Could someone who knows more than me about weight loss

[HollyDay]

explain something to me. I gained a bunch of water weight this past cycle - about 6 lbs worth - the bloating, rings wont fit, jeans too tight miserable kind. Complete with migranes no less. I lost about half of it but remained puffy.

 

We went on a 4 day hiking vacation to a mountain about 6 hours away from us. The weather was much cooler - at least 10 degrees with nice crisp dry air. We hiked every day and walked everywhere. I came home and found I had lost 4 pounds in 3 days!

 

2 days after being back home, I've gained 2 lbs. The headache is back, the rings are tight and I dont want to think about jeans. It is very warm, very humid, rainy, heavy, stuffy - Gulf Coast weather if anyone knows what I mean by that.

 

So, this must be water weight. No matter how many miles I walked and climbed - I couldnt have lost 4 lbs of "real" weight in 4 days. Nor could I have gained 2 lbs back in 2 days. I wasnt watching my diet very closely while on vacation. I made healthy food choices and didnt stuff myself but I enjoyed desert each night (which is something I dont do at home). I ate Fudge from the Mountain Fudge Factory which is something I dont do at home either.

 

So, what is going one and how do I fix it? I am tired of working so hard, not eating treats I want, and still gaining weight! I walked 2 miles yesterday here at home and took dc biking. I workout everyday at home. I am also about to be 46.

 

Anyone have any thoughts I would appreciate it!

[lynn]

If there's no medical reason i.e. thyroid etc. You need to think about walking longer, adding intensity walking faster for 1 min then slow down a bit for 1 min etc or consider a walk to run program(this worked for me), add some weight training. then there's the usual cut down on bread and sweets or what I did is have 1/3 of what I normally would have had.

[Nestof3]

Have you had your thyroid checked by your general physician?

 

I do know quite a bit about what it takes to lose weight (and gain it :lol:), but I am not familiar with that much fluctuation in a few days. I do know weight fluctuates throughout the day, so I weigh myself at the same time of the day.

 

It takes quite a bit of effort to lose a pound of fat -- a deficit of 3,500 calories. It is quite easy to eat an additional 3,500 calories, which is why it is far easier to gain than lose. I have read that surges of carbohydrates also sends a signal to the body to hold onto fat. Eating too few calories can send the body a signal to hold onto fat.

 

So, you are wise to be exercising, but you should check your pulse to see if you are working out in an optimum range:

http://www.polarusa.com/targetzone/default.asp

 

You need to be at this target zone for at least 30 minutes. I personally don't notice any difference unless I work out for an hour a day, at least. You should build up to this if you aren't used to working out for an hour.

 

Let's say you ride on a recumbent bike for an hour and burn 400 calories. It will take you almost 9 days to lose one pound of fat. So, the possibility of losing 3 pounds of fat in a weekend is doubtful. A cup of ice cream can be 350-400 calories, so it is easier to gain than lose.

 

Are you watching your salt intake? I would really see your physician to make sure you don't have some other issue going on. I don't know much about these things, but I did want to make sure you had an understanding of calories and weight loss.

[HollyDay]

Thanks guys! I did have my thyroid checked last month - along with all the other blood work. It is actually quite good. Mine has been fluctuating for the past few years but it has been more stable this past year.

 

I am really leaning toward the problems of just being 46. The hormonal fluctuations, changes in metabolism, etc wrecks havoc with weightloss.

 

thanks again!

[abbeyej]

I'm curious if there's anything you *didn't* eat while you were on the mountain that you usually eat at home? Were you drinking significantly more water while you were out hiking and afterward than you normally drink at home?

 

Any chance you have the heat going at home and need to replace the filters and/or have the vents cleaned? (I'm wondering if you have indoor allergens that are causing you inflamation...)

[pixelroper]

Salty foods??

[Jean in Newcastle]

Drink lots. Drinking will flush some of that extra water weight out of your body. In humid weather I think you need to especially drink a lot. I know that I get edema (swelling) when it is hot and humid. I think that drinking water also helps to cool down your body and to get rid of the extra salts in your body.

[beansprouts]

Something doesn't seem quite right to me. I don't like the fact that you are swelling and experiencing headaches. Have you checked your blood pressure lately? I would consider speaking with a doctor.

