ARGH!!! I JUST WANT TO SCREAM OR CRY. FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS OUR WEATHER HAS BEEN COOLER THAN USUAL SO I BEEFED UP MY WALKING FROM 1 MILE TO 2 AND I RODE MY STATIONARY BIKE 7 MILES EACH DAY TOO. I ALSO DID VERY MINIMAL WEIGHT LIFTING, 5LB WEIGHTS FOR 10 -15 MINS. I NORMALLY WALK 1 MILE MAYBE EVERY OTHER DAY IF IM LUCKY. I THOUGHT FOR SURE WITH THE ADDED EXERCISE I WOULD DROP SOME POUNDS.
NOW, I DONT BELIEVE IN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS BUT I DIDNT EXPECT TO GAIN EITHER AND THATS JUST WHAT HAPPENED. I GAINED 1LB EACH DAY.
I KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE SAYING DONT GO BY THE SCALE BUT I AM A DAILY WEIGH IN GAL NO MATTER WHAT. AND FOR THE LAST 2+ MONTHS I HAVE EITHER LOST OR STAYED THE SAME. NEVER GAINED.
THIS IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT FOR ME. MY DIET HAS STAYED THE SAME, NOTHING CHANGED CALORIE-WISE OR RATIO OF PROTEIN, FAT, AND CARBS. I PROBABLY INCREASED MY WATER INTAKE DUE TO THE EXTRA ACTIVITY AND IT IS NOT THAT TIME OF THE MONTH SO IM NOT RETAINING WATER EITHER. I JUST DONT GET IT. I THOUGHT I WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING BY INCREASING MY ACTIVITY ESP. BECAUSE I HAVE INSULIN RESISTANCE AND I READ I SHOULD BE EXERCISING AN HOUR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. IM NOT STUPID AND I KNOW MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT BUT C'MON 1LB A DAY! <SIGH>
I HAVE DONE SO WELL WITH MY NEW WAY OF EATING AND THE EXERCISE THOUGH NOT STEADY I HAVE DONE WHAT I FEEL I COULD DO AND NOW THIS. IT MAKES ME WANT TO JUST SAY FORGET IT ALL. I NEED TO TONE AS I ONCE WEIGHED 320 AND WILL HAVE A LOT OF LOOSE SKIN TO DEAL WITH. IS IT TOO EARLY FOR THE WEIGHTS PERHAPS? IS THERE A SUCH THING AS OVERDOING THE EXERCISE? IT CERTAINLY DIDNT SEEM LIKE A LOT COMPARED TO SOME OF THE PEOPLES EXERCISE PROGRAMS IVE READ ON HERE. ANYONE HAVE ANSWERS? I AM REALLY DUSGUISTED TODAY SO MUCH THOUGH THAT IM NOT EVEN DONE WITH MY FIRST BOTTLE OF WATER AT NOON AND IM USUALLY DOWN 3-4 BY NOW. HAVENT EATEN YET EITHER.


THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE OR HELP!
KIM

Chances are if you're actually gaining, and it's not just water fluctuations, it is because you are adding muscle. Adding weights and longer walks will build up your muscles more, and muscle is denser than fat, so you may be losing fat but gaining muscle. I'd suggest keeping track of your measurements, sometimes they will go down even if your weight is going up because of muscle. Don't forget that muscle uses more calories than fat too, so the more muscle you have the better!

Try not to get too discouraged -- definitely don't starve yourself! It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong at all. I bet if you give it some time, and keep doing what you're doing, the scale will start going down again.

Don't panic! It could be very well COULD be water weight. (even though it's not that time of the month) With increased exercise you NEED to increase your water intake or you will retain like mad. (I know you said you got more, but make sure to spread it out, not do it all at once) I went through the same thing. I increased my exercise and started gaining, and thought I was insane. I added a few more bottles of water into my daily regime (all through-out the day not just at the time of exercise) and those extra pounds came off and took some friends with them.

As for weight training, it is never too soon! The more muscle you have, the faster you will burn fat. You will look and feel better too.

One thing that my help is measuring too. I weigh everyday as well, but I also measure because the scale doesn't ALWAYS tell the true story.

