I have NO IDEA why I am GAINING !! HELP!

cheesevixen_staci

I cut out 1/2 liter of alcohol a day from my diet. ( I am a recovering alcoholic. I no longer drink)
I drink water constantly (I maybe have 3-4 energy drinks or diet sodas on the weekends when I am most busy)
I stopped eating like a cow after 5pm
And I have been exercising at least 3 times a week for at LEAST 15 minutes(I do ab work outs everyday. I am up to 2 sets 12 reps. I also do 10 minutes of P90x abs every "other" day. I have an active 4 and 8 yr old so I spent at least 30-60 cooking, cleaning, and running after her. I am up from 7am til about 9-10pm.

I have no idea how I GAINED a pound !!!! I Am so aggravated. I've been on this diet technically from 5/2/14 when I weighed in at about 151- 153. >< Is there something I am doing wrong??

I weigh everything except solids because I generally go by serving size.

No I am not pregnant.

lewispwest

I think the main thing people here are going to say is make sure you measure everything you log. Estimating is where people go wrong a lot.

F00LofaT00K

Are you weighing your food and logging your calories accurately? Even with cutting out foods, if you're still eating more than your body needs, you will not lose weight.

agrafina

If the exercise is a new thing, you may have gained water weight. If your logging is accurate, then it isn't fat, so don't sweat it. Drink some water, and keep logging and exercising.

curiouspeach

Assuming you're logging correctly ( - and I'd suggest getting a digital scales; cup measures are very inaccurate), it's probably water retention. You're consuming a lot of sodium, and processed foods - both things that can cause water retention.

43mmmgoody21

If you are not losing weight over time (assuming no variations in water weight) you are eating more that your body needs.

As i am sure you know, you can still gain weight eating so-called healthy foods. Track those calories. Fat loss is about (and always will be about) calories in vs calories out.

Eat less that your body needs, do some strength training to maintain muscle, and the fat will come off. No one can violate the law of thermodynamics.

torontoguy1097

You do not mention that you are actually counting calories vs calories out. It isn't fun at first but it gets super easy. You think you are aware of what you put in your mouth but we always underestimate. All that being said a pound is more than likely water retention after a salty dinner. I know I am a guy but I can fluctuate 3-5 lbs in 48 hrs. Also exercise is great but it ultimately is calories in (eating) vs calories out (diet/exercise). I know far too many folks who pop a dvd in and expect wonders. I have lost going on 60 lbs in about 6-7 months walking and watching what I eat RELIGIOUSLY. Good Luck!

SezxyStef

Well it's great you have made lots of changes...for the better.

Exercise is for fitness and health...a calorie deficit is for weight loss.

As well new exercise will make you retain water for up to 4 weeks after starting.

That being said you have been here just under a month and lost 4lbs...which is pretty good..1lb a week...and to gain a pound is probably just water retention...but

I did look at your diary and your logging is pretty consistent from the 20th forward...except you don't weight your solids...

As well I see days where you are wayyyyyyy over due to a quick add of 1625 calories...and you do that a few more times.

Logging accurately means weighing solids and not using quick adds as you can never be sure those are accurate.

Sabine_Stroehm

It's likely water.

Either from extra exercising, or from a high sodium meal, or from ovulating or pms.

Try not to stress over one pound changes. You'll make yourself nuts.

thavoice

pregnant. congrats.

cheesevixen_staci

I measure EVERYTHING from cup to tablespoon

cheesevixen_staci

pregnant. congrats.

I had 2 periods lasting 7 days last month.....doubtful....plus you actually have to have sex more than I do.

I measure EVERYTHING from cup to tablespoon

alexagia

Fluctuating by a pound or so is pretty normal. It all depends when you weigh yourself. Theres a high probability that it's just water weight and nothing to worry about.

jenmom2myboys

You tend to go over your sodium frequently and you went way over your calories twice this week. I would work on those 2 things.

1princesswarrior

I measure EVERYTHING from cup to tablespoon

Measuring is not as accurate as a digital food scale for solid foods. See this for examples:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

The differences can be quite surprising.

AmyRhubarb

Also keep in mind that weight fluctuates up and down throughout the week and month due to various things, and it's totally normal. Could be water weight from new exercise or too much salt/not enough water, hormones, stress, whatever. One pound really isn't a big deal - my weight naturally fluctuates up and down at least 5 lbs during the month.

Track your measurements as well as weighing - the scale may be standing still or even showing a slight gain, but the tape will give you the true story.

lemurcat12

It's likely water.