[Whisperlily]

Salt does that to me... Things I used to eat without a problem now cause water retention. I used to eat salted sunflower seeds, popcorn, beef jerky, etc. on a somewhat regular basis. (Diet Sodas are notorious for high sodium content, too.)

 

Nowadays even one piece of beef jerky and I know it the next day. My rings are tight, etc. ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Asked dh (an RN) this question. He says that it is normal to retain water in humid conditions (something about osmosis - if the air has too much water, it won't pull the water out of your body - I don't completely understand it so I can't really explain it, sorry.) He said - avoid salt.

 

Have you tried soaking in epsom salts? They pull salts out of your body.

[Sarah CB]

Have you had your thyroid checked by your general physician?

 

I do know quite a bit about what it takes to lose weight (and gain it :lol:), but I am not familiar with that much fluctuation in a few days. I do know weight fluctuates throughout the day, so I weigh myself at the same time of the day.

 

It takes quite a bit of effort to lose a pound of fat -- a deficit of 3,500 calories. It is quite easy to eat an additional 3,500 calories, which is why it is far easier to gain than lose. I have read that surges of carbohydrates also sends a signal to the body to hold onto fat. Eating too few calories can send the body a signal to hold onto fat.

 

So, you are wise to be exercising, but you should check your pulse to see if you are working out in an optimum range:

http://www.polarusa.com/targetzone/default.asp

 

You need to be at this target zone for at least 30 minutes. I personally don't notice any difference unless I work out for an hour a day, at least. You should build up to this if you aren't used to working out for an hour.

 

Let's say you ride on a recumbent bike for an hour and burn 400 calories. It will take you almost 9 days to lose one pound of fat. So, the possibility of losing 3 pounds of fat in a weekend is doubtful. A cup of ice cream can be 350-400 calories, so it is easier to gain than lose.

 

Are you watching your salt intake? I would really see your physician to make sure you don't have some other issue going on. I don't know much about these things, but I did want to make sure you had an understanding of calories and weight loss.

 

This all makes perfect sense to me. I know how hard it is to lose weight; even when exercising regularly. Last year I did one full month of core cardio bootcamp where I was doing an hour of varied, strenuous exercise every day. I was pretty good about watching what I ate - but I was a lot hungier. I didn't lose one pound that whole month.

 

Then I go and watch The Biggest Loser and there was a woman who lost 99 pounds in 15 weeks - how does that happen???

 

Sarah

[Nestof3]

I was pretty good about watching what I ate - but I was a lot hungier.

 

Sarah,

 

I know it is frustrating to not see the pounds shed easily! I found the most realistic look at what I was consuming was to join www.sparkpeople.com and actually enter in what I was eating for a few days. The first few days, just be honest -- don't change anything. Include everything. You will also enter your current weight, exercise, and goals. The program is great because it not only focuses on weight loss, it allows you to see whether you are consuming the right amount of the various nutrients. To me, nutrition is as important as all the rest.

 

For me, all calories are NOT created equally. Just consuming low-fat foods, healthy choice this and that is not, etc. is not choosing real beneficial foods. But with sparkpeople, I was really able to see those calorie-dense decisions I was making (like CHEESE)! I do eat dairy each day as I have no issues with it, and I am fair-skinned, but I choose non-fat yogurt (plain, I add stuff myself), mozarella cheese sticks, and low-fat cottage cheese. I'm not saying I never use fattening cheese, but for calcium benefit, I choose these things at lunch time.

 

Another reality is that as we get older -- and more sedentary -- we lose muscle mass. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. To increase metabolism, increase muscle mass. This is where strength-training comes in. When my treadmill died, we were not able to find another to fit in such a small space in my room, so I settled on a recumbent bike. I really like not having to leave the house because of my young boys, and I don't like exercising for all the world to see, so this suits me well. I watch an hour of a movie a day while riding. I can tell that my muscles are building up more than they had been on my treadmill, though I read that the treadmill gives a better cardio workout. Who knows -- perhaps that's only when running on it, which I don't do.

 

Another interesting thing about muscle mass is that it weighs more than fat. I had a friend who hadn't dropped any pounds on the scale, but did lose a pant size. She had begun exercising, so I assume the fat weight she burned was matched by the muscle mass she was building.