Why am I gaining back every lb I lose?

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lohkin
lohkin Posts: 43 Member
in Motivation and Support
I started using mfp 25 days ago, with a starting weight of 164lbs (only 10lbs less than what I weighed on my last day of pregnancy 7.5 years ago). I am 4'10" tall. I have been eating approx. 1100/1200 calories per day and exercising lightly several times per week (walking). At least once per week I exercise more vigorously (~300 cals burned). Over the last month, I've made major improvements to the types and amounts of food I eat, much to the irritation and mockery of my husband.

So why do my scale and measurements keep reverting back to my starting point? Every single pound I lose, I gain back almost immediately. I have made no progress and it has been a month. The app keeps telling me I should weigh 153 by now! It is such a blow to my motivation.

My goal is 140. I know I need to start increasing my exercise output, and that this is a long term commitment. But I am so incredibly discouraged by the lack of any progress resulting from my diet change that I can't imagine how additional exercise is going to make any difference.

What else do I need to do differently to make this work?
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Replies

  • redfisher1974
    redfisher1974 Posts: 614 Member
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    Are you weighing your food? It can be easy to under estimate your cals...
  • morgiee_lynne
    morgiee_lynne Posts: 141 Member
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    Are you drinking enough water? Your weight gain could just be water retention.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Have you calaculated your deficit properly?
    Are you weighing and logging all your food. You say you are estimating.
    It sounds like you are just eating ay maintenance and the fluctuations are simply the natural ones of your body. You can eat better food but still have no deficit.

    Exercise cna make a difference if you have a good crack at it and do enough. Its much harder to lose weight via exercise than it is simply by cutting the deficit, but it has other advantages. Dint get wound up about exercise, just walk a little further each day until you are ready and want to do soemthing different.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    more than light walking? if youve been doing light walking for a whole month, it might be time to amp it up.
  • lohkin
    lohkin Posts: 43 Member
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    morgiee_lynne wrote: »
    Are you drinking enough water? Your weight gain could just be water retention.
    Hi - yes, I drink approximately 16-20 cups of water per day but don't always track it.
    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    You need to weight ALL solid foods and measure ALL liquids. That's the only way you will know if you're overeating (which it sounds like you are).
    Hi - I do use measuring cups for my foods and eat pre-portioned foods with barcodes, etc.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    do you stop and grab a tasty beverage everyday?
  • erinashm
    erinashm Posts: 4
    edited November 2014
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    Just curious, can someone explain to me the reasons of weighing your food and what exactly the relationship to weight loss is in measuring your food? I'm kind of new to all of this, and want some input from the experts ;)
  • lohkin
    lohkin Posts: 43 Member
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    yoovie wrote: »
    do you stop and grab a tasty beverage everyday?
    No, I've cut out all fast food (except a couple unavoidable times) and I've cut back on my diet soda intake to only one 12oz can per week.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,671 Member
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    If you're not losing weight, then the 2 main issues are:

    You have a hormonal issue you're not aware of.

    You're eating more calories than your body needs. 90% of the time people overestimate how much they are really eating by either incorrect measurements, overestimation of calories burned, or flat out not logging EVERYTHING they are eating.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    underestimate how much they are really eating*
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    lohkin wrote: »
    yoovie wrote: »
    do you stop and grab a tasty beverage everyday?
    No, I've cut out all fast food (except a couple unavoidable times) and I've cut back on my diet soda intake to only one 12oz can per week.

    oh i didnt mean fast food - there's nothing wrong with that at all. but that's good that you are tightening where you see fit. I was thinking more along the lines of grabbing a juice or a tea on your walk home kinda thing. That can add 3-400 calories to your day if you add up all the servings in a bottle :)

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    erinashm wrote: »
    Just curious, can someone explain to me the reasons of weighing your food and what exactly the relationship to weight loss is in measuring your food? I'm kind of new to all of this, and want some input from the experts ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    exercise doesn't make you lose weight, eating at a caloric deficit makes you lose weight.

    Think youll find exercise burns calories which will contribute towards a weight loss. The calorific deficit doesnt have to come from eating, it just has to exist and could do so from exercise alone i.e eat at maintenance and exercise burning 500 calories a day.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    exercise doesn't make you lose weight, eating at a caloric deficit makes you lose weight.

    Exercising gives you a caloric deficit.

    Not everyone on this site just wants a number on the scale that can be reached through diet alone.

    Some people want to look nice and be strong as well :flowerforyou:
  • Ginger046
    Ginger046 Posts: 204 Member
    edited November 2014
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    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    lohkin wrote: »
    morgiee_lynne wrote: »
    Are you drinking enough water? Your weight gain could just be water retention.
    Hi - yes, I drink approximately 16-20 cups of water per day but don't always track it.
    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    You need to weight ALL solid foods and measure ALL liquids. That's the only way you will know if you're overeating (which it sounds like you are).
    Hi - I do use measuring cups for my foods and eat pre-portioned foods with barcodes, etc.

    you actually need to WEIGH them on a food scale. Measuring cups vary...sometimes quite a lot.

    +1 for this. Watch this video.. says it all really!

    Edit: Dang! Someone posted the video before me!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,671 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »
    exercise doesn't make you lose weight, eating at a caloric deficit makes you lose weight.

    Think youll find exercise burns calories which will contribute towards a weight loss. The calorific deficit doesnt have to come from eating, it just has to exist and could do so from exercise alone i.e eat at maintenance and exercise burning 500 calories a day.
    True, but I'm betting most people overestimate how many calories they are really burning through exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

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