Consistently gaining when I'm trying to lose
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Using measuring cups/spoons isn't very accurate and can cause one to eat more than they think. The only way to gain (eating wise) is to eat more food than you need to maintain your weight. Seriously. Try weighing everything solid and semi solid (even butter/peanut butter) and use cups for liquids only. When my scale broke, I didn't have it for 3 months and ended up gaining a little bit, because I suck at estimating and was using cups/spoons. I truly WAS eating too much, despite measuring. A food scale truly makes a huge difference. To make things easier, I tend to weigh and log the day before.americanzombiedesigns wrote: »ShrinkingScientist wrote: »Are you eating your exercise calories back? How do you measure your food (i.e. scale, measuring cups, eyeballing it)?
I'm using measuring cups and a scale. I am also eating some, but not all my calories back.
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I hear you @americanzombiedesigns. Once you figure out if it's your thyroid or not (which it very easily could be), you might want to experiment more with your personal metabolic rate, as well as your gut health/microbiome and foods that could be irritating your body. I know that the government and MFP recommend that the average woman needs 1200 calories to live on, but none of us are average, right?
Personally, I have been finding myself much more successful when I stay under 1200. I'm not small, but I sit all day for work. I also fast twice a week, and on days that I'm not fasting, I am hitting between 900 and 1100 calories. I do not add back exercise calories...I feel like your diet should do most, if not all of the work. There are a lot of things I don't eat: sugar, grains, soy, potatoes, and most starchy vegetables. I just added some squash into my rotation in the last week, and I like some dairy as long as it's bang for my calorie buck or fermented (for gut health). Those restrictions help me eat more food, but take in less calories. My scale number still swings up and down (sometimes a pound or more), but over the past 5 weeks I've gone from 181 to around 165. I work out 4-5 times a week, and I try to make at least one of those workouts purely strength (on those days, and the day after, I allocate more of my calories to protein). I notice that I feel the hungriest when I don't maximize my nutrients in the foods I eat. Are you making sure to take a multivitamin?
All of that being said, I do weigh most of my food and it helps me to reframe portion sizes in my brain.
I also don't believe that anyone should tell anyone else how to eat. It's a very personal decision, and you should feel empowered to make the best decisions for your lifestyle. It really sounds like you are being careful with your intake, so I hope you are not facing a complication with your thyroid or an autoimmune disorder. Feel free to add me if you would like to chat more!0 -
Even pre packaged foods with their servings/weight can be inaccurate. The weights on the packages are estimates. I weigh my protein powder, eggs, anything prepackaged. A few incorrect calories here and there can add up in the week..and then in a month, and even a year. As for the barcode feature, these are added by typical mfp users and can be inaccurate too.americanzombiedesigns wrote: »
Also, check your sodium, too.
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I'd like to offer my perspective... I hope no one takes my different view as a personal affront. I know it's hazardous to offer unrequested feedback, but I hope I can be excused for not coddling anyone on this thread.
I wish this thread could have been more constructive. I don't think wondering why a net intake that should have resulted in a 2 lb per week loss lead to a gain instead is asking for coddling.
Even if OP was off by 500 calories a day (that's a 41% difference, or the same as a supposedly 50 gram bar actually being 70 grams, on average, over every food item, in other words, extremely statistically unlikely) she ought still to have lost a pound a week. To be so wrong about her measurements she'd actually gain is hard to imagine.
Using the wrong method for figuring exercise calories could contribute to error, but based on what she said, it seems likely that OP has an unusual metabolism for some reason. "You're eating too much" is too simple, and puts the "blame" on OP, who said she was having a rough time emotionally, already. "Your body doesn't seem to be burning fuel in the usual way and may be unhealthy," is not only kinder, it offers a more complete truth. I don't think that's coddling.
I think OP was hoping for a more specific answer, but I don't have one. I don't know about the kinds of things that can cause a person to gain weight when they expect to lose. I think hypothyroidism, and water retention (for whatever reason) are among them, but I wish I could have learned more about it from this thread.0 -
samwiserabbit wrote: »I'd like to offer my perspective... I hope no one takes my different view as a personal affront. I know it's hazardous to offer unrequested feedback, but I hope I can be excused for not coddling anyone on this thread.
I wish this thread could have been more constructive. I don't think wondering why a net intake that should have resulted in a 2 lb per week loss lead to a gain instead is asking for coddling.
Even if OP was off by 500 calories a day (that's a 41% difference, or the same as a supposedly 50 gram bar actually being 70 grams, on average, over every food item, in other words, extremely statistically unlikely) she ought still to have lost a pound a week. To be so wrong about her measurements she'd actually gain is hard to imagine.
Using the wrong method for figuring exercise calories could contribute to error, but based on what she said, it seems likely that OP has an unusual metabolism for some reason. "You're eating too much" is too simple, and puts the "blame" on OP, who said she was having a rough time emotionally, already. "Your body doesn't seem to be burning fuel in the usual way and may be unhealthy," is not only kinder, it offers a more complete truth. I don't think that's coddling.
