Gaining weight on recc. calories

cakeums

1) Set your activity to Sedentary. Unless you're a daily athlete it's probably true.

I am no athlete and I'm definitely not sedentary! I am set for the active setting - I take about 100,000 steps per week and exercise 4x a week. What makes you think the OP is not as active as she is saying?

JessLLoser

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

I ate 500 cal a day of a green veg and a lean protein. I love to eat and it was torture not to be able to eat with my family. Sharing meal time is a big family time for me. I felt like a pariah.

Another all in your head moment right??

JessLLoser

1) Set your activity to Sedentary. Unless you're a daily athlete it's probably true.

I am no athlete and I'm definitely not sedentary! I am set for the active setting - I take about 100,000 steps per week and exercise 4x a week. What makes you think the OP is not as active as she is saying?

I make sure I get 10,000 steps per day, plus my 5 times a week exercises. I thought if I set it to sedentary I`d be eating too little calories, but maybe I should knock it down to lightly active??

cakeums

1) Set your activity to Sedentary. Unless you're a daily athlete it's probably true.

I am no athlete and I'm definitely not sedentary! I am set for the active setting - I take about 100,000 steps per week and exercise 4x a week. What makes you think the OP is not as active as she is saying?

I make sure I get 10,000 steps per day, plus my 5 times a week exercises. I thought if I set it to sedentary I`d be eating too little calories, but maybe I should knock it down to lightly active??

I would call you moderately active. Are you doing all cardio, or strength training as well? (Forgive me if I missed that in one of your other posts.) If you're lifting weights then you definitely want to make sure you're fueling your body, so I think keeping it at the active setting is probably fine. Mine is set to active, it gives me 1950 a day. I have been consulting with my cousin (a MS clinical nutrition student, about halfway through her program), who has been consulting with the RD she works for, and they gave me 2050/day static. I usually eat 2200ish on average, which nets me between 1500-1900 calories most of the time.

badapdos

Relax, it's two days. Your body's just not used to it. When I first actually STARTED using MFP (on Monday the 19th), I gained about 2 pounds in the first few days (118-119.8) I was dismayed, but I kept going. On Saturday, I weighed myself again and I was 117.4 I weighed myself again yesterday and was 116.8. Today I am 116. So just be patient, you'll see results soon. Make sure you aren't eating too much sodium or carbs either.

JessLLoser

Alcohol can screw with your insulin and cause weight gain, higher sugar ones like wine are the worst, avoid alcohol where possible or if you feel you need a drink and you like spirits have it with diet sodas...

Actually, wine is not very high in sugar by volume. I've looked into this before, for my own curiosity, and came across this well-written wine blog: http://www.elementarywine.com/. In one post, they explain how wines are classified based on their sugar content: dry wines as having less than 4g/L, medium-dry as 4-12g/L, medium-sweet as 12-45g/L, and sweet as more than 45g/L. (Their example given of a medium-sweet wine is white zinfandel - which I personally think is gross, lol - and on average it contains 20-30g/L.) One company who has sugar information posted on their website is Yellowtail; they say that their reds have about 2g of sugar per 6oz glass.

I hate sweet wine.The drier the better. I stick to reds because I love em. I drink one to two 5 oz glasses about 3 days a week. And two to 4 5 oz glasses on the weekend. I probably over do it on the weekend. Isn`t helping me lose though is it?

mncardiojunkie

I've lost 108.6lbs -- want to know my 'trick'? you won't believe it, it's so simple.

eat right - eat smart - and eat enough. Low cal doesn't eat healthy. packaged stuff is not a good choice, real food is best. Minimum 1200 calories for women, usually more. I typically eat 1600-2000 calories a day.

exercise. strength training 2-3 days a week & cardio at least 2 hours a week.


sw 303.4 (1/1/11)
cw 194.8
gw 160
29 y/o, 5'6''

This! Absolutely this! :flowerforyou:

Also, It might be water weight. I've made the mistake of weighting myself when retaining water. 2-4 pounds flux is normal.

