Gaining weight, help!

missuswife
missuswife Posts: 26 Member
edited June 2020 in Fitness and Exercise
I’ve been doing a half hour of Leslie Sansone walk videos on YouTube almost every day for a month. I’m eating about half my exercise calories. In the month I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained 10lbs! What the heck.

I weigh my food on a scale and I drink 2 liters of water a day. I try to eat some carbs before and some protein after my workout. I’m trying to be patient, I had read that you can gain some weight at first when you start exercising but ten pounds?!

ETA: my my measurements haven’t changed either.
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Is your overall calorie goal set to lose weight? Were you losing weight before you started the exercise or did you start your calorie counting and exercising at the same time?

    Did you gain the ten pounds all at once or has it been coming on gradually? Are you sure that your scale is accurate?

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    You are probably grossly overestimating your burns and underestimating what you eat. I would start by not adding any calories for your workouts and measuring with a scale everything you eat, and aim at reversing what happened in a month or two.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    LKArgh wrote: »
    You are probably grossly overestimating your burns and underestimating what you eat. I would start by not adding any calories for your workouts and measuring with a scale everything you eat, and aim at reversing what happened in a month or two.

    I weigh everything I eat on a digital metric kitchen scale. The calories are sent from my Apple Watch and calculated by MFP.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Is your overall calorie goal set to lose weight? Were you losing weight before you started the exercise or did you start your calorie counting and exercising at the same time?

    Did you gain the ten pounds all at once or has it been coming on gradually? Are you sure that your scale is accurate?

    My weight loss speed is set to 1lb/week. I was losing a little bit every week for a few months, not a whole pound but maybe if I averaged it over a few months it would be. I’ve been doing it for awhile and I’d gone from 206 to 195 when I added in the exercise. Now I’m at 204.

    I’m really not eating that much more. I usually eat around 1500-1600 calories per day. I can’t really eat more than 1700 because my stomach and appetite have shrunk since I started calorie-counting.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    missuswife wrote: »
    LKArgh wrote: »
    You are probably grossly overestimating your burns and underestimating what you eat. I would start by not adding any calories for your workouts and measuring with a scale everything you eat, and aim at reversing what happened in a month or two.

    I weigh everything I eat on a digital metric kitchen scale. The calories are sent from my Apple Watch and calculated by MFP.

    I've seen many people report that syncing the Apple Watch with MFP results in inaccurate adjustments. If you were losing weight until you began eating back adjustments for your exercise, I would begin with assuming that's the issue.

    Hmm ok, do you think I should try doing one month of not eating any exercise calories?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    missuswife wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    missuswife wrote: »
    LKArgh wrote: »
    You are probably grossly overestimating your burns and underestimating what you eat. I would start by not adding any calories for your workouts and measuring with a scale everything you eat, and aim at reversing what happened in a month or two.

    I weigh everything I eat on a digital metric kitchen scale. The calories are sent from my Apple Watch and calculated by MFP.

    I've seen many people report that syncing the Apple Watch with MFP results in inaccurate adjustments. If you were losing weight until you began eating back adjustments for your exercise, I would begin with assuming that's the issue.

    Hmm ok, do you think I should try doing one month of not eating any exercise calories?

    Something does seem to be off with how you're estimating your calories in or your calories out so it might be useful to try not eating them back and see if that helps. If you reach a point where you resume losing weight and you're then losing faster than you expect, you can always add some back.
  • JintheSouth
    JintheSouth Posts: 44 Member
    As much as I love Leslie Sansone’s workouts, I found I had to step up my workouts to see any results. I used to do the half hour workouts too, and found they were useful for maintenance, but not long term weight loss results. You may have to step up to her 4 or 5 mile walk.
    Also, the number of miles registered on my Fitbit were not the same as what the exercise claimed. For instance, when I would do the 4 mile walk, it would only register as 2 miles, around 200 calories burned. I wonder if you could be overestimating your calorie burn.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    missuswife wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    missuswife wrote: »
    LKArgh wrote: »
    You are probably grossly overestimating your burns and underestimating what you eat. I would start by not adding any calories for your workouts and measuring with a scale everything you eat, and aim at reversing what happened in a month or two.

    I weigh everything I eat on a digital metric kitchen scale. The calories are sent from my Apple Watch and calculated by MFP.

