Question:
I have not changed my eating or exercise habits yet I'm gaining weight, why?

I have not changed my eating or exercise habits except I'm drinking decaffinated tea instead of water (can't stand water)and over the last 3 weeks I've gained 8 pounds, what's going on, why? Please help!    — Lorna R. (posted on September 16, 2003)

September 16, 2003
All I can tell (from your surgery page) is that you're six months post-op, but that's it. It's hard to answer this question, without more info on what you're eating (calories, protein and carb grams) and what kind of exercise you do. I don't know if a switch from water to tea (if you were drinking water before) would explain this weight jump (if it is one, and not an anomoly).<P>I would suggest tracking your food on fitday.com to get hard stats on what you're eating, in terms of calories, protein grams, and carb and fat grams. At six months out, the "honeymoon" period of losing no matter what we eat is over, and it becomes much more important whether we've changed our eating and exercise habits. Plus, I don't know how much you've lost in the first six months, but the smaller we get, the fewer calories we need, so it's conceivable that you need to cut back on what you're eating in order to lose at this point. It's impossible to tell without more info, though.
   — Suzy C.

September 16, 2003
Are you sticking w/ protein and veggies only? During the first 6 months, you lose no matter what you eat, but after that the free ride is over. If you're following the rules to a T and still gaining, check w/ your doc.
   — mom2jtx3

September 16, 2003
Are you adding an artificial sweetner to the tea? Sometimes artificial sweetners bring my weightloss to a standstill. As commented below, it might be good for a while to track every bite you eat and examine it daily to count calories, protein, carbs and fats. Might give you some insight into what's happening.
   — Cathy S.

September 16, 2003
How do your ankles look at the end of the day? Are they swollen? I ask this because I have a closely watched edema problem. I can put weight on, and when I do my doc has me take a diuretic. Are you drinking enough water? If not this can trigger you to retain liquids.
   — M B.