Gained a pound despite eating under
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I wear a polar heart rate monitor and my heart rate is elevated and hovers around 85-95% of my max throughout the workout. It's strength and conditioning combination workouts.
I hope that you don't use the calorie estimates from your HRM for your strength workouts as they will be dreadfully inaccurate and far too high.
HR during strength training has very little relationship to energy expenditure.5 -
One pound is an impossibly slim margin. I try and figure there is a 2-3 pound tolerance. Allow me to explain.
A number of factors can be screwing with the scale. You could have more waste in your system this weigh in session than the last. You could be retaining more water right now. There could be more food contents in your stomach..etc.
I have had all of the above and over the course of a single day. My weight dropped nearly 3 pounds by the end of the day after expelling waste and fluids via sweat. Within days the scale was back on track. You have to look at this in larger time spans than day to day. The body varies a lot.0 -
Re: menstrual gain, I have just discovered an app called clue which helps you track your cycle and and pms symptoms and bloating etc and gives an indication of when ovulation might be.
Weight watchers is not a good model tbh. You're better off sticking to mfp logging (use their recipe books by all means, but log accurately). Their business model relies on you not keeping the weight off. The points values of their own foods are much lower than other foods of the same nutritional valies and calories. And nhs advice is that because portion control is not encouraged you can overeat but still be within the weight watchers allowed diet.0 -
Not ridiculous at all. Especially if people only have a few pounds to lose.Obviously not ridiculous advice as others have noticed the same.
Accuracy and consistency are key.
If you aren't tracking every thing, every day then the entire process becomes suspect.
The best you can hope for in that case is trending data.
When you plot +/- 1 pound in one week it is statistically irrelevant. An outlier.
If that pound persists after 3 or 4 weeks then you may know something is up.
First step in a solution? Track everything, no excuses.
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Thanks everyone. You've all helped me massively. I'll be more rigid with weighing and measuring. I thought was doing that already but lll definitely tighten it up! Thanks again.0
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I did think about purchasing scales that measure body fat composition but from what I've read, they're inaccurate so I've refrained0
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I did think about purchasing scales that measure body fat composition but from what I've read, they're inaccurate so I've refrained
They're ok at measuring the trend in an individual but not great at getting an absolute measurement or comparing one person with another.
I've lost 12 kg, 15% of my body weight, but according to my scales, only 2% points of body fat.0 -
I don't weigh eggs, I just use the large usda entry. But bread.. I weigh that every single time, my current brand says 83g for 2 slices, but they always weigh between 98-102g.1
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I did think about purchasing scales that measure body fat composition but from what I've read, they're inaccurate so I've refrained
They don't measure your exact correct body fat percentage probably, but you can at least see if the numbers are moving in the right direction (fat going down, muscle going up or staying the same...). If you only measure first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom it will be pretty reliable. If you measure at different times of day it will be all over the place depending if you've eaten or not, if you've exercised, how hydrated you are... but the same is true of regular scales, and at least with the body comp scales you get a few more data points. It still measures body weight too.
Mine helped me catch on to the fact that I wasn't eating enough protein and was on my way to becoming "skinny fat" -when I first started counting calories but not macros - it showed that yes I was losing pounds, but my muscle % was going down and fat % was going up!! Imagine if I didn't have the scale and just kept going like that?
It also makes me feel better when I see I've gained a pound overnight but my body fat & muscle % are exactly the same as the day before, because then I know it's just water weight and I don't stress out about it.
I find it pretty useful.0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I'm 5' 7, 32 years old and female. I weigh 156 pounds and want to lose 6 pounds to get to my goal of 10 stones. I workout 3x a week for 45 min, lifting heavy Kettlebells (16 and 20kg) and for fun, a two hour brisk walk on a Saturday. I've been eating between 1500-1700 calories for the past 3 weeks and had lost 1 pound in the first two weeks and then gained it back in the last week. My diet is varied and I don't eat much junk at all, or high sodium, processed foods. Am I eating too little? Not sure where I'm going wrong but it's very disheartening. I know the scale weight should be the be all and end all but nonetheless, it's awful seeing it go up when I'm putting all the effort in. Measuring does not motivate me like the scale does. At all. Knowing I have to weigh in once a week holds me accountable. Any suggestions?
