Wondering What I am doing wrong

Margarette

Actually kyle '(and not arguing that the fast food should be a daily thing) she is more than likely gaining cause she is in starvation mode. I used to be anorexic.. this is why you gain back a lot of weight when you start eating again.. starvation mode. Also why you don't want to lose quickly.

FairyMiss

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

This is totally bogus!

You CANNOT eat basically anything you want. If you look at her diary, it shows there is a deficit every day but 1 in the past few weeks. So if this were correct, she'd be losing...but she's not.

You cannot eat those sodium filled foods (fast food), with all that yummy flavor and expect to lose weight. UNLESS you're working your @ss off in the gym each day burning a ton of calories. For us regular folks who do not live in the gym, we CANNOT eat anything we want. We have food choices (good vs bad), as there is more to this healthy lifestyle journey then just losing a pound or two.

Lets encourage those around us to partake in healthy lifestyles, not mislead them with info like this.

More than likely it is what others have mentioned, all of that sodium and retaining water is the cause of the weight gain (assuming your food log/diary is completely accurate).

Try to limit your eating out to once or twice per week for 2 weeks. Eat at home and try to eat smart (low on the sodium, shortning, butters, etc) and see if you notice any difference.
As SRP2011 mentioned above,
Try following a healthy eating plan (fresh fruits, veggies, lean proteins cooked in a healthy way - baked, broiled, grilled; and healthy complex carbs - whole grains and such)...do this for 2 weeks and keep track on how you feel and what happens.

BINGO

FairyMiss

I would actually be afraid to see her daily sodium count

lizziebeth1028

you have very poor eating habits - skipping breakfast - eating junk food - not eating enough to eating too much. your diet is all over the map. that's not a healthy lifestyle, that's not the way to loose weight. knowledge is power, educate yourself on healthy food choices, make the dietary changes then the weight will come off.

srp2011

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, but that is so not true. If it was, Burger King, McDs, Pizza Hut, etc... would all have their own version of Jared hawking the 1200 cal/day super-sized burger and fries diet... Funny how every time I see someone complaining that they are not losing weight even though they've maintained a deficit, their diary is full of junk, sugar, simple carbs, and high fat foods, and I never see anyone eating a well balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins on here complaining about that problem... A boy in his teens or 20s may be able to eat whatever he wants and still lose, but it doesn't work like that for the rest of the population. And then there are the health consequences of bad food choices, which will catch up...

KyleGA

Actually kyle '(and not arguing that the fast food should be a daily thing) she is more than likely gaining cause she is in starvation mode. I used to be anorexic.. this is why you gain back a lot of weight when you start eating again.. starvation mode. Also why you don't want to lose quickly.

Thank you Maggie, the post I responded to had nothing to do with body in starvation mode...it was misleading to the point that a person can eat anything they want as long as there is a calorie deficit there would be weight loss...thank you for adding this to the conversation, as it is VERY important...just was not within the context of the quoted response.

aliciastar

Thank you for all the info.

adrian_indy

I know everyone has hit the fast food and sodium thing, but let me reiterate it with this. I went to a rehersal dinner and wedding this last weekend. I kept up with the 5 meals a day thing, splurged a little one day, still exercised, and did alright overall all things considered. Guess what. By Monday morning I had gained 5 pounds. FIVE! But you have to laugh. It's not fat, it was the water retention caused by the sodium. In order for me to have gained 5 lbs of fat in only 2 days, I would have had to eat roughly 17,500 calories OVER my normal intake of roughly 2,000 calories a day. So that would mean, if it was fat that I had gained, that I had eaten over the space of 2 day, 21,500 calories.

charmainecurrie

I checked out your diary and it seems to me that you are eating junk food way too much....