    I've seen many people report that syncing the Apple Watch with MFP results in inaccurate adjustments. If you were losing weight until you began eating back adjustments for your exercise, I would begin with assuming that's the issue.

    Hmm ok, do you think I should try doing one month of not eating any exercise calories?

    If your device is giving you incorrect data (which isn't just exercise data) either correct that data (many people connect via an intermediary app such as Pacer) or disconnect it.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Your may not need pre and post mini meals for the sansone walks. The food scale is your friend.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Your may not need pre and post mini meals for the sansone walks. The food scale is your friend.

    I meant I changed from a protein-centered breakfast to whole grain centered breakfast. I wait a little bit to digest and then do my workout. Afterwards I have water and some lean turkey cause I’m hungry, and it’s awhile until lunch.

    My schedule is weird cause I’m a solo parent with three little kids. Been stuck isolating with them since mid-March. I can’t work out before breakfast because of how early they all get up and want to eat etc.

    As I said above, I use a metric digital kitchen scale. I’m not sure how much more precise I could be with weighing my food besides using grams? I cook from scratch and weigh everything and check loads of database entries to find what seems most accurate.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    JintheSouth wrote: »
    As much as I love Leslie Sansone’s workouts, I found I had to step up my workouts to see any results. I used to do the half hour workouts too, and found they were useful for maintenance, but not long term weight loss results. You may have to step up to her 4 or 5 mile walk.
    Also, the number of miles registered on my Fitbit were not the same as what the exercise claimed. For instance, when I would do the 4 mile walk, it would only register as 2 miles, around 200 calories burned. I wonder if you could be overestimating your calorie burn.


    Yeah I noticed that too. She’ll say we’ve done a mile but my watch says .86 miles. Then she says two miles and my watch is only at 1.65 or so. I go by what the watch says.

    I’m not athletic at all. My heart rate is peaking at 146bpm during the workouts and the watch usually says I burned 200 “active calories”. I do a half hour video and if my exercise ring hasn’t closed then I rewind the video and do the last five mins over again to close the ring.

    I usually clock around 8,000 steps a day just caring for my kids and doing housework. I have twin five year old boys and a seven year old in a three story house 😂
  • cmentis182
    cmentis182 Posts: 36 Member
    edited June 2020
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.
  • cmentis182
    cmentis182 Posts: 36 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.

    Sorry but your point is false and your faith in the calorie counting ability of your band is misplaced.
    To make that conclusion from 4 days of exercise doesn't make any kind of sense.

    So you are saying that doing the same movements over and over again does not make it less strenuous for ourselves?
  • shirazumdraws
    shirazumdraws Posts: 63 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.

    Sorry but your point is false and your faith in the calorie counting ability of your band is misplaced.
    To make that conclusion from 4 days of exercise doesn't make any kind of sense.

    I dont think s/he was being conclusive of anything since s/he clearly said being an active kid and starting out again, instead s/he shared the point of the experience. Besides, the point definitely has some edge to it. No wonder its called cardiovascular health for nothin.
  • shirazumdraws
    shirazumdraws Posts: 63 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.

    Sorry but your point is false and your faith in the calorie counting ability of your band is misplaced.
    To make that conclusion from 4 days of exercise doesn't make any kind of sense.

    So you are saying that doing the same movements over and over again does not make it less strenuous for ourselves?

    What I'm saying is that doing the same movement burns the same calories, strenous is a feeling and calories don't have feelings
    Now if a person does exactly the weight bearing exercise and drops weight then yes their calorie burn drops. Not really a factor in 4 days.

    That lifting 100lbs weight feels easier as you get stronger is still the same calorie burn - physics of mass moved over distance takes energy.
    That running/cycling/rowing feels easier as you get fitter doesn't change the calorie burn in a significant way - it's just feels easier because your capabilities become higher.
    That my heartrate dropped 20% doesn't mean I burn 20% less calories - my heart just pumps more efficiently.

    Even for sports/exercises that involve improving skill levels and efficiency (swimming or rowing as examples) what actually happens is that you use the skill to go faster / go further.

    Let me do the math. For someone starting over, four days of calorie deficit, with added exercise definitely has some mass deduction which might not be so apparent on someone working out for weeks or months. So there goes some calorie. Second point being calorie burn is somewhat correlated to heart rate and that is why we do HIIT workout. So the efficient you are, the less energy you have to use. The less the energy you use, the less your body has to use up to fuel it.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member

    I meant I changed from a protein-centered breakfast to whole grain centered breakfast. I wait a little bit to digest and then do my workout. Afterwards I have water and some lean turkey cause I’m hungry, and it’s awhile until lunch.

