Weight Loss Fact or Myth?

So I know that 3500 calories equals one pound correct?  So to lose a pound of fat I need to burn off 3500 cals.  So how come I can gain SO quickly without having had an extra 3500 calories?  Is this inaccurate?  This weekend was my birthday and Easter so I ate alot on Friday and gained two pounds overnight.  Then Saturday Was my bi rthday party so I tried to be careful but still I took in around 2000 calories, I gained ANOTHER 2 lbs over night!! So today I am up 4 lbs from Friday morning?  If the 3500 hundred  calorie rule is true, how is this happening???  (no my period is not imminent).

I think this is pretty normal to have weight fluxes this large.  I know I am an extreme example, but my weight can move 7-8 pounds a day.  Hang in there!!  The program works, but you have to give it a little time.

Have an Excellent Day!!!

I'm not sure if I'm correct here...but I would think that it is due to the digestive process.  Depending on the times of day you weigh and the times that you eat your weight can vary throughout the day.  So just because you see an increase doesnt mean that you have really put on that much weight. 

Thank you manic dieter- I think that could be right, I ate at 8 o clock last night.  I expect to gain weight- just not 4 lbs in only TWO days!!

manicdieter is right that weight fluctuates very often. Especially if you have a day or two with unclean eating (birthday goodies, Easter candy..) you don't get as much fiber in. So the body holds on to some more extra weight - if you know what I mean!

Just give it a few days, I'm sure you'll go back to normal. Hope you had an awesome birthday, by the way! :)

My dad and brother's birthday were this weekend as well as Easter and this morning and last weekend was a weekend in Savannah for a Bachalorette party.  I had gained a lot of weight.  I think i'll skip the scale tomorrow.  Anyway hopefully the weight move on.  I'm sure I didn't eat like 20,000 calories extra over the past week.  I wouldn't be surprised if I legitimately did gain 1 lb though.

If your splurge contained a lot of sodium you could be retaining fluid.  Just up your water intake and flush all that nasty salt out of your system.

It also depends on what is 'in' your intestines etc.  You may be off 2lb with waste and water.

it takes an extra 3500 calories to gain 1 lb of FAT.  Your body has more than just fat.  There's water, waste, muscle, etc. and these are what's showing up on the scale.  Unfortunately, a scale doesn't exist that tells you how much fat you have on your body, since the body fat scales can't be accurate.  You're going to have to go to the gym and get them to do the calipers on you to monitor that.

Original Post by cmama:

So I know that 3500 calories equals one pound correct? So to lose a pound of fat I need to burn off 3500 cals. So how come I can gain SO quickly without having had an extra 3500 calories? Is this inaccurate? This weekend was my birthday and Easter so I ate alot on Friday and gained two pounds overnight. Then Saturday Was my bi rthday party so I tried to be careful but still I took in around 2000 calories, I gained ANOTHER 2 lbs over night!! So today I am up 4 lbs from Friday morning? If the 3500 hundred calorie rule is true, how is this happening??? (no my period is not imminent).

You probably packed on only one real pound in two days...the rest is probably water weight.  i can gain 4lbs in one day if its around the time of ovulation or menstruation.

Everyone is pretty much right here, especially josielynn. Refer to this article for more details!!

Case in point: I just returned from a splurge weekend away, and last night was 10 lbs heavier than four days ago. This morning, two of those pounds were gone. By this afternoon, another pound was gone. I expect another five to come off before tomorrow morning, as the water is lost and the solids pass out (ahem). I ate enough to gain about 2 lbs of fat, no more. (Which is totally worth it, from my perspective - it was a great weekend, I've had lots of those since my journey started last year).

it's water & sodium!  believe me!  been there, done that...  you WILL lose weight!!!  :D  i've lost 70 pounds since 9/4!!!  over 32% of my previous body weight!!!

just don't quit!!!  make a few changes...  and go with it!!!  this works!!!

Everybody needs to click on the Advice tab (formerly Library) and read the Q&A section.  Here's what it says about this problem

How did I gain 4 pounds in one day?

Temporary weight gain is most likely a result of water retention, which can be caused by eating too much sodium. Water is heavy: a gallon weighs 8.34 pounds. In the body, sodium is found in the tissues outside of the blood vessels. If sodium becomes too concentrated, water rushes in to lower the concentration. The result is puffiness, often seen in the fingers and ankles as gravity pushes water to the ground. To eliminate excess sodium and water, reduce dietary salt intake and drink plain water to flush out the system. In women, the hormones of the menstrual cycle can also cause sodium retention. Certain medications can cause water retention as well.

I'm very sensitive to sodium and can gain 4# in one day if I don't monitor salt.  Then, I can lose 2# in one day for same reason.

Normally I try to keep sodium intake at 1,000 mg.

I love weighing, but when I eat out I find it best to just not get on the scale for 1-2 days.

I know that I am in the minority here, but I don't buy into the water weight stuff.  I pigged out on Easter.  I did not get on the scale yesterday but this morning, I was still 5 pounds more than Sunday morning.  I know it was the junk I ate, not water weight.  Every time I eat junk like that, I can easily gain 7-8 pounds and it takes about 3 days to come off.

I work with someone that sits and eats a bag of Snickers and the next day, tries to claim the water weight crap.  It is the garbage you eat, not water! 

To gain 7lbs of pure fat you'd have to consume 25000 calories more than normal.  Even the most determined binger would find it tough to eat that much in 4 days.   And to burn off 25000 calories in the subsequent 3 days you'd have to be competing in a triathlon every day.   The conclusion, therefore, is that some of the gain isn't fat, it's fluid.....

Original Post by almostbacktome:

I know that I am in the minority here, but I don't buy into the water weight stuff.  I pigged out on Easter.  I did not get on the scale yesterday but this morning, I was still 5 pounds more than Sunday morning.  I know it was the junk I ate, not water weight.  Every time I eat junk like that, I can easily gain 7-8 pounds and it takes about 3 days to come off.

I work with someone that sits and eats a bag of Snickers and the next day, tries to claim the water weight crap.  It is the garbage you eat, not water! 

 If you read the above posts, people have pointed out that her weight gain is most likely a combination of three things: (1) retained water; (2) waste/food still in her digestive system; and (3) possible weight gain from excess calories.  I don't think anyone thinks, in this specific case, that it is ALL retained water.

MOLLY

I did read all of the posts - maybe you should read all of them yourself.  The posts were pushing the water issue.  I gave my point of view on that.  Why be nasty, because I don't agree with you?

It's not encouraging or supportive to be told that you've gained 4 lbs of fat when

a) there's no possible way she ate 14,000 calories extra over a weekend

b) it takes time for the food to be metabolized into fat, and with a sufficient deficit and workout in the subsequent week she can easily work off that excess food because it won't need to go from fat to energy

c) holiday foods ARE full of sodium and most of that weight IS water weight

So if you're going to call us nasty because we are trying to be encouraging and help pull her back on the wagon, fine, but don't get offended when we tell you that you're wrong.

I feel your pain....yesterday was my birthday and since I have a large family and Easter events, I really didnt care too much for calorie counting...I had done soooo good for the last 3 months I decided I needed a well deserved break (down 26 lbs since Jan 2)....needless to stepped on the scale this morning and up 3.4 lbs from friday...now I know I didnt eat within my fat loss calories, but I didnt eat that much, therefore, I think it is major weight retention and eating at the wrong times....dont worry it will come down..surprising, I was really looking forward to getting back on the food and exercise...kinda left me feeling crappy yesterday

I can assure you, the 8 pounds I gained was not water weight.