Unexpected Weight Gain - Upset
emmarobbo2756
Posts: 9 Member
Hello everyone,
I was looking for some advice.
I am on a diet at the moment.
I am 28 years old, a woman and at the start of the year I weighed 65kg/143lb.
My goal is to be 54kg/119lb.
A week and a bit ago I was at 58.8kg.
I have been using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat and I run/do BBG on 5 days a week.
It's been such slow going but over the last few weeks I've made consistent if not massive progress.
I gave myself a little goal which was to be back at my wedding weight of 58kg by today, my anniversary.
I worked hard this week and while it wasn't perfect, and I reckoned I wouldn't lose a full 2lbs as I wanted, I was secretly hopeful of something good. I went on the scale and I've not just not lost any weight, I've put it on and am back up at 59.1kg.
I'm so sad and disheartened and am now questioning if I tracked my food right and what I've done wrong. I'm also so frustrated not to be able to get even to this preliminary stage. I also have been feeling good in myself all week and felt like maybe I looked to have lost weight. Was I just imagining it because I thought my eating was going well?
Has this happened to other people? What did you do and what did you find was the cause? I'd love some support, I feel very demoralised.
Thank you.
I was looking for some advice.
I am on a diet at the moment.
I am 28 years old, a woman and at the start of the year I weighed 65kg/143lb.
My goal is to be 54kg/119lb.
A week and a bit ago I was at 58.8kg.
I have been using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat and I run/do BBG on 5 days a week.
It's been such slow going but over the last few weeks I've made consistent if not massive progress.
I gave myself a little goal which was to be back at my wedding weight of 58kg by today, my anniversary.
I worked hard this week and while it wasn't perfect, and I reckoned I wouldn't lose a full 2lbs as I wanted, I was secretly hopeful of something good. I went on the scale and I've not just not lost any weight, I've put it on and am back up at 59.1kg.
I'm so sad and disheartened and am now questioning if I tracked my food right and what I've done wrong. I'm also so frustrated not to be able to get even to this preliminary stage. I also have been feeling good in myself all week and felt like maybe I looked to have lost weight. Was I just imagining it because I thought my eating was going well?
Has this happened to other people? What did you do and what did you find was the cause? I'd love some support, I feel very demoralised.
Thank you.
3
Replies
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You can't lose 2 pounds per week at your weight, and your weight naturally fluctuates. Deadlines for weightloss is usually not a good idea. Check your food logging and be patient.8
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Sounds like normal water weight fluctuations...
How tall are you? If youre at a normal BMI then weight loss will be slow and you'll need to be patient and consistent.2 -
I understand where you're coming from. Patience is a virtue that I'm currently learning the very hard way. The first 6 kg came off rather easily, but now I've been stuck between 83.1 and 83.8 kg for what seems like an eternity (in reality, it's been about two weeks). Theoretically, I should be around 82 kg now, but my body doesn't seem to give a *kitten* about that theory. I KNOW I'm doing everything right, and yet ... And this is were patience factors in. I know I need to trust the process, and I know the weight will come off eventually - but it's really hard when you don't really seem to be making any progress even though you should. In my case, I'm very sure that I'm retaining a lot of water (that seems to be a genetic trait, and I also eat a diet high in sodium - which is a whole other problem, and one I really struggle with).
Hang in there and trust the process.0 -
Three possibilities come to mind:
1) How long have you been doing your exercise routine, and have you recently increased the intensity or frequency? New exercise or changes in your exercise program can result in temporary water weight gain as your muscles hold on to water/glycogen to help repair them.
2) Are you weighing all solid foods with a food scale and measuring all liquids using measuring cups/spoons? Accuracy in tracking/logging can affect how much of a deficit you really have vs. how much you think you have: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
3) 58.8kg to 59.1 kg (which is only 0.6 pounds) could just be a perfectly normal scale fluctuation, which happens for a variety of reasons. My weight fluctuates more than that on a daily basis, and I don't even have female hormonal issues to deal with. There's a good explanation of it here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p17 -
300gms? That's not a weight gain, that's a fluctuation. A temporary downward fluctuation.7
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tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »300gms? That's not a weight gain, that's a fluctuation. A temporary downward fluctuation.
This!
My weight bobs up and down like that for any number of reasons including but not limited to:
-- more exercise than usual
-- drinking more water than usual
-- consuming more salt than usual
-- getting a sunburn
-- being out in hot weather
-- travelling by airplane
-- being sick
-- having surgery
-- being a woman
It happens.
That's why I can never say, "On this date, I'm going to weigh ... " because the moment I do, I'll retain a bit of water and ... nope.
5 -
Fluctuations, water weight, muscle mass, could be anything. I do understand how you feel but cool!1
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Rethink. This is 99% in your head.
As noted, you can’t stop weight fluctuations. That number on the scale probably has more to do with your last meal or your last workout, than your progress. And if working hard this week means lots of exercise, stressed muscles retain water. Read this board regularly and you find a lot of people in similar circumstances.
How would you be doing without the self imposed deadline? That deadline is entirely an idea in your head. Don’t wreck an effective plan over an unhelpful idea.