Water weight remedy: 1 T Braggs or organic apple cider vinegar, 1 T of lemon juice in 1/2 cup of warm water three times a day.

korsicash

I quit drinking one glass of wine is equivalent to 7 lbs of bloat I can't get rid of for a week. I weigh myself every morning I don't freak about the number but I adjust carbs and such for the day based on the number.

cakeums

Alcohol can screw with your insulin and cause weight gain, higher sugar ones like wine are the worst, avoid alcohol where possible or if you feel you need a drink and you like spirits have it with diet sodas...

Actually, wine is not very high in sugar by volume. I've looked into this before, for my own curiosity, and came across this well-written wine blog: http://www.elementarywine.com/. In one post, they explain how wines are classified based on their sugar content: dry wines as having less than 4g/L, medium-dry as 4-12g/L, medium-sweet as 12-45g/L, and sweet as more than 45g/L. (Their example given of a medium-sweet wine is white zinfandel - which I personally think is gross, lol - and on average it contains 20-30g/L.) One company who has sugar information posted on their website is Yellowtail; they say that their reds have about 2g of sugar per 6oz glass.

I hate sweet wine.The drier the better. I stick to reds because I love em. I drink one to two 5 oz glasses about 3 days a week. And two to 4 5 oz glasses on the weekend. I probably over do it on the weekend. Isn`t helping me lose though is it?

I like reds too, and I drink probably 3-5 glasses a week. Sometimes more (like this Saturday, I had a total cheat day and drank a looooot of wine), sometimes less. If I don't have wine, I drink vodka. I usually have a glass after work 3 nights a week, and they are more like a glass and a half. I have been losing, but I definitely could lose more if I cut back. Some weeks I don't drink much at all, it just depends.

AReasor

Starting out one of the best things you can do in measure yourself. There were weeks I wasn't losing anything, but I had lost in inches.

DataBased

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

VLCDs are torture. They're also a great way to screw up your metabolism. My husband's metabolism is damaged and we're working to get it back to normal. He stayed on a liquid 500 calorie a day diet for one year.

Have you ever gone a year without solid food? It's torture.

peggyj49

I have lost 43 pounds in the last 8 months. I keep learning new things along as I go. There are so many things about weight loss that you do not understand right off. First you need to drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses a day. Not pop or juice but water. Your body needs it. Second you need at least 8 hours or more of sleep. Sleep does more than make you feel rested. While you sleep your body metabolizes the calories that you have consumed that day. It renews and repairs damaged cells . Grows muscle tissue , heals the body. You can live ok with little sleep but to lose weight and be at your best you should get at least 8 hours or more sleep every night. Do a little experiment, weigh just before you go to bed. When you get up weigh again. You lose weight while you sleep.
I try not to eat recc calories, I know this site says yes, but other sites say no. What you eat may matter as much or more than how many calories you eat. Try not to eat greasy or fried foods, breads and starches, sugars and fats. And yes that does leave a lot of good for you foods to choose from. Lean baked or grilled meat, Fish, all vegetables, whole grain cereals, and fruits .
Diets are not good ideas. When you go off the diet you go back to eating like you did before and gain the weight back. The only way to lose and keep it off it to change your eating lifestyle. Permanently. Develop healthy eating habits that will serve you the rest of your life.
Hope this helped.

JessLLoser

Thanks everyone for your kind and thoughtful ideas about how I might get on this road to lose some fat! It has to be a lifestyle change that you can live with. I don`t think I can live without wine! But that said I do feel that limiting my intake according to calories alotted will help. I was just surprised not to see movement in the first week at all.

I didn`t change anything about my lifestlye. I eat really healthy so I don`t think there is any getting used to for my bod. I do weigh at night and in the morning sometimes, and I know to weigh after peeing and just counting the morning weight.

I live in Japan and I don`t eat any processed food. I even take my tea in a thermos when I go out. I do get into the kids candy but I make sure to count the calories.

I only track the exercise besides the 10,000 steps per day. I never track housework or little stuff, it would just get too annoying, that is why I picked active.

But as I said, no downward movement in 6 months. And using Curves only 8 lbs in 3 years! I really would like to see atleast one kilo a month.

Before this I was using Noom from Android with no results.
Exercise isn`t the problem, but eating obviously is.

I`ll try a week at this level and then if no loss next week, I`ll lower my activity level. I thought tracking my calories through the weekend would help more, but as most of you said maybe it is too soon to tell. I`ll let you know later in the week if I have made any progress or not.