    As I said above, I use a metric digital kitchen scale. I’m not sure how much more precise I could be with weighing my food besides using grams? I cook from scratch and weigh everything and check loads of database entries to find what seems most accurate.

    In the month I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained 10lbs! What the heck.

    There's a disconnect somewhere and that's what we're trying to help you figure out. It would be difficult to gain 10 lbs in a month with the weighing and measuring accuracy you're describing. What kind of drinks do you like besides water. Can you think about some hidden calories somewhere that might be missing from the equation.
  • cmentis182
    cmentis182 Posts: 36 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    shirazumdraws wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.

    Sorry but your point is false and your faith in the calorie counting ability of your band is misplaced.
    To make that conclusion from 4 days of exercise doesn't make any kind of sense.

    So you are saying that doing the same movements over and over again does not make it less strenuous for ourselves?

    What I'm saying is that doing the same movement burns the same calories, strenous is a feeling and calories don't have feelings
    Now if a person does exactly the weight bearing exercise and drops weight then yes their calorie burn drops. Not really a factor in 4 days.

    That lifting 100lbs weight feels easier as you get stronger is still the same calorie burn - physics of mass moved over distance takes energy.
    That running/cycling/rowing feels easier as you get fitter doesn't change the calorie burn in a significant way - it's just feels easier because your capabilities become higher.
    That my heartrate dropped 20% doesn't mean I burn 20% less calories - my heart just pumps more efficiently.

    Even for sports/exercises that involve improving skill levels and efficiency (swimming or rowing as examples) what actually happens is that you use the skill to go faster / go further.

    Let me do the math. For someone starting over, four days of calorie deficit, with added exercise definitely has some mass deduction which might not be so apparent on someone working out for weeks or months. So there goes some calorie. Second point being calorie burn is somewhat correlated to heart rate and that is why we do HIIT workout. So the efficient you are, the less energy you have to use. The less the energy you use, the less your body has to use up to fuel it.

    4 days of assumed weight loss leading to a significant difference in weight? Seriously?
    As you say - lets do the math - let's say a 200lb person drops 1lb in 4 days - half a percent difference!

    Heartrate and calories have a very loose correlation and only for some exercise. Not at all for strength training, can be reasonable for SOME people who happen to have an average exercise HR doing an appropriate exercise (mostly moderate and upwards steady state cardio).

    I've seen three experienced cyclists producing the same power/actually burning the same calories but with HR up to 50% different. That's how variable it is.
    And HIIT (true HIIT) is a perfect example of how not to use heartrate to estimate calories - it's likely to be massively over-estimated.

    Does your car become more efficient and use less fuel because you use it every day to get to work?

    Guys, all I wanted to say was that the exercise we do gets easier with time and like I previously mentioned I am not qualified to give advice, its just my experience, that too with a cheap wrist band of over just 4 days. Wasn't making any conclusion of whatsoever. And this calorie estimates are all too weird for me. I have recently started logging and I just realised I eat less than 1200 calories. And MFP says to maintain I need to eat 1440 calories. But then I have gained about 15 pounds over the course of five years. So the wrist band's estimation has not much value to me either. I guess I was just trying to say exercise gets easier. And I assumed that as we exert less force, we use less energy. But anywho, good to know the calorie burn doesn’t significantly change. So many new knowledge from around here only! Thanks!
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    I meant I changed from a protein-centered breakfast to whole grain centered breakfast. I wait a little bit to digest and then do my workout. Afterwards I have water and some lean turkey cause I’m hungry, and it’s awhile until lunch.

    As I said above, I use a metric digital kitchen scale. I’m not sure how much more precise I could be with weighing my food besides using grams? I cook from scratch and weigh everything and check loads of database entries to find what seems most accurate.

    In the month I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained 10lbs! What the heck.

    There's a disconnect somewhere and that's what we're trying to help you figure out. It would be difficult to gain 10 lbs in a month with the weighing and measuring accuracy you're describing. What kind of drinks do you like besides water. Can you think about some hidden calories somewhere that might be missing from the equation.

