Staying within my kcals but up 2lbs

DeButterflyx
DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Please can someone tell me is it normal I have been exercising and staying within kcals the last 3 days taking my steps from only around 2000 to 5000/6000 a day so an improvement and yet I'm up 2lbs this morning

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,886 Member
    Yup, as said above, weight fluctuations are normal and exercise can cause water retention for muscle repair.
    This might be interesting to read:
    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

    It's important to look at the longer term trend (minimum 4 weeks), don't let short term fluctuations mess with your head. Some find it helpful to use a weight trend app like Libra or Happyscale.
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks for the replies I felt so put off this morning
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
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  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    I drank a small bit of water and weighed myself again and I was down 1lb can't believe it must be water retention. I had a Chinese takeaway yesterday I went for a healthier option chicken and mushroom but still probably loaded in sodium with the soy sauce in it
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,886 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I drank a small bit of water and weighed myself again and I was down 1lb can't believe it must be water retention. I had a Chinese takeaway yesterday I went for a healthier option chicken and mushroom but still probably loaded in sodium with the soy sauce in it

    If you drank some water and had a lower weigh-in, then either:
    - You have un unreliable scale
    - You also went to the toilet, or perhaps changed clothes as well?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,986 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I drank a small bit of water and weighed myself again and I was down 1lb can't believe it must be water retention. I had a Chinese takeaway yesterday I went for a healthier option chicken and mushroom but still probably loaded in sodium with the soy sauce in it

    If you went on the scale, drank a bottle of water and went on the scale again without doing anything inbetween and the weight was down then your scale is unreliable. Which isn't unexpected, as most scales are. Also, an uneven floor (carpet?) will also cause funny scale results, as sometimes does holding the phone, etc.
  • ALZ14
    ALZ14 Posts: 202 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I drank a small bit of water and weighed myself again and I was down 1lb can't believe it must be water retention. I had a Chinese takeaway yesterday I went for a healthier option chicken and mushroom but still probably loaded in sodium with the soy sauce in it

    Bingo! Chinese food is high in sodium and that is the likely culprit. Drink lots of water and it will be gone in a day or two.

  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    I'm guaranteed to go up after a Chinese meal, whatever I choose.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    SnifterPug wrote: »
    I'm guaranteed to go up after a Chinese meal, whatever I choose.

    Yes, me too.

    Also, lately I've been going up at least 5 pounds when I ovulate. I used to go up a few pounds premenstrually, but as I get closer to menopause that is no longer reliable.
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    I feel like it's slow compared to the past which I know is silly. I'm 28 now and had a c section only 7 weeks ago 3rd baby
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,622 Member
    edited March 2021
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I feel like it's slow compared to the past which I know is silly. I'm 28 now and had a c section only 7 weeks ago 3rd baby

    Postpartum, there are hormonal changes that can make water fluctuations more unpredictable for a while. (Quite a while.) Post-surgically, healing can make water fluctuations more unpredictable (if major, could still be some healing 7 weeks later). Are you breast feeding, too? That would make it 3 unusual things that can affect bodyweight via water fluctuations.

    It's water weight, 99.425% probability . . . just my opinion on the exact percent, though. 😉
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I feel like it's slow compared to the past which I know is silly. I'm 28 now and had a c section only 7 weeks ago 3rd baby

    Postpartum, there are hormonal changes that can make water fluctuations more unpredictable for a while. (Quite a while.) Post-surgically, healing can make water fluctuations more unpredictable (if major, could still be some healing 7 weeks later). Are you breast feeding, too? That would make it 3 unusual things that can affect bodyweight via water fluctuations.

    It's water weight, 99.425% probability . . . just my opinion on the exact percent, though. 😉

    I started off breastfeeding but baby's on formula now. Sleep deprivation doesn't help my will power wasn't great today. Iv 2 kids under 2 they sleep well some nights and not others
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Weight management is not a one week and done thing. Not to mention that you're still heeling and are STILL experiencing hormonal upheavals and are STILL quite possibly retaining water weight. And that's independently of Chinese food and increased exercise and LACK OF SLEEP. Come on. Self care includes MORE than just weight management. And successful weight management includes more self care than just cutting calories increasing exercise and demanding a weight drop!!! Don't get me wrong, you'll get there in no time; but Ann is totally wrong. It is NOT 99.425%. Just NOPE. It is at least a 99.575% probability that you're dealing with water weight variations!

    You say more than cutting calories and exercise am I maybe just expecting too much too soon or is there something else I should do? I am down 2lbs today on yesterday so definitely agree with the fluctuation in weight right now
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,986 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Weight management is not a one week and done thing. Not to mention that you're still heeling and are STILL experiencing hormonal upheavals and are STILL quite possibly retaining water weight. And that's independently of Chinese food and increased exercise and LACK OF SLEEP. Come on. Self care includes MORE than just weight management. And successful weight management includes more self care than just cutting calories increasing exercise and demanding a weight drop!!! Don't get me wrong, you'll get there in no time; but Ann is totally wrong. It is NOT 99.425%. Just NOPE. It is at least a 99.575% probability that you're dealing with water weight variations!

