I don't know how much I can help other to say that my weight fluctuates like that too - it's so frustrating. I've heard that our weight naturally fluctuates through the month, so there's not a lot we can do about the numbers on the scale.

I've started taking measurements and calculating body fat percentage instead - maybe you could try that?

Two weeks ago I was 1.5 lbs away from my goal of losing 25 lbs. Then I went on a trip to my friend's wedding and gained TWO lbs (even though I waited 4 days after to weigh myself again). Even though it was only for 4 days, I went totally out of control eating with the "I'm on vacation" mentality. And now, I went from being 1.5 weeks away from goal to 3+ weeks...which may not seem like alot but it is to me after you have been SO CLOSE.

So yeah, I can relate. Gaining 4 lbs in one week seems a bit extreme, part of it was probably water weight, but it certainly CAN be done...each lb is 3500 cals so you had to eat 14,000 cals over maintanence in that time...which is alot but doable with alcohol and desserts etc.

But alot of the normal fluctuations you are talking about probably has more to do with water retention (especially if you had alot of sodium the day before).

However if you have only lost 7 lbs in 15 weeks...yeah that is pretty discouraging. Either you aren't following your goal diligently or it's not set right (which is more likely as MFP isn't set up for us that are losing vanity lbs). EVERYONE is capable of losing 1 lb per week. Unfortunately for people who don't have alot to lose your goal has to be lower and you have to me more diligent to lose weight...if you want me to run your numbers for you let me know.

Don't give up! :flowerforyou:

This is the hardest thing. I can have a deficit of 3500 in a week but I still only lose a half pound every week or two. It's so frustrating. I've lost 2 pounds in 7 weeks of tracking, and I've only gone over my calorie limit twice. I work out 6 days a week but I'm not losing inches anymore either. I would love if anyone would like to help me with my numbers! I typically stay under 1500 a day but I've had a bit of a splurge week. I'd love to have more friends, so send me a request and my diary is open for friends. I welcome any help! Seems like a lot of us have the same problem.

As far as what the OP said, I bet it's a combination of sodium and water retention. When I eat differently than I usually do, I always have a bit of a higher weight until I flush my system out with water and my digestion gets back to normal. I would give yourself a couple of days of grace before weighing again. Time of month really affects it too, which always makes me feel crazy.

A lot of times big weight fluctuations are just from bloating. If you go over, you probably ate more salt, which can cause you to bloat the next day. Your weight can fluctuate a lot depending just on how much food is still in your system, and when you weigh yourself every day, you're bound to feel more discouraged.

Also, I have had to stop weighing myself and instead start measuring myself. I have weighed 140lbs and been a size 12, and (when I was in really good shape), I weighed 140lbs and was a size 4. That's a pretty big size difference, but the scale said the same thing. Don't worry about that number. Worry about getting smaller and feeling healthier. Throw your scale away and buy a measuring tape. After all, we try to lose weight to be smaller, not to make the scale say something different, right?