[Rumplesnat]

About 3 1/2 years ago, I lost 93 pounds. About 50 of that was lost in about 6 months following the Slim Fast plan. The remaining came off within 2 years by eating better and simply walking 30 minutes a day. I'd occasionally throw in a Tae Bo tape or do a Leslie Sansone video with the weights, but that's it. Well, needless to say, I stopped exercising and watching what I ate and gained all of the weight back and then some in less than a year and a half. I'm back at it again and hopefully this will be the last attempt I need to make at this lifestyle change. I've tried Weight Watchers, all the fad diets, etc... and I know that the only way to lose the weight is to exercise more and eat less calories. The problem is now, I can't get this weight off. I've been working out 4-5 times a week at our local YMCA for 30 minutes on the elliptical, bike, or treadmill for the past 8 weeks. In the past 2 weeks, I've incorporated 2-3 days of upper and lower body weight training as well. On days that I'm not at the Y, I will go on a bike ride or walk with my son 1-2 days a week. Although I'm not counting calories, I've stopped eating all fast foods and have been choosing more vegetables and whole grains, paying attention to foods with more protein and fiber as well. In 8 weeks, I've probably had about 4 days where I didn't watch what I ate, but certainly didn't binge and go overboard. It took me 5 weeks to lose 5 pounds and the next week I lost another 2, bringing my total loss to 7 pounds. Now, however, I have gained back 5 pounds. I don't understand it. There are 3,500 calories in a pound and I certainly didn't eat 17,500 calories more than I burned to justify this gain. I am just finding it so much harder to take this weight off and I am putting it on so quickly and effortlessly. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but my clothes are just as skin tight as they were 8 weeks ago, so that isn't it. Yes, my endurance and recovery time have improved, but why am I gaining???

[kittymuse]

My weight can fluctuate weekly by 5 pounds on its own! It sucks, but I think its normal. That might be part of the problem. I also hear that sometimes it takes our bodies a little while to adjust to the new lifestyle, to stop panicking about the change, and to start losing weight.

Have you taken measurements? Measuring your bust/waist/hips and even arms and thighs can give you a better picture of what is going on with your body. If you are gaining muscle AND losing fat, the scale might not give you a good idea of the progress you are making.

It sounds like you are doing everything right. Don't lose heart.

[Tori]

i really dont have much advice. you sound like your trying really hard. are you drinking enough water? you may need to exercise longer to get more into the Fat burning stage of excercise. and brisk walking not just a stroll. with me i have to watch my carbs and sugar. i completley cut out sugar. and i drink a ton of water. GL with this and i am always here if you need to talk. i just wish i could help more.

[cyclone]

Are you sure with all the exercise that you are eating enough? I know this can be a problem....even if you don't follow it to the letter, I highly reccomend the book ABS DIET....lots of great information !

[kykaree]

How frustrating, annoying and unfair weight loss can be sometimes

Firstly, what method are you using to track your food intake? Because if your not tracking, it's really easy to eat too much. For me, exercise makes me hungry. I still exercise 6 days a week, but it means I have to really watch my eating and plan plan plan so that I don't overeat.

I'd suggest journalling your food for two weeks, then counting up the calories.

I wouldn't sweat the 5 pound "gain" and like kittymuse, I think it was probably a case of bad scale luck. If I take an unexpected gain, I usually weight the next day too, just for reassurance. Every time I have done this, I get a lower weight on the day after! Bodies are a strange thing.

Exercise can cause your muscles to retain water and make you weigh heavier, exercise will increase bone density which makes you weigh heavier, all sorts of things can influence the scales.

When I started this journey my trainer said to me the first thing I must do is to stop the gaining cycle, then start losing, and to just not panic. It is a hard slog, it's taken me 18 months to lose 64 lbs. It's frustrating at times, but I am really glad for many reasons that my weight loss journey has been slower than some. It's taken me time to adjust to my new lifestyle, and I am getting to grips with the new person I am becoming.

Please stop beating yourself up, you are working really hard, and with a few tweaks I am confident the scales will start reflecting what you're doing for your body.

[Xan]

All of this is good advice. Another thing that COULD be going on (and related to what kykaree said) is that you're gaining muscle with all the exercising and that weighs more than fat. I've had friends who did Body for Life who gained 8, 10 pounds the first two weeks, and then started dropping weight again very quickly.

[Rumplesnat]

Thank you so much for your comments, everyone. I appreciate everyone's advise as well. I'm going to start tracking what I eat to make sure I'm eating around 1,800 calories. This just really sucks...as everyone here knows! It's very frustrating...especially having already losing the weight only to gain it all back again. Blaaahhh! I'm off to work out....