Advice Needed

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PSUtuna
PSUtuna Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,
I joined MFP about a month ago. Before that I was using another weight loss sight for approximately two years. Everything was going well. I had lost weight and was healthy. Around mid September I went on a two week vacation and fell off the wagon. Gained eight pounds in that time. Which really wasn't a concern at the time. I can easily fluctuate five pounds week by week. So, I got back on track... started eating well again, and was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week at about two hours a day. A mixture of cardio and weight training. BUT I kept gaining weight. From the beginning of September till now I have gained 17 pounds. I continue to eat well and work out. I figured I needed a change and joined MFP, like I stated, about a month ago. Compared to the other sight, MFP gives me about 200 more calories a day. Could this be my problem? Maybe I don't need these extra calories? Since joining MFP I have been able to maintain my current weight from week to week weigh ins plus or minus a pound. Do I need to change my plan? Is there something I can change in my routine to re-jump start my weight loss. I have also started tracking my measurements (which I didn't do before) but I haven't done any follow up measurements as of yet. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Replies

  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Open your diary so we can take a peek..
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Are you eating back your exercise calories?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Drop your calories by 100/week until you begin to lose. :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited December 2014
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    If you're gaining you must be eating more...sorry :( I know you don't want to hear that, none of us does. Are you logging every single thing that you eat? are you being accurate ie weighing/measuring?
    Are you eating all your exercise calories back, if so I'd recommend eating back only half.
    If you want to lose those pounds it'll take you getting on top of it once more.
    Have you worked out your TDEE with an online calculator? that would help you see how much you can eat and still lose.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/



    You can do this! :)

  • jh48200
    jh48200 Posts: 14 Member
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    If you are building muscle with your workouts, remember that muscle weighs more than fat so that could account for some of your weight gain.
  • PSUtuna
    PSUtuna Posts: 10
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    I do log everything I eat and drink. On days that I don't hit the gym I sometimes do go over on calories. Days that I do go to the gym, I never eat back all of the calories I burn. I do know that I gain muscle. That is why I have started to take my measurements. I guess I need to try to cut back on my calories for a few weeks and see what happens. I haven't gained any weight in the last month, but I've only been maintaining my current weight. I know I have more weight to lose because I was down almost 20 pounds from what I'm at now. According to my Dr. I can lose around 40 pounds before I'd plateau. I'll try to figure out how to make my diary public so you can take a look. Warning, I know I eat junk. My wife and I both work out of town. I stay away from fast food, but a lot of what I cook is processed. I'm guessing that could also be my problem. Thanks for all your insight.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    If you haven't gained in a month that is good. I would try to stop going over on your days off from the gym. If you are certain that you are logging everything and aren't seeing a difference, either stop eating back calories you burn with exercise, or lower your overall intake by like 150 or 200 calories. If you still feel okay and start losing, then that is your issue.

    Every body is different and responds differently....you have to tweak things to make it work for you :)

    Best of luck!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    What you're eating shouldn't be the problem, it's how much. You say you are accurately logging everything but are you using generic entries (medium banana) instead of weighing your food (.5 of 100 grams of banana)?
  • PSUtuna
    PSUtuna Posts: 10
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    Yes, I use generic entries. I try to get everything as close as I can possibly can. If it is something that I'm not to sure about, I tend to lean toward choosing more calories than an item with less calories. For example: If the banana is a medium sized banana but I'm not sure, I would use the generic for the large banana.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    I glnaced through your diary and it appears that you are not weighing your food. A personal anecdote: when I started weighing my oats, I found that the package's serving size of 1/2 cup (40g) was inaccurate. If I weighed a LEVEL measuring 1/2 cup of oats, it was more like 55-60g, which can add up in the long run.

    TL;DR - It is ESSENTIAL to weigh your food! :#

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