Scale Frustration

I am beginning to get really frustrated with my scale. I know that the three week stall is a real thing and I get that, but my scale is going up. I weighed 272.2 on 3/31, 273.4 on 4/2, and 274.6 on 4/3 (today). These were the first three days back at work after being off for over two weeks, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

I would not be overly happy with the scale staying the same, but it is driving me crazy having it go up. I have not eaten anything that was not posted on the menu forum. My calories have been between 513 and 618, my Protein has been between 78 - 90, and my fluid intake has been between 69 ounces and 74 ounces. I even walked between 2.3 and 3.3 miles at work on those three days.

Any ideas???

Edited to add the exercise, and correct the weight for 4/3.

I know it can be frustrating, but you are doing a fantastic job. Stay the course, continue to make all the wonderful choices you are making and it will move in the right direction.

Aside from the obvious....time of the month or constipation as possible culprits, I would suggest lose any carbs if you are having them, even fruit . Also keep in mind small fluxuations do happen. You are talking an increase of 2.4lbs ...it will go again when it's good and ready to. Don't panic...it's very normal.

I feel your pain!! I stalled for 3 weeks in my first month too. I know it's really hard, but have faith that it will break. You body has been through so much and every body reacts differently to the surgery and recovery and it all shows on the scale. It will even out, hang in there!!.

I'm wouldn't be so frustrated if it was just a stall....but I have gained 2 pounds since Friday. I had bowl movement s on both Friday and Sunday, so I know that's not the cause. As for my cycle...who knows, I am pre menopausal, so don't know if or when that will show up.

Anyone else show an unrealistic gain early on.

I know it's hard to believe but it will drop. My weight has gone up a few times too. And it's stayed the same. So far my stalls haven't lasted longer than a week, but I've probably had 4 weeks since surgery. If you're keeping carbs and calories low, and getting in your protein and fluid, it will move.

Good luck! You've already done so well- you've got this.

As someone that used to do some extreme dieting in my life prior to surgery I can tell you that stalls are quite normal when you're shedding a lot of fat. And your slight gain is more than likely just fluid. Sometimes you're brain thinks you're literally starving so it tells the body to be stingy with the fuel. Believe it or not sometimes the body responds well to stalls by eating more!

When you weigh frequently, you will see ups (and more ups) and downs...

I weigh in every day. I do think it helps me to be more accountable and stay on track. However, some people get too stressed out by an every day weigh in. Consider what is best for you.

I am only 7+ months out, and over a course of a week or so, I can be up and down a few ounces to over a pound. One way for me to combat the stress of the up and down scale is to track weekly numbers. I use two methods, one is to pick a day of the week (for me it is Sunday) and track my weight for that day every week. I also track my average weight for the week. These two methods help me to see that although I have daily fluctuations, I have an overall weight loss. Some weeks might be only a .2 lb loss, but still a loss. Other weeks are 2 or 3 lbs per week loss.

Don't let the scale freak you out!!

I'm just out of surgery so this isn't WLS advice, its just lifetime dieting thoughts.

Reasons I have experienced unexplained weight gain:

Gut volume (constipation, increasing high fiber foods, taking fiber supplements which hold water) this gain is basically healthy, your fat isn't increasing just fluid or uhm waist products :)

Muscle volume you've increased your activity at work, while the pound for pound increase might not be actual muscle tissue, there's a good chance your body is repairing and or replacing muscles and that requires an increase in water as well as other muscle building materials, all of which will show up on the scale. THIS IS GOOD.

Water retention When you first drop a lot of weight, your body is burning sugars that is stores in water throughout your body. This isn't the swollen ankles kind of water stores, these are just liquid energy that is super easy for your body to use on demand. When we start losing weight, the first place your body goes is to these stores, that's why you're always told "oh, that was jus****er" when you drop that first beautiful ten pounds! That's what I'm losing this week after my surgery. After your body runs out of the 'sugar water', it starts using tissue, and we all hope for FAT tissue, to feed it's self. When your body catches on that you are going to deprive it of a nice steady diet of calories, at some point is rebuilds the water storage for quick access. Again, this is GOOD. It's your body adapting to the weight loss and basically catching on that this is the New Normal.

I hope this helped!

Thanks so much. That really helped for me to see it explained that way. I know that I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing and I know that eventually it will go down, but seeing it laid out like you wrote it makes total sense.

Thanks for the great explanation.