Do you mean you want to lose 16 lbs? 156 lbs less 6 pounds is still 10 stone 10 lbs.0 -
snowflake954 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I have to weigh a medium egg out? I'm sure the calicoes of a medium hen egg are pretty much the same everywhere. The bread is weighed. It's a uk brand that I scanned. I accurately weigh everything
I was surprised when I began to weigh eggs. They vary alot and have quite a few calories. A medium egg can vary, so I suggest weighing and find an entry for eggs that has it in grams. My medium egg is 64g. Take nothing for granted.
thanks, glad to know I'm not the only one.
I agree, that was ridiculous advice. Weighing foods is important when it comes to many foods, but weighing eggs or a slice of toast is needless, and would not account for lack of weight loss.ConicalFern wrote: »C'mon you can log adequately without weighing eggs or slices of bread.
Weight fluctuates. Everyone has their preference, but I weigh myself every day and look at the average, rather than doing it once a week. Be patient, keep logging accurately and the weight will come of.
Obviously not ridiculous advice as others have noticed the same.
Also, I checked out a couple of the OP's entries. 2 med eggs--120cals. I get 170cals weighing my medium eggs which is a 50 cal difference right there. Another is banana, peeled 150g---89 cal. I get 134cal for my banana. Those are just 2 mistakes I noted at 100 calories in one day, and I didn't check everything out. Those 2 things just popped out. OP I think you should tighten up your logging and use grams as much as possible.
I was just telling a friend that when I looked at her diary, I noticed that she had Hormel bacon, 4 slices, 160 calories. I weighed my measly one slice of bacon by oz and it was 139 calories. It definitely helps to weigh your food to know how much you are really ACCURATELY consuming.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I'm 5' 7, 32 years old and female. I weigh 156 pounds and want to lose 6 pounds to get to my goal of 10 stones. I workout 3x a week for 45 min, lifting heavy Kettlebells (16 and 20kg) and for fun, a two hour brisk walk on a Saturday. I've been eating between 1500-1700 calories for the past 3 weeks and had lost 1 pound in the first two weeks and then gained it back in the last week. My diet is varied and I don't eat much junk at all, or high sodium, processed foods. Am I eating too little? Not sure where I'm going wrong but it's very disheartening. I know the scale weight should be the be all and end all but nonetheless, it's awful seeing it go up when I'm putting all the effort in. Measuring does not motivate me like the scale does. At all. Knowing I have to weigh in once a week holds me accountable. Any suggestions?
Do you mean you want to lose 16 lbs? 156 lbs less 6 pounds is still 10 stone 10 lbs.
Gosh sorry-typo! I weigh 146, not 156 so I want to lose 6 pounds to get to my goal weight of 10 stones0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I did think about purchasing scales that measure body fat composition but from what I've read, they're inaccurate so I've refrained
You're actually better off purchasing calipers (very inexpensive) and learning how to measure your body fat yourself--it's really not that hard, but again, consistency is key.0 -
You're actually better off purchasing calipers (very inexpensive) and learning how to measure your body fat yourself--it's really not that hard, but again, consistency is key.
Except that calipers only give you an idea of your body fat percentage, they don't tell you if you're gaining or losing muscle like a body composition scale does. And I find jumping on the scale and getting a reading in about 5 seconds is just so easy.
Muscle loss is a problem not discussed nearly enough when it comes to weight loss. Most fad diets, juice cleanses, and other large calorie deficit diets, or simply exercising too much while not getting enough protein, result in muscle loss and that is not what you want since it is unhealthy and makes maintaining the weight loss impossible.0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »ConicalFern wrote: »Looking at your food diary you don't seem to weigh everything you eat, for example 1 egg or 1 slice of bread, which then makes me wonder what else you don't weigh. Also there's days where you haven't entered a meal at lunch or snack. Weigh and log everything you eat no matter how small.
C'mon you can log adequately without weighing eggs or slices of bread.
Weight fluctuates. Everyone has their preference, but I weigh myself every day and look at the average, rather than doing it once a week. Be patient, keep logging accurately and the weight will come of.
If you read my whole post I did say "which makes me wonder what else you don't weigh" like dressings on salads, sauces etc. I was only giving examples of what I saw in OP food diary. Also when you only have a few pounds to lose and are not losing any weight even though you think you're eating at a deficit, obviously something is wrong and it could be something as small as not weighing a few foods and over estimating your calories, which all adds up.
My bread is supposed to be 33g a slice I weigh it and sometimes it's only 25g ok that's not much, but add that up over a few weeks/months and along with other foods you don't think you need to weigh, again, it all adds up.
