Exercising & counting calories but gaining weight

TigersFan14
TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been using MFP since January of this year and successfully have lost almost 18 pounds. I am now at a complete stand still and it seems like I have actually put back on few pounds even though I am staying within my calorie limit, exercising, and eating very healthy. It's very frustrating. I don't want to stop tracking my food or stop exercising, but I have noticed that my motivation is going down hill quickly.

I am afraid to eat more calories and exercise less for fear of gaining the weight back. I do over an hour of cardio 6 days a week along with about 2-30 minutes of light weight lifting and other various exercises 3-5 days a week. I am eating around 1250-1300 calories a day which includes very healthy food.

Any advice would be much appreciated! Motivation would be appreciate too. :happy:

Thank you!
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Replies

  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Are you eating back any/all of your exercise calories? Afraid or not you may HAVE to eat more if you want to lose.
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    How long have you been at a "standstill"?
  • Mattdemon
    Mattdemon Posts: 79
    I have been using MFP since January of this year and successfully have lost almost 18 pounds. I am now at a complete stand still and it seems like I have actually put back on few pounds even though I am staying within my calorie limit, exercising, and eating very healthy. It's very frustrating. I don't want to stop tracking my food or stop exercising, but I have noticed that my motivation is going down hill quickly.

    I am afraid to eat more calories and exercise less for fear of gaining the weight back. I do over an hour of cardio 6 days a week along with about 2-30 minutes of light weight lifting and other various exercises 3-5 days a week. I am eating around 1250-1300 calories a day which includes very healthy food.

    Any advice would be much appreciated! Motivation would be appreciate too. :happy:

    Thank you!

    How much do you have to lose? Other than that... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSTEqHxh3fI
  • nj1989
    nj1989 Posts: 13 Member
    Im no expert now but id say with all that exercise your not eating enough calories and your body could be in starvation mode but like i said im no expert
  • talraviv69
    talraviv69 Posts: 13 Member
    Did you redefined your daily calories goal after losing 18 pounds?
    Your thinner body consumes less energy now and your calories goal should be lower.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    I have not been eating back all of my exercise calories only maybe about 100 or so. The truth is that I'm not hungry enough to eat all the calories back. I don't want to eat just to eat. I eat my regular meals with snacks (healthy stuff) and I don't feel hungry. That's what's so confusing about this.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    Approximately 3 or more weeks without losing any weight.
  • ctinawilson
    ctinawilson Posts: 127 Member
    You may be tired of hearing this, but up your calories a bit, see if it helps, and also make sure you eat your exercise calories.
    I guess the other thing that's worth mentioning is that none of this is an exact science, and your body will tell you if it needs something. If you're hungry, eat. If you have exercise calories left to eat but you're stuffed, don't eat. Aim to eat them back but listen to your body.

    I was so scared of all the 'eat more calories' advice given to me when i was experiencing the exact same thing, but I gave it a try, and I lost weight.

    I also really appreciated the info that is on offer in the In Place of a Road Map forums, take a look, and if you really want to deep dive and find out some more info, New Rules of Lifting for Women has great nutritional plans and info about eating more and why, as well as being a great fitness plan.

    I'm only preaching because I've found all this info really helpful, hope u dont mind :)
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    If you are not eating back your exercise calories, that is likely your problem. For instance.... You eat1300 but you burn 300, your net is 1000. Unless you are very small, that isn't enough to fuel your body. From there your body will just hold on to the fat. I don't know your particulars, but that is my thoughts.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    I have 5 pounds left to lose to achieve my goal.
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    Everybody needs to stop telling her to eat more.


    What is up with this forum? As soon as someone ask for help, 100 people jumps in and tells them to eat more.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    Thank you ctinawilson, I don't mind the advice at all! It's very helpful and much appreciated.

    Yes, I'm scared to eat back the calories and I have been reading that on the forums too. Once you started eating back the calories, how long before you started to see weight loss again?

    That's my thought too, when I'm hungry I eat if I'm not hungry I won't eat just to eat. I will definitely check out the resources you listed, thanks!
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    What is your advice broscientist? :happy:
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    So I need to pay more attention to the Net value and be sure that my Net equals my daily allotted number of calories?
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    I am going to back and do this again talraviv69. I had done it once before, but it's worth to revisit it. I am going to try all the advice I receive because I'm losing motivation and don't want to become too discouraged that I stop.

