Last week I saw 284.5 today I see 289! WORRIED TO DEF

Part of this process is educating yourself about your body and how it works. I think others have pretty much (in terms of an explanation) hit the nail on the head.

Yes, you can see a 5 lb increase on the scale. But you know full well you didnt gain 5 lbs of fat - that would be the only problem.

Write down this formula : 3,500 calories = 1 LB of FAT. Put it on a wall, or your mirror or next to your scale.

If your scale goes up 5 lbs (Which is not the same as gaining 5 lbs) - ask yourself: Did I eat 3,500 cal x 5lbs = 17,500 calories? If the answer is no, hop off your scale and go about your day and forget about it. If the answer is yes, page your doc 911 immediately.

This is a long process. You are very new. Investing so much negative energy into the scale and the fluctuations is not a good thing. Your attitude that "if youre going to gain, you might as well enjoy it" indicates that you may be relying way to heavily on the scale for feed back. From my perspective and what i've seen, if you do this, you are at risk for "burn out", losing your motivation, and going back to bad habits.  This is not a diet. This is not about a day by day, week by week feedback from the scale about how you are doing - you need to be worried about making life long changes at this point. If you do what you are supposed to, then the weight WILL COME OFF. You can do this.

Just put the freaking scale away if you can't handle to fluctuations. I had to do it because it was getting to me a little, and life is much better.

 ^^^^ That, exactly! I could not have said it better! 

Great post!

You have already received wonderful answers to your question.  I just want to add that they are all right.  You did not gain fat, you are holding on to water.  This will change in a few days if you drink enough water and stay away from the sodium.  You are doing just fine, relax and go with the program.  This stuff happens to all of us, it's going to be fine if you just keep doing what you are already doing.  The very worst thing you could do now is to go off program.  I had many times when I would gain a few pounds only to see them disappear and take a gang of their friends with them.  This works, trust the process and the VETs.  We know what we are talking about, been there, done that.

  Quick question, Elina - what's the average time that this first stall lasts?  1 week, 2, 3?  l've only lost 2 lbs in 2 weeks, but my TOM is any day now on top of that.  l'm not freaking out, because l KNOW there's no way that l won't lose, but just curious as to how long to expect... 

It can be really different for different people.  I would say don't worry at all for about three weeks.  If you are stalled longer then that, talk to me about what you are doing and we can trouble shoot it if you would like.  But if I remember correctly, you are on a great eating program.  It that is the case, just hang in there.  My longest stall was almost three weeks but when it broke, I lost a great deal of weight really fast over the following couple of weeks.  My guess is that about two days into your period you will break your stall.  I often lost most of my weight for the month in the two weeks after my period and didn't lose much for the other two.  You might just be following in my footsteps.  That wouldn't be so bad, as eventually it all worked out beautifully.  Let me know how you are doing in a week.  I will be thinking about you.

 Thanks for that answer - and l'm sure it'll also help ALOT of people.  l think this will also be my pattern.  A few days after surgery l started, and after that had a wonderful two weeks of loss.  l'm pretty predictible, so l bet l'll start dropping in a few days again.  l've upped my water, lowered my salt, and that's all l can do.  lt's so much fun being a woman!!!  

Elina - you are awesome!!

Thanks I'm also was up 4lbs and thought no way.. I don't eat hardly as much as I used to for a gain of that much.. Think it is that TOM.. i am never regular so when it happens it happens.. I have no monthly schedule.. thanks for the advice.

 

                               susan

 Don't worry - we'll get thru this in no time!! (l'm stalled, too)

Not only "what are you eating and drinking and are you tracking everything?" but where are you at in your cycle??
That monthly thing seems to affect my WL way more than what I'm eating/drinking, especially since the latter stuff stays pretty consistent. I seem to plateau and gain right around ovulation, and again about a week before my period starts. Then after my period is over i'll drop like 6 pounds in one week. it's frustrating, but at least it's trackable. Start paying attention to not only what you're eating and drinking but where you are in your cycle -- I'll bet you'll find a correlation!

ha... I posted before I read all the other comments. Everyone already covered it, I guess!!