I gained weight?

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So I am coming from a place of absolute anger and frustration. I have been so good this week and came in below my calorie allotment for almost every single day for a week, I weighed myself today, and I have gained. It was only a gain of .4 pounds but I got so angry I almost through the scale across the room. I am on my period (sorry if that's TMI) but I don't feel bloated. The only other thing I can think is that normally I weigh myself every morning and today I weighed in the evening? I don't know what to think or what I am doing wrong. Sorry for the rant, but I would really like some suggestions or ideas. Thanks in advance.
-Lauren.
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Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    You've answered your own question :) If I want a horrible shock when I step on the scale I'll make sure and weigh in the evening, and as an added crappy bonus I will also do this at that time of the month. Double points :/:+1:

    Pick a day away from your periods. Weigh first thing in the morning, after going to the loo, and before eating to get a more accurate reading.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    You weighed in the evening...on your period. I'd probably weigh about 10 lbs more.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    If you weigh yourself in the evening, you're also weighing a good portion of what you've eaten and drank throughout the day. Your body has finished digesting some, but not all, so a portion is still in your system. That will make the number different than what you would see in the morning. Don't weigh yourself at night.

    Many women also retain water during their period, some up to 5lbs. I know I do, but my physical appearance doesn't change too much anymore. I used to bloat like crazy and it's much less now.

    Always, always, ALWAYS weigh yourself under the same conditions - most people here would say that should be first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom and before getting dressed, having breakfast, etc.

    ~Lyssa
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
    edited June 2015
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    You've answered your own question :) If I want a horrible shock when I step on the scale I'll make sure and weigh in the evening, and as an added crappy bonus I will also do this at that time of the month. Double points :/:+1:

    Pick a day away from your periods. Weigh first thing in the morning, after going to the loo, and before eating to get a more accurate reading.

    ;) True stuff.
  • Jenskiski
    Jenskiski Posts: 67 Member
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    Yep, it's your period! Don't freak out too much, although I know that's awfully hard to do.

    I have gone over my calories once in something like 160 days. I didn't gain that week. I gain every time I drink alcohol (which is rarely). I give out a little scream and then know that the gain isn't real and will resolve itself. Yours will too. :)
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    If I weighed myself in the evening, during shark week, and my weight was only up .4 pound, I'd be doing the happy dance.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    If I weighed myself in the evening, during shark week, and my weight was only up .4 pound, I'd be doing the happy dance.

    Me too.
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    If I weighed myself in the evening, during shark week, and my weight was only up .4 pound, I'd be doing the happy dance.

    That totally made me smile. I guess I just freaked out because I just started getting serious about my dieting again, and I worked SO hard this week.
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???
    I think the reason I got so mad was simply because I have been working so hard, seeing some results, and finally doing it the healthy way. I had an eating disorder in high school and so losing weight in a healthy way is difficult for me, and this is my first "setback" so to say. But I certainly do see your point, and will taking a moment to re-evaluate the reason's I am trying to lose weight.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???

    Or maybe they should learn how to use and interpret it properly.
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???

    Or maybe they should learn how to use and interpret it properly.

    I know better than to weigh in the evening. As I said to SezxyStef, I used to have an eating disorder, and even though I am recovered now, scales can still be very upsetting. Usually I only weigh once a week and it is in the morning after I use the bathroom and before I eat or drink anything.
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you all for your replies, as they put my thoughts back into perspective. Almost all of you were very helpful, thank you!
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    edited June 2015
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???
    I think the reason I got so mad was simply because I have been working so hard, seeing some results, and finally doing it the healthy way. I had an eating disorder in high school and so losing weight in a healthy way is difficult for me, and this is my first "setback" so to say. But I certainly do see your point, and will taking a moment to re-evaluate the reason's I am trying to lose weight.

    I could have written this post ;) I had similar troubles in high school and still struggle sometimes. It's a tough thing to get past, so kudos to you!

