I guess I am gaining instead of losing weight?
lml852014
Posts: 243 Member
I was recently suggested by some people on here to use happy scale app to track my weight everyday since I seem to get frustrated by daily fluctuations. Last week I ended up weighing in 3 times and was 137.4 every single day, I figured something may be up as it was the exact same everyday. I've been doing really great with weighing everything out etc. This week starting on Monday I began weighing and tracking, I know have been weighing at138.2, 138.2, 138.4 for the last 3 days. Its very discouraging because while I know to expect fluctuations but since beginning over November my weight has gone up! I've been doing really good for the most part and I just don't understand. I started beginning of Oct and was losing at a good pace (about a lb a week). I was at 133 before thanksgiving then went up to 135ish then after christmas took place I was at 137. It is the week before my cycle so it could be that it could be many things its just frustrating to constantly see numbers going up instead of down.
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Four pounds since November, if I'm understanding you correctly, is a gain. But it's one that should be pretty easy to reverse.
Are you currently tracking your food? Have you been tracking it since November? How many calories are you eating each day? Opening your diary may get you some more helpful advice. When we gain, it's because we're consuming more calories than we're burning.0 -
133 in November and 137 now does seem like a gain. At about the rate of 2 pounds per month or an excess in calories of 250/day over maintenance. When you were probably aiming for a deficit of 250 a day, that means you're eating on average 500/day more than intended. How many calories per day do you think you've been eating, and how do you calculate them? Do you occasionally have 'cheat' days where you don't log? If so, how often? How active is your lifestyle?
Based on your gender/age (from profile) and assuming average height your BMR is ~1350 per day. Depending on activity level your total daily burn before exercise is about 1625-1775. Eating 1300-1500 per day should allow you to lose at the rate of roughly 2 pounds per month. But your results indicate you're probably eating 1800-2000.
Tighten up your logging. Food scale for everything solid. Count for oils, beverages, condiments. Enter your own recipes instead of using recipes already in the system. And increase activity where possible. When your total daily burn is fairly low, any estimation for calories in is likely to eat up your deficit.
*Adjust my numbers upward if you're very active, of course. And these numbers do not consider exercise for additional calories burned.0 -
Yeah I have been tracking since beginning of October, I lost then went back up. My diary isnt the best because I just do quick add calories as it works easiest for me. I have no idea how I'd be eating 1800-2000 as most days I would be about 2-300 calories under still. I may be overestimating calories burned and that could be whats causing this but it just doesnt seem to make much sense. Its most frustrating bc as I've said before a couple years ago I never weighed a single thing and never used a heart rate monitor (I started last year but it broke) and I still managed to lose 13 lbs in 5 months. Which was fine for me. Now its so much more difficult and I'm weighing everything out etc.janejellyroll wrote: »Four pounds since November, if I'm understanding you correctly, is a gain. But it's one that should be pretty easy to reverse.
Are you currently tracking your food? Have you been tracking it since November? How many calories are you eating each day? Opening your diary may get you some more helpful advice. When we gain, it's because we're consuming more calories than we're burning.
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Yeah I have been tracking since beginning of October, I lost then went back up. My diary isnt the best because I just do quick add calories as it works easiest for me. I have no idea how I'd be eating 1800-2000 as most days I would be about 2-300 calories under still. I may be overestimating calories burned and that could be whats causing this but it just doesnt seem to make much sense. Its most frustrating bc as I've said before a couple years ago I never weighed a single thing and never used a heart rate monitor (I started last year but it broke) and I still managed to lose 13 lbs in 5 months. Which was fine for me. Now its so much more difficult and I'm weighing everything out etc.janejellyroll wrote: »Four pounds since November, if I'm understanding you correctly, is a gain. But it's one that should be pretty easy to reverse.
Are you currently tracking your food? Have you been tracking it since November? How many calories are you eating each day? Opening your diary may get you some more helpful advice. When we gain, it's because we're consuming more calories than we're burning.
You're weighing out your food and then using quick add calories?0 -
Opening your diary may not help if you use quick add. BUT if you're using quick add, how certain of you on the calorie amounts? What is a typical food day for you, in food items & quantities? And how often do you have 'cheat' days or skip logging? How much do you use the food scale?
Also how active are you in your job/routine and how often do you workout and what types of workouts?
I ask for comparison purposes. I'm a little older, 5'5.5" and 128ish. Walking 10k-12k steps per day (combination of exercise and regular daily stuff) I maintain on about 1700-1800.
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »133 in November and 137 now does seem like a gain. At about the rate of 2 pounds per month or an excess in calories of 250/day over maintenance. When you were probably aiming for a deficit of 250 a day, that means you're eating on average 500/day more than intended. How many calories per day do you think you've been eating, and how do you calculate them? Do you occasionally have 'cheat' days where you don't log? If so, how often? How active is your lifestyle?
