I've been good all week... and I GAINED a pound????!!!

Oh, it's so frustrating!  I go to week 3 of my 24 required WL classes tonight, and my weigh in is not going to be positive.  I've stuck to the program to the letter all week.  I've stayed under 1500 calories each day.  I drank a river of water.  I exercised as much as I could (more than last week).  I kept a food diary and fitness journal which I'll turn in tonight... yet according to my scale I GAINED a pound?  What's up with that?

If I don't lose 30 pounds by the end of my 24 weeks I will not be approved for surgery.  I worked real hard all week, and was looking forward to the scale this morning, but got negative results (again). 

Whoever said that the equation of diet and exercise = weight loss was wrong.  I'm a walking example. 

Feeling frustrated and week today.  Help!

Our bodies fluctuate all the time.  Water weight and retention, hormones and bowel movements, etc. all play a part.  If you've been compliant, that one pound will probably be gone.  I know this is easier said than done but try not to be so focused on the scale but at how great you're doing - food diary, fitness journal, eating healthfully, drinking water and exercising!  The scale takes a snapshot of what your body is doing at that one point in time.  With all you're doing, and how dedicated you are, you will be successful.  Don't get frustrated and keep doing just what you're doing.
Congrats!

I disagree with staying off of the scale.  Waiting for a certain day to weigh and them seeing you have gained gives a feeling of failure.  Right now it is important to pay attention to the scale.  This is about being healthy, but it is also about weight loss.

If you are not losing then perhaps 1500 calories is too much right now.  Cutting to 1000 calories would result in one pound lost per week.  But I do agree that this gain is probably water or constipation.  By weighing daily you get a much better picture of what your body is doing and you don't have to be in dread of weigh in day, because every day is weigh in day.

You are also correct that diet plus exercise does not equal weight loss.  Diet is the essential factor, exercise helps, but sometimes it makes up hungrier.  Eating less than is burned is the only way to lose weight.

Do you weigh or measure your portions? We tend to forget what a serving size looks like. A little more here, a little more there, all adds up to a lot more calories than we think.

Thanks for the support everyone.  I DO weigh at home every day with a digital scale.  In the beginning of the week I saw a 2-lb loss and was so happy.  But as the end of the week and weigh-in day at the Center came, I'd not only gained back the two I lost but one more as well.  I knew it and was prepared when they 'clocked me in' on the scale for class.

I'm using Jenny Craig food for now, so it is pre-portioned food.  My counselor has me on 1500 for now, but I've been doing about 1300 most days.  It's just frustrating that the day that counts for getting approval for surgery was a 1-pound gain and recorded in my records.  I feel good, I feel like I did very well all week, but I have to make the insurance company's scale prove my loss or no surgery approval.  *Sigh*  Hoping next week will show the hard work I did for two weeks. 

Oh dear, Some times it happens depending on the fat and fibre content - if its not pportional this may fluctuate. the other reasons being water retention, constipation etc. But there should be a weight loss of atleast  1pound a week for 1500 cal. intake per day and also let me know the fat and fibre content. mail me at [email protected]

Weightloss class weigh in at night is not the most accurate anyway 

the most consistent time to weigh is after waking, before consuming anything but after going to the bathroom. 

If you drank say 2 quarts of fluid and ate 1-2lbs of food prior to class you are potentially carrying 5-6lbs that way alone. 

If you retain water or eat a lot of sodium that will make you fluctuate more. 

The clothing you wear has to be the same outfit if you are really worried about consistency. 

Home scales suck usually and if you don't distribute weight on them absolutely the same they can vary by as much as a dozen or so pounds easily. Just changing foot position by an inch can throw mine off so I traced my feet onto the scale. 

Point is late in the day is not accurate. 

Frozen or packaged meals usually have a lot of sodium and can result in weight gain.  I know it's good for "portion control" but it may be better to cook yourself.  Takes more time, but better off in the long run.  

Tell me about it! I'm only 3 weeks out of surgery and I only have a not lost weight in the last 2 weeks but I followed the evening plan and I've been exercising and I've Gained 6 poundds!!!

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It is very frustrating.  I had surgery in June and for the last 3 I've lost 5 pounds each time.  I got on the scale today, and I gained a pound.  Again, I've done the same pattern and haven't altered at all.  The body is weird!