Are calories what determine weight loss/gain?

KrazyKrissyy
KrazyKrissyy Posts: 322 Member
edited December 2019 in Motivation and Support
What I mean is REAL weight loss/gain. I can't stand how much water my body is capable of holding. It makes me question my real progress. I'll give a few examples.

I went on vacation for 3 weeks. I ate a lot yes (went out to eat everyday). I also walked a lot. After vacation, I was completely swollen and gained 25 pounds! Which literally fell off of me within the next two weeks when I went back to dieting.

The day after Thanksgiving, I was up 12+ pounds. Now it's all gone thankfully (pun intended).

One stressful evening, I ate an entire gallon of ice cream and that was it. Shockingly, I was down 8 pounds the following morning.

Another stressful evening, I ate an entire jar of peanut butter. Was down 7 pounds the next morning.

I tried a vegan diet for a week because I wasn't in the mood for meat or cheese for a while. I counted my usual calories (less than 1400), emphasized vegetables and fresh fruits (along with light tofu). I gained 15 pounds in one week.

I know we all carry water but this absolutely insane. I'm tired of the massive swings in weight and size, even when I DON'T go on vacation. I know not one other person who gains/loses 25 pounds in 3 weeks, nor 15 pounds in a single week, let alone 8-10 pounds overnight. And I swell up BAD, especially my thighs. My friends have told me they've never met anyone who gains/loses weight as rapidly as I do. After vacation when I gained 25 pounds in 3 weeks, my friends took one look at me and asked how it was even possible to gain that much so fast. Then within 2 weeks, the 25 pounds are gone and their jaws drop again and said it was the most rapid change they've ever seen in someone.

If this is water, something isn't right. Is this even normal? I feel like I can never enjoy a holiday, trip, or special occasion without a gigantic weight swing in either direction. I have clothes ranging from x-small to large. I can literally go from one to the other overnight. I think I'm on my last 10 real pounds by the way. Hard to tell.

Replies

  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,816 Member
    What I mean is REAL weight loss/gain. I can't stand how much water my body is capable of holding. It makes me question my real progress. I'll give a few examples.

    I went on vacation for 3 weeks. I ate a lot yes (went out to eat everyday). I also walked a lot. After vacation, I was completely swollen and gained 25 pounds! Which literally fell off of me within the next two weeks when I went back to dieting.

    The day after Thanksgiving, I was up 12+ pounds. Now it's all gone thankfully (pun intended).

    One stressful evening, I ate an entire gallon of ice cream and that was it. Shockingly, I was down 8 pounds the following morning.

    Another stressful evening, I ate an entire jar of peanut butter. Was down 7 pounds the next morning.

    I tried a vegan diet for a week because I wasn't in the mood for meat or cheese for a while. I counted my usual calories (less than 1400), emphasized vegetables and fresh fruits (along with light tofu). I gained 15 pounds in one week.

    I know we all carry water but this absolutely insane. I'm tired of the massive swings in weight and size, even when I DON'T go on vacation. I know not one other person who gains/loses 25 pounds in 3 weeks, nor 15 pounds in a single week, let alone 8-10 pounds overnight. And I swell up BAD, especially my thighs. My friends have told me they've never met anyone who gains/loses weight as rapidly as I do. After vacation when I gained 25 pounds in 3 weeks, my friends took one look at me and asked how it was even possible to gain that much so fast. Then within 2 weeks, the 25 pounds are gone and their jaws drop again and said it was the most rapid change they've ever seen in someone.

    If this is water, something isn't right. Is this even normal? I feel like I can never enjoy a holiday, trip, or special occasion without a gigantic weight swing in either direction. I have clothes ranging from x-small to large. I can literally go from one to the other overnight. I think I'm on my last 10 real pounds by the way. Hard to tell.

