I'm gaining while working hard?

Alexjamie
Alexjamie Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I've been losing weight consistently for 6 months, and I'm almost at 60lbs down, but for some reason the last two weeks I've gained 3lbs total. I'm confused that it's not a plateau as I have no idea how I'm gaining. I don't think its muscle as I can't weight train while I have an injury. So I've still been speed walking for 5k everyday, getting faster and burning more calories. I'm confused and feeling a bit defeated. Can anyone help? I don't mind making my diary public if it helps. <3 Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    getting faster and burning more calories

    This right here. You're probably retaining water to help with the change in routine. Two weeks is not enough time for you to adjust, especially with an injury. Give it a couple more. I'm sure you'll even out. Way to go on the overall loss, though. Great job!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Please do make your diary public

    How did you determine your calorie goal - MFP set up or custom set?

    Nicely done on your loss so far!
  • Alexjamie
    Alexjamie Posts: 6
    Hi guys thanks for your speedy replies! I have made my diary public now. I haven't made my calories custom, no, I guess Im worried to mess with something that's working(now not so much.) I actually have been getting faster and burning more calories than I was before :)
  • Alexjamie
    Alexjamie Posts: 6
    Hi guys thanks for your speedy replies! I have made my diary public now. I haven't made my calories custom, no, I guess Im worried to mess with something that's working(now not so much.) I actually have been getting faster and burning more calories than I was before :)
  • Alexjamie
    Alexjamie Posts: 6
    bump
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So did you select a 2 lb weekly goal at the start and still have that in place?
    How much were you losing at first and the last few weeks you did lose weight?

    And after logging your exercise, did you keep meeting your eating goal despite the fact it went up?

    When was your last diet break?

    Do you weigh-in on valid days to minimize fluctuations?

    Oh yeah, moving faster with lighter weight compared to slower with heavier weight may be a wash, not more calories, just depends.

    And dittos to going faster - which will burn more carbs now.
    Body responds by storing more carbs, which store with water. 3 lbs is rather too much for that change though, probably talking 1 lb max there.
    But could be combined with a few badly logged meals with higher sodium or something.
  • librarianjenne
    librarianjenne Posts: 66 Member
    Have you changed your target nutritional goals to reflect your weight loss? I'm not sure if MFP automatically takes your new weight into account when giving you your calorie goals.
  • Alexjamie
    Alexjamie Posts: 6
    So did you select a 2 lb weekly goal at the start and still have that in place?
    How much were you losing at first and the last few weeks you did lose weight?

    And after logging your exercise, did you keep meeting your eating goal despite the fact it went up?

    When was your last diet break?

    Do you weigh-in on valid days to minimize fluctuations?

    Oh yeah, moving faster with lighter weight compared to slower with heavier weight may be a wash, not more calories, just depends.

    And dittos to going faster - which will burn more carbs now.
    Body responds by storing more carbs, which store with water. 3 lbs is rather too much for that change though, probably talking 1 lb max there.
    But could be combined with a few badly logged meals with higher sodium or something.


    Hey, thanks for your reply!
    I think I upped my goal to that after about three months of losing weight,. I lost about 35lbs quite quickly so I can't say how much it was at the beginning. it's been approximately 2-3lbs before the past two weeks where I gained a pound last week and two this week.

    Sometimes I meet my goal eating wise, sometimes I don't but it's usually within 300?

    I'm not sure what a diet break is :)

    I weigh in every monday morning, after I go to the bathroom.
  • Alexjamie
    Alexjamie Posts: 6
    Have you changed your target nutritional goals to reflect your weight loss? I'm not sure if MFP automatically takes your new weight into account when giving you your calorie goals.

    I haven't changed them, no. Mostly because I'm not sure where to begin with something like that,it seems rather complicated if you don't(which I don't) understand :/
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So did you select a 2 lb weekly goal at the start and still have that in place?
    How much were you losing at first and the last few weeks you did lose weight?

    And after logging your exercise, did you keep meeting your eating goal despite the fact it went up?

    When was your last diet break?

    Do you weigh-in on valid days to minimize fluctuations?

    Oh yeah, moving faster with lighter weight compared to slower with heavier weight may be a wash, not more calories, just depends.

    And dittos to going faster - which will burn more carbs now.
    Body responds by storing more carbs, which store with water. 3 lbs is rather too much for that change though, probably talking 1 lb max there.
    But could be combined with a few badly logged meals with higher sodium or something.


    Hey, thanks for your reply!
    I think I upped my goal to that after about three months of losing weight,. I lost about 35lbs quite quickly so I can't say how much it was at the beginning. it's been approximately 2-3lbs before the past two weeks where I gained a pound last week and two this week.

    Sometimes I meet my goal eating wise, sometimes I don't but it's usually within 300?

    I'm not sure what a diet break is :)

    I weigh in every monday morning, after I go to the bathroom.

