I have gained a pound. WHY?

hulamedulla

Please help me.

I've been staying on or under my 1300 calories and exercising 40 mins 5x a week with an average 200 calorie burn (HRM). I am at the beginning of my weight loss journey... Why am I not losing weight? Why have I gained weight this week?

My measurements have not changed. So discouraged

My diary is open.

shadow2soul

Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:
:drinker: Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.
:drinker: Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.
:drinker: 3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.
:drinker: Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.
:drinker: Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.
:drinker: Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.
:drinker: Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.
:drinker: Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.
:drinker: Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom
:drinker: Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.
:drinker: Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)
:drinker: TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

dittmarml

Try to be patient and realize it's not all about the scale. It can take weeks for your body to get used to new ways of eating and exercising and begin to burn the extra pounds.

Also one pound is "noise" - doesn't mean anything. As a 40 year old female you can fluctuate that much (or more) in a day based on fluid balance.

Recommend getting out a tape measure and doing measurements...sometimes these can be very helpful to track progress when the scale isn't budging. Remind yourself that you are doing good things here and you are in for the long haul! Congratulations on your journey!

AmyRhubarb

Totally normal - I'm a daily weigher out of habit, and I can go up or down 3-4 lbs in a week's time, easy. So many things affect the scale - water weight from new exercise/sodium, hormones/TOM, etc. But while my scale number can vary as much as 5lbs, my clothes still fit and my measurements don't change, so it's not a fat gain, and nothing to worry about.

Looks like you're doing pretty well hitting your calories - how long have you been at this? Definitely take measurements and progress photos - those will often show you true progress when the scale is busy messing with your head. Have patience, it takes time.

Good luck!

MerlinWilliams

According to Friday's diary entry, you drank 24oz of red wine.

That ain't helping.

Nicoleace22

In newbie section theree is a article about 185 lb women not losing weight even though she had a serious deficit going. Either read the article or look into matabolic training.

sloth3toes

According to Friday's diary entry, you drank 24oz of red wine.

That ain't helping.

Ya, it didn't get the greatest reviews.

Reserve Shiraz | yellow tail wine
www.yellowtailwine.com/reserve-shiraz/‎
I had big hopes for this Shiraz! Better let this bottle breathe! Strong smell of chemicals in the beginning. However, every nose to the glass is getting better.

hulamedulla

Thanks for the encouragement shadow2soul, dittmarml, and AmyRhubarb I guess I have to wait and see if this is a trend or just water weight.

Nicoleace22 you mean this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing ? But I'm not starving myself...

About the wine... I don't drink a bottle a day but I do love my wine. I have a glass during the week and indulge more on the weekend. I was told on MFP message boards that so long as I keep my wine calories within my total calories, I'd be fine. As for the quality, well, Yellow Tail Cab Sav is very drinkable and within our budget.

cdahl383

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Probably just due to water retention or something like that. If you're doing some weight training you could be adding a little muscle as well.

Just keep at it and see what happens over the next couple of weeks. If you dont start going back down or keep gaining, then you obviously need to adjust something. Usually its slipping in more food than you think in most cases.

Hildy_J

Hello there,

You should have dropped some weight by now. Your diary looks complete, your calories seem fine, your exercise looks fine so...you have gained a pound because... (I think)... it's a weighing thing?

In your diary (and you eat REALLY well it puts me to shame btw) you've put stuff like 1.5 cup gnocchi, 1 scoop mash, 1 small (generic) Yorkshire pud.. I think it's best to only using measuring cups and spoons for liquids which (obviously) fill the container completely, but has viscocity so it will pour over the sides. Unlike gnocchi which will pile up thereby exceeding the volume of the container. I don't talk like this in real life, you'll be pleased to hear. Weigh the pud, the gnocchi the mash. Use plastic cups to measure the wine. And then drink it out of them to save on the washing up.

If you using your kitchen weighing scales for every last little morsel you eat, you'll find this to be far more accurate.

Good luck!

klerato

Is it close to your cycle? I usually pic ka tone of water weight,well one or two pounds around that time...No matter what I do.

Gracy22

Totally normal - I'm a daily weigher out of habit, and I can go up or down 3-4 lbs in a week's time, easy. So many things affect the scale - water weight from new exercise/sodium, hormones/TOM, etc. But while my scale number can vary as much as 5lbs, my clothes still fit and my measurements don't change, so it's not a fat gain, and nothing to worry about.

