What am I doing wrong?

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sjb5577
sjb5577 Posts: 29 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Very frustrated! Started working out/tracking calories April 6. Not only have I not lost any weight, I've gained 2lbs :( Workout consists of 60 min Spin Class M W F with 30 min brisk walk on treadmill after class. 60 min Body Pump T TH. Rest on Sat Sun. Sticking to my MFP 1200. Drinking lots of water. Eating lots of protein. My diary is open. I'm 5'2 160lbs 52yo Female.
What am I doing wrong??? So discouraged at this point.
Any ideas suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • Curtruns
    Curtruns Posts: 510 Member
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    quit focusing on the scale!! You also mention that you a drinking lot of water. My weight can vary by a lot based on water weight. I am a bit direct there but realize that fitness is a journey, not a step.You have been doing this for less than three weeks
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Are you eating a calorie deficit? Have you given it longer than two weeks?
  • joanthemom8
    joanthemom8 Posts: 375 Member
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    The thing that makes the difference for me is weighing and measuring all of my food. I was really off on "eyeballing" portions. For example, in the mornings I just sloshed in my cream into my coffee and counted it as 1 serving (35 calories). But 1 serving is only a tablespoon. I'd have 2 cups of coffee, - at least 2 servings of cream, but I logged only one. Then one day, I measured 1 serving and put it in my coffee. Didn't even make a dent in the flavor. I realized that I'd probably been using 2 or 2.5 servings per cup of coffee.... so I was logging 35 calories, but actually using 70-140 calories. Other things too I was misjudging and even though they sound small, they add up in the end. Each time I buckle down and weight and measure my food, I lose weight. The exercise helps a little, but I always lose the weight if I tighten up my food monitoring. It's just sometimes I get lazy about it (and I pay for it). Good luck!
  • Kalici
    Kalici Posts: 685 Member
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    Your diary isn't very filled in. The days you have filled in it doesn't look like you weighed your portions with a scale. It looks like you pulled the generic portion amounts from packaging (if I am wrong please correct). If this is the case you are probably eating a lot more than you think. Also, if you just started exercising you're probably retaining water because your body is not used to it at all. I suggest you get a scale and weigh every solid/semi-solid/powdered state and use measuring spoons and cups for liquids. Make sure your goal isn't too aggressive and stick with it for a month to see how it goes.
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
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    You haven't logged anything for the previous two days, or the previous Monday, Sunday, Saturday, Friday, etc. It doesn't seem like you're logging at all here, which would explain your results.
  • adamgoleafs87
    adamgoleafs87 Posts: 129 Member
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    I agree with the above poster, your best bet would be to get a food scale and weigh. I was in the same boat as you and noticed a huge difference when I started to weigh everything.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    adamgoleafs87 wrote: »
    I agree with the above poster, your best bet would be to get a food scale and weigh. I was in the same boat as you and noticed a huge difference when I started to weigh everything.

    This. Log everything. And drink more water.

  • sjb5577
    sjb5577 Posts: 29 Member
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    Thank you everyone!
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    It is 6:00 PM and you have only logged 325 calories from breakfast. Unless you get serious about logging everything you eat in detail, you are probably not going to have much success. Yes its hard. Yes it takes time. Are you worth a little extra time and effort?
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    First off, stop focusing on the scale. Take body measurements (neck, chest, stomach, waist, hips, upper arms and upper legs) and take pictures. Fat loss is what you want, not weight loss.

    Second, commit to a lifestyle change. What and how much you eat determines what happens with fat loss. Exercise is for other fitness goals. Log your food to learn what a day’s worth of food should look like, after a while you may be able to stop logging, but in the beginning, it is absolutely necessary.

    Third, be patient. You’ve been at it less than three weeks. I’m guessing it took you longer than that to gain the excess fat you have.

    Patience, persistence, progression.
  • mz_getskinny
    mz_getskinny Posts: 258 Member
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    When I started the gym? I gained 7 lbs...in my first week. I wanted to quit lol so frustrating. Turns out it was just water weight. 2 weeks later it dropped off and now I'm losing steadily again. Whatever you do, don't stop. It's a temporary gain and it will work itself out!!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Get a food scale. You need to weigh and measure everything to be sure your really at a deficit. If your not losing , your not eating at a deficit

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