Two Week Diet and Exercise - Bloated and Heavier

jgnatca

I was wondering if you have experienced marked increases in strength and flexibility from all your exercise?

MaraJadeSharpie

Thank you for all the responses. I've unlocked my diary. I only began logging on the 13th, and those first few days are not showing the extra meal that I've now removed (salmon, broccoli and Jasmine rice). And yes, I am meticulous about the ounces. I have a food scale and have been weighing absolutely everything for every meal.

@scg17, I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 12 years old. It was something I had learned to live with, and did not really think about as being abnormal. But now that I've been on this new diet, I have not had a "problem" since then. Granted, I do feel like I have bowel movements a lot more often now, but it is no longer uncontrollable. It may be due to the supplements.

To list the supplements I am taking: CLA, Glutamine, Probiotics, Women's multivitamin, BCAA and Vitamin C.

As for fiber intake, I'm not sure how much more it is. I didn't keep track of what I ate before. Just that I did not eat a lot. I ate lunch and dinner, and sometimes not lunch. Mostly because I was not hungry. I never ate breakfast, partially because I was not hungry, and partially because it tended to make me sick to eat early in the morning. What I did eat for lunch and dinner was always a small portion. For example, I had trouble finishing a sushi roll. Eating that little did not stop me from gaining weight, though. I have gained about 20 pounds in the last two years.

I do have a small frame. I was 125 pounds a couple years ago, and I was most comfortable then. I have hit all the plateaus on my way to 150 (130, 135, 140, etc.), and I was happiest at 125. I have been much smaller (100 pounds until I was 21), and I know that was too thin. But I would love to be at least 130ish again.

I would not say I have noticed feeling any better in this time. I don't feel more energetic or anything. I feel the same. I did take measurements when we started on July 6th, and as of last Monday they had not changed. I haven't measured yet this week.

I am going to stick it out. My trainer is going to keep adjusting my nutrition plan to try and account for the lack of progress. It would just be a lot easier to see some improvement! Ha.

Thanks again for all the input.

SunnyPacheco

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

Thank you for all the responses. I've unlocked my diary. I only began logging on the 13th, and those first few days are not showing the extra meal that I've now removed (salmon, broccoli and Jasmine rice). And yes, I am meticulous about the ounces. I have a food scale and have been weighing absolutely everything for every meal.

@scg17, I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 12 years old. It was something I had learned to live with, and did not really think about as being abnormal. But now that I've been on this new diet, I have not had a "problem" since then. Granted, I do feel like I have bowel movements a lot more often now, but it is no longer uncontrollable. It may be due to the supplements.

To list the supplements I am taking: CLA, Glutamine, Probiotics, Women's multivitamin, BCAA and Vitamin C.

As for fiber intake, I'm not sure how much more it is. I didn't keep track of what I ate before. Just that I did not eat a lot. I ate lunch and dinner, and sometimes not lunch. Mostly because I was not hungry. I never ate breakfast, partially because I was not hungry, and partially because it tended to make me sick to eat early in the morning. What I did eat for lunch and dinner was always a small portion. For example, I had trouble finishing a sushi roll. Eating that little did not stop me from gaining weight, though. I have gained about 20 pounds in the last two years.

I do have a small frame. I was 125 pounds a couple years ago, and I was most comfortable then. I have hit all the plateaus on my way to 150 (130, 135, 140, etc.), and I was happiest at 125. I have been much smaller (100 pounds until I was 21), and I know that was too thin. But I would love to be at least 130ish again.

I would not say I have noticed feeling any better in this time. I don't feel more energetic or anything. I feel the same. I did take measurements when we started on July 6th, and as of last Monday they had not changed. I haven't measured yet this week.

I am going to stick it out. My trainer is going to keep adjusting my nutrition plan to try and account for the lack of progress. It would just be a lot easier to see some improvement! Ha.

Thanks again for all the input.

