Having a rough time
sleecio
Posts: 2
I've tried multiple times to lose weight but it seems like I can never shake more than 5 pounds. This is getting rather aggravating. this time around I thought I was doing pretty good, I weighed myself every day to keep tabs, but then all of a sudden yesterday I went from 204 to 209. is it even possible to gain five pounds overnight?? it's really disheartening for me because I was so proud of myself for shaking off a few pounds, and then I'm heavier than I've ever been before. The day before I gained the weight I didn't drink an extreme amount of water, and I did some running. Any ideas of what may have happened/ some motivation to keep me from giving up is highly appreciated
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Replies
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Sounds just like me! My husband thinks I'm nuts but really my scale says I gained 3 lbs overnight too! I came back to MFP (after dropping out/giving up) with a new determination, eating healthy, logging and lost 1 lb. Whoo-hoooo, really :-)
2 days later I gained 3!
Trying hard not to get totally fed up but I am discouraged.
We should both just carry on, say a prayer...and believe in our future success!
You in?0 -
To gain one pound of fat you would have to eat 3,500 calories over maintenance. I doubt you did that in one day! And even if you did, it would take a couple days to fully digest and metabolize that food.
Possibilities: your muscles are retaining water from the unaccustomed exercise. You ate salty food and that's causing water retention. You ate a lot of nutrient-dense, fiber-rich food, and that's now sitting in your digestive system (on average, it takes a couple of days for food solids to go from mouth to the toilet). It's hard to say. I weigh daily, every morning after visiting the bathroom. My biggest one-day jump has been 4.4 pounds!
In any case, don't beat yourself up about it. A lot of people will suggest weighing yourself only once a week, or even once a month. Personally, I prefer to weigh daily but to concentrate on my trend, as measured by an exponentially smoothed moving average. Sites like TrendWeight.com or The Hacker's Diet Online will do that for you; John Walker explains why he recommends this in the chapters "Signal and Noise" and "Perfect Weight Forever" in The Hacker's Diet (free, highly recommended).
Losing weight isn't complicated, but it isn't easy either. In addition to Walker's book, this post by longtime MFP member SideSteel is great. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's recent book The Diet Fix is also worth a read. It offers a "10-day reset" that's a bit gimmicky, but the ideas in each of the 10 days are good. (I don't need to snack the way he recommends, but he has good reasons for the recommendation that just don't apply to me.)
Good luck!0 -
Boy you really know your stuff! My problem is not the exercise you mentioned, or the bathroom situation...likely water retention (on dr prescribed water pills now). I just need to keep on keeping on...get back on my daily walking and think positive.To gain one pound of fat you would have to eat 3,500 calories over maintenance. I doubt you did that in one day! And even if you did, it would take a couple days to fully digest and metabolize that food.
Possibilities: your muscles are retaining water from the unaccustomed exercise. You ate salty food and that's causing water retention. You ate a lot of nutrient-dense, fiber-rich food, and that's now sitting in your digestive system (on average, it takes a couple of days for food solids to go from mouth to the toilet). It's hard to say. I weigh daily, every morning after visiting the bathroom. My biggest one-day jump has been 4.4 pounds!
In any case, don't beat yourself up about it. A lot of people will suggest weighing yourself only once a week, or even once a month. Personally, I prefer to weigh daily but to concentrate on my trend, as measured by an exponentially smoothed moving average. Sites like TrendWeight.com or The Hacker's Diet Online will do that for you; John Walker explains why he recommends this in the chapters "Signal and Noise" and "Perfect Weight Forever" in The Hacker's Diet (free, highly recommended).
Losing weight isn't complicated, but it isn't easy either. In addition to Walker's book, this post by longtime MFP member SideSteel is great. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's recent book The Diet Fix is also worth a read. It offers a "10-day reset" that's a bit gimmicky, but the ideas in each of the 10 days are good. (I don't need to snack the way he recommends, but he has good reasons for the recommendation that just don't apply to me.)
Good luck!
Thanks for your insight :-)
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I never weigh around when my cycle is about to start or while it's on. I always weigh more at that time. Could that be it for your over night gain?0
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Everything bwog said.
Do not beat yourself up.
Do not demonise food.0 -
I never weigh around when my cycle is about to start or while it's on. I always weigh more at that time. Could that be it for your over night gain?
I remember those days and you are so right...but psssst I will be 59 in a couple months so happily I dont have that problem anymore:) getting older is a whole new problem!0 -
I think you already said it. You have to keep going. I gained weight my first few weeks. If I had stopped I would be back at square one. Now I feel great only just a few months later.0
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20yearsyounger wrote: »I think you already said it. You have to keep going. I gained weight my first few weeks. If I had stopped I would be back at square one. Now I feel great only just a few months later.
