stick with program and weigh once a week under same circumstances. If you are in this for the long haul (permanent healthy changes) patience will be your best friend:)
  • boku70
    boku70 Posts: 80
    I also wonder whether I'm getting too much exercise right now, considering my caloric intake. Even if the correct "burned" figure is 2x the right amount, I'm still netting in the neighborhood of only ~1,000/day.
  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
    I also wonder whether I'm getting too much exercise right now, considering my caloric intake. Even if the correct "burned" figure is 2x the right amount, I'm still netting in the neighborhood of only ~1,000/day.

    If what you are doing is medically supervised, this question is best left to your doctors.
  • If you're worrying about half a pound in a day then I suggest you get out more!
    Weight loss is the long haul.
    Not what you were yesterday or tomorrow.
    Look at what you'll be in a month or six or a year or 5.
    Stop stressing over the little things and look at the big picture.

    If you carry on stressing you'll never see it through because you won't enjoy it.

    And you should!!
  • It happens to me all the time. But I find that if I keep trying, I'll see that half pound or pound go away along with another one or even two within two days. Still, it bums me out. In fact it happened to me a couple of days ago an I haven't weighed myself since. I couldn't eat less and so I have been sticking to it. Tomorrow I will weigh myself again. My fingers crossed.

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