I think OP was hoping for a more specific answer, but I don't have one. I don't know about the kinds of things that can cause a person to gain weight when they expect to lose. I think hypothyroidism, and water retention (for whatever reason) are among them, but I wish I could have learned more about it from this thread.
Jumping to "You must have a rare medical issue" is silly when we don't even know what OP is eating. *Could* OP have a rare medical issue? It's possible. But it's more likely that she has a variation of the incredibly common problem of not logging food correctly, a problem that many of us have had.
How is suggesting a rare problem more helpful or constructive than suggesting that she check for the incredibly common problem?0 -
samwiserabbit wrote: »I'd like to offer my perspective... I hope no one takes my different view as a personal affront. I know it's hazardous to offer unrequested feedback, but I hope I can be excused for not coddling anyone on this thread.
I wish this thread could have been more constructive. I don't think wondering why a net intake that should have resulted in a 2 lb per week loss lead to a gain instead is asking for coddling.
Even if OP was off by 500 calories a day (that's a 41% difference, or the same as a supposedly 50 gram bar actually being 70 grams, on average, over every food item, in other words, extremely statistically unlikely) she ought still to have lost a pound a week. To be so wrong about her measurements she'd actually gain is hard to imagine.
Using the wrong method for figuring exercise calories could contribute to error, but based on what she said, it seems likely that OP has an unusual metabolism for some reason. "You're eating too much" is too simple, and puts the "blame" on OP, who said she was having a rough time emotionally, already. "Your body doesn't seem to be burning fuel in the usual way and may be unhealthy," is not only kinder, it offers a more complete truth. I don't think that's coddling.
I think OP was hoping for a more specific answer, but I don't have one. I don't know about the kinds of things that can cause a person to gain weight when they expect to lose. I think hypothyroidism, and water retention (for whatever reason) are among them, but I wish I could have learned more about it from this thread.
It happens frequently. Overwhelmingly, even. Had she opened her food diary, people could have taken a look to see if there was a problem in logging. There's a reason that's one of the first things that experienced posters ask when someone posts an "I'm-not-losing" thread. Sure, she could have developed hypothyroid, or PCOS, or any number of disorders (highly unlikely that she was retaining 20lbs of water), but Occam's Razor suggests going for the simplest solution first. It's amazing at how many people swear up and down they're logging every single thing ever, but they open their food diaries and in reality they've logged breakfast one day, nothing for four days, and a generic recipe for dessert that has no real measurement.0 -
Honestly, I would say you need to eat more calories! I know the app and EVERYONE else on here thinks you need less to get better results but that is untrue. I've been using Myfitnesspal for close to 3 years and I have ALWAYS had success with my calorie count closer to the 2000's.
I am 29 years old with my settings set to 2030 calories a day. Within the last 2 months I lost a total of 13 lbs. For my cardio all I do is walk (for the time being until I can build up my strength again) and make sure I stay within my goal. I've had a lot of success with my calorie count like this! I lose the weight fast and quickly and I didn't have to starve myself to do it.
What could be happening to you is that your body is in "survival" mode. The amount of calories you eat and burn is causing your metabolism to slow down which is what makes you gain weight.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/can-more-calories-equal-more-weight-loss.aspx
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I'd rather be honest with people than suggest they have medical issues. What people have to remember is that time and time again, people come to this board with the same issue and most of the time it's because the person is eating more than they think. If I suggest they have medical issues, not only is that irresponsible of me, but it can cost them hundreds of dollars to get tests done that they didn't need in the first place. For what purpose? To spare feelings?
I doubt anyone who posts here wants to hurt anyone else. I can only speak for myself, but what I want is to cut through the BS and be realistic with others. I've been there and done that with weight loss fallacies; why enable things I know to be factually incorrect?
Speaking of which, to the poster above, "survival/starvation mode" does not exist in the way you believe it does.0 -
@synacious To each their own... You don't know what I believe and honestly I never said one way or the other. All I said was that it "COULD" be happening. The whole thing about weight loss is that there are all these theories and hypothetical answers but NO ONE really knows the right answer. Everybody has a different body type, issues, etc. so what may work for you may not work for them. All I did was give my suggestion. I know for me, when I eat more and I end up losing more weight. The less calories I eat the harder it is for body to lose the weight. All I am doing is giving suggestions and it's up to the person to choose what's right for them or their body! There's no need to comment about what someone believes or doesn't... you don't know me or what I think so don't pretend that you do!0
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You're a medical marvel then and should probably get with some doctors. You are going to be rich if this gets out.0
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@synacious To each their own... You don't know what I believe and honestly I never said one way or the other. All I said was that it "COULD" be happening. The whole thing about weight loss is that there are all these theories and hypothetical answers but NO ONE really knows the right answer. Everybody has a different body type, issues, etc. so what may work for you may not work for them. All I did was give my suggestion. I know for me, when I eat more and I end up losing more weight. The less calories I eat the harder it is for body to lose the weight. All I am doing is giving suggestions and it's up to the person to choose what's right for them or their body! There's no need to comment about what someone believes or doesn't... you don't know me or what I think so don't pretend that you do!