Amen to that! Its too soon to throw in the towel. I know one day my efforts will payoff. Congratulations to you
you obviously earned it! 0 -
That's why don't weigh daily. Water retention especially from soreness and maybe even sodium intake. How was your sodium intake the day before?0
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Can you make a different goal rather than pounds lost? I have a pair of jeans that don't fit and I just try them on once in awhile. I also am making goals of exercising so much a day (being realistic), and logging all of my food. I'm not perfect, so that's something else I struggle with. When I'm not perfect I want to quit. But I am looking at things I can change over my lifetime. The scale has too much power.
Others have given you good reasons for why you would retain water. It has to be that, or maybe you have a funky scale? I had a scale that changed everytime I got on it, depending on if I leaned forward or not....I finally bought a decent scale that is more consistent.
Don't give up taking care of yourself because of a scale. You're in control - not that scale!0 -
I've tried multiple times to lose weight but it seems like I can never shake more than 5 pounds. This is getting rather aggravating. this time around I thought I was doing pretty good, I weighed myself every day to keep tabs, but then all of a sudden yesterday I went from 204 to 209. is it even possible to gain five pounds overnight?? it's really disheartening for me because I was so proud of myself for shaking off a few pounds, and then I'm heavier than I've ever been before. The day before I gained the weight I didn't drink an extreme amount of water, and I did some running. Any ideas of what may have happened/ some motivation to keep me from giving up is highly appreciated
Lots of people to lift you up! Hope you have a good night 0 -
thank you all so much for your support! you're all so kind and I can't thank you enough! I wish you all well on your fitness journey!0
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I've tried multiple times to lose weight but it seems like I can never shake more than 5 pounds. This is getting rather aggravating. this time around I thought I was doing pretty good, I weighed myself every day to keep tabs, but then all of a sudden yesterday I went from 204 to 209. is it even possible to gain five pounds overnight?? it's really disheartening for me because I was so proud of myself for shaking off a few pounds, and then I'm heavier than I've ever been before. The day before I gained the weight I didn't drink an extreme amount of water, and I did some running. Any ideas of what may have happened/ some motivation to keep me from giving up is highly appreciated
Taking your post, then I have the following insights.
1. You have tried multiple times, so you need to identify what went wrong, why you failed to stick with it and do soemthing different which avoids you repeating the same pattern. You really need to think about this imo before you even start dieting becayse the situation will arise again and you will most likely end up repeating it unless you have a strategy to deal with it.
2. You need perspective and to think of it as a journey in which you will lose weight over a period of time, steadily until you get to target. This is why its suggested its a lifestyle change not a quick fix where you can go back to old way once you reach target. 50kbs look at it as a year long project, some people might go faster but other people will take longer. the important thing is to make it and not quit. Ut only comes to an end when you stop trying/ doing.
3. There is nothing wrong with weighing every day, but you have to understand what the scales are telling you and appreciate your body fluctuates, just as bwog pointed out. Take it with a bit of scepticism and please use soemthing like trendweight (bwog linked it) so that you cna see how your weight fluctuates. It can fluctuate up to 4 lbs a day for the reasons bwog highlighted. If you weigh lss its a good sign, but if you weigh more it just oputs you on alert, but you should keep doing the same good things by a consistent deficit. Weight loss inst linear and most people have slower periods or a stall. This means you were not keeping it in perspecive and you should be ready for the fluctuations.
4. As youve tried multiple times, then I suggest taking some time to get the basics right. Your aim is to deliver a consistent calorific deficit by burning more than you need to maintain. If you do this consistently then you will lose weight. Dont over complicate it but get your numbers right and aim for the correct target. Keep on doing the same thing if you are satusfied you are at deficit. Overestimating byrns and underestimating what you eat are common mistakes.
5. You need to log all your food and its important for most people , especially those who arent losing consitently to weigh all their food. We cant see your diary.
6. If you are doing the right things, then keep doing it until theres no change fora sustained period. id say 3 weeks would start to cause me concern but it cna be much longer for other 6+ weeks. You then need to take appropriate measures.
7. You will find it easier to lose weight if you plan, have the correct mindset, get the knowledge how it works and then are consistent at posting accurate deficits.