Whatever happens, don't give up or let this set you back. If you weigh every day you MUST do so with the knowledge that sometimes there WILL be fluctuations that makes it go up or not go down. It happens to EVERYONE. Consistant exercise and calorie reduction WILL lead to weight loss.

muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat ... muscle is more DENSE than fat, so a pound is a pound is a pound .. its just that muscle is more compact than fat. it's not that so don't blame it on exercise! keep up your routine, keep eating healthy, and wait it out ... you say you weigh in daily so you know it fluctuates ... DON'T FREAK OUT! betcha in a couple of days all will be back to normal

Thanks all for the replies. The day didn't turn out as poorly as I thought it would. I did go ahead and do my walk and stuck with my eating habits. I will wait it out like ya'll said. It is just so discouraging to try to improve upon something only to be knocked down by a scale. UGH!
Something else crossed my mind though, is it possible it is time for me to lower my calories? I am only eating 1400/day and I think I read somwhere 1200 is the minimum. I can't imagine having to go that low already just to lose weight with so much left to lose. Just running it by ya'll though.
Thanks for the replies and advice!!
Kim

There's such a thing as also eating too "few" calories. It may be that you need to increase rather than decrease, especially with added exercise. Your body might feel like it's starving and hold onto the calories you do consume.

And you say you weigh in daily no matter what, but also state that it's discouraging. So even if that scale discourages you from continuing and you eventually stop because you get too discouraged from it, is it still a good reason to weigh in daily no matter what? It's something you'll need to consider. Because if it affects you so negatively, it could ultimately hinder any progress you've made and I'm sure that's not something you want to happen. It may be that you need to put the scale somewhere where it's not easily accessible in order to help stave off jumping on it daily, no matter how tempting it may be. Also consider that it can be encouraging to get on the scale every couple weeks or so and find you've lost not 1 pound (or even that you've gained a pound) but that you've lost several or more. Think of it as a step to losing the weight the same as the exercise. You find reasoning to exercise. You may need to find reasoning to hide the scale.

thanks almostheaven for your thoughts. i have tried hiding the scale. it was downstairs in the bathroom i never go in and i still go there every morning first thing. your post actually made the most sense so far tho....i was starved the last two days and didnt eat when i was hungry because i was worried i was over my calories for the day. but i bet with the increase in exercise i really needed that extra snack or two. i think that is probably more likely than anything. not used to this listening to my body thing. being more than 100lbs overweight and just eating when things looked good was what i was used to. hmmmm i will bet yer right and since im headed out now to do some more exercise for today if i get hungry later i will def. have that snack and see what happens....thanks!!!
kim

Sore muscles retain water, and it sounds like you are drinking more. Don't worry about it! If your eating hasn't changed, you haven't gained fat and you haven't increased your exercise long enough to have gained muscle. More walking and bike riding will not add muscle. The only thing that builds muscle is weight training, and you haven't done enough to build any muscle yet. That takes several weeks. If muscle building was that instantaneous, we'd all look like Arnold

Just keep at it. Consistency in eating and exercise is what get results

Mel

I have a cure for scale dependency, move countries. I left mine in Australia!!! I weigh in once a week at the gym, and if I try to weigh in again during the week, my gym instructor shouts at me!!!

I know you want to wake up one day and the weight to be GONE, but it's gotta be slow to be permanent. Don't panic, just do as the fabulous Mel (and everyone else) says and stick at it.

Hey, I have to agree with almostheaven, I've noticed that sometimes I will exercise a lot and nothing will drop and the next day i screw up and eat too much. So I'm kicking myslef and I expect to have gained like 3 pds when I step on the scale and I've lost like 3 pds. Also, don't be too discouraged if you reach certain points where you find it difficult to lose weight. Your body will reach plateaus where it needs to readjust and redistribute the weight since you've lost so much. Give it some time to readjust and it will start going down again. In almostheavens comment, muscle does need a lot more energy to continue burning off the fat, if you starve the muscles they won't work as effectively. Also don't overdo it. When you work out your muscles strain and rip but they rebuild themselves twice as strong just like bones, if you don't give them time to rebuild they just keep ripping. Try doing exercises that work different parts of the body and then alternate days back and forth so they have time to recuperate.

