Gaining - again?

kailysimpson

I have been struggling since May of last year. I am just over it now. I think I'm just doomed to be fat forever. That's just how it is. I seriously was happier before when I wasn't worrying about my weight, calories, exercising, etc. The same thing always happens - I start out, I drop 10-15 pounds really fast, and then I start slowly gaining weight without changing anything at all. Today is January 25 - the first week of 2012 I lost 11 pounds and I haven't lost anything since. This week alone, I have gained 4 pounds. I don't get it. I'm [this] close to quitting altogether and just going back to my "normal" life. I'm not talking about reverting to stuffing my face all day, just back to not worrying about calorie counting etc. *sigh* I'm just over it.

stroutman81

Something has to be happening... you don't just create energy out of thin air and store it in fat. Otherwise, if you did, your body would hold the key to our world's energy crisis. I know that doesn't help you, but can you HONESTLY say that nothing at all changes? Which would imply you're eating the same exact things and doing the same exact activities day to day?

Maybe you are... at which point we'll have to look other places.

Maybe your calories aren't low enough.... so you're in a small deficit to start and then, as your body adapts as well as becomes smaller, there's a smaller requirement and thus, you reach a new maintenance. So what is your weight, age, and daily calorie intake?

What was your highest weight?

How certain are you of your calorie intake? Meaning are you using a food scale? Are you EXTREMELY consistent with tracking EVERYTHING that passes your lips from day to day... even the weekend?

What about the mixture of nutrients that are providing said calories... what is it?

If you're truly being honest with yourself, and things still aren't working, why throw your hands up in frustration? Look for alternative solutions... that's the name of this game.... experimentation. You're going to fail hundreds of times but that's the root of weight management. Expecting this kind of stuff and reacting accordingly by learning from what didn't work and trying new things.

Worst case scenario, again, if you're being very true with yourself... you just KNOW you're in a calorie deficit and you're still not losing weight.... why not head to the doctor and rule out things that could be causing your problem? Something thyroid related maybe? Or something with water retention? Who knows.

AddA2UDE

Something has to be happening...

Your entire post was excellent Steve. Thanks! It was what I needed to read today.

kailysimpson

Something has to be happening... you don't just create energy out of thin air and store it in fat. Otherwise, if you did, your body would hold the key to our world's energy crisis. I know that doesn't help you, but can you HONESTLY say that nothing at all changes? Which would imply you're eating the same exact things and doing the same exact activities day to day?

Maybe you are... at which point we'll have to look other places.

Maybe your calories aren't low enough.... so you're in a small deficit to start and then, as your body adapts as well as becomes smaller, there's a smaller requirement and thus, you reach a new maintenance. So what is your weight, age, and daily calorie intake?

What was your highest weight?

How certain are you of your calorie intake? Meaning are you using a food scale? Are you EXTREMELY consistent with tracking EVERYTHING that passes your lips from day to day... even the weekend?

What about the mixture of nutrients that are providing said calories... what is it?

If you're truly being honest with yourself, and things still aren't working, why throw your hands up in frustration? Look for alternative solutions... that's the name of this game.... experimentation. You're going to fail hundreds of times but that's the root of weight management. Expecting this kind of stuff and reacting accordingly by learning from what didn't work and trying new things.

Worst case scenario, again, if you're being very true with yourself... you just KNOW you're in a calorie deficit and you're still not losing weight.... why not head to the doctor and rule out things that could be causing your problem? Something thyroid related maybe? Or something with water retention? Who knows.

I am most certainly in a calorie deficit all of the time. If you are implying that I am lying just for the sake of having something complain about - that's not the case at all.

And I've been to the Dr. She says that my thyroid, blood sugar, etc. all look great. I have PCOS but it's mild enough that she didn't feel the need to medically treat it, when I told her my weight loss woes, shew as just basically like "well, keep trying I guess."

lemonadem

Something has to be happening... you don't just create energy out of thin air and store it in fat. Otherwise, if you did, your body would hold the key to our world's energy crisis. I know that doesn't help you, but can you HONESTLY say that nothing at all changes? Which would imply you're eating the same exact things and doing the same exact activities day to day?

Maybe you are... at which point we'll have to look other places.

