I think I'm doing everything right and I'm just gaining :(

hanrba
hanrba Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I do have a underactive thyroid but I take medication.
I'm trying to loose weight after having my third child so I have a toddler that keeps me busy.
I've put in my height and weight and my goal weight and its worked it out for me.
I weigh and measure all my foods.
I started right at the beginning of January and weighed myself for the first time last week and I'd lost 5lb in 3 weeks, slow but steady.
I've weighed myself this morning and I've gained 3lb and I'm so upset as I'm really trying and can't work out what's gone wrong.

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,885 Member
    edited January 2023
    Are you weighing yourself regularly? I weigh myself daily and I use Libra so we my weight trend through the fluctuations. There are other apps to: Happy Scale for iOS, Weightgrapher, Trendweight.
    Our weight fluctuates constantly due to shifts in water weight and food waste in our system.
    If you're not weighing regularly, it will be hard to tell if this is an anomaly or a sign that you're not losing weight (anymore).

    Potential reasons for temporary upticks on the scale: hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycle), higher carb day, higher salt day, exercise,...
    3lbs is within the scale of normal weight fluctuations.

    If you give us access to your diary, we might be able to exclude other potential causes such as logging inaccuracies.
    And more info on your stats and how much you're eating would be useful as well.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,986 Member
    Yes, weighing daily can give you a good idea about fluctuations. The scale weight will go up if your body retains more water, which is normal (think of it as ebb and flood of your body), scale variations on regular points within your cycle if you're a woman (yep, totally normal) and when you don't have a poop every day as the waste remains in your intestines and of course also has a weight. Thus all those things influence scale weight while having no link to weight loss or gain at all. And it's all normal and nothing to worry about.

    If you only step on the scale every once in a while you might be hitting a low point, and next time one where this one point of your cycle hits you, not having pooped in 3 days (normal) and where you had a bit more salt with your food. Boom! Scale weight up.

    I'd suggest you always weight at the same time, in the morning naked after going to the loo. That way you have a constant that is easier to compare than any other time of the day as your food and water intake might be different (which of course all has weight), you might wear different clothes, or step on the scale at a different time after different amount of food intake.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    You don't mention your current stats (height, weight, calorie intake) so I'll start with assuming you have more than 20 pounds to lose...when overweight, there are pretty big weight swings. Have you seen this awesome article about weight fluctuations? Three to five pounds is common.

    (it's linked in the first post in this discussion thread here on mfp) https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

    Then my second thought as a hypothyroid patient myself is - how long has it been since you have had bloodwork done? If my meds need to be adjusted I can usually tell after all these years of being on levothyroxine, but it's always good to keep up with blood tests.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    In addition to the advice above, how old is your baby/how far are you in your postpartum recovery?

    If you are breastfeeding, that will also affect your calorie needs and expenditures.

    It can be tricky but not impossible! I started the process of losing sixty pounds while my fifth baby was still very young and nursing. It took a little under a year. Back at it to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight (and then a little more) after my sixth, but I've still benefitted from the hard work I did before. It's still a matter of working the math, but slower and steady is the way to go.

    You can do it! It's all about habits and discipline and healthy expectations. Take good care of yourself (sometimes easier said than done!)
  • sbelletti
    sbelletti Posts: 213 Member
    It's been 4 weeks and you've lost 2 lbs. That's great! And it's your FIRST 4 weeks so I would expect a lot of fluctuation, especially as a female.

    Even at my goal weight, I experience huge fluctuations. This month, I have been at calorie goals every single week but I also had a few days of high carbs & sodium, my TOM, and new exercise plans.

    ta8s7p3b4omy.jpg


    Does it suck seeing a big jump on the scale? Yup. But you will eventually get used to it and know that it's a normal fluctuation and to KEEP AT IT! Trust the process and be patient. It's normal and you got this!
  • Kathy535
    Kathy535 Posts: 31 Member
    I can gain 3lb by moving the scale a cm or two. As I found out yesterday.

    I also gain if I haven’t had a poo, have done exercise the day before or if I’ve eaten lots of carbs or food that’s too salty. I weigh myself every day because it helps me remember that weight fluctuates enormously and I can take a peak in my stride.

    You’re doing really really well. As others have said, don’t get too depressed by sudden increases - unless you’ve eaten 3500+ calories in a day it’s likely to be water weight or similar.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    @hanrba : You've gotten great answers above. You are actually off to a great start, so don't let a weight bump on one day derail you.

    I only record my weight at most once a day in the morning after the toilet in my underwear (when I remember). Sometimes, out of curiosity, I'll check my weight at another time of day, but I don't record it. The point is that you need to average over several days (~7) to determine your average weight with precision better than a pound. Weight loss is a slow business. Losing a pound a week is a good expectation, but you will not be able to detect that you've lost that pound until you see the trend over several days.

    So, stay frosty and keep at it. Best of luck!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,310 Member
    As mentioned by all the nice people, you have three weight in data points over a time period of four weeks. You currently have no information as to whether any one of them were individual high values or individual low values or average values for the general time frame they were acquired.

    all we currently know is that PROBABLY you are losing SOME AMOUNT of weight. When you have more data points you will be able to better evaluate your underlying weight trend.

    Knowing your "exact" weight or weight trend is not necessary for weight loss. Measurements, pictures, a tight pair of jeans you try to stuff yourself in, there are a lot of options around.

    I do happen to believe that, assuming you are able to incorporate this into your weight management system without unwanted side effects, taking a daily weight measurement under similar conditions and plugging the value into a weight trend app, website, or graph is probably the closest you can get to the real picture of your underlying weight trend.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    @hanrba : You've gotten great answers above. You are actually off to a great start, so don't let a weight bump on one day derail you.