Based on your gender/age (from profile) and assuming average height your BMR is ~1350 per day. Depending on activity level your total daily burn before exercise is about 1625-1775. Eating 1300-1500 per day should allow you to lose at the rate of roughly 2 pounds per month. But your results indicate you're probably eating 1800-2000.
Tighten up your logging. Food scale for everything solid. Count for oils, beverages, condiments. Enter your own recipes instead of using recipes already in the system. And increase activity where possible. When your total daily burn is fairly low, any estimation for calories in is likely to eat up your deficit.
*Adjust my numbers upward if you're very active, of course. And these numbers do not consider exercise for additional calories burned.
I would say sedentary to light. I am a teachers aide, I am sitting down for half the day and up and moving the other half. I exercise 40-60 min 5 days a week, usually includes, walking/jogging and strength training. I have my deficit now set at 1400 a day, but I was at 1600 to lose .5 a week. I do have a "Cheat" day on saturdays and still usually log. I have been doing this for years and its always worked out well and I know I never go too crazy to where I'm eating well over 3500.0 -
I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.0
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I use workout DVDS and youtube videos for my workout. I do not belogn to gym as I cant afford it so I do what I can and always work up a good sweat.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »
Yeah I have been tracking since beginning of October, I lost then went back up. My diary isnt the best because I just do quick add calories as it works easiest for me. I have no idea how I'd be eating 1800-2000 as most days I would be about 2-300 calories under still. I may be overestimating calories burned and that could be whats causing this but it just doesnt seem to make much sense. Its most frustrating bc as I've said before a couple years ago I never weighed a single thing and never used a heart rate monitor (I started last year but it broke) and I still managed to lose 13 lbs in 5 months. Which was fine for me. Now its so much more difficult and I'm weighing everything out etc.janejellyroll wrote: »Four pounds since November, if I'm understanding you correctly, is a gain. But it's one that should be pretty easy to reverse.
Are you currently tracking your food? Have you been tracking it since November? How many calories are you eating each day? Opening your diary may get you some more helpful advice. When we gain, it's because we're consuming more calories than we're burning.
You're weighing out your food and then using quick add calories?
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Typical food day, in terms of foods/amounts? For both your regular day & cheat day?0
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It just depends. For breakfast I usually have about 150-200 cals, lunch 250-300, snacks between 150-200 and dinner I have about 450-500 cals. I usually have two snacks a day once after work and once after dinner. Typical burn is about 250-400 cals.0
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Cheat day Id say anywhere between 2000-2700 cals0
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I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?0 -
The good news is, 4 pounds isn't much at all, and very easily reversible. I do understand how frustrating it is, especially when you're trying to LOSE, but you end up maintaining on what you think you should be losing from. I've never weighed a single food item (I know, a big no-no in the MFP world but it works for me), but I also half my exercise calories and maintain on my estimate of ~1700. So that's another option.
Best of luck to you! 0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?
My point was the whole doing the same thing and getting the same unwanted results...obviously there is something wrong...I don't know what it is...a lot of people aren't truly honest with themselves even while keeping a diary...a lot of people closet eat...a lot of people account for most things, but not other things in their logging, etc...only you know that and only you can fix that.
The biggest point here is that you're overeating...cut back or move more or a combination of both...that's it...if you're putting on weight, you're overeating what your body needs to maintain.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?
My point was the whole doing the same thing and getting the same unwanted results...obviously there is something wrong...I don't know what it is...a lot of people aren't truly honest with themselves even while keeping a diary...a lot of people closet eat...a lot of people account for most things, but not other things in their logging, etc...only you know that and only you can fix that.
The biggest point here is that you're overeating...cut back or move more or a combination of both...that's it...if you're putting on weight, you're overeating what your body needs to maintain.cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?
My point was the whole doing the same thing and getting the same unwanted results...obviously there is something wrong...I don't know what it is...a lot of people aren't truly honest with themselves even while keeping a diary...a lot of people closet eat...a lot of people account for most things, but not other things in their logging, etc...only you know that and only you can fix that.
The biggest point here is that you're overeating...cut back or move more or a combination of both...that's it...if you're putting on weight, you're overeating what your body needs to maintain.
