Confused - am I eating too much?
Replies
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Also it was briefly mentioned, but you said you started walking 2 hours a day (1 in morning and 1 in evening). This is a pretty significant jump in activity level and that can trigger water weight gain as well because our muscles attract water while repairing themselves.
Weight loss is a frustrating process sometimes (most of the time). You have to have a thick skin, patience and trust in the process. Trust that if you are accurately logging and in a deficit you WILL lose fat, but the water weight fluctuations wont always allow that to show on the scale. You just have to keep it up loooong term (like forever) and the scale will eventually move down.
Good luck, add me if you want
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ConfusedDieter wrote: »Thanks for the explanations guys. I think I simply had the wrong idea. Someone once told me something like the calories from food get absorbed in 20 minutes so I assumed that if I created a deficit, I would be able to see it right away. I think I'm going to lower my expectations though, like losing 1 lb a month, so that I won't get disappointed.
Slow down a bit and take a step back. If you weigh your food and continue with your exercise that you are doing you will lose a bunch more weight than 1lb a month.
You have asked about sodium so here's a prime example. I made fajitas the other week, 5 dinners to be exact and I used two packages of seasoning when I made them. They were fantastic but extremely high in sodium. For 5 days straight I gained a pound, and this is with intense cardio and very strict calorie counting. I was even drinking 2-3 liters of water a day, but for 5 days in a row I gained a pound. Then I went to low sodium for two days, still keeping the same amount of calories in and still drinking the same amount of water. I ended up losing 7 pounds in the next two days of strictly water weight.
Sodium 100% plays with your head and if you are only eating prepackaged food they will be loaded with the stuff. How do you think they get them to taste so good when there is minimal calories, low sugar and low fat in them?
So it has been four days now on a new eating plan as well as four days of two hours of cardio per day. As mentioned above, there will be some water retention in your muscles at the start just because they aren't used to that much exercise yet.
Some tips, only weigh yourself in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything. That is the most accurate way to do it. Many people will advocate weighing in once per week but I am an every morning kind of person. This allows me to look back at what I ate and if something isn't working over a period I have an idea as to what would need to change. Weighing in every day also taught me a lot about how my body holds onto water when I eat lots of salt. I physically didn't feel like I gained 5 pounds but the scale didn't lie.
Don't change your exercise, and don't change your calorie count. Give it a couple of weeks starting from today because of your binge. One pound of fat does indeed have 3500 calories in it but there is much more to body weight then just fat. Weigh in today, and each morning at the same time for 7 days. Look at how the scale is moving, even write it down. At 1500 calories and that amount of exercise you WILL lose weight, there's no way around it.
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Oh my gosh! Honestly woman. I really want to be supportive but what you're saying is rediculous. Honestly. If you are going to weigh yourself every 2 seconds then get all crazy as *kitten* after each weigh in expecting weight loss you might as well pack it in.
Go do research in HOW THE BODY WORKS.0 -
ConfusedDieter wrote: »Thanks for the explanations guys. I think I simply had the wrong idea. Someone once told me something like the calories from food get absorbed in 20 minutes so I assumed that if I created a deficit, I would be able to see it right away. I think I'm going to lower my expectations though, like losing 1 lb a month, so that I won't get disappointed.
Slow down a bit and take a step back. If you weigh your food and continue with your exercise that you are doing you will lose a bunch more weight than 1lb a month.
You have asked about sodium so here's a prime example. I made fajitas the other week, 5 dinners to be exact and I used two packages of seasoning when I made them. They were fantastic but extremely high in sodium. For 5 days straight I gained a pound, and this is with intense cardio and very strict calorie counting. I was even drinking 2-3 liters of water a day, but for 5 days in a row I gained a pound. Then I went to low sodium for two days, still keeping the same amount of calories in and still drinking the same amount of water. I ended up losing 7 pounds in the next two days of strictly water weight.
Sodium 100% plays with your head and if you are only eating prepackaged food they will be loaded with the stuff. How do you think they get them to taste so good when there is minimal calories, low sugar and low fat in them?
So it has been four days now on a new eating plan as well as four days of two hours of cardio per day. As mentioned above, there will be some water retention in your muscles at the start just because they aren't used to that much exercise yet.
Some tips, only weigh yourself in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything. That is the most accurate way to do it. Many people will advocate weighing in once per week but I am an every morning kind of person. This allows me to look back at what I ate and if something isn't working over a period I have an idea as to what would need to change. Weighing in every day also taught me a lot about how my body holds onto water when I eat lots of salt. I physically didn't feel like I gained 5 pounds but the scale didn't lie.
