Why? Why? Why?

1Jac
1Jac Posts: 6 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
ive had my my second weigh in since my starting weight. Week 1 I lost 6.5lb this week I've gained 1.5lb and I'm gutted. I can't understand why as I have been really careful all week. I truly believed that I would have lost at least one lb. and although haven't as of yet, I have been so tempted to go off track. Why can we gain weight even tough we feel as if we are in control etc?
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited January 2015
    Weight loss is not linear.

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Because weight loss isn't linear, or, rather, bodies consist of more than fat.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    It's a normal fluctuation. Probably water weight. It happened to me too. I'm pretty sure it happens to all of us. You are doing good, don't give up!
  • jakicooke
    jakicooke Posts: 149 Member
    try not too fret about it you lost a lot that first week and that's great. you have to believe in this and stick at it. I can go up by having Chinese (even if its within my calories) just because of the salt etc in it. I regulary lose for 2 - 3 weeks and then either maintain or go up a pound the next week. as you do this more you will start to see patterns in how what you eat can affect you. please don't get disheartened
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    You need to reset your expectations and understand that your body weight fluctuates. Also, weight loss isn't a straight line down. It's more like a bumpy road with ups and downs.
  • pants77
    pants77 Posts: 185 Member
    You've averaged 2.5 lbs lost over the last two weeks. That's a very aggressive pace. Your week 1 loss certainly included a lot of water and bloat - that's the "Week 1 Bloat" falling off.

    Do your clothes fit better? Do you feel better? Those are better benchmarks. Don't obsess over the scale. If you're doing the right things, the scale will bear that out over time.
  • khaleesikhaleesi
    khaleesikhaleesi Posts: 213 Member
    Girllll, I can range anywhere from -5 to +5 pounds in any given day. No worries. By next weigh-in, you'll be set.
  • RinnyLush
    RinnyLush Posts: 389 Member
    Think of it this way... First you were down 6.5lbs, then you were up 1.5lbs. That's a total net loss of 5lbs in two weeks! I would say that's pretty stellar. :smiley: Just keep at it.
  • Paul_Collyer
    Paul_Collyer Posts: 160 Member
    This is the problem with weekly weighing. If you weigh on a fluctuation day you have a week to sweat over it.

    Do it every day or most days and plot the trend, IMHO.
  • ASG_21
    ASG_21 Posts: 82 Member
    As the above posters said. :)

    Think of it this way: 6.5 lbs is a LOT of weight to lose in a week, and most of it wouldn't be fat. Much of it would be water. Say you an actual fat loss of 2 lbs (depending on your deficit), and the rest was mostly water. If you ate some higher sodium foods, especially on the day leading up to your weigh in, you could have piled on some weight that's just... you guessed it... Water! That's one of the major players in weight fluctuations.

    So, keep trucking along, weigh again in a day or two and the water should have reduced (again, it does somewhat depend on how much sodium you're consuming and how much water you're drinking... So don't fret about it too much! Just watch the general trend over the next few weeks)

    All the best!
  • 52cardpickup
    52cardpickup Posts: 379 Member
    This is the problem with weekly weighing. If you weigh on a fluctuation day you have a week to sweat over it.

    Do it every day or most days and plot the trend, IMHO.

    Good tip. Or, if you find yourself obsessing over it (or being crushed by the numbers if they go up marginally) switch to every other week, or once monthly. Photos and measurements are what I'd go by, if I got upset over what the scale says.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    Your first week was not 6.5 lb of fat loss. You lost water weight in addition to whatever fat loss you had. Similarly I feel confident in saying you didn't put on 1.5 lb of fat this week. It's probably mostly water weight. As others have pointed out, weight loss is not linear and weight loss is not synonymous with fat loss. Keep at it. This is a long-term commitment, and how you measure progress should be over time in weight averages (i.e. your weight trending downward over many weeks), in measurements (inches or sizes, although the latter is less reliable), blood test results, and how you feel.
  • aliciahollinger
    aliciahollinger Posts: 22 Member
    I had the same thing! Week 1 I lost 6 pounds, this week, I'm up 1/2 pound. I've always been at a deficit, worked out 4 times, got in my water and sleep. I feel the same, ANGRY, BROKEN!! WTF is wrong with my body!!! I sympathize with you so much! My husband and I have been eating almost the same and working out, he lost 12 his first week and I'm sure at least 4-5 this week, he weighs in tomorrow... Sad...
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    Here is 1 year for me, weighing daily and recording changes - not linear at all.

