GAINED 10 POUNDS???

workingitout

I would just like to commend you on your great attitude! People replied with tips or ideas and you thoughtfully replied to each one in a positive way. I like that! I struggle with the scale, too so my current goal is to have my jeans get looser!

Skinny_Mocha

I can't say more than everyone else has aleady said, but i understand your frustration for sure! I agree with everyone- weigh and measure everything- write it all down- every single bite- drink lots and lots of water...get a Heart rate monitor to determine calories burned- if you can really tune in strictly to what you are doing, you might find the answer. Stay strong and keep going. We've all been there and the trick is to not give up.

Thank you! The heart rate monitor is sounding like a great idea! Thanks!

Skinny_Mocha

Your calorie range is close to 1700-1900 every day. That's pretty high! Also, a lot of what you eat isn't "that" great. You seem to get a good amount of nuts and good fats, but hardly any raw veggies. Also there's a ton of things like a 500 calorie coffee or a piece of pie AND a big amount of bread in one meal. I would definitely suggest cutting down your calories and carbs.

I was thinking about adding more veggies. I thought I had been consuming a lot (especially compared to what I used to eat) - at least one serving each of tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc. I also cut way down on the fruit because the sugar in it made me feel wonky. Yeah, the coffees were killing me - I had no idea they were so high in calories. So, I've cut back on those too. Thanks, I think I'll try adding even more vegetables and see how that helps. Thanks!

Skinny_Mocha

I would just like to commend you on your great attitude! People replied with tips or ideas and you thoughtfully replied to each one in a positive way. I like that! I struggle with the scale, too so my current goal is to have my jeans get looser!

Thank you! I am definitely not talking to my scale for several weeks. You're right - I'm going to focus on my clothes and measurements, and nothing else for now. Thanks!

redhead91

Your calorie range is close to 1700-1900 every day. That's pretty high! Also, a lot of what you eat isn't "that" great. You seem to get a good amount of nuts and good fats, but hardly any raw veggies. Also there's a ton of things like a 500 calorie coffee or a piece of pie AND a big amount of bread in one meal. I would definitely suggest cutting down your calories and carbs.

I was thinking about adding more veggies. I thought I had been consuming a lot (especially compared to what I used to eat) - at least one serving each of tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc. I also cut way down on the fruit because the sugar in it made me feel wonky. Yeah, the coffees were killing me - I had no idea they were so high in calories. So, I've cut back on those too. Thanks, I think I'll try adding even more vegetables and see how that helps. Thanks!

Good! Also, being able to really see a difference is sometimes more rewarding than a scale change. Make sure you are measuring yourself every month or so! You can definitely lose inches without the scale budging. Plus, it'll remind you that you're NOT crazy!

hikingmonk

Check your sodium levels (switch your food diary columns for a week or two). Normally, I'd say if you are eating a lot of fruit and veg, then the potassium would take care of the sodium and you wouldn't have water retention, but worth a look.

I did find a few websites that indicate 10lbs of water weight gain are possible. I know I've read things in the past that say even more is possible. You could try and get your body fat measured. You can buy handheld scales for $30. Or just get some cheaper skin fold calipers.

Keep up the investigation! We are all different. You'll figure it out.

michelle4271

If you havent been measuring yourself, I would definately start doing that,,,you can add any body part on here that you want. I measure my chest, waist, hips, upper arms, and thigh.....I had to start doing this cuz it seemed like my scalre wasnt moving, but I thought I was feeling better, although not at a range to really make a difference in my clothes. come to find out, I have lost 7.5 inches with the scale barely budging. I know , so hard to not see that number move, wonder why we are so hooked on numbers,,,anyways, just keep chugging along, you've gotten alot of different ideas of things to tweek, just remember, change something and wait about 3 weeks for your body to catch up,,,,takes time and patience,,Iknow something we dont always want to wait on.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!
WE ALL CAN!!!!

Skinny_Mocha

Check your sodium levels (switch your food diary columns for a week or two). Normally, I'd say if you are eating a lot of fruit and veg, then the potassium would take care of the sodium and you wouldn't have water retention, but worth a look.

I did find a few websites that indicate 10lbs of water weight gain are possible. I know I've read things in the past that say even more is possible. You could try and get your body fat measured. You can buy handheld scales for $30. Or just get some cheaper skin fold calipers.

Keep up the investigation! We are all different. You'll figure it out.

Thank you! It makes me feel better that at least some of the weight could be water retention. Though I do drink quite a bit, so I'm not sure I'd be holding onto any. But bodies are weird so who knows? Thanks!!

