HELP PLEASE!!!!

ShariTho1

Hello MFP's! I need some help.....any suggestions, comments, criticism, advice is welcome. The last two weeks I have upped my calories to try and hit 1200 because a lot of people were telling me I wasn't properly fueling my body. ( I was eating 800 - 1000 and losing.). So last week I gained one pound and (I am not suppose to weigh until tomorrow) today the scale says I have gained another 3 pounds!!! How is that possible. I have been walking 2-4 miles 3-5 times a week. And not just strolling along.....I walk 4 miles an hour, up and down hills. I admit last weekend was a bad one (Valentines Day weekend) and I am not making excuses. I was expecting to stay the same weight this week, BUT gain 3 pounds?......There is NO way I consumed enough calories to gain 3 pounds this week. Can anyone help me get the scale moving in right direction? I usually don't log my food on site but keep a diary . This week I am logging my food. I will open it so all can see. I am just soooooo Frustrated ;

glassgallm

Just looking through your food diary and I see a lot of days that were not logged in. On the days you did log, I do not see any fresh fruits or vegetables. I would try to stay away from any packaged foods, Add a fruit and or vegetable to every meal and eat a more substantial breakfast with whole grains and or protein plus a fruit or vegetable.

ataylorgardner

How much water are you drinking every day? Your weight can fluctuate from day to day just from water weight alone. I wouldnt freak out quite yet. It takes your body a few weeks to adjust to new workout routines and its really not uncommon to gain a few pounds in the first few weeks. Be patient as long as you eat healthy and get the workouts in you will figure it out

FitnFeistyLyness

are you logging everything?

you bite it you write it..

do you measure or weigh your food.. your portion may be way off.. eyebaling it may not be working.. try measuring with a food scale or measuring cups for a couple weeks.

remember weight fluctuates.. stress, water salt.. can all effect the scale. so breathe and take it one step at a time..

make sure your not eating more calories than you burn.. make sure your eating enough.. you have to find the balance is what im finding.

log every day get plenty of nutrient dense foods.. treats are ok in moderation just make sure they fit in your day.. dont be scared of protein, fat or carbs.. they are not evil.. just make sure your eating the right amount of each.

800-1000 cal is very low.. skimping on cal.. skipping meals.. not saying you are.. just saying that wont help you release weight..

im no expert. im stil learning how this all works.. my logs are open if you want to peek.

beachlover317

I glanced through your diary and you are still netting close to 1000 cals on the days that you logged.

Here is what is working for me - I learned this from others on this site and it worked for them:

*eat at a healthy deficit from your TDEE
*weigh/measure/log every bite that goes in your mouth
*eat foods you like and learn to moderate your foods to fit in your daily calories
*find something you love to do and do it consistently
*have patience and never quit

The one bolded is the one you want to focus on first. Make sure you are logging accurately by weighing your foods. The database if full of obscure entries that are not only incorrect, but sometimes so vague (large banana) that there is no way to be accurate.

Good luck.

rlw0031

What Glassgalim said and google eat more to lose weight. You will find everything you have to know there. A lot of people were telling you eating 800-1000 is not enough and they are right. 1200 is not enough ether. You have to figure out your BMR and your TDEE which will be high because you walk so much and you eat above your BMR (1200 is below it) and you eat below your TDEE to lose fat. You did not gain 3 pounds in one week, you would have to eat a lot to do that, it is more likely water weight from increasing calories which you need to do. Good luck and enjoy eating more! 1200 is nothing!

ShannonMJ2012

Hi rlw0031
It's possible that by only eating 800-1000 calories a day you put your body into starvation mode. You burn way more calories than that just doing nothing. I would suggest figuring out what your BMR is and decreasing it by 200 calories. Do not worry about the 3lbs that you gained. You will lose it again once your body gets used to getting the calories it needs to function. It'll stop storing let go of excess calories. Losing weight is not a straight downward slope. You will hit plateaus and you will gain a little bit now and then. It's not the end of the world. Adjust your calories and exercise and keep powering through it.
Make sure that you drink the recommended amount of water every day and eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Exercise doesn't seem to be a problem for you, just don't over to do it and risk injury.

diannethegeek

This might be a beneficial read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

beachlover317

Hi rlw0031
It's possible that by only eating 800-1000 calories a day you put your body into starvation mode. You burn way more calories than that just doing nothing. I would suggest figuring out what your BMR is and decreasing it by 200 calories. Do not worry about the 3lbs that you gained. You will lose it again once your body gets used to getting the calories it needs to function. It'll stop storing let go of excess calories. Losing weight is not a straight downward slope. You will hit plateaus and you will gain a little bit now and then. It's not the end of the world. Adjust your calories and exercise and keep powering through it.
Make sure that you drink the recommended amount of water every day and eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Exercise doesn't seem to be a problem for you, just don't over to do it and risk injury.