~zeanea

I;m really trying to hang in there. Stayed off the scale all weekend only to get on this morning and gained another half pound. I kept everything the same since I last posted. My diet was the same as always and I exercised about an hour each day. Walks and stationary bike riding. I also was very active over the weekend with other activities. I am disappointed but not enough to give up. I could deal with staying the same but gaining is killing me. All weekend I felt super bloated and like I had gained back all the weight I had lost over the last 2 months. Anyone have any suggestions for a fast to break the stall. I was reading about a 3 day fat fast, does anyone know if that works?
Thanks, Kim




END OF SUMMER CHALLENGE

Kimmifer I so feel your pain right now and I'm searching for the answers as well. I have gained back 5 lbs of the 50 that I lost so I'm revamping examining and trying to see how to get it back down. I can honestly say I can fit a smaller size of clothing than the last time that I weighed this much so that's a plus but I still need to stop gaining this is really freaking me out. This morning I wanted to give up and just not run at all but my body had a mind of it's own. Full energized and ready to run LOL weird ain't it? So there i was half sleepy running and breathing wonderfully LOL. I love lifting weights as well there is just a great feeling of accomplishment. My body is so in love with this CONSISTENT exercise phenomenon. See I'd exercise before then stop, but to keep going is something I've never done before and I will keep going until I get stronger then go some more Hang in there and don't give up, we can do this!

Do you also take measurements? If you cannot give up the scale, do as paperclippy suggested and take measurements. It could be that you're losing inches even if not losing pounds, and seeing the inches go down may outweight the discouragement of the scale.

I've also seen several here mention that they keep a chart of their weight loss by the scale. So that even if you're not losing or if you're gaining a few right now, the chart will show you the overall loss and make it easier to accept small gains on the scale from time-to-time.

Kim, I know it's hard, but try not to freak out over this! You say you weigh daily. If you weigh every day, you're going to see big fluctuations from water. You might be better off sticking to once a week or two if those changing numbers are going to cause you to question your exercise. Mel's response, above, was absolutely correct, so please take her words to heart -- not only did she lose a lot of weight herself, but she now works as a personal trainer in a gym, so she knows whereof she speaks.

The only explanations for a "gain" are:
(1) Fat gain - It takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound, so if you're talking 5 pounds and you're positive you haven't increased your eating, then you haven't actually gained weight.
(2) Muscle gain - As Mel said, not gonna happen from walking and cycling. Those are aerobic activities, not muscle building activities -- so they are not the culprit. Also, it really does take an enormous amount of weight training -- lifting heavy and lifting to failure -- to build muscle. A lot of people are working very hard to do just that; it doesn't just happen by itself lifting 5# weights for 10 minutes. Especially in the case of women, who don't get the mass building benefit of testosterone.
(3) Water gain - This is the most likely culprit. When you work out, your muscles expand and retain more water. It happens to everyone. It's not a bad thing, and it certainly won't get in the way of your progress.

Weight loss is not this mythological, magical, mystical mystery. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. Keep on watching your eats, keep on exercising, and think about it rationally: Exercising is only going to help your body and your weight loss efforts. Fasting denies your body the energy it needs to exercise. If you're serious about long term, permanent weight loss, I encourage you to shift your thinking to BIG PICTURE and continue to push forward with the weight loss measures that have been proven time and time again to work for all the folks who've managed to lose weight and keep it off. You don't hear about people losing a hundred pounds and keeping it off by fasting. You hear about them losing it by eating right and exercising hard, DAY IN, DAY OUT. Day after day after day.

Of COURSE it's frustrating to get a surprise at the scale when your positive you're doing everything right. But if it's going to knock you off track and cause you to consider reducing your exercise and begin fasting, you have to take a look at your overall perspective in this. Get invested in this for the long haul, and you'll make it. I promise.

Sorry if this sounded like tough love, but I want you to succeed -- and if I were where you are now, I'd want to hear it! Best to you -- I know you can do this as long as you stay the course and don't get rocked by a coupla pounds on the scale.

Have you read about fluctuating your calorie intake? Like eating 1400 calories for three days, and then eating 1800 the next day and then going back to 1400? I read in Burn the Fat Feed the muscle that it keeps your body from getting used to the concept of only 1400 calories per day. Keeps your metabolism confused so it doesn't plateau as easily. Have you tried that? Might be worth a shot. And it's nice to have one day out of every 4 or so where you can have that extra 400 calories. *hug* I hope you find something that works!