Still at a deficit but gained weight? Water retention??

danaberge

I'm up 5.4 lbs this last month. So, is it is what it is. I'm just curious whether it's weight gain from me over doing it over the holidays or it's just swelling and water retention from all the salty stuff. I have still stayed under my weekly calories for maintenance. I am on a 7,000c deficit a week. My deficit for the last two weeks has been around 2,000c- 3500c but I still gained. Is it possible the weight gain has caught up from a 4 weeks ago??

higgins8283801

are you sure you are eating at a deficit? do you weigh your food with a scale? use cups and spoons or eyeball? What is your sodium intake like? is it TOM?

Liftng4Lis

Just looked at your diary, actually only the last four days. You were over on all of them. You're not at a deficit.

danaberge

It's not TOM. Yes, I do weigh my food 80% of the time with a food scale. When I go out (like over the holidays) I had estimated. It just seems like I couldn't have possibly under-estimated 17,000c! Maybe I did??? That would be really crazy. I have been eating the same things for lunch and losing the last year.... so I know "safe" foods and then I measure and weigh everything at night. Including veggies.

danaberge

I don't track my sodium levels (but I know I over do it a lot) I decided to track sugar instead. Sugar for whatever reason prevents me from losing weight. I'm not diabetic but both my parents are and my sisters. So, I was lucky? But the sugar for whatever reason prevents my weight loss.

danaberge

If I don't go over by 1,000c per day i'm still at a deficit. My setting are set at 2lbs to lose per week. I can eat at 2300 and still maintain. That's the lower number. I get all higher numbers from everywhere else.

J72FIT

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Just looked at your diary, actually only the last four days. You were over on all of them. You're not at a deficit.

^^^This. You need to track 100% of the time and weight and measure everything...

Escloflowne

I'm going with over eating on this one but if you think it's water weight, just weigh yourself daily for a week and you will see the fluctuations.

malibu927

Do you weigh out the creamer you use in your coffee? 8-10 tablespoons is a lot, but that could be even more if you use your scale, and it could drive you even farther over.

danaberge

I have measured the coffee creamer. I also weigh everything I eat at night. I guess I can start weighing myself more often. For the last year I have only weighed myself every two weeks. I also have tracked 100% of the time minus 4 days (which I still logged in) Thanksgiving eve, thanksgiving, christmas eve and Christmas. Today is actually 365 days of consistent logging and being honest with myself and what i'm eating. It's just frustrating because I have been honest and logged and weighed and have a fitbit and turned up my exercise. And because of 4 days.... I gained. LOL. I guess it will just come off when it comes off. Because it will come off!!

danaberge

It's just crazy how quickly the weight comes back when you give yourself a little rope. I'm just going to stop the indulging now that the holidays are over and if it takes me the whole year to lose another 30lbs it is what it is. It's just crazy how quickly the weight comes on.

kendalslimmer

Why not up your water intake and watch your sodium for a week. That might give you a clearer picture! xx

RoxieDawn

I have gained too, but I have not been on much of deficit. Maybe a small deficit but not enough for true fat loss.

I am having to get back to Log, Log, Logging again. I was sick and lost and now that I am better I have gained most of it back. My body flipped out on me - I had pneumonia.

I have to put everything in the past and I started new goals. I refused to look back, I am now back on track and can still make my goal before spring. If I beat my self up about things, it is another set back that my mind has to correct instead of just my eating behavior!

danaberge

Well, I know from past history if I just keep going on the track I will get there. I log, weigh and stay active. SO, whatever. I just was wondering if others have had such a drastic UP from a few days of indulgence. Maybe everyone else stayed "good" over the holidays. I'm a food addict. The holidays are just debilitating.

J72FIT

It could also be that your calculations are off. Calories numbers at best are a guess. So MFP might be showing you in a deficit but you may not be. Also, as your weight/body changes so do your calorie needs...

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danaberge

Yep. I figured I would drop 1-2lbs from water weight. UGH. I'm so good at logging but have not weighed the food i'm eating at restaurants or at families house. I'm so glad to be back on a schedule. I know how to do it. It's just so frustrating that I gain so easily but it takes me an entire month to lose 5lbs. And - I can literally gain it back with a few bad days. I figure I will have to be a lifetime logger to ever be able to maintain/lose or stay at a healthy weight.

