Gaining weight?!?! :(

Xaudelle

I found one at Goodwill for like $8.

The one I have is $20 at Target. Go digital and not analog, made that mistake once.

socialdchic

ok, I will look that up

I prelog a bit like once I have decided what I am doing for dinner (I buy weekly lists, just choosing which dinner) then I log it typically... I measure my ceereal and what I can in measuring cups. Obviously I cant measure a chicken breast so I am doing what I can with what I have

The good news is that this is probably your problem, if you are eyeballing portions. While you are waiting for your food scale, try using measuring cups to dish out food for portion control. There are guides online telling you the portion sizes for things like meat when you have to rely on eyeballing.

I don't personally use food scales. Like you said, work with what you have.

socialdchic

ok, I will keep that in mind

I found one at Goodwill for like $8.

The one I have is $20 at Target. Go digital and not analog, made that mistake once.

wilsoje74

You may want to try a more filling and nutritional breakfast. Dry cereal is basically carbs and sugar. Try dating protein like eggs or protein shake. It will fill you up better and give you a better start to your day. Also try more fresh fruits and veggies.

Bounce4

Sometimes I gain a pound or two for what feels like no reason and it is fluid. If I eat to much sodium, I retain fluid. I retain fluid at certain points in my cycle. The fluid thing happens at least once a month for me. Adjust your sodium and keep on keeping on. For me - I promised myself I would not freak out or worry to much until I hit 21 days of no movement on the scale. I hit 17 days once and then a magical one pound loss Then the next two weeks all kinds of weight came off. I blame my fluid retaining ankles, Chinese buffet, and bloating Sometimes I gain weight because I eat to much and that is logged so it is no mystery, lol.

One thing I'm doing differently this time around is not to over think things. I used to get so crazy about analyzing this pound, a specific diet, what I'm eating, the perfect exercise plan. OMG. I'd make myself nuts and was spinning in circles doing nothing but thinking and eventually quit everything (or never start). This time I decided to look for a good workout plan but in the mean time I'm going to grab the DVD on my shelf and just do it even if it was the worst on the market. It burns more calories than reading reviews on all the others This time - I just started logging and eating at a deficit (or making that my goal) and I'll learn about better choices as I go. It has been so much easier this time around.

OkamiLavande

Just to give you some advice, if you don't have a food scale yet, a portion of lean protein is about the size of your closed fist or your palm. I don't remember where I saw this but it had a list of foods in relation to parts of your hand so you knew their portion size.

Drink plenty of water too. I'm not sure I've seen this suggested. It helps with reducing the amount of sodium you intake because sodium makes you bloat and that has been a major problem for me lately so I've upped my water intake.

I've noticed people have mentioned logging coffee and tea and things like that, but also think about the little things. Did you taste dinner as it was cooking? Did you steal a bite off your husband's plate? Things like this add up. So log the little things.

Try just adding logging the little things, upping your water intake if you can, and using your hands for portion sizes. It helps when your in a pinch if you don't have a food scale.

The recipe builder is great too.

lynn1982

Yeah I have it on my next amazon order, is this one ok? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ESIVBT4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1OXMGBNNDVO3Y

I am trying to get a scale, I was not really prepared for all of this so I am having to buy a lot of stuff and we are not rolling in money. I have to get some shows because right now I am exercising in converse and my feet are hurting and they are falling apart anyways and a scale is on my list as well

- Not eating enough.

- It's only been 2 weeks. Weight loss is meant to be slow.

- Not logging accurately. Invest in a food scale.

- Lots of prepackaged, preprepared and guesstimate foods. You can eat anything and lose weight as long as you're in a deficit, but watch the sodium and additives.

Food scales are fairly inexpensive. If you can, I would strongly suggest investing in one. It doesn't need to be fancy. I was SHOCKED at how much I was over estimating on my food portions once I got one. You could just be retaining water, but I would strongly suggest weighing your food first.

That looks fantastic! Digital ones are great, but even that is not necessary. My mom used to have a plain old kitchen scale that wasn't digital. I have no idea where she got it, and it was a bit hard to read, but it worked. I bought mine 2 years ago from Amazon. I don't remember how much I paid, but I was a student at the time, so it couldn't have been much. It's digital and it's still ticking!

socialdchic

Ok, I will try that, thanks

You may want to try a more filling and nutritional breakfast. Dry cereal is basically carbs and sugar. Try dating protein like eggs or protein shake. It will fill you up better and give you a better start to your day. Also try more fresh fruits and veggies.

sunseeker43

I am a stay at home Mom and my husband works 60 + hrs /wk and 3 of those 12 hr shifts are nights which means he is sleeping during the day. I am not a gym person so I got a dog that requires exercise which in turn is my motivation. She throws her ball at me when she NEEDS the walk. Before the dog, I would make a point of exercising during the commercials when I watched tv. That would easily be 15 mins over a one hour show..marching on the spot, twisting, elbow bends etc. It helps and it is in small pieces so you aren't getting sore or too tired. Water is a better choice then the crystal light that you mentioned you drink. I believe I read somewhere recently that aspartame is a component of MSG...read the hazards of that crap! People the drink diet sodas do not necessarily lose weight. Add lemons or lime to water, or drink some club soda but make sure it is low sodium. Water(over club soda) should still be main source of fluid....and decaf green tea would be another option, I try to eat a homemade soup or salad for lunch or dinner as all the extra veggies help fill me up. Look for recipes with veggies or beans in them so they are full of fiber. Aim to walk or dance or what ever for a total of 30 mins minimum per day....but break it up in to smaller amounts at a time if you need to. I haven't looked at your diary but try to really increase the amount of fibre you eat. You can set your settings so that you can see the amount of fibre you have eaten that day.
Patience! don't give up!!!

socialdchic

Thanks you! Where we live we cannot have dogs though I am a stay at home mom too. I will try the gym once my son starts school this fall but we are new to this area and I am his prime caregiver and the only close gym doesnt have a kids area....

