Diet/exercise/gained a pound - HELP!!

UsedToBeHusky

Okay. So I was doing really well. It's been 3 weeks since I started MFP and I had lost 15 lbs. Since I've started, I increased my cardio from 20 mins to an hour, and I have incorporated some resistance training into my routine. My problem is I've stopped losing weight. I actually gained a pound back in the last 2 days. I realize that this is probably muscle, but I want to get back to losing. What can I do?

Should I take a break from exercise?

Should I try to consume less calories?

Should I change how often I do the resistance training? If so, how often should I do it?

I just don't know where to go from here and I don't like giving MFP back my 1 pound. (I weigh-in daily.)

morganadk2_deleted

I can't see your diary i wondered are you eating enough??



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677



Good luck on your journey

xSophia19

Hey! its probably because when you excercise and you burn calories its important to restore your body with food again (i know it sounds like a pain) with fruit or little snack like crackers just something light. because if you dot eat back the calories youve burnt off then your body may go into starvation mode which causes you to stay the same weight or weight gain

sorry its not much info, but this is what i got told from a member of the weight watchers team

UsedToBeHusky

Well I did not eat anything after exercise until the last couple of days and I was losing when I didn't eat after exercise. When I have more time, I'm going to research this BMI thing.

MyNameIsNotBob

I usually tinker with my goals every few weeks / pounds lost. It helps keep things accurate for my current weight.

UsedToBeHusky

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)

I checked my BMI. I'm still over 32. But I was trying to lose more than 2lbs a week.

phinners

Why do you weigh yourself everyday? We will all fluctuate from day to day - I can swing 7lbs over the course of 2 days but I know it's not 'correct' weight, and probably hormones/water/bulk etc. Maybe just weigh yourself once a week. Hard, I know, but it's probably a lot better than getting mental over a pound.

wheelieblade

out of interest do you log your resistance training as strength training? Only as as going to incorporate some resistance training into my workout.

UsedToBeHusky

Why do you weigh yourself everyday? We will all fluctuate from day to day - I can swing 7lbs over the course of 2 days but I know it's not 'correct' weight, and probably hormones/water/bulk etc. Maybe just weigh yourself once a week. Hard, I know, but it's probably a lot better than getting mental over a pound.

Yeah, I know. I wasn't even going to weigh myself at all because I knew if I had a scale I would be on it everyday. Of course, then I realized that as I lost weight my goals would need to be readjusted.

UsedToBeHusky

out of interest do you log your resistance training as strength training? Only as as going to incorporate some resistance training into my workout.

I tried but I couldn't find it in the list and I didn't have any info on it. A personal trainer told me that she logs hers under cardio, but I just as soon not log it because I only do it as a warm-up to my cardio.

UsedToBeHusky

@morgan

I read the article, but it didn't really give me much direction. As far as the BMI-calorie ratio, are you referring to net calories, after calorie burning.

I might reduce my workouts. If I am burning too many calories, then I would rather have the extra time than eat more food. I'm just not sure if that will make a difference. It seems so strange to say that I am not losing weight because I am working out too much.

wheelieblade

Sorry I meant strength training under cardio. I'm not sure how I will use it yet but will definatly incorporate, am unsure as to whether or not I will log it