Maybe your calories aren't low enough.... so you're in a small deficit to start and then, as your body adapts as well as becomes smaller, there's a smaller requirement and thus, you reach a new maintenance. So what is your weight, age, and daily calorie intake?

What was your highest weight?

How certain are you of your calorie intake? Meaning are you using a food scale? Are you EXTREMELY consistent with tracking EVERYTHING that passes your lips from day to day... even the weekend?

What about the mixture of nutrients that are providing said calories... what is it?

If you're truly being honest with yourself, and things still aren't working, why throw your hands up in frustration? Look for alternative solutions... that's the name of this game.... experimentation. You're going to fail hundreds of times but that's the root of weight management. Expecting this kind of stuff and reacting accordingly by learning from what didn't work and trying new things.

Worst case scenario, again, if you're being very true with yourself... you just KNOW you're in a calorie deficit and you're still not losing weight.... why not head to the doctor and rule out things that could be causing your problem? Something thyroid related maybe? Or something with water retention? Who knows.

Talk to him. Excellent source of information and someone who not only knows what he is talking about, but has realistic expectations. If anyone can help you, he can. Good luck!

snookumss

Its your sodium. Calm down.


I just looked through your diary, half the days you were higher on sodium, then other days you were really low. over 3k sodium is PROBABLY making you retain water. When I didn't realize this my weight fluctuated WAY more than it does since I've watched it. You are just retaining water because you have higher sodium amounts. Drink your water, make your sodium consistent.


EDIT: If you've lost 17lbs this year, take it easy... you are doing great. You just have to take it slow. Nice and easy wins the race. Don't stress over these things so much. You have to give it a month of stalls before you need to start worrying.

DenverKos

It's not necessarily about lying, but I tell you what, getting a food scale was eye opening for me. You search Orange, and think subjectively this is a medium Orange - I've certainly seen bigger. But then you weigh it and based on that it's really TWO servings of Orange.....very easy to miscalculate calories without a scale.

You're right, you are below your intake. That could be part of the problem, too. You're also pretty high in sodium and there aren't many veggies that I saw in the week I looked at. Maybe talk to a dietician.

stroutman81

I am most certainly in a calorie deficit all of the time. If you are implying that I am lying just for the sake of having something complain about - that's not the case at all.

Okay, let's get something straight from the get go. I'm not here to judge you or your efforts. I try my best to remain as neutral as possible. Heck, I don't even know you. All I'm saying is something has to be going on. Calorie deficits ALWAYS work in the long run just as gravity always pulls you back down to earth when you jump.

Read that twice.

What I'm telling you is that you're not in a calorie deficit if you're not losing over the long term. Granted, you could acutely add 3-6 lbs or maybe even more in the short term... but that's not fat. That's water. And many dieters will experience this, get frustrated, binge or give up for a while, and then repeat this cycle indefinitely. Where if they would have just accepted the water fluctuation as part of the process and pressed on with the calorie deficit, the scale would have eventually "agreed with them." But water weight can definitely mask fat loss on the scale in the short run and that plays games with a lot of people's minds and consistency.

So make sure that's not you.

And if it's not, what I'm telling you is that your SUPPOSED deficit is not one in fact. You say that you know you're in a deficit, but you really don't. Nobody knows exactly what's passing their lips and exactly what they're expending. And when we place the people who SWEAR that they're doing everything right... who swear they're in massive deficits and still gaining weight... when we take these people in put them in the research setting where they're literally in a metabolic ward... all calories are being medically monitored and all energy expenditure is being tested via things like direct or indirect calorimetry.... these people lose weight.

So again, I ask the same questions I asked in my first post. If you don't like or don't want my advice.... that's totally fine. Don't answer them and I won't visit this thread again. But if you, please answer my questions and I'll do my best to help you figure out what's going on.

And I've been to the Dr. She says that my thyroid, blood sugar, etc. all look great. I have PCOS but it's mild enough that she didn't feel the need to medically treat it, when I told her my weight loss woes, shew as just basically like "well, keep trying I guess."

Sounds like you need a new doc.

kailysimpson

I guess I just don't comprehend how you can retain 4 or 5 pounds of water so very quickly.

