Ugh, what happened?!

imgoddamnpluckyremember
imgoddamnpluckyremember Posts: 5 Member
edited August 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I spent from May until August losing weight and had done so pretty successfully. I was down from 183 to 142 and felt pretty good about it. And then two weeks ago the worst (and seemingly the most impossible) thing happened.

I got the stomach flu and couldn't really eat anything for a week. I ate little bits here and there, but mostly my intake was clear liquids and sports drinks. You'd think this meant a ton of weight loss right? You would be wrong.

Somehow, in the last two ish weeks I've gained 30 pounds! Thirty! How the hell is that even possible? I've resumed my normal exercise routine, resumed normal eating habits and I still only seem to be gaining weight. I know they say any weight put on quickly is weight that can be lost quickly, but how long is it supposed to take to get back to square one?

Feeling defeated
«1

Replies

  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    Not possible. Unless you've been eating steadily for days all day.

    Fluid retention for some reason?

    Did you count weight loss when you were really ill and perhaps dehydrated?

    I'm pretty much at my lowest limit of healthy weight after losing over 60 pounds since last summer. I can miraculously 'gain' 5 to 7 pounds overnight if I eat too many carbs, too much sodium or have bout of insomnia.

    Just keep logging, exercising and drinking water. But you also might see a doctor? Maybe something is out of whack?

    Good luck. And remember, the scale isn't the only measure of your success! :)
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Not possible.
  • Saaski
    Saaski Posts: 105 Member
    I second seeing a doctor. A similar thing happened to my grandfather--after a sickness, he suffered massive fluid retention. He ended up needing to be put on a limited fluid diet, among other things. Talk to a professional about it. Hope it gets sorted!
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    The last time I had food poisoning, I was up a couple of pounds afterward (fluid retention), but 30 pounds in two weeks is extreme. Try changing the batteries in your scale. Do you move your scale every morning to use it, or is it stationary? If you have to move it before using it, consider finding a flat (non-carpeted) place for it to live.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    30 lbs would be a physically noticeable change. Do your clothes still fit? If so, it's probably the scale.

    If not, it is likely water retention and I would see a doctor. It most definitely isn't fat gain.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    You did say "sports drinks", which are quite high in sodium. If you feel up to it, try going back and reconstructing your food log with accurate portions what what you ate. Still, 30 lb stuns me.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    Weigh yourself on a different scale and see what it says. If you weigh 30 pounds more than you did two weeks ago without changing diet/exercise (what you were doing to lose weight before your stomach virus), you need to see a doctor straight away.
  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
    That calculates to about 7500 cals ABOVE maintenance cals a day over those 2 weeks. I don't see that happening, unless you ate like King Henry VIII.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    sick bulk
  • imgoddamnpluckyremember
    imgoddamnpluckyremember Posts: 5 Member
    Clothing still fits okay, apart from feeling a bit more bloated than usual. I've been drinking three liters of water a day (not an unusual amount for me) and I go to the doctor in a couple of weeks for a checkup anyway, at which point I suspect routine blood work will help figure things out.

    Thanks for the help, guys.
  • teetertatertango
    teetertatertango Posts: 229 Member
    You lost 41 pounds in 3 months? That is an *extremely* fast rate, how many calories were you eating? Did your clothing seem to change enough for a 41 pound loss? How is your clothing fitting now after the 30 pound upswing?

    I'm going to guess that your scale is not accurate. Change the battery, or maybe even the scale itself.

    If you really gained 30 pounds in 2 weeks, that would indicate a serious medical issue (potentially life threatening water retention due to heart problems, for example). Are you experiencing shortness of breath or extreme tiredness?

    If it's not a scale problem, you need to see a doctor ASAP.

    But I'm still thinking it's your scale.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    You are probably retaining a lot of water from having the stomach flu and being close to, if not totally, dehydrated for a week. Give it a week or two to get back to normal, get plenty of fluids, your body will adapt and get rid of the excess water.
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    Your scale is hella broken.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    Either your scale is broken, or youve retained a hell of a lot of salt. Maybe try to have a little less salt and see if that's the culprit. As someone else said, Gatorade has a lot of sodium in it.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    I can't imagine any amount of gatorade causing someone to retain 30lbs of water! more likely the scale!
  • imgoddamnpluckyremember
    imgoddamnpluckyremember Posts: 5 Member
    teetertatertango wrote: »
    You lost 41 pounds in 3 months? That is an *extremely* fast rate, how many calories were you eating? Did your clothing seem to change enough for a 41 pound loss? How is your clothing fitting now after the 30 pound upswing?

    I'm going to guess that your scale is not accurate. Change the battery, or maybe even the scale itself.

    If you really gained 30 pounds in 2 weeks, that would indicate a serious medical issue (potentially life threatening water retention due to heart problems, for example). Are you experiencing shortness of breath or extreme tiredness?

    If it's not a scale problem, you need to see a doctor ASAP.

    But I'm still thinking it's your scale.

