How is this possible?!

[Robcorc]

With 87 minutes active this past week and a calorie deficit of just over 11,000 for the same period, I am somehow UP .2 pounds. What the heck?! I have never worked harder nor been more diligent in my tracking of food. And I have been building up my steps and activity minutes across the past three weeks--21 days ago, I had to struggle to get 10 active minutes. Last week I was disappointed to lose only .2; this week, after redoubling my efforts, I have merely regained that same loss. I need insight here.

[SunsetRunner]

Have you considered muscle gain?

[betpchem]

I feel your pain. I totally understand how frustrating it can be. Don't give up! Sometimes it just takes a while for your hard work to show. Try to rely on other things rather than the scale. You have noticed your own progress in getting more active minutes. Focus on the positive and ignore the scale. Good luck!

[mamadaye]

were you holding water (had a lot of sodium?) also remember muscle weighs more than fat, try to think in inches or the way your clothes fit . Were you wearing shoes? or heavy clothes (jeans&sweater)? was it evening or morning? There are so many factors involved with scales... did you move the scale itself? from one level space to a different space?

[Robcorc]

Thank you both for your encouragement. I just feel like such a failure this morning. I guess I will do a closer analysis of the differences between these past two week's diet and the week prior. Maybe I had a higher siodium intake, or something. I am doing Weight Watchers and tracking my meals and snacks religiously both over there and in my Fitbit log--Fitbit tracking, of course, allows me to see calories rather than just "points". Ugh. I already do so much "right"--I drink plenty of water (though not as much as I used to), eat a largely vegetarian menu, with very little flesh and almost no dairy, consume the majority of my grains as whole and sprouted, and NEVER have consumed sodas and other sugary beverages.

[Robcorc]

Ha, mamadaye--I always weigh naked right after my first pee of the day, so it ain't a matter of scale anomalies...I wish it were as simple as that.

[awood08]

I have had weeks where I gained pounds, not ounces, but POUNDS. But I still lost inches in my waist and hips. I learned I need to measure my body and not just go by the scale. Keep your head up!

If you haven't been taking measurements I encourage you to, the scale isn't always our friend but the measurements show clear progress 🙂

[awood08]

Also, I noticed you said there was a 11,000 calorie deficit. Make sure you are fueling your body enough to handle the active minutes you have. If you eat too little your body will retain what it has to compensate for not getting enough nutrients.

[SunsetRunner]

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@awood08 wrote:

I have had weeks where I gained pounds, not ounces, but POUNDS. But I still lost inches in my waist and hips. I learned I need to measure my body and not just go by the scale. Keep your head up!

If you haven't been taking measurements I encourage you to, the scale isn't always our friend but the measurements show clear progress 🙂

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True @awood08

The scale doesn't tell everything.. personally not using anymore (after a long time of using) and go by feeling, how clothes fit.. if feeling hungry or not hungry yet (trying to eat the good foods until having enough).. once in a while use a cord to see if it still fits around the tummy.. when the two ends don't reach each other, knowing to cut back a little, or when there's alot of space between the cord and tummy.. knowing could eat a bit more for a while.. (just in case)..

[goldylegs]

As someone who has struggled with food all my life....I know how discouraging this is.... try increasig the amount of protein you eat....also you might try a fast day once a week followed by a day of protein powder in smoothies then go back to regular diet...that might jump start you.

[Robcorc]

awood, my doctor told me that he wants me to run a calorie deficit of 1,000 a day, for 7,000 or more a week, and (he said) that would "guarantee a 2 lb a week loss...it's simple math. Calories in vs. calories out." Yeah. We know if it were as simple as that, we would have this thing sussed. Nothing is ever as easy as it would appear on paper. But I thought 11,000 would give me something.

All: I have a lot to lose. Had lost 147 on my own over an 18-month period by careful, mindful eating. Then I plateaued, though I still had about a hundred to lose. THEN I got sick, really sick. Back pain turned into sudden paralysis, emergency surgery to recover feeling from the waist down reveals tumors surrounding and gelatinizing my spine. Stage 4 lymphoma. Six month cycle of chemo put me into remission in the summer of 2014, but the steroid portion of the protocol led to a NINETY-TWO pound weight gain in four months. I have been fighting to regain mobility and strength ever since. And forcefully attempting to shift that weight back off again since the New Year. I am proud of the real progress I have made in stamina, activity and strength, especially these last two weeks. That inability to lose just a couple of pounds has me feeling less...I don't know; happy?