wutamunkee

I understand your frustration. I used to weigh throughout the day and my weight can flunctuate by 4 pounds-so maddening since I thought I was doing so well. Now, I only weigh on Tuesday mornings about 10am, after my morning walk and right after my shower. I put the scale in an inconvenient location so I am not tempted to step on so easily. I also took my measurements (as ugly as that truth was!) and re-measured at 3 weeks. The measurement tracking here is minimal but I keep track of my bust, thighs and arms in addition to what they allow. Funny they don't track legs. That is the first place I see the effect of exercising thus fast gratification and motivation. And I have dropped 2 inches in bra band size, so I will take any benefit I can get to keep me going.
I didn't look at your diary but will share, that for me, I really watch the sodium and sugar intakes. I eat mainly fresh food, lots of greens.No fast food at all. Fortunately, that is not my weakness-but don't let me get next to the pastries or donuts-zero control. So for my sugar fix, I allow myself 14 jelly beans twice a week One other thing, I do not like beef, chicken, turkey so getting my protein in is hard. I stick with tuna and fish mainly but once or twice a week, I make a drink for breakfast using 100% whey protein powder because how do you eat fish for breakfast?
I know its frustrating and I do not think judging you is the way to go. We all have our path and reinforcing the positive works best for me.

You can add your own categories to the measurement tracker

wutamunkee

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, but that is so not true. If it was, Burger King, McDs, Pizza Hut, etc... would all have their own version of Jared hawking the 1200 cal/day super-sized burger and fries diet... Funny how every time I see someone complaining that they are not losing weight even though they've maintained a deficit, their diary is full of junk, sugar, simple carbs, and high fat foods, and I never see anyone eating a well balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins on here complaining about that problem... A boy in his teens or 20s may be able to eat whatever he wants and still lose, but it doesn't work like that for the rest of the population. And then there are the health consequences of bad food choices, which will catch up...

I have that problem, I eat healthy for the most part but Im not losing... I am gaining it all back! HA

TiffanyA2008

Don't get frustrated! Try not to weigh yourself too often because our weight really flucuates daily and that can really discourage us. Try weighing yourself just ONE DAY per week. Same day every week and around the same time. I actually choose to weigh every 2 weeks. I weigh myself every 2 weeks on Monday at 8 AM. Some people even choose to check their progress monthly. If you wait and weigh yourself weekly, biweekly, or even monthly you'll know what type of progress you're actually making. SO PUT AWAY THE SCALE! and remember to drink lots if water. It's hard to achieve the weight loss goals we set for ourselves if we aren't keeping ourselves hydrated. So remember that. I actually found a calculator that gives you an amount of water you should be drinking daily. It calculates it off of your activity level. If you're interested just Google water calculator for weight loss.

Good luck to you

Edit: Also, I didn't look at your food diary so I don't know how you're eating, but if you have been eating the same amount of calories daily for quite sometime now, you may need to switch that up. I am actually starting the zig zag diet. Switching my daily calories everyday. It keeps the body guessing!

Acg67

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, but that is so not true. If it was, Burger King, McDs, Pizza Hut, etc... would all have their own version of Jared hawking the 1200 cal/day super-sized burger and fries diet... Funny how every time I see someone complaining that they are not losing weight even though they've maintained a deficit, their diary is full of junk, sugar, simple carbs, and high fat foods, and I never see anyone eating a well balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins on here complaining about that problem... A boy in his teens or 20s may be able to eat whatever he wants and still lose, but it doesn't work like that for the rest of the population. And then there are the health consequences of bad food choices, which will catch up...

in the end all diets work, and they all work the same way, a caloric deficit. does eating only so called junk food make it tougher to stay within your caloric goals? most likely but doesn't mean it can't be done. the answer to the OP's original question in why she gained weight in the span of 2 days was water retention, which is easily shed

FairyMiss

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, but that is so not true. If it was, Burger King, McDs, Pizza Hut, etc... would all have their own version of Jared hawking the 1200 cal/day super-sized burger and fries diet... Funny how every time I see someone complaining that they are not losing weight even though they've maintained a deficit, their diary is full of junk, sugar, simple carbs, and high fat foods, and I never see anyone eating a well balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins on here complaining about that problem... A boy in his teens or 20s may be able to eat whatever he wants and still lose, but it doesn't work like that for the rest of the population. And then there are the health consequences of bad food choices, which will catch up...

in the end all diets work, and they all work the same way, a caloric deficit. does eating only so called junk food make it tougher to stay within your caloric goals? most likely but doesn't mean it can't be done. the answer to the OP's original question in why she gained weight in the span of 2 days was water retention, which is easily shed

eh mine doesnt but thats just me.

ignatiusreilly

I agree with all the folks who say to weigh yourself once a week (on the same day, upon waking up and after going to the bathroom). Also, your diary shows a lot of processed fast foods, which are loaded with sodium -- which leads to water retention. A quart of water weighs more than 2 pounds. I suggest you change your settings so that your diary also shows sodium, which will allow you to keep your sodium intake under control. I try to cap mine at 2,300 mg/day, although I think the MFP default is 2,500.

jfinnivan

You can lose weight eating anything. It's not healthy, but you will lose weight. Calories in, calories out.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

charmainecurrie

also you don't seem to be eating breakfast
and not enough at times

srp2011

food choices don't matter as much as a caloric deficit, you can basically eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a deficit to lose weight.