    Keep in mind that weight loss is NOT a linear thing. Over time (time being 4-6 weeks and then some) you should have a downward trend. But you won't be constantly losing, especially as a woman. Hormones wreak havoc with water retention, plus excess sodium and working your muscles will cause water retention, too. That retention will easily mask fat loss. If you're accurate with your logging, you could be losing fat but the scale won't show you because you're retaining an equal or higher amount of water.

    If you're exercising and you weigh weekly, weigh on the day AFTER you've rested. That should help get an accurate number. Consider taking measurements, too, as those may change even though the scale weight doesn't.

    I like to weigh daily so I have the data. If my weight is holding steady for more than a few days, that usually means I'm consuming too much sodium or something similar. It's not something I worry about, but it's nice to have the numbers.

    This is my weight loss over the course of a few months. You'll see my weight bobs down and up quite a bit, but goes down overall.
    farzwa136s3t.png

    Keep it up! You can do this :)

    ~Lyssa
  • CoconuttyMummy
    CoconuttyMummy Posts: 685 Member
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    Lauren, i know exactly how you feel because i weigh myself daily and obsess over every lb gained, but the truth is day-to-day you can lose or gain several lbs in waterweight.
    Around our period we're particularly prone to water retention, which can see the scale rise significantly (im not just talking 0.4lbs here)..
    Also i believe you should try to weigh yourself at the same time, ie, 1st thing in the morning, after the bathroom (TMI) & before you eat/drink anything, wearing the same clothes each time (or naked like i do- i figure its more accurate lol). If you weigh yourself in the evening you've got all that food and drink in your stomach that you wouldnt have early in the morning.
    So, if youve been sticking to your correct calories for your deficit, for the reasons above i doubt youve put weight on at all. Hope that makes you feel a little better :)
  • 3AAnn3
    3AAnn3 Posts: 3,054 Member
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    You've answered your own question :) If I want a horrible shock when I step on the scale I'll make sure and weigh in the evening, and as an added crappy bonus I will also do this at that time of the month. Double points :/:+1:

    Pick a day away from your periods. Weigh first thing in the morning, after going to the loo, and before eating to get a more accurate reading.

    Haha, yes, exactly. I can be 5 pounds more on my cycle. Add to that end of the day where I can be up 2 pounds, so that's like a 7 pound gain during "that time of the month. No worries. If you're under goal, you'll lose. Wait a bit longer.
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    Lauren, i know exactly how you feel because i weigh myself daily and obsess over every lb gained, but the truth is day-to-day you can lose or gain several lbs in waterweight.
    Around our period we're particularly prone to water retention, which can see the scale rise significantly (im not just talking 0.4lbs here)..
    Also i believe you should try to weigh yourself at the same time, ie, 1st thing in the morning, after the bathroom (TMI) & before you eat/drink anything, wearing the same clothes each time (or naked like i do- i figure its more accurate lol). If you weigh yourself in the evening you've got all that food and drink in your stomach that you wouldnt have early in the morning.
    So, if youve been sticking to your correct calories for your deficit, for the reasons above i doubt youve put weight on at all. Hope that makes you feel a little better :)

    That reply was very sweet and thoughtful and I very very much so appreciate it. Normally I weigh at the same time everyday, naked, in the morning, after the bathroom, and before food or water. I weigh almost obsessively but I have been staying with a friend who does not have a scale, so I made the mistake of weighing myself the first thing when I got home instead of waiting like I should have. It definitely helps to hear that weight fluctuates and that that is just part of this. (as infuriating and frustrating as it may be)
  • laurenpthomas9510
    laurenpthomas9510 Posts: 13 Member
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    macgurlnet wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???
    I think the reason I got so mad was simply because I have been working so hard, seeing some results, and finally doing it the healthy way. I had an eating disorder in high school and so losing weight in a healthy way is difficult for me, and this is my first "setback" so to say. But I certainly do see your point, and will taking a moment to re-evaluate the reason's I am trying to lose weight.

    I could have written this post ;) I had similar troubles in high school and still struggle sometimes. It's a tough thing to get past, so kudos to you!

