Why did I suddenly gain 0.5 pounds?

Allthingsglitter
Allthingsglitter Posts: 15 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing mfp for about 2 weeks now and so far lost 4 pounds. I weigh myself every morning and have been noticing the scale decreasing each time.

Today I weighed myself at the same time every morning and it said I gained 0.5 pounds over night.

I stuck to my 1,200 calorie diet. But I did have a doughnut before I went to bed, which was 190 calories but I was still under my deficit.

What caused this sudden 0.5 increase? Was it the doughnut? I am not ovulating and I just finished my period too.
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Replies

  • marie9910
    marie9910 Posts: 34 Member
    I always weigh more in the morning if I eat before I go to sleep. It's not a permanent gain.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    There's a gajillion (that's a lot) or so posts out there about fluctuating weight. It's the long term trend you need to look at. For you it could be anything. I've had my weight go intuitively the other direction many times on a day to day basis. I only record my weight on Saturday mornings. In between I look for curiosity sake, but I don't worry about fluctuations. If you do the right things, you will lose fat, which is why you're probably trying to lose weight in the first place, and the scale will sometimes lie because of fluid retention or any number of things.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Ashleyjt_ wrote: »
    I've been doing mfp for about 2 weeks now and so far lost 4 pounds. I weigh myself every morning and have been noticing the scale decreasing each time.

    Today I weighed myself at the same time every morning and it said I gained 0.5 pounds over night.

    I stuck to my 1,200 calorie diet. But I did have a doughnut before I went to bed, which was 190 calories but I was still under my deficit.

    What caused this sudden 0.5 increase? Was it the doughnut? I am not ovulating and I just finished my period too.

    Your body weight naturally fluctuates. That's all there is to it. :)

    As long as you stick to your calorie goal, you will lose weight.

    If you don't like seeing natural fluctuations, you might want to weigh yourself about once a week.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    like others said - weight naturally fluctuates - if you are using a weight tracking/trending app then log it - and as long as you see a downward trend overall then you are good
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    It could be gravity waves. Fuggedaboutit.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    More importantly, where'd you find a 190 calorie donut? Even boxed donuts are over 200 calories (hey, every caloriie counts :) ).

    original glazed Krispy Kreme is 190cal ;)
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    A half-pound is the equivalent of ONE extra cup of water held someplace in your body -- just ONE. It's statistically insignificant. You'll sweat that out or lose it in breath or pee it out shortly.

    If home scales were actually honest about their abilities, they wouldn't even measure half-pounds, because home scales are not actually precise/accurate enough to even measure half-pounds (let alone the tenths of a pound many of them claim to measure. Between natural fluctuations of weight because of fluid levels and different gut passage times, and the inability of scales to measure to more than the nearest pound, freaking out about a half-pound is really not necessary or helpful.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Psh! Half a pound is nothin! I can get that from standing slightly differently on the scale. Frankly I'm shocked this is the first gain you've seen in 2 weeks. My body is NOT that nice to me. Highly recommend a weight trending app if you're weighing daily.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's cause it's St. Patrick's day and there are Leprechauns going around and screwing with scales.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    ^^^Truth. It's science.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,766 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    More importantly, where'd you find a 190 calorie donut? Even boxed donuts are over 200 calories (hey, every caloriie counts :) ).

    original glazed Krispy Kreme is 190cal ;)

    I must hunt.

    Altho, I'm never satisfied with just one donut. We have a client who loooooooves to bring us a half dozen donuts whenever he visits and I easily eat half the box because a taste of each flavor ends up being wiping the sprinkles and chocolate and glaze off my face in a very unladylike manner. :)
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    More importantly, where'd you find a 190 calorie donut? Even boxed donuts are over 200 calories (hey, every caloriie counts :) ).

    original glazed Krispy Kreme is 190cal ;)

    I must hunt.

    Altho, I'm never satisfied with just one donut. We have a client who loooooooves to bring us a half dozen donuts whenever he visits and I easily eat half the box because a taste of each flavor ends up being wiping the sprinkles and chocolate and glaze off my face in a very unladylike manner. :)

    I bought some the other night (uber under my cals for the day) and when I weighed it out - the 2 I had correlated to about 1.8 according to serving size in g (I took that as a win)
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Food, waste and water in your system at any given time
    causes your weight to fluctuate.

    TOM, higher sodium meal or recovering muscles can cause water retention.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,678 Member
    poop. too much salt the day before. Monthly cycle fluctuations. Full Moon.

    Long story short... weight loss is not linear.
    For example... Here's my graphs for 7 days, 30 days, 90 days...

    Overall trend is down... day to day is stupid.

    le6jlkhib18v.png
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I wish a half pound was the biggest fluctuation I ever saw. That's a blip, you gotta roll with it. The average person's weight loss graph looks like a jagged line.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Agree with the above, weighing every day lets you see the bigger picture more clearly and these bumps and dips become part of the process.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    When i have a particularly higher carb day even if I'm under my calories I might even go up 2lbs. It's important to note that 1g glycogen requires 3g of water to store it. You haven't gained a lick of fat if you were under your goal. I know the days I need to stay off the scale because mentally we all fall victim to the disappointment even if we *know* it's nothing.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I wish a half pound was the biggest fluctuation I ever saw. That's a blip, you gotta roll with it. The average person's weight loss graph looks like a jagged line.

    ^ This. Here is my weight loss progress over the last year (I weigh daily). Red line is the overall trend, gray line is the daily scale weights:

    j62dwoz2th7a.jpg
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,736 Member
    More carbs than usual is one of the things that can make your body hold onto a little extra water wait temporarily, even if it's a totally fine level of carbs, and under calorie goal (but just more than usual). Guess what's in donuts? ;)

    No need for worry - wait it out, drink adequate water (no need for excess), and it'll drop off.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Where are you in your menstrual cycle? I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week (or yesterday.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    Ive gained 4lbs in 24 hours before and then it's gone the next day as said if you are going to weigh daily you have to mentally be able to accept gains your body will gain from not going to toilet - bowels to too much sodium and water retention when your ill and some medications

    Scales aren't a liner accept weightloss isn't just a number there's also a tape measure
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    Is this for real? I gain .5 lbs every day just from taking a shower. Sheesh.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I was up 3lbs overnight last week. The cause?? I overdid the carbs and sodium the day before.
    I'd probably be up 0.5lbs on the scale after drinking a small cup of coffee. It just normal weight fluctuations, get used to it :wink:
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 433 Member
    Ashleyjt_ wrote: »
    I've been doing mfp for about 2 weeks now and so far lost 4 pounds. I weigh myself every morning and have been noticing the scale decreasing each time.

    Today I weighed myself at the same time every morning and it said I gained 0.5 pounds over night.

    I stuck to my 1,200 calorie diet. But I did have a doughnut before I went to bed, which was 190 calories but I was still under my deficit.

    What caused this sudden 0.5 increase? Was it the doughnut? I am not ovulating and I just finished my period too.

    That normal...if you weigh everyday you will even see fluctuations up and down of .5 to 1-2 lbs. If this bothers you don't weigh every day.
  • comeonnow142857
    comeonnow142857 Posts: 310 Member
    "Why did I suddenly gain 0.5 pounds?"

    Resolve to never ask this question again. It is deeply unhealthy. It's perfect normal by your weight to fluctuate by 10 times that amount, or even more.
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