Yes, your larger point that weighing is important for accuracy is a good one. Time after time we have seen people who started weighing everything and realize they were eating more than they thought. There's a thread in the Food forum about someone underestimating hundreds of calories in peanut butter. So while the OP's bread and egg calories might not add up to much, persistent not weighing could.
@halimaiqbal00 where are you in your menstrual cycle? I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.
Additionally, if your exercise program is new, this frequently causes a temporary water weight gain.
I think you may be into something because a week after I have finished my period, I feel very bloated and yucky inside, for 3-4 days. Not sure what ovulation times are for women
Ovulation generally occurs 12-16 days before your period starts. When I was married, I successfully used the cervical mucus method of Fertility Awareness to avoid pregnancy. I was not regular at this point in my life. One can also track temperature changes using a basal thermometer. There's a temperature increase after ovulation which is noticeable if you take your temp orally each morning before you get out of bed.
http://americanpregnancy.org/preventing-pregnancy/natural-family-planning/0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I have to weigh a medium egg out? I'm sure the calicoes of a medium hen egg are pretty much the same everywhere. The bread is weighed. It's a uk brand that I scanned. I accurately weigh everything
Eggs are sized by weight, and the machines that do so are very accurate. I would not worry about eggs unless you are eating a whole bunch of eggs. As for bread, I have found slices of bread can vary a great deal from the stated weight. Remember the 1 slice is an approximation of the weight. If you like eating bread, I would suggest weighing it especially since you are looking to lose only 10 pounds. A reasonable rate to lose that weight would be .5 pound per week, thus only a 250 calorie deficit. Those extra 10 calories from a slice of bread when added up with several slices of bread over the day can eat into that really quickly.0 -
808Trish808 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I have to weigh a medium egg out? I'm sure the calicoes of a medium hen egg are pretty much the same everywhere. The bread is weighed. It's a uk brand that I scanned. I accurately weigh everything
I was surprised when I began to weigh eggs. They vary alot and have quite a few calories. A medium egg can vary, so I suggest weighing and find an entry for eggs that has it in grams. My medium egg is 64g. Take nothing for granted.
thanks, glad to know I'm not the only one.
I agree, that was ridiculous advice. Weighing foods is important when it comes to many foods, but weighing eggs or a slice of toast is needless, and would not account for lack of weight loss.ConicalFern wrote: »C'mon you can log adequately without weighing eggs or slices of bread.
Weight fluctuates. Everyone has their preference, but I weigh myself every day and look at the average, rather than doing it once a week. Be patient, keep logging accurately and the weight will come of.
Obviously not ridiculous advice as others have noticed the same.
Also, I checked out a couple of the OP's entries. 2 med eggs--120cals. I get 170cals weighing my medium eggs which is a 50 cal difference right there. Another is banana, peeled 150g---89 cal. I get 134cal for my banana. Those are just 2 mistakes I noted at 100 calories in one day, and I didn't check everything out. Those 2 things just popped out. OP I think you should tighten up your logging and use grams as much as possible.
I was just telling a friend that when I looked at her diary, I noticed that she had Hormel bacon, 4 slices, 160 calories. I weighed my measly one slice of bacon by oz and it was 139 calories. It definitely helps to weigh your food to know how much you are really ACCURATELY consuming.
If it is the same Hormel which I eat which is precooked, the calories are quite different than uncooked bacon. The nutritional information is 80 calories per 2 slices. I cannot remember the weight off the top of my head since I don't eat it that often, but I know the weight of the slices is substantially lower than 2 slices of uncooked bacon. Due to the cooking, much of the fat has been cooked out and drained already. I still weight them, although most time they are pretty close, and often under the stated weight. BTW, the weight I use is before re-heating the slices.1 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »You're actually better off purchasing calipers (very inexpensive) and learning how to measure your body fat yourself--it's really not that hard, but again, consistency is key.
Except that calipers only give you an idea of your body fat percentage, they don't tell you if you're gaining or losing muscle like a body composition scale does. And I find jumping on the scale and getting a reading in about 5 seconds is just so easy.
Muscle loss is a problem not discussed nearly enough when it comes to weight loss. Most fad diets, juice cleanses, and other large calorie deficit diets, or simply exercising too much while not getting enough protein, result in muscle loss and that is not what you want since it is unhealthy and makes maintaining the weight loss impossible.