Whoa that's a lot of supplements that I've really only seen fitness models, body builders, and people that do competitions take. Does your trainer have you on all of those or is it for the IBS? Aside from the probiotics, multivitamin and vitamin C the rest seem highly unnecessary and could be very likely causing your bloating. I think people also experience bloating with probiotics for the first couple of weeks while the body evens out? I can't speak to that part.

psuLemon

SunnyPacheco wrote: »

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

Thank you for all the responses. I've unlocked my diary. I only began logging on the 13th, and those first few days are not showing the extra meal that I've now removed (salmon, broccoli and Jasmine rice). And yes, I am meticulous about the ounces. I have a food scale and have been weighing absolutely everything for every meal.

@scg17, I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 12 years old. It was something I had learned to live with, and did not really think about as being abnormal. But now that I've been on this new diet, I have not had a "problem" since then. Granted, I do feel like I have bowel movements a lot more often now, but it is no longer uncontrollable. It may be due to the supplements.

To list the supplements I am taking: CLA, Glutamine, Probiotics, Women's multivitamin, BCAA and Vitamin C.

As for fiber intake, I'm not sure how much more it is. I didn't keep track of what I ate before. Just that I did not eat a lot. I ate lunch and dinner, and sometimes not lunch. Mostly because I was not hungry. I never ate breakfast, partially because I was not hungry, and partially because it tended to make me sick to eat early in the morning. What I did eat for lunch and dinner was always a small portion. For example, I had trouble finishing a sushi roll. Eating that little did not stop me from gaining weight, though. I have gained about 20 pounds in the last two years.

I do have a small frame. I was 125 pounds a couple years ago, and I was most comfortable then. I have hit all the plateaus on my way to 150 (130, 135, 140, etc.), and I was happiest at 125. I have been much smaller (100 pounds until I was 21), and I know that was too thin. But I would love to be at least 130ish again.

I would not say I have noticed feeling any better in this time. I don't feel more energetic or anything. I feel the same. I did take measurements when we started on July 6th, and as of last Monday they had not changed. I haven't measured yet this week.

I am going to stick it out. My trainer is going to keep adjusting my nutrition plan to try and account for the lack of progress. It would just be a lot easier to see some improvement! Ha.

Thanks again for all the input.

Whoa that's a lot of supplements that I've really only seen fitness models, body builders, and people that do competitions take. Does your trainer have you on all of those or is it for the IBS? Aside from the probiotics, multivitamin and vitamin C the rest seem highly unnecessary and could be very likely causing your bloating. I think people also experience bloating with probiotics for the first couple of weeks while the body evens out? I can't speak to that part.

Vitamin C would be completely unnecessary as well. Most multivitamins have your daily required amount. Personally, I would drop the CLA, glutamine and BCAA and just stick with the ON whey protein shake.. it should have all the other stuff in there. Please the benefits of CLA and Glutamine are blown up.. even BCAA (found in whey shakes) has been exaggerated.

Also, considering you haven't had good logging yet, I would give that a few weeks.

You can update your food diary to show fiber instead of sugar.. that is what I would recommend.

Diary, it looks ok. I am amazed that you eat 2.5 oz of potato every day. I did notice you have a generic entry for egg white which you might want to clean up and you don't log any of your vitamins. Personally, I would increase your fat intake a bit. That will help with satiety but it will also improve the absorption of nutrients.

SunnyPacheco

psulemon wrote: »

SunnyPacheco wrote: »

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

Thank you for all the responses. I've unlocked my diary. I only began logging on the 13th, and those first few days are not showing the extra meal that I've now removed (salmon, broccoli and Jasmine rice). And yes, I am meticulous about the ounces. I have a food scale and have been weighing absolutely everything for every meal.

@scg17, I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 12 years old. It was something I had learned to live with, and did not really think about as being abnormal. But now that I've been on this new diet, I have not had a "problem" since then. Granted, I do feel like I have bowel movements a lot more often now, but it is no longer uncontrollable. It may be due to the supplements.

