Weight fluctuation!! ARGGHH

[Zen]

Throw the scale out the window or for some real fun, put it in the road and watch it get run over.
Don't get hung up on the numbers. Are you trying to make weight for the wrestling team?

[indysteel]

I don't have any specific advice for you other than to keep at it--in moderation. Eleven pounds in 3 weeks sounds like a lot and suggests to me that you actually aren't eating enough. If you deprive yourself too much, you'll trick you metabolism into slowing down, obviously not want you want to do. Remember, too, that you need both salt and carbs to exercise. Fruits and veggies can help with "regularity," but are you getting enough fiber? God knows getting "backed up" can make the scale go up.

[velogirl]

11 pounds in three weeks is not healthy weight-loss. Anything more than 2-3 pounds a week is dangerous -- it can affect your metabolism and your body will begin to catabolize your muscle.

Given what you ate (very few dense carbs) I'm pretty certain that your body is in glycogen deficit and that some of your initial weight-loss is due to a lack of water in your muscles.

Try to be patient with the process. We should train (and lose weight) for life, not a short-term goal. Remember, none of us gained unwanted pounds overnight and none of us will lose them overnight either.

Also remember that we experience cyclical fluctuatins in our weight from day to day and within the day. This can be attributed to water weight (ie how much water we're storing in our muscles along with glycogen).

[Jenn]

11 pounds in three weeks is not healthy weight-loss. Anything more than 2-3 pounds a week is dangerous -- it can affect your metabolism and your body will begin to catabolize your muscle.

Given what you ate (very few dense carbs) I'm pretty certain that your body is in glycogen deficit and that some of your initial weight-loss is due to a lack of water in your muscles.

Try to be patient with the process. We should train (and lose weight) for life, not a short-term goal. Remember, none of us gained unwanted pounds overnight and none of us will lose them overnight either.

Also remember that we experience cyclical fluctuatins in our weight from day to day and within the day. This can be attributed to water weight (ie how much water we're storing in our muscles along with glycogen).

Thank you for the input, and trust me I felt it in my rides. I'm not looking for a fast result,I'm looking for a lifestyle change, and it's just my father is a bodybuilder so he gave me his starting regiment, which obviously is based around anerobic (sp?) activity not aerobic. I 've added more fruits and carbs and am not getting on the scale because I see and feel it in my clothes, not to mention feel my strength on the bike. Your website is such an inspiration!!!
Thanks again
Jenn

[ace]

Hiya Jenn,

I feel for you. As a veteran of the weight loss wars, my advice would be to act like it didn't happen. Just one blip on a long trend of weight loss for you. Sometimes after having a few "good" weeks, your body just gets pissy and your weight will go up. Hang on and wait until next week- you'll get there. Do not lose heart

Your sister in struggle,
Ace

[kelownagirl]

You can gain and lose 2-4 lbs easily just by being well-hydrated or dehydrated, or by being a little "sluggish" in the elimination department.

I often find I am down if I weigh myself on a Saturday morning but it's usually because I've had a few glasses of wine on Friday night. Even just 3 glasses can dehydrate me enough to lose 1-2 lbs.

Anyway, I agree with everyone else. Weight loss / change in diet and exercise - takes time. You gain muscle/weight, you lose fat/weight. Focus on how you feel and how you look. Use the scale for interest but try not to freak about it.

[Jenn]

Thank you all for the encouraging words. I'm feeling better, and was able to get into a pair of shorts that I bought 4 years ago, PRE baby, so I am VERY pleased. So, needless to say, the scale is no longer a resident of our household.

[Bikingmomof3]

You can gain and lose 2-4 lbs easily just by being well-hydrated or dehydrated, or by being a little "sluggish" in the elimination department.

KG-I think I am part camel. I held in 6, yes 6 (not a Jen typo ) pounds of water. I had a small freak out then the next day it was normal again.