Trying hard but not losing weight

CJsSweetMom

So I have been working my butt off literally for the past 134-ish days,by biking and running and lifting, plus I have been staying under my calories. I lost 2 pounds, then promptly gained it back again, and it is really frustrating. I eat healthy food, do not eat any fast food, I don't drink soda and I am a vegetarian. Does anyone else have the same problem? Based on my calories I should be down a little over 2 pounds, not up
anyone have any suggestions?

krystonite

Are you eating back your exercise calories?

What are your net calories saying at the end of the day???

hunterzmomma

eat your exercise calories!!

aimeeturner

It would be hard to say without seeing your diary.

AggieCass09

well i cant see your diary so that doesnt help much.

chances are you are...
1) not eating enough
2) not drinking enough water
3) not giving this whole diet thing long enough to work.

i'm a vegetarian too :-)

jamie78

It would be hard to say without seeing your diary.

*this*

SimplyDeLish

We can be more help if you open your diary.

Jena_72

hard to help because we can't see your diary

CJsSweetMom

Diary now open...Thanks

maryzcontrary

yeah, I am in the process of learning how to eat ALL my daily calories, which is 1200. I had the same thing happen - our bodies start to shut down if we are working too hard and not fueling them appropriately. If you public your food diary, some of the 'older, wiser MFP' pals will take a look and offer good advice....

just looked at your diary -- you are doing exactly what i did -- now I have to eat a lot more!!

Mary

LorinaLynn

Definitely leaving way too many calories behind. Your body needs more fuel than you're giving it.

meganigou

You're gaining muscle, congratulations! Be very happy about that!
Are you noticing that your clothes are fitting a little differently?
Make sure you are getting enough protein/carbs (since your a vegetarian) to fuel your workout and really get to burning your fat storage. Keep mixing up your workouts and keep your body guessing so that it doesn't plataeu and can guess what workout you do next. Try a fun new class at a gym!
Also, you have a window of about 20 minutes after you workout to eat and fuel your muscles so they can continue to work and replenish the damage that you did to them during your workouts.
For example, I eat a 1/2 powerbar about 20 minutes before I workout, drink water and finish my workout the same way; eat the other 1/2 of my bar after and drink water!
Hope this helps!

atomdraco

EAT your exercises calories!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ladyhawk00/view/mfp-basics-78491
http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/index2.html (find bunch of links here to read, please)

Ssocrrbabe

After looking at your diary it looks like you are not eating any of your exercise calories back so your NET calories are waaaaay below your goal, so your body needs fuel and is hangling on to every fat gram it can. If you eat most of your exercise calories back and NET your goal calories you should start to see weight loss. It seems counterinutitive to eat more, but that's what you need to do as MFP is set up to eat your exercise calories as this is not included in your weightloss goals. Please read the NEwbie articels at the top of the forum. These really help explain why eating your exercise calories are so important.

regina_mundi

MaryZContrary, last week I was having the exact same problem as you, except I had been at the exercise and 100+ calorie deficits for four weeks, with no weight loss at all. People here told me to eat more (and I've even eaten glorious crap like French fries) and to change my exercises—even to skip a day. Voilà, weight loss. We'll see how this goes. . .

devineh123

are you doing a lot of strength training? it sounds like you may be building muscle which will weighs more than fat. This is a good thing! You're toning up and keeping fit

brihare

One thing I noticed, and I may be wrong in this is trying to gauge your exercise properly. It is easy for me to say that I I started a tennis match at 6 pm and ended at 8 pm. 2 hours of tennis over 1000 calories, but did we get on the courts right away? Was it a tough match? Were breaks extra long? If I don't feel like I worked myself hard enough for all 1000 calories that it, or any exercise I do, should provide, I will cut it down a little bit possibly put only 90 minutes.

Some exercises are a no brainer but some I feel require your own personal judgement when punching them into your calculator.

CJsSweetMom

that was supposed to be 14-ish days not 134-ish. sorry for the confusion.