to wonder why the hell i have gained 3lbs this week

[superv1xen]

3 pounds!!

it wouldn't be much on a taller person but i am a shortarse at five foot 2 ok maybe a few mm under that so it shows on a small frame and i am NOT happy.

i am always careful with what i eat, always have been really. i rarely go above 2000 cals a day and usually stick at about 1500 - 1700. i am very active and also swim twice a week and have been doing so for about 2 months. my job is quite physical too (cleaner) i don't want to lose any weight but i want to stay at my "fighting weight" and i just don't understand where its come from :(

i feel really demoralised and pissed off.

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

Muscle weighs more than fat. Maybe you're more tomed than you were last week?

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

Clearly not tomed, probably toned.

[thisisyesterday]

is your period due? i always put LOADS on when I get my period

[posterofagirl]

I feel your pain. Walking 5k a day, breastfeeding and doing shred.

I've lost 2 pounds.

I do poos that big

[BrigadeOfLannisters]

Yes muscle does weigh more than fat. You could be more toned and measure less in inches. That's good!

[revolutionscoop]

I've been weighing myself daily for the past month since I got the period tracker app for iPhone. Over the course of the month, my weight has ranged from 8st6 to 9st! The average would be about 8st10. I don't normally weigh myself much, so found this experiment quite interesting. I wasn't dieting or overeating at any point during the month, so can only assume the variation is due to water retention, hormonal fluctuations etc. Don't worry about the 3lbs. Wait a couple of days, weigh yourself again & you'll probably find the 3lbs have disappeared :)

[superv1xen]

leo i wondered that, but i don't feel that i look particularly toned :( all i do is swimming twice a week and i do a few press ups and tummy crunches every day, not loads though. and i didn't think swimming would particularly build muscle? not that i know anything about that kinda stuff?

perhaps i should measure myself?

and when its time of the month i don't gain anything anyway. (although thats a whole different thread actually as i have come off the pill to ttc so god only knows when i'll be due )

aww posterofagirl that must be very demoralising, as it sounds like you are working really hard. keep it up and hopefully next week you'll have lost more.

usually i relax a bit at weekends but i am not going to this weekend.

i am worried as i am 31 now and worried its that my metabolism has slowed right down or something and i will have to work twice as hard and eat even less to stay the same :( depressing thought.

[foreverondiet]

Could be water retention. When you say you are careful are you careful about what or just about number of calories, as if the mix changed a bit (ie more processed carbs than normal) it could lead to more water retention.

I have been dieting since October and weigh myself each morning, it can fluctuate up and down sometimes for no apparent reason. Unlikely to be additional muscle unless you'd been specifically working on that.

Are you sure its not TOTM coming up? My weight is higher in second half of cycle - ie have you ovulated?

[Tattyhead78]

I think in this hot weather we've been having maybe you are retaining more water than usual. Cut down on salt and (ironically) drink more water.

[Tattyhead78]

Oh, by the way, with the pill your weight doesn't fluctuate as much with your monthly cycle because it isn't a natural cycle. You might find more fluctuation up and down without the pill. Also, you say you are TTC, is there any chance that you have been successful and the weight gain could be due to this (you don't say how long you have been off pill)?

[Sausagesarenottheonlyfruit]

Do you think you might be constipated?

Failing that, check your scales against some other scales. Low battery or being on a different floor surface than usual can make a difference.

[ShowOfHands]

I actually think there's a good argument for not weighing yourself regularly or counting calories. If you're eating to appetite, doing plenty of exercise, have energy, your clothes still fit, you feel well etc, then I fail to see why you're in the habit of calorie counting and standing on the scales? Because while water retention, hormones and something as simple as batteries running down on scales/scales getting older will change your weight daily, there are better measures of health for a young, fit woman.

[gethelp]

Sorry, you've just come off the pill and you've put on a bit of weight - could you be pregnant?

[superv1xen]

forever yeah i only calorie count, i don't bother with stuff like keeping tabs on how many carbs, how much sugar, fat etc, i just couldn't be arsed :)

tatty i drink shitloads of water anyway, esp when its hot

soh no answer to yours really, i suspect maybe i have a few ishooos, i worry i will gain weight if i don't calorie count, and if i can see on my "calorie diary" (i actually DO have one, its on my blackberry ) i have been being "good" it inspires me to KEEP being good.

gethelp re pregnancy, i did a test on tues just gone and it was negative, but doubt i am as haven't shagged much this month :( plus i never usually gain anything in pregnancy till the second trimester

[HowToLookGoodGlaikit]

Your weight can fluctuate by as much as 10lbs, so 3lbs seems to be a very normal gain? Check again in a week, if it is still up, then maybe worry about it.

[posterofawolef]

Thanks supervixen. I resisted the urge to console myself with chocolates.

[PercyPigPie]

Have you had much salty food? that can make a big difference to me. Try and ignore it and not overeat in response - I expect you will be back to normal very soon.

[squeakytoy]

Having a big poo can help you lose a couple of pounds!

Everyones weight fluctuates throughout the day, and you can gain 2 or 3 pounds between morning and night quite easily, and be back to where you where the next day, which is why its important to weigh yourself at exactly the same time every day.

Even moving the scales onto a different spot can make a difference too.

[superv1xen]

Having a big poo can help you lose a couple of pounds!

Mmmmm, lovely squeaky :) but probably true