Your trend weight, that smoothed-out blue line that filters out the daily noise—has crossed above your goal line and is trending up. This highly suggests that at this point in time, you are gaining weight.
If this is you right now, take a breath. I have been there. In fact, during my 100-pound weight loss journey, I had multiple periods where my trend weight went upward for weeks at a time. I plateaued for over two months on more than one occasion. Yet I still reached my goal. You can too, but first, you need to understand what is happening and why.
Understanding the Orange and Blue Lines
In Luuze, the orange line represents your goal line over time. It shows where you should be if you were losing weight at a constant rate to hit your goal by your target date. The blue line is your trend weight—your true weight, stripped of the daily fluctuations caused by water retention, undigested food, and other temporary factors. If you can follow this orange line all the way to its goal, you will inevitably hit your weight loss goal.
When the blue line drifts above the yellow line, it is easy to feel like you are failing. But here is the truth: the orange line is just a projection, not a mandate. Life happens. Your body is not a calculator. The goal line helps guide you, but it does not define your worth or your eventual success.
If your trend is above goal and moving upward, it simply means your current habits are creating a calorie surplus. That is data, not destiny. And data can guide us to make changes. Here are the steps you should take to get back on track.
Step 1: Pause and Reflect (Do Not Panic)
When we see the trend moving in the wrong direction, our first instinct is often to panic and make drastic changes. We might slash calories dramatically, vow to exercise for hours every day, or try some new extreme diet. Resist this urge. Drastic changes rarely lead to sustainable results. Worse, we might just give up, thinking that it is impossible.
Instead, follow the five guidelines for effective reflection. Reflection is where the magic happens—it is how you repair your damaged feedback loop and discover what actually works for your unique body and lifestyle.
Set aside time to ask yourself these key questions:
- Is it obvious what caused my weight gain over the past while or do I have no idea? If you clearly know that you have overate this past week, then the next step is easier. If you have no idea however, then it is important to do a deep reflection.
- What changed? Did something shift in your environment, physiology, or mental state? New job, new stress, new relationship, illness, injury, or even a change in seasons can all impact weight.
- Is this temporary or permanent? A temporary disruption (like the holidays, a vacation, or a short-term project at work) requires different strategies than a permanent life change.
- Were there specific triggers? Look back at your log. Did specific events, emotions, or situations precede the upward trend? Note these without judgment—this is about understanding, not blaming.
Step 2: Diagnose the Source
Weight gain happens due to factors across the Weight Control Spectrum: environmental, physiological, and mental. Understanding which factors are at play helps you target your adjustments.
Environmental Factors
- Has your routine changed? Working from home, new commute, different schedule?
- Are there new temptations in your environment? A new bakery on your route, snacks visible on the counter, more dining out?
- Has social pressure increased? More work lunches, family gatherings, or friends pushing food?
Physiological Factors
- Has your activity level changed? Less daily movement, stopped exercising, new sedentary habits?
- Are you getting enough sleep? Poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones and increases cravings.
- Any medications or health changes? Some medications affect weight, and conditions like insulin resistance can make weight loss harder.
Mental Factors
- Is stress higher? Stress eating is real, and sometimes we do not even realize we are doing it.
- Has your motivation shifted? Sometimes we unconsciously ease up on our efforts after initial success.
- Are you perfectionism-paralyzed? One “bad” day becomes a week because you feel you have already blown it.
Step 3: Make Targeted Adjustments
Once you understand the why, you can address the how. Here are specific adjustments based on common scenarios:
If the trend is up due to temporary circumstances (vacation, holidays, short-term stress): Accept it, minimize the damage, and plan your return. Do not try to “make up for it” with extreme restriction—that often backfires. Simply return to your baseline habits when the temporary period ends.
If the trend is up due to environmental changes: Redesign your environment. Remove visible temptations, prepare healthy snacks in advance, set boundaries around food pushers, or adjust your route to avoid trigger locations. Small environmental tweaks often have outsized impacts.
If the trend is up due to physiological factors: Address the root cause. If sleep is the issue, prioritize it. Did your movement level decrease? Find ways to build it back, starting small if needed. If you suspect medical factors, consult your physician.
If the trend is up due to mental factors: Practice self-compassion while maintaining accountability. Remind yourself that the scale lies, but trends tell the truth—and you are now using that truth to course-correct. One upward trend does not erase prior success.
Step 4: Adjust Your Goal Line (If Needed)
Here is something important: it is okay to move your goal date. The yellow line is a tool, not a tyrant. If life circumstances have genuinely changed, then make adjustments. If you have less time to dedicate to weight loss, if your body is responding differently than expected, or if other priorities have emerged, then it is better to adjust the timeline than to abandon the goal entirely.
Remember: slow is the way to go. A slower rate of loss that you can sustain beats a fast rate that burns you out. If your original goal was aggressive, adjusting to a more moderate pace is not failure but wisdom.
Remember: Plateaus and Bumps Are Part of the Journey
During my weight loss, I had multiple periods where my trend went upward for weeks. At one point, I plateaued for over two months. Looking back at my chart now, those upward blips are barely visible against the overall downward trend. What felt like massive failures at the time were actually tiny bumps on a long journey.
The fact that you are reading this, looking for a solution rather than giving up, means you have not failed. Reflect, learn, and adapt and develop the skill of weight loss.
Every time you reflect on an upward trend and make an adjustment, you are strengthening that skill. You are learning what works for you, what does not, and how to navigate the inevitable challenges of life while maintaining your health.
Your Action Plan
- Acknowledge: Yes, the trend is up. That is information, not a verdict.
- Reflect: What changed? Is it temporary or permanent? What triggered it?
- Diagnose: Is it environmental, physiological, or mental?
- Adjust: Make one or two targeted changes—not a complete overhaul.
- Monitor: Watch the trend over the next two weeks. Is it responding?
- Iterate: If the adjustment works, great. If not, reflect again and try something else.
You are above your goal line today. That is true. But it does not have to be true tomorrow, next week, or next month. With honest reflection and targeted adjustments, you can turn that blue line around—and learn more about yourself in the process.
What patterns have you noticed when your trend starts moving upward? Share your reflection strategies in the comments.