NO. She has not put her body in starvation mode and it is very unwise to eat below BMR. You want to eat at a healthy deficit to your TDEE for weight loss. In addition to my comments above, you only started logging your foods on 2-17-14. That's only 4 days. If you are not logging, you have no idea how much you are eating. Give yourself 4 weeks to log honestly and then reassess your goals.

mccindy72

Hello MFP's! I need some help.....any suggestions, comments, criticism, advice is welcome. The last two weeks I have upped my calories to try and hit 1200 because a lot of people were telling me I wasn't properly fueling my body. ( I was eating 800 - 1000 and losing.). So last week I gained one pound and (I am not suppose to weigh until tomorrow) today the scale says I have gained another 3 pounds!!! How is that possible. I have been walking 2-4 miles 3-5 times a week. And not just strolling along.....I walk 4 miles an hour, up and down hills. I admit last weekend was a bad one (Valentines Day weekend) and I am not making excuses. I was expecting to stay the same weight this week, BUT gain 3 pounds?......There is NO way I consumed enough calories to gain 3 pounds this week. Can anyone help me get the scale moving in right direction? I usually don't log my food on site but keep a diary . This week I am logging my food. I will open it so all can see. I am just soooooo Frustrated ;

If you are gaining weight, you are not eating at a calorie defiicit. Although I would say that if you gained 3 lbs in one week, some of that is likely water weight.
1. Buy a digital food scale. Weigh ALL of your solid food (don't measure it).
2. Measure ALL of your liquids that have caloric values.
3. Don't overestimate your calorie burns - go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to determine how many calories you should eat for your activity level, for your weight loss goals and stick to that goal.
4. Wait about a month and see what the results are, and make adjustments based on that.

beertrollruss

I agree with lynetta and beachlover. Be sure you're logging properly.

The good news is that you've accomplished half of your goal weight. Congratulations! Keep logging daily and you'll reach your goal. Keep up the exercise. I bet the exercise is making you feel better. When you get tired, remember we're rooting for you!

ShariTho1

WOW! Those are some quick responses.....THANK YOU! Just want to answer some of the questions. I do use a food scale. I drink about 88 oz of water a day, 20 oz of coffee with stevia & 20 oz of green tea with lemon juice. I havent logged any vegies because I thought vegies were "free". And I have been logging my food for 6 weeks I just haven't logged it on this sight until this week. Since I give myself one day to indulge or "cheat" do u think I may need to eat the lower calories on the "diet" days to compensate or level weekly calories out?

beachlover317

WOW! Those are some quick responses.....THANK YOU! Just want to answer some of the questions. I do use a food scale. I drink about 88 oz of water a day, 20 oz of coffee with stevia & 20 oz of green tea with lemon juice. I havent logged any vegies because I thought vegies were "free". And I have been logging my food for 6 weeks I just haven't logged it on this sight until this week. Since I give myself one day to indulge or "cheat" do u think I may need to eat the lower calories on the "diet" days to compensate or level weekly calories out?

Good for you! Weighing was a hard sell for me but once I did it - it really works. My suggestion about calories is that you look at your weekly totals. Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. With only about 12 pounds left to lose, you should probably refigure your TDEE/ BMR again (if you haven't) and eat at a deficit that will allow you to lose about 1/2 a pound a week. More than that is unrealistic when you are this close to goal. Good luck!

mccindy72

WOW! Those are some quick responses.....THANK YOU! Just want to answer some of the questions. I do use a food scale. I drink about 88 oz of water a day, 20 oz of coffee with stevia & 20 oz of green tea with lemon juice. I havent logged any vegies because I thought vegies were "free". And I have been logging my food for 6 weeks I just haven't logged it on this sight until this week. Since I give myself one day to indulge or "cheat" do u think I may need to eat the lower calories on the "diet" days to compensate or level weekly calories out?