Either from extra exercising, or from a high sodium meal, or from ovulating or pms.

Try not to stress over one pound changes. You'll make yourself nuts.

This.

cheesevixen_staci

You tend to go over your sodium frequently and you went way over your calories twice this week. I would work on those 2 things.

That makes a lot of sense. Looking at my sodium alone I go way over, and I have had 4 cheat days that added up to about a pound. Thank you. This was very helpful.

thavoice

You tend to go over your sodium frequently and you went way over your calories twice this week. I would work on those 2 things.

That makes a lot of sense. Looking at my sodium alone I go way over, and I have had 4 cheat days that added up to about a pound. Thank you. This was very helpful.

timing is huge as welk. weighed in friday am and war up half pound even though i did good all week. waited till fri nite and was down 2 lbs which was more expected. did sat am again and still 2 down.

lemonsnowdrop

You don't log your fifteen minutes of ab exercises and eat back calories do you? While strengthening your core is great, it doesn't really burn the fat off like cardio does. I used to think that ten minutes of sit ups and crunches would make me go from flabby belly to six pack.

maidentl

I measure EVERYTHING from cup to tablespoon

Measuring is not as accurate as a digital food scale for solid foods. See this for examples:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

The differences can be quite surprising.

For example, the mac & cheese we make says a serving is one cup. I had always measured out 1/2 cup before I got my digital scale and thought it was a nice amount. Then I got the scale and weighed the grams. And then I was a sad panda because that most certainly was not the same as 1/2 cup. I was probably eating 100 extra calories of mac and cheese without knowing it. That can add up!

Ang108

I wonder if you really measure & weigh all your food and log appropriately. I say this, because you saying that you weighed 151-153 pounds the day you started makes me a bit suspicious.
It is unusual for people not to know their exact starting weight and most people know it down to the exact half pound. I often find that people who use the words " I guess , more or less, maybe, around " are often people who don't take logging and with that calorie counting all that seriously. Which of course is fine, as long as they are aware that results will also be inaccurate.
Having that said, there are many reasons for you having " gained " a pound . As a woman it might have to do with hormones, water retention, weighing yourself in the height of the bell curve of weight loss ( since many people fluctuate 5 pounds within a day alone ), medication and ....the most frequent explanation.......inaccurate weighing, measuring and logging.

jenmom2myboys

No problem and congrats on stopping drinking.

cheesevixen_staci

I wonder if you really measure & weigh all your food and log appropriately. I say this, because you saying that you weighed 151-153 pounds the day you started makes me a bit suspicious.

my fluctuation for the first week from day 1 to day 7 was around 2 pounds. That's not a huge fluctuation.This is why I mentioned I was an alcoholic. The first week I was detoxing. It's hard to gage a real weight coming down from drinking 1/2 a liter of vodka and whiskey a day. Plus I was expecting my period soon. I take it seriously and I use my scale as well. My issue with this weigh in was that I have been off my period and my weight hasn't changed in almost 2 weeks. 1 week I understand, but not the half a month.

I agree that sodium and cheats days are my main issue. It's reasonable. Because on paper I am doing everything right. I have been feeling bloated though and not passing regularly which is a good indicator it's the sodium. Cheats days....ugh...I see now I am basically eating back all the calories I've worked off for a week. Not over eating, but not burning enough.

SLLRunner

From what i can see in your diary, you are logging things like house cleaning and pushing your child on a swing as exercise. Those are every day things. The only thing you should log with calorie counts is cardio, such as walking, running, gym machines, where your burn is steady state. Also, MFP calculations of numbers burned are overestimated. For these reasons, I think you are overestimating calories burned.

Also, I found these entries in your diary:

Smithfield - Bacon, 3 slices/17 grams 80
Iceburg Lettuce - Lettuce, 0.5 cup 5
Oscar Meyer - Delifresh Smoked Ham, 9 slices (51 g) 7
Bon Apetit - Blueberry Muffin 5.5oz, 1.83 oz (1/3 muffin) 190
Kroger - White Sandwhich Bread, 2 Slices 120
Kroger - Tater Rounds, Frozen Potato Nuggets, 85 g (11 pieces) 160
Tyson - Dinosaur Fun Nuggets, 4 pieces 180
Krogers - Hot Dog Bun, 1 bun 120
Wolf Brand - Chili With Beans, 0.25 Cup 88

Those pieces of bacon must have been awful tiny to be 17 grams. Did you weight the bacon?