    You say more than cutting calories and exercise am I maybe just expecting too much too soon or is there something else I should do? I am down 2lbs today on yesterday so definitely agree with the fluctuation in weight right now

    Yes, weight constantly fluctuates in either direction. Patience is key when trying to lose weight:
    * not expecting too much too soon - those diets that shout from magazine covers and cheap adverts really don't work, but we somehow keep in our head that it's possible to lose 10lbs in 3 days. Which of course isn't possible
    * And knowing that weight will fluctuate from day to day. A weight trending app really is a good thing to have here, and the right mindset. Weight really doesn't go down a pound a day out of nowhere. It's always water weight.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited March 2021
    Sorry, I forgot to come back to post this yesterday. As you can see, I weigh daily, and while those pinpoints appear all over the place, the general trend is downward. That’s why it’s good to do this if you weigh daily and find yourself stressing over fluctuations. There are a few upward peaks that correspond with my cycle, and one in January due to some experimenting with my BP meds, causing water retention. Of course, I'm not post partum either, which will definitely carry its own causes for fluctuations:


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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    Please can someone tell me is it normal I have been exercising and staying within kcals the last 3 days taking my steps from only around 2000 to 5000/6000 a day so an improvement and yet I'm up 2lbs this morning

    Do you understand the math? To gain 2 Lbs of actual fat you would have to consume 7,000 calories over your maintenance level of calories...you would know if you did that. Bodyweight fluctuates...it isn't some static thing...as such, weight loss isn't a straight line, linear function. It looks like this...for EVERYBODY...

    Weight-Loss-Reality-Feature-1024x538.png

    Weight loss, and weight management in general is about long term trends, not individual data points...especially not individual data points from a couple of days.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,312 Member
    edited March 2021
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    You say more than cutting calories and exercise am I maybe just expecting too much too soon or is there something else I should do?

    You have to unpack a lot in what I said and which I re quote below and currently, between children and lack of sleep, you're too laser focused.

    "Self care includes MORE than just weight management."

    "And successful weight management includes more self care than just cutting calories increasing exercise and demanding a weight drop!!!"

    Weight management is a long term thing.

    less than 2 months ago you gave birth and had surgery. The removal of a baby lump near my eyebrow still gets the occasional scratch in that same time frame, and it was closer to the size of one of your baby's tiniest toes!

    The mechanics of what you're doing are more than enough to see results over time. But you sound as if you're currently on overdrive and approaching this as something to just power through.

    Self care, you time, doing something FOR YOU, is not the same as powering through and pounding the problem (in this case your own body) into submission.

    If yet to meet the people who claim lack of sleep and stress help with weight loss.

    So lose the expectations, and if dealing with a normal pregnancy level of weight gain just concentrate on creating a 250 to 500 Cal deficit MOST days while not going nuts over during the rest of them and you will be there well before your baby's first birthday.

    Also at 28 and with three babies you are going through this bulk/cut cycle/yo yo quite often in a relatively small time frame. While perfectly natural and normal, I somehow doubt that it's easy on your body!

    Be kind to the amazing you! (and use reasonable deficits and a weight trend app)
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    danae16 wrote: »
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    I feel like it's slow compared to the past which I know is silly. I'm 28 now and had a c section only 7 weeks ago 3rd baby

    Postpartum, there are hormonal changes that can make water fluctuations more unpredictable for a while. (Quite a while.) Post-surgically, healing can make water fluctuations more unpredictable (if major, could still be some healing 7 weeks later). Are you breast feeding, too? That would make it 3 unusual things that can affect bodyweight via water fluctuations.

    It's water weight, 99.425% probability . . . just my opinion on the exact percent, though. 😉

    I started off breastfeeding but baby's on formula now. Sleep deprivation doesn't help my will power wasn't great today. Iv 2 kids under 2 they sleep well some nights and not others


    I don't want to go totally off topic here, but please give your body and your mind some time to adjust to this huge life change. Having a baby is HARD! Having a baby with other children at home is even harder! I know its tempting to want to lose it all so fast, but you are healing and its a stressful time. You are doing a great job by tracking your food and giving your health some consideration already! In the coming months it will get easier and the will power part won't be impacted by crappy sleep as much. You got this, just take it slow! Also - hormones are a huge factor in water weight...even during my normal cycle I gain 3-5 lbs during my TOM.

    Yes, please please!

    I get it, as soon as my body is externally healed I usually want to jump right back into what life was like before I was pregnant, and the reality, frustrating though it is, is just that it doesn't work like that. For both babies and our bodies, the rule of thumb I've always heard is "nine months in, nine months out." Some people call the first three months postpartum "the fourth trimester." You're only halfway through that now! It's hard, but please be gentle with yourself.

    I found three little kids the hardest. The oldest were not old enough to help much, and still pretty needy, and then the littlest still had all their needs. You can still practice self-care, and I would argue you absolutely should, but what that looks like at seven weeks postpartum is going to look different than at seven months postpartum or after a year.

    Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

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