Eating Exercise Calories and gaining weight?

tall_t

:grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

I started MFP about a month ago. For the first 2 weeks I ate less calories and exercised and didn't visit the forums much. I didn't eat my exercise calories. I lost 11 lbs! Then I stumbled upon Bank's post about eating your exercise calories and so I began doing that. Last week I lost 2 lbs, which is what I was going for, but it was less than what I have been losing.

My official weigh in isn't until Saturday morning, but according to the scale all week I have gained 3 lbs. I am working out harder than ever and eating those calories back... so why am I gaining weight???

I have a HRM so I am entering the correct # of calories burned too!

I even checked my inches and they have increased half an inch!:mad:

I am ready to stop eating those exercise calories but everything I read here says that is bad for me.

I am almost ready to throw in the towel.

Please help.

tall_t

:grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

I started MFP about a month ago. For the first 2 weeks I ate less calories and exercised and didn't visit the forums much. I didn't eat my exercise calories. I lost 11 lbs! Then I stumbled upon Bank's post about eating your exercise calories and so I began doing that. Last week I lost 2 lbs, which is what I was going for, but it was less than what I have been losing.

My official weigh in isn't until Saturday morning, but according to the scale all week I have gained 3 lbs. I am working out harder than ever and eating those calories back... so why am I gaining weight???

I have a HRM so I am entering the correct # of calories burned too!

I even checked my inches and they have increased half an inch!:mad:

I am ready to stop eating those exercise calories but everything I read here says that is bad for me.

I am almost ready to throw in the towel.

Please help.

shivers

I can feel your frustration!! I was doing well at first too, losing a few lbs in my first and second week, but now it seems to have stopped, and yesterday i was up a bit on the scales, and today I was up again another little bit! I'm hoping it all evens out by my weekly weigh in on Monday!! :sad:

Melroxsox

you might be gaining strength muscle weight...but I would not concentrate so much on the scale ..Take your time and visit the forums more often everyone here has awesome advice and they will help you troubleshoot:)

2day4ever

I'm sure people will "weigh in" on this but two frequent reminders are often posted about this issue:

(1) your body needs time to re-adjust to this new way of looking at nutrition and calories and exercise. You did not get where you are overnight. One month is not a lot of time to see a true verdict.

(2) weight has waaaaaay too many things that influence it. Water. Salt. Hormones. Bone mass. Muscle mass.

Hang in there. This is a process and it takes time. Banks also has a post about our need for instant gratification that fuels the diet industry. But, for most of us here, that instant gratification really has not worked in the past and that is why we are here now.

Also, just a postscript: Banks bases his comments on the research he's done. He includes the references for the info and I've read the original articles. I think the science and the facts support the idea that starvation mode (eating insufficient calories) works against the goal of weight loss in the long run.

mlillie

I have gained as well. I wear a HRM and log in everything I eat. I exercise everyday in some form- running, yoga, strength. I just added a more consistent strength program so I hope that helps but I feel like bawling for sure.

Last night my landlord said, "Wow I see you running and walking these hills all the time- so you must eat a lot of calories" I know what she meant. I should be really thin with all the work I put in but I'm not. It is a lot of effort and is really hard to keep patting myself on the back because I want to be fitter AND I want to be thinner as well. I just want to fit back into my clothes again.

I dont know what else to do except eat less. I have posted before on this and feel that I am doing something very wrong and cant figure it out.

On the eve of my birthday, this is just really really depressing!

tashjs21

Your initial big loss was probably a whole lotta water weight. Also your gain is probably muscle.
I have been going through this too. My weight jumped up and my clothes started getting snug again. :mad: :explode: :mad:
Funny thing was, it's not flabby fat. :huh:
I added Spinning to my workout routine and packed on some major muscle (and muscle does weigh more than fat). So you really should go by how you feel and how you look and not go by that pesky scale. I am more toned than I have ever been but that scale moved in the opposite direction.
Just keep on keeping on and step away from the scale!

tweety3

Ladies, I just have to chime in. I totally understand where you are coming from!! I was in this mood just yesterday. I talked to alot of people on here all day yesterday. I am a low calorie, high expectation kind of person!! HOWEVER, I talked to a girlfriend, she gave me a book. I know we aren't supposed to promote other things on tis site, but his is a great book!! It is called body for life- for women! I have been reading this, writen by a doctor, and I am starting to understand why I feeli like I do. It is a mental game. I can't say my problems are solved, because even with what I am learning I will still get on that scale and cry when I dont see those numbers go down.... but I will hopefully find the strength to get past that. I think what we need to do is to learn to love ourselves the way we are, and not hate the image we see. That only brings us more frustration. I am not saying to accept it, but we wont feel so grossed out about our image. Ther are so many great qualities about each and every one of us, that our weight is only hiding! Let's try to look inside and love who we are, and I am hoping that with that, the stress of what we look like will start to melt away, and with the lbs!! Good luck!

mlillie

I guess I just wonder when it is time for me to tweak something or do I just keep on trucking like I am doing? It really isnt so much about the scale but when you are working really hard and things are going up, up - you just dont want to be doing something wrong! I have never really counted calories as closely as this before so I guess I just want to make sure I am doing what and all I should be.