Skinny_Mocha

If you havent been measuring yourself, I would definately start doing that,,,you can add any body part on here that you want. I measure my chest, waist, hips, upper arms, and thigh.....I had to start doing this cuz it seemed like my scalre wasnt moving, but I thought I was feeling better, although not at a range to really make a difference in my clothes. come to find out, I have lost 7.5 inches with the scale barely budging. I know , so hard to not see that number move, wonder why we are so hooked on numbers,,,anyways, just keep chugging along, you've gotten alot of different ideas of things to tweek, just remember, change something and wait about 3 weeks for your body to catch up,,,,takes time and patience,,Iknow something we dont always want to wait on.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!
WE ALL CAN!!!!

Ooo! I'm going to take my first measurements tonight! I forgot I actually have one of those ribbony measure thingies for sewing and stuff. That's a great tip - thank you!

Skinny_Mocha

Your calorie range is close to 1700-1900 every day. That's pretty high! Also, a lot of what you eat isn't "that" great. You seem to get a good amount of nuts and good fats, but hardly any raw veggies. Also there's a ton of things like a 500 calorie coffee or a piece of pie AND a big amount of bread in one meal. I would definitely suggest cutting down your calories and carbs.

I was thinking about adding more veggies. I thought I had been consuming a lot (especially compared to what I used to eat) - at least one serving each of tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc. I also cut way down on the fruit because the sugar in it made me feel wonky. Yeah, the coffees were killing me - I had no idea they were so high in calories. So, I've cut back on those too. Thanks, I think I'll try adding even more vegetables and see how that helps. Thanks!

Good! Also, being able to really see a difference is sometimes more rewarding than a scale change. Make sure you are measuring yourself every month or so! You can definitely lose inches without the scale budging. Plus, it'll remind you that you're NOT crazy!

Thank you! I just logged my first measurements, so we'll see how that goes.

jsteras

I really want to commend you on your positive spirit:) You asked for help and everyone offered you tips and you answered each in a positive manner. I know alot of people ask for help and then feel attacked and come back with excuses and anger. You are a brave soul! I wish you all the luck in the world in your journey:)

ngwehner

Watch out for "eating back" your exercise calories. While the calculations are set up to allow that and still theoretically loss at your selected loss goal, most people will over do it. I never eat back my exercise calories unless I've done a lot - some days hiking I can burn may whole calorie allotment in the exercise - and then I usually only eat 10-20% of them. Absolutely weigh everything you eat until you really know what appropriate portion sizes look like - this is where most people get tripped up, because they really have no idea - and watch the nuts. They may be raw and natural, but they have lots of fat and relatively little other nutritional value. Hang in there. You really are off to a good start and it will get better.

mare91467

Why are you avoiding muscle building exercise? Resistance exercise causes your body to burn calories more efficiently far beyond the hour of exercise. Muscle burns more calories than fat does.

My body does not lose weight through diet alone. And it doesn't lose weight through exercise alone. I am a resistant loser. I have to not only restrict my calories but also incorporate high impact/resistance exercise 5-6 days per week minimum.

You may just be one of those people who need to work harder to get the scale to move, like me. It is physically improbable that you will get "too big" with resistance type exercising unless you are pressing or squatting your body weight. lol 10lb dumbells are not going to make significant changes. But, resistance exercising will help you burn calories for a longer period of time.

If you are doing low impact exercise a few days a week, it may not be enough to generate a change. Are you sweating, and getting your heart rate up? Are you using a HRM to calculate calorie burn?

Just a few thoughts. You are noticing a difference in the mirror and the way your clothes are fitting. That is the best indication of success! Hang in there!

Skinny_Mocha

I really want to commend you on your positive spirit:) You asked for help and everyone offered you tips and you answered each in a positive manner. I know alot of people ask for help and then feel attacked and come back with excuses and anger. You are a brave soul! I wish you all the luck in the world in your journey:)

Thank you! Yes, I really want to do this, so I'm making sure to find the value in all input. Thank you for your support!

Skinny_Mocha

Watch out for "eating back" your exercise calories. While the calculations are set up to allow that and still theoretically loss at your selected loss goal, most people will over do it. I never eat back my exercise calories unless I've done a lot - some days hiking I can burn may whole calorie allotment in the exercise - and then I usually only eat 10-20% of them. Absolutely weigh everything you eat until you really know what appropriate portion sizes look like - this is where most people get tripped up, because they really have no idea - and watch the nuts. They may be raw and natural, but they have lots of fat and relatively little other nutritional value. Hang in there. You really are off to a good start and it will get better.

