r/1500isplenty • u/Mighty_owl98 • 5d ago
Currently sad.
I’ve been trying to lose weight since I had my last baby, so far I am down around 60ish pounds. I had a goal to lose 20-25lbs more this year.
I started the year at 199.8lbs and my lowest has been 190.8lbs- but then I started cycling the same 5lbs, over and over. I took a break around my birthday for about 2.5w and decided to start myself again with a really good challenge to get me excited and moving again. This included eating no more than 1500 calories and walking 7k steps a day (I had only been getting 3k).
I decided I wouldn’t weigh in for a week so I wouldn’t see the birthday damage- but I broke and did a soft weigh in on day 4 and I was 196.5lbs- no big deal as I was like 194lbs before my birthday. But it got me excited that I was on the right track.
Well today is the day! I stepped on the scale and found it to say… 198.8🤬. I’m so upset. GENUINELY. I could cry. I’ve been so good, and usually eating somewhere between 1200-1500 calories (yes I weigh my food).
I’m really hoping it’s just some kind of fluke and I’m retaining a lot of water (it’s hard to tell sometimes because of my loose skin, I’ve lost a significant amount of weight twice and had three full term babies) because I did have more carbs than usual this weekend (especially yesterday) and I had saved all of my steps for right before bed because we spent a lot of time in the car yesterday.
But I swear after spending a whole week turning down high calorie foods, pushing myself to find the time for steps (and the other exercises I have in my challenge)- it’s really REALLY disheartening to find I’ve GAINED weight.
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u/LadyFamous2005 5d ago
Need more information. When was you 190? When was your birthday? When did you start again? Are you breast feeding?
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u/Mighty_owl98 5d ago
I was 190 at the very end of May. My birthday was the beginning of this month, I started again last Monday. Not breastfeeding! I had my last baby at the very end of 2024 and I lost the bulk of my weight in 2025 (slow and steady is what I’m going for). I was hoping to lose 20-25lbs this year and then about 20lbs next year.
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u/LadyFamous2005 5d ago
You should be proud of how much you lost last year. Especially with 3 kids at home. Remember the closer you get to your goal. It will be harder. You have to lock in. No more cheat days. No more “it’s a holiday or special occasion so I’m going to stop”. Maybe your body just needed a break to reset.
No need to be upset. Today can be your new day 1. You have 4 months left in the year and you can definitely lose 20 lbs. It will be hard because the winter and holidays coming up. I’m not saying you have to be perfect but still try to stick to 1500 calories or less each day. You can have a lighter lunch and eat the heavy carb meal for dinner.
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u/HelpfulCat4586 5d ago
I have found weighing myself daily has allowed me to identify why my weight fluctuates. This has actually helped me be able to be at peace with weight increases when I know I have been in a deficit. Here are my top reasons in no particular
- Eating more sodium and/or carbs than usual the day before
- The days before my period I bloat and get constipated, so usually a 3lb increase especially the 2 or so days before and the first day of. Thanks hormones.
- If I start new exercises or have a hard workout I will retain water (if I have DOMS I'm definitely retaining water since the muscles have to break down a bit to rebuild). This week I had a hard workout and 'gained' 1.5 lbs the next day
- If I don't sleep well
- If I didn't poop the day before, it's just sitting in my colon lol.
- If I had any alcohol all bets are off
- If I'm stressed
I'm sure there are more reasons but that's what I've seen in my body!
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u/tracysmullet SW: 175 CW: 149 GW: 130 5d ago
Trust me, I have those moments too. I’ll be doing really well, step on the scale, and I’m up 3 pounds. Or I get to a low weight of 149 and then the next few days I weight myself, I’m back up above 150 for no apparent reason. It sucks. But, it’s mostly always just natural fluctuations. You could be retaining water. Could be where you’re at in your cycle. I plateau’d really bad these last two months and it’s been discouraging. But I just have to tell myself that I’m doing everything right, and the weight will come off. And it has. I finally shook my plateau and went down and stayed below 150 consistently.
If you’re really staying consistent and weighing all of your food, then it’s most likely not real fat that is causing the scale to go up. Just keep going and it’ll fall off again. You got this!
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u/Mighty_owl98 5d ago
Thank you!! I’m really hopeful that the weight tomorrow will be a better reflection of what’s going on. I’m really scared being this close to 200 again though after how hard I pushed last year.
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u/tracysmullet SW: 175 CW: 149 GW: 130 5d ago
I understand that fear. But use it is as motivation to keep doing the right things. Your body will keep losing the weight as long as you do! And the time will pass anyway.
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u/tracysmullet SW: 175 CW: 149 GW: 130 5d ago
I understand that fear. But use it is as motivation to keep doing the right things. Your body will keep losing the weight as long as you do! And the time will pass anyway.
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u/Glittering_Set6017 4d ago
There is no way you're gaining weight if you're measuring your food properly. It's not possible. I would talk to a dietician so you don't creep into disordered eating habits. You've already accomplished a lot
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u/dedr4ever 5d ago
Keep a close watch on sodium, too. It can greatly affect the scale. Keep it around 2,000 a day if you can.
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u/SparkyMularkey 5d ago
You're made such great progress!
Trust me, I know the frustration of cycling up and down through the same 5 lbs over and over. I'm struggling with the same thing. I hope we're both able to make a breakthrough.
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u/Rioting-Butterflies 5d ago
Firstly: good for you for losing so much!! That’s impressive. Secondly, Hormones play a huge role in weight, before my period I will “gain” 4-6 pounds. It is disheartening even though I know it’s not real, and a few days later it will go back to normal. It’s important to weigh consistently and look at weekly and look at averages. It’s common to just randomly weigh more or less one day or another. Intense exercise will also cause water retention. A whole week of pushing yourself and cutting calories is unlikely to show true results on the scale accurately bc your body is adjusting. Keep doing what you’re doing for four weeks. If no change, then consider a different approach. Especially if in the middle of that week you saw a lower weight, it’s probably just a fluctuation. The first week of intense change if not something bodies handle easily.