Another 'weight going up' post. Sorry!
Dublio
Posts: 5 Member
Hello there,
After reading many posts about this specific topic, I am sorry to post yet another one. But I am stumped and wonder if any of you have suggestions. I'm quite new here, so I'm afraid my diary will not be of any help. I do not use myfitnesspal to record what I eat, but I do record it in excel. I have seen, and followed the chart, by the way. It didn't help.
I need to lose weight for a specific surgery (they need to use certain skin from a donorsite that has 1cm or less fat underneath). I only have one more kilo to go, but it is not budging. I have one more month before the surgery, so technically, losing that kilogram should be doable. However, for over a week now, my weight is slowly creeping up on a daily basis, and I cannot explain why. For example, I weighted almost a pound more today than yesterday, weighted in the morning under the same conditions.
Here's some summarized details that may help in uncovering what is going on:
1. Yes, I have a foodscale, and yes, I am married to the damn thing. Everything is weighted in grams.
2. I have set my calorie goal to 1400 a day, regardless of excercise
3. I am male, even though my profile will say I'm female. I set it to female because I am really short for a guy, and think 1500 calories is just too much
4. My job is sedentary, but I still move a lot. On average I get in 10k steps a day, and I exercise at least 5 times a week (either 30-40 min HIIT, or running on average 8k)
5. I weigh 49kg (I am 5'1, don't worry) and do realize that because I am already at the lower end of BMI, losing 1 kg is difficult. However, I am sure I am eating at a deficit, so I should still be losing weight
6. My diet is mainly consisting of meat, vegetables and some fruit, but also dairy and sometimes a carby treat. All accounted for, of course
7. My diet has not changed, so I am not taking in more sodium or something that could cause water retention.
8. My thyroid works fine (or at least, it did a little less than a year ago, when I had bloodwork done) and I don't have any diseases.
I hope this provides the information that may help to uncover why my weight is going up, instead of down. Or, it seems more likely there is no solid explanation, but similar experiences (that ended in a good way, I hope!) will help to set my mind at ease. I know a week is a really short time, and weight fluctuations are very normal. But seeing that I remain consistent with what I'm doing, am sure of how much I'm eating and thus sure about my deficit, I should at least see my weight going down somewhat, not up, right? I am not expecting miracles here, just a sign in the right direction, 's all.
So, someone has an idea of what is going on? Or perhaps something like this has happened to you too? Please do share!
After reading many posts about this specific topic, I am sorry to post yet another one. But I am stumped and wonder if any of you have suggestions. I'm quite new here, so I'm afraid my diary will not be of any help. I do not use myfitnesspal to record what I eat, but I do record it in excel. I have seen, and followed the chart, by the way. It didn't help.
I need to lose weight for a specific surgery (they need to use certain skin from a donorsite that has 1cm or less fat underneath). I only have one more kilo to go, but it is not budging. I have one more month before the surgery, so technically, losing that kilogram should be doable. However, for over a week now, my weight is slowly creeping up on a daily basis, and I cannot explain why. For example, I weighted almost a pound more today than yesterday, weighted in the morning under the same conditions.
Here's some summarized details that may help in uncovering what is going on:
1. Yes, I have a foodscale, and yes, I am married to the damn thing. Everything is weighted in grams.
2. I have set my calorie goal to 1400 a day, regardless of excercise
3. I am male, even though my profile will say I'm female. I set it to female because I am really short for a guy, and think 1500 calories is just too much
4. My job is sedentary, but I still move a lot. On average I get in 10k steps a day, and I exercise at least 5 times a week (either 30-40 min HIIT, or running on average 8k)
5. I weigh 49kg (I am 5'1, don't worry) and do realize that because I am already at the lower end of BMI, losing 1 kg is difficult. However, I am sure I am eating at a deficit, so I should still be losing weight
6. My diet is mainly consisting of meat, vegetables and some fruit, but also dairy and sometimes a carby treat. All accounted for, of course
7. My diet has not changed, so I am not taking in more sodium or something that could cause water retention.
8. My thyroid works fine (or at least, it did a little less than a year ago, when I had bloodwork done) and I don't have any diseases.
