View Full Version : I keep swelling up weight, have no idea what this is
Okay I am in the perimenopausal age. I have really not had weight issues in my life overall but I am trying to lose 10 lbs because it is belly fat and overall too much. For at least a week I have been on school break and I have used this time to eat very well, exercise a little, and generally get the process started. So yesterday I did a good job following the healthy foods and taking a nice walk and drinking a lot of water. The night before that I had mostly good food but a little junky stuff.
This morning I got dressed and my weight is back up 3 lbs plus I hardly fit into my clothes. I feel more than just bloated, just larger again. I am drinking water but it is very uncomfortable. I really have no idea what is going on, One of the reasons to lose just 10 lbs is that my clothes are not fitting. I do not want to uy new clothes for a size that I am losing weight to get out of.
Any fabulous ideas?
A 3 lb weight fluctuation just within a week isn't unusual. You may be down next week, hormones can account for this much.
Have you considered having your thyroid checked (via a TSH blood test) for hypothyroidism? It's not uncommon to get it later in life, and can contribute directly to weight gain...
If by healthy eating you mean increased carbohydrates, its probably just bloat. Carbohydrates are notorious for causing water retention and, eventually, belly fat.
Try eating only fruit and vegetables for 2 days; add a little protein too. I do this when I hit a weight-loss wall; it works for me. My protein of choice is two or three eggs.
jennipurrr
4-2-12, 12:12pm
I would definitely consider it in the realm of normal when you have just been trying to eat healthy for a week. Sometimes I will eat healthy, excercise, etc for a few days and expect to see a drop in the scale and sometimes I've gone up!Its likely the hormone fluctuations could play into it, or it could be all sorts of things causing you to retain water. If you stick with it you will see the scale reflect in due time. I would stick with it for a month at least and I bet you will be consistently a few lbs down and/or your clothes will be fitting better.
When was your last OB/GYN check up?
I agree about the carbs. When I was in perimenopause, I would bloat like crazy. I took a ton of Gas X.
Nothing makes me gain weight as quickly as wheat/sugar. As others have suggested, you might try cutting grains & sugars for a week and see what happens.
Welcome to perimenopause. ;) Watch the junk food (bad carbs). What you could eat when you were younger will now bloat you up overnight.... And it is normal at this stage of the game to need to reduce your total daily caloric intake to maintain your weight.....
domestic goddess
4-2-12, 4:52pm
Do watch your salt intake,too. It can cause you to retain water, which leads to bloat.
I've been eating far more fruit than usual over Lent, lots of veggies (usual), usual amount of protein and fat, almost zero starches - and I have gained 6lb! My body simply can't handle a lot of sugar, whether it comes in fruit or in other forms. I'm feeling decidedly sulky because my husband has lost 6lb.
Thank you all, how frustrating isn't it.
So the healthy change I made in the last week was to stick to vegies and proteins. I did super well, overall I am scared of sugar anyway. The one big thing I did before bed was to drink tea with artificial sweetner and I wonder about that. I drank water and tea all morning and was not even hungry until about lunch time which is unheard of for me.
I think I got really scared to not have enough to eat since I have had super low blood sugar, that I am simply eating too much on this diet. In any case I am letting the carbs in this week for a healthy balance and then will do the stricter diet later but keep up with the exercise. And not overdo the late night snack! (if I don't have one I wake up with nightmares when my blood sugar drops, but I had so much less on the almost no carb diet)
I've noticed that artificial sweetener makes me bloat, too. As well as refined carbs, salt, table sugar and fruit sugars. Heck, it seems like being ALIVE makes me bloat!
Yeah, stay away from the artificial sweeteners. They're just bad for you overall....
ZG, I am wondering if you noticed whether reducing carbs had an impact on your body's control of blood sugar. You don't need to answer, just something to ponder.
When it comes to the insulin response, "whole grain flour" is NOT the same as "whole grains." So if you choose to eat grains, it is best to eat them in their natural form, not ground up.
Thank you all, how frustrating isn't it.
So the healthy change I made in the last week was to stick to vegies and proteins. I did super well, overall I am scared of sugar anyway. The one big thing I did before bed was to drink tea with artificial sweetner and I wonder about that. I drank water and tea all morning and was not even hungry until about lunch time which is unheard of for me.
I think I got really scared to not have enough to eat since I have had super low blood sugar, that I am simply eating too much on this diet. In any case I am letting the carbs in this week for a healthy balance and then will do the stricter diet later but keep up with the exercise. And not overdo the late night snack! (if I don't have one I wake up with nightmares when my blood sugar drops, but I had so much less on the almost no carb diet)
My blood sugar stays pretty stable on a protein/vegetables regimen without frequent meals, so what you describe sounds good to me. Maybe your body is adjusting itself to increased fluid intake. It's difficult--if not impossible--in my experience, to gain weight on a truly low-carb diet.
Since everyone is chiming in with their pet food theory, I will, too: fiber! Eat fiber! Fiber is my latest focus.
You should have 24 grams daily, and you'd be surprised ( I was!) at how hard it is to get in that fiber each day. I had figured that I was doing fine because I eat a lot of veg, but nope--
Also, the high fiber stuff tends to be a little calorie dense.
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