Weight gain frustration

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07DeadlySins
07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am a bit frustrated and I am hoping since this has been an awesome community outlet to go to that people might have some tips or insights I haven't thought of. I've been trying to get back to the weight I used to be before I started working at the current clinic im at. I have been very good at tacking my food calorie intake and not going over the recommended amount per day on the app. I have added some excersise every day when before I had none at all. I almost walk 10,000 steps a day which is awesome and thrown in some thee cardio into the works. And the first week I gained a lb, two weeks later I had lost about 3 lbs, and weighing in today I gained 2 lbs back after I checked my weight and had lost 3. So why is my weight shifting like this? I want a steady loss and seeing the scale isn't helpful. Anything I am missing?
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  • 07DeadlySins
    07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
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    And sorry about the long post, writing this from my phone. :/
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Weight loss isn't linear. Sodium intake, TOM, added/increased exercise, stress levels, and other factors come into play. It's best to look at the long-term trend to make sure you're losing.
  • kamakazeekim
    kamakazeekim Posts: 1,183 Member
    edited February 2015
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    It's pretty normal to take a while to start losing weight when you begin eating a deficit and working out. Your body wants to maintain its weight. It's also normal to bounce around 5 pounds depending on the time of day you weigh yourself and where you are at in your monthly cycle. I'd recommend weighing yourself right away in the morning before you eat or drink anything.

    Make sure you are logging EVERYTHING you put in your mouth because all the little stuff you don't think about tends to add up quickly. Are you measuring and weighing your food or just eyeballing it? We tend to underestimate just how many calories we're actually consuming.

    Good luck!
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    Weight loss isn't linear. You will quite likely not lose everytime you weigh - too many factors impact weight (i.e. water retention, female stuff). Be patient! :)
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    Is your profile correct, saying you only have 6 lbs. to lose? If so, you may be at your ideal weight range. Weight fluctuations day-to-day of 5 or even 10 lbs. for some people is normal.

    Even if you have more weight to lose, you will still have these types of fluctuations once you reach your goal weight. Sorry. We'd need more information to be of more help.
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear, you will gain and lose, it is the trend you need to look at. as long as the trend is going down you are golden.

    keep at it
  • 07DeadlySins
    07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
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    Malibu927 do you know much on the stress factor? I do work a stressful job, but I don't start eating to make up for it... If anything I get an upset stomach and don't eat (that would be on the worst of days). But is there chemical factors that get released during stress that gain weight? Or is it just roughly on how the person copes?
  • aislinngg
    aislinngg Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi there! First, are you weighing yourself at the exact same time (you should weigh yourself right before you wake up) and with the same clothes or no clothes. Second, it's most likely water weight, and I know, it's really annoying. Sometimes you'll retain water based on things like having too much salt in your food (not so much the salt you add to your food but the salt that is in things that are processed - even if it's under the cal goal the sodium could be really high so make sure this is on your track list); or being about to get or having your period; or just because your body feels like it. I would continue to be patient, fluctuations of 1-3 lbs is normal, even within any given day. I bet if you weighed yourself tomorrow first thing you would notice it was back down.
  • aislinngg
    aislinngg Posts: 6 Member
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    Excuse me right after you wake up. It would be hard to weigh yourself right before you wake up!
  • squigglylot
    squigglylot Posts: 7 Member
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    There could be a few things factoring into the fluctuations you're seeing on the scale. One culprit mentioned above is sodium. Another could be due to a combination of eating certain types of carbs and increasing your water intake. This can have an impact on how much water is retained in your body. And, finally, if you are increasing your workouts, even cardio, there can be a certain amount of muscle gain that takes place. Over the longer term, though, the muscle gain will help increase your BMR.
  • 07DeadlySins
    07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
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    Yeah I don't weigh most of my food I normally scan the labels, I am addicted to the salad packs you can get from the grocery store. Normally at the end of the day I leave a little wiggle room left of calories incase something is missed but I feel I am pretty good at logging. And yes 6 lbs is what I am trying to get back to at the weight I was at before starting this job I am currently at, it was the weight I was happy and content with and my BMI was pretty good at that weight, I could loose more but I am keeping it simple. I know I don't have a lot to loose, so please don't read this as me whining I am just hoping I am doing this right. Thank you all for the help so far!
  • 07DeadlySins
    07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
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    I take birth control so not sure if that plays a role and my cycle will start in two weeks. So not sure if that makes a difference, sorry if that's tmi.
  • aislinngg
    aislinngg Posts: 6 Member
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    Also - stress is a huge factor, cortisol is released when you are stressed and unfortunately it contributes to weight gain/difficulty in losing weight. In my experience, I'm having a hard time losing weight I gained from being stagnant due to a surgery in November that was obviously a physical trauma and emotionally stressful - combined it's giving me a darn hard go of dropping weight. It's so interesting to me the way the body reacts to stress. Your body thinks that something is wrong or about to be wrong. So, it's kind of like.... "why would you want to lose weight if something is going to happen?!" I think of it like I'm running up a hill and soon I'm going to get to the top of it and then it will start coming off, it's just the lead up, and I need to give it a little time. Sometimes visuals like that are helpful, hope you find it helpful too!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    those are called natural body weight fluctuations. You don't weigh exactly XXX Lbs...you have ever changing levels of fluids and waste in your body among other things. Weight loss isn't a linear function...weight maintenance isn't static. You have to look at trends over time.
  • JordisTSM
    JordisTSM Posts: 359 Member
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    aislinngg wrote: »
    Excuse me right after you wake up. It would be hard to weigh yourself right before you wake up!