Looks like you're doing pretty well hitting your calories - how long have you been at this? Definitely take measurements and progress photos - those will often show you true progress when the scale is busy messing with your head. Have patience, it takes time.

Good luck!

Thank you! you just answered a question that has been driving me nuts for awhile now...

bridgie101

I'm actually wondering if you are tracking every single thing. I see no coffee or tea drunk, and I saw the pasta you had just with avocado and tomato for lunch one day: did you use any sort of dressing on that pasta?

Having said that, you'd have to be messing up by 500cals a day, which is a lot of cals. I'm going to point the finger at:

1. food in your gut. Sometimes there's lots, sometimes there's not;
2. tom
3. weighing issues either with your bathroom or your kitchen scales.

Get one of those tiny cheap ones that way in individual grams or fractions of ounces, so you can be dead sure you're getting it all right. MFP counts that say '1/4 cup' should have a nominated weight beside them.

herblackwings39

Make sure you're weighing and measuring your food and tracking everything you eat. It's so easy to either over or under estimate how much we are eating.

With MFP the goal has your deficit so without doing any exercise at all you should be able to lose weight just by eating 1300 calories per day. If you exercise the system expects you to eat those calories back so your original deficit remains the same. That way you're netting 1300 instead of 1100 (which is what happens if you're accurately tracking, eating 1300 and then burning 200.)

SherryTeach

You say you are eating 1300 calories a day, but most of the days I saw were 1500. Not that this is too many, but it's not what you said.

hulamedulla

Thanks for all the feedback!

I'm at 1300 and I mostly eat back my exercise calories (HRM) so, yeah, i guess I'm eating 1500 usually. Saturdays are my "eat what I want" days...

But I am guilty of not tracking every single thing like tea, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice... I'll invest in a kitchen scale so I can track better. We also eat out a couple times a week and that's difficult to track accurately.

I've given up potato chips and started eating apples instead. I feel like I'm trying hard so it sucks to be gaining.

FrauHaas2013

Is your TOM coming up?? Most women tend to gain weight. That's where I'm at, right now - don't worry. You may just be retaining water. Like the other posters advised, don't just go by the # on the scale!

ashliejones13

I weigh 107 in the morning and around 113-114 before bed. A pound or even five is nothing to stress about. Just keep working out and eating clean. The weight will go away. It takes time and weight fluctuates.

QuietBloom

Thanks for all the feedback!

I'm at 1300 and I mostly eat back my exercise calories (HRM) so, yeah, i guess I'm eating 1500 usually. Saturdays are my "eat what I want" days...

But I am guilty of not tracking every single thing like tea, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice... I'll invest in a kitchen scale so I can track better. We also eat out a couple times a week and that's difficult to track accurately.

I've given up potato chips and started eating apples instead. I feel like I'm trying hard so it sucks to be gaining.

Not including honey or olive oil in your calorie counting is really going to mess you up. I agree with everyone here that said track EVERYTHING and you should start to see the weight shifting. Good luck!

cwolfman13

You have natural body weight fluctuations that are both UP and down...they can easily mask weight loss as these fluctuations can typically be 2-5 Lbs either way...when you're talking about 1/2 Lb to 2 Lbs weight loss tops per week, that loss can easily be masked. This **** isn't linear and you need to take a much longer view of things...it's a general trend over time, not exactly X Lbs per week or whatever...months down the road you see it average out. You need way more patience.

cwolfman13

Thanks for all the feedback!

I'm at 1300 and I mostly eat back my exercise calories (HRM) so, yeah, i guess I'm eating 1500 usually. Saturdays are my "eat what I want" days...

But I am guilty of not tracking every single thing like tea, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice... I'll invest in a kitchen scale so I can track better. We also eat out a couple times a week and that's difficult to track accurately.

I've given up potato chips and started eating apples instead. I feel like I'm trying hard so it sucks to be gaining.

Not including honey or olive oil in your calorie counting is really going to mess you up. I agree with everyone here that said track EVERYTHING and you should start to see the weight shifting. Good luck!

Ditto....olive olive oil is very good for you...it's also calorie dense.