weighed in this morning, and am very discouraged

LauraJo08

Hey all, so I just weighed in, and guess what? In one week I have gained +.2 pounds. Which means that in the 18 or so days that I have used MFP, I have gained +.4 pounds (It only says -3 on my ticker because I got a new scale and didn't care about changing the starting weight).

This was really difficult for me to see this morning, as I've had only one cheat day, and the rest of the days I've been sticking to my calorie goal. My body does feel better physically just from eating better, but to be honest, I'm tired of being the girl who doesn't look fat, but who weighs a lot. I know that this may seem silly, but this makes me afraid that my body wants to stay at 195 pounds (I'm 5'11), and I'm not content with this weight.

So, Ive set my settings to -2 pounds per week, eschew most processed foods, and exercise at least an hour of intense cardio (90DS, running, and biking an hour total to and from work). What am I doing wrong?

JMJohnson1005

Since you don't have a lot of weight to lose try setting your goal to lose 1 lb a week. Also, watch your sodium.

danamfinn

Girl, do not feel discouraged! You have time to make it up, we all have moments would be want to throw the scale out the window. Keep smiling, and stay focused, you CAN do it!

selmaguzman

The longer you stay on a program the slower the weight loss. You may be gaining muscle (good thing, because muscle burns fat more efficiently). Also water and hormones can affect the scale. Not what you've actually lost, but what the scale says that day. Just keep it up. Don't be in a hurry either. Good weight loss takes time.

strandedeyes

Change it to one lb loss per week and see if that gives your metabolism a jolt. I didn't lose much when I had set my goal to lose 2 lbs a week but once I changed it to 1.5 lbs loss per week, my body kicked into gear.

Also for some, you may see an initial gain but will lose after a week or two once your body has fully adjusted to the changes. It's hard to see gain but it will all work out if you keep at it. Drink plenty of water and keep eating clean.

bizco

Is your activity (lifestyle) level set correctly in your diet/fitness profile? Do not count your hour-long dedicated exercise sessions in this setting. Log those using MFP's Exercise tab.

Also, read the link in my signature "guide to calorie deficits." Good luck.

realrayne10

I can not see your diary but are you eating back your exercise calories? Are you drinking enough water (use tall girls need more than the recommended 8 glasses a day)? What is your sodium intake like? Not all victories come from the numbers on the scale. Are you taking measurement? How do your clothes feel?

It takes time to figure out what works for your body and what does not. Mix it up, experiment, but don't give up!

erzsebet_1560

Since you don't have a lot of weight to lose try setting your goal to lose 1 lb a week. Also, watch your sodium.

I agree. I had been using another site and I started over here , reading post after post that said increase your calories to lose weight. I was very skeptical. I did it, and I am now on the down slop. Just try it.

kr3851

I think you should measure. If you're not seeing results on the scale, you may see them on the tape measure!

Roadie2000

Sometimes it takes your body time to adapt to a new exercise program and may retain water for a while at first. And 0.4 lbs is really nothing, for me that was dinner last night.

I've also had more luck when I change my settings to 1-1.5 lbs per week. I feel like when I aim for 2 lbs per week and exercise a lot I don't eat enough. Sometimes people with more weight to lose are better suited for trying to lose 2 lbs per week, if you have less than 40 lbs to lose and are in decent shape, maybe try for 1.5 lbs per week.

Not saying it's not possible to lose 2 lbs per week, but these numbers are just guidelines and it's not an exact science. Sometimes you just have to find what works for you, and that my involve eating a little more to lose a little more.

katkins3

I admit, I don't weigh my self at all. Here's why:
If I gain weight or don't lose as much as I hoped, I get discouraged and eat over it.
If I lose weight I feel I get to celebrate and I eat over it.
For me, I have to go by how my clothes fit. Its my way to avoid the emotion eating.

runlorirun

This last week I went up a total of 3 lbs. Not 100% sure the total cause of it but some is due to my insomnia and IBS that is rearing it's ugly head. It's also starting to get really humid here (the mid-west) and I don't think I am drinking enough water for the temps here.