And I do have a food scale, and I measure everything to the point that my husband makes fun of me for doing it I made tuna salad over the weekend and he was like "you are seriously measuring the mayonnaise you put in there?"

I know I tend to have water retention issues over the long-term b/c when I was pregnant with my youngest I gained 56lbs - but had lost about 40 of that just in the 3 days I was in the hospital after giving birth. Other than all of the weight from the pregnancy itself, my midwife said "wow, that was all water" b/c I was gaining weight uncontrollably while I was pregnant and I made food logs for her, etc. and we couldn't figure out why I was gaining so much weight so quickly. It was a disaster.

Anyway, I spend a large amount of time being so careful and conscious about what I'm eating, and measuring, and counting and logging and it's just insanity if there is nothing resulting from it.

As for my doctor, I'm not a big fan - she's nice enough but doesn't seem at all interested in discussing weight loss with me.... but I did review my bloodwork with her, she did a hormonal and metabolic screening, they took like 10 viles of blood, and she said I was perfectly healthy, so I dunno. It's likely not anything "wrong" with me.

I'm just frustrated, not trying to snap at you but I think the whole "well you must by lying" attitude when someone says they are having a hard time losing weight irritates me b/c I know how how hard I have been trying. thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.

stormieweather

I don't have enough information to address your issues directly, but I'll tell you what happened to me and maybe it will help.

For more than 8 months, I plateaued. I nearly gave up. I dropped out of my groups here, I hid all my feeds and I struggled along, stuck. As time went by without any change, I began to care less and to eat more unlogged foods. I quit going to the gym. And I gained 10 pounds.


As of January 1 of last year, I decided I was going to try even harder and do it differently this time.

So I started weighing, measuring and logging every bite, every single thing. Yes, I was estimating some things...and was way off! I bought a Fitbit to track my actual calorie burn. I stopped with the fancy sauces, dropped most of the carbs from my diet, I cut out sweets (even though they fit in my goals previously). I started working out very hard - for me, that was running. 3x a week, rain or shine, flu or health, I went running. I went from being unable to run a block to running 2 miles. And the weight began to fall off. I went from a size 8 to a size 5/6. Not at an amazingly speedy rate, mind you, but at an average of 3/4 pound a week. And this continued until August, when I hit another plateau. To deal with this one, I've yet again changed up my routine and am challenging my body with new exercises (for me). And I've lost 4 pounds so far this year.

I don't know if any of this helps or is applicable, but unless there are medical issues, the science of it is that if you really are eating at a deficit and you really are burning what you think you are during exercises, then you will lose weight. It's like throwing a log on a fire and it doesn't burn up. Why? Maybe the fire needs to be hotter, the wood dryer, or needs more time due to type of wood...but the fact is...it WILL burn eventually, because it has to. It's wood. You CAN do this, just take a closer look at what you are doing and keep at it :flowerforyou:

Good luck!

rileamoyer

Don't give up! My layman's advice is for you to try several things. 1) check your goals! Did you record your activity level too high so that your calorie allotment is set too high? 2) Be sure to log everything consistantly every day 3) Drink more than the 8 cups of water to flush the sodium. I can gain 5 lbs overnight from one binge at a mexican restaurant from all the sodium. This water should be in addition to any other fluids you are drinking. 4) Spread your meals. I eat usually 6 times during the day. Small meals with snacks in a.m. p.m. and yes even at bedtime (because I will fail if I don't). I started with portion control, eating like normal, just smaller portions then migrated to eating healthier. If you are exercising consistantly you might see a weight gain as you build some muscle before the fat starts to burn. When I started I just walked - A LOT. Don't try and lose more than 1 to 2 lbs a week at the start. Slow and steady wins the race. There are a lot of folks who will support you here. 'stroutman' has tons of good advice! Oh yeah - I agree, see a nutritionist and/or another doctor. BE PATIENT, your life depends on how you take care of yourself.