8. Its completely within your power to lose weight in a healthy way.
9.Good luck.0 -
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I've tried multiple times to lose weight but it seems like I can never shake more than 5 pounds. This is getting rather aggravating. this time around I thought I was doing pretty good, I weighed myself every day to keep tabs, but then all of a sudden yesterday I went from 204 to 209. is it even possible to gain five pounds overnight?? it's really disheartening for me because I was so proud of myself for shaking off a few pounds, and then I'm heavier than I've ever been before. The day before I gained the weight I didn't drink an extreme amount of water, and I did some running. Any ideas of what may have happened/ some motivation to keep me from giving up is highly appreciated
Weight can fluctuate quite a bit, it's nothing to worry about and it's super normal. My suggestion to you though would be to take a before photo and then put away your scale. If you have been exercising you can gain muscle mass, and muscles weigh more then fat does, so doing progression photos can actually be more effective in measuring progress then a scale!
Keep going, and have fun doing it!0 -
Oh doll I understand you completely. I lost with this site 110lbs I cancelled my account twice I gained 10 extra lbs after my holiday trip to home. And here I am again lol
This is not easy but so worth it!
I'm here if you need support!0 -
is it even possible to gain five pounds overnight??
Yes it is! For me anyways. When I eat more than 1900 mgs of sodium. I'm highly sensitive to salt apparently lol. Today I ate a lot of spicy pork rinds while staying in my macro range. I'm at 4300 mgs of sodium right now. I fully expect to be at least 4lbs heavier tomorrow morning, then spend the next 4 days peeing a lot. It is impossible to gain 5lbs of fat overnight, unless you have eaten 17,500 calories over your set goal caloric intake HA!!. The human body is a wonderful machine of efficiency and homeostasis. Sometimes it clings to water a little linger than it needs to, to sort itself out. Remember the long haul. Since I'm a nerd I graph my weight loss. That graph will have many little peaks in it, but as long as it steadily slopes downward, you're doing good!!!
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Try not to get disheartened by the scale. Water fluctuations can have a big impact. Im not sure what your master plan is but we have a group that is working to cut out processed foods and focus on highly nutritional foods. If your interested in a support group shoot me a request. Best of luck and haNg in there! Its a marathon not a sprint (much to my dismay) 0
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It is ABSOLUTELY possible to gain 5 pounds overnight. I do 2 days before my period starts. That's how I know it's about to begin. Very weird. Has happened all my life. You can't judge your weight loss by week, but by month. There's too many factors involved. Did you know you can retain pounds when the temperature severely drops? Stick with it......0
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That is why I don't weigh myself. It is easy to get obsessed with the scale, and numbers. And feel like a failure if you don't lose.
Instead, I measure each day on the calendar, my exercise goal, and my food goal. I can see exactly how I am doing by those marks.0 -
Got some awesome people on this feed!
So glad I stumbled in. Feeling blessed & strong :-)0 -
I weigh twice a week and have my diary open. I am logging EVERYTHING. I didn't get to 183 pounds eating well and being active. I need accountability, and the diary doesn't lie unless I lie to it. It is very easy not to log 500 calories of chips, cream in coffee, the correct amount of cereal (1 cup was surprisingly less in my bowl than what I was pouring). I measure and count and log, and if I stay in my calorie goal like the past 2 weeks I lose. By leaving my log open, if I start suddenly gaining weight and consistently going over my calories I know that somebody on my friend list will give me the nudge I need. I know if I eat junk food and gain weight somebody else will see it too. It is very easy for me to lie to myself, and I am done with that. That got me to 183 pounds. Not so awesome. For me, it is small choices like trading a frappucino for a nonfat latte. 400 calories saved right there! No magic, no extremes, just slow steady loss. I can't see your diary, and I have no way of knowing what you do or don't log or the foods you eat or your calorie goals. But, it is a combination of too much food/ not enough calories burned that cause weight gain in the long term. Key word: LONG. 1 day is inconsequential if isolated. 1 day in a string of 1 days adds quickly up to a week, then a month, then...you get the idea. It isn't an overnight success or failure. If seeing large overnight gains/losses consistently upsets you, don't weigh yourself daily. Conversely, if you like weighing yourself daily you obviously know you can gain 5 pounds overnight because you have. It isn't a value judgement, the scale is just a number. Keep logging, and be accountable. If you are honest to yourself and accurate, and stay within your target, you will lose weight! It may not be fast, it may not be easy, but it is possible! Get your chin up, take your measurements, and stick with it. Give it at least a week or two, and re-evaluate. By giving up before, you never lost more than 5 pounds. Perhaps it is time to try something different and not give up. Giving up doesn't get you to your goals!0
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