Very disheartened.....

KarenJC2012

Today is the start of my third week here....it was also weigh-in day (I do this weekly). I lost 1 lb and 1 inch after one week, today when I weighed myself, I had gained 2lbs, lost no inches, so in total am now 3 lbs heavier than when I started!

I have really concentrated my efforts on exercise this week, doing mainly cardio and some strength training, for approximately 1 hour each day (my weekly total is 5 hours/week).

I try to eat my calories burned each day, but not always. Some days I am ravenous and others not so much.

I usually drink more than 8 cups of water each day.

The only problem that I see is in my food eaten each day - I don't always stick to the recommended amounts of fats, proteins and carbs (but I do try).

If anyone can shed some light, I would appreciate the help.

Thank you.

Karen

MaraDiaz

I've noticed I gain water weight when I exercise. Sometimes as much as five pounds! So that could be it.

KarenJC2012

Perhaps I should weigh myself before exercising - that might make a difference.

Thank you.

Karen

cramernh

To be honest, you do not eat balanced at all.
You have days where you dont eat enough protein, dont eat enough fresh vegetables, your carbohydrate meal counts are horribly high on some meals.
Some meals you dont eat enough while others you eat way too much.

Get rid of prepackaged/processed foods, fast food and stuff. Try to get yourself to eat as clean as possible.

You are only three weeks in and if you claim to be doing alot of cardio and strength, then you need to realize you are probably still swollen from the workouts.

If you can revamp your diary/intake 100%, keep up with your workouts... you will be fine...

Dont rely on the scale... grab some measuring tape and use that as your main measuring tool.

GoneToCarolina

I always weigh first thing in the morning, every Monday, before I eat or drink anything. Are you sticking to a set daily calorie limit? I do not replace exercise calories. In fact, I quit logging in my exercise on here. I stick to 1300 calories per day and exercise; I do eat a snack before working out and a protein after my workout. Hang in there!

lambertj

Hang in there! I weight in daily too and I log it as a food note, and the one thing it has helped me with is seeing how up and down weight loss is. I can be up 2 lbs one day, down 2.4 the next day. The only thing that matters is that it goes down long term. I no longer panic when I see a higher number. For instance, Saturday morning was down 2.6 lbs and today i'm up 1.8 but I am losing long term. And I know that by doing this that I always weight more after weight training (did leg weights yesterday). Perhaps keep a log so you can see how it goes up and down and keep yourself from getting too frustrated. Pick one day a week as your official weight in day (mine is Saturday) and try not to panic when those numbers fluctuate. Keep forging ahead. Good luck

fionarama

Do you have a heart rate monitor? I'm just wondering how you calculate how many calories you burn as this is really affecting how much you eat. Maybe you should just stick to your set calories and not exercise at all for a week, just to see how that help;s.

MaraDiaz

Perhaps I should weigh myself before exercising - that might make a difference.

Thank you.

Karen

Doesn't help, actually, the water weight can last for days. Just go on from where you are now and you should see it start going down, you'll still be carrying that water weight until you don't exercise for a few days. Or that's my experience, anyway. It's better to ignore it.

And what fiona said about the heart rate monitor. I love mine, and it's just a cheap $30 watch one. But I use it every workout.

BerryH

Yes, weigh yourself first thing in the morning after using the toilet and before eating or exercising and on the same day every week for consistency.

As far as your macros go don't worry about going over on your protein, that one's a target rather than a limit. You might want to consider changing your rations to 40/30/30 carbs/fats/protein.

It doesn't look like you get much in the way of fruits and vegetables, that would definitely help improve your digestion. Lower calories can lead to constipation as there's just less food and lubricating oils in your system, so the fibre would help that too.

If you're new to exercise or a new type of exercise, water is retained by your muscles for a day or two afterwards helping to repair muscles and replenish energy stores, and that can make you heavier.

Finally, don't panic, it's only your third week. Many people get a sudden weight loss which rapidly slows down, many others like you find it takes a few weeks before they start seeing a steady loss. It's normal!

Hope that helps!

BlaireV

You should weigh yourself at the same time, on the same day, under the same conditions (i.e. wearing the same clothes or no clothes at all) every time. Also take into consideration that the human body is mostly water, so fluctuations are bound to occur. Don't take what the scale "says" too seriously. It's not an accurate measure of progress. There are some days where I weigh in at 5 pounds more than I did the day before. I know that I obviously didn't gain 5 pounds of fat overnight, it's all just fluctuations. I used to weigh 4 - 5 times a week and in doing so I realised how dramatic these fluctuations can get. Just stick to how you look/feel and the measuring tape. I can assure you, your hard efforts are paying off, even if the scale doesn't agree

Crimson21

Women tend to fluctuate between 2 to 5 lbs daily with their weight. I know that happens to me. One day I can be 165, and the next I can be 170. Also, some people just take much longer to lose the weight. I know for me, it took over a month to actually start losing weight. You'll get there. Keep your head up. Just starting eating a lot more veges, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy monounsaturated fats. Stay away from anything processed and packaged.

And always weigh in in the morning. Your muscles take in lots of water after exercising which can skew your results. Most importantly, don't get obsessed with the number on the scale. I tend to lose more inches than pounds, and if you feel your body improving with strength and cardio, then you know you're doing something right.

Keep it up! And remember to just breathe.

KarenJC2012

Thank you all for your comments and help.

I started my exercise regime on January 2nd this year, so have been at it for a couple months.

I don't eat take out and have stopped eating Smart Ones meals (tasted terrible!). I will try eating more fruit and vegetables. I do like the Post whole grain cereals and the Quaker oatmeal packages but perhaps I should change to something better (any ideas would be welcome).

I also use a measuring tape each week and lost an inch last week (and that hasn't changed) - only weigh myself once a week on the same day/time.

My conclusion is that it is the food I am eating so I will try and concentrate on eating better.

I haven't got a heart monitor to accurately measure calories burned through exercise and have been using a stop watch as a guide and this site's exercise to calorie ratio (and I have read many posts about the inaccuracy). I need to invest in a heart monitor!!

Once again, thanks for your help!

Karen

Stefanie7125

I don't weigh every week, only about once a month. I hate the scale. I measure. It is so much more encouraging. I see inches lost long before I see lbs lost. Don't give up, concentrate on eating healthier and forget the scale!

samandlucysmum

I agree with the other posters, you need to look at your meals, and eat more balanced meals, take into account all of your allowances, and try to stay under. More fruit, veg, and lean meats, less fatty foods. I had to re-evaluate at the start as I was not losing, also, make sure you are being honest in your food diary, record everything, even cups of tea etc count as calories used.
Good luck, it does work.
PS try tracking soduim too, as too much will make your body retain water, which can show as a gain.
Also don't forget, you don't have to use your exercise calories.

Gwenski

Hi Karen;
I'm so sorry that you have been so disheartened. It's so much more encouraging to start out differently... but, take heart. Here's a big hug!
I took a look at your diary, and it's my guess that you are often hungry.. am I right? This may be due to the fact that some of your foods are pretty high in carbs and calories for the amount of full feeling that you get. You are doing awesome in your water intake by the way!
Some of my suggestions would be: Change your yogurt to one that is unsweetened or artificially sweetened. It appears you may like a sandwich (using 2 slice of whole wheat bread). Maybe try another type of bread that has a slightly larger slice, and cut it in half so that you are only eating one slice. It's amazing how good a half-sized, super-thick sandwich can be. Alternately, try a low fat, low sodium cracker to replace bread at lunch. I see you like pistachio nuts too.. I love them as well. But, you could probably have a mini-meal (bowl of soup and a salad, or half a mini pizza) for the equivalent number of calories. I would try and find some foods you love that are low cal (favourite vegs, fruit, hummus or cottage cheese) and add them to your meals. I think it may be that you aren't full after a meal and then are really hungry and need to snack. Please feel free to view my diary if you like. Don't give up. This is simply a bit of a learning curve to figure out what is going to work for you.. you can do it!

pukekolive

If you are doing weighttraining and similar exercise your muscles will hold water when repairing until your body gets used to the work - this may be a reason for the added weight

skadoosh33

You could use some adjustments on your food. Try to eat a little healthier and also spread out your meals to make more frequent but consume less at each setting. Also, many people add too many calories back to their diet after recording an exercise. It is hard to accurately measure your calorie burn. A good heart rate/calorie monitor will help. For now you can just try eating half of the calories back from exercise and see what that does for you after a week. Good luck.

pigwidgeon82

I think it looks like you eat pretty well. Besides that, I am a believer in eating what you want in moderation. So I don't think you should have to stick to a totally "clean" diet if you don't want to. A lot of times when starting out strength training you gain a little. Also, I would recommend checking your sodium. I watch mine and know I tend to swell up and hold water if I go over the limit.

Mainly I would say, keep at it, don't get discouraged, and take measurements! They often show losses faster than the scale!