    Diet break, taking a break from a diet. Not eating in a diet. Your body will adapt to some degree being in a diet, burning less than otherwise. diet breaks allow it to remember what full level maintenance eating is.

    Did you know you can look at your weight loss stats on MFP? Might want to look it up if you want to some insight as to what's going on.
    Like, how long to lose those 35 lbs? No guesses, go look it up in your history.

    So you had your settings to less than 2 lbs weekly, and then moved it to 2 lbs weekly, and have been losing more?

    Since you didn't specifically mention it and I'm getting a feeling.

    Do you log your workouts and calorie burns, and because your eating goal goes up - you eat more on those days?

    I know you've lost decent amount of muscle mass in your weight loss along with fat. That's a bummer, because you'll be hard pressed to get it back.
    Less muscle mass means smaller metabolism, meaning you have to eat less than you could have if you'd kept it.

    So valid weigh-in day.
    Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

    Now look at your 2 weigh-ins that say you gained weight - are they valid days?

    As to eating goal, are you willing to go over 300 the next day then?
    Or you are willing to be probably 30% short of a goal.
    Willing to miss your goal weight by 30% and just say that's close enough?

    A goal is for reaching.

    I'm going to assume since you did lose your logging is decent enough or that would not have happened.
    I'm guessing you are existing at a very depleted carb storage level, and finally ate enough to increase them.
    If really that carb depleted normally to gain that much that fast - you'll soon be losing less than 2 lbs I'd wager. Hope I'm wrong, but I get the feeling you'll be back about a weight plateau soon.

    I'd suggest now since you have less to lose, and lost some muscle mass, you follow the program if you aren't. Log your workouts and eat those calories back.
    You creating a bigger than reasonable deficit is going to backfire more than it has.

    And yes, MFP lowers your eating goal if your weight drops, unless you are already at 1200.

    Which means you could reach goal weight with barely any loss and eating 1200. Maybe that sounds reasonable and sustainable for maintenance for you. Most would hate it and fail to maintain.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    My comments will be pretty generic since my weight can fluctuate 3 lbs in a *day*. I'm thinking you're still in a deficit and a bit of patience plus maybe drinking more water is all you need

    That said to keep your goals setting simple, MFP won't automatically reduce your calories. You have to go to the Goals area in settings like you did when you first setup the account and update your current weight, how much you want to lose per week etc. Then it'll give you a new, probably lower number for your daily goal since you're now littler. Even if you don't change your goal to this number, it could give you an idea what the estimate is for where you should be. You can also set the # manually should you for any reason prefer a different goal.

    Are you using a food scale to measure your food accurately? It seems like you are, just wanted to confirm! As your margins get smaller, better logging accuracy will be even more so in your favor

    Finally, net calories burned walking at a speed less than 5mph = 0.3 X body weight (lbs) X distance walked (mi). For running, change .3 to .63
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    That said to keep your goals setting simple, MFP won't automatically reduce your calories.

    Actually it does every 10 lbs, which changes the calories by enough to matter then. 5 lbs is usually very minor change.
    Actually has a new page come up after you log new weight that is 10lbs down.
    You can check box there to not show you again though.


    Also, the calories burned walking is not a straight line function, as you get more efficient up to a point, and then inefficient and burn more.

    http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/WalkCalExp.html

    And walking calculator there at bottom link to use for NET as you mention, because NET is the eat back amount.
    At least those calc's are more accurate than HRM.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    That said to keep your goals setting simple, MFP won't automatically reduce your calories.

    Actually it does every 10 lbs, which changes the calories by enough to matter then. 5 lbs is usually very minor change.
    Actually has a new page come up after you log new weight that is 10lbs down.
    You can check box there to not show you again though.


    Also, the calories burned walking is not a straight line function, as you get more efficient up to a point, and then inefficient and burn more.

    http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/WalkCalExp.html

    And walking calculator there at bottom link to use for NET as you mention, because NET is the eat back amount.
    At least those calc's are more accurate than HRM.

    Thanks! I'll have to bookmark this link. I like how they say there's a difference between walking and running even at 4 mph? I just assumed that if you moved a little faster you automatically transition from walking to running

    I've not lost that many tens of pounds with MFP and have gone in to change my goals multiple times so it makes sense that I hadn't seen the automatic page come up.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Hi, I've been losing weight consistently for 6 months, and I'm almost at 60lbs down, but for some reason the last two weeks I've gained 3lbs total. I'm confused that it's not a plateau as I have no idea how I'm gaining. I don't think its muscle as I can't weight train while I have an injury. So I've still been speed walking for 5k everyday, getting faster and burning more calories. I'm confused and feeling a bit defeated. Can anyone help? I don't mind making my diary public if it helps. <3 Thanks in advance.

    5k speed walking does not mean weight loss. Calorie deficit = weight loss.

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