Sorry, but that is so not true. If it was, Burger King, McDs, Pizza Hut, etc... would all have their own version of Jared hawking the 1200 cal/day super-sized burger and fries diet... Funny how every time I see someone complaining that they are not losing weight even though they've maintained a deficit, their diary is full of junk, sugar, simple carbs, and high fat foods, and I never see anyone eating a well balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins on here complaining about that problem... A boy in his teens or 20s may be able to eat whatever he wants and still lose, but it doesn't work like that for the rest of the population. And then there are the health consequences of bad food choices, which will catch up...

in the end all diets work, and they all work the same way, a caloric deficit. does eating only so called junk food make it tougher to stay within your caloric goals? most likely but doesn't mean it can't be done. the answer to the OP's original question in why she gained weight in the span of 2 days was water retention, which is easily shed

Um, actually this isn't entirely accurate. Yes, a caloric deficit is essential to losing weight, but the foods you eat can and do affect the chemicals and hormones in your body, and can stop or slow down weight loss, and promote fat storage. Diets high in simple sugars and carbs can cause blood sugar spikes and an insulin reaction that promotes storage of incoming calories as fat, making it harder to lose. Other foods (and stress) can increase cortisol production which can shift the balance to fat storage (and unfortunately, storage of unhealthy abdominal fat). So no, it's not as simple as maintaining a calorie deficit... junk food diets will not work for the vast majority of adults.

millionsofpeaches

I tend to not weight myself... Sounds crazy, but it keeps me from obsessing about every little thing. I base it on how my clothes feel and what I see in the mirror. I have gone down a jean size since I started prior to MFP... So, I have to be doing something right.

Acg67

Um, actually this isn't entirely accurate. Yes, a caloric deficit is essential to losing weight, but the foods you eat can and do affect the chemicals and hormones in your body, and can stop or slow down weight loss, and promote fat storage. Diets high in simple sugars and carbs can cause blood sugar spikes and an insulin reaction that promotes storage of incoming calories as fat, making it harder to lose. Other foods (and stress) can increase cortisol production which can shift the balance to fat storage (and unfortunately, storage of unhealthy abdominal fat). So no, it's not as simple as maintaining a calorie deficit... junk food diets will not work for the vast majority of adults.

Bray GA et. al. Hormonal Responses to a Fast-Food Meal Compared with Nutritionally Comparable Meals of Different Composition. Ann Nutr Metab. 2007 May 29;51(2):163-171

Background: Fast food is consumed in large quantities each day. Whether there are differences in the acute metabolic response to these meals as compared to ‘healthy’ meals with similar composition is unknown. Design: Three-way crossover. Methods: Six overweight men were given a standard breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on each of 3 occasions, followed by 1 of 3 lunches at noon. The 3 lunches included: (1) a fast-food meal consisting of a burger, French fries and root beer sweetened with high fructose corn syrup; (2) an organic beef meal prepared with organic foods and a root beer containing sucrose, and (3) a turkey meal consisting of a turkey sandwich and granola made with organic foods and an organic orange juice. Glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, ghrelin, leptin, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were measured at 30-min intervals over 6 h. Salivary cortisol was measured after lunch. Results: Total fat, protein and energy content were similar in the 3 meals, but the fatty acid content differed. The fast-food meal had more myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and trans fatty acids (C18:1) than the other 2 meals. The pattern of nutrient and hormonal response was similar for a given subject to each of the 3 meals. The only statistically significant acute difference observed was a decrease in the AUC of LDL cholesterol after the organic beef meal relative to that for the other two meals. Other metabolic responses were not different. Conclusion: LDL-cholesterol decreased more with the organic beef meal which had lesser amounts of saturated and trans fatty acids than in the fast-food beef meal.