Seriously, increase in weight?

hgillesp

So much great stuff on this site. I am, once again, trying to lose the 10 lbs I gained three years ago during a stressful time in my life. I eat well. I exercise nearly every day. Right now it's mostly cardio with some light resistance training thrown in. A bad back keeps me from doing the heavier strength training I was doing the last 6+ months. I have a stand up desk at work and stand for half the day.

I fully committed to MFP, tracking, staying on track, etc. about three weeks ago. I even dug up my fitbit and started using that Sunday. I am eating my exercise calories, trying to net about 1250 calories per day, which means a gross of 1500-1700 roughly (I don't eat all the extra calories fitbit throws in, just those that I know I actually did as exercise, i.e. running, 45 minutes). I weigh everything. I really and truly believe I am doing everything just about as "right" as possible and the results have been disappointing to say the least. I have even (gasp) stopped eating desserts, however small, after dinner, although I allow myself a dessert on Friday and Saturday nights... along with some wine. But I exercise a lot more on the weekends, usually.

The first week I lost nearly 4 lbs (water weight I am sure). The next week I bounced around a bit and sort of seemed to maybe have netted a 2 lb loss. That jumped back on and as of my weigh in this morning I weigh .4 lbs more than when I started. I get it that .4 isn't that much, but after 3 weeks of really on track food and exercise, I had thought I would see something move. Anything. I certainly didn't expect to seen an increase.

My diary is open. I am trying to look at this process as dispassionately as possible so that it doesn't become an emotional issue. Instead I am trying to learn about my body, and figure out what it really takes for me to lose weight. Any ideas or insights from people who have been successful would be so appreciated. I can't, at this point figure out whether to eat less, eat more, choose different macros, etc. Years ago after gaining weight from undiagnosed hypothyroidism, I did lose weight on a gross of 1400 calories per day (per a dietitian) and I exercised as much then as I do now, but that just seems like an unhealthy approach for someone 5'9" tall.

Please be kind. I am really trying to be patient with this and ride it out, but I feel myself at that brink of overeating and throwing it all to hell in a hand basket and I really don't want to do that. Thanks so much.

Iron_Feline

You need to weigh all your food, esp nuts and cheese - I see a lot of cup entries in your diet.
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You're probably eating more than you think.

Amanda4change

Let me make sure I have this right, you've been doing this 3 weeks, week one you lost 4 pounds, week two you lost 2 pounds. So in the first two weeks you dropped 6 pounds, and now at week 3 you've gained all that back plus .4 for a gain (in one week of 6.4 pounds)? Or you've still lost the initial 5.6, and this weeks weight was .4 above last weeks?

Iron_Feline

Amanda4change wrote: »

Let me make sure I have this right, you've been doing this 3 weeks, week one you lost 4 pounds, week two you lost 2 pounds. So in the first two weeks you dropped 6 pounds, and now at week 3 you've gained all that back plus .4 for a gain (in one week of 6.4 pounds)? Or you've still lost the initial 5.6, and this weeks weight was .4 above last weeks?

I read it as loss 4lbs first week

Gained 2lbs second week = net 2lbs loss

Gained 2.4lbs thired week = gained 0.4lbs

Elle562018

I could have written this OP. I am in the same boat.

Amanda4change

Iron_Feline wrote: »

Amanda4change wrote: »

Let me make sure I have this right, you've been doing this 3 weeks, week one you lost 4 pounds, week two you lost 2 pounds. So in the first two weeks you dropped 6 pounds, and now at week 3 you've gained all that back plus .4 for a gain (in one week of 6.4 pounds)? Or you've still lost the initial 5.6, and this weeks weight was .4 above last weeks?

I read it as loss 4lbs first week

Gained 2lbs second week = net 2lbs loss

Gained 2.4lbs thired week = gained 0.4lbs

So that would be a calorie surplus on week two of 7,000 and on week 3 of 1,400 over maintenance. It would be pretty hard for logging errors to add up that much, especially if using the same logging skills caused a 4 pound loss the first week.
Just out of curiosity, is your period due soon? I gain (without fail) 5-7 pounds the day before my period starts, it drops off before my period ends.

acollis1

you've been at it for 3 weeks, give it time, and could you be getting close to TOM? Again make sure you measure and weigh, and be HONEST, don't exclude a bite of this and a bite of that it adds up.

acollis1

Looks like you consume alot of calories but not alot of food. Are you a vegetarian? I say ditch all the chips and eat more fruits and veggies!

hgillesp

Thanks so much for the responses, and I will answer a couple of the questions to clarify. I do weigh everything. I just use whatever is easiest in MFP to log, i.e. a 1/4 cup of almonds is (I am doing this from memory) the same as 28 g of almonds and sometimes it is only listed as a 1/4 cup so I just use that instead of grams. But I WEIGH everything and record it accurately. As for the weight.... -4 lbs the first week, plus 2.4 the next and + 2 this week for a total of +.4 (that's .4) for the three weeks. TOM really not an issue, in the throes of menopause and god knows what is happening to my body at any given moment. Finally, I am a pescetarian - eat fish and seafood, eat eggs (only from my own chickens) and dairy but no meat. Thanks again!

PeachyCarol

I see some estimated entries in your diary, but mainly I see some crazy exercise burns, especially if you're only 10 pounds overweight.

For the estimated entries, things like 1/2 a spaghetti squash (weigh the cooked yield, and use the entry for the boiled or baked squash), weigh your orange segments... things like that.

Try halving (at least) the numbers that you're using for exercise burns.

Amanda4change

hgillesp wrote: »

Thanks so much for the responses, and I will answer a couple of the questions to clarify. I do weigh everything. I just use whatever is easiest in MFP to log, i.e. a 1/4 cup of almonds is (I am doing this from memory) the same as 28 g of almonds and sometimes it is only listed as a 1/4 cup so I just use that instead of grams. But I WEIGH everything and record it accurately. As for the weight.... -4 lbs the first week, plus 2.4 the next and + 2 this week for a total of +.4 (that's .4) for the three weeks. TOM really not an issue, in the throes of menopause and god knows what is happening to my body at any given moment. Finally, I am a pescetarian - eat fish and seafood, eat eggs (only from my own chickens) and dairy but no meat. Thanks again!

Water retention and bloating are an issue during menopause (more so for women who had it during TOM before menopause). Changes in exercise can also cause water retention. If your sure your logging and calorie consumption is correct, I would continue on as you are, and see how things go over the next week. If you still aren't losing then you need to create a larger deficit, by either eating less or burning more.