    I agree below that there may be some sort of medical issue. That is a really big amount to jump in a short time considering that you appear to be close to normal weight. I would get it checked out with your doctor.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited December 2019
    Yeah, I'll third the go see your primary care team concerning as that ain't normal for a person who falls within the realm of a healthy BMI range.

    I once gained 15 lbs in a week - which derailed me for an entire year because it wiped out 3.5 months of "progress" and I was all '*kitten* it, why bother then' about it - but that has been the only time in more than a decade of body weight yo-yoing such a large fluid swing happened within 7 days. Once I got around to addressing it, turned out it was due to some massive venous insufficiency issues going on. :\ YMMV, of course, but just illustrating one example of why it is wise to get extreme fluid shifts checked out by the expert(s).
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    What I mean is REAL weight loss/gain. I can't stand how much water my body is capable of holding. It makes me question my real progress. I'll give a few examples.

    I went on vacation for 3 weeks. I ate a lot yes (went out to eat everyday). I also walked a lot. After vacation, I was completely swollen and gained 25 pounds! Which literally fell off of me within the next two weeks when I went back to dieting.

    The day after Thanksgiving, I was up 12+ pounds. Now it's all gone thankfully (pun intended).

    One stressful evening, I ate an entire gallon of ice cream and that was it. Shockingly, I was down 8 pounds the following morning.

    Another stressful evening, I ate an entire jar of peanut butter. Was down 7 pounds the next morning.

    I tried a vegan diet for a week because I wasn't in the mood for meat or cheese for a while. I counted my usual calories (less than 1400), emphasized vegetables and fresh fruits (along with light tofu). I gained 15 pounds in one week.

    I know we all carry water but this absolutely insane. I'm tired of the massive swings in weight and size, even when I DON'T go on vacation. I know not one other person who gains/loses 25 pounds in 3 weeks, nor 15 pounds in a single week, let alone 8-10 pounds overnight. And I swell up BAD, especially my thighs. My friends have told me they've never met anyone who gains/loses weight as rapidly as I do. After vacation when I gained 25 pounds in 3 weeks, my friends took one look at me and asked how it was even possible to gain that much so fast. Then within 2 weeks, the 25 pounds are gone and their jaws drop again and said it was the most rapid change they've ever seen in someone.

    If this is water, something isn't right. Is this even normal? I feel like I can never enjoy a holiday, trip, or special occasion without a gigantic weight swing in either direction. I have clothes ranging from x-small to large. I can literally go from one to the other overnight. I think I'm on my last 10 real pounds by the way. Hard to tell.

    Haven't you posted on this topic before. Ok, you ate a bunch of icecream. Well, the amount of food in your gut is much lower. Add in a good poop and some morning dehydration... could be 8lbs.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,718 Member
    +1 for doctor. Those are unusual symptoms. If you have logged your scale weights and food, take those with you to underscore credibility.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    KrazyKrissy, how much do you weigh? I think if you are morbidly obese that would explain a lot of those wild swings. I'm 140, I have 1-3 pound swings based on absolutely no idea why sometimes. If you are obese, your water volume would be a lot more than mine.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,816 Member
    KrazyKrissy, how much do you weigh? I think if you are morbidly obese that would explain a lot of those wild swings. I'm 140, I have 1-3 pound swings based on absolutely no idea why sometimes. If you are obese, your water volume would be a lot more than mine.

    She mentions in the bottom of her post that she thinks she only has about 10 pounds left to lose. So I don't think her weight could be the cause.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    edited December 2019
    MikePTY wrote: »
    KrazyKrissy, how much do you weigh? I think if you are morbidly obese that would explain a lot of those wild swings. I'm 140, I have 1-3 pound swings based on absolutely no idea why sometimes. If you are obese, your water volume would be a lot more than mine.

    She mentions in the bottom of her post that she thinks she only has about 10 pounds left to lose. So I don't think her weight could be the cause.

    Oh thanks. I tend to skip over parts of posts. This is the first time...

    **edit ISN'T the first time.