Gaining weight instead of losing

Options
lolly2721
lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am new to the forum but have been using MFP for about 3 weeks. One day last week I didn't eat enough. In fact, my calorie intake was a deficit when my exercise was included. I was to take in 1500 calories, used up that plus some and only took in about 100 calories for the day. Well, now I have righted that and have gained back about 3 lbs!

Has anyone experienced something like this? Does it turn back around? I am a bit stressed over it.

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Options
    Its probably just water weight. Numbers don't lie.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    u need to eat more
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Options
    One day of not eating enough isn't going to hurt you.

    Its far more likely you ate a lot of sodium before your weigh in and are retaining water from that (or your muscles are retaining water if you're doing weight training). Adjust your diary settings to show sodium and check that...
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Options
    nothing wrong with cycling your calories, but 100 calories in a day is way way too low.... it is probably water weight. you need to work on being more consistent with your numbers... 100 calories, and you exercised on top of that too? your asking for trouble. sorry if that sounds blunt but that really really isn't a good strategy! x
  • EnergyYesPlease
    EnergyYesPlease Posts: 104
    Options
    If you don't consume enough calories then your body not only retains water weight but you end up stashing EVERYTHING you do end up consuming so your body can catch up with its lost energy.
    It is BETTER to consume those calories MFP sets up for you, stay away from a lot of sugar and salt and drink your 8 glasses of water. Trust me, you'll still lose weight but this way you can keep it off instead of fluctuating between losing 5lbs and then gaining it back... Does this make sense?
  • gaerielsky
    gaerielsky Posts: 20
    Options
    It can be a number of things.

    1. You're not eating enough. So instead of burning what you're eating your body is in starvation mode and saving EVERYTHING. It's happened to me. It gets used to getting so little that it will shut down systems (non-essential) in order to only need 100 calories a day. Feed yourself.

    2. Water weight. Depending on what you're eating, Time of Month, etc.

    3. Muscle weight. If you're working out a lot you're probably burning fat and gaining muscle, and muscle weighs more. Make sure you're also recording your measurements (waist, hips, arms, etc) so you can see if your body is shrinking despite getting heavier).
  • moxiecowgirl
    moxiecowgirl Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    nothing wrong with cycling your calories, but 100 calories in a day is way way too low.... it is probably water weight. you need to work on being more consistent with your numbers... 100 calories, and you exercised on top of that too? your asking for trouble. sorry if that sounds blunt but that really really isn't a good strategy! x

    I think OP was saying the 100 calories was her NET for the day. Still not good, but nothing like the picture I first got of someone rationing a 100-calorie pack of almonds one at a time over 24 hours.

    Edited to add my advice: OP, don't sweat the gain just yet. It could be sodium, or it could be any number of other things. Opening your diary might help give people a better tool with which to help you.
  • girlgeek54
    girlgeek54 Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I suspect that the calories burned in exercise is sometimes over estimated. I usually eat all my daily calories + only 1/2 the additional calories from exercise.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Options
    Hi, I am new to the forum but have been using MFP for about 3 weeks. One day last week I didn't eat enough. In fact, my calorie intake was a deficit when my exercise was included. I was to take in 1500 calories, used up that plus some and only took in about 100 calories for the day. Well, now I have righted that and have gained back about 3 lbs!

    Has anyone experienced something like this? Does it turn back around? I am a bit stressed over it.

    That probably proves you are eating too little carbs for your level of activity, and your glucose stores were very depleted.

    You finally ate enough to top them back off.

    Glucose stores with water, 500 cal worth weighs 1 lb.

    It's the "ate a piece of wedding cake and gained 3lbs on Sunday" syndrome. When the piece of cake literally weighed 8 ozs at most.

    So either you are weighing at a time that highlights the false weight loss last time, and false weight gain this time.

    Suggest only weighing morning after a rest day to cut out these fluctuations since it seems hard on you.

    And if getting that carb depleted in the first place, that's not good either. Because once the muscle storage carbs are gone, you've increased your ability to have to burn muscle converted to glucose for blood sugar purposes at the least, at the worst for general muscle use.
    Not a good state burning muscle.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Options
    nothing wrong with cycling your calories, but 100 calories in a day is way way too low.... it is probably water weight. you need to work on being more consistent with your numbers... 100 calories, and you exercised on top of that too? your asking for trouble. sorry if that sounds blunt but that really really isn't a good strategy! x

    I had a few days last week when I went hiking in the mountains (6 hours each day) and was negative both days. I ate A TON but was still negative. I also wasn't hungry after eating a couple of good meals and snacks besides. I gained a bit that day because I drank a lot of water and ate more salt than usual.

    Over the next few days I was hungry, ate a bit more than usual (just hit my net calories), and lost what I'd gained plus two pounds.

    Weight goes up and down. You just need to make sure that you (1) average to a good, solid caloric intake and (2) don't fluctuate up and down too much.

    When you do a huge workout you DO want to eat so you're not hungry (and eat healthy so your body gets what it needs to sustain itself), but I don't think you want to pound calories just to make them up that day. Listen to your body and watch your diary.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Options
    Your weight will fluctuate. Stay on course and over time you will burn fat.
  • FatCopThinCop
    FatCopThinCop Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    Hello,

    You should try and eat the calories needed. if you are to eat 1500 Calories, then eat 1500 calories but on the other turn, if you exercise 1000 calories, don't eat those calories.

    Your weight will go up and down and up and then down while you workout and eat. the best time of day to weigh yourself is about 10 min. after you wake. this lets your body wake up and your blood to move around.

    Being new, your body is going through some shock right now too. If you continue to watch what you eat, log everything you eat, and get what I call, "Getting your 30- to 90 min. of Exercise, "Moving Exercise, which you burn 500 to 1000 calories a day. The rest will happen. You just got to keep in mind, any lose in weight is good. Do this program for 30 days and watch yourself lose weight. It may be 5 pounds and it could even be 10 pounds or more, but if you never start, then you will never lose the weight that you desire to lose.

    Do yourself a favor. Click on the CHECK-IN button on the menu up top. Take your measurements. Sometimes you will lose inches before weight. When that happens, the scale will soon follow too.


    Hope this helps and good job for starting and now press on. The weight will come off.


    Bye for now and fill free to join my little group. We all help each other.


    Bye for now,

    Paul
  • lolly2721
    lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    Thanks all. I do normally eat the calories I am given for the day. On that day that I was in the negative, I was so busy with working out and then normal daily stuff. Eating just wasn't on the schedule and I wasn't really hungry. It was only one day and have made it right since. I am hoping that my body has just stored water for the past couple of days :)

    I work out in some aspect 5-6 days a week. I am training for a run and do martial arts. Sometimes I am doing 2-3 hours of working out a day. I eat quite a bit but am never hungry. I know my water intake needs to increase and the unsweetened iced tea needs to decrease. I may need to back up and check on my sodium intake as an OP stated. I have heard that sodium helps your body hang on to water more than normal sometimes.

    Thanks again to all of you :)

Categories