    I can see the headlines now "New weight loss craze: Sleep Weighing" lulz
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    07DeadlySins wrote: »
    Malibu927 do you know much on the stress factor? I do work a stressful job, but I don't start eating to make up for it... If anything I get an upset stomach and don't eat (that would be on the worst of days). But is there chemical factors that get released during stress that gain weight? Or is it just roughly on how the person copes?

    stress messes with your hormones, particularly your cortisol levels. in and of itself it isn't going to cause weight gain...but hormonal fluctuations do impact fluids and other things that show up on the scale.
  • 07DeadlySins
    07DeadlySins Posts: 10 Member
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    aislinngg wrote: »
    Also - stress is a huge factor, cortisol is released when you are stressed and unfortunately it contributes to weight gain/difficulty in losing weight. In my experience, I'm having a hard time losing weight I gained from being stagnant due to a surgery in November that was obviously a physical trauma and emotionally stressful - combined it's giving me a darn hard go of dropping weight. It's so interesting to me the way the body reacts to stress. Your body thinks that something is wrong or about to be wrong. So, it's kind of like.... "why would you want to lose weight if something is going to happen?!" I think of it like I'm running up a hill and soon I'm going to get to the top of it and then it will start coming off, it's just the lead up, and I need to give it a little time. Sometimes visuals like that are helpful, hope you find it helpful too!
    Thank you! That is very helpful, I am trying to let stuff not stress me out as much anymore... Still easier said then done. But that gives me more of an idea of my daily activities and hopefully stuff to work on better.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    07DeadlySins wrote: »
    Malibu927 do you know much on the stress factor? I do work a stressful job, but I don't start eating to make up for it... If anything I get an upset stomach and don't eat (that would be on the worst of days). But is there chemical factors that get released during stress that gain weight? Or is it just roughly on how the person copes?

    Cortisol level can increase with stress (cutting calories, physical exercise, any stress really) and cortisol can have an effect on water retention, which is why you may see an increase in weight.

    Normal weight fluctuates +- 5 or so lbs a day so progress should be determined from multiple data points, not just day to day or even week to week. There are too many factors that effect your weight to determine what is and is not contributing to weight gain, or loss for that matter. Other measurements that can indicate movement in the right direction include body fat measurements (accuracy dependent on method), physical measurements like waist, thighs, arms, hips, and chest. Even if the scale isn't moving (or is bouncing around), if you see a loss in inches/cm or BF%, you can take that as a positive shift in body composition and the scale will eventually even out and the trend will be downward.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    07DeadlySins wrote: »
    Malibu927 do you know much on the stress factor? I do work a stressful job, but I don't start eating to make up for it... If anything I get an upset stomach and don't eat (that would be on the worst of days). But is there chemical factors that get released during stress that gain weight? Or is it just roughly on how the person copes?

    stress messes with your hormones, particularly your cortisol levels. in and of itself it isn't going to cause weight gain...but hormonal fluctuations do impact fluids and other things that show up on the scale.

    Yeah, basically what he said. All the factors I listed affect your water weight, which is always fluctuating.
  • M1CH3LL3812
    M1CH3LL3812 Posts: 3 Member
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    Hey there,
    I hope you don't beat yourself up with the scale. If you take measurements and you take before and after pictures, it is a much better gauge than using the scale. A scale won't tell you if you're retaining water or if you have gained muscle while losing fat. A scale can definitely be a useful tool, but not a definitive tool for progress.

    A couple tips:

    *If you chose to weigh yourself- be consistent as to when you weigh yourself and keep it to a maximum of once of week. Weight can fluctuate throughout the day so it is best time to weigh yourself first thing in the morning.

    *Reduce your sodium intake

    *If you have a stressful work environment- try using yoga. To answer your question: The body does produce more cortisol when it is under stress, and that can contribute to increased difficulty in weight loss.

    If I had to guess, I would say that is not your issue. It seems that your body is holding onto excess water weight since it has been fluctuating. A couple things that can help naturally is making sure you are drinking plenty of water. I drink about 4-6 24oz bottles a day and more on my workout days. Try adding vegetables like asparagus, cucumber, and celery, they tend to naturally help release water weight. Lastly, anytime you shock your body with by doing something new like substancially adding/decreasing calories or starting a new exercise regiment, your body will hold onto water weight. It's pretty normal. Stay consistent and your body will adjust.


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