Thanks for all the kind words!

gabi_ele

Your weight will fluctuate during the month, no matter what you do. I usually gain anywhere between 3 and 5 pounds of water during a certain week of the month, if I have something with a lot of sodium in it it will be up or sometimes it's just the air making me heavier. I weigh every day but I know that it fluctuates, so I don't worrie about it.
The first weight you loose is water weight and comes off easily, then comes the hard part of fat loss and it will slow down to 2 pounds a week or even sometimes less.
I know how hard it is to be patient and go at a slow pace but I have lost 100dreds of pounds, a couple of times , sometimes at a very fast pace only to gain it all back and then some, since I couldn't stick with just drinking shakes or eating soup. I think I could keep this lifestyle up for the rest of my live so I am not worried how fast I am loosing as long as I'm going in the right direction.
I hope this helps you a little bit and I wish you success:drinker:

klikittyklak

Also, everyone loses the most weight when they first start. 2 lbs a week is good and healthy weight loss progress. You should count yourself lucky, in the last 2.5 weeks I have only lost 0.6 lbs!

mlillie

In over 2 months- shouldnt I have lost something?? It just seems a little odd to me. At one time I went down 3 lbs but then gained it all back and more. :frown:

Javancub

YUP! Same problem here. I've been working out more than I have in a long time. My work outs also vary from, biking, walking, turbo jam, abs, pilates and dance. I usually wok out 6 days a week. (Maybe i'm working out too much??) I haven't seen that wonder scale move at all . If i say ok, i'll take it easy today...i find myself dancing. I dont want to become the lazy couch potato again. Now I know that last 10 pounds is the hardest, but i've been busting butt for almost a month and a half to two months and I haven't seen it. I've just started measuring so maybe I will see it there. We are visual people...want to visually see it before we are satisfied....we want to see the scale move in the right direction....we want to see the muscle toning and have other people point out WOW. Not a single person has noticed that I've lost 7-8lbs.....:frown: :grumble: It does get frustrating:explode: but I just keep telling myself maybe I will see it in a month from now. :ohwell:

mjfer123

If your body is used to not getting the appropriate amount of calories, and then you changed your diet to accomodate for your exercise calories, its going to want to save up all of those calories because its still thinking that tomorrow you are going to go back to "starvation" mode.
Give it a few weeks, you should notice a downward trend soon, and when you do, the lbs should come off easier.

iluvsparkles

i know alot of people have responded to this already,
but my 2¢
it is muscle and water! The fat you had is being replaced by muscle, and muscle is heavy!

hang in there!

and remember, dont weigh too often. It wont help, only frustrate you. My weight fluctuates by 5 lbs all the time. 1 tall glass of water weighs a whole pound, so remember just how much the water and food you consume weighs!!

2day4ever

mlillie,

you may have already received this feedback but, honestly, if you have only 10 pounds to lose (and based on your profile picture), it is much harder to do b/c of a lot of the factors that get discussed on this forum all the time.

Good luck to you!

mlillie

yep girl it sounds like we are in the same boat- AND in the same state!!!
Maybe there is something in the water here in NC- like extra calories! ha.

I see no other option that just to keep on keeping on and I am going to start charting all my workouts on a sticker chart at home so I can place a sticker on it and get a reward. Maybe that will help. The weight gain is what is getting to me- and i know it isnt muscle. I must have a really slow metabolism, I guess. Any way- I am running tonight and then yoga- maybe we should start a "last 10 lbs" group. What do you think???

mjfer123

Another suggestion might be to track inches and weight at the same time.
As mentioned, muscle is heavy, but it is leaner.
So you might be "gaining" but shrinking.

iluvsparkles

yes, lets start that group.

how about now. I'll go do that now, and link you guys in a second.

iluvsparkles

mlillie i just realized you are from Asheville too! so i requested you as a friend

iluvsparkles

for anyone interested
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/22514-tlt-the-last-10?page=1#posts-199949

banks1850

well first, let me say this: Good for you guys for not just giving up and actually looking for answers to the issue. It's not as cut and dry as many things. It can be a very frustrating and confusing battle, but don't quit, your body doesn't like change, it will fight it, but if you work a steady, consistent fight, it will work for you.

Now, mlillie lets first look at what could be different about you then about tall_t. It's very obvious if you look at the profiles. You are at a very different weight loss point then tall. 12 lbs to lose is MUCH different then 100 plus and how you approach it should likewise be vastly different from her.
For you mlillie, expect months between noticable loss. Why? You may ask. Well, because there's not much to lose. You're body doesn't have a lot to lose so getting rid of what you do have to lose is going to take time, and a lot of effort, and at this point you need to fuel your body, have a very small deficit (say 250 to 400 cals a week) and expect no more then 1 lb to 2 lbs a month in loss. You lose any more then that and I'd bet the farm on much of it being muscle and lean tissue, which isn't what you should be looking to do.

