Why am I gaining instead of losing weight? How can I get out

Ebwash89

I've been counting my calories and working out for the past 4 months and I've been doing pretty well at it. The weight was dropping off really good and so far I've lost 36 pounds. Now I've gotten to the point where my body doesn't want to lose any more weight. I started out around 190 pounds and now I keep bouncing around between 153-154. I'm eating the same way nothing has changed so I figured I had to up my exercise and push myself harder. So I've been doing that and I started gaining weight instead of losing it. I'm talking a bout a pound or two overnight or Its gotten to the point where I gained a half a pound over night after burning over 300 calories in exercise. I know I'm pushing myself enough because I'm out of breath and sometimes so sore to the point where I couldn't hardly sit. I don't know what to do because the more I workout the more I gain. I'm 5'2 154 pounds so I know its not that I'm in the right weight range for my height. I'm eating 1200 calories 3 meals with snacks in between. What am I doing wrong?

katcod1522

Im right there with ya.

Martucha123

I would say it's what you eat
you stay below 1200 but only in last 3 days you had lunch at mcdonalds, pringles2 times, mac and cheese, on monday you were drinking only (almost)!!?? and it was alcohol!!
that is very very unhealthy. if you eat so little, you have to make extra effort to make healthy choices.

try to eat 1500 per day, adding veggies and fruits, or if you can replace that bad food, keep eating 1200 but make sure you eat that fruits, veggies, and meat that provides lot's of protein.

people say that not working out for a week may help also, give your body some rest, then see what happens

good luck!

cramernh

I'm talking a bout a pound or two overnight or Its gotten to the point where I gained a half a pound over night after burning over 300 calories in exercise. I know I'm pushing myself enough because I'm out of breath and sometimes so sore to the point where I couldn't hardly sit. I don't know what to do because the more I workout the more I gain.. What am I doing wrong?

Stop weighing yourself daily or several times per day. You are going to make things worse by stressing out over weight fluctuations.... thus contribute to weight gain - stress will do that... so put the scale away....

cramernh

The one thing I noticed after looking at your entire food diary, and please do not take this the wrong way........

~You dont eat enough on a daily basis - you are actually skipping meals which can mess with your body.
~You are consuming about 90% daily nothing but prepackaged, canned, frozen meals, you hardly consumed fresh/frozen-NAS fruits or vegetables at all.
~You are consuming meals that didnt even have any healthy proteins...
~There is alot of fast-food being ordered

Have you thought about considering changing your daily food intake to a more fresher approach? Alot of the junk-type foods you are consuming contain high amounts of simple sugars, loaded with unhealthy carbohydrates, dramatically high doses of sodium, and in some areas of your diary, alot of unhealthy fats...

I would definitely suggest revamping your entire daily intake of food...

Sidesteal

There are a number of different causes for stallouts.

In your particular situation, based strictly on the information you have provided and assuming you've been stalled for quite a while now with no weight loss (2 months+), and considering your steadily low calorie intake, I am going to guess it's due to hormonal downregulation.

Ebwash89

@mpscolac The Mac and cheese was made with whole grain high fiber noodles, fat free cheese and brocolli mixed in. Mcdonalds was my cheat day and I thought it was fine a actually good for your heart to have a glass of red wine a day or every now and then. Also my calorie intake was recommended by myfitnesspal. Why was I losing weight before doing all these things an not now?

Sidesteal

Why was I losing weight before doing all these things an not now?

There are a number of different possibilities. Assuming you are indeed taking in the same amount of calories (roughly) and burning the same through exercise, then it's likely either hormonal downregulation, or lower intake requirements due to weighing less and potentially lower non-exercise activity thermogenesis. (Moving less outside of the gym).

I would still think it's the former but it could be a combination of the two. I'd eat at maintenance intake for a week then resume diet, in short. But, that's just my viewpoint, I could be wrong.

foremant86

I'm going to assume you have your weight loss goal set to two pounds per week, which is unrealistic the closer you get to your goal weight.

Try changing it to 1 or .5 lbs a week and eat some more food.

You won't get anywhere eating 1200 or less calories a day, i don't know why people think that's good.

CoraGregoryCPA

Id say Thats Awesome!! When i was stuck at 156 forever...I started working out twice a day and did some aerobic classes. I gained too. I guess its water retention? However, when i changed my calories to eat more on MFP, the weight dropped immediately and it felt fast. Try increasing calorie intake and make sure you have increased your water intake if you are sweating more. Good luck.

Martucha123

@mpscolac The Mac and cheese was made with whole grain high fiber noodles, fat free cheese and brocolli mixed in. Mcdonalds was my cheat day and I thought it was fine a actually good for your heart to have a glass of red wine a day or every now and then. Also my calorie intake was recommended by myfitnesspal. Why was I losing weight before doing all these things an not now?

hey,
dont get me wrong
i drink too, wine too and i go to mcdonlads,
but i eat 1800 kcal so i still have plenty of healthy food

with 1200 you have to be very carefull, basically all you eat need to nurture you

if you have been struggeling for a week or two, than eat more, drink those 8 glasses of water and relax on excercise for a week, that helps in so many cases!
but it's also posible that your metabolism sloved down, as you have already lost a lot (congrats on that)
than you can try having diferent kcal goal for every day

Ebwash89

:-) I understand. I think I'll up my calories by 100 with more veggies and see what happens. Also with exercise I'll try not to push so hard and go easier on myself. I gues patience is key