SO frustrated!!! Think it's back to 1200 cals grr.

CoderGal

2-3 lb weights? I thought you were strength training, my mistake. All the same, exercise causes you to retain water. Hiking carrying no weight can still put me up 10lbs.

How much do you weigh and what is your height and age? 1400 is likely not your TDEE, I've never heard of anyone having a TDEE that low unless they were malnourished and had a eating disorder at which point you shouldn't be here. Your TDEE is your total daily expenditure. 1400 would be your TDEE minus a bunch. I suggest you pick up a book and start reading about weight loss so you have a better understanding and don't give yourself any more frights. The forums can be misleading. But weight is never going to be constant. You're always going to be fluctuating.

When your strength training it makes a huge difference. But the OP misused the word strength training. Hers consist of weights lighter then my purse (note to OP, this is not called strength training). She's not going to have the same effects unless she loses weight or picks up strength training that trains for strength and not endurance runs with purses (there's nothing wrong with that, it's great for cardio, but it's not strength training).

Geeeez, relax. She said she's only been doing this for a month. Starting off with smaller weights and a higher number of reps is a great way to go. "I suggest you pick up a book and start reading about" how to conduct yourself helpfully. This is not the "General Diet and Weight Loss Scrutiny/Attack" section. We're all doing the best we can, and if you're having a bad day and need to talk...

:flowerforyou:

Suggesting someone educate themselves is scrutinizing. Riiiight.

And I didn't say that as a put down indicating they were stupid or something. It's one of those things that most people don't know when they first come here (myself included). And I wish someone pointed me in that direction because I had freak outs. I just mean if they read up on it they would know what's going on, they wouldn't have gotten upset because they would understand why, and asking the forums particularly when you don't use the right wording (which is so easy to mess up) can get you the wrong answer. A lot of people are going to be coming here and talking about retaining lean body mass which well, to be honest, 3 pounds isn't going to help a whole lot with that, because most of the people who are saying that are lifting over 100.

elisa123gal

from my experience: I lost weight more easily and steady and fast.. WHEN I DID NOT WORK OUT. yeah true. It boggled my mind because we all think exercise, working out, and dieting all make us lose weight/pounds But no... how you eat will make you lose weight more than exercise ever will.

EXERCISE SHAPES TONES AND MAKES YOU FIT. Exercise makes you hold onto water because your muscles are being broken down on a daily basis...that is why you've gained for now.. after six weeks it will go away.

The dirty truth is; losing pounds and getting fit work against each other. So..as you most likely look smaller...you won't lose pounds or you'll gain a bit for a while and lose slowly..yet you'll be getting a rockin' bod.

you have to get your mind right...do the exercise thing.. eat your calories and get smaller..a and weigh in the end when you look like you want...and the number on the scale is something only you have to know..but the world will see how great you look.

seena511

i've just got to point out that you're not doing TDEE-20% correctly. you are supposed to eat the same amount every day based on your general activity level, not go by a sedentary TDEE and then eat back calories. if your workout schedule isn't regular enough that you think you can trust your TDEE, then you need to go back to logging all exercise calories and eating them back (basically the MFP method). but either way, you definitely shouldn't go back to 1200.

RunHardBeStrong

So you feel better and look bettercbut you're going back down in calories because the scale reflects a small gain? ....k.

My scale can move from 153 to 158 in the span of 7 hours and 2 meals; 2 pounds is hardly worth the stress. Actually, for science, i just stepped on. Lifted last night, btw, and I'm at 160. Resting today, will probably be 153 tomorrow. /shrug

So much this. You feel better and look better and you get to eat more?? 2 lbs is nothing and completely normal when upping calories and picking up exercise intensity. I suggest riding out it out 4 more weeks before changing anything.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

i've just got to point out that you're not doing TDEE-20% correctly. you are supposed to eat the same amount every day based on your general activity level, not go by a sedentary TDEE and then eat back calories. if your workout schedule isn't regular enough that you think you can trust your TDEE, then you need to go back to logging all exercise calories and eating them back (basically the MFP method). but either way, you definitely shouldn't go back to 1200.

She stated she has a Fitbit that adjusts her calories throughout the day. So if she has her base set at 1400, she eats back whatever the Fitbit says she has done with extra activity to keep her below TDEE. That's how the Fitbit/MFP relationship works.

Tigg1011

Thanks guys! I wish I could address all of u individually but Ill be here all day lol. All of your comments are helpful though and I appreciate it!

errorika-Yes I checked on several websites for my TDEE-20% thats how I got it. And then I just eat the fitbit adjusted calories.

Ok, youve all convinced me to stay at -at least 1400 calories...maybe I'll see some more results in another month or so...

Thanks!

IronPlayground

This is why the scale isn't the greatest at measuring success. You feel better and look better, but you are going to dismiss both those because the number on the scale didn't read what you wanted it to. Doesn't make much sense to me.

Keep doing what you are doing. When you do weigh yourself, do it after a rest day. Start taking other measurements, too. You may be losing inches which would completely offset your feeling of failure because of a scale reading.

seena511

i've just got to point out that you're not doing TDEE-20% correctly. you are supposed to eat the same amount every day based on your general activity level, not go by a sedentary TDEE and then eat back calories. if your workout schedule isn't regular enough that you think you can trust your TDEE, then you need to go back to logging all exercise calories and eating them back (basically the MFP method). but either way, you definitely shouldn't go back to 1200.

