So discouraged

intrigame23

https://www.livestrong.com/article/303924-calories-needed-per-day-to-gain-2-pounds-a-week/

intrigame23

Rocknut53 wrote: »

Kimmotion5783 wrote: »

It is possible to burn that much on a walk, especially if you are going uphill and/or walking at a fast pace.

The weight gain could due to be a few things:

1.) Water weight. If you gain more than a pound per week, it's most likely water weight. This could be due to not drinking enough water- make sure you are definitely drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day bare minimum. If you take any medications, try to find out if weight gain is a side effect.

2.) Eating too many calories. The average calorie goal for women's weight loss is roughly 1200-1300 calories per day. To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. So if you're going past that, then that might be the culprit.

3.) With the 2nd point in mind, DO NOT eat your exercise calories back. I made this mistake myself and wondered why I wasn't losing anything. Again, you want a calorie deficit so that your body will burn fat for energy.

4.) Sweet tooth and cravings. Cravings are a sign that the body is missing nutrients it needs to function. Like you, I have a major sweet tooth and that was one of the biggest factors of my weight issue. I would do great all day only to come home late at night after work and binge on sweets because I was starving. Turns out I wasn't getting enough protein- nowhere near my protein goal. So try upping your protein intake if you find yourself craving sweets, especially at night.

5.) Stress. Weight gain can also be due to stress. When I first started this journey two years ago, the first 80 pounds just flew off. Then I moved in with my grandparents to take care of them. Anyone who takes care of another human being - child or elderly adult- knows that it's the hardest, most thankless job on the planet, so you can only imagine how high my stress levels went. Needless to say, despite my best efforts, the weight loss progress slowed tremendously. To combat stress, I did a number of things like doing beginner yoga videos at home on YouTube (I recommend Yoga With Adrienne, she's great for beginners), adult coloring is another fun stress buster, and of course just getting out and doing something fun when you can. Everyone needs a break, especially moms and caregivers. We're not superwoman, and that's okay. We don't need to be.

6.) Exercise. Walking is great exercise of course, but make sure you shake up your workout routine a bit. Your body may have become accustomed to your current routine, so it may no longer be challenging to you or building muscle. Maybe try something different like a dance class, fitness class, I don't know if you go to the gym or not, but if you do, try different machines. Or try short, intermittent jogging intervals during your walks.

7.) Age & health issues. The older us women get, the slower our metabolism gets each year. If you've tried all of the above and still nothing works, then I would go see a doctor to make sure it's not an underlying health issue (usually it isn't, so don't worry. It's probably something to do with your diet/nutrition. That's usually the culprit.) The doctor can pinpoint the cause of possible weight gain, and/or direct you to a nutritionist/dietitian to help you get back on track.

8.) Last but not least, it could be a weight loss plateau. Weight loss plateaus can happen for weeks to months depending on the person and situation. Again, to bust through the plateau, change up your exercise regimen a little to get things going again. Kind of like hitting the restart button on your metabolism.

9.) It could be muscle buildup. Again, that happened to me. Muscle was replacing fat, which is great. Except when I hopped on the scale and didn't see it go down. That was disheartening. But if I'm going to weigh what I weigh, I'd rather it be all muscle than all fat. So that is something to take into consideration. God made us what we are.

Sorry this response was so long, but I totally get how you feel. Don't worry, and certainly don't lose hope. Everything will be okay! You will start losing again, it's a matter of time. You are doing great, so keep it up. Anytime you think you are not accomplishing anything in your weight loss goals, just remember how fear you've come from where you started, the bad habits you changed, and the fact that you're way ahead of those couch potatoes who aren't even trying. A healthy lifestyle is a worthwhile pursuit. Big hugs to you, and don't worry- it will all workout.

There is so much questionable about this advice. @Kimmotion5783 please feel free to further explain the items I highlighted.

A lot of this is actually sound advice. It's just lengthy, worded weirdly, references personal experiences, and lacks specific research. But it's pretty easy to verify with quick searches ourselves.

elisa123gal

sounds like you think you're eating at a deficit. but you are not.. and you are eating chocolate too. chances are you need to learn how to log better. and learn how .. (not lie to yourself). (we all have done that).

But when you eat healthy..cut out the crap ..sugar, bread.. fried foods.. and you move..weigh..measure.. you then lose.

RunForPizza88

elisa123gal wrote: »

sounds like you think you're eating at a deficit. but you are not.. and you are eating chocolate too. chances are you need to learn how to log better. and learn how .. (not lie to yourself). (we all have done that).

But when you eat healthy..cut out the crap ..sugar, bread.. fried foods.. and you move..weigh..measure.. you then lose.

What a load of nonsense OP can eat chocolate if they want! Im down from 130 to 115lbs over the last few months (requiring meticulous tracking at such low weight already) and i eat chocolate nearly ever single day. As long as you can fit a treat into your calories its fine.
Same goes for bread, personally i dont eat bread but theres no reason for people to cut things out if they dont want to! Portion control is the first and most important step

amusedmonkey

Most likely water retention. Have you eaten 1500 calories over your maintenance every single day for a week? No? So, logically you shouldn't expect a real gain of 3 lbs in a week I wouldn't worry too much. Just wait it out. Being accurate with your logging is good practice, regardless if you gained this week or not, so take that advice on board too.