The problem is those scales, including the one I have, do not actually do what they claim accurately. In particular, hydration or lack of it will throw off the numbers greatly. As for muscle loss, even calipers will tell you that, at least in the same type of accuracy as the scales do.0 -
To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
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mumblemagic wrote: »To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
Actually it's pretty easy to increase your strength without muscle growth.3 -
rileysowner wrote: »808Trish808 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I have to weigh a medium egg out? I'm sure the calicoes of a medium hen egg are pretty much the same everywhere. The bread is weighed. It's a uk brand that I scanned. I accurately weigh everything
I was surprised when I began to weigh eggs. They vary alot and have quite a few calories. A medium egg can vary, so I suggest weighing and find an entry for eggs that has it in grams. My medium egg is 64g. Take nothing for granted.
thanks, glad to know I'm not the only one.
I agree, that was ridiculous advice. Weighing foods is important when it comes to many foods, but weighing eggs or a slice of toast is needless, and would not account for lack of weight loss.ConicalFern wrote: »C'mon you can log adequately without weighing eggs or slices of bread.
Weight fluctuates. Everyone has their preference, but I weigh myself every day and look at the average, rather than doing it once a week. Be patient, keep logging accurately and the weight will come of.
Obviously not ridiculous advice as others have noticed the same.
Also, I checked out a couple of the OP's entries. 2 med eggs--120cals. I get 170cals weighing my medium eggs which is a 50 cal difference right there. Another is banana, peeled 150g---89 cal. I get 134cal for my banana. Those are just 2 mistakes I noted at 100 calories in one day, and I didn't check everything out. Those 2 things just popped out. OP I think you should tighten up your logging and use grams as much as possible.
I was just telling a friend that when I looked at her diary, I noticed that she had Hormel bacon, 4 slices, 160 calories. I weighed my measly one slice of bacon by oz and it was 139 calories. It definitely helps to weigh your food to know how much you are really ACCURATELY consuming.
If it is the same Hormel which I eat which is precooked, the calories are quite different than uncooked bacon. The nutritional information is 80 calories per 2 slices. I cannot remember the weight off the top of my head since I don't eat it that often, but I know the weight of the slices is substantially lower than 2 slices of uncooked bacon. Due to the cooking, much of the fat has been cooked out and drained already. I still weight them, although most time they are pretty close, and often under the stated weight. BTW, the weight I use is before re-heating the slices.
Yes, I was just going to comment on this as well. One brand will list the calories and weight uncooked, another cooked. Makes a big difference.0 -
mumblemagic wrote: »To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
True but only if you do the same lifts in the same order and track your progress. A lot of people just go into the gym and do whatever in whatever order- I'm finally on a program and tracking progress with weight & reps but before I was just doing random exercises & circuits & full body workouts. At one point I lost 1.3% of my muscle and gained 1.2% body fat in just 3 weeks - I was exercising regularly, eating in a deficit and losing weight but had no idea I was losing strength because of the way I was training.
More protein fixed the problem, but a lot of people don't pay attention to their macros or their strength, just weight... I lost 1.1 pounds in that time so without measuring bf% & muscle I would have thought I was making some progress going just by weight alone. Nope.
I feel like the older body comp scales are less accurate but the newer ones are pretty good, especially if you only weigh first thing in the morning.
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courtneyfabulous wrote: »You're actually better off purchasing calipers (very inexpensive) and learning how to measure your body fat yourself--it's really not that hard, but again, consistency is key.
Except that calipers only give you an idea of your body fat percentage, they don't tell you if you're gaining or losing muscle like a body composition scale does. And I find jumping on the scale and getting a reading in about 5 seconds is just so easy.
BIA scales are far less accurate than skinfold calipers (which have their own issues in terms of accuracy/repeatability). Yes, it's easy to jump on it and get a reading, but the reliability of that reading is somewhat akin to throwing a dart at a dartboard in terms of accuracy. I have a modern, good quality scale which also does BIA and the percentage reading can jump around as much as 2-3 percent from one day to the next - and I weigh daily under as identical conditions as possible (get out of bed, go to the bathroom, step on the scale naked before eating/drinking anything). The BF% on the scale is also anywhere from 3% - 5% higher than what skinfold calipers and the mirror tell me.