I hope this provides the information that may help to uncover why my weight is going up, instead of down. Or, it seems more likely there is no solid explanation, but similar experiences (that ended in a good way, I hope!) will help to set my mind at ease. I know a week is a really short time, and weight fluctuations are very normal. But seeing that I remain consistent with what I'm doing, am sure of how much I'm eating and thus sure about my deficit, I should at least see my weight going down somewhat, not up, right? I am not expecting miracles here, just a sign in the right direction, 's all.
So, someone has an idea of what is going on? Or perhaps something like this has happened to you too? Please do share!
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Replies
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Weight flucuates, and if you are eating at a calorie deficit, you arent gaining weight. Are you using correct values for all the foods? How do you ascertain that they are correct?0
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Are you exercising? If so you may be replacing fat with lean mass muscle. This can cause your weight to increase as muscle weighs more than fat. This and you can hit plateaus and not be able to lose anything until one morning there is a significant weight loss. Hunker down and stay with the plan. Determine, no matter what, you will eat right regardless of immediate results12
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bfanger2000 wrote: »Are you exercising? If so you may be replacing fat with lean mass muscle. This can cause your weight to increase as muscle weighs more than fat. This and you can hit plateaus and not be able to lose anything until one morning there is a significant weight loss. Hunker down and stay with the plan. Determine, no matter what, you will eat right regardless of immediate results
You can't build a house (muscle) without bricks (excess calories). So no.
It's only been a week. That's normal, especially when you are already small trying to eke out a few pounds more. You're just going to have to keep going and the scale will eventually catch up.
A side note: No need to set yourself as female, the calculators are based on researched averages for males as well as females. 1500 isn't too much, you naturally have more lean mass than a female to support.3 -
Since you are having surgery, is there a medical condition, any medication(s) you are taking that you should factor in? Did your doctor request that you lose weight for surgery?
How long have you been eating 1400? Less than 5-6 weeks? My best guess is that the1400 calories at your stats are to lose somewhere around .3ish a week? This can easily be masked by day to day fluctuations..
Meticulous logging efforts, weighing of your food, and as stated using the correct values, and assuring you add all things like condiments, oils, dressings (anything you put on or add to your food that contains calories) and keep staying diligent for a while longer. With you being already at the low end of BMI, I can see this will prove quite difficult to lose any more.
Can you talk to your doctor about what you need to do for the surgery prep?2 -
If you need to have less than 1cm of fat under your skin getting to a certain weight may not achieve that. Measuring will be better.3
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4 replies already! This site is quick! Thanks peeps. As for some of the comments:Weight flucuates, and if you are eating at a calorie deficit, you arent gaining weight. Are you using correct values for all the foods? How do you ascertain that they are correct?
Yes, I am using the correct values for foods. I don't drink calories (coffee, tea, water or some zero coke is about it), so no need to weigh my non-solids. As for solids, it's all weighed in grams (either raw, or cooked. I sometimes even weigh it before and after cooking, as a lot of vegetables and meats lose weight as you prepare it, making it more calorie dense)Are you exercising? If so you may be replacing fat with lean mass muscle.
Yup, plenty of exercise. But no weight lifting. And as stated before, I won't build muscles on a deficit, especially not in a short amount of time.It's only been a week. That's normal, especially when you are already small trying to eke out a few pounds more. You're just going to have to keep going and the scale will eventually catch up.
I was planning to do so
I was just thinking that, even if I'm retaining water for some reason, as I lose fat as well, the overall weight trend would still go down, unless I retain more and more water over the course of time.Since you are having surgery, is there a medical condition, any medication(s) you are taking that you should factor in? Did your doctor request that you lose weight for surgery?
How long have you been eating 1400? Less than 5-6 weeks?
It's been about 2 weeks now, but before that I also counted calories, and stuck to on average 1800 calories a day. I've just had a few holidays where I didn't count, and thus my weight went up some. That's the weight I'm trying to lose now.
My surgery is not due to a medical condition that can cause weight, nor am I taken medications. My doctor measured the layer of fat 6 months ago, with an echo machine. The fat was 0.9cm then, so just right. I need to go back to that weight (which was a kilo less than I am now) in order to be sure it's okay now. So not direct doctor's advice, but because it was on the border then, I prefer to be safe instead of sorry.
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Like you said, you have a month, so that kg should be doable. Consider using a weight tracking app that shows trends (I've seen Trendweight used often here on mfp) so that you can be sure that it's not just fluctuations (although most people maintain within a 5 lb range--your kg is within that range). Be meticulous about your logging. Maybe a bit more exercise (10 more minutes or another couple k to your current workouts) for your final push.0
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I'm a newbie so not sure if I'm a great source of wisdom.... but from what I read people say if you reach a plateau or your numbers aren't going the right way you adjust either your calories down or your activity level up.