If you don’t have one, make a chart of your entire program, from starting weight through today? From your post, you should be looking at a downward trend over time. That’s hard evidence that your plan is working. Don’t let your brain mess this up.
On a thinking level, everyone understands that lasting weight loss requires patience. This is the point where you have to put that into practice. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working. Rethink your expectations. Ditch the calendar.4 -
Pretty close to your age, and similar stats, so gonna echo the other poster who said 2lbs a week is unrealistic at this size. Even one pound a week is pretty hard. You might have MyFitnessPal set to two pounds, but literally the maths won't add up when there isn't much to lose.
I know it's easy to get hung up on the numbers, but take a deep breath and focus on how much better you feel about yourself, you've already lost an awesome amount. Would that extra pound really have made you look that much better for your anniversary? No one else is even going to know. It's not the end of the world if it takes a little longer than expected. Like all the motivational quotes say - the time is going to pass anyway.2 -
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I would encourage you to take your body measurements as well. Also, just the fact that you are logging your foods and exercising is progress! Do not let the number on the scale determine if you are succeeding or not.3
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Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your advice and support.
It really means a lot.
First of all, yes sorry I should have included my height:
Age: 28
Height: 164cm/5f4(5) ish
Start weight: 65kg/143lb
Current weight: 59.1kg/130.3lb
Goal weight: 54kg/119lb.
I'm not very experienced at this weight loss business.
And I take you all seriously that my jump back up to 59.1kg may be a random fluctuation.
I suppose what I found hard was that after a week or more of taking my dieting very seriously and working so hard at it or thought I did, I'd made no progress and gained weight.
I guess I will have to focus on my eating carefully and try to take nothing for granted.
I know that everyone is saying you can't lose weight fast when you are no longer overweight, but isn't it the case that you should be stricter when you're closer to your goal weight?
How did you all manage if you've got near to your goal weight or reached it?
Thank you in advance!0 -
emmarobbo2756 wrote: »Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your advice and support.
It really means a lot.
First of all, yes sorry I should have included my height:
Age: 28
Height: 164cm/5f4(5) ish
Start weight: 65kg/143lb
Current weight: 59.1kg/130.3lb
Goal weight: 54kg/119lb.
I'm not very experienced at this weight loss business.
And I take you all seriously that my jump back up to 59.1kg may be a random fluctuation.
I suppose what I found hard was that after a week or more of taking my dieting very seriously and working so hard at it or thought I did, I'd made no progress and gained weight.
I guess I will have to focus on my eating carefully and try to take nothing for granted.
I know that everyone is saying you can't lose weight fast when you are no longer overweight, but isn't it the case that you should be stricter when you're closer to your goal weight?
How did you all manage if you've got near to your goal weight or reached it?
Thank you in advance!
Weight loss when you're already a healthy weight will be very slow, so you need to be consistent and patient.
One week is a drop in the ocean4 -
emmarobbo2756 wrote: »
but isn't it the case that you should be stricter when you're closer to your goal weight?
How did you all manage if you've got near to your goal weight or reached it?
Thank you in advance!
I made goal on Weight Watchers. Attended meetings. First time, only time on WW, at least so far. First thing I noticed was the line of returning Lifetime members who had gained much, all, or more, of what they had lost. I vowed not to get in that group.
Strict only works if you want to hit your goal, snap a pic and start gaining it back. Otherwise it’s time to think about how you want to live your life from here on out.
My goals were always try this and see what happens sort of things. My initial goal was 204 lbs. then I wanted 200. Then I thought I’d try for 190. My official WW goal was 184 lbs. But I ended up around 175 lbs. Then up to around 180, then a problem up to 186. Now 169. Has more to do with fitness and how I feel than the scale.0 -
The most important thing I've learned as I've lost my weight is that it takes TIME. Everyone talks about logging, calorie counting, weighing.. blah blah. that's what it takes.. and they leave the time element out.
But.. the truth is "TIME". is the single most important element to losing weight. It takes the body time to shed fat..to shape up... The problem with most people on here is they want consistent fast weight loss. It just doesn't happen that way.
Logic dictates that if you're eating healthy and exercising.. eventually the body responds.
But the body won't respond on demand or by a date. Stick with it... you've done a great job already.3 -
Just to put things into perspective ... I've had a rather low sodium day yesterday, and magically dropped 1 kg overnight, from 83.7 to 82.7 (my lowest number ever).0
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Yeah, this week, I've remained the same for a couple day, then gained 700 grams overnight, then lost half of that, and then lost the other half. Maybe, just maybe tomorrow I'll hit a new low! Or I could go up 600 grams.
Weight loss is all about ups and downs.1 -
i've gained a pound this week, and am bloated, because i'm ovulating... yay!2
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TavistockToad wrote: »i've gained a pound this week, and am bloated, because i'm ovulating... yay!
