HELP! KEEP GAINING

evergreenlakegirl

I've been doing so well for the past 2 months since I started. I had lost almost 10 pounds and was almost at my goal weight! Then Friday I weigh myself and I gained 2 lbs!! I've read that this could be excess salt - water weight....so today I weigh myself expecting to see myself back down....NO...I gained another pound!!
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???

MelanieCN77

Friday to Monday and "eating a bit more than usual" is your answer - it's too short a time for splurges and extra eating to work itself out on the scale. I'd give it a full week of eating in proper range and then see what the scale said, before I started to be concerned.

evergreenlakegirl

thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #

MelanieCN77

How did you get to 1200 as your goal? There are very few of us who ever have to get that low to lose. Unless you're very small and already light, odds are you can loosen that number a fair bit. If you're really hungry all the time, you'll just bounce between restriction and giving in to your (natural) hunger and the process can be miserable. What age/height/weight/sex are you?

TavistockToad

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #

try setting a more appropriate calorie goal than 1200

cathipa

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #

Chances are you ate more calories, sodium and carbs which have attributed to weight gain. Agree with @TavistockToad 1200 is typically not enough for most especially if you are feeling hungry and are prone to binge.

lautreun

You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.

1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper

If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.

MelanieCN77

lautreun wrote: »

You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.

1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper

If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.

We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.

Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.

lautreun

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

lautreun wrote: »

You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.

1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper

If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.

We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.

Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.

I'm not recommending anyone to starve; I recommended the opposite: EAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD.

MelanieCN77

For those calories I'd rather have a mini bagel and something with some fat content.

Jackie9003

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

I've been doing so well for the past 2 months since I started. I had lost almost 10 pounds and was almost at my goal weight! Then Friday I weigh myself and I gained 2 lbs!! I've read that this could be excess salt - water weight....so today I weigh myself expecting to see myself back down....NO...I gained another pound!!
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???

Give it another few days, I often go up and down 3-4lbs within the week depending upon what I've eaten, it's not fat going on in that short time frame it most likely water and hormones.
I would also recommend upping your calories at least a few days a week, particularly if exercising, I too have tried 1200 cals a day and it's not easy to stick to without being hungry and then when you do have something different this short term weight gain happens as your body has to work harder to process it.

collectingblues

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #

Try adding more calories to your daily amount. You're pretty much wiping out your deficit with your weekend splurges, so if you add more to the daily, the odds are pretty good that you'll actually end up eating less, because you won't be in that restriction-binge cycle.

janejellyroll

lautreun wrote: »

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

lautreun wrote: »

You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.

1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper

If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.

We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.

Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.

I'm not recommending anyone to starve; I recommended the opposite: EAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD.

Large amounts of low calorie food aren't going to be helpful if someone has set their calorie goal way too low (which may be the case here). It doesn't matter how big the under 200-calorie salad is, if I need more calories to sustain my body, then it's not going to keep me full for hours and hours.

evergreenlakegirl

Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today

cathipa

Since you have so little to lose set a goal of 0.25-0.5 pounds a week. Should be easier to maintain the deficit this way.

evergreenlakegirl

collectingblues wrote: »

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #

Try adding more calories to your daily amount. You're pretty much wiping out your deficit with your weekend splurges, so if you add more to the daily, the odds are pretty good that you'll actually end up eating less, because you won't be in that restriction-binge cycle.

YES....I think you are right here Melanie

mph323

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

For those calories I'd rather have a mini bagel and something with some fat content.

Right? I'd rather have a protein bar - it would hold me a lot longer.

TavistockToad

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today

You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...

Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...

beaglady

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice

Try experimenting to find our what foods help you feel fuller. As long as you stay in your calorie limit, you don't need to eliminate fats and carbs. Either or both might be what helps you to feel fuller for a longer time. Same with that slice of cheese. Weigh it, log it, eat it.

mitch16

TavistockToad wrote: »

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today

You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...

Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...

Also consider tracking your weight on Happy Scale or another weight-trending application so that you can see through the fluctuations.

cathipa

mitch16 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

evergreenlakegirl wrote: »

Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today

You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...

Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...

Also consider tracking your weight on Happy Scale or another weight-trending application so that you can see through the fluctuations.

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