    I only record my weight at most once a day in the morning after the toilet in my underwear (when I remember). Sometimes, out of curiosity, I'll check my weight at another time of day, but I don't record it. The point is that you need to average over several days (~7) to determine your average weight with precision better than a pound. Weight loss is a slow business. Losing a pound a week is a good expectation, but you will not be able to detect that you've lost that pound until you see the trend over several days.

    So, stay frosty and keep at it. Best of luck!

    Mr. Jthanmyfitnesspall gives very good advice here, but something makes me suspect he has never been a woman with monthly menstrual cycles. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm just guessing. ;)
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,206 Member
    Pounds on the scale doesn’t always = fat. I put on “weight” at certain times of the month in my menstrual cycle, due to a little extra food in the intestines, depending on what i ate the night before. If you are sticking to the plan, it’s probably not fat. OR some of your initial loss was just bloating that decreased and wasn’t permanent. Overall, you are still losing. It’s just not linear.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    @hanrba : You've gotten great answers above. You are actually off to a great start, so don't let a weight bump on one day derail you.

    I only record my weight at most once a day in the morning after the toilet in my underwear (when I remember). Sometimes, out of curiosity, I'll check my weight at another time of day, but I don't record it. The point is that you need to average over several days (~7) to determine your average weight with precision better than a pound. Weight loss is a slow business. Losing a pound a week is a good expectation, but you will not be able to detect that you've lost that pound until you see the trend over several days.

    So, stay frosty and keep at it. Best of luck!

    Mr. Jthanmyfitnesspall gives very good advice here, but something makes me suspect he has never been a woman with monthly menstrual cycles. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm just guessing. ;)

    This is a big reason I wanted to know how old baby is - 4-6 weeks is going to be different than 4-6 months or more, and OP might not be cycling at all yet.

    I agree that OP needs to collect some more information, but if she gave birth very recently her data probably won't be very useful at all yet.
  • nanerkay
    nanerkay Posts: 725 Member
    I'm having the same problem I've lost and gained the same 3 pounds for months now. I'm 53 years old and I no longer have menstrual cycle. I was weighing everyday it was driving me crazy I was ready to give up. This past week have not done really well I'm not weighed myself I just don't understand I measure my food and I drink mostly water. I don't know if some of the medication I'm on or I'm eating to much I was exercising but I've not done anything this week.
  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 178 Member
    @nanerkay You said you are measuring your food? I'd suggest trying a food scale and weighing your portions. Yes, it's a pain, but actually easier than measuring, and less dishes, while being waay more accurate.

    You also said you were weighing daily, but did you track those daily weights? With normal scale fluctuations, weight loss can be overlooked.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Mr. Jthanmyfitnesspall gives very good advice here, but something makes me suspect he has never been a woman with monthly menstrual cycles. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm just guessing. ;)

    @AnnPT77 : My god, you're right again! But my weight still bounces all over the place. What's my excuse?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    edited February 2023
    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    @hanrba : You've gotten great answers above. You are actually off to a great start, so don't let a weight bump on one day derail you.

    I only record my weight at most once a day in the morning after the toilet in my underwear (when I remember). Sometimes, out of curiosity, I'll check my weight at another time of day, but I don't record it. The point is that you need to average over several days (~7) to determine your average weight with precision better than a pound. Weight loss is a slow business. Losing a pound a week is a good expectation, but you will not be able to detect that you've lost that pound until you see the trend over several days.

    So, stay frosty and keep at it. Best of luck!

    Mr. Jthanmyfitnesspall gives very good advice here, but something makes me suspect he has never been a woman with monthly menstrual cycles. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm just guessing. ;)

    This is a big reason I wanted to know how old baby is - 4-6 weeks is going to be different than 4-6 months or more, and OP might not be cycling at all yet.

    I agree that OP needs to collect some more information, but if she gave birth very recently her data probably won't be very useful at all yet.

    Good point. I've never had a baby, so I yield to your expertise on that issue.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Mr. Jthanmyfitnesspall gives very good advice here, but something makes me suspect he has never been a woman with monthly menstrual cycles. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm just guessing. ;)

    @AnnPT77 : My god, you're right again! But my weight still bounces all over the place. What's my excuse?

    I'm in menopause, and mine does, too. You've read that post we all link so often, right?

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

    Dunno what your excuse is, pretty sure it's in the linked article someplace.

    Mine is uneven eating patterns (calories, macro distribution), changes in exercise stress, minor injuries or illnesses, usually. Sometimes probably just bad karma. (I don't think that one's in the article. ;) ).

    Younger adult women just have a maybe-more-major, maybe-patterned overlay of the hormonal water weight on top of all the weirdness people like you and I have. And then there's the post-partum thing I know nothing about. 🤷‍♀️
  • Mandylou19912014
    Mandylou19912014 Posts: 208 Member
    I feel your frustration :( I find that it can be things like menstrual cycles that impact me. I can have such a good day, and go to bed feeling really great but have gained weight! I think it’s all just normal and nothing to be concerned with. Don’t let it dishearten you too much :) I weigh myself every single day, fasted, first thing as this shows me over time a steady weight loss, with some days of going up
  • nanerkay
    nanerkay Posts: 725 Member
    My doctor told me I wouldn't lose much weight until I get my blood sugar under control. So now I need to check my blood sugar after every meal and when I get up in the morning. I hope that will help and I have a food scale Im not sure how to use it 🤷
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I've been eating salty Asian food all week and am expecting a big water weight jump at some point but it was 57 degrees in my room this AM so weighing will have to wait until we get out of this deep freeze.

    On the plus side, I could sleep with all but one of the covers I like. That one is going to have to wait until I move to our next place, which will not have a wood stove blasting beneath me.
  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 178 Member
    @nanerkay Hmm, can you post a close up pic of your scale maybe?

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