I totally understand and didnt mean to come off as rude or snarky. I know I need to change something because whatever I'm doing isn't working. I cannot really afford a fit bit right now to track my heart rate so I think the thing is I am overestimating my exercise calories and possibly eating back more then I should be. Thats the only thing I can think because I barely eat much at all. I dont really eat fast food if I do I always track and if I drink alcohol its only on Sat evenings sometimes fridays but once again I track.0 -
Examples? If you're gaining instead of losing, then you're not eating the # of cals you think you are. So there may be errors in your #s. Like if you think you're having 4 oz of grilled chicken breast and adding 150 cals for it, when its more like 190. Those things can add up.
A 'cheat' day of 2700 cals could easily be 700-800 over maintenance, so wiping out some of your intended deficit for the week. Even worse if 2700 is really 3000, 3500 due to logging errors.It just depends. For breakfast I usually have about 150-200 cals, lunch 250-300, snacks between 150-200 and dinner I have about 450-500 cals. I usually have two snacks a day once after work and once after dinner. Typical burn is about 250-400 cals.
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Kettle_Belle14 wrote: »The good news is, 4 pounds isn't much at all, and very easily reversible. I do understand how frustrating it is, especially when you're trying to LOSE, but you end up maintaining on what you think you should be losing from. I've never weighed a single food item (I know, a big no-no in the MFP world but it works for me), but I also half my exercise calories and maintain on my estimate of ~1700. So that's another option. Best of luck to you!
It is just frustrating when you are making progress and then somehow slowly go up more and more. I know what worked once before wont always work again but I guess its annoying that I know it has and I feel like I am barely eating much at all and still nothing is changing.
I am not going to give up though. Thanks for the words of encouragement. 0 -
Just trying to help find errors in your logging. If you think you're eating at a deficit but you're gaining weight - then you're not eating at a deficit. So there is a mistake somewhere. We can help you find it, or you can do things the way you've always done them. Except that does not seem to be working out for you...
If you're weighing things out but relying on inaccurate calorie counts, that could be the problem. Much the same as someone else using accurate entries but overestimating quantities. If a food item is 50 cals per ounce and you think its 40 cals per ounce, your totals will be off. Just as if someone else things they eat 5 ounces but really eat 6-7 ounces.cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?
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I totally get what youre all saying. I know I need to make a change but everything I have been doing before was working 2 months ago I guess thats what I dont understand how it is drastically changing. I'm definitely not going to be giving up eating some "cheat" meals bc I would go insane if I didnt but I need to really track those days so I can see what I am doing wrong. I'm not trying to make excuses and I know everyone is trying to help so thank you0
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I'm just feeling really defeated right now as I thought what I was doing has been working but realizing it hasnt been...0
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Not suggesting you give up 'cheats'. But check & recheck your calorie #s. Make sure the values you're using for calories per ounce/gram for food items are correct. Enter your own recipes/avoid using other people's recipes if you don't know that your ingredients are the same.
Trying to brainstorm some easy mistakes to make... Weighing meat in its cooked form but logging raw calorie information. (Meat is typically lighter when cooked, as some of the moisture cooks out. So the 3 ounces cooked may actually be 4 ounces raw.) Using measuring cups for solid food. Assuming you don't need to weigh fruits/vegetables - and while something like spinach is going to be hard to 'overeat' higher calorie content fruits/veggies can add up quickly. Forgetting to account for marinades, cooking oils, condiments. Assuming the package is correct when it says something like 2 slices = 45 grams, 100 cals. Weigh it, you'll find its often 10-15% higher in weight than its supposed to be.
Also be aware that with a bodyweight in the 130's, you don't burn a lot. (Its the downside of losing weight lol.) This is why accuracy is so important.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I weigh things out on my food scale and then quick add them. Its just easier for me this way and how I've always done things.
yet you're gaining weight so it's obviously not working...i personally hate when my staff says things like, "but this is the way we've always done it."
if you're gaining weight as a trend over time, which it would appear that you are, albeit very slowly...then guess what? you're overeating...not by much, but you're overeating.
I just dont see how me actually typing in specific foods can help? If I'm weighing things out (which I didnt in the past) and adding them isnt that more accurate?
It isn't that it would automatically be more accurate. It's that it would be easier for people to help you troubleshoot to see if the issue is with your logging (for example, I've seen diaries where people have chosen the wrong database entry to log something so they are eating more than they think they are. That would be invisible in your case and nobody could help you spot the error).0 -
As you lose weight, your TDEE drops so you're burning fewer calories.
As you lose weight you burn fewer calories through exercise.
For some people, cutting calories results in a drop in NEAT (you fidget less and move around less).
For some people, prolonged calorie counting comes with a bit of calorie/portion creep or looser tracking.
For some people, cheat days get larger as calorie levels drop. That can be especially tough to notice if you aren't tracking them.
Some people forget to account for things like cooking oils, veggies, or condiments.
And so on, and so forth.
