GAHHHH!! How have I GAINED weight?

After a steady decline, the number on the scale INCREASED this morning!

I was down 44 pounds, but now it's 41.

I'm a little freaked out - I'm following the eating plan, getting my protein in, taking vitamins, I'm walking every day.  How could I have gained?  It's a little disheartening...

Hi there.  I was up half a pound today and I know they tell us not to focus on the scales too much.  My husband reminded me that I am probably not getting enough water in still and I am also a bit light on my food so I am increasing both.  Could be sodium as well causing fluid retention.  Don't worry the numbers will come off. 

The number on the scale can fluctuate up to five lbs on any given day die to sodium, exercise, the amount of fluid, constipation, hormones and the like. This is why you are supposed to get on the scale only once a week.

It happens to me regularly don't worry it is just fluid retention,  constipation, not enough water etc etc etc . Just stay with your program and all will be resolved.

They way I have been doing the scale thing since surgery is as soon as I hit a new lower number that is my weight. Then it goes up about 2 pounds, always this is normal (like the other post said, moving up to about 5 pounds is normal).  But in my mind I am still the lower weight.

 Now just over 9 months post op, i lose about a pound a week if I am lucky, it really does depend.  I find I drop when i have a good "clean out" about once a week, I do not get constipation pains or anything, just don't need to go...Don't worry stick to the plan and it will go down again!!

 

Dont worry too much about the number it will always fluctuate.....i am 3 weeks out and down 63lbs but as of yesterday  was only down 59.....lmao!

dont get too hooked up on the number though i know sometimes its hard!

Thanks for the replies everyone! 

I guess old habits die hard -- including that nasty habit of berating myself when my weight fluctuates.  I had surgery on Feb 21 and feel as though I should be down more than 40ish pounds, but I have to shut that negative voice off!

Today was the first time I've seen my weight go up and it was a bit of a nasty surprise.  Otherwise, I feel great!  I have had no issues whatsoever, I'm shrinking back into my old clothes and I go back to work next week.  I'm hoping that my weight will continue to drop when I'm back to my work schedule.

Jo-Anne

 

At first, when I first had surgery and during Opti, I swore I wasn't going to weigh myself at all because I was the type who obsesses over every ounce gained or lost, and I was worried that little fluctuations or stalls would freak me out and I'd get discouraged and stuff my face if I went up slightly.  So I completely understand how you feel!

That resolve to never weigh myself faded, though, and now I weigh myself every day.  Strangely enough, though, I don't obsess terribly when the scale stays the same or goes up slightly.  I do it with the understanding that sometimes it's going to fluctuate up.  If I don't weigh myself for a few days at a time, it pretty much always goes down - but then there are always going to be stalls as well, where the scale doesn't move for a while.  I told myself that if I found myself starting to obsess, that I'd drop back to weighing myself maybe once a week or so.

Occasionally I'll mention in the What Are You Eating/Doing Today threads that I'm a bit annoyed because the scale is in a "fluctuating up" time, but I do that with the knowledge that it's really going down ultimately.  I find that weighing myself regularly also helps me keep an eye on trends - helps me to realize my body's pattern with weight loss.  That pattern is usually that I lose a few pounds over a few days.  Then I stay steady or fluctuate up slightly for a few days.  Then I drop a few more pounds in a few days.  Yesterday and today have been "fluctuating up" days - 0.4 lbs gained yesterday, and 0.4 lbs gained again today.  Annoying, definitely, but I know it's just part of the pattern (and today is the first day of my period).

Our bodies are weird when we're losing weight.  Don't worry - if you're doing what you're supposed to, then you're doing fine.  All sorts of things could cause it - your period (or being somewhere else in your monthly cycle), whether you weigh yourself before or after a bowel movement, whether you're retaining water for some reason...

Sounds like you're doing all the right things.  Relax and enjoy!

Also a common theme on this site is the 3 week and 3 month stall.  I have gone for up to 3 weeks and the scale doesn't move - then I drop 5 lbs in the next week.  Don't let the numbers discourage you.  Keep moving, drink lots of water and watch your protein intake.  It will all work out.