To list the supplements I am taking: CLA, Glutamine, Probiotics, Women's multivitamin, BCAA and Vitamin C.

As for fiber intake, I'm not sure how much more it is. I didn't keep track of what I ate before. Just that I did not eat a lot. I ate lunch and dinner, and sometimes not lunch. Mostly because I was not hungry. I never ate breakfast, partially because I was not hungry, and partially because it tended to make me sick to eat early in the morning. What I did eat for lunch and dinner was always a small portion. For example, I had trouble finishing a sushi roll. Eating that little did not stop me from gaining weight, though. I have gained about 20 pounds in the last two years.

I do have a small frame. I was 125 pounds a couple years ago, and I was most comfortable then. I have hit all the plateaus on my way to 150 (130, 135, 140, etc.), and I was happiest at 125. I have been much smaller (100 pounds until I was 21), and I know that was too thin. But I would love to be at least 130ish again.

I would not say I have noticed feeling any better in this time. I don't feel more energetic or anything. I feel the same. I did take measurements when we started on July 6th, and as of last Monday they had not changed. I haven't measured yet this week.

I am going to stick it out. My trainer is going to keep adjusting my nutrition plan to try and account for the lack of progress. It would just be a lot easier to see some improvement! Ha.

Thanks again for all the input.

Whoa that's a lot of supplements that I've really only seen fitness models, body builders, and people that do competitions take. Does your trainer have you on all of those or is it for the IBS? Aside from the probiotics, multivitamin and vitamin C the rest seem highly unnecessary and could be very likely causing your bloating. I think people also experience bloating with probiotics for the first couple of weeks while the body evens out? I can't speak to that part.

Vitamin C would be completely unnecessary as well. Most multivitamins have your daily required amount. Personally, I would drop the CLA, glutamine and BCAA and just stick with the ON whey protein shake.. it should have all the other stuff in there. Please the benefits of CLA and Glutamine are blown up.. even BCAA (found in whey shakes) has been exaggerated.

Also, considering you haven't had good logging yet, I would give that a few weeks.

You can update your food diary to show fiber instead of sugar.. that is what I would recommend.

Diary, it looks ok. I am amazed that you eat 2.5 oz of potato every day. I did notice you have a generic entry for egg white which you might want to clean up and you don't log any of your vitamins. Personally, I would increase your fat intake a bit. That will help with satiety but it will also improve the absorption of nutrients.

Also, I'm not super familiar with all the supplements but do any of them have calorie counts that you may be neglecting to log? Don't know if it was answered yet, but do you have a digital food scale and are you weighing all of your food? I see a 4oz Tilapia filet everyday but my tilapia filets are usually all different sizes so it's never the same everytime.

kshama2001

The amount of Vitamin C in the RDA is just over the amount needed to prevent scurvy. In general, RDA amounts are to prevent deficiency diseases, not for optimal health.

MaraJadeSharpie

The supplements were all recommended by my trainer. I'm starting to get a little frustrated and cynical about the approach, though, I will admit. I am disappointed I have paid for professional advice that doesn't seem to be making a difference.

It has now been a month, and my weigh-in on Monday showed one pound of loss. But really, it fluctuates every day, so I wouldn't be surprised if it were right back up again today. I honestly think I am eating too many calories.

I come from a lifestyle of eating very, very little. I often only ate once a day. Now I have switched to a lifestyle of eating 5 times a day, which comes to approx. 1,500 calories, and I am not showing anything for it. As stated, I have actually gained. I must say I do not believe the whole "fast metabolism" religion. Maybe that is ignorant, but on this diet I am not hungry when I eat, I eat because I am supposed to. If my body is not smart enough to tell me when to eat, then I think it must be broken. I shouldn't be force feeding it. Personally I think it all hinges on the calories. It shouldn't matter when you eat, just how much.