    Thank you!
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    1. Open up your diary so we can take a look. It's much easier to help out if we can see what you are eating.
    2. How lean are you? (It gets tougher and tougher to lose weight as you approach a low bodyfat)
    3. Are you super accurate on your food intake? Do you use a food scale?
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    broscientist - how do I open my dairy? :happy:

    I measure out all of my food but do not weigh it, I don't have a scale. I'm also a vegetarian, so I make sure I am getting enough protein.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I have not been eating back all of my exercise calories only maybe about 100 or so. The truth is that I'm not hungry enough to eat all the calories back. I don't want to eat just to eat. I eat my regular meals with snacks (healthy stuff) and I don't feel hungry. That's what's so confusing about this.

    You probably are not eating enough. You wouldn't be 'just eating to eat' you'd be eating to fuel your body. That's why we eat ;) Add some nuts or peanut butter to your daily food intake - good high calories that add some protein

    I was stuck with the same #3 coming and going for over 3 months. I knew there was something I needed to tweak, but not sure what it was. I upped my daily caloric intake and within a week I started losing weight again.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    I swear sometimes our body just needs to feel something different. I'm not say it's scientifically proven, just that I've found it in my own personal journey when I've gotten 'stuck.' Have you been doing the same 6x/week cardio and weight routine for a while? Maybe just try something new - a new workout, 4 days of cardio, 4 days of weights, a different type of cardio or something like that to jolt your body.

    I also agree with eat until your satisfied, but not 'eat just to eat.' I'll admit that sometimes my 'shake-up' is something out of the ordinary like a gluttonous meal or a big piece of cake one meal. :love: I'm not advocating that for everyone - maybe chocolate just re-motivates me, maybe it's psychological, but it's worked for me. But you only have 5 pounds to goal - so maybe you've found your weight 'happy place' or maybe it's just going to take a little longer. Keep going - you're almost there!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    broscientist - how do I open my dairy? :happy:

    I measure out all of my food but do not weigh it, I don't have a scale. I'm also a vegetarian, so I make sure I am getting enough protein.

    Measuring and weighing are two totally diffent things. I can measure a cup of cereal and weigh a cup of cereal and from the measuring cup 99% of the time it measured out to more than a serving. Weighing is more accurate
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    scibba - Thank you for the encouragement! It's good to see that by tweaking things a bit, the weight loss will happen again. I'm seeing from all the responses that I need to fuel my body more. :happy:
  • Dan_Lifts
    Dan_Lifts Posts: 22
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

    Go there, read the stickies, paying particular attention to estimating TDEE and correctly logging calories (weighing your food). Ask questions.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    broscientist - I opened my dairy, figured it out. :happy:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/TigersFan14
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
    KAS0917 - thank you for the encouragement as well! I thought of that too and it is something I'm going to try. Mixing things up a bit may help along with being sure to fuel my body. :happy:
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    looked at your diary and you need to eat a lot more! Your total should equal your goal.
  • esselle3
    esselle3 Posts: 1
    I'd agree you need to eat more, if on average you are having 1100/1300 calories per day and using 600-700 for your cardio activity it only leaves you around 600 ish to fuel your body.

    Increase your portion sizes and has been suggested focus on quality rather than quantity x
  • DMicheleC
    DMicheleC Posts: 171 Member
    Try reducing the amount of carbs your eating and replace it with protein, this may help. Also this may help you eat more, I know everyone seems to be saying this but all the diets I've done before I've lost minimal weight but as soon as I reduce my carb intake and eat more protein and fat, I eat more and the weight comes off, hope this helps!
  • krissynicole787
    krissynicole787 Posts: 121 Member
    Everybody needs to stop telling her to eat more.


    What is up with this forum? As soon as someone ask for help, 100 people jumps in and tells them to eat more.

    ^^^ I KNOW!!!^^^ I tried eating my exercise calories for 4 months and I gained about 10 pounds back. And I have a heart rate monitor so I know approximately how many calories I burn.

    What I think you need to do is change your percentages for fat,carbs, and protein. Lower the percentage of carbs and increase PROTEIN. That is what I just started to do. But I only have 6-10 lbs left to lose. (I keep changing my goal weight lol)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Im no expert now but id say with all that exercise your not eating enough calories and your body could be in starvation mode but like i said im no expert

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

    You cannot eat 1300 calories a day and be in starvation mode. You have to eat nothing for 72 hours to go into starvation mode. And I define Starvation Mode as when your body turns on itself for energy....

    OP you are not in Starvation Mode...

    "Office MFP Starvation Mode Debunk Team"
  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
    With so little left to lose you need to eat at maybe a 2-300 calorie daily deficit, not the massive deficit you are currently eating at. 1200-1300 cals wont be enough. And you need to net those calories. Eat the exercise cals!

    As you are so close, you need to start eating what you plan on eating for the rest of your life, minus just a little bit.

    Yes you might increase 1-2lbs initially, but its not fat, its just your body re-adjusting and it will be gone again after a week or 2.

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