Gained weight

I'm a bit frustrated because I gained weight this week. I don't think that I'm counting my calories. I'm I eating enough or too much?
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Replies

  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    I'm a bit frustrated because I gained weight this week. I don't think that I'm counting my calories. I'm I eating enough or too much?

    How much?
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    I'm a bit frustrated because I gained weight this week. I don't think that I'm counting my calories. I'm I eating enough or too much?

    I'm not sure I understand. It looks like you didn't count calories on Saturday or Sunday, so you probably ate too much on those days. Right?
  • Theforce31
    Theforce31 Posts: 14 Member
    I gained back 4lbs. It's hard for me to count calories on the weekend but I don't feel like I ate that much.
  • xoyasminxo
    xoyasminxo Posts: 132
    maybe it is muscle? If your clothes still fit nicely and are not snug, don't worry about it.
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    1. You need to count calories and keep your food and activity diaries. That's the only way to REALLY know what you're doing.
    2. You need to take your key measurements (chest, waist, hips, thighs, neck, etc.). IF you are dieting and working out, you may lose fat and gain muscle, which weighs more. You will know you're still making progress by the declining inches.
    3. You gained how much in what period of time? Weight fluctuates all the time, even within the same day depending on what you're taking in. It is not unusual for me to weigh 5 pounds heavier at night than I do during the morning.
    4. If you are eating too little, you will store/gain weight because your body goes into starvation mode. So, go back to #1. You need to know what your daily goals are and track what you're doing.
    Good luck!
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    I gained back 4lbs. It's hard for me to count calories on the weekend but I don't feel like I ate that much.

    Looked through your diary.

    Are you using a HRM to get the calories burned you entered or are you using MFP values? MFP tends to over estimate, you are eating all the calories back + more. This could result is less of a deficit then you think.

    Track everything! You didn't log at all on several days and some days seem only half logged. You can't half-*kitten* something and still expect great results.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Unless you overate by 14000 cals, you didn't gain that much fat. Some of it could be water weight from excessive sodium intake or hormone fluctuations.
  • Theforce31
    Theforce31 Posts: 14 Member
    You're awesome, thank you. :) half-*kitten* tracking doesn't cut it. I'm using a HRM (garmin) to track all of my burned calories. There are times when I burn more than 900 calories in a single day. I worry that I'm not eating enough. I will take your suggestion and start keeping a dairy for my weekend too.
    You guys have been great. I really appreciate this site!
  • I'm the same, I gave up smoking two months ago and have put on 3kg in that time?? I log everyday and I know on some days I could pick better choices but overall stay within my goal... HELP!
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    Katelouiseoz,

    Okay, I am losing steady about 2 pounds a week and have been for months. I learned several valuable lessens re weight loss. I will share them and hope they help you. But, I am not an expert and don't blame me if it doesn't help. <g>
    1. If you are 40+, it is important NEVER to eat more than 500 calories at any sitting. Your metabolism will burn faster (like someone in 20s) if you follow this. There was a study I read.
    2. When you get up in the morning, eat something, ANYTHING, as soon as you are awake. A cracker, a peanut, ANYTHING. This will turn ON your metabolism for the day. The sooner you eat, the sooner it starts.
    3. Eat every 2 to 3 hours all day (have healthy snacks with you like pumpkin seeds or vegetable chips). Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. This keeps your metabolism turned on and running all day.
    4. Do NOT eat after 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the latest.
    5. You MUST drink enough water for all of your bodily functions PLUS enough to process the fat you burn off. If you diet or work out enough to lose fat, but you don't have enough water in your system that day to process and flush out the burned fat, your body has NO CHOICE but to reabsorb it. You will have wasted all that dieting effort. NO, 8 glasses is NOT enough. A rough measurement (per the doc that put on the seminar where I learned this), is to take your weight and imagine the number of pounds is ounces (no, don't convert it, just pretend). You need to drink half your weight ... so, if you weigh 200 pounds (you'll have to do the kg to lbs conversion as I don't know that), you want to drink 100 ounces (half the number of pounds you have) in water daily. If you want a more precise measurement, you can go to the about.com site and use their official water calculator which goes through all the variables. Whenever I don't drink enough water, my weight loss stalls. Here's the site: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
    Okay, I have a few other tips, but try those & see how it goes!
    Dawn
  • Thanks very much Dawn :)
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Katelouiseoz,

