Ok...this doesn't even seem possible to me...could someone please explain??
So, Wednesday I weighed 175....Hooray! I was so excited! The only thing I did different that night was I ate a Burrito Supreme from Taco Bell. I have been tracking on fit day, (it is actually rare that I hit 1000 calories, and no, don't get super hungry, cause I still eat 3 times a day) so I figured that one burrito supreme wasn't going to hurt. So thursday I jump on the scale...178!!! And I went down about 2 oz, cause now I'm 177.8. I'm still exercising and eating right. How is this possible? I think I am getting ready for my TOM, cramping and so forth. Could I be retaining water...I am so lost...and sad...
1000 calories (or less) a day is WAY WAY to low, you body is probably going into starvation mode. it will HOLD ON TO anything that is put into your body! UP THOSE CALORIES!!!
It's possible because our weight is not just from fat, but from water and muscle too. Fast food is notoriously high in sodium, which can lead to water retention, as can TOM. In all likelihood you are retaining water. That's all! It happens ALL the time and can shift your weight several pounds! Frustrating, but normal.
You need to be eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day MINIMUM. You will see more results if you eat better things as well. Whole, cleaner foods. A burrito supreme once or twice a month is ok, but avoid fast food as much as possible. Excess sodium makes me gain a pound or two, if I'm not careful. The food that you are eating could be laden with sodium. Try to keep that below 3,000 mg a day. I used to keep mine below 2300, but I find that I usually gravitate between 2400 and 2800 mg per day. So I revised that rule to suit my own diet. (diet in this context means what I eat, because I don't diet).
Increase your calories and get some good whole food in you. The USDA food pyramid has been my saving grace for the past 9 months. I've lost 50 lbs and I never EVER feel deprived, hungry(except when I am) or do I ever "binge". I allow myself some "treats", but just a taste or two or smaller portions or I cut the food in half. For the most part I eat the rainbow, dine on whole grains(as many as possible), low fat, unsaturated fats, and lowfat dairy. It's changed my life.
i think you may also not be eating enough, but that does not explain the 3 lb overnight weight gain. the burrito probably had more sodium in it than do you regular meals, causing you to retain water. it might stick around for a few days, but don't worry it'll come off. but you might want to reevaluate your calorie intake-- i've only heard of negative long run outcomes from people who eat as little as you are-- it either ends in anorexia or rebound bingeing.
I'm also a daily scale reader, and I am starting to think the morning agony of seeing the fluctuations isn't worth it. It is FANTASTIC when you get that one shining ecstatic moment, that ONE morning out of 90, that the scale is down 3or 4 pounds from the day before but seeing the daily ups and downs are just mostly sooooo frustrating. 99% of the mornings, I am ready to smash that scale thru the bathroom window.
I am trying to break my scale habit a little bit. Two mornings this week, I didn't weigh in, and big shock--the world didn't end!!!
So, (finally) my point is...don't be so sad. If all you ate was a burrito, you really didn't gain 3 lbs., pure & simple.
Mexican food is notoriously high in sodium. That salt will grab hold of the water and just hold on to it. Drink lots of water and in a few days you will be back to normal. As you have been losing weight, some of it has been water weight...sooooo, when you take in that extra salt there is lots of space within your body tissue to add extra water. Don't sweat it...that burrito didn't make you gain 3 lbs of fat, that would take an extra 10,500 calories!
I eat between 1000-1200 calories a day myself. And I don't believe in that starvation mode theory anymore. Everybody kept saying, "You're not eating enough! Up your calories!" (even though I felt perfectly fine and not excessively hungry at where I was at).
Fine, so I started eating more. I put on weight. I went back to eating 1000-1200 calories a day and lost it again.
Phooey on that. Everybody is different and I no longer have faith in the "1200 calorie rule". If you're not 'starving' on the calories you're eating and as long as you're not dropping weight too quick, I wouldn't worry about it. I've discovered that I personally don't NEED anymore calories than that.
However, on the flipside, there have been those that were stuck on a plateau for some time and started losing again once they increased their calories. But that's them. Doesn't work for everybody and it doesn't work for me. I'm maintaining (since May) on the calories I'm eating. If I eat more, I gain. If I eat less? Don't know, haven't tried it yet because I don't really WANT to eat any less than I am. So I guess I'm pretty much settling at my current weight.
I used to do that too, when I'd see somebody post they're only eating 1000 calories a day, I'd jump in and scream, "You're not eating enough!"
Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Maybe increasing your calories will help your weight loss start again, maybe not. My point is nobody knows, for your body specifically, whether or not you're taking in enough food. The only one that can determine that is YOU, so it's important to find yourself a balance like I did. I did several 'experiments' and eventually discovered that I can't eat anymore than 1000-1200 calories a day or I'll start gaining again.
Oh, and keep in mind that it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat. So unless you've eaten 10,500 calories, there's no way you're going to gain 3 pounds of fat.
i think you may also not be eating enough, but that does not explain the 3 lb overnight weight gain. the burrito probably had more sodium in it than do you regular meals, causing you to retain water. it might stick around for a few days, but don't worry it'll come off. but you might want to reevaluate your calorie intake-- i've only heard of negative long run outcomes from people who eat as little as you are-- it either ends in anorexia or rebound bingeing.
That's crazy and I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. For some of us, 1000 calories is all we need. For some of us, if we eat more than that, we put on weight.
It doesn't necessarily mean we're lazy and we don't exercise. It's also about body chemistry. Once a heavy person, like I was, loses all of that weight, it literally trashes your metabolism. I've been through almost a year of experimenting with my body, eating different foods, exercising more, eating less, eating more, etc etc etc. And right where I'm at is where I have to stay. I've found my balance. Just because I only eat about 1000 calories a day, it doesn't mean I'm going to end up with anorexia. I have no desire to starve myself. Anorexia is an illness. A very serious illness. Nor have I ever had the desire to eat the refrigerator. Okay, maybe I've had the desire. But I've never done it. Because I've taught myself discipline and self-control. If you don't have that, you'll never make it.
Sorry, didn't mean to offend. my comment had one main point-- the weight gain was from the sodium in the burrito.
the side point, which maybe i made sound overharsh and i'm sorry if i did, was just that the 1000 cal a day may be difficult to manage in the longterm. Most of the people i know who have done that have been runners, who run 30+ mpw, so maybe that is why in the end they can't handle a calorie intake that low.
if it's working for you, more power to you. just make sure you are getting enough nutrients-- but i bet you are already on top of that.
How could this happen??