Have you tried dropping your calories another 100/day?0 -
This may be TMI but are things moving... You know your bowels? That can make a difference too. Sadly as someone said weight is not the best measure of how much fat is on your body. Sometimes it's about what is in your body. Good luck.1
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Since you are having surgery, is there a medical condition, any medication(s) you are taking that you should factor in? Did your doctor request that you lose weight for surgery?
How long have you been eating 1400? Less than 5-6 weeks?
It's been about 2 weeks now, but before that I also counted calories, and stuck to on average 1800 calories a day. I've just had a few holidays where I didn't count, and thus my weight went up some. That's the weight I'm trying to lose now.
My surgery is not due to a medical condition that can cause weight, nor am I taken medications. My doctor measured the layer of fat 6 months ago, with an echo machine. The fat was 0.9cm then, so just right. I need to go back to that weight (which was a kilo less than I am now) in order to be sure it's okay now. So not direct doctor's advice, but because it was on the border then, I prefer to be safe instead of sorry.
If its just two weeks at 1400, keep going on this amount. If my numbers are right, you are eating just a wee bit above your BMR, so I would caution you to not do any unhealthy methods to lose weight, you want to be as healthy as you can to undergo and recover from surgery.
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Thanks for all the replies, guys. I guess the jest of it all is that it has only been two weeks and i need more patience. But boy, if the weight keeps going up, I will be running out of time, which is scary.Have you tried dropping your calories another 100/day?
I did consider it, but to be fair, I'm already feeling very deprived at 1400 as it is. Especially in the evening I feel hollow inside, and have no energy left anymore to do anything. Dropping even lower seems unwise.This may be TMI but are things moving... You know your bowels?
Functioning as intended, thankfully xDIf its just two weeks at 1400, keep going on this amount. If my numbers are right, you are eating just a wee bit above your BMR, so I would caution you to not do any unhealthy methods to lose weight, you want to be as healthy as you can to undergo and recover from surgery.
Thank you, and yes, I am aware. My BMR is around 1300, I think. That's why I'm sure I'm in a deficit, because I eat only 100 over my BMR on a daily basis, and am definitely not sitting still all day.
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When you say your weight has been creeping up for a week. How much total have you gained?2
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How long have you been doing as much exercise as you are doing? When I finally started going back to the gym after my wife had our baby, the first two weeks, I held on to water like crazy, and either stayed the same or went up, and then it all came off! Now it's back to normal, where I will gain weight Monday - Wednesday because I start my gym schedule every Monday, and I see the loses on Thursday and Friday. I also have weeks where I just don't lose, but then lose more than I should the next week! It's a long term game that takes time to figure out, and the lighter you are the harder it is to figure out!1
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I have always heard ,that if something has been working for you for a long time,it's time to switch it up. Try eating different things. Maybe more plant based.Doesn't have to be though. Try doing a different type of workout then what you have been.Add more walking, or hiking, maybe swimming. Just switch things up.7
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Thanks for all the replies, guys. I guess the jest of it all is that it has only been two weeks and i need more patience. But boy, if the weight keeps going up, I will be running out of time, which is scary.Have you tried dropping your calories another 100/day?
I did consider it, but to be fair, I'm already feeling very deprived at 1400 as it is. Especially in the evening I feel hollow inside, and have no energy left anymore to do anything. Dropping even lower seems unwise.This may be TMI but are things moving... You know your bowels?
Functioning as intended, thankfully xDIf its just two weeks at 1400, keep going on this amount. If my numbers are right, you are eating just a wee bit above your BMR, so I would caution you to not do any unhealthy methods to lose weight, you want to be as healthy as you can to undergo and recover from surgery.
Thank you, and yes, I am aware. My BMR is around 1300, I think. That's why I'm sure I'm in a deficit, because I eat only 100 over my BMR on a daily basis, and am definitely not sitting still all day.