AndreaWyland

Stroutman "suggested" to me when I asked him why he thought I might be in a plateau that I was possibly not logging everything. I swore I was to myself and others and that it just wasnt working. I would drop and gain between 1-4/5 pds over and over and over and over for weeks and months it was so discouraging and I was a slave to the scale and believed what it said to be true! I decided to take a good look at what I was eating and how much and be consistent. When I got REALLY honest with myself I found I was taking a bite of my kids food here and there or finishing their plates or not logging a beer cuz I was sure at the end of the day I MUST have worked for it! I was yoyoing all over the place and when Id see that number go up I did exactly what stroutman said I might be doing and that was giving up this isnt working anyways so Ill just take a couple days to eat whatever and then come back to it...essentially I was eating at maintenance in a round about way thus the reason I didnt see a consistent number on the scale. All of that to say the moment I was serious and logged every single thing with lots of fruits and veggies and much lower sodium content very little boxed/processed/canned foods those few pds I struggled with began to slowly come down, and stay down:) One other HUGE thing is stroutman also recommended is its possible I was over estimating my cal burn and again I was SURE this was not the case! haha ( I run, snowboard, hike, walk, p90x, yoga, and do daycare, I also have 2 young children Im quite active!:) and guess what, when I got a HRM for Christmas I found out how very true that was. I was iverestimating some things by several hundred. And when your a 5 ft 1.5 in women so close to your goal every single thing counts. And again, for me, I was able to drop a few more. A lot of weeks I stay the same but I know EXACTLY why that is now and it usually has to do with the weekends! haha:) I only have about 8 pds now to reach my goal I can see HUGE improvements everywhere form not getting sore like I used to for hours long snowboarding or running to pants fitting that didnt etc. to lifting something heavy I used to ask for help with and THAT is now more powerful to me than the scale. Dont get me wrong I still look but if I havent dropped that .5 pd during the week and I did good and think I should have I know it will happen and i think about my other achievements and I keep at it. Something to think about:) This turned out WAY more long winded than I wanted it to be! I hope you read something that can help:)

JenniferInNY

I got stuck in a plateau myself. I found that my calorie deficit was not as great as I thought. Not because I was lying but because I was just making honest mistakes.

In case it helps, here are the reasons why I was recording my calories incorrectly. (I still make these mistakes sometimes, but I’m more aware overall.)

1. I was understimating portions, especially fruits and vegetables. I always put down my fruits as “medium-sized” because they were the average size fruits available at my local grocer. When I weighed them, they were all “large.” (I thought a “large” fruit would be like a giant one where you would say to a friend, “Look at this gigantic apple!” but it turns out it’s not so dramatic ;-) ).

2. I sometimes didn’t count stray bites here and there – when I would take a bite of my boyfriend’s dinner, or eat a baby carrot while packing my lunch. But I read that, on average, a bite has about 25 cals (depending on what it is), so those random bites could easily add up to 100 cals/day.

3. MFP has duplicate entries for lots of things, and they’re not all the same. For example, there’s one entry for baked chicken thigh with skin that is 190 cals, and another for the exact same thing that is 240 cals. I make baked chicken about once a week, and I was always using the lower cal number, because it came up first in the alphabetical list. Now I use the higher number.

4. I don’t think I burn as many calories through exercise as MFP says I do. I think people’s bodies vary in how efficiently they exercise, and mine must be efficiently using as few cals as possible. I’m a mild/moderate exerciser, and I rarely burn more than 200-300 cals/day max through exercise. I note the exercise in MFP but don’t try to eat it back anymore. I figure the slightly increased deficit probably just balances out the calculation errors I’m making in the other direction – the slightly-too-big portions, the piece of candy I forgot to log, the fact that I personally don’t burn 130 calories through 1 hour of walking, etc. And it means that if I go 50-70 cals over, it’s probably ok.

Jayjay7388

Don't give up....maybe you need some variety in the things that you're eating. Why don't you try some different foods!

shadyj26

If you are doing any type of weight training, your gain could be coming from that. When you build muscle you will also gain some weight. Muscle is heavier than fat. Also, more muscle you build more fat you will burn.

Lyric82

Hey -

I can understand your frustration. On top of calories I would recommend (and I haven't looked at your diary yet) trying to stay on the low side for CARBS, SUGAR and SODIUM. I know you said you have PCOS (as do I) and it can wreck TOTAL havoc on our bodies and it's ability to lose weight. Having said that - WE CAN LOSE WEIGHT!

