Started eating better and exercising = weight gain?

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    It's not muscle, but part of it, can be water retention due to your new exercise regimen. The rest is most likely logging (protein shakes add calories). Start weighing, it makes a difference.
  • reginab1984
    reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
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    shaylynk wrote: »
    I'm not new to the site. I've actually used it for years.
    I've never weighed my food, and I've successfully lost 40 pounds before on mfp.
    I always eat 100-500 calories less than goal to account for any mis-measurements.
    I was just trying to get some positive feedback and tips.

    I thought if people didn't want to believe me, they wouldn't waste the time to respond.

    No worries, people will happily take time out of their busy schedules to tell you you're doing it wrong!

  • 0067808
    0067808 Posts: 119 Member
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    Perhaps I also read the comment in sarcastic font because of the comment from Reginab1984 on another current discussion 'what has mental health issues got to do with losing weight' - another thoughtless comment made to an agoraphobic member who is worried she might be diabetic. Reginab1984, you really need to watch what you type. Just saying.
  • shaylynk
    shaylynk Posts: 19 Member
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    reginab1984 wrote: »
    shaylynk wrote: »
    I'm not new to the site. I've actually used it for years.
    I've never weighed my food, and I've successfully lost 40 pounds before on mfp.
    I always eat 100-500 calories less than goal to account for any mis-measurements.
    I was just trying to get some positive feedback and tips.

    I thought if people didn't want to believe me, they wouldn't waste the time to respond.

    No worries, people will happily take time out of their busy schedules to tell you you're doing it wrong!

    I've noticed.

  • shaylynk
    shaylynk Posts: 19 Member
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    0067808 wrote: »
    Perhaps I also read the comment in sarcastic font because of the comment from Reginab1984 on another current discussion 'what has mental health issues got to do with losing weight' - another thoughtless comment made to an agoraphobic member who is worried she might be diabetic. Reginab1984, you really need to watch what you type. Just saying.

    Wow.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    Are you counting the protein shakes in with your food? (I only ask because of how you listed them in your OP, next to weight loss pills).

    I tend to gain weight when I increase exercise unless I'm paying *super* careful attention. Portions get a little bigger. I grab a handful of crackers on my way through the kitchen without thinking about it. My body is gonna get its food on autopilot if I won't do it consciously. I don't know if that's what is going on with you, just something to think about.
  • shaylynk
    shaylynk Posts: 19 Member
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    I am :), pills too.

  • reginab1984
    reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
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    0067808 wrote: »
    Perhaps I also read the comment in sarcastic font because of the comment from Reginab1984 on another current discussion 'what has mental health issues got to do with losing weight' - another thoughtless comment made to an agoraphobic member who is worried she might be diabetic. Reginab1984, you really need to watch what you type. Just saying.

    Excuse me, do you hold some sort of position of authority on MFP? My guess is no, in which case you should probably refrain from telling me what I can and can't type.

    Additionally, my comment on the other thread was "What does mental illness have to do with consulting a doctor about diabetes?" Not "What does mental health have to do with weight loss?" Please make sure you at least have the correct information before formulating an opinion. Or just continue to make yourself look like an idiot, that works for me too.
  • wamydia
    wamydia Posts: 259 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    reginab1984 wrote: »
    If you're not weighing your food, no one on this site will take you seriously. Just saying.

    I lost the bulk of my weight without a food scale, so I know that it can be done. But double-checking logging accuracy is one of the easier and cheaper ways to be sure that you're in a deficit.

    I'm curious as to what advice you'd give in this scenario, though.

    I lost 100lbs only weighing some things some of the time and only measuring things I'm not good at eyeballing. The trick to it is to keep double-checking your eyeballed measurements against the scale occasionally to make sure you aren't drifting too much. And to recognize that no weight loss = something is wrong with the calorie deficit and you need to make adjustments.

    That said, I always seem to gain right after increasing my exercise program. Some of it is water I'm sure, but part of it is I go through a phase where I want to eat way more than the exercise calories will justify. I've always been one to get super hungry after aerobic exercise and after an increase I tend to over estimate portions and "sneak snack" just enough to gain a little weight. Once I recognize what is happening, I go back to double-checking my measurements and a zero tolerance policy with unplanned snacking. I also think the urge to eat more tends to wear off as I adjust to the exercise change. Bottom line is that exercising won't help you lose weight if you end up eating back all of the burned calories and then some.

    One more thought: what do you consider a "cheat meal?" Is it just playing a little fast and loose with the calorie goal or is it a free-for-all? I'm asking because a free-for-all cheat meal can rack up an awful lot of calories and cancel out most of a week's deficit relatively easily. A couple of cheat meals could have contributed to a few pounds of weight gain. If you decide to do cheat meals, I would suggest that you try to not go above your daily maintenance calories so that you don't stray too far into taking on extra calories for the day.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited February 2015
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    shaylynk wrote: »
    I've cut my calories down from over 2000 to 1490. "Eating better" is not a meaningless term. It's a term I used because it correctly describes going from eating take out and soda to eating fruits and salad. No I'm not weighing, but I do measure and eat small portions.
    I'm guessing you have no idea how much yu are eating, then. And "eating better/healthy" is subjective. Health is about context, not about individual items. You can still eat take out and be healthy while losing weight.

    Until you make your diary public we cannot truly help you, because it's very likely that any gains you are seeing (if consistent and continuing to increase instead of stabling out) are due to over-eating.

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