Gaining several pounds in a day

Two things.

1. You have to jump start your metabolism. Its a must. Your body has become used to eating one meal a day for a long time and thus is sustaining itself on that energy and storing any unused energy as fat to get it though the periods of the day when it doesn't have any fuel. Now that you have added exercise your body is reacting by storing extra fat because it needs the calories - in this case your diet is working against you. Giving it more mood in several small meals throughout the day will cause your metabolism to run at a constant throughout the day. Here's a helpful link: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/12ways.htm

2. If the above is not the issue - Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are replacing fat with muscle the scale will reflect a gain. However, muscle burns fat - so the more muscle your body has the easier it is to stay in shape. So its a good thing. :-).

I have to say it but you do have to eat to lose ...try switching it up a little just to see if it works. Maybe eating 3-4 small meals per day and even change up your exercise routine a little to shock your body. I wasn't a believer about eating more until I tried it and trust me it WORKS. You may want to look into the zig zag method also...it actually helped me break through my plateau. Making your diary public also helps others to see what you may be eating that could also contribute to the fluctuation in weight. Sodium intake can play a major part in this. Try weighing in once a week at the same time. It will help relieve the anxiety. Trying something new may be the answer... don't give up!:flowerforyou:

Oh and by the way, I'm over 40 and must honestly say this time around I feel I have been much more intuned with my body and what I put in it as well as my desire to exercise has been lifted. I'm seeing results that I've not seen in years and I didn't have to pay anyone to train me nor buy any special meals and/or bars nor check in at a special location or go to meetings. I have chosen to educate myself, open my mind to the advise of others younger/older and tried and true from their experience and knowledge here on MFP (we all want you to be successful), and be willing to try new things that have really helped me be successful in the last 75 days. I have made the commitment to myself to make this a lifestyle CHANGE. I'm feeling 40+ and FABULOUS! ...Remember: YOU ARE WORTH IT! YOU CAN DO THIS! GO FOR IT!:happy:

For all you that replied “me too” do this. Record EVERYTHING you eat for a month. And I mean EVERYTHING, I know, you are going to tell me you do,,,, well do it again. Weigh yourself at the start and DO NOT WEIGH AGAIN until the end of the month. Go back and hit reports, it will show you what you did for the month, see if you are net over or net under calories for the month. I’m just saying if you don’t record everything, even your cheat days (if you have any) it’s amazing how fast things add up.

After that month, come back and tell us how it went, open your diary for us to look at.

And really? I don’t believe in “starvation mode” either, but I do believe you can screw up your metabolism to a point that it is harder to lose weight on the same amount of calories. To make a statement like “I have been doing it like this for years” and wonder why you are not losing weight,,,, well DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

So I'm about ready to give up. I have been exercising 3 to 4 times per week minimum. Depending on my schedule a minimum of 30 minutes or up to an hour. I eat one full meal a day except on the weekends, then I might eat two (please do not lecture me about starvation mode I don't believe it I've been this way for years).

If you ate this way for years your body has been storing fat for years then! We can get away w eating like that when we are younger/ teenage years but once your metabolism slows down all on its own at the age of 30 you need to eat more often to boost the metabolism in a natural way! another thing that helps boost metabolism is building muscle! Please do some more research on starvation mode! Any ONE that knows just a lil bit about fitness and nutrition knows that starvation mode is how we survived generation through generation before fast food and the convenience of foods! Our bodies are made to do this when we don't feed our self often and enough! another thing that helped me stop fluctuating was lowering my salt intake because too much sodium causes you to retain water...causing a weight gain...And im not trying to lecture you...but if are wanting help and wanting to see results you will need to try it to see if it will help you reach your weight loss goals!

Boy can I relate to the over 40 thing LOL. It is good to know that others have the same problem with the fluctuation, it is so very frustrating but at least I know its not a "me" thing and others do experience this also.

Oh and by the way, I'm over 40 and must honestly say this time around I feel I have been much more intuned with my body and what I put in it as well as my desire to exercise has been lifted. I'm seeing results that I've not seen in years and I didn't have to pay anyone to train me nor buy any special meals and/or bars nor check in at a special location or go to meetings. I have chosen to educate myself, open my mind to the advise of others younger/older and tried and true from their experience and knowledge here on MFP (we all want you to be successful), and be willing to try new things that have really helped me be successful in the last 75 days. I have made the commitment to myself to make this a lifestyle CHANGE. I'm feeling 40+ and FABULOUS! ...Remember: YOU ARE WORTH IT! YOU CAN DO THIS! GO FOR IT!

*shakes head* No lecture from me...

first off, you have to really record what goes in your mouth and out. get a food scale even to make sure.

second, do not eat too few calories... you should at least have 1200-1300 calories per day... or else you will gain.

third, hold the grains and the starchy carbohydrates, concentrate on fruits, vegetables (this is where your carbs should be coming from) and eat LEAN meat... divide your meals to 4-6 a day so as to regulate your insulin levels and try to eat low glycemic index foods. if you only eat one big meal a day - you can compare yourself to a sumo wrestler who becomes big and heavy by eating 1-2 BIG meals per day only.

try the above..

so the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. maybe it is time to give something else a try for a few weeks, with real honesty and integrity and see if this gets you different results. you have been eating the same way for years-maybe its time to change this pattern in your life-just food for thought.

^What she said^

Boy can I relate to the over 40 thing LOL. It is good to know that others have the same problem with the fluctuation, it is so very frustrating but at least I know its not a "me" thing and others do experience this also.

THIS is what you took from the responses? Wow.

A lot of people took a lot of time to give you well thought out and excellent replies. Maybe you aren't responding to what they have said, but I really hope you are thinking about it. Maybe it is time to try something that works.

So much good advice on this thread! I hope that you will reconsider being lectured and listen to the wisdom being shared with you here! Time for a change Dear! :drinker: