Confused and Disappointed :(

cgendebien5
cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning MFP'ers!

I started my journey to a healthier life three weeks ago now. My first week I lost 7 pounds and the second week 5 pounds! I was feeling very excited and motivated. This current week though I have gone UP almost 5 pounds! I just do not understand why I would be going back up. I have not altered my diet and have been very consistent with eating. (note: I am currently just altering my diet and eventually the next step will be to introduce exercise.) It is just very confusing and disappointing to see the scale sky rocket back up so high for this last week. Can anyone give me any advice? I have made my diary public as well so you can scroll through and see exactly what I am eating. Am I doing something wrong? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated! :)

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Did you consume a lot of sodium? Are you nearing TOM?

    You will never lose every week. There will often be times where you maintain or gain, and one week of that is not a big deal (especially as a woman, because we have to deal with it more often). Be patient and wait for it to drop off.
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    Yeah, TOM has come to visit this week :(
    Typically my sodium is a little higher but never over my allotted amount. I tend to like salty foods when eating healthier.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    OK

    Week 1 and Week 2 you've been losing a lot of water weight as you've started a new diet and are probably moving more .. within that there is possibly a couple of pounds of fat loss

    that's great

    Over the next months your weight loss will slow, stop, drop, increase, confuse .. hold firm .. weight loss is not linear .. it does that

    because water weight!

    The body holds 10-12 possibly 15lbs of water weight which is affected by sodium in diet, change-up in exercise, hormones around ovulation and periods .. your scale weight will constantly fluctuate (also fluctuates due food in body, what you're wearing and when in the day you weigh so try to always do it same time eg morning, after bathroom, before food and nekkid ;) )

    if you are eating to your calorie defecit, weighing food and logging accurately and moving more you will inexorably over time lose weight

    but just not in a straight line

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    Weight loss isn't linear. There will be some ups and downs. Like Malibu said before: meals that are high in sodium and being near your TOM will cause some water weight gain.

    Are you using a food scale to measure out all your food or are you making estimates?

    Your diary was closed when I tried to look.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    You've still lost 7lbs over 2 weeks which is amazing. Focus on that! Weight loss isn't usually the same every week, and unless you're really obese, an average of 3.5lbs lost a week is quite high.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited June 2015
    cgendebien5 wrote: »
    Yeah, TOM has come to visit this week :(
    Typically my sodium is a little higher but never over my allotted amount. I tend to like salty foods when eating healthier.

    Then we found the reason. Many women gain 5+ pounds in the days leading up to it, and usually hold onto it until afterwards. Just keep doing what you're doing and wait it out.

    Also, just a warning, but you'll also experience an increase when you start exercising as your muscles retain water to repair, so just remember that will be normal as well.
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    I am 5'7 and started at 214.5 so I am up there. I was just expecting to lose it a little quicker at the beginning. And yes I do use a food scale and I always measure everything out. I just reset diary to public
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    cgendebien5 wrote: »
    Yeah, TOM has come to visit this week :(
    Typically my sodium is a little higher but never over my allotted amount. I tend to like salty foods when eating healthier.

    Then we found the reason. Many women gain 5+ pounds in the days leading up to it, and usually hold onto it until afterwards. Just keep doing what you're doing and wait it out.

    Also, just a warning, but you'll also experience an increase when you start exercising as your muscles retain water to repair, so just remember that will be normal as well.

    Thank you for the heads up! I really appreciate it. :)
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
    These might provide some additional perspective

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-i-just-gained-3-pounds-overnight-636811

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-patience-you-must-have-it-713900:
  • November_Fire
    November_Fire Posts: 165 Member
    The scale always shoots up around your period. It'll drop off again. I always use the scale 2-3lb random gain as a predictor that it's coming.
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
    ^^^^^ This! I've put on 2lbs overnight, I am due TOTM tomorrow. I know those 2lbs are not fat gain so I'm not overly worried. It can be disheartening to see the number rise even when you know the reason why.
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    Do you think its mostly water weight? So once this lovely TOM passes it should come off pretty quickly?
  • smw9585
    smw9585 Posts: 2 Member
    If it helps, I always gain around 5 lbs in the days leading up to my TOM. It can be very frustrating but usually goes back down by my next weekly weigh in.
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    ihad wrote: »
    These might provide some additional perspective

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-i-just-gained-3-pounds-overnight-636811

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-patience-you-must-have-it-713900:

    Great read. and YES patience is definitely something I have to work on. Thank you!
  • LovinMyMiners
    LovinMyMiners Posts: 17 Member
    See...don't doubt yourself. 100% agree with malibu927, it is so much harder for women...our hormones are always across the board. It's a long road ahead...don't get discouraged by bumps, cracks or curves. Easier said than done...But You Can Do This!!!
    Have a wonderful day...
  • cgendebien5
    cgendebien5 Posts: 26 Member
    Thank you all! I really needed to hear what I guess I already knew. It really stinks to see it shoot up after working so hard to make the right choices but I will stick with it! :)
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Losing 12 pounds in two weeks isn't typical. Unless you are very obese, it is highly unlikely that much of that is due to fat loss, so it shouldn't surprise you that the scale has moved back up.
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