That said, I know I am at least eating a lot healthier. Yesterday marks one month since I have had one of my beloved frappuccinos. And the exercise is also a great thing. I am definitely getting stronger (albeit, slowly). I just think I need to eat less. I believe I will be going rogue and begin decreasing the calories on my own. The site here recommends that I only eat 1,200 a day. I will start sticking to that, and hopefully see some results.

By the way, to the many that have asked, yes, I do use a food scale. I do not eat a single thing that hasn't been weighed beforehand.

psuLemon

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

The supplements were all recommended by my trainer. I'm starting to get a little frustrated and cynical about the approach, though, I will admit. I am disappointed I have paid for professional advice that doesn't seem to be making a difference.

It has now been a month, and my weigh-in on Monday showed one pound of loss. But really, it fluctuates every day, so I wouldn't be surprised if it were right back up again today. I honestly think I am eating too many calories.

I come from a lifestyle of eating very, very little. I often only ate once a day. Now I have switched to a lifestyle of eating 5 times a day, which comes to approx. 1,500 calories, and I am not showing anything for it. As stated, I have actually gained. I must say I do not believe the whole "fast metabolism" religion. Maybe that is ignorant, but on this diet I am not hungry when I eat, I eat because I am supposed to. If my body is not smart enough to tell me when to eat, then I think it must be broken. I shouldn't be force feeding it. Personally I think it all hinges on the calories. It shouldn't matter when you eat, just how much.

That said, I know I am at least eating a lot healthier. Yesterday marks one month since I have had one of my beloved frappuccinos. And the exercise is also a great thing. I am definitely getting stronger (albeit, slowly). I just think I need to eat less. I believe I will be going rogue and begin decreasing the calories on my own. The site here recommends that I only eat 1,200 a day. I will start sticking to that, and hopefully see some results.

By the way, to the many that have asked, yes, I do use a food scale. I do not eat a single thing that hasn't been weighed beforehand.

Meal frequency literally will do nothing for your weight loss. Total calories will control the loss, not the number of meals.

I know you said you have IBS, have you talk to a specialist about an eating plan for that? Overall, your diary is pretty solid, although, I would replace the generic egg whites entry with the correct brand.

healthygreek

You are either eating more than you think or you have an issue like hypothyroid or somthing like that. Maybe it's time to get tested?

belinda_73

it took me a year to go from 153 to 133 at 5'5, I had to change things up, cardio, weights, walking. protein shakes tend to make me retain water, so I did better on real food. I also changed calories day to day, some days I needed 1500, then the next day 1200, based on my activity. I kept my protein around 120 grams, more than that I seemed to look puffy, I know people will dispute that. I can't eat sweet potatoes, bloats me up painfully, even tho I know they are good for you. it's a learning process, I learned each month what my body needs. takes months. once I got the right ratios I'd lose a little less than a lb a week, some weeks I'd gain it back, some weeks, 2 would come off.

kshama2001

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

The supplements were all recommended by my trainer. I'm starting to get a little frustrated and cynical about the approach, though, I will admit. I am disappointed I have paid for professional advice that doesn't seem to be making a difference.

It has now been a month, and my weigh-in on Monday showed one pound of loss. But really, it fluctuates every day, so I wouldn't be surprised if it were right back up again today. I honestly think I am eating too many calories.

I come from a lifestyle of eating very, very little. I often only ate once a day. Now I have switched to a lifestyle of eating 5 times a day, which comes to approx. 1,500 calories, and I am not showing anything for it. As stated, I have actually gained. I must say I do not believe the whole "fast metabolism" religion. Maybe that is ignorant, but on this diet I am not hungry when I eat, I eat because I am supposed to. If my body is not smart enough to tell me when to eat, then I think it must be broken. I shouldn't be force feeding it. Personally I think it all hinges on the calories. It shouldn't matter when you eat, just how much.