This is why it's so important to take your real world results and adjust as necessary. Sometimes we get this perfect storm of little things that aren't working just right that lead to a big discrepancy in calories. It's a pain in the butt, yes. Because we all wish the number on the scale reflected the amount of effort we're putting in. Sadly, we just have to keep slogging onward.
It sounds like you have some good ideas already about how to move forward. Put those into practice and see what happens in a couple of weeks!0 -
I totally get what youre all saying. I know I need to make a change but everything I have been doing before was working 2 months ago I guess thats what I dont understand how it is drastically changing. I'm definitely not going to be giving up eating some "cheat" meals bc I would go insane if I didnt but I need to really track those days so I can see what I am doing wrong. I'm not trying to make excuses and I know everyone is trying to help so thank you
It's calorie creep. I measure my peanut butter a week to the gram. Next week I don't feel like measuring so I scoop the same looking amount. Opps scooped a bit to much but didn't notice general scoop size then increases over time.0 -
I was recently suggested by some people on here to use happy scale app to track my weight everyday since I seem to get frustrated by daily fluctuations. Last week I ended up weighing in 3 times and was 137.4 every single day, I figured something may be up as it was the exact same everyday. I've been doing really great with weighing everything out etc. This week starting on Monday I began weighing and tracking, I know have been weighing at138.2, 138.2, 138.4 for the last 3 days. Its very discouraging because while I know to expect fluctuations but since beginning over November my weight has gone up! I've been doing really good for the most part and I just don't understand. I started beginning of Oct and was losing at a good pace (about a lb a week). I was at 133 before thanksgiving then went up to 135ish then after christmas took place I was at 137. It is the week before my cycle so it could be that it could be many things its just frustrating to constantly see numbers going up instead of down.
/thread. Seriously. Just don't weigh yourself before your cycle (or during), it's totally pointless.0 -
1) I think weighing yourself more than once per week is well... your body naturally is going to fluxuate slightly; water retention, stress, sleep, etc can call cause weight fluxuation. (apparently, I am not spelling "fluxuate" correctly...)
2) if you're confident that you are being true and right with your food intake... Are you stressed? Are you getting enough sleep? These can cause issues with your weight as well, despite every-other good intentioned effort.
But most of all, you said work-out videos. If you have been doing these for awhile, your body may just need a change, something more challenging. For example, a heavier, out of shape person will burn much more calories doing the exact same movement as a slim, in shape person. Your body may be "in shape" for the work-out you are doing and you're not burning as many calories anymore doing that work-out as you first did 2-4 months ago.0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »Weighing meat in its cooked form but logging raw calorie information. (Meat is typically lighter when cooked, as some of the moisture cooks out. So the 3 ounces cooked may actually be 4 ounces raw.)
Can you expand on this? Let's say I cook chicken breast. I weighed the whole breast beforehand and it was about 12 oz (including the little plastic it sits in technically, and it might still have been partially frozen, so some moisture). I cooked it, then split it in half (eyeball) and weighed each half, 4.3 oz and 4.8 oz. Was I okay to log the 4.3 one day and the 4.8 the other day? Or should I have logged the 12 oz it was when it was raw?
I don't mean to sidetrack I've just taken a new recommitment to weigh everything and don't understand how my chicken, potatoes and broccoli are still only about 500 calories for dinner. It seems like I must be doing something wrong.0 -
The problem happens if you use cooked weights and raw entries in the database.
In your case, you could convert and say that 9.1 oz cooked = 12 ounces raw. Doing the math, you ate 47% of the chicken one day and 53% the other. 12 x .47 = 5.64 raw ounces.
You would NOT want to assume that 4.3 cooked ounces = 4.3 raw ounces.
You could also assume that the law of averages works in the end, and log 6 ounces raw each day. Knowing one day is a little high and one day a little low, but in the end it balances out.blues4miles wrote: »StaciMarie1974 wrote: »Weighing meat in its cooked form but logging raw calorie information. (Meat is typically lighter when cooked, as some of the moisture cooks out. So the 3 ounces cooked may actually be 4 ounces raw.)
Can you expand on this? Let's say I cook chicken breast. I weighed the whole breast beforehand and it was about 12 oz (including the little plastic it sits in technically, and it might still have been partially frozen, so some moisture). I cooked it, then split it in half (eyeball) and weighed each half, 4.3 oz and 4.8 oz. Was I okay to log the 4.3 one day and the 4.8 the other day? Or should I have logged the 12 oz it was when it was raw?
I don't mean to sidetrack I've just taken a new recommitment to weigh everything and don't understand how my chicken, potatoes and broccoli are still only about 500 calories for dinner. It seems like I must be doing something wrong.
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