Water weight and gain?

Hey everbody! Ok guys here is the poll. When I was 392 lbs I did not feel 10lbs here or there. Now I feel almost every ounce of water weight up and down. I can sometimes stretch up as far as 3 lbs in water weight if I eat enough salt. Does everybody else feel it so much? It makes me feel like a bloated cow and I get all paranoid about gaining my weight back, which brings me to my second question. Does anyone know how many calories a day it takes to gain a real pound? I had a lady on my surgery date board say that she was told that she could gain at 1600 calories! That seems awful low to gain an actual pound. Is this true? I haven't gained any true weight since surgery 18 months ago, just fluctuate with that 3 lbs here and there, but today I was feeling so bloaty and yucky that it made me realize how badly I do NOT ever want to gain any weight back. Wendy

Wendy i'm the same way, only it's more like five pounds. It's awful, just that little bit of weight will make my clothes tight even. It seems to happen more during that time of the month, or when i haven't drank enough water. But lately it's been pretty good, i've lost 5 pounds since christmas. Being over two years out i don't really lose anymore, so it's a good thing. Try upping your water. Hugs Linda

Yeah, I have noticed that the more water I drink the less water weight I have the next day. It must really flush the salt and stuff out. I have to be really careful with the salt. One small serving of pretzels or chips and the next day I am up 3 lbs!! Thanks Linda, you look great by the way! Wendy

Oh I sure do notice the water weight now!!! I also will bloat up if I eat carbs. One meal of carbs and my pants will be snug. It's weird how just a little water weight FEELS like 20 pounds on us, where before I could actually gain 20 lbs and not really feel it!!! I think I heard that it takes 3500 excess calories to gain a pound. Not sure how accurate that may be though. I can't imagine gaining at 1600 cals per day. I've gained back from 124 (too low for me) up to 128.... but I was dehydrated too so I don't think I really lost fat, mostly water. I'm pretty paranoid about gaining back weight too. I've heard so much about the rebound weight gain, I'm scared to think about it!!! I think it's because I'm afraid that once I start gaining - I'll gain it all back. (not really logical fear, just irrational fear) You've done so great Wendy!!!! You just keep on doing what you are doing and it'll be fine!!! Hugs, Laurie

Thanks Laurie! 3500 calories would be an almost impossible amount of calories for me so I sure hope you are right LOL!! Wendy

I gain and lose 5 lbs in a matter of days now. 5 lbs at 200 lbs is 2.5% of my weight. When I was 368 lbs is 1.3 % if my math be correct? That's a drop in the bucket. So I wouldn't feel it at all. Don't get paranoid just be cautious. Cut back on that sodium. Jon posted a ditty about weight gain a while back when some jerk stirred up the board and pissed off a bunch of people- I wonder who that could have been??? Email his skanky, MSU loving, beer drinking, trout sniffing butt and ask him. He's a real nice guy and I'm sure would point you in the right direction. Hi JON!!! kp

I guess if you do the math it really does make sense why you feel it more when you weigh less! I might just have a talk with Jon. You guys are such a wealth of knowledge. Thanks alot. Wendy

What my Dietician told me before my surgery was for my average size 6'3 and weight 230lbs to maintain my weight i needed 1500 to 1800 clarories per day anything more would make me gain. She also said at my post op weight it would take 3500 calories per day to MANTAIN that 400lb weight anything more I wold gain. Anything below the 1500 i would lose. She also said the calorie absorbtion rate was about 10% less than normal in a bypass paitent.. Anyone heard this ?? Paul

Thanks for the info Paul! I hope that 1800 calories is not the high point forever! Sometimes I go beyond that, not too often, but I imagine after a longer while it would be easier to do. I NEVER want to be fat again! Wendy