I do not want to be drinking crystal lite but I am coming off of drinking 5-6 sodas a day since I was a kid daily and I have to have something flavored when I eat and the lemon in water never worked for me because it tastes like watered down (if you get what I mean). I hate drinking it and I know it is awful (I wont even let my son touch it)

I am really really bad at this and I have no guidance. I have not met anyone here so I have no one in real life and people treat me like I am an idiot when it comes to a lot of the questions I ask but this is the first time I have done this, my husband used to cook so I am learning to do that alone on top of all of this... (single mom raised me and was never home growing up). I just dont want to be unhealthy and fat anymore and I just dont know how to do it on the budget and skills and restrictions I have

I am a stay at home Mom and my husband works 60 + hrs /wk and 3 of those 12 hr shifts are nights which means he is sleeping during the day. I am not a gym person so I got a dog that requires exercise which in turn is my motivation. She throws her ball at me when she NEEDS the walk. Before the dog, I would make a point of exercising during the commercials when I watched tv. That would easily be 15 mins over a one hour show..marching on the spot, twisting, elbow bends etc. It helps and it is in small pieces so you aren't getting sore or too tired. Water is a better choice then the crystal light that you mentioned you drink. I believe I read somewhere recently that aspartame is a component of MSG...read the hazards of that crap! People the drink diet sodas do not necessarily lose weight. Add lemons or lime to water, or drink some club soda but make sure it is low sodium. Water(over club soda) should still be main source of fluid....and decaf green tea would be another option, I try to eat a homemade soup or salad for lunch or dinner as all the extra veggies help fill me up. Look for recipes with veggies or beans in them so they are full of fiber. Aim to walk or dance or what ever for a total of 30 mins minimum per day....but break it up in to smaller amounts at a time if you need to. I haven't looked at your diary but try to really increase the amount of fibre you eat. You can set your settings so that you can see the amount of fibre you have eaten that day.
Patience! don't give up!!!

loubidy

Over 400kcals for 30mins of Zumba?! Is that a heart rate monitor or gross over estimate?

hill8570

I didn't go over your diary with a fine-toothed comb, but it looks to me like you're eating back too many exercise calories. I personally don't like to eat back any of the small burns (under 600 or so) simply because the exercise database is so optimistic. Listen to your body -- if you feel rundown, etc. then you should eat more back, otherwise I'd recommend against it.

Other issue is that you're coming from a completely sedentary lifestyle to regular exercise -- that is going to cause a lot of water weight gain until your muscles stop being sore all the time.

Maleficent0241

A gym is great, but isn't really necessary especially at the start. There are lots of bodyweight exercises you can do (pushups, etc.), and common household items can be used as weights - cans of food, a gallon of water, books, you get the idea. I haven't used it myself, but I hear great things about fitnessblender, which has free workouts you can do while home.

Anyway, exercise is great and all but weight loss comes down to diet. Until you have the scale, you can use the measurements on the meat you buy to get an idea of what you're eating there - meat is priced per pound, and the label will almost always have price per pound, number of pounds, and total price. Use the number of pounds to figure out what you are eating. For example, if you buy .85 lbs of chicken breasts, that is 13.6 ounces of meat. If you are sharing with someone, you can estimate how much of that 13.6 you ate. Not as accurate as weighing your own portion, but gets you much closer than the "palm of your hand" type measurements.

brattygurl89

When I first started, I gained a few pounds, and found out it's natural. Your body is working to adjust to these changes, which it can take 4-6 weeks before it decides to start showing a drop in the scale. (it can, not always the case!) Perhaps you are losing inches, not logging everything, mistaken on your portions. There's many possibilities.

What really helped me is to watch my sodium closely. If I go over, even just a little, I'll pack on about 3 pounds thanks to water weight. Granted, you're going to go over once in a while, and that's ok! I didn't do a thorough search of your diary, but I noticed you only drink a few crystal lights during the day. If you aren't seeing results, try bumping up your liquid intake. I drink 9-11 (72oz-88oz) glasses of water a day and am seeing results, even getting rid of pesky water retention in just a day or two. Also, try to incorporate a veggie or fruit in every meal if you can.

Right now, I don't do any exercise other than basic house work since I'm getting ready to move, and I'm a stay at home mom myself. In just 3 weeks I've dropped 5 pounds. (My ticker doesn't reflect that since I never fixed my starting weight) What works for me might not work for you, but those are just a few pointers that I've had success with. Perhaps give it a try and see what happens.

wilsoje74

Over 400kcals for 30mins of Zumba?! Is that a heart rate monitor or gross over estimate?

Yes, maybe 400 cal for a whole hour.