Here's an article which discusses the accuracy (or lack thereof) of bioelectrical impedance analysis, and explains the reasons why: http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-4-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-3-and-4-bod-pod-and-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/the-pitfalls-of-bodyfat-measurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/mumblemagic wrote: »To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
Especially for new lifters, very significant (and rapid) strength gains occur through neuromuscular adaptation - not muscle gain. Your CNS adapts to the overload stimulus by becoming more efficient at recruiting/firing muscle fibers to handle the loads. You will get much stronger before you ever start getting bigger.2 -
mumblemagic wrote: »To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
No, strength gains are from neuromuscular adaptation, not hypertrophy.
Edit: AnvilHead beat me to it.0 -
ConicalFern wrote: »
C'mon you can log adequately without weighing eggs or bread.
My eggs, especially vary greatly. One Trader Joe's jumbo egg should be 63g. I don't think I've ever had one be that size. They've all been 1.2, 1.5, etc. Several were the equivalent of two eggs.
She's in a healthy weight for her height. The weight will come off slowly. For me, the detailed logging helped. Maybe it'll help OP.
You do you, though.1 -
I am your height and weight, with the same goal. I eat about 1700 per day. I'm just moving into maintenance after losing 148 lbs. At this point, I'm losing 1/2 lb per week or less. I often see a drop only every 2-3 weeks. It is slow, and it should be with only a few pounds to lose. Weight also fluctuates as much as 2-4 pounds within a few days. This is normal and unpredictable. I weight myself daily and log in the app Happy Scale. If you are weighing only once a week, you could be missing the lows.
Be sure your food logging is accurate, set your plan, then stick with it for at least 2 months.0 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »You're actually better off purchasing calipers (very inexpensive) and learning how to measure your body fat yourself--it's really not that hard, but again, consistency is key.
Except that calipers only give you an idea of your body fat percentage, they don't tell you if you're gaining or losing muscle like a body composition scale does. And I find jumping on the scale and getting a reading in about 5 seconds is just so easy.
BIA scales are far less accurate than skinfold calipers (which have their own issues in terms of accuracy/repeatability). Yes, it's easy to jump on it and get a reading, but the reliability of that reading is somewhat akin to throwing a dart at a dartboard in terms of accuracy. I have a modern, good quality scale which also does BIA and the percentage reading can jump around as much as 2-3 percent from one day to the next - and I weigh daily under as identical conditions as possible (get out of bed, go to the bathroom, step on the scale naked before eating/drinking anything). The BF% on the scale is also anywhere from 3% - 5% higher than what skinfold calipers and the mirror tell me.
Here's an article which discusses the accuracy (or lack thereof) of bioelectrical impedance analysis, and explains the reasons why: http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-4-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-3-and-4-bod-pod-and-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/the-pitfalls-of-bodyfat-measurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/mumblemagic wrote: »To be fair, if you are building muscles, you can normally tell by the way you can lift heavier weights...
Especially for new lifters, very significant (and rapid) strength gains occur through neuromuscular adaptation - not muscle gain. Your CNS adapts to the overload stimulus by becoming more efficient at recruiting/firing muscle fibers to handle the loads. You will get much stronger before you ever start getting bigger.
I was actually being sarcastic but that's really interesting
So, how long does it usually take to start increasing size of muscles?0 -
The closer you are to goal the slower weight loss will be and it pays to be meticulous about weighing your food when you get closer to goal, MFP food entries a lot of them are incorrect as they are input by members,this includes the green checkmark(verified) and the scanned entries.packaged foods can be off by up to 25% as well. I have had bread that states 43g a slice and be as much as 50g. I had a protein bar that said 88g and it was 101g. sometimes it will be less but often times its more.
if you are new to kettlebell lifting its possible its water retention(any new exercise can cause water retention).weight loss is also NOT Linear so some weeks you will lose,some you wont lose and sometimes you will gain.
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mumblemagic wrote: »So, how long does it usually take to start increasing size of muscles?
1) It's not an on/off switch, it's a gradual process. Just as we fluctuate daily between lipogenesis and lipolysis, we also fluctuate between anabolism and catabolism. There are too many variables to give an intelligent answer to the question; nutrition, size of deficit/surplus, training status, efficiency of training routine, protein intake, hormone levels, etc., etc.
2) In the long term, the answer lies in your genetics. For some people it happens fast and big; for others, it happens slowly and not as much. For some, it barely happens at all. Read this article by Bret Contreras (and ignore the fact that it's on T-Nation's website, which has plenty of douchey/broscience articles): https://www.t-nation.com/training/truth-about-bodybuilding-genetics2
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