Wild weight gain & loss

Anytime my body experiences a large loss - and 8 lbs is a large loss - the next week I am up. The sum total is that I am lower than where I started, but I am still up.

Just like you couldn't have lost 8 lbs of fat in one week, you didn't gain 5 lbs of fat either. Your body is just rebounding a bit from the water loss. Don't worry about it. One week is just one week. It doesn't show a trend. It is simply a snapshot of how things stand at that given moment.

BTW, even at 300 lbs, I never have never had an 8 lbs loss in one week without giving birth to something. You are doing great.

Just like the temperature goes up and down, so does our weight sometimes.
But as long as you stay on track - you'll be fine...

You are doing real well. I think it was just a fluke with the up/down so suddenly.
Don't feel bad...the Dr. put me on steroids for arthritis and I've gained 15 pounds since January.
I am ravenous all the time but need to get a handle on it REAL QUICK!
Happy Journey to you!

don't sweat it! Since I started last October,I gained
5 of the 22 lbs that I have lost. I keep right on going. I know that if I dwell on it,I'll give up.
This is something that I won't do! Just try to keep moving forward. It will come off. Hang in there!

Here's another thought. Is your scale digital? If so, how old is your battery? One that's going can have big fluctuations like that.

I would love to see a big number for weight loss, but I'm kind of stuck right now. No worries - I'm going to pick up on the exercise side!!

Hi Desertflower,

I was no way offended by your post. You made a good
point. I just wanted everyone to know where I am
at on this journey. Going from zero exercise to
20 minutes a day.

Feeling I had done everything correctly and have a huge
weight loss and then bam! gain 5 of it back.
What a sucker punch that was!!

So, since I felt and recorded everything I had been
doing, I couldn't see any fault on my part, where
things went wrong. That is why I asked for input
into why this happened. The very least I expected
this weigh in was at least 0ne more pound gone.
I had a feeling that I would never get 8 pounds off
again like that...but to gain 5!! whew!!
So please, don't think I was offended. Really!



Thanks for all the encouragement!
Mary

I hope you did not misunderstand my message. I was not knocking you for doing 20 minutes a day. You are doing great!

I was just trying to explain that because you are not that big, your basal metabolism plus your workouts could not have burned off enough calories to equal 8 pounds. To lose eight pounds of fat, someone has to burn around 28,000 more calories than they eat for the week. That means a person would have to burn an extra 4,000 calories each day seven days a week. For me to do that, I would have to ride my bike at a good speed for about 7 hours a day to burn 4000 calories in a day and then repeat that seven days a week to burn 28000 calories in a week.

That's where a 6'4" man has a significant advantage over a 5'5" woman - not only is his basal metabolism much higher because of his size and his higher percentage of lean muscle tissue, but he expends more calories to move his larger mass.

So, in sum, in terms of what is possible, losing 1.5 pounds a week is VERY GOOD for a medium size woman, and you should be proud.

Don't dwell on the negative. As you've planned, keep on doing what you're doing. It will pay off. Good luck to you!

Thanks everyone for your comments.
I was really excited about my weight loss and
20 minutes may not seem very long, but when you
do zero minutes and feel that you are doing every
thing right to make the weight come off....

Well it was just really discouraging.
As for the salt intake, I am really trying to be
careful with that. And my cycle. That I am currently
just starting.

I don't really trust myself with the tape measure.
Even though I have been tracking those as well.

For the present I will just keep on doing what I
have been doing. I had planned to bump up my
exercise to 30 minutes a day next week. Now I am
going to start it this week. Missed my routine
last night all together!

Again, thanks for your comments! I really appreciate
the input.

Mary

Do the math. At your size, it is certain that the 8 pounds you "lost" the first week were not fat. That would have been virtually impossible on 20 minutes a day of exercise. So don't look at this as losing 8 and gaining 5, but as losing three pounds in the first two weeks. That is a excellent rate of fat loss. I hope you see another 1.5 pound loss this next week.

Scales are not as accurate as the tape measure. I am loosing weight like a turtle but experiencing more loss with inches

My suggestion is to watch your salt intake. Maybe, that had something to do with it. Or are you close to your cycle? That too can affect the scale. I go by a weekly weight because day to day can really varie. Don't give up and continue making your good choices! You are doing great.

Edited by: TIGERESTJEN at: 3/10/2010 (14:47)

yes i have had this happen as well, don't sweat the weekly stuff, you should have a target of loosing no more than 2 pounds a week, (to be healthy and safe)
there are other factors that will affect your scale on a day to day basis, water being a big one.
don't be discouraged, take your time

HI,
I was wondering if anyone had any idea/ thoughts on
this topic.

I have been watching my caloric intake since mid Feb.
using the tools here on SP. Anything I have eaten
gets recorded. I have been eating between 1200 and
1500 a day.

I have exercising every day around 20 minutes using
the 10 Minute Trainer program by Tony Horton.

My weight loss last week was 8 lbs. I was very surprised and happy.


This week however, I gained 5 of those pounds back.

I have been doing the same routine and not "fallen
off the wagon" as far as diet & exercise.

I was wondering if anyone else had had this problem
before and what you did to keep the weight coming
off.
I do not take any medications at all, in case anyone
was wondering.

Thanks in advance.