Help Please :( I'm on week 2 and have put 2lbs on!!

mazwowen

Hi All,

This is my first ever post and hope someone can offer me some advice to re-motivate me. Im reading of all the fantastic losses others are having and want to join them and one day post a success story of my own!

HOWEVER...

I started MFP tracking last week, stuck to my 1200 goal and did excercise every nite, which included some interval walking and jogging for 60 mins, and at least 20 mins on a rowing machine. But when i stepped on the scales i had gained 2lbs!

Now i know that i need to give it time, and wont see results overnight and the age old gaining muscle over fat theory, but i wandered how long it took others to see success? has anyone else been through this also? Any suggestions?

Pleeeeeease help And thanks in advance! ill try anything...

espym

Sorry to any males reading my response, but if you're menstruating you could have put on water weight. This happened to me and I was really disappointed. But just stick to your calories and keep doing your exercise. It's all about how bad you want it.

mazwowen

Thanks for responding You could be right, as it is that time of the month! But you dont think im eating too little? and should i be eating back excercise cals to make sure i dont go below 1200 cals?

JesterMFP

Don't panic. Weight loss is not linear, and you won't see the scale go down every week (unless you're very lucky!) If you are logging your food and calorie burns accurately, then you haven't gained 2 lbs of fat. A pound of fat takes roughly 3,500 calories over and above your normal level of calories that you would need to maintain your weight (which you are not eating now because you are eating at a deficit.) Weight goes up and down on the scale all the time due to fluctuations of water weight in particular. When you exercise a lot, especially if it's a new regime, your muscles retain water as they repair themselves. It sounds like you're exercising a lot, so this is probably where the 2 lb has come from. It will come off again.

Make sure you're eating enough to fuel those workouts, and don't forget to have some rest days - at least one a week is usually recommended. Your body needs time to recover.

JesterMFP

Thanks for responding You could be right, as it is that time of the month! But you dont think im eating too little? and should i be eating back excercise cals to make sure i dont go below 1200 cals?

Menstruation is a common culprit too! If you're not eating back your exercise calories, you should really be eating more than you are doing. Did you tell MFP that you are sedentary? With all that exercise, you are pretty active. If you don't like the thought of "eating back" exercise calories, or are worried about overestimating them, then you could alternatively adjust your activity setting with MFP to reflect the fact that you are very active (and then don't log your exercises).

mazwowen

Yes i put myself down as sedentary, as majority of the day im sat at my desk. I don't mind the idea of eating back the calories, i just wasnt sure whether i should eat 1200 and burn cals to create more deficit, or eat more and burn cals to ensure im eating 1200, does that make sense? On some days i travel with work and sit in the car a lot and either dont have time/dont have the energy to do excercise (last week was an exeption) when i get home, so id rather eat back calories than log myself as active, i think that will also motivate me to do more excercise.

sarahrbraun

Yes i put myself down as sedentary, as majority of the day im sat at my desk. I don't mind the idea of eating back the calories, i just wasnt sure whether i should eat 1200 and burn cals to create more deficit, or eat more and burn cals to ensure im eating 1200, does that make sense? On some days i travel with work and sit in the car a lot and either dont have time/dont have the energy to do excercise (last week was an exeption) when i get home, so id rather eat back calories than log myself as active, i think that will also motivate me to do more excercise.

MFP builds in a deficit of 500 calories to your goal....so according to the stats you gave them, your body needs 1700 calories a day to maintain, so they tell you to eat 1200 so you can lose 1 pound a week. You should aim to have a NET of 1200 calories at the end of the day. That means total calories minus exercise calories should be at least 1200!

Shrinking_Moody

Yes i put myself down as sedentary, as majority of the day im sat at my desk. I don't mind the idea of eating back the calories, i just wasnt sure whether i should eat 1200 and burn cals to create more deficit, or eat more and burn cals to ensure im eating 1200, does that make sense? On some days i travel with work and sit in the car a lot and either dont have time/dont have the energy to do excercise (last week was an exeption) when i get home, so id rather eat back calories than log myself as active, i think that will also motivate me to do more excercise.

MFP builds in a deficit of 500 calories to your goal....so according to the stats you gave them, your body needs 1700 calories a day to maintain, so they tell you to eat 1200 so you can lose 1 pound a week. You should aim to have a NET of 1200 calories at the end of the day. That means total calories minus exercise calories should be at least 1200!

Yes - this. I've been doing great on the 1200 cals - but only if I eat my exercise cals back.

gfosdick1

Watch what types of foods you eat to get in 1200, foods with higher sodium, too many carbs, may hold water weight. :happy:

kathyms13

can i say please open your diary so that we can see what your eating then we can tell were you may be going wrong.

mazwowen

Thank you all for your advice and taking the time to respond, i will keep at it and eat a little more to make sure i eat the full 1200.

Thanks Again xx

clarkycms

hi

you do put a little weight on at first due to muscle weighs more but in time you will see your weight reduce. it happend to me too and i thought what the point but now my weight is going in the rigth direction, im happy

uglyhobo

Just putting on more muscle would not have made you gain weight.
Assuming you are eating at a caloric deficit, you would have just replaced fat with muscle.

If you gained weight it is because:
-You were not eating at a caloric deficit
-You had an extra glass of water or ate later the night before, etc. so it's just the weight of the water or food
-You ate extra carbs and sodium the day of or night before, so you retained a little extra water

deevatude

1200 calories is too few calories

selig0730

try to eat 1400-1600 calories, if your working out for 60 min you need to eat more calories

astrampe

Eat your exercise calories back, and you cannot build 2lbs of muscle in two weeks:noway: - it's probably PMS