That's a very good point! I haven't even thought about the eating back exercise thing. I think I assumed I get to eat more when exercising because the calorie limit is already supposed to be an amount that will cause weight loss. However, maybe my darling body takes that as an incentive to balance itself out ,and stay at the same weight rather than lose. I only have a handful of nuts every day, so I've got those under control. But I bet my resting rate of calorie burn isn't as high as I think. Thank you!!

Skinny_Mocha

Why are you avoiding muscle building exercise? Resistance exercise causes your body to burn calories more efficiently far beyond the hour of exercise. Muscle burns more calories than fat does.

My body does not lose weight through diet alone. And it doesn't lose weight through exercise alone. I am a resistant loser. I have to not only restrict my calories but also incorporate high impact/resistance exercise 5-6 days per week minimum.

You may just be one of those people who need to work harder to get the scale to move, like me. It is physically improbable that you will get "too big" with resistance type exercising unless you are pressing or squatting your body weight. lol 10lb dumbells are not going to make significant changes. But, resistance exercising will help you burn calories for a longer period of time.

If you are doing low impact exercise a few days a week, it may not be enough to generate a change. Are you sweating, and getting your heart rate up? Are you using a HRM to calculate calorie burn?

Just a few thoughts. You are noticing a difference in the mirror and the way your clothes are fitting. That is the best indication of success! Hang in there!

You hit my fear exactly! I'm afraid to build muscle, because I already have a ton (you know, under the fat) and don't want to get any bigger. I truly thought something like lifting weights would cause me to bulk up.

I actually sweat like crazy, and when I exercise, my heart rate jumps waaay up to the 170s. However, I have never checked my resting heart rate, or its pace throughout a regular day. Based on some previous suggestions here, I'm beginning to wonder if my problem may lie in that area - I may not be burning a steady number of calories at rest. I do need to invest in a HRM. I know that's helped some of my friends. I'll try that and getting over my fear of muscle building. Thank you!!!

Skinny_Mocha

Heart rate monitor purchased! I can't wait to get it in the mail!

Skinny_Mocha

A-ha! I found a flaw in my quest (and another reason not to eat back calories, as ngwehner mentioned).

The exercise diary adds calories burned during an activity, but it doesn't subtract the calories one would have burned in that time not doing anything. So, say you burn 120 calories per hour at rest, and 220 calories doing some sort of exercise. You should only add 100 extra calories burned for that exercise, because the calorie calculator has already included 120 for that hour anyway.

Right?

SouthernBell86

Well, since you said you have a very stressful job it reminded me of something in my own weight loss journey I will share with you. In college I tried losing weight any number of ways and never really had any success. After I graduated I didn't find a job until about six months later, and that is when I started my current and very successful run and losing weight. I originally thought it was just because I had more time to focus on doing it right. Well, in January I got a job and started working. I kept up my good eating habits and though I wasn't exercising quite as much, I was still walking two or three miles each day and still eating at a deficit. I just wasn't losing weight for two or three months.

It finally hit me what the big difference must be. Sleep! In college I barely slept at all, and with work I was going back to my old college sleeping patterns. But at home looking for a job I had nothing to wake up for in the morning so I always slept as much as I needed every night. As soon as I discovered this I retooled my schedule and made myself go to bed at 10 pm a few nights and catch up on sleep, and then now I make myself get 8 hours every night. My weight loss and just clicked back on since then and I have lost another 7 pounds since making the change.

So, my suggestion is that perhaps your body isn't getting enough sleep. I have read a lot of research that indicates that your body does a lot of its weight loss work during sleep hours, and not only that but if you don't sleep enough your body produces even more cortisol (stress hormone) which makes you prone to overeating and tells your body to hold onto the pounds.

Anyway, its worth a try right?

Lisa__Michelle

I looked at your diary for the past 2 weeks back to the 15th and you have eaten over your recommended calories almost everyday besides maybe 4 out of the 14 days? And some of them were more than 50 or under over. That is my guess what is wrong. Even though you are eating more produce and etc., a calorie is a calorie if you are trying to lose weight. While it will definitely help you in losing weight, you need to stay under except for those random cheat days. That is my only guess. Hope that helped :0)

bushp

Muscle is not your enemy. I don't know why women believe this myth. I lost 70 pounds 9 years ago and have maintained within a 10 lb range over the years. I usually only fluctuate 5 pounds at most because yes I weigh myself all the time. I even weighed myself everyday when I was 9 months pregnant (of course my husband had to read it for me lol). A pound of muscle weighs the same amount as a pound of fat. The difference is muscle burns fat faster. The more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn and the leaner you'll be. I'm not talking about weight training. I'm talking about strength training with light weights (1 - 5 lbs). You'd be surprised at how fast you can lose weight if you add in strength training. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is an excellent example of cardio mixed with strength training.