You have several entries where food looks like it was not weighed. For example, did you weigh the potato and dinosaur nuggets and the hot do bun? What about he chili? General portion sizes generally have more calories per weight then indicated on the packages. For this reason, i suspect you might be underestimating your calories consumed.

JoanneLynn

Weight loss is not linear. If your weight is down over time then you're doing good. Good luck on your journey!

lemurcat12

First week you could have been dehydrated too, and have the opposite effect as most people who lose a bunch of water weight initially. Also, going from drinking a lot to not (good for you, btw!) will make it harder to gauge starting weight, as you noted. And it really hasn't been that long. Work on the things people mentioned about consistency and sodium and just watch your trend and fluctuations for a while and then check back if you don't see progress.

I have monthly fluctuations in my weight, but oddly enough the week of my period tends to be low. It's the week or two before that tend to be high. Given how much natural fluctuations play a role even without the recovery part of it, it's really worth just seeing how your body works.

tlou5

Looking at your diary you appear to eat a great deal of processed high sodium foods. I would decrease those and up the fiber, fruits and veggies and see if that helps.

CrabCatcher

I cut out 1/2 liter of alcohol a day from my diet. ( I am a recovering alcoholic. I no longer drink)
I drink water constantly (I maybe have 3-4 energy drinks or diet sodas on the weekends when I am most busy)
I stopped eating like a cow after 5pm
And I have been exercising at least 3 times a week for at LEAST 15 minutes(I do ab work outs everyday. I am up to 2 sets 12 reps. I also do 10 minutes of P90x abs every "other" day. I have an active 4 and 8 yr old so I spent at least 30-60 cooking, cleaning, and running after her. I am up from 7am til about 9-10pm.

I have no idea how I GAINED a pound !!!! I Am so aggravated. I've been on this diet technically from 5/2/14 when I weighed in at about 151- 153. >< Is there something I am doing wrong??

I weigh everything except solids because I generally go by serving size.

No I am not pregnant.

A one pound fluctuation is nothing to worry about. Now with that said I do have suggestions if you want them. If you don't then just toss them away, your choice.

I would eliminate or severely reduce anything with the following.
White flour
Refined sugars

If you want breads or buns make them whole wheat, not white. No muffins, or bagels or things of that nature.

Let me explain my reasoning as I have done the work behind these to validate it for myself. Foods that elevate our blood sugar cause our body to release insulin, this is a well known fact that any doctor will confirm. That spike in insulin also causes those foods to be stored as fat instead of burned for energy. In monitoring my blood sugar daily I found by eliminating anything with white (refined) flour and refined sugars that my blood sugar has stabilized. Being told I was pre-diabetic is what started all of this. So in striving for a stable blood sugar I ended up with another result, weight loss.

I eat lots of fruits like apples, pears, nectarines, oranges, bananas and still have a stable blood sugar. I still have bread for sandwiches, I use Dave's Killer Bread - 21 grain, but any whole wheat/grain bread would do. I still eat out, just not drive-thru, and I tend to focus on lean meats with no sauces and veggies when I can at a restaurant. So far it is working great for me. For me it is not a diet, but a change in my approach to food. I used to nap daily because I felt exhausted. These days I wake up before my alarm and have energy for the entire day and then some.

That is my suggestion, take it or leave it. Trolls need not respond. ;-)

gypsy_spirit

This graph always makes me laugh - but it is also indicative of weight loss. Keep going. Be patient. You'll get there. :flowerforyou:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437

cheesevixen_staci

I would eliminate or severely reduce anything with the following.
White flour
Refined sugars

If you want breads or buns make them whole wheat, not white. No muffins, or bagels or things of that nature.

I eat lots of fruits like apples, pears, nectarines, oranges, bananas and still have a stable blood sugar. I still have bread for sandwiches, I use Dave's Killer Bread - 21 grain, but any whole wheat/grain bread would do. I still eat out, just not drive-thru, and I tend to focus on lean meats with no sauces and veggies when I can at a restaurant. So far it is working great for me. For me it is not a diet, but a change in my approach to food. I used to nap daily because I felt exhausted. These days I wake up before my alarm and have energy for the entire day and then some.

That is my suggestion, take it or leave it. Trolls need not respond. ;-)

That makes sense. I attempted cutting out white flour before, and my body did feel well oiled. I will have to try it again. More insistant this time; everyone in the house likes white. IDK about the refined sugars. I am not sure what those are.

I also agree with Lemurcat. Alcohol has a way of dehydrating me a full -5 pounds at times. I may not have had such an accurate first weigh in.