OK, so this morning I stepped on the scale and it read 154.

That's a THREE POUND GAIN in the last week!!!

It could be TOM bloating - I started this morning - but my weight doesn't usually fluctuate much when I have my period (I gather I'm lucky in this regard).

Maybe I've just been eating too much, or the wrong kinds of foods? I've been really good about exercise, but these past few weeks have just been a wash as far as eating goes.

Regardless, I feel kinda crappy.

Well, it most likely looks like it could be a combination of TOM woes, and the poor eating choices catching up.

Do you know where you need to make improvements or would you like some suggestions? If you post a menu, we could help in that regard, if you'd like.

I agree with Faerie that it is probably a combination of poor eating choices and TOM. I know that if I don't write down everything I eat, I will can comletely unknowingly consume 100s of extra calories during TOM. It may not seem like you've eaten extra it just sort of does it on its own, if you know what I mean. I would definitely recommend tracking your foods. I personally use The Daily Plate, but there are lots of other sites, or a simple notebook would suffice.

I'm finding that the closer I get to goal, and as loss slows a bit, the influence of TOM increases.

I use Daily Plate to track my calories, so I know what I've been eating. Most days I eat between 1600 and 1700 calories, but there have been more than a few days this month that I've gone over the limit.

It's just been tough this month. I'm an emotional eater, and I've had a few curve balls thrown my way. I need to figure out how to deal with my feeling without falling back on food. Any suggestions?

well, at least you know TOM only sticks around for a week, and it doesn't mean that you gained the three pounds. bloating and other things are the cause. :/

Im in a rut right now. I find it hard to work out when im not at the gym....so i have to work on that

Not even a whole week for me, but ... the effects are at least a week and half, and lately more.

for the emotional eating, i do that too, and its really hard. I try keeping a water bottle with me all the time, and instead of eating something i sip on that. Some days it works, and some days it doesnt. But i find that eating is just something to do, so if i can replace eating with doing something else its going to be an improvement

Have you been drinking enough water? I was up 2kg in about 3 days this week (i think its 4 pounds around about), but since then i have drunk lots of water every day and about 1.8 of those kg have gone. of course i've been exercising as well, so it probably wasnt all water, but i think a fair amount probably was

First of all if you are lifting weights at all your muscles could be hanging on to some water. Secondly, if you've been eating more salt then usual, that can make you retain water as well. Thirdly, TOM can vary month to month, so it could be that even if it usually isn't. Keep drinking your water and it should help. You would have had to eat an enormous amount of food to gain 2kg in 3 days (as in 14,000 calories over what your body needs to function), it's probably just water retention.

Zenor - I do lift weights regularly, but I don't think it's that (of course, I could be wrong). I'm going with water retention from a combination of bad food choices and TOM.

I-Ghost - I think I'm drinking enough water. Carrying a water bottle is a good idea though. I have a friend who carries a bottle of water with just a splash of cranberry juice (or sometimes lemonade), and it's yummy. I might try that.

I hate TOM.

yeah i like to add a little roses lime cordial sometimes, not enough to give me heaps of calories, but just a splash to make it more appealing