That said, I know I am at least eating a lot healthier. Yesterday marks one month since I have had one of my beloved frappuccinos. And the exercise is also a great thing. I am definitely getting stronger (albeit, slowly). I just think I need to eat less. I believe I will be going rogue and begin decreasing the calories on my own. The site here recommends that I only eat 1,200 a day. I will start sticking to that, and hopefully see some results.

By the way, to the many that have asked, yes, I do use a food scale. I do not eat a single thing that hasn't been weighed beforehand.

If your hunger cues are working, I'd recommend paying attention to them. When I started this in April I was eating three meals and two snacks. These days, I often skip one of the snacks because I'm just not hungry enough for it.

lemurcat12

MaraJadeSharpie wrote: »

The site here recommends that I only eat 1,200 a day. I will start sticking to that, and hopefully see some results.

The site recommends that BEFORE exercise. MFP's plan includes adding back exercise, so what MFP is telling you isn't much different than your trainer, as you are exercising.

My first thought was going to be the change in fiber and perhaps bathroom issues, as you are feeling bloated. From what you said, it's not the latter, but adding in lots more broccoli and other related veggies can cause bloating if you aren't used to it. (Related to that, going so low fat can cause bathroom issues too, and the main thing I noticed about that diet is that it seems really low fat, especially if you aren't cooking the veggies in some sort of oil.) My other guess would be the supplements--I know creatine causes water weight gain, don't know about the things you are taking, but it might be worth looking into. If you are up and feeling bloated chances are it's water weight.

The other question is how frequently you weighed before starting. Fluctuations are common and being higher in some parts of the month than others is really common for women (with varying patterns). Given all these things, if you are totally sure you are weighting/logging right, I'd keep on for a bit longer, as you should be losing on the calories you are eating with exercise.

Luvzy

What time of day are you weighing? If I don't weigh as soon as I get up, I can fluctuate 5 lbs throughout the day.

Also, how many of your exercise calories are you eating back? Most people recommend eating only half back to account for inaccuracies, inconsistencies, etc. I don't even eat them back most of the time.

Some people have good results with paying equal or more attention to carbs than calories (though obviously you should pay attention to both). I noticed from your example meals that each one seems to have a heavy carb (did not look at your diary though). Low carb is a huge sacrifice, but there are lots of ways to trick your cravings. Some of my favorites are: garlic mashed cauliflower, no-rice stuffed bell peppers, no-rice jamabalaya (sacrilege, I know), lettuce wraps, spaghetti squash, etc.

Also, you shouldn't eat if you aren't hungry. I agree with you about all the diet "religions." I don't pay attention to any of the timing rules really (beyond common sense) and I've lost 30 lbs within a few months. Obviously that isn't concrete evidence, but if you are counting calories, weighing food, and exercising almost every day, then that is enough structure and discipline, right? In my opinion, we don't need a thousand rules about what exact times we are allowed to eat, forcing ourselves to eat, how much time in between meals/snacks, etc. If we succumb to too many rules, then our "diets" will stay as torturous/temporary diets, instead of gratifying clean lifestyle changes.

leahkite

Were you exercising prior to starting the program with the trainer? My thought based on this entire thread is you were eating too little to start with, now you've thrown it a curve ball by exercising 6 days a week. Yes you may be eating a little more than before, but you are also burning more calories than before. So now your body is hanging onto whatever storage you have because you aren't eating enough.

Your TDEE is 2167, that's what your body needs to function at your current level of activity and maintain your current weight (I entered 6 days of activity). For weight lost should subtract 15-20% of your TDEE, at 20% that puts you at 1734 calories daily. OR you can do a base at 1500 and log your activity and eat back SOME of your exercise calories. Bottom line, I think you aren't losing because you aren't eating enough to fuel your body.

I also agree with the poster than said you need to be eating more fat. I'd also throw in some weight training, you burn more calories when you are building muscle (I'm not saying you have to try and bulk up). If it's an option I might try a new trainer as well, seems like the person you are with now is very text book and isn't looking at the bigger picture.