Jimmyftw94

If by deficit you mean the calories in is less than the calories out, then I don't think it's as easy to measure. I'm new here so I'm not too sure but I've read lots of nutrition stuff and basically if you putting in less calories than you spenting, the body will use your fat for energy, hence losing fat.

The unstable variable here is calories out. How many calories do you need to perform your daily activities. Maybe you are sitting too much doing nothing physical and thus your calories out is less than expected. This translate into having a lower calories in to lose weight.

danaberge

Agreed jimmy!! I have some good toys for measuring my calories burned during the day. I got a fitbit last April. It's amazing! It tracks all my steps and is the most accurate advanced pedometer on the market. It takes my height, weight and activity into consideration. So it actually tells me how many calories I burn during the day to my specific weight, height and age. Yesterday I had a "bad" day. I burned 2500 calories and actually ate 2300 calories. But the few days before I burned 2400 calories and at 1400 calories. I was within 75 calories of my deficit. I weigh my food.
I probably over ate when I went out for the few days over the holiday but it's insane that the weight is much more easily gained then lost. I also ate an entire eggplant by myself last night drenched in salt and a half a jar of sauce (super high sodium). So, I'm sure the weight will come off. I'm back to basics today

J72FIT

danaberge wrote: »

So it actually tells me how many calories I burn during the day to my specific weight, height and age.

Again... it is only an estimate.

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danaberge

Agreed it's only an estimate. But it's a better estimate than MFP or me just making #'s up. Plus, I started exercising by walking only last April. Now I do a stationary bike and walking (walkings on hold until normal temps again) I just got an HRM for Christmas and have been using that to measure the biking I do 5-7 days a week. I vary between 30 minutes and 90 minutes. The HRM is a good estimate???

J72FIT

PlaydohPants wrote: »

Yeah the steps thing isn't always that accurate.

Yep. The only true measure is weather or not you are moving towards your goals...

danaberge

I think I am. It's just upsetting to see the # go up when you give yourself room to maintain and the scale goes up 5 freaking lbs. I guess it could be a lot worse. I'm going to just stay as close to my 7,000c deficit a week as possible. Continue what i'm doing with my food, and what I know has worked for the last year... and just keep my chin up.
I'm in a much better physical condition than last year. I lost about 15% of my body weight. I'm proud of myself. Now, back to business.

danaberge

Actually 17.4% reduction in weight this year!!

chele402

I had my calories set to maintenance from 12/24 through 1/1 and it looked like I had gained 1 lb. As soon as I made myself more accountable on the 1st, it just fell right off. Maybe lower your goals for a few day, watch your sodium, drink water and see what happens....

J72FIT

danaberge wrote: »

Actually 17.4% reduction in weight this year!!

That's fantastic!

What are your stats now? Height, weight, age and physical activity (how often and for how long do you train per day)?

danaberge

H-5'5" W-248lbs Age-31 and I try to get a minimum of 30 minutes physical activity a day. Or I make it up on another day. I have a desk job 48 hours a week, plus car time, and two kids. I do a stationary bike and when the weather gets better I will be back outside. I will be tampering with jogging.... now that I can.

Jimmyftw94

I think if you are consistent in a long term diet then a few days of bad eating is not going to hurt.

Having an optimum setting and condition to weigh yourself is important I think. After a big Thankgiving/Christmas meal you have to wait till the food is out of your system.

I know from experience that it's not possible to gain 5 lbs from a few bad days of eating lol under normal circumstances. Personally it taken me a couple of summers to gain 10 lbs when I was trying to bulk up.

I don't know what a fitbit is but I assume all it does is measure how many steps you take.

Keep up the long term plan and you will succeed.

danaberge

I thought the same thing jimmy. But, I guess as I got older (in my 30's) my body easily gains weight now. So, a couple of bad days for me, means a set back of a month! It's okay. I will lose it again! I'm hoping it's just crazy sodium retention. I was trying to tell myself my body is holding fluid because of how dang cold it is. LOL. Maybe....... Either way, I'm back at it and in the game for the long haul.

J72FIT

danaberge wrote: »

H-5'5" W-248lbs Age-31 and I try to get a minimum of 30 minutes physical activity a day. Or I make it up on another day. I have a desk job 48 hours a week, plus car time, and two kids. I do a stationary bike and when the weather gets better I will be back outside. I will be tampering with jogging.... now that I can.

With your stats I have you at a range of 1200 - 1500 calories per day so you are sitting nicely right in the middle. What are your macros set to?