    I usually have one mug of coffee with 15mls of plain soy milk and a packet of Splenda in the morning, 1 can of Diet Coke at lunch, and 1 cup of decaf tea with soy milk and sweetener. Through the day I also go through 2-3 liters of water.

    Is it possible I’m eating too little? MFP gives me 1750 calories, plus between 215-300 exercise calories, and I usually eat around half the exercise calories.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited June 2020
    @missuswife Those drinks wouldn't mess with you. The stock answer is water retention but if you're under a lorra lorra stress that can shut weight loss down, too. We are bent on survival and your body may be in stress mode right now. I think many of us are at this particular time. I surmise you're doing the right things but the body has a mind of its own. ;)

    Keep tooling along and see what happens in the next two weeks. It does stick in our craw when we can't figure it out. Give it two more weeks. :#


  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    edited June 2020
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    shirazumdraws wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    cmentis182 wrote: »
    I am not really qualified to give any advice but just my experience, I have been working out for about four days. *Note, I used to be an active kid, just turned a couch potato for the last 5 years* I also bought this cheap wrist band, Xiaomi Band 4 which counts steps and have a few ranges of exercise sections that shows how much you burn. So, the first day, I jump roped about 2000+ and it took me somewhere between 24 minutes and I burned 120 calories. The next day, I did 2500+ jump rope and it took me around 27 minutes and I burned 145+ calories. On third day, I jump roped for another 2500+ times and it took me 33 minutes and it was a 220+ burn and today I jump roped 3600+ in 32 minutes and I burned 206 calories.

    My point being, I think our body become efficient in doing the same sort of movements and it requires less energy, hence less burn.

    Sorry but your point is false and your faith in the calorie counting ability of your band is misplaced.
    To make that conclusion from 4 days of exercise doesn't make any kind of sense.

    So you are saying that doing the same movements over and over again does not make it less strenuous for ourselves?

    What I'm saying is that doing the same movement burns the same calories, strenous is a feeling and calories don't have feelings
    Now if a person does exactly the weight bearing exercise and drops weight then yes their calorie burn drops. Not really a factor in 4 days.

    That lifting 100lbs weight feels easier as you get stronger is still the same calorie burn - physics of mass moved over distance takes energy.
    That running/cycling/rowing feels easier as you get fitter doesn't change the calorie burn in a significant way - it's just feels easier because your capabilities become higher.
    That my heartrate dropped 20% doesn't mean I burn 20% less calories - my heart just pumps more efficiently.

    Even for sports/exercises that involve improving skill levels and efficiency (swimming or rowing as examples) what actually happens is that you use the skill to go faster / go further.

    Let me do the math. For someone starting over, four days of calorie deficit, with added exercise definitely has some mass deduction which might not be so apparent on someone working out for weeks or months. So there goes some calorie. Second point being calorie burn is somewhat correlated to heart rate and that is why we do HIIT workout. So the efficient you are, the less energy you have to use. The less the energy you use, the less your body has to use up to fuel it.

    4 days of assumed weight loss leading to a significant difference in weight? Seriously?
    As you say - lets do the math - let's say a 200lb person drops 1lb in 4 days - half a percent difference!

    Heartrate and calories have a very loose correlation and only for some exercise. Not at all for strength training, can be reasonable for SOME people who happen to have an average exercise HR doing an appropriate exercise (mostly moderate and upwards steady state cardio).

    I've seen three experienced cyclists producing the same power/actually burning the same calories but with HR up to 50% different. That's how variable it is.
    And HIIT (true HIIT) is a perfect example of how not to use heartrate to estimate calories - it's likely to be massively over-estimated.

    Does your car become more efficient and use less fuel because you use it every day to get to work?

    Guys, all I wanted to say was that the exercise we do gets easier with time and like I previously mentioned I am not qualified to give advice, its just my experience, that too with a cheap wrist band of over just 4 days. Wasn't making any conclusion of whatsoever. And this calorie estimates are all too weird for me. I have recently started logging and I just realised I eat less than 1200 calories. And MFP says to maintain I need to eat 1440 calories. But then I have gained about 15 pounds over the course of five years. So the wrist band's estimation has not much value to me either. I guess I was just trying to say exercise gets easier. And I assumed that as we exert less force, we use less energy. But anywho, good to know the calorie burn doesn’t significantly change. So many new knowledge from around here only! Thanks!

    You (and the OP of this thread) might learn some useful information from reading these things:

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations

    That first one is old, but still true and informative.