My Dr. explained it like this...you and your friend could be on the same exact diet (eating the same things/same caloric intake) and work out the same amount every day. At the end of a month - your friend may lose 15lbs....you (not you personally, but you as the person with PCOS) will be lucky to lose 2.

It takes a LOT of time and yes it's frustrating and you want to give up. I know, because I've been there. But I'm at the point now that I feel..at some point....eating healthy, and exercising has GOT to work, right?

Hang in there hunny :flowerforyou:

nytdreamer80

I really hope you dont give up. We have all been there and done that. Personally I have dieted a million and one times and always quit bc I Was just sick of always obsessing and busting my rump and felt like nothing was happening. Something has to click in our brain that even if the scale isnt moving we are making conscience efforts to live a more healthier lifestyle. Just keep at it, stay focused..and remember...this too shall pass. One foot in front of the other!! We are here to support you!!!

dsjohndrow

I guess I just don't comprehend how you can retain 4 or 5 pounds of water so very quickly.

I have to weigh in 2 times a day, and this sort of weight gain is very possible.

I was having the same issue, and I even upped my exercise and cut my sodium. The trick was in upping the protein, and cutting carbs. Some of us are more sensitive to one than the other, and you need to address it. There are lots of good choices that are not just tossing bacon on everything you eat.

Here is my journey,- maybe it can help you.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/dsjohndrow/view/the-footprints-of-a-wise-200868

Here are some food suggestions:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/dsjohndrow/view/if-you-have-to-eat-use-super-foods-193350

You can do this.

lynnmarie60

I've been thinking the same thing. I was happier without counting calories all day. I lose then gain back and then stay the same for so long I get frustrasted.

I'm tried of this myself. I was thinking of trying the 80/20 plan; just eat the best you can 80 percent of the day and the other 20 eat what you want but exercise at lease 20 minutes a day. I don't know; maybe I would be happier that way. I'm just sick of worrying about this stuff anymore.

MrsSmith2010

I struggled with this for a while as well. First off, let me say that MFP is a God send and I love it to death. However, the calculator doesn't know MY exact body. It took a lot of trial and error to get things moving... Based on 2lbs a week, it had be set at 1780 cals a day. It was great! I was never hungry, I still got to eat what I wanted, and I was loosing weight...slowly. I averaged about .8 a week for the first month.

Afterwards, I decide to reasses. I started working out, and still eating 1780 a day. Things moved a liiiittle bit faster, but not much. So then I decided to start cooking ALL of my meals. Yeah, no frozen dinners, no premade snacks, none of it. If I wanted trail mix, I bought all the crap and made it myself. That alone made me start averaging 1.2 a week. (Keep in mind, I had slip ups, a lot..we'll get to that soon)

At that point I decided to talk with someone. While I was almost always under on calories, I was eating too many. While I was almost always exercising, I was doing the same thing over and over. And while I was always concious of sodium, I wasn't drinking enough water. Not to mention, my fat intake was crazy!

To this day I have lowered my cals to 1500 a day, 1 day a week I allow 1800. I do the elliptical or treadmill with a crazy incline 2 days a week, Zumba once a week, and nothing but weights once a week. (I can't stress how much weight lifting has changed my life) Now even though I seem to have found the "perfect mix" I know I'll probably have to switch it up again in the next few months. If you want the outside of your body to keep changing, you have to keep changing what you do to the inside too...

Don't give up girl... There is SOOOO much science to this. You have to figure out what works for you. Switch up your foods, calories, exercise activities, and when you accomplish something, reward yourself! (but not with food, you're not a dog-thanks pinterest for that quote lol) Add me if you'd like. I'd love to help you look into your diary and everything else for some ideas. I'm NOT a professional. Yes, I've only kept 38 pounds off, and I have a lot more to go, but it took a TON of work to get those 38 pounds to get the hell away from me. So if anything, I understand how frustrating this can be.

Bethee101

I don't think anyone is accusing you of lying about what you are eating, but it is easy to sample a bite of something, or when you are cooking to lick the spoon, test to consistency, or other tiny bites. These all add up as calories even if you don't even think about them. When I started tracking what I was doing, I was eating healthy but I would finish the last few bites of my kids meal, I would sample things at the store or while cooking without even thinking about it. Good luck to you!! Everyone on this site wants the best for you, we are all trying to reach the same goal!