    Caloric intake when I started was 1200 as fitness pal recommended. That was before I got my second dog, so we started to do twice the walking as before and I always bike to and from work. The fit of my pants did change and I need a belt for everything. Post 30 lb gain, things are still loose, just not as loose.

    I've checked on two other scales and both have said the same thing, so I'm thinking it isn't the scale.

    There are a couple of other preexisting health things that could be contributing to this, but i won't find out until i see my oncologist in three weeks. In the meantime I'm just going to stick to my normal routine and hope for a change.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    teetertatertango wrote: »
    You lost 41 pounds in 3 months? That is an *extremely* fast rate, how many calories were you eating? Did your clothing seem to change enough for a 41 pound loss? How is your clothing fitting now after the 30 pound upswing?

    I'm going to guess that your scale is not accurate. Change the battery, or maybe even the scale itself.

    If you really gained 30 pounds in 2 weeks, that would indicate a serious medical issue (potentially life threatening water retention due to heart problems, for example). Are you experiencing shortness of breath or extreme tiredness?

    If it's not a scale problem, you need to see a doctor ASAP.

    But I'm still thinking it's your scale.

    Yeah - 41 lb in 3(+?) months? At under 200 to begin with? Probably not that much.

    A while back, I thought I was maintaining around a particular weight. Turns out my batteries were shot and I was actually 12 lb heavier.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited August 2016
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    I can't imagine any amount of gatorade causing someone to retain 30lbs of water! more likely the scale!

    One liter of gatorade is 450 grams of salt. 3 liters is 1,350 mg of sodium. Not too bad I suppose. But...3 liters of lemon lime [random flavor] is 4,040 calories. so it's actually quite calorific if you drink nothing but those all day. Not saying that's how much the OP drank. We have no idea. Just pointing out the gatorade cals can really add up.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Can you put something of a known weight on your scale? A dumbbell for example? 30lbs in two weeks, and 41lbs in 3 months, are both pretty extreme (the latter 30lbs more so of course).
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    Your scale is broken. If it's not, you need to get to a doctor. NOW.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,238 Member
    If you have 30lbs of fluid retention somewhere in you (edema) this is a medical concern.
    Your description does not match a diet induced change.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    I think it's your scale. You probably didn't lose as much as you thought you did to begin with because 40lbs in3/4 months is a hell of a lot, perhaps you lost 10ish lbs and the weight the scale is now saying you've gained, was never lost?
  • imgoddamnpluckyremember
    imgoddamnpluckyremember Posts: 5 Member
    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    I think it's your scale. You probably didn't lose as much as you thought you did to begin with because 40lbs in3/4 months is a hell of a lot, perhaps you lost 10ish lbs and the weight the scale is now saying you've gained, was never lost?

    I'm willing to believe that's the case. I tried weighing an unopened bag of flour last night and it came up exact. No idea what's up with our scale.

    This is the time of year that I usually deal with swelling in my feet and ankles, so it's not too far fetched to believe some of it is water. I'm confused because everything was fitting looser and I always weigh twice for accuracy. Not sure why it registered at 142 a couple weeks ago, but I'm going to address the concern with my doctor when I see her in the next few weeks.

    It's disheartening, but I'm just going to carry on with my usual diet and exercise and hope for the best.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    imgoddamnpluckyremember wrote: »
    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    I think it's your scale. You probably didn't lose as much as you thought you did to begin with because 40lbs in3/4 months is a hell of a lot, perhaps you lost 10ish lbs and the weight the scale is now saying you've gained, was never lost?

    I'm willing to believe that's the case. I tried weighing an unopened bag of flour last night and it came up exact. No idea what's up with our scale.

    This is the time of year that I usually deal with swelling in my feet and ankles, so it's not too far fetched to believe some of it is water. I'm confused because everything was fitting looser and I always weigh twice for accuracy. Not sure why it registered at 142 a couple weeks ago, but I'm going to address the concern with my doctor when I see her in the next few weeks.

    It's disheartening, but I'm just going to carry on with my usual diet and exercise and hope for the best.

    Have you tried changing the scale batteries? sometimes that will screw up readings.
  • LynnBBQ72
    LynnBBQ72 Posts: 151 Member
    You might want to at least call your doctor without waiting 3 weeks and talk to the doctor or a nurse. My sister was 27 and gained maybe 10-12 lbs of water weight over the course of two weeks, mostly in her legs. She died in her sleep before the end of week 3, and never got around to calling the doctor. She was was maybe 20 lbs overweight, not obese by any means. And no previous medical conditions. The sudden weight gain can be a symptom of something very serious. Please take care of yourself.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    LynnBBQ72 wrote: »
    You might want to at least call your doctor without waiting 3 weeks and talk to the doctor or a nurse. My sister was 27 and gained maybe 10-12 lbs of water weight over the course of two weeks, mostly in her legs. She died in her sleep before the end of week 3, and never got around to calling the doctor. She was was maybe 20 lbs overweight, not obese by any means. And no previous medical conditions. The sudden weight gain can be a symptom of something very serious. Please take care of yourself.

    That's so sad! Did she have undiagnosed heart failure?

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