Tall, you my dear, are just passing the initial stage of weight loss, your "easy" pounds are now gone(the 11 lbs you lost right away), these are a combination of very recently stored fat, a little muscle, and a lot of water and waste. You should be able to lose about 2 lbs a week, but it's not going to happen every week, the body doesn't work that way. From time to time, your body's going to stop the hardcore fat burn, and basically do a diagnostic, re-adjust, and then change directions and start up again. When these things happen, if you can recognize them, you should re-evaluate your goals, maybe mix up your workouts, and change up your food intake. It might take a little tweaking to get it perfect, but that is the situation. The biggest thing I can say to you is this. You didn't gain your weight in 6 months, don't expect to lose it that fast. For people who are over 30 BMI I would think you can expect to lose anywhere from 50 to 80 lbs in a YEAR. But remember, it slows down significantly as you become more healthy.
The best advice I can give is this, forget weight as a primary goal (as hard as that is) and focus on other goals, like certain levels of fitness (maybe saying that by the end of the month you'll be up to a 1/2 mile of jogging or something similar), maybe make your measurements a goal. Measurements are a slower goal to check, which forces you to be a little more patient. Focusing on your weight is an exercise in futility. I'm not saying to forget weighing yourself, just learn to use it like you do any other health measurement, as a tool, not a goal.

I hope this helps guys.

apigchangedmylife

well first, let me say this: Good for you guys for not just giving up and actually looking for answers to the issue. It's not as cut and dry as many things. It can be a very frustrating and confusing battle, but don't quit, your body doesn't like change, it will fight it, but if you work a steady, consistent fight, it will work for you.

Now, mlillie lets first look at what could be different about you then about tall_t. It's very obvious if you look at the profiles. You are at a very different weight loss point then tall. 12 lbs to lose is MUCH different then 100 plus and how you approach it should likewise be vastly different from her.
For you mlillie, expect months between noticable loss. Why? You may ask. Well, because there's not much to lose. You're body doesn't have a lot to lose so getting rid of what you do have to lose is going to take time, and a lot of effort, and at this point you need to fuel your body, have a very small deficit (say 250 to 400 cals a week) and expect no more then 1 lb to 2 lbs a month in loss. You lose any more then that and I'd bet the farm on much of it being muscle and lean tissue, which isn't what you should be looking to do.

Tall, you my dear, are just passing the initial stage of weight loss, your "easy" pounds are now gone(the 11 lbs you lost right away), these are a combination of very recently stored fat, a little muscle, and a lot of water and waste. You should be able to lose about 2 lbs a week, but it's not going to happen every week, the body doesn't work that way. From time to time, your body's going to stop the hardcore fat burn, and basically do a diagnostic, re-adjust, and then change directions and start up again. When these things happen, if you can recognize them, you should re-evaluate your goals, maybe mix up your workouts, and change up your food intake. It might take a little tweaking to get it perfect, but that is the situation. The biggest thing I can say to you is this. You didn't gain your weight in 6 months, don't expect to lose it that fast. For people who are over 30 BMI I would think you can expect to lose anywhere from 50 to 80 lbs in a YEAR. But remember, it slows down significantly as you become more healthy.
The best advice I can give is this, forget weight as a primary goal (as hard as that is) and focus on other goals, like certain levels of fitness (maybe saying that by the end of the month you'll be up to a 1/2 mile of jogging or something similar), maybe make your measurements a goal. Measurements are a slower goal to check, which forces you to be a little more patient. Focusing on your weight is an exercise in futility. I'm not saying to forget weighing yourself, just learn to use it like you do any other health measurement, as a tool, not a goal.

I hope this helps guys.

I appreciate your comments banks! I REALLY needed to read this today. I try to keep in mind that being healthy and losing the weight is a journey not a destination.

mlillie

Thanks Banks. TLT will also be an interesting group study to learn from, doncha think???

I hope I dont come off as whining because I really dont feel that way and I am proud of myself just for sticking with this community even though I am struggling. Thanks for all of your kind, wise words!

You are a rockstar of the MFP!

iluvsparkles

yes yes, very good and useful info once again, Superbanks!!
we loves ya!!

banks1850

yes yes, very good and useful info once again, Superbanks!!
we loves ya!!

LOL, I picture Em kind of yawning and looking at her nails while saying this.

Javancub

Thanks banks....Thank you to everyone. Its so hard to do this alone...and its nice having people around that can relate and help by giving support and motivation.

tall_t

Thank you all for the encouragement and replies. I took that support and hit the gym here at work (yes I am so lucky to have a gym at my job!). They also have a Tanita scale. This tells you your weight and can even tell you how much weight you have in muscle and how much in fat along with some other great facts.

According to the Tanita and comparing my data from last week, I have gained 5lbs in muscle and lost 5lbs in fat.

YAY!

So, I think your right Banks, my body is re-adjusting to my new routine.

iluvsparkles

yes yes, very good and useful info once again, Superbanks!!
we loves ya!!

LOL, I picture Em kind of yawning and looking at her nails while saying this.

LOL, if i was yawning its because i stayed up on MFP too late last nite!

i love getting info from you, because I like to know WHY things are happening the way they do..and no one can explain it as well as you!