    On this thread, the advice from sijomial about exercise, heart rate, and calories is correct. In brief, as we get fitter, our heart and body get better at oxygen utilization, so our heart rate is lower when doing the same exercise. But that exercise is the same amount of work (in pretty much the physics sense of "work", unless influenced by moving around a smaller bodyweight), so requires the same amount of fuel, and calories are that fuel.

    As we get fitter, the same exercise (at the same bodyweight) feels easier because we're better adapted to it **, but it burns the same number of calories. The fitness device may claim we burned fewer calories because our heart rate is lower, bu that's among the limitations of those devices: Their estimates can be wrong in that way. (Yes, they only estimate calorie burn; they don't measure it.)

    ** That adaptation is pretty much the definition of "improving fitness".

    OP, I think the advice about using the Pacer app with your Apple watch and MFP could be helpful. Also, I'd repeat that calorie expenditure estimates - even from expensive devices like yours or mine - are still just estimates, and can be wrong. If you gained 10 pounds in a month, you'd need to have eating around 35,000 calories over your maintenance calories, in order for that to be fat - over 1000 calories extra per day - or to have moved that much less in daily life.

    It's very unlikely you ate that much extra without noticing. Some people are moving quite a bit less lately in daily life because of "stay at home" orders or other such lifestyle changes, and haven't really clicked that that effects calorie expenditure as much as it does. But if you think it over, you'd know if you started somehow doing 1000+ calories less movement per day, or a combination of moving less and eating more that gets you to that same !000+ extra daily calories. If 1000+ daily calories isn't possible, then the 10 pounds isn't fat. (Assuming, as you say, that you're logging accurately, of course).

    Someone may tell you that muscle growth is the explanation, but muscle mass gain is much slower than that (sadly), so that's not the explanation either.

    That pretty much leaves some kind of water weight or digestive contents weirdness as the explanation. The "fluctuations" article I linked earlier in this post may be informative, in that respect.

    A month is a long time for a water weight effect, but I'd consider waiting it out for another few weeks, if you had been losing at a reasonable rate before this.

    Best wishes!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited June 2020
    missuswife wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    I meant I changed from a protein-centered breakfast to whole grain centered breakfast. I wait a little bit to digest and then do my workout. Afterwards I have water and some lean turkey cause I’m hungry, and it’s awhile until lunch.

    As I said above, I use a metric digital kitchen scale. I’m not sure how much more precise I could be with weighing my food besides using grams? I cook from scratch and weigh everything and check loads of database entries to find what seems most accurate.

    In the month I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained 10lbs! What the heck.

    There's a disconnect somewhere and that's what we're trying to help you figure out. It would be difficult to gain 10 lbs in a month with the weighing and measuring accuracy you're describing. What kind of drinks do you like besides water. Can you think about some hidden calories somewhere that might be missing from the equation.

    I usually have one mug of coffee with 15mls of plain soy milk and a packet of Splenda in the morning, 1 can of Diet Coke at lunch, and 1 cup of decaf tea with soy milk and sweetener. Through the day I also go through 2-3 liters of water.

    Is it possible I’m eating too little? MFP gives me 1750 calories, plus between 215-300 exercise calories, and I usually eat around half the exercise calories.

    Hmm, this does not add up, there must be something very off with your calculations. What is your current weight and your goal weight? A woman would have to be either rather big (very obese or very tall) to expect to lose when eating 2000 calories per day, or extremely active, probably both, so gaining fast with these calories does not surprise me if you are just an average woman with a low overall activity level especially during lockdown. The alternative is weight gain from water, but if you have indeed gained that much in water weight so fast, you need to visit your dr ASAP. Are your ankles, face, wrists etc visibly swollen?
    What are your age, height and current weight?
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    OP, I think the advice about using the Pacer app with your Apple watch and MFP could be helpful. Also, I'd repeat that calorie expenditure estimates - even from expensive devices like yours or mine - are still just estimates, and can be wrong. If you gained 10 pounds in a month, you'd need to have eating around 35,000 calories over your maintenance calories, in order for that to be fat - over 1000 calories extra per day - or to have moved that much less in daily life.

    I do not know OPs stats, but if I do this exercise for myself, middle-aged mum, 3 kids, office job, no opportunity to move much during lockdown unless planned, eating 2K calories per day would put me at 500 over my maintenance, and I can easily imagine a gain of 5-6 lbs in a month because of it. Adding a bit of water weight or constipation etc, it sounds totally normal to gain 10 lbs this way in just a few weeks.