    Keep in mind that weight loss is NOT a linear thing. Over time (time being 4-6 weeks and then some) you should have a downward trend. But you won't be constantly losing, especially as a woman. Hormones wreak havoc with water retention, plus excess sodium and working your muscles will cause water retention, too. That retention will easily mask fat loss. If you're accurate with your logging, you could be losing fat but the scale won't show you because you're retaining an equal or higher amount of water.

    If you're exercising and you weigh weekly, weigh on the day AFTER you've rested. That should help get an accurate number. Consider taking measurements, too, as those may change even though the scale weight doesn't.

    I like to weigh daily so I have the data. If my weight is holding steady for more than a few days, that usually means I'm consuming too much sodium or something similar. It's not something I worry about, but it's nice to have the numbers.

    This is my weight loss over the course of a few months. You'll see my weight bobs down and up quite a bit, but goes down overall.
    farzwa136s3t.png

    Keep it up! You can do this :)

    ~Lyssa

    This was extraordinarily helpful to see and to think about. Honestly I weigh everyday just so myfitnesspal has the numbers, but I weigh on Monday's as my "did I lose the 2 pounds I was supposed to have lost this week" day. Seeing the chart was a good reminder to both me (and the ED voice in my head I still sometimes hear) that .4 pounds is not that big of a deal (:
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    macgurlnet wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    how does a piece of equipment cause so much anger...if it does it's time to take a step back from it.

    if a song comes on the radio you don't like do you beat the radio???
    I think the reason I got so mad was simply because I have been working so hard, seeing some results, and finally doing it the healthy way. I had an eating disorder in high school and so losing weight in a healthy way is difficult for me, and this is my first "setback" so to say. But I certainly do see your point, and will taking a moment to re-evaluate the reason's I am trying to lose weight.

    I could have written this post ;) I had similar troubles in high school and still struggle sometimes. It's a tough thing to get past, so kudos to you!

    Keep in mind that weight loss is NOT a linear thing. Over time (time being 4-6 weeks and then some) you should have a downward trend. But you won't be constantly losing, especially as a woman. Hormones wreak havoc with water retention, plus excess sodium and working your muscles will cause water retention, too. That retention will easily mask fat loss. If you're accurate with your logging, you could be losing fat but the scale won't show you because you're retaining an equal or higher amount of water.

    If you're exercising and you weigh weekly, weigh on the day AFTER you've rested. That should help get an accurate number. Consider taking measurements, too, as those may change even though the scale weight doesn't.

    I like to weigh daily so I have the data. If my weight is holding steady for more than a few days, that usually means I'm consuming too much sodium or something similar. It's not something I worry about, but it's nice to have the numbers.

    This is my weight loss over the course of a few months. You'll see my weight bobs down and up quite a bit, but goes down overall.
    farzwa136s3t.png

    Keep it up! You can do this :)

    ~Lyssa

    This was extraordinarily helpful to see and to think about. Honestly I weigh everyday just so myfitnesspal has the numbers, but I weigh on Monday's as my "did I lose the 2 pounds I was supposed to have lost this week" day. Seeing the chart was a good reminder to both me (and the ED voice in my head I still sometimes hear) that .4 pounds is not that big of a deal (:

    The ED voice might quiet some over time - I know mine has :)

    You very likely won't see the 2 pound loss every single week. But you should see an 8 pound loss over the course of 4 weeks. Keep in mind that water weight and TOM will have an affect on that, so maybe it'll only be 3-5 pounds on the scale, but you might see a difference despite the number.

    That graph is from trendweight.com - I log my weight in via the Fitbit app, which syncs to MFP and trendweight.com. There are other apps for phones, like Happy Scale, which will do similar graphs. The graph has really, really helped put this in perspective for me, especially since my weight loss is pretty slow now. Even if the trend is just slightly down, it's still going down :)

    ~Lyssa
  • amwood1528
    amwood1528 Posts: 24 Member
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    Rule number one do not look at the scale. Scales are not the best measurements during weight loss; try focusing on body measurements or lose of body fat. Plus, every scale is different. The number can change depending on the surface the scale is on or the calibration.

    Because you're on your period, that might be the reason you agains .4 of a pound. Don't give up, a lot people have ups and down during their weight loss journey.


    Best wishes!