I feel your pain! Ovulating and then due on and then actually TOM - I have one week where I'm actually a none water retentive blob 😂0 -
What everyone else has said- your weight all is all over the place if you track it religiously. My method is ignore the highs and concentrate on the new lows! As long as my lows get lower every few weeks I'm happy. But also, maybe get a measuring tape and start tracking inches rather than pounds - less fluctuation I've found.1
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Hey, I have the same stats as you! Just wanted to say you are not alone. I’m finding it really difficult to get below 130 lbs. I’m shooting for 1 pound loss per month. Please give yourself some time and be gentle with yourself! ((Hugs))0
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emmarobbo2756 wrote: »
How did you all manage if you've got near to your goal weight or reached it?
Thank you in advance!
You have to start by understanding the process. Once you get close to goal, you really shouldn't be expecting to lose more than 0.5lbs - 1 lb per week. But the thing is, you have lots of stuff in your body other than fat, and that stuff normally fluctuates all the time. Mostly water and the contents of your digestive system, but other stuff too. This stuff can easily fluctuate 1, 2 or even 5 lbs a day! So it is really easy for fat losses to hide behind normal weight fluctuations when you step on the scale. When I was losing my last 10 lbs, I only saw a real, measurable loss about once every month or so.
How did I manage? I focused on the process, not what the scale said. I got serious about logging - food scale for all solids, ate out less, carefully double checked the entries I was using in the database. I set goals to stick to my workout schedule. To take an extra walk. To close the kitchen at a certain time so late night mindless snacking wouldn't ruin my deficit. To try a new veggie every week. To hit my protein goal. And I stopped worrying about "when" I would reach my goal weight. I was doing the right things, I was feeling better, I was looking better. I'd get to the right number eventually.
Good luck :drinker:2 -
Everyone has given good advice here.
Personal account: I've gained a whole 2ish kg in the last week because I am weak to staying up too late and my stress level has been high. Past me likes to punish Future me with poor decisions when it comes to "just one more quest" and "but we're almost to the next area"! This week started off with really high stress, so that also contributed to the water dance.
I know I didn't eat 2-3kg worth of calories (when stressed, I don't eat -- I down coffee like a woman dying of thirst after crossing the Sahara). I side-eye the scale, but remind myself that for all that extra weight, I've been able to pull my pants up one handed (shoulder injury, sobbbbb, which kept me from getting back to strength training).0 -
Thank you everyone, that's really good advice. It's good to talk to people who have more experience than I do.
I think I am realising that as I really get serious about tracking my food that I don't do it accurately at all really. When I really got serious about it today I found I'd eaten enough to just about maintain, but that's all. It's so hard.
I take your points really seriously about adjusting my weekly goals. Actually, I went onto MFP to change my goals to 1lb a week, but when I did it kept my calorie limit the same. It's all at 1,200 a day unless I choose the lowest loss amount per week. Have other people had this?
I was also wondering, do you all incorporate the calories you burn from exercise into your daily numbers?
Thank you so much again for sharing so much. I feel a bit at sea this week. I'm worried I just don't know what I'm doing and that I'll never get near the weight and shape I want to be.1 -
emmarobbo2756 wrote: »Thank you everyone, that's really good advice. It's good to talk to people who have more experience than I do.
I think I am realising that as I really get serious about tracking my food that I don't do it accurately at all really. When I really got serious about it today I found I'd eaten enough to just about maintain, but that's all. It's so hard.
I take your points really seriously about adjusting my weekly goals. Actually, I went onto MFP to change my goals to 1lb a week, but when I did it kept my calorie limit the same. It's all at 1,200 a day unless I choose the lowest loss amount per week. Have other people had this?
I was also wondering, do you all incorporate the calories you burn from exercise into your daily numbers?
Thank you so much again for sharing so much. I feel a bit at sea this week. I'm worried I just don't know what I'm doing and that I'll never get near the weight and shape I want to be.
How tall are you? And what is your activity level set at?0 -
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emmarobbo2756 wrote: »
Half a pound a week is a good rate of loss given your stats.0 -
emmarobbo2756 wrote: »
OK, the MFP goal doesn't include exercise, and you are set to sedentary, so it's expected that you will log your exercise and eat back at lest some of those calories.
The reason you are still getting the minimum calories is that you are set to sedentary, you are already in the healthy weight range for your height, and you are aiming for the very bottom of the healthy range. I am 5'4 and 1/2"
and I started at 145lbs. I had to settle for a pace of 0.5lbs per week because I simply couldn't handle eating under 1400 cals. I also had to focus on increasing my activity level.
If you aren't yet, I would strongly advise focusing on strength training - it can really help to reshape your body, and if you do, you might find you don't need to get your weight quite so low to get the look you want.
Just some stuff to think about!1 -
MFP will never set calories below 1200 for a woman. That doesn't mean if you input 1 lb./week that you will really lose at 1 pounds at 1200 only that is the lowest safe daily calorie setting for you. Since you have so little to lose you are better off losing at .5 a day and take your time. This will assist you with adjusting to maintenance. Trust me I've been there.
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Over the (many) years that I've been watching my weight, I find that I ALWAYS gain weight on the weeks I've been REALLY good with my diet. It always takes 2 or even 3 weeks for the results of this week to show up! As others have said, please dont look at one week and get downhearted. You're looking for a long term, maintainable result so slow and steady is the way to go. Good luck x1
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