I'm so distraught at weight gain

[crunchyeyeballs]

Have been eating really well( counting calories everyday) and exercising and should have lost weight. But i have sadly gained 2kg
Does anyone know why this may be im so sad

If you're female, it may be something to do with your weight fluctuating depending on where you are in your cycle

Weighing yourself is not as great an indicator as how your clothes fit btw

Might be hormonal - don’t expect weight loss every week, try monthly?
Muscle gain could also add weight. Have you tried measuring yourself instead, you might’ve lost inches rather than kg?

But, please check that you counting your calories properly? Weighing all your food, including drinks, sauces, spreads etc? Make sure you have good scales, and count everything.

There could be non fat related reasons- constipation, water retention etc. Don't let one trip to the scales throw you off.

Check what you are eating, check you are drinking enough. Give it another week, then rethink.

Maybe list what you eat, in case there is something that's slipped past you? I've just lost almost 6 stone on SlimmingWorld, and celebrated reaching target by eating an avocado among other things. It doesn't take a lot of certain foods to undermine all your work.

How long have you been doing this? And how old are you and how much did you weigh to start with (you don't have to answer these but if you are older particularly post-menopause, and/or already close to a healthy weight then it will likely take much longer to see significant weight loss compared to someone in their 20s or already with a large amount to lose). Also if you are doing weight loss 'right' and sustainably i.e. eating a sensible amount of calories in a balanced diet and increasing exercise gradually, as opposed to crashing off loads of calories with a very restricted diet, it will take longer to see weight loss (but the loss you do see should be sustainable rather than yo-yoing up and down). Plus there's all the normal reasons like hormone related bloating, water retention, constipation (the latter being more likely if you've recently radically changed your diet, even to a more 'healthy' diet with lots of fruit and veg, it will sort itself out eventually but can be temporarily unpleasant!). So in general if you are feeling good and well on your eating plan and it's only been a few weeks I'd just stick with it and try not to be discouraged. Drink plenty of water as this will help with water retention and constipation.

But if if goes on a long time with no weight loss at all I'd take a closer look (maybe keep a really honest food diary) both at whether you are absolutely sure you are sticking to your calorie limit and the type of food you are eating, be honest with yourself about any 'cheats' you've been allowing and whether you are counting everything including drinks (alcoholic and things like milky/sugary hot drinks), bits snaffled from your DH/DC's plates, late night biscuits etc. Also if a lot of your calories are coming from junk food or similar, it may be stifling your weight loss compared to if you are having lots of fruit and veg, lean protein, healthy fats, wholegrain carbs etc - plus the latter will be a lot more satisfying and make you feel fuller than the same amount of calories in the form of chips, chocolate and crisps etc....

It's easy to miscount calories. Research has shown that the labelling on packaged items is not always correct. It is easy to misread packaging too. It often highlights the calories per an unrealistically small serving or 100 grammes rather than the calories for the whole thing. Another pitfall is not weighing food. An apple might be 60 calories or 120 calories depending on how much it weighs. An extra large egg can be twice the calories of a small egg. Some things popularly believed to be calorie free are not. A teaspoon of instant coffee is 5 calories,so those fuelled by lots of black coffee may be forgetting to count that in. Finally,the less you weigh,the fewer calories you need. Perhaps you need to lower the calorie limit. If you are very overweight you can achieve dramatic weight loss on a calorie amount that would cause you to gain weight once you are nearer a healthy weight.

Hi again,
Have been doing this for bit over a month. I track everything on my fitness pal, calorie limit of 1300. Am not menopause age but do have very irregular periods. Started at 61kg, lost 5kg but like mentioned in my post have suddenly gained 2kg. Will definitely start to measure more in case it is muscle mass, so thank you too who suggested that
Thank you all so far for your responses

OP - If you started at 61 kg and lost 5kg, them you are already very slim ( unless you are very short). I'm a little concerned by you being "distraught" at putting on 2kg.

I’m also a bit concerned that you are describing yourself as being distraught over what is potentially a blip in what is, for most of us, a journey. Particularly at the weight you are having had the initial water loss drop.

I am going to post two photos that show (in red) my full weight and (in green) the amount of fat mass. There’s also water weight and muscle weight which isn’t being shown. In short, full weight gain can take place as you lose fat. You are not seeing the bigger picture right now so please just go on how you feel and don’t take any notice of the scales.
I took these readings in my kid’s gym, I don’t even have scales at home. The only gage I use is whether I can fit into my clothing. I’m still using the same clothes as I was at the end of that chart and haven’t weighed myself at all since then.

A salty meal causing water retention, not having been to the loo, hormonal bloating… many causes of a temporary blip.

Also, muscle weighs more than fat. Have you been exercising with weights and building muscle while losing fat?