Slightly confused and looking for advice...

austepants
austepants Posts: 356 Member
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
I had the stomach flu last week Saturday night through Monday. I did not eat anything the first few days and then when I did eat it was very little. I had an awesome weigh in last sat before I got really sick and had lost 1.8 pounds! I have been back on track this week...only had one workout instead of 3 but have been eating right. I peeked at the scale today because tomorrow is my weigh in and the scale says I have a gain of 2.5 pounds!!! Should I stop worrying until tomorrow or should I just skip this weeks weigh in and get totally back on track next week?? Is it possible for the scale to fluctuate that much?? My diary should be open so feel free to view it and give me feedback :)

I wanted to add to this... in my diary I do have notes that I was sick so I know why my diary was empty for a few days with nothing but water filled in. Also like others have mentioned to be able to look back and see how my body reacts to these things.

Replies

  • bhb301
    bhb301 Posts: 338 Member
    I would skip a week, until you feel normal. Don't worry it may be fluid also.. Give yourself time to recover..
  • abellante_0205
    abellante_0205 Posts: 368 Member
    You should make a note that you were sick, I would keep checking your weight even though you may be off this week bc of your sickness, but I have found that if you keep track of your weight, no matter what, it helps you stay focused and you are more likely to fix your issue, if you see a bad number, even though it may or may not be beyond ur control.
  • TiDinzeo
    TiDinzeo Posts: 309
    It's probably just your bodies reaction to not eating when you got sick. If you don't get enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode where it keeps as many calories as it can. And since you were sick as well, it needed extra energy to fight that off.

    JUst get back on track and you should see a loss in future.
  • SMelson89
    SMelson89 Posts: 6
    hey, i wouldn't worry too much about the scale, your weight can change up to 5 lbs through out the day to be a negative or a positive, but don't skip the weigh in because at your next one you could be more disappointed in the weight lose if you go off the weight before your skipped weigh in. if you get your waist measured thats a better indication on what your have lost and what you have gained. don't put too much pressure on yourself though, its normal to fluctuate some.
  • tim_fitbuilt4life
    tim_fitbuilt4life Posts: 301 Member
    It sounds like you weight dropped due to dehydration so I wouldn't worry. Just get back to your health and continue doing what you were doing.
  • Achoooo
    Achoooo Posts: 130
    I would weigh as usual, record it, then note that you were sick.
    I would not let it worry you or think too much of it - being sick can get your body off track for awhile so just keep doing what you would normally do and it'll all work out eventually. What is good about recording it all normally, if and when you get sick again in the future and your weight fluctuates the same, you can go back and know what to expect.
    I think it's good to record everything and not skip so you get a sense of how your body reacts to things.
  • Alphastate
    Alphastate Posts: 295 Member
    Without looking over your diary, I would say do the weigh-in. Fluctuations like this can happen because of a lot of variables. You may be surprised at your weight tomorrow. You want to remain as consistent as possible, no matter the circumstances. I have a particular client who has steady lost 10 lbs a month for 5 months now. This month, however, she has been all over the place with her weigh-ins (we weigh three times a week), but over the course of the entire month she has still kept the 10 lb loss. If you have any questions, shoot me a message!
  • new_me_9_67
    new_me_9_67 Posts: 369 Member
    I had a similar thing happen to me last week. I was sick for 3 days and gained almost 3 lbs. once I got better and started drinking more water my weight went back to normal.
    Just make sure you're all better and don't worry about the scale for a few days.

    stay strong
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    water retention is one of the ways our body fixes itself. Even exercise causes water retention (why it's not good to weigh or measure right after exercise).

    Give your body some time to heal. You might feel better but inside there's still some work going on.
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
    It's probably just your bodies reaction to not eating when you got sick. If you don't get enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode where it keeps as many calories as it can. And since you were sick as well, it needed extra energy to fight that off.

    JUst get back on track and you should see a loss in future.

    Totally agree skip tomorrow and weigh in next week. More then likely it's water and yes the scale can fluctuate that much so try not to worry about it.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    just remember to weight yourself at the same time everyday..weight can fluctuate all day, so just make sure you have a set time, every weight in..best of luck
  • Sigra
    Sigra Posts: 374 Member
    I would keep on track. Also remember that when you are sick normally people eat things like Chicken Noodle Soup, or other soups which have a high intake of Sodium, that sodium can start soaking up the water - It's possible what you're experiencing is more water weight than anything.

    Remember that it can take up to 2days to reflect your actual weight. I know your weigh in day might be Saturday, but if you're just getting over a stomach flu you might want to look into pushing it back to Sunday or monday for just this one-exception week.

    :) Wish you the best of luck! And keep strong, Don't let that flu beat you mentally and physically! You can do it :D
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
    I would weigh as usual, record it, then note that you were sick.
    I would not let it worry you or think too much of it - being sick can get your body off track for awhile so just keep doing what you would normally do and it'll all work out eventually. What is good about recording it all normally, if and when you get sick again in the future and your weight fluctuates the same, you can go back and know what to expect.
    I think it's good to record everything and not skip so you get a sense of how your body reacts to things.

    I did post in the notes section of my diary that I was sick and I did log my water for that period of time as well. :)
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    Lots of good advice. Just observe the fluctuation and try not to judge it too deeply. Our bodies have to do a lot of work—even long after we feel better—to get us recovered from a virus or bacterial invasion. More than likely, your previous loss was dehydration, and now the body is holding some extra water to help it finish healing. It will even out in the next couple of weeks. Just don’t panic and keep doing the great work you’re already doing, friend!
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
    Just wanted to thank everyone for their advice and suggestions so far!! :)
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