[awood08]

Sounds like you have a very different case than most people, you had chemo, battled a serious illness. Your immune system was compromised, your body was wiped out by poison. If your doctor is giving you that advice I'd say follow it but maybe contact a nutritionist as well to get a second opinion. Seems like to me, after having your body go through something as major as chemo and steriod treatments, you can't follow just any diet.

Don't get down on yourself, my God you fought one of the hardest battles anyone can fight in life. I know it's easier said than done but it will come, you will lose the weight. Keep your head up you have a lot of support on here!

[gerrymcd]

Most home scales are sensitive to things like the surface they sit on. It could be a case that just moving the scales caused the change.

[Shakedown576]

It is difficult if we measure our success on weight alone.  Take weekly pictures, body measurements, note how your clothes fit, were you able to walk/run further/longer, complete an extra set/reps or increase weight resistance, will power in a difficult situation, sleep better, feel less stressed, etc.  

Weight loss is one of my goals also however I don't lose weight easily.  I have only lost 2 lbs in 1 month.  My success is that I fit into my uniform pants.  I can button them and they feel looser.  That saved me a good amount of money by not having to order new ones!  My dog has lost weight and is more energenic as a result of my efforts as well.  So, don't be discouraged by the number on the scale & celebrate!

[Ryboflavin]

Weight alone does not tell the whole story.  You should really be interested in body mass such as % of fat, % of muscle, bone density, and water %. Depending on the day I can fluctuate 4 - 6 lbs in weight.  This can be accounted to how much food I ate in the last 24, and how much water I drank. I'm a small and pretty slim guy so 5 lbs is 4-5% of weight.  Thinking about a fluctuation of 5% over the course of a few hours is crazy.  

Also "calories in" verse "calories burned" isn't completely true.  We pass a lot of food right through us without ever absorbing it.  Insulin spikes may promote fat storage and gut bacteria health impacts absorbing.  Point being if my gut is healthy with probiotic bacteria, I should break down and store more food. When my gut health was bad I passed a lot of it right through.  I could eat a box of doughnuts and gain little weight, but I'd be in the b-room shortly after. The same held true for health meals.

I'd recommend increase you activity like you are doing, add some light weights to promote muscle growth (more muscle = more calories/fat burned), and start taking a prebiotic + probiotic. Also decrease your carb intake and increase you protein intake.  Shoot for a 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carb split. You will see results that you will be happy with.  Take a look at the slow carb diet. Its not a fun diet, but its effective.

Good luck and keep up the fight.

[Raviv]

I wouldn't stress about the weight difference.  I stepped on my scale this morning and weighed X, then went to the bathroom about 15 minutes later, weighed myself out of curiosity (data nerd 🙂 ) and actually weighed 2/10 of a pound more.  That's physically impossible.  I hadn't moved the scale, drank anything, changed my clothes or anything, and it's a pretty good scale.

Also, if you're working out more, you could weight more just due to that.  If I work really hard in the gym, then the next day I always weigh a little more.  Then the day after that, after a rest day, I'm back to what I was before.  I can't remember if it's inflammation or water retention or what, but it's normal and natural.

[Dominique]

Your profile shows daily step counts between 2000 and 4000 (in other words, mostly sedentary) from Dec-26 to Jan-16, and between 7000 and 10,000 (= moderate activity) from Jan-17 to Jan-21 (just 5 days). We are talking about a very short period and relatively moderate activity. You should be looking at things in the longer term. What the scale says after less than a month doesn’t mean much. Just keep doing consistently the right things (in terms of exercise and nutrition), and the results will come. Slow and steady wins the race.

[Dominique]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Have you considered muscle gain?

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It’s very unlikely someone would gain 2 pounds of muscle (and no fat at all) in just a couple of weeks, even in optimal conditions (young untrained male full of testosterone doing a lot of resistance training). This link provides more information on genetic muscular potential.

[Mom25munchkins]

but the op states a gain of .02 not 2 pounds? Maybe I'm misreading that though.

[WendyB]

I agree. you gained .2 and are upset. .2 is nothing. . So why are you so upset?

You will not lose on a weekly basis it happens. Just go with it.  Keep hanging in there and it will come off.

Please don't sweat the .2 either.

Your not mis-reading @Mom25munchkins

It takes a lot to build muscle. It does not happen overnight.