[Zeplove25]

So I'm coming up on 8 weeks of being on weight watchers. The first 6 weeks went wonderful. I lost 15 pounds in the first 6 weeks. On my 7th week weigh in day, I didn't lose any weight. I was disappointed but it happens sometimes so I decided to just pay extra attention to what I eat, and started doing hot yoga this week as well. Yet, even though I have added a pretty difficult activity and am continuing to eat with in my points (sometimes a few points under, and I almost never use my flex points or activity points), I weighed myself this morning and was 2 pounds more than last week. I'm getting really frustrated. I don't understand how I can do everything "Right" and be gaining weight? 20 pounds was a big goal for me and I don't understand why I just can't get there. Any thoughts on this?

[drixnot]

Exercising can cause swelling and your time of the month could cause bloating.... for that matter it could just be a natural plateau. Don't stress and keep on with the plan.

[fitbyforty]

New activity can lead to water retention.If you aren't eating all your points then you aren't doing everything right...sorry. You should consider eating the flex and activity points to. That is what they are there for. When you increase activity you should eat extra points. Believe it or not you might not be eating enough.

[Zeplove25]

The reason I eat a few points under is because I work and go to class at night. I don't get home until 10pm or later most days. A lot of times I'll eat a healthy meal when I get home and still have 5 or 6 points left. I don't like the idea of eating at midnight and then going to bed. I'm still confused about how eating less would cause you to gain weight?

I do understand the swelling due to new exercise though.. I don't have problems with it being the time of the month because I am on the Depo Pro Vera shot and do not actually have a time of the month. I guess it would be one thing if I was just staying at the same weight but it's really taking a toll on me that I am Gaining weight. Just a little baffled.

Thanks for the ideas.

[NYFLAgirl]

I'm not an expert on the matter Zeplove but you can indeed gain weight from not eating enough. Our bodies our conditioned for survival. If you don't eat enough food, your body's metabolism will start to slow down. Your body will hold on to fat in order to survive because it thinks you're in starvation mode-especially if you are increasing your activity with something like hot yoga. You have to eat at least all of your daily points.

[texscrapper]

I would eat all of your points AND some of your flex points. Your body may be holding and putting on weight because you aren't feeding it enough - weird I know, but that's how our bodies work. Adding a few extra points can be easy - don't go crazy and eat 12 candy bars a day - use full fat dressing, eat a handful of nuts, etc.

Good luck! I know it can be so frustrating!

[Ready2Lose2013]

Another thing you might want to check is your water intake - One of the things that will happen to me every now and the is I will drop on my water intake, and that causes water retention. Also, check things like your salt intake - When I am up a few pounds one of the first things I do is reflect on how much salt I've been having: be sure to consider all foods - if you're an eater of Lean Cuisine or other frozen meals, canned soups, or broth then there is a lot of salt in there!

Don't get frustrated - stay focused and keep experimenting with what will work to push you through the plateau - this is just a problem that needs to be solved, and on the other side of it is your 20 Ibs goal!!

[MandeLea]

Side tangent: I personally don't agree with eating all of the points. First, it is impossible for me to consume 44 points. I did not gain weight because I ate 3000 calories a day, every day (said with a very sassy tone). I currently eat plenty throughout the day, the only thing is I am eating many more items that don't cost points. I'll have 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, two pieces of fruit, and a boiled egg = 3 points, when before I ate 6 waffles, which would be a whopping 16 points (I imagine). That's the whole point of WW, is to learn how. Some of us are just adapting faster than others. Also, bear in mind dietary restrictions. If you are practicing a paleo or vegetarian lifestyle, or consuming nothing but plant-based foods, you are going to find it quite hard to consume more than 15 points a day.
/tangent

Anyhoo. Plateaus can be related to many things, from needing to switch up your exercise routine, but also switching up your food routine. Try changing what you're doing for breakfast, or switch up your lunch. The body gets used to our routines, and settles into a routine of its own. You will hit that 20 pound mark. In the meantime, celebrate some NSV's (non-scale victory). Bravo for you on starting hot yoga... that stuff is HARD!

Good luck!

[MandeLea]

Originally Posted by Zeplove25

I'm still confused about how eating less would cause you to gain weight?

If you are not consuming enough energy (calories) to maintain your base functions, this can cause your metabolic rate to slow down. This occurrence is hardwired, much like fight or flight. If you are consistently not consuming enough energy, your body will react as if you are starving, and store this energy to keep you alive longer. This sort of response came in very handy in the palaeolithic era as we did not have access to food the same way we do now, and might have to go days before we could forage.

This is not an optimal way to eat because if you do this often, when you do have enough calories, they are also stored because it takes more than a day or two to restore your metabolic function to a normal state, and this results in weight gain.

I hope this answered your question . I've spent many years trying to figure out why I'm overweight when I didn't think I was an over-eater. Unfortunately, it turns out that I was an under-eater, with binging episodes (which you can imagine were often sugar-y foods), resulting in major weight gain, and a condition called Metabolic Syndrome. I am one of those people trying to combat this issue through proper nutrition .