michelle4271

Muscle is not your enemy. I don't know why women believe this myth. I lost 70 pounds 9 years ago and have maintained within a 10 lb range over the years. I usually only fluctuate 5 pounds at most because yes I weigh myself all the time. I even weighed myself everyday when I was 9 months pregnant (of course my husband had to read it for me lol). A pound of muscle weighs the same amount as a pound of fat. The difference is muscle burns fat faster. The more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn and the leaner you'll be. I'm not talking about weight training. I'm talking about strength training with light weights (1 - 5 lbs). You'd be surprised at how fast you can lose weight if you add in strength training. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is an excellent example of cardio mixed with strength training.

muscle is much leaner and tighter, so while the scale may not necessarily move eventually, you will "look" much better....the only way to get that burn resting burn to last longer is to weight train....

How are you doing, its been a couple of weeks, what have you changed? You should be on the verge of noticing changes within the next week I would imagine.

Skinny_Mocha

Well, since you said you have a very stressful job it reminded me of something in my own weight loss journey I will share with you. In college I tried losing weight any number of ways and never really had any success. After I graduated I didn't find a job until about six months later, and that is when I started my current and very successful run and losing weight. I originally thought it was just because I had more time to focus on doing it right. Well, in January I got a job and started working. I kept up my good eating habits and though I wasn't exercising quite as much, I was still walking two or three miles each day and still eating at a deficit. I just wasn't losing weight for two or three months.

It finally hit me what the big difference must be. Sleep! In college I barely slept at all, and with work I was going back to my old college sleeping patterns. But at home looking for a job I had nothing to wake up for in the morning so I always slept as much as I needed every night. As soon as I discovered this I retooled my schedule and made myself go to bed at 10 pm a few nights and catch up on sleep, and then now I make myself get 8 hours every night. My weight loss and just clicked back on since then and I have lost another 7 pounds since making the change.

So, my suggestion is that perhaps your body isn't getting enough sleep. I have read a lot of research that indicates that your body does a lot of its weight loss work during sleep hours, and not only that but if you don't sleep enough your body produces even more cortisol (stress hormone) which makes you prone to overeating and tells your body to hold onto the pounds.

Anyway, its worth a try right?

Thank you! That is very helpful - I have a terrible time getting enough sleep! I'm going to investigate that as well.

Skinny_Mocha

I looked at your diary for the past 2 weeks back to the 15th and you have eaten over your recommended calories almost everyday besides maybe 4 out of the 14 days? And some of them were more than 50 or under over. That is my guess what is wrong. Even though you are eating more produce and etc., a calorie is a calorie if you are trying to lose weight. While it will definitely help you in losing weight, you need to stay under except for those random cheat days. That is my only guess. Hope that helped :0)

Thank you! I did go over a bunch because I was having a really hectic couple of weeks (and was pouting about the weight gain). However, even with going over a bit, I was still under what my supposed burned calorie range should have been, so if anything I should have stayed at the same weight. Regardless, I'm back on track now (with the exception of yesterday because we had a work party) and I have a HRM to help! Thanks for the input!!

Skinny_Mocha

Muscle is not your enemy. I don't know why women believe this myth. I lost 70 pounds 9 years ago and have maintained within a 10 lb range over the years. I usually only fluctuate 5 pounds at most because yes I weigh myself all the time. I even weighed myself everyday when I was 9 months pregnant (of course my husband had to read it for me lol). A pound of muscle weighs the same amount as a pound of fat. The difference is muscle burns fat faster. The more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn and the leaner you'll be. I'm not talking about weight training. I'm talking about strength training with light weights (1 - 5 lbs). You'd be surprised at how fast you can lose weight if you add in strength training. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is an excellent example of cardio mixed with strength training.

Thanks! My fear wasn't necessarily that it was muscle, but that I would have had to have lost 10 pounds of fat, then gained it back as muscle for it to be a muscle gain (though maybe that's not the case, now that I think about it - it probably doesn't work that way) and that I would have noticed. Now that I'm typing it out though, I guess it's possible I lost a little fat and gained a little muscle, and that somehow equated to a ten pound gain. I have started moving a lot more during the day because I discovered I was sitting WAY too much at my job. So, I'm sure that will make a difference. Thank you!!