    Okay, I am losing steady about 2 pounds a week and have been for months. I learned several valuable lessens re weight loss. I will share them and hope they help you. But, I am not an expert and don't blame me if it doesn't help. <g>
    1. If you are 40+, it is important NEVER to eat more than 500 calories at any sitting. Your metabolism will burn faster (like someone in 20s) if you follow this. There was a study I read.
    2. When you get up in the morning, eat something, ANYTHING, as soon as you are awake. A cracker, a peanut, ANYTHING. This will turn ON your metabolism for the day. The sooner you eat, the sooner it starts.
    3. Eat every 2 to 3 hours all day (have healthy snacks with you like pumpkin seeds or vegetable chips). Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. This keeps your metabolism turned on and running all day.
    4. Do NOT eat after 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the latest.
    5. You MUST drink enough water for all of your bodily functions PLUS enough to process the fat you burn off. If you diet or work out enough to lose fat, but you don't have enough water in your system that day to process and flush out the burned fat, your body has NO CHOICE but to reabsorb it. You will have wasted all that dieting effort. NO, 8 glasses is NOT enough. A rough measurement (per the doc that put on the seminar where I learned this), is to take your weight and imagine the number of pounds is ounces (no, don't convert it, just pretend). You need to drink half your weight ... so, if you weigh 200 pounds (you'll have to do the kg to lbs conversion as I don't know that), you want to drink 100 ounces (half the number of pounds you have) in water daily. If you want a more precise measurement, you can go to the about.com site and use their official water calculator which goes through all the variables. Whenever I don't drink enough water, my weight loss stalls. Here's the site: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
    Okay, I have a few other tips, but try those & see how it goes!
    Dawn

    I realize that your intent was to be helpful, but so much is this is just pure myth.

    1. Not true
    2. Also not true
    3. Has been disproven over and over
    4. It is irrelevant when calories are consumed. It's total cals, not time frame.
    5. Water is good. You can tell if you're consuming enough by the color of your urine. If it's clear to pale yellow, you're good. If it's darker, then you should up your intake. Some supplements and meds can affect this though, so for sure try to consume the standard 64 oz :)

    Like all topics, there are ton of myths out there. Part of being here and doing research was to try and read what was true, as opposed to what people just repeat because they've 'heard' it or seen it posted.

    Good luck
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Katelouiseoz,

    Okay, I am losing steady about 2 pounds a week and have been for months. I learned several valuable lessens re weight loss. I will share them and hope they help you. But, I am not an expert and don't blame me if it doesn't help. <g>
    1. If you are 40+, it is important NEVER to eat more than 500 calories at any sitting. Your metabolism will burn faster (like someone in 20s) if you follow this. There was a study I read.
    2. When you get up in the morning, eat something, ANYTHING, as soon as you are awake. A cracker, a peanut, ANYTHING. This will turn ON your metabolism for the day. The sooner you eat, the sooner it starts.
    3. Eat every 2 to 3 hours all day (have healthy snacks with you like pumpkin seeds or vegetable chips). Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. This keeps your metabolism turned on and running all day.
    4. Do NOT eat after 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the latest.
    5. You MUST drink enough water for all of your bodily functions PLUS enough to process the fat you burn off. If you diet or work out enough to lose fat, but you don't have enough water in your system that day to process and flush out the burned fat, your body has NO CHOICE but to reabsorb it. You will have wasted all that dieting effort. NO, 8 glasses is NOT enough. A rough measurement (per the doc that put on the seminar where I learned this), is to take your weight and imagine the number of pounds is ounces (no, don't convert it, just pretend). You need to drink half your weight ... so, if you weigh 200 pounds (you'll have to do the kg to lbs conversion as I don't know that), you want to drink 100 ounces (half the number of pounds you have) in water daily. If you want a more precise measurement, you can go to the about.com site and use their official water calculator which goes through all the variables. Whenever I don't drink enough water, my weight loss stalls. Here's the site: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
    Okay, I have a few other tips, but try those & see how it goes!
    Dawn
    wow. i've been not following most of these and not having issues with my metabolism being sluggish or losing weight or shredding fat.
    1) i regularly eat meals that are 600-900 calories

    2) i workout in the morning sometimes i take my sweet time about going to the gym which means i sometimes might not have my first meal until 5 hours after i've awaken but usually it's 2-3 hours after i wake up.

    3. i eat 2-3 large meals a day

    4. i dont pay attention to the time i eat. sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night at 3 am to have a snack and will go back to sleep
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member

    I realize that your intent was to be helpful, but so much is this is just pure myth.