Don't change your exercise, and don't change your calorie count. Give it a couple of weeks starting from today because of your binge. One pound of fat does indeed have 3500 calories in it but there is much more to body weight then just fat. Weigh in today, and each morning at the same time for 7 days. Look at how the scale is moving, even write it down. At 1500 calories and that amount of exercise you WILL lose weight, there's no way around it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to describe the thing about fajitas - you've got me convinced Also thank you for putting it that way "you WILL lose weight, there's no way around it" - I feel better now. Thank you to everyone who responded to me for explaining. Now I can see that there are more factors than simply the calories. 0 -
Ultimately there is nothing more than calories in vs calories out for fat loss. Its just science and mathematics. But body weight has many more variables. I swear to you that if you faithfully log 1500 calories for the next 7 days, continue the walking like you have been and drink lots of water you will show a loss next week.
Someone pointed out earlier in this post but completely changing your body does not happen overnight. It takes time and there will be MANY times throughout the journey where you will get pissed off that it is not happening fast enough. There will be times where the scale isn't showing a loss even though you are doing everything right. There will also be times where you get into a funk and it seems like its not worth it and you might as well just quit.
This takes a long time but in the end its all worth it.2 -
Ultimately there is nothing more than calories in vs calories out for fat loss. Its just science and mathematics. But body weight has many more variables. I swear to you that if you faithfully log 1500 calories for the next 7 days, continue the walking like you have been and drink lots of water you will show a loss next week.
Someone pointed out earlier in this post but completely changing your body does not happen overnight. It takes time and there will be MANY times throughout the journey where you will get pissed off that it is not happening fast enough. There will be times where the scale isn't showing a loss even though you are doing everything right. There will also be times where you get into a funk and it seems like its not worth it and you might as well just quit.
This takes a long time but in the end its all worth it.
Agreed with the post above. You can't let your mood each day be dictated by the scale. Some days it will be up and some days it will be down. You can't go on a binge each time it arbitrarily goes up because you are upset, you will never get results if you binge often enough to undo your deficit from the days before. Just follow the program consistently and overtime the numbers will be going down.
Read some of the stickies in this forum. They will explain a lot about how to track calories, how weight loss is not linear, what reasonable expectations are, etc.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
You could definitely lose more than 1 pound a month if you log 1500 calories accurately and consistently and keep up with your walking. Set a reasonable goal for the month and work towards that mini goal this month. When you accomplish that goal, set another one. Your goals can be something other than weight loss too, such as building good habits (this month I will walk X times a week, or eat X vegetables a day, or stop drinking full sugar sodas, etc.) Each time you are able to accomplish one of your mini goals, you will feel empowered and realize you do have the willpower and determination to accomplish anything you want.1 -
Its been FOUR DAYS.
On the subject of stressing over changes of less than 2-3 pounds:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/how-to-weigh ... ccurately/
Your weight can vary by over a pound in either direction on a SINGLE day. Your scale can vary by over a pound based on room temperature, position, or just sheer bloodymindedness.
Wait. Watch for an overall trend over WEEKS. Only then can you say "what I"m doing isn't working." This isn't a lab experiment where you get to take measurements hourly and plot them out on a little graph. Life is messier than that.
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Op has been banned. I guess they won't be taking this advice0
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Our bodies are not efficient. What I mean by this: the beneficial things you do NOW may not show immediately. Some effects may happen sooner than others, but water retention (from sodium, stress, muscle fatigue, TOM) can be quick to show up.
The science that says 3500 calories = 1 pound refers to what it takes to lose fat and/or muscle. (If you eat at a deficit, your body takes what it needs from your fat/muscle stores.) But you also have blood, bone, water, solid waste in you at any given time. If I get on the scale, then eat 5 pounds of salad, and get on the scale again - my weight should be up 5 pounds. But that does not mean I have actually gained 5 pounds.
If the scale number drives you crazy, then check it only ever 2-3 weeks. If you do weigh in more often, keep in mind the # on the scale is only one factor in this process. You also want to consider that you are doing good things for your health/fitness, and building a better you. Trust the science, and know that by eating at a deficit over time - you will lose weight. The key is to be patient and wait for the 'over time' to show itself.1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Op has been banned. I guess they won't be taking this advice
How can you possibly get yourself banned with 11 posts!?!?
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