I'd feel horrible telling someone they need to eat more to lose weight since if they ate more they're going to gain more and be even more unhappy.0 -
@LBuehrle8 Really? Then explain to me how I am losing weight then? I've lost 5lbs within the last month by eating a maximum of 2000 calories a day.0
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No one is disputing that you can lose weight on a lot of calories, but to say you will lose less if you only ate 1800 calories is absolutely untrue. That is assuming that absolutely everything else stays the same.
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@LBuehrle8 Really? Then explain to me how I am losing weight then? I've lost 5lbs within the last month by eating a maximum of 2000 calories a day.
You're in a caloric deficit if you're losing weight.0 -
I'm wondering in this, and the multiple threads like it, if it wouldn't be more constructive for *1* person to provide a link to the sticky, let an OP read it (or not), and follow up if they wish on the thread. I'm sure the sheer volume of people telling someone how mistaken they are, even if it may be true, is not encouraging.0
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@LBuehrle8 Really? Then explain to me how I am losing weight then? I've lost 5lbs within the last month by eating a maximum of 2000 calories a day.
Your diary is closed. It's impossible for us to know if you're hitting your goal more consistently now that you're planning to eat more (which is common) or logging better than you were before (also possible). Or maybe you're moving more now that you are eating 2,000 calories because you have better energy.
But it comes down to what is always does -- a calorie deficit.
Just telling someone to "eat more" isn't going to work unless it also happens to result in them creating a calorie deficit (through more consistently hitting their plan, logging better, or moving more throughout the day).0 -
@synacious To each their own... You don't know what I believe and honestly I never said one way or the other. All I said was that it "COULD" be happening. The whole thing about weight loss is that there are all these theories and hypothetical answers but NO ONE really knows the right answer. Everybody has a different body type, issues, etc. so what may work for you may not work for them. All I did was give my suggestion. I know for me, when I eat more and I end up losing more weight. The less calories I eat the harder it is for body to lose the weight. All I am doing is giving suggestions and it's up to the person to choose what's right for them or their body! There's no need to comment about what someone believes or doesn't... you don't know me or what I think so don't pretend that you do!
Like the majority of people in the world, I would not actively mention something unless I experienced it or believed in it. You specifically mentioned that one of the possibilities could be that OP's body is in survival mode. If you didn't believe in the notion of survival mode, why would you even suggest it?
Survival/starvation mode is one of the top weight loss myths out there. It's mentioned on these boards at least once per day and it's a misconception that hinders success. The reason why some people claim they lose weight by eating more is because having more room with their calorie limits leads to them to be more honest with their logging and prevents hunger and binges. So all of a sudden they'll see a trend of losses instead of ups and downs or just increases caused by their one cheat day/cheat meal per week. It happens time and time again and it's nothing new.
CICO works for everyone because CICO follows the laws of Physics which every human body, no matter the type, also has to follow. There may be differences in how bodies function, but in the end if you eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight.0 -
I have to agree with @try2again. It wasn't my goal to tell people to eat more and make them feel like *kitten*. All I did was give my suggestion as to what worked for me and provided a link as to what COULD be happening to them. After all I am not a doctor and I don't know or have all the right answers. The whole point here is not to be better than the other person. She was struggling and I remember being in her position. I read up on it... changed my calorie goal to 2000 a day and I lost weight. Whether you guys agree with me or not.... I could really care less. I don't have my diary public for a reason because this is exactly what happens... judgement! We all have the same goal and we all want to lose weight. She had troubles so I gave a suggestion. It's up to her on what she chooses to do.0
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I have to agree with @try2again. It wasn't my goal to tell people to eat more and make them feel like *kitten*. All I did was give my suggestion as to what worked for me and provided a link as to what COULD be happening to them. After all I am not a doctor and I don't know or have all the right answers. The whole point here is not to be better than the other person. She was struggling and I remember being in her position. I read up on it... changed my calorie goal to 2000 a day and I lost weight. Whether you guys agree with me or not.... I could really care less. I don't have my diary public for a reason because this is exactly what happens... judgement! We all have the same goal and we all want to lose weight. She had troubles so I gave a suggestion. It's up to her on what she chooses to do.
If you agree that only one person should respond to the OP, why did you offer advice on a thread when multiple people had already given OP advice?0 -
@janejellyroll I agreed with them about the following:
I'm sure the sheer volume of people telling someone how mistaken they are, even if it may be true, is not encouraging0
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