Chantelle160

Keep going dont give up. Maybe be more careful about your fat and sugar intake. I noticed in your diary most days you were over on your fat. Fat is fat even if it's the healthy kind remember everything in moderation. Good luck

Skinny_Mocha

Muscle is not your enemy. I don't know why women believe this myth. I lost 70 pounds 9 years ago and have maintained within a 10 lb range over the years. I usually only fluctuate 5 pounds at most because yes I weigh myself all the time. I even weighed myself everyday when I was 9 months pregnant (of course my husband had to read it for me lol). A pound of muscle weighs the same amount as a pound of fat. The difference is muscle burns fat faster. The more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn and the leaner you'll be. I'm not talking about weight training. I'm talking about strength training with light weights (1 - 5 lbs). You'd be surprised at how fast you can lose weight if you add in strength training. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is an excellent example of cardio mixed with strength training.

muscle is much leaner and tighter, so while the scale may not necessarily move eventually, you will "look" much better....the only way to get that burn resting burn to last longer is to weight train....

How are you doing, its been a couple of weeks, what have you changed? You should be on the verge of noticing changes within the next week I would imagine.

Thank you for asking!

I have added twice as many vegetables and gotten rid of most of my fruit.

I also purchased a HRM and have been using it almost every day. I did almost nothing for several hours (just lounged at home) to determine my resting calorie burn rate. According to my HRM, at rest I burn 120 calories per hour (based on my age and weight).

At work, I have started chair dancing and taking trips up and down the stairs to get myself moving. With the exception of a couple of treats (yesterday) I have really watched what I eat and tried to stay within my calorie range.

I did move it up to 1 pound per week weight loss goal, so that I don't risk starvation mode. I also started putting the number of calories burned (again, according to HRM) in my food diary notes.

I am terrified of checking out the results too soon, so I'm going to wait until about a month from last taking measurements (I believe I updated that April 20th). So, around May 20th, we'll see what's the happs.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE RESPONDED!! Your ideas and input have really helped me re-think what I'm doing, and I am sure it will make a difference. Fingers crossed!

Skinny_Mocha

Keep going dont give up. Maybe be more careful about your fat and sugar intake. I noticed in your diary most days you were over on your fat. Fat is fat even if it's the healthy kind remember everything in moderation. Good luck

Thanks! I've been having a few accidental sugar days (like yesterday's work party) that I need to get under control, but I haven't really been paying attention to fat. I will keep an eye on that as well. Thank you!

karensoxfan

...Months of produce and turning down delicious junk food... months of eating raw this and boring that...

I don't know how to explain your 10 lb. gain, except to suggest that in addition to weighing yourself, you should take measurements, to know for sure if the changes you FEEL are in your head or real. My instinct tells me they're real. I'd also go back to weighing weekly for a few weeks to see what trend the scale shows.

But, your statement above makes it sound like you don't really LIKE the changes you're making to what you eat on a daily basis. I'd suggest that you incorporate a little more moderation, so that you can feel satisfied in your body and in your head with what you're eating.

lloydrt

swayne, been there done that as well......Ive stopped losing this year, plateaued I guess, not sure

but Im now able and do up to 3 hours of workouts a day, 6 days a week. Couldnt have even tried that last year this time. I can also , now, see muscles instead of flab, took off 17 inches in my waist, so I lost inches instead of the pounds for the time being.......its discouring for sure, but I can feel the difference in my clothes, and the ability to work out for a much longer period of time , as opposed only being able to have originally worked out 10 mins or so......Ive come a long way

dont believe your scale, its there just to keep you in the ball park. For me, I stopped weighing, it got me so pissed that it began to sabatogue my weight loss.....I go every day, except Sundays to the gym for 2 - 3 hours of work outs ,and like I said, this time last year, I couldnt come anywheres close to the amount of time I put in now. My gym work outs are my scale

I also used to have exercise induced asthma, but all my symptoms are now gone, as well as my high blood pressure , and I dont have to use my relief inhaler to run, its what I used for one year , to be able to stay on a tread mill or eliptical for 2 hours now......I love cardio.

I know its upsetting not to see the results on the scale, but there are other indicators of a good weight loss.....Just being able to walk and not have to catch my breath is great. I can walk for miles now, up and down stairs, am not out of breath, I sleep great and thru the whole nite, and I dont have to go to special Mens stores to buy my previous size ( 52) inch waisted pants.....Im wearing 34 inch waist pants now. See, these are all victories of my weight loss. I havent lost any weight this year, but its all going to add up in the end......I need to lose 20 more lbs and when it happens, whoa......great, but Im getting healthier just trying........Best wishes, Lloyd

p.s, You may want to include sodium in your menu MFP Chart ........youd be blown away if you only knew how much sodium you are retaining when you eat processed foods.....that is what was killing me until I put sodium in my menu make up......