Now What?????

BandMom2

So I have been doing MFP seriously for over a month now. I have it set to lose 1# a week. I am working out four days a week at the YMCA doing cardio and have been at or below my calorie goal almost every day. The problem is I am 4# heavier today than when I started!!! =/ What is up with that????????

LindaSueBakk

Are you drinking enough water? Water retention would be my first thought - the more water you drink, the more weight you lose. Don't give up. The weight loss will happen!!!

pooma

This isn't unusual. You're probably building muscle! Clothes feel any different?

gameovergt

possible not eating enough/habits

philssis

Muscles are prettier, and heavier, than fat. I started working with a trainer to do more strength work and although the scale hasn't moved, I can see the difference in the mirror. Stick with it! You're going to get there!

AdamATGATT

1) Drinking enough water?
2) What's your sodium intake like?
3) Are you taking measurements and not just looking at the scale?
4) What are your net calorie scores, compared to your goal?

It's hard to say without being able to see your food log.

bhb301

Hard to say without seeing what you eat

hpsnickers1

This isn't unusual. You're probably building muscle! Clothes feel any different?

If you are doing only cardio you aren't building muscle. You need to be doing some heavy strength training to build muscle. You could possibly be losing muscle (calorie restriction and cardio exercise can cause muscle mass loss - especially if you aren't that overweight).

It could be water retention. Starting a new exercise routine will cause your muscle to retain water. Your body needs some time to adjust to the routine. Drink plenty of water to help flush you out. Also too much sodium and too much processed foods can hinder weight loss.

It also depends on what your calorie goal is. If you are set at 1200 but burning 400 with exercise and not eating them back that leaves you with a NET of only 800 and that can keep you from losing weight (body thinks food is dwindling and will protect your fat stores and dig into your muscle mass and lowering your metabolism.

http://www.hussmanfitness.org/html/TPAdaptation.html

The law of unintended consequences

Your body is an amazing feedback system aimed at balance and survival. Humans are at the top of the food chain because they are able to adapt to their environment. Every action produces a reaction. Every change in its environment triggers a survival response. It's important to keep that in mind when you plan your fitness program. If you treat your body as an enemy to be conquered, you'll produce unintended results.

For example, if you severely cut off the supply of food to your body, it will defend itself by slowing down its metabolism to survive starvation. The body will shed muscle mass the same way that you would throw cargo from a plane that was low on fuel, and it will reduce its thyroid activity to conserve energy. The body will also actually defend its fat stores. In anorexia, muscle loss can be so profound that fat as a percentage of body weight actually rises. Extreme carbohydrate restriction also causes muscle loss, dehydration, and slower metabolism, which is why even successful Atkins dieters can have a significant rebound in weight after they stop the diet (don't worry – the advice on this site will prevent that from happening).

As another example, if you put your body under stress through overexertion and lack of sleep, it will respond by slowing down, reducing muscle growth, and increasing your appetite for junk food, carbohydrates and fat. If you feed your body excessive amounts of sugar and quickly digested carbohydrates, and it will shut off its ability to burn fat until those sugars are taken out of the bloodstream.

This website will show you how to work with your body to quickly produce the changes you want. In order to do that, you need to take actions that push your body to adapt – to build strength, burn fat, and increase fitness. You need a training program, not an exercise routine. You need a nutrition plan, not a diet. You need a challenge, not a few good habits you usually try to follow except when you don't.
Setting the right goal

John Dewey once said that a problem well-stated is half-solved. If you want to reach your goal, you have to define it correctly. See, a lot of people say “I want to lose weight.” Well, if losing weight is your goal, go on a no-carb diet. You'll lose a lot of weight – some of it will be fat, a lot of it will be water, and a dangerous amount will be muscle tissue. You'll lose weight quickly, but you'll slow your metabolism and gain fat more quickly once you go off the diet. Trust me on this. I've been there, done that. (THIS ALSO HAPPENS WITH CALORIE RESTRICTION NOT JUST CARB RESTRICTION)

The problem is that you've set the wrong goal. If you want to look better, have more energy and enjoy better health, the goal is not simply to “lose weight.” The goal is to improve your fitness level and body composition. That means losing fat, improving your aerobic capacity, training your strength and defending your muscle tissue. You can't do that with a no-carb diet. You will do it using the approach you'll learn on this website. Trust me on this one too. I know what it's like to feel fat, tired and helplessly out of shape. The whole point of this site is to help others avoid that, by sharing lessons that I had to learn the hard way.
Ready to change?

Right this minute, your body is the way it is because it has adapted to the lifestyle you've thrown at it, in an attempt to survive. Ever seen the directory at the mall with the little red arrow that says “you are here”? Well, fitness is the same way. You are here. You can't start anywhere else. So be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up. Don't worry about how much there is to do. Change your self-talk from “My body is my enemy” to “My body is my partner.” Accept where you are right now as the starting point, and start moving.

Changing your body requires more than just “going on a diet” for a few weeks. If you want to change your body, you have to make some changes to your lifestyle (which requires some discipline, but isn't as hard as it sounds). If you create the right environment, your body will adapt to it by becoming leaner, stronger, and more energetic. You can do this.

Meghann218

Are you eating back the calories you burn?? When you put in what you burned exercising its important to eat back most of those calories.

tiggy73

Take measurements! They tell the story even better than the scales. As some of the others said, you are probably building muscle and you could be retaining some fluid. Don't get discouraged and whatever you do DON'T GIVE UP!! You can do this!

dmaster555

The ignorance in these forums is AMAZING. how can a website about weight loss be so ignorant about weight loss?????

philssis

Muscles are prettier, and heavier, than fat. I started working with a trainer to do more strength work and although the scale hasn't moved, I can see the difference in the mirror. Stick with it! You're going to get there!

hpsnickers1

Check out some of the links in my signature, too. If you search the sticky posts on the message boards you will find a lot of info, too.

bethrs

I've not read all the replies because- well, whoa. My two cents is that there is a water retention problem among us ladies. I some times see a 2lb jump in the course of one day both up and down based on my water retention, hormones, sodium intake etc.

Hang in there.

hpsnickers1

This is some interesting info, too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/209559-metabolic-damage-starvation-mode-article

Might not apply, though.

BandMom2

WOW!! Thanks everyone! Water is not an issue I am getting 10-12 8oz glasses per day. I have two cups of coffee in the AM then nothing but water all day. To be honest I have not thought about the sodium intake and should look at that. I just this week have started some light weight training and hope to build that up and add to it. I know it breaks down carbs,sodium, fat,etc..... but honestly I ave not paid that much attention to the break down. I feel so overwhelmed with the changes and excerise! I will start paying more attention to these things and see how I measure up! Thanks again for all the feed back