According to my scale I am up 5 pounds from last week. I was on plan all of last week, minus a day at the fair where I tried to make wise choices and what I did eat that I knew was bad calorie wise, I shared it with the entire family (think a family of 5 eating one cheese steak). The fair food was also countered with walking around the fair for 11 hours, broken only by sitting about 4 times for 15ish minutes to feed the baby. So although fried veggies should be a no no, I'm sure I walked off the few of them I ate.

I now have a cold, I noticed yesterday that my face looked really puffy, and again today it's quite puffy and even redish. Just touching my cheeks while sitting here I can feel the puffiness.

So my question is, does a cold make you hold onto water like crazy?

I was actually going to ask the same question! I haven't weighed yet, my weigh-in is on Wednesday, but I wanted to be prepared. I have a little cold (hasn't gone full blown just yet, I'm hoping to keep it small by pounding emergen-c) and I was wondering if it might affect the scale. I also have been very on plan this week.

How strange! I was on plan all weekend. I am up two pounds from my ticker and am pretty sure it's water retention because I am starting a cold. Our bodies do retain water to help fight infections. That's why joints swell when we get a sprain.

Interesting, my ring was tight this morning and I've been feeling like I'm getting sick. I attributed it more to the fact that I had salty broth last night as part of dinner

Yes, the last time I was sick, the scale was up 4 lbs that wooshed away.

My God.. I could kiss you all right now (cyber kisses are non-germy ), I have been flopped on the sofa most of the morning, feeling like crap from being sick, and beating myself up over what I may have messed up on last week.

Pretty much all of my body aches horribly right now... partly from the cold and probably partly from spending 11 hours at the fair Saturday. I wore the baby in the sling.. what an added workout! We also went and walked some of our land yesterday looking for down trees to pull out for firewood... we live on a mountain, another great workout. So I'm almost positive that every muscle in my body is full of water... but I needed to hear from others that it's possible.

On the contrary, when I am sick, I lose more weight that usual. A year ago I had a really terrible flu, it lasted two weeks and I lost almost 10 lbs.

When I was sick for weeks and weeks in August/Sept I retained water like crazy. I was puffy and bloated and miserable on top of being sick, it sucked.

Like ayumukasuga, I also have the opposite happen to me. I've been sick for 4 days now and when I weighed in yesterday I was a few pounds down. But - I'm not banking on those pounds actually being gone. I figure they're probably bouncing back when I get back to my usual eating and exercise schedule!

Must be from being sick, because I'm back down this morning I'm still fighting this stupid cold, but it's on way out I think.

Wow...I see I am not the only one that has been sick! I've been sick and so has 2 outta 4 of my kids!

I think the type of sickness has a lot to do with whether you retain water or lose a lot. This time I am definitely retaining a lot of water. Unfortunately, I am also taking a steroid for my lungs.

However, when I have a more "typical" flu where I can't keep anything in and the thought of eating/drinking makes me feel worse - I lose a lot of water.

I hope EVERYONE starts feeling better soon!