I think 1400, is fairly low,even if you ate 5'1 ,you're still a guy,and you need extra protein for your muscles. I eat 1390 as a female, and eat back exercise cals on days I workout. On the weekends I will eat upto 1500 or 1600, no working out. And Monday morning back to normal.And I lose 1,2 or 3 that week. Or week and a half. I just love ke to reassure my body im not starving it,and theres enough for everything. My "muscles,"my "heart,"my "brain". No one gets deprived lol. There is alot of ppl who say eating more does equal losing. But theres alot of ppl who will say, they did it and gor whatever reason, it worked for them.1 -
At your weight, things are going to go slowly. Half a pound or quarter kg a week seem like a reasonable expectation. I'd suggest really using the apps tools to work towards these goals, understanding that changes in your diet and workout regimen can count for water weight fluctuations of 1-2 kgs easily. It'd be easier to track trends and averages over a week. Maybe a skinfold caliper you can get fit $5-$15 would be even better so you can better measure your subcutaneous fat progress.
Good luck!0 -
If your food logging is tight, and you seem to think it is, the most likely source of weight gain is going to be water from stress, carbs, muscle tissue injury, or any combination of those. That isn't subcutaneous fat. It's water. Don't stress about it and keep your logging tight at your designed calorie deficit.2
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Thanks once again for the replies, peeps!When you say your weight has been creeping up for a week. How much total have you gained?
1.5 pounds now.I have always heard ,that if something has been working for you for a long time,it's time to switch it up.
Yeah, maybe time for me to start trying something new. Although I wouldn't like to lose the protein I'm eating right now. I don't want to lose too much muscle mass.If your food logging is tight, and you seem to think it is, the most likely source of weight gain is going to be water from stress, carbs, muscle tissue injury, or any combination of those.
It appears to be that way, yes. A day after my post, I had a big overnight drop of almost two pounds, which put me closer to my end goal. However, the days after that, the pound crept back on....This is very frustrating. It means I stopped gaining, but I'm definitely also not losing right now, and time is running out. Maybe 1400 is simply too much?
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Thanks once again for the replies, peeps!When you say your weight has been creeping up for a week. How much total have you gained?
1.5 pounds now.I have always heard ,that if something has been working for you for a long time,it's time to switch it up.
Yeah, maybe time for me to start trying something new. Although I wouldn't like to lose the protein I'm eating right now. I don't want to lose too much muscle mass.If your food logging is tight, and you seem to think it is, the most likely source of weight gain is going to be water from stress, carbs, muscle tissue injury, or any combination of those.
It appears to be that way, yes. A day after my post, I had a big overnight drop of almost two pounds, which put me closer to my end goal. However, the days after that, the pound crept back on....This is very frustrating. It means I stopped gaining, but I'm definitely also not losing right now, and time is running out. Maybe 1400 is simply too much?
You are losing, that drop shows that. The scale is an imperfect measure, you don't gain 1lb of fat overnight, you do gain water that quickly.
I do wonder what kind of surgery requires you to get to what sounds like an unhealthily low weight though.......4 -
I also agree that these are probably water retention gains due to exercise, low calorie intake causing stress. As counterintuitive as it may seem, you might want to cut back on the exercise a bit to see if that helps with the physical stress and releases water. I lost several pounds on 1240 calories with no exercise (and I am a sedentary office worker). I actually didn't have a lot of weight to lose to begin with which is why I set my calories low. I can't imagine doing a lot of exercise on low calories. No wonder you feel hollow in the evening.0
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You are losing, that drop shows that. The scale is an imperfect measure, you don't gain 1lb of fat overnight, you do gain water that quickly.
Haven't really lost anything, because my weight just crept back up after that. It looks like i'll be even higher tomorrow again. This is very frustrating.As counterintuitive as it may seem, you might want to cut back on the exercise a bit to see if that helps with the physical stress and releases water.
Might be worth a try. So far, my weight just seems to go up again, while I should be losing. Don't know what else to do right now.
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What kind of scale are you using? Is it possible that it's wearing out? Or a battery needs replacing?You are losing, that drop shows that. The scale is an imperfect measure, you don't gain 1lb of fat overnight, you do gain water that quickly.
Haven't really lost anything, because my weight just crept back up after that. It looks like i'll be even higher tomorrow again. This is very frustrating.As counterintuitive as it may seem, you might want to cut back on the exercise a bit to see if that helps with the physical stress and releases water.
Might be worth a try. So far, my weight just seems to go up again, while I should be losing. Don't know what else to do right now.
And a couple pounds back and forth isn't a huge deal.
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