HELP

m_garcia13

Hello! I am 5 ft even and weight 128! I am trying to get to 115 but it is quite difficult. I joined MFP 2 weeks ago and have been eating 1/3 of what I usually eat and been working out alot more BUT gained 3lbs in those 2 weeks!! What can I do.. boost my calories, lower them, or what!? I drink lots of water and mostly water. I dont know what to do! I wanna be 115 by the end of March when I go on vacation any suggestions!?

deniserenee_02

Exercise is best and keep eating your calorie goal. We're the same height and you are way skinnier you don't have too far to go you can do it.

m_garcia13

Thanks! I tend to give up easily so I gave myself another 2 weeks to at least drop 1 pound. If I gain another 3 lbs I am going to screaaam

Pebble321

The best way is probably to set yourself a realistic goal in MFP (at your weight, that probably means choosing "lose 1/2 pound per week"), eat all the calories recommended and exercise 5 or so times a week.
This will get you healthier, fitter and looking great for your holiday.
We all want to lose lots of weight in a very short space of time, but our bodies don't usually work on the same agenda. Pick something doable, do it, and you will see results!

lilyflor

you need to make sure you're creating a calorie deficit weekly. find out what your bmr is and multiply that by your activity level, I think mine is 1.55 which adds up to about 2000 calories per day. Subtract 500 calories to that and burn 500 calories a day. So I'm creating a 1000 calorie deficit. Supposed that you work out 6 days per week, that's almost 7000 calories you are creating a deficit. One pound= 3500 calories. So if you do this you should be able to lose almost 2 pounds per week. I just started doing this so I don't know if it'll work, but I was the same as you, 3 weeks of no losing weight but no gaining... so I thought I'll give this formula a try good luck.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

twiega00

It sounds like you may be eating too few calories!

Josh_Taylor

Make your food diary public, and add the tracking of sugars. Be honest with yourself first. Then expect honest helpful feedback.

ShannonMK9

If you recently started a workout program as well as cutting back on your calories some people do experience a weight gain because of the water retention due to the muscle irritation - keep working on your program, and you may be eating to few calories - without knowing everything you are doing it is hard to give advice

m_garcia13

Make your food diary public, and add the tracking of sugars. Be honest with yourself first. Then expect honest helpful feedback.

I believe it is public? If not probably just to friends. I'll change that RIGHT NOW lol and I just started tracking my sugars and realized I go over most the time. I think that is the problem :-/

jachun

Hey... Just a note, you should probably take measurements not just weigh yourself. If you are exercising a lot more, you are probably building some great muscle...which weighs more. My workmate has been working out for 90 days straight, and has not lost a single kg...which was his plan. He's stabilised his weight, increased muscle, reduced waistline, increased biceps etc.

Depending on when you are drinking water, if you have increased your water intake then that will increase your lbs too.

Hang in there...

When I get into a 'plateau' there are a few things I do:

1. Check calories vs. exercise. If you have been eating too little, your body will think you are starving yourself and try to hang onto some calories! Eat a little more. It sounds like you have changed your body's pattern very quickly (i.e. 1/3 amount food plus increased exercise). Your body is probably panicking and storing away fat as it thinks you are starving/having a famine!!! Hang in there and it will realise that you are actually still eating....
2. Shake things up a bit. If you usually eat lots at tea time, switch your pattern. e.g. big breakfast, medium lunch, small tea or vice versa. I like to break meals up into smaller snacks, so I keep my metabolism working more consistently.
2b Speaking of breakfast.... make sure you eat it.
3. Oddly enough, have a treat. Sometimes when I've been strict on my calories, my body gets used to it. A treat on the weekend sometimes gets the metabolism burning again (just don't go overboard on the treat... and keep it to one day. I like to have some good quality dark chocolate...my husband prefers ice-cream)
4. What are your calories made up of? If they are carbohydrate heavy, or sugar heavy, or fat heavy...maybe you don't have the right balance. Check the sugar breakdown in particular.
5. Oddly enough, I find the old Apple Cider Vinegar trick before meals stimulated my metabolism again on a plateau (about 3tsp apple cider vinegar (organic unpasteurised with 'mother' culture') diluted with water. Pretend it's wine!!! Apparently it helps to break down proteins when eating and reduce the GI of starchy foods.

I'm sure I could go on... but hope that some of the above are helfpul! If you still have trouble, go see a fitness trainer and get a consult to work out what's going on nutritionally etc.

m_garcia13

you need to make sure you're creating a calorie deficit weekly. find out what your bmr is and multiply that by your activity level, I think mine is 1.55 which adds up to about 2000 calories per day. Subtract 500 calories to that and burn 500 calories a day. So I'm creating a 1000 calorie deficit. Supposed that you work out 6 days per week, that's almost 7000 calories you are creating a deficit. One pound= 3500 calories. So if you do this you should be able to lose almost 2 pounds per week. I just started doing this so I don't know if it'll work, but I was the same as you, 3 weeks of no losing weight but no gaining... so I thought I'll give this formula a try good luck.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Thank you! that helped alo!

Lokah13

The weight you gained might have been muscle weight. Keep in ,mind that muscle weighs more than fat (that I'm saying your fat) but everyone has little bit of fat in them.

m_garcia13

Thanks everyone! I will follow these tips and hopefully will some results! I am new to all of this calorie intake and never exercised much, so I guess I want to see results overnight which I know it is impossible! But thanks much!