However when I did my measurements I was down all of them. So I am encouraged on that end at least.

Since you are exercising pretty hard you might have built up some muscle that would account for some gain, but it should even back out soon.

lennykat

Hey Laura-

Sounds like we're in the same boat! I along with another "tall chick" have decided that we aren't eating enough either. I know you keep hearing that but what I figured is if I set my lbs perweek to anything lower than 1lb I'm not meeting at least my BMR (which is 1660). So we both upped our calories and are giving that a try hoping it works. After doing a lot of research here and other sites I'm taking a guess that the BMR is key and that we have to AT LEAST meet that. So your typical "women eating 1200 calories to lose weight" doesn't apply. Remember also that if you're eating to meet your BMR (MFP has the deficit set into that already) you're going to have to eat back your exercise calories.

I know it feels like a shot in the dark but I am a lot like you are. I had an assessment last week and the scale didn't change, but I had lost roughly an inch all over, yet my BF went up. Now there were some factors that could have skewed the results so we'll see again next week and I'll update.

But I'm convinced that us tall girls are a bit outside the realm of textbook weight loss. I weigh 190lbs right now at 5'9" and don't look like I do which is a complete mind game. Good luck to you and if you'd like some support please feel free to friend me.

Good luck to you and don't give up!

LauraJo08

Thanks for all the advice guys! Here's some clarification: yes, I have been eating back my exercise calories, which means that depending on the amount of exercise I've eaten 1,700-2,400 calories per day. I also overestimate on food calories and underestimate on calorie burn, so I figured that I would be safe.

I'm a tiny bit doubtful that it is me putting on muscle. I played competitive soccer, volleyball, and ran state track, and so along with my already larger frame, I am extremely muscled, especially on my legs.

I have noticed about -.5 inches in my legs, arms, and toning in my waist, so I do think that my clothes are getting more comfortable, but it's discouraging because I honestly am not too concerned about my measurements. It seems weird, but I have been this same weight, and wearing a size 8-10 since my sophomore year of high school, and other than wanting to tone up during bathing suit season, and fitting into a size 6 for vanity purposes, my real goals for myself are to a) learn how to not eat too much or too little (basically an eating lifestyle that I can sustain) and b) just be lighter. That may be strange to say that I just want to be lighter, but I know that I am not fat, it's just hard when you don't fit the small, fit into the crook of your boyfriend's shoulder female stereotype.

My sodium is always lower, but I am going to watch my water intake, and I've changed my weight loss from -2.4 to -1.5 pounds. I also am trying to not exercise TOO much, if that makes sense. I also have set my lifestyle at lightly active, because I spend all day in a cancer research lab where I'm constantly checking mice, transporting samples, etc.

Question for everyone: does it make sense for me to eat all of my exercise calories back (usually 500-1000) when I am already starting at 1650? Eating 2150-2650 calories just seems like too many if I want to lose weight, so I'm thinking of eating back 50% of them.

Thanks again! I'm feeling less discouraged because I realize that I am making positive changes that are sustainable no matter what the scale says.

selmaguzman

I don't think you are doing anything wrong at all. When my weight is decreasing I get many different weigh ins that fluctuate at least 2 pounds. Women store more fluids that men during times of the month. If your weight changes often up and down for no fault of your own it will pass in about a week. Don't panic. Never weigh after drinking a large glass of water. that will up you weight 1 or 2 pounds. Weigh in first time in the morning after you have relieved yourself. That is you truest measure. As you eat, drink, and exercise it can change around ten times a day. Just use the first weigh in as your actual weight. Do a true graph and you will see what time of the month that your hormones start affecting the results. Then you know what it is and you just skip worrying about it. Drink lots of fluid to rid yourself of the extra accumulated water and menstrual factors.