Vegetables are not free. Everything you eat has some calories. Depending on the vegetable and what you put on it, you can be missing counting quite a few calories. I would avoid the cheat day and just spread the foods you like among all the days to fit your calorie goals, without the up-and-down fluctuations in your calorie counts. Make sure your calorie goals are the right ones for your size, activity level and the weight loss you are trying to achieve and not too low, it really doesn't sound like you eat enough.

ShariTho1

WOW! Those are some quick responses.....THANK YOU! Just want to answer some of the questions. I do use a food scale. I drink about 88 oz of water a day, 20 oz of coffee with stevia & 20 oz of green tea with lemon juice. I havent logged any vegies because I thought vegies were "free". And I have been logging my food for 6 weeks I just haven't logged it on this sight until this week. Since I give myself one day to indulge or "cheat" do u think I may need to eat the lower calories on the "diet" days to compensate or level weekly calories out?

Good for you! Weighing was a hard sell for me but once I did it - it really works. My suggestion about calories is that you look at your weekly totals. Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. With only about 12 pounds left to lose, you should probably refigure your TDEE/ BMR again (if you haven't) and eat at a deficit that will allow you to lose about 1/2 a pound a week. More than that is unrealistic when you are this close to goal. Good luck!

What is TDEE/BMR and how do I figure it? And how do I figure the deficit I need to put into place? :-)

mcewen54

I am seeing a DR and because my metabolic rate is around 1450 in order to lose I need to stay around 1000 cal. I know being a nurse I thought I shouldn't go below 1200 cal. But I am finally losing at 1000 a day. So there is more to factor in sometimes. We are not all the same.

ShariTho1

What is DR?

diannethegeek

WOW! Those are some quick responses.....THANK YOU! Just want to answer some of the questions. I do use a food scale. I drink about 88 oz of water a day, 20 oz of coffee with stevia & 20 oz of green tea with lemon juice. I havent logged any vegies because I thought vegies were "free". And I have been logging my food for 6 weeks I just haven't logged it on this sight until this week. Since I give myself one day to indulge or "cheat" do u think I may need to eat the lower calories on the "diet" days to compensate or level weekly calories out?

Good for you! Weighing was a hard sell for me but once I did it - it really works. My suggestion about calories is that you look at your weekly totals. Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. With only about 12 pounds left to lose, you should probably refigure your TDEE/ BMR again (if you haven't) and eat at a deficit that will allow you to lose about 1/2 a pound a week. More than that is unrealistic when you are this close to goal. Good luck!

What is TDEE/BMR and how do I figure it? And how do I figure the deficit I need to put into place? :-)

BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate. It's roughly the number of calories your body needs to keep all of your organs alive.

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It's the number of calories your body burns in a day, including your BMR but also things like going to work and your workout routine. It's also the number of calories you'd need to maintain your current weight. Anything below this should lead to weight lost. Anything above it and you'll see a weight gain.

There are a lot of calculators online to get an estimate of your TDEE and BMR, but I like Scooby since it does the math for you: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

ShariTho1

Scooby says my TDEE is 1881 and I know I am eating well below that. And it says my BMR is 1368 and I know I am eating below that. So tell me this......do calories need to be figured daily or weekly? Just for example......if I eat 800 calories a day for 6 days and I eat 2800 one day a week what would be the outcome? I know I am probably reading too far into this but I am just curious. I like my cheat day (I am not eating 2800 calories on my cheat days BTW). :-)

mccindy72

Scooby says my TDEE is 1881 and I know I am eating well below that. And it says my BMR is 1368 and I know I am eating below that. So tell me this......do calories need to be figured daily or weekly? Just for example......if I eat 800 calories a day for 6 days and I eat 2800 one day a week what would be the outcome? I know I am probably reading too far into this but I am just curious. I like my cheat day (I am not eating 2800 calories on my cheat days BTW). :-)

If you must do a cheat day, try to keep your other days fairly close to your goal, and adjust by 100 calories or so each day. that will give you an extra 600 calories on your cheat day. Don't go as low as 800 calories most days so you can have one day with high calories. You'd be better off at your goal calories every day with one day over (but I'd only do that every other week instead of every week). Going too low on your calories is going to cost you lean muscle mass.

Lld320

It's really not that complicated. If you are gaining you are either misjudging how much you are eating or how much you are burning when you work out. Stop focusing on hitting a number and figure out what works for you. People on here tend to be very pushy, the ones that want you to eat more in particular. You need to eat less. You aren't gonna go into starvation mode.