She stated she has a Fitbit that adjusts her calories throughout the day. So if she has her base set at 1400, she eats back whatever the Fitbit says she has done with extra activity to keep her below TDEE. That's how the Fitbit/MFP relationship works.

ok maybe that's just me not understanding the fitbit/mfp relationship

Mia_RagazzaTosta

i've just got to point out that you're not doing TDEE-20% correctly. you are supposed to eat the same amount every day based on your general activity level, not go by a sedentary TDEE and then eat back calories. if your workout schedule isn't regular enough that you think you can trust your TDEE, then you need to go back to logging all exercise calories and eating them back (basically the MFP method). but either way, you definitely shouldn't go back to 1200.

She stated she has a Fitbit that adjusts her calories throughout the day. So if she has her base set at 1400, she eats back whatever the Fitbit says she has done with extra activity to keep her below TDEE. That's how the Fitbit/MFP relationship works.

ok maybe that's just me not understanding the fitbit/mfp relationship

I have one and it took me FOREVER to figure it out lol.

CoderGal

Thanks guys! I wish I could address all of u individually but Ill be here all day lol. All of your comments are helpful though and I appreciate it!

errorika-Yes I checked on several websites for my TDEE-20% thats how I got it. And then I just eat the fitbit adjusted calories.

Ok, youve all convinced me to stay at -at least 1400 calories...maybe I'll see some more results in another month or so...

Thanks!

Yay! *high five* Gluck and keep the exercise up. I know it seems counter intuitive with the weight fluctuations but I did the sedentary thing and exercise is definitely worth it. It's not only good for your looks but it's good for your mind and health!

257_Lag

I would urge you to weigh daily for a week or so. First thing in the morning. Do this to make sure you didn't just weigh on a high fluctuation day. You might be very pleasantly surprised.

I understand the camp of weighing once a week or even once a month but this can be highly upsetting if you weigh on a high peak day. Look at my chart below, let's say I weighed ONLY on the 2nd day of the month.

May 2 - 239.5
June 2 - 239.5

CRAP! I didn't lose anything this month!
(you be the judge of whether that statement is actually true)

jofjltncb6

The problem with weighing only once in a while is that for all you know, you've lost weight in the mean time but only gained back temporarily because of water weight.

This is why I'm actually a proponent of daily weighing, at least for a few weeks. By weighing daily, you can actually see these volatile changes people are talking about. Once you accept those as "normal", a +2 on the scale won't seem like a big deal...because you will likely have seen several +2s along the way (and some just as seemingly random -2s).


ETA: The post right above mine makes this point very well.

abbyreciouz

IF you are eating at deficit, its scientifically impossible for you to gain 2 pounds of fat. I remember gaining 0.5 pounds by doing insanity.. I was eating at 1200. frustrated as hell. I was like screw this.. and I started eating around 1650..which is my bmr calories...3 days later..BAM 4 pound weight loss.

cookiealbright

Here's how my scale read this week - I weigh everyday. Friday 173, Saturday 174, Sunday 174, Monday 179, Tuesday 177, Wednesday 175, Thursday 173. So what do you think is my TRUE weight? Since Saturday I went to a graduation party & then to a winery. Sunday I went to 2 wineries and had a BBQ lunch at one of them for Father's Day. Don't freak about the scale, be true to yourself and honest about what you are eating/drinking & how much you are working out and you will figure out what works & what doesn't. This is a life change & sometimes you may just have to eat a BBQ & drink wine so enjoy it. :flowerforyou:

CoderGal

The problem with weighing only once in a while is that for all you know, you've lost weight in the mean time but only gained back temporarily because of water weight.

This is why I'm actually a proponent of daily weighing, at least for a few weeks. By weighing daily, you can actually see these volatile changes people are talking about. Once you accept those as "normal", a +2 on the scale won't seem like a big deal...because you will likely have seen several +2s along the way (and some just as seemingly random -2s).

And some people hate it, but for me it helps me get past those freak outs as well. I do it constantly now (mostly for data collection and not for concern at all). When you start constantly seeing yourself go up 10 lbs and over time you keep losing...you stop getting concerned when it happens and have more of a wicked! Haven't done that in a while I musta killed it approach...that first while can be concerning though. But so is the weekly and monthly weighing sometimes as you can tell by the chart above depending on when you weigh.

DaBossLady24

If you're noticing so many great changes in your body, why are you letting the scale beat you up so much?

Enjoy those changes and change up if you need to OR weigh in the morning after a rest day. Don't let a silly number ruin all of your happiness with the other progress. Stay strong! :flowerforyou:

emmamaelee888

What is TDEE?

farmers_daughter

I guess I'll never understand that when someone fights their body this hard and they are already healthy and beautiful.

No. It actually pisses me off. Stop taking what you have for granted and see the beautiful person you are right this very minute no matter what the scale says.

But that's just me.

jess_9981

Dont' give up! I was on WW and I got off during the "Holidays," thinking I was going get back on; I lost my mojo. I have a co-worker who started encouraging me to try MFP and this is my 2nd day! I think if you keep up the way you are doing, you will see results. It took my co-worker about 2 months until she noticed any lbs and inches. Keep up the good work!

Toblave

If you've gained muscle or increased calories while exercising more, then you "gain" could well be not a bad thing. Your body stores glycogen (fuel) in your muscles and glycogen needs water to be stored. So if you've increased lean muscle (a good thing) then your body has more muscle to store glycogen and therefore water (also a good thing, more fuel = better performance).