  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    LKArgh wrote: »
    missuswife wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    I meant I changed from a protein-centered breakfast to whole grain centered breakfast. I wait a little bit to digest and then do my workout. Afterwards I have water and some lean turkey cause I’m hungry, and it’s awhile until lunch.

    As I said above, I use a metric digital kitchen scale. I’m not sure how much more precise I could be with weighing my food besides using grams? I cook from scratch and weigh everything and check loads of database entries to find what seems most accurate.

    In the month I’ve been doing this, I’ve gained 10lbs! What the heck.

    There's a disconnect somewhere and that's what we're trying to help you figure out. It would be difficult to gain 10 lbs in a month with the weighing and measuring accuracy you're describing. What kind of drinks do you like besides water. Can you think about some hidden calories somewhere that might be missing from the equation.

    I usually have one mug of coffee with 15mls of plain soy milk and a packet of Splenda in the morning, 1 can of Diet Coke at lunch, and 1 cup of decaf tea with soy milk and sweetener. Through the day I also go through 2-3 liters of water.

    Is it possible I’m eating too little? MFP gives me 1750 calories, plus between 215-300 exercise calories, and I usually eat around half the exercise calories.

    Hmm, this does not add up, there must be something very off with your calculations. What is your current weight and your goal weight? A woman would have to be either rather big (very obese or very tall) to expect to lose when eating 2000 calories per day, or extremely active, probably both, so gaining fast with these calories does not surprise me if you are just an average woman with a low overall activity level especially during lockdown. The alternative is weight gain from water, but if you have indeed gained that much in water weight so fast, you need to visit your dr ASAP. Are your ankles, face, wrists etc visibly swollen?
    What are your age, height and current weight?

    5’6”, 204, goal weight is 165. Lower than 165 on my frame would make me look ill.

    Even under lockdown, without the exercise I do around 8000 steps around the house.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    The OP's exercise was 30 minutes of walking. If whatever device is giving enough calories to even bother [1] questioning what percentage to eat back, or [2] cause a huge weight gain, then pretty safe to say the device is flat wrong (unless the OP was already very, very over weight).. if memory serves, walking burns a net 30-something calories per mile per lbs weight of the walkee, and you can't walk all that far in 30 minutes.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    ritzvin wrote: »
    The OP's exercise was 30 minutes of walking. If whatever device is giving enough calories to even bother [1] questioning what percentage to eat back, or [2] cause a huge weight gain, then pretty safe to say the device is flat wrong (unless the OP was already very, very over weight).. if memory serves, walking burns a net 30-something calories per mile per lbs weight of the walkee, and you can't walk all that far in 30 minutes.

    It’s not walking like taking a walk. It’s an exercise video where you’re power walking, and doing HIIT like knee lifts, squats, etc. I’d say it’s more like jogging—I get out of breath and sweaty.
  • missuswife
    missuswife Posts: 26 Member
    LKArgh wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    OP, I think the advice about using the Pacer app with your Apple watch and MFP could be helpful. Also, I'd repeat that calorie expenditure estimates - even from expensive devices like yours or mine - are still just estimates, and can be wrong. If you gained 10 pounds in a month, you'd need to have eating around 35,000 calories over your maintenance calories, in order for that to be fat - over 1000 calories extra per day - or to have moved that much less in daily life.

    I do not know OPs stats, but if I do this exercise for myself, middle-aged mum, 3 kids, office job, no opportunity to move much during lockdown unless planned, eating 2K calories per day would put me at 500 over my maintenance, and I can easily imagine a gain of 5-6 lbs in a month because of it. Adding a bit of water weight or constipation etc, it sounds totally normal to gain 10 lbs this way in just a few weeks.

    See that’s the thing—I don’t have an office job. My day is literally 14 hours of childcare and housework. I’m not like, running around the house, but I definitely don’t sit down, 😂. I have TWO five year old boys and a 7 year old girl. I’m working out so I can keep up with them.

    It does sound like maybe I should lower my calories a bit. Maybe take it down to 1750 for a few weeks? The Mayo Clinic maintenance calories calculator is saying 1850 to maintain if I’m lightly active, or 2000 if I’m doing 30 minutes of activity per day which I am.

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