    c72sroenzmsy.png
  • carolynmo1969
    carolynmo1969 Posts: 120 Member
    Take your measurements and track those as well. Some weeks when the scale hasn't budges, you may find that you've lost inches/centimeters. It's not just about the number on the scale.
  • DeeTee68
    DeeTee68 Posts: 198 Member
    try monthly weigh in instead, I lost nowt for two weeks then BOOM 1.5kg lost.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I agree with the others. I used to be obsessed with weighing myself every morning and it just doesn't make a lot of sense. I now go by my measurements. Plus depending on what you're doing for exercises you probably gaining muscle so while your measurements are getting smaller your weight is going up. That's not a bad thing! I have a weigh in every three weeks... we do 6 week challenges and weigh in on week one, then half way through and then at the end to see where we are... then start over in either the same direction or a different direction. Some of us work on weight, others on measurements, some want to gain muscle, some want to lose fat. It depends on what you're trying to achieve first. It helps if you break things down into short realistic attainable challenges for yourself. Scales are BS. I could weight myself five times in a day and come up with five different weights! Don't sweat it... you're losing. Some weeks will be a lot other weeks not so much. Just keep working toward your goal and don't give up!
  • emalethmoon
    emalethmoon Posts: 178 Member
    This is my last year. Up and down and up and down and....you the the idea! :)

    vyee4yemioqb.jpg
  • csmullins78
    csmullins78 Posts: 61 Member
    I completely agree with weighing myself daily. Bear in mind, I don't have an eating disorder and I do this for the data and to keep myself on track.

    Since I dropped off the calorie counting and tracking wagon last year, I gained 2/3 of my weight loss back. (Ugh, but at least I got back on track before I gained it all back plus some!)

    Anyway, it was very helpful to look at the graphs I kept from when I began my weight loss journey in September of 2013. Consistently, my weight fluctuates by day. Yesterday, I was 1.2 pounds lighter than I am today. Come on now! That ain't a "real" weight gain! That's a fluctuation. Now, if I only weighed myself on Thursdays instead of every day, I'd never really understand that. (My weight today from last Thursday would be down .3 pounds in a week. If I look at last Thursday compared to yesterday, I was down 1.5 pounds this week...)

    Just don't get discouraged! As long as you are logging your food and exercise properly, you'll get there!!
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    as others have said, weight loss is not linear. And by weighing only once a week, you lose over 85% of your data points. As long as you understand that your weight WILL fluctuate, both up and down, weighing daily and looking at the overall trend is the best option.

    I log my weight in the fitbit app (free account, I don't even have a fitbit), which I have linked to trendweight.com - this is my graph for the past 6 months (been doing this for 2 years now, but you can see better on the snipped graph) - the thin gray line are my actual daily weigh-ins...the thick red line is my weight trend. Doing this has helped me see that I usually have 2-3 weeks where I don't lose, and may even gain...and then 1-2 weeks where I lose a lot...but the overall trend is still down, regardless of what my daily weight looks like.

    6m.png
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    All these graphs are amazing! They really tell a story!
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Like everyone is saying, it's not linear. The overall trend is the important thing.

    qtf4h998h5ng.png
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Weight loss is not linear.

    careful. i said this in a response to a different post and got flagged as abuse twice :grumble:
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
    Are you due for your period? Could be that too... Normal to gain water weight during your period week...then it normally goes right back down after it's over ;)
  • I have finally seen the light! I've never seen the ups/downs like that graphically. I just assumed everyone's was a straight shot down and I was "failing". Wow super eye opening!
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Kind of an aside, but I've always wondered why weight seems to spike right before it drops. I notice mine will jump and then apparently overnight it will drop 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds. I thought it was just me but now I see that's apparently common.
  • coretemp
    coretemp Posts: 1,796 Member
    edited January 2015
    don't forget that when you lose weight to click on "settings" > "update your diet/ fitness profile" > enter your new (current) weight then click on "update profile" to finish. You do this because as you lose weight you won't need as many calories as when you first started and MFP will automatically adjust the amounts for you. It takes off 10 or 20 calories from maintenance for every lb. or two that you lose. 6.5 lbs. is a big jump in the first week
  • 1Jac
    1Jac Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you for all your replies. I
    They have all been very helpful and reassuring. X
  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
    Have you checked out this flow chart by a forum member that walks you through weight loss stalling/gains? I think you will find it both onteresting and very useful and encouraging:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10074119/weight-loss-flow-chart-feedback-needed
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Normal daily fluctuations. Just keep doing what you're doing and be patient.
This discussion has been closed.