But thanks again for your information and interest in my plight.
Good luck on your losses.

Marll

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

VLCDs are torture. They're also a great way to screw up your metabolism. My husband's metabolism is damaged and we're working to get it back to normal. He stayed on a liquid 500 calorie a day diet for one year.

Have you ever gone a year without solid food? It's torture.

What does a liquid diet have to do with VLCD (Very Low Carb Diet)? Unless I am not aware of a different acronym in use that is similar. A low carb diet would NEVER consist of just liquid, nor only 500 calories a day. What you are describing is a liquid starvation diet.

If by chance this was billed as a low carb diet, then you and your husband were mislead in some way. I'm on a VLCD per my definition of less than 20g of carbs a day and yesterday ate 3.5lbs of lamb for lunch totallying over 7200 calories, lost 2lbs since yesterday....

Marll

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

I ate 500 cal a day of a green veg and a lean protein. I love to eat and it was torture not to be able to eat with my family. Sharing meal time is a big family time for me. I felt like a pariah.

Another all in your head moment right??

As I posted just a few minutes ago I'll restate this. A VLCD (Very Low Carb Diet, unless my acronyms are failing here) should never be that low on the calories, you simply cannot be satisfied, enjoy life, nor loose weight properly eating like that. I ate well over 8400 calories yesterday and less than 20 carbs and lost 2lbs since yesterday.

ihateroses

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

I ate 500 cal a day of a green veg and a lean protein. I love to eat and it was torture not to be able to eat with my family. Sharing meal time is a big family time for me. I felt like a pariah.

Another all in your head moment right??

As I posted just a few minutes ago I'll restate this. A VLCD (Very Low Carb Diet, unless my acronyms are failing here) should never be that low on the calories, you simply cannot be satisfied, enjoy life, nor loose weight properly eating like that. I ate well over 8400 calories yesterday and less than 20 carbs and lost 2lbs since yesterday.

O_O 8,400 calories!!! I would love to see your diary!

Marll

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

I ate 500 cal a day of a green veg and a lean protein. I love to eat and it was torture not to be able to eat with my family. Sharing meal time is a big family time for me. I felt like a pariah.

Another all in your head moment right??

As I posted just a few minutes ago I'll restate this. A VLCD (Very Low Carb Diet, unless my acronyms are failing here) should never be that low on the calories, you simply cannot be satisfied, enjoy life, nor loose weight properly eating like that. I ate well over 8400 calories yesterday and less than 20 carbs and lost 2lbs since yesterday.

O_O 8,400 calories!!! I would love to see your diary!

Here's a screen shot of yesterday.



Screenshot cut off a bit of information, but if anyone is curious my counts were:

Calories: 8,498
Carbs: 11g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 632g
Fat: 623g

cmriverside

If you lost before on a VLCD, what is so bad about going that route? Why do you say that it is torture?

VLCDs are torture. They're also a great way to screw up your metabolism. My husband's metabolism is damaged and we're working to get it back to normal. He stayed on a liquid 500 calorie a day diet for one year.

Have you ever gone a year without solid food? It's torture.

What does a liquid diet have to do with VLCD (Very Low Carb Diet)? Unless I am not aware of a different acronym in use that is similar. A low carb diet would NEVER consist of just liquid, nor only 500 calories a day. What you are describing is a liquid starvation diet.

If by chance this was billed as a low carb diet, then you and your husband were mislead in some way. I'm on a VLCD per my definition of less than 20g of carbs a day and yesterday ate 3.5lbs of lamb for lunch totallying over 7200 calories, lost 2lbs since yesterday....

VLCD = Very Low CALORIE Diet.

cmriverside

Wow. You can eat a whole leg of lamb? 8000+ calories is not good, no matter what diet you are following.

Marll

Wow. You can eat a whole leg of lamb? 8000+ calories is not good, no matter what diet you are following.

Not sure what's so bad about it? This is not like a daily intake, my average is between 2500-3500 daily. My blood work is picture perfect, I loose weight eating 1000+ more calories a day than MFP recommends and have never felt better (except when I was in my 20s and doing low carb).

Also, that wasn't a whole leg of lamb, that was just the 1/2 that was left over from the night before. I've eaten as much as 5lbs of steak in a sitting too though.