Undid 2 months' of weight loss within 3 days

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I ate too much for 3 days (1900 calories, 1420 calories, 3210 calories) and my BMR is 1100 calories. Each of these days I will say I burned off 500 calories, adjusted for the inaccuracy of the machines. After that, I had gained 2.5 pounds. I have had my BMR tested, but the numbers simply don't add up to 2.5 pounds. It seems arbitrary to me.

Prior to this I had lost 6 pounds over the course of 4 months. The fact that within 3 days, I can undo 2 months of diet and exercise.....scares me.....It was not food weight since I had already done number 2 and I had waited 2 days before weighing myself.

Please tell me if you have any ideas on how to cope with the distress and is weight loss really so arbitrary that the math of 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat isn't true? Like it takes a long time to lose weight but you can really gain so much weight and the math doesn't add up?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Water
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,714 Member
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    It's no doubt just water weight. Get back on track with your calorie goal, drink lots of water, be active and don't stress out about it. Live and learn, right?
  • KatrinaTTT
    KatrinaTTT Posts: 3 Member
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    BZAH10 wrote: »
    It's no doubt just water weight. Get back on track with your calorie goal, drink lots of water, be active and don't stress out about it. Live and learn, right?

    Thank you, do you think it could be water when I drank pretty much the same amount of water as usual?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Water weight can be from muscles swelling as they repair after a workout, from eating more salt than normal, or for women, hormonal changes. You have not undone all your hard work. In a day or week, the scale will bounce down.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    KatrinaTTT wrote: »
    I ate too much for 3 days (1900 calories, 1420 calories, 3210 calories) and my BMR is 1100 calories. Each of these days I will say I burned off 500 calories, adjusted for the inaccuracy of the machines. After that, I had gained 2.5 pounds. I have had my BMR tested, but the numbers simply don't add up to 2.5 pounds. It seems arbitrary to me.

    Prior to this I had lost 6 pounds over the course of 4 months. The fact that within 3 days, I can undo 2 months of diet and exercise.....scares me.....It was not food weight since I had already done number 2 and I had waited 2 days before weighing myself.

    Please tell me if you have any ideas on how to cope with the distress and is weight loss really so arbitrary that the math of 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat isn't true? Like it takes a long time to lose weight but you can really gain so much weight and the math doesn't add up?

    No, you absolutely did not undo 2 months of diet and exercise in 3 days time. You are referencing your BMR - that is not the number you should be looking at. Your BMR is basically the amount of calories you would need just to stay alive with ZERO activity whatsoever. What you need to determine is your TDEE, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total amount of calories you burn being alive, in your daily activity, and with your exercise added in. It takes 3,500 calories ABOVE that in order to put on 1 lb of fat. It is impossible, even with your day of 3210 calories, that you exceeded your maintenance level by 8,750 calories.

    You need to be patient. Weight loss is not linear. There are many things that can impact it - water retention, stress, TOM, etc.

    If you haven't already, give this a read:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    As well as the other Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each Forum section.
  • KatrinaTTT
    KatrinaTTT Posts: 3 Member
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    I appreciate your guys' answers. It is alleviating the anxiety I have been experiencing. I don't have a support system in real life so I thought I would register here.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    KatrinaTTT wrote: »
    I ate too much for 3 days (1900 calories, 1420 calories, 3210 calories) and my BMR is 1100 calories. Each of these days I will say I burned off 500 calories, adjusted for the inaccuracy of the machines. After that, I had gained 2.5 pounds. I have had my BMR tested, but the numbers simply don't add up to 2.5 pounds. It seems arbitrary to me.

    Prior to this I had lost 6 pounds over the course of 4 months. The fact that within 3 days, I can undo 2 months of diet and exercise.....scares me.....It was not food weight since I had already done number 2 and I had waited 2 days before weighing myself.

    Please tell me if you have any ideas on how to cope with the distress and is weight loss really so arbitrary that the math of 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat isn't true? Like it takes a long time to lose weight but you can really gain so much weight and the math doesn't add up?

    No, you absolutely did not undo 2 months of diet and exercise in 3 days time. You are referencing your BMR - that is not the number you should be looking at. Your BMR is basically the amount of calories you would need just to stay alive with ZERO activity whatsoever. What you need to determine is your TDEE, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total amount of calories you burn being alive, in your daily activity, and with your exercise added in. It takes 3,500 calories ABOVE that in order to put on 1 lb of fat. It is impossible, even with your day of 3210 calories, that you exceeded your maintenance level by 8,750 calories.

    You need to be patient. Weight loss is not linear. There are many things that can impact it - water retention, stress, TOM, etc.

    If you haven't already, give this a read:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    As well as the other Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each Forum section.

    Quoting because listen to this and also because best username.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Sounds like water weight. You might have gained A pound from it, but I highly doubt it. Start back on logging, cut back on sodium for a few days and get some extra water. Weight fluctuates all the time due to many things, including hormones. A few days of eating over won't undo all your work as long as you don't make it a trend. Get back on track and you should be fine.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    KatrinaTTT wrote: »
    I ate too much for 3 days (1900 calories, 1420 calories, 3210 calories) and my BMR is 1100 calories. Each of these days I will say I burned off 500 calories, adjusted for the inaccuracy of the machines. After that, I had gained 2.5 pounds. I have had my BMR tested, but the numbers simply don't add up to 2.5 pounds. It seems arbitrary to me.

    Prior to this I had lost 6 pounds over the course of 4 months. The fact that within 3 days, I can undo 2 months of diet and exercise.....scares me.....It was not food weight since I had already done number 2 and I had waited 2 days before weighing myself.

    Please tell me if you have any ideas on how to cope with the distress and is weight loss really so arbitrary that the math of 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat isn't true? Like it takes a long time to lose weight but you can really gain so much weight and the math doesn't add up?

    No, you absolutely did not undo 2 months of diet and exercise in 3 days time. You are referencing your BMR - that is not the number you should be looking at. Your BMR is basically the amount of calories you would need just to stay alive with ZERO activity whatsoever. What you need to determine is your TDEE, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total amount of calories you burn being alive, in your daily activity, and with your exercise added in. It takes 3,500 calories ABOVE that in order to put on 1 lb of fat. It is impossible, even with your day of 3210 calories, that you exceeded your maintenance level by 8,750 calories.

    You need to be patient. Weight loss is not linear. There are many things that can impact it - water retention, stress, TOM, etc.

    If you haven't already, give this a read:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    As well as the other Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each Forum section.

    Quoting because listen to this and also because best username.

    Hah - thanks!
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    Might I just add any "fiber" you are still holding onto from the excess food. More water and coffee with help with that.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Geek answer, more about the effects of progesterone.

    "Elevated levels of progesterone potently reduce the sodium-retaining activity of aldosterone, resulting in natriuresis and a reduction in extracellular fluid volume. Progesterone withdrawal, on the other hand, is associated with a temporary increase in sodium retention (reduced natriuresis, with an increase in extracellular fluid volume) due to the compensatory increase in aldosterone production, which combats the blockade of the mineralocorticoid receptor by the previously elevated level of progesterone.[54]" - Wikipedia