the week before last week, i stayed at the same weight the entire week despite eating around 1400 calories everyday. then this past week, i actually went UP two pounds! i tried "calorie cycling" and eating 1600 some days and 1200 on others, but at the end of the week i was still under my budget. how did i gain weight? i've been at this weight for a couple days now and i just don't understand. is it water? what happened?

It's happened to me too! I was feeling really slim and was fluctating between 138 and 139 (a 1-2Ib loss for this week.) Today after I went running I ballooned back to 140 I feel very bloated too. I'm hoping it's muscle gain and not stress related water retention. Tomorrows my weigh in day as well, it's going to look like I lost nothing this week so I'll have to rely on inches to see if anything's changed.

water weight, guys.

I thought so, It's just typical it happens the day before my weight in.

I feel the same way. the last few weeks have been TERRIBLE 1 pound loss here two pound gain here. it's not fair but I skipped weigh in this week so hopefully i'll be happy next week.

This is why I only weigh once a week, and I record it. Some weeks I lose nothing, other weeks I might lose .25 a pound...and then the next weigh in, 3 or 4 pounds drop. My body has always done this. Water weight, your period, and other things affect this...so you have to be patient and look at the trend over the MONTH, not the week or day. Instead of thinking "I stayed the same these past 5 days"...look back at each one month period, and see the 4 or 7 pounds you lost over that entire month.

Another thing I might add is this...cardio. I lose a LOT quicker when a good deal of exercise is involved. A friend of mine started a diet right at New Years, but she only dances a couple of times a week, and no other exercise. I dance a few times a week, too...but I also do either strength training or cardio every single day-since then she has lost around 15 or 20 pounds, but I have lost 35 in that same time period, and met my final goal. How is the exercise?

You are staying within your calories but is there a high amount of sodium you are eating? Especially the day before or day of your weigh in? I'm guessing it's water weight, too. Been there....done that!

Are you eating back some calories? I would stall if I didn't.