8 lb in two weeks?

jelleigh · January 2017

Ok so I think i must be going crazy.

Since September I've been losing weight - down a total of 25 lbs , 10 last month alone (I started 5:2). I've been careful about how I track and since I HAVE been losing, I think i must be doing it well enough. I weigh myself once a week, first thing in the am, after using the bathroom, wearing the same clothes. So last week I didn't lose anything but I figured maybe it was water weight and where I was in my cycle. Figured it would all even out. This week I'm up 8 lbs! The last three weeks I have averaged 1583, 1349, and 1600 respectively. I'm 5'8" and 190 lbs (well 198 today!) And have 50 lbs to lose. I know that I cant have gained 8 actual pounds in two weeks eating the cals I did, and I can't see it being possible that I logged THAT incorrectlyall of a sudden. Can it really all be water weight? And if so, it seems odd for it to be sticking around so long?

callsitlikeiseeit · January 2017

my normal weight fluctuates up to 7 pounds.

most likely water weight - if you had more sodium than usual over the past day or so, have an impending period, etc.

that said, losses of ~10 pounds a month are not normal or can be sustained so keep in ind that will slow as well

EttaMaeMartin · January 2017

for me, i was working out, staying below calories for mistakes or things not tracked. i put on 20 over about 8 months. i was eating a lot, a lot, of carbs, i know it is just calories, but something went wrong. i am starting over. in 2 days i have lost 4 pounds, very low carbs and average protein and fat. it is working. i stepped on the scale this morning, down 4 lbs. so can you lose it in two weeks, yes if you really watch what you eat and i don't eat back my exercise calories. this is just for me. not advising anyone. no haters. thanks and good luck, jennifer

LivingtheLeanDream · January 2017

Most of that will be water weight...give it a little more time yet but keep accurately recording your intake. Weigh in again in the next few days and its likely you'll see a lower number.

jelleigh · January 2017

Thanks for the reply. My goal is only 1 lb per week because I want it to be sustainable. The 10 lbs in December was a bit of a surprise honestly , but I was maybe a bit too low cal and I had started exercising as well. That being said, I'm officially "obese" at my stats so I think its less of an issue to lose quickly no? I'm hoping if I drink a tonne of water that I can flush out some of the water weight and see where I'm really at. Does anyone know how long it takes to flush out extra retention? Anything (safe) I can do to speed it up other than just drinking lots of water?

trigden1991 · January 2017

jelleigh wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. My goal is only 1 lb per week because I want it to be sustainable. The 10 lbs in December was a bit of a surprise honestly , but I was maybe a bit too low cal and I had started exercising as well. That being said, I'm officially "obese" at my stats so I think its less of an issue to lose quickly no? I'm hoping if I drink a tonne of water that I can flush out some of the water weight and see where I'm really at. Does anyone know how long it takes to flush out extra retention? Anything (safe) I can do to speed it up other than just drinking lots of water?

Weight loss is not linear. If you calorie goal is sensible and you are happy with your progress over all then don't change anything.

Flushing out water weight is not worth it and is likely to have a knock on effect.

jelleigh · January 2017

trigden1991 wrote: »

[

Flushing out water weight is not worth it and is likely to have a knock on effect.

Sorry I'm not sure I know what a "knock on effect" means?

jelleigh · January 2017

trigden1991 wrote: »

[

Weight loss is not linear. If you calorie goal is sensible and you are happy with your progress over all then don't change anything.

I've always wondered about this. If CICO is the main thing, then why isn't weight loss more predictable? I dont mean fluctuations during the day, or even one day to the next because I understand about sodium intake/water retention and also food still in your system. But if you are only checking once a week, or once every two weeks, shouldn't there be a predictable downward trend (assuming your calorie goal would create the appropriate deficit?). Or is the "weight loss is not linear" meant for people who weigh themselves multiple times a day and get worried when they see it go up?

oneoddsock · January 2017

jelleigh wrote: »

trigden1991 wrote: »

[

Flushing out water weight is not worth it and is likely to have a knock on effect.

Sorry I'm not sure I know what a "knock on effect" means?

You may regain some or all of the 'flushed out' weight if you have a salty day, or due to hormone fluctuations, etc. Your weight isn't a steady figure so you might find it more helpful to think of it as a range. So long as the range generally goes down over time, you're still losing weight.

jelleigh · January 2017

Ah ok @oneoddsock thanks for explaining. I do really crave salt a lot ao maybe I'm eating more of than I realize...

flatlndr · January 2017

For me, the last two weeks of December included a number of holiday dinner parties. I didn't think I ate ... or drank ... that much, but on Jan 1st I was up 10 lbs. It happens!
And just as temporary as that gain was, after a week, 8 of those 10 were gone ... as soon as I reverted to normal eating habits. The other 2 lbs, which was probably the true weight gain, will go over the next two weeks, if my pattern remains the same.

Give it time, and don't panic.

Well done on your losses to date, and for setting a patient goal of 1 lb per week.

jelleigh · January 2017

Thanks @flatIndr . I'm a really impatient person so it's hard work just taking things slow . Every time I go to weigh myself I have to give myself this pep talk about how I'm only aiming for 1 lb per week and it might not happen EVERY week, juat ao that I don't get discouraged if it's not what I want to see. Lol.

It just sucks cause it's so easy to gain weight - seems like you can do it in only a few days but then it takes weeks to lose !

flatlndr · January 2017

jelleigh wrote: »

It just sucks cause it's so easy to gain weight - seems like you can do it in only a few days but then it takes weeks to lose !

Because it's true! It's way, way easier to overeat and gain calories than it is to under eat - for example, if I let myself, I could eat box after box of cookies/cakes, and pack on a 5000 calorie surplus in a day, but I if I'm doing a deficit of 500 cals per day, that means it will take 10 days to burn off that binge!

That's why a long, slow, patient, sustainable plan is the way I go. If your deficit is moderate, then you should be less likely to have those cravings that lead to binges. That's how it works for me, at least.

jelleigh · January 2017

Great advice @flatIndr.

I find I'm pretty ok with cravings until I have alcohol . Then I want to eat ALL OF THE THINGS.! Lol. Especially salty foods like chips. I can pack those away no problem! So for now, I'm saying no liquor for awhile because it throws off my healthy groove ao bad.

mitch16 · January 2017

Highly unlikely that it's fat... Have you eaten any foods high in sodium lately? Fast food/restaurant food is notoriously high. Keep drinking lots of water and eventually it will flush out. Could it be TOM?

-Otherwise-could it be that your scale's batteries are running low? Mine gives crazy readings when that happens...

trigden1991 · January 2017

jelleigh wrote: »

trigden1991 wrote: »

[

Weight loss is not linear. If you calorie goal is sensible and you are happy with your progress over all then don't change anything.

I've always wondered about this. If CICO is the main thing, then why isn't weight loss more predictable? I dont mean fluctuations during the day, or even one day to the next because I understand about sodium intake/water retention and also food still in your system. But if you are only checking once a week, or once every two weeks, shouldn't there be a predictable downward trend (assuming your calorie goal would create the appropriate deficit?). Or is the "weight loss is not linear" meant for people who weigh themselves multiple times a day and get worried when they see it go up?

A downward trend is precisely what you will see, but it will not be linear. On a day to day basis your hydration levels, food "in transit", sodium levels and water retention caused by exercise fluctuate.

As long as the long term trend is down, then you are doing ok.

flatlndr · January 2017

jelleigh wrote: »

Great advice @flatIndr. I find I'm pretty ok with cravings until I have alcohol . Then I want to eat ALL OF THE THINGS.! Lol. Especially salty foods like chips. I can pack those away no problem! So for now, I'm saying no liquor for awhile because it throws off my healthy groove ao bad.

Different things work for different people. Like you, I found I ate mindlessly when I had a drink, so when I started, I cut out alcohol for a few months, and then re-introduced it, being aware of my prior tendency to nibble.

But, having to log everything, including the drinks and the nibbles, helped me see the calorie impact, and guided me toward moderation.

edited to include the quote.

jelleigh · January 2017

@mitch16 it could be many of those things! I did eat some high sodium foods and I also am currently living in a country where MSG is a staple in cooking ao it's super hard to avoid. That stuff is crazy on the sodium levels. I guess I was just surprised it was so much! I actually just got a scale today which will make getting an accurate reading easier. I was having to go down to the local 7-11 and weigh myself on one of those pay scale machines. actually that was another thing I was worried about - that maybe I just THOUGHT I was losing weight fast but maybe the scale reading were crap. Oh well - it is trending down so I shouldn't complain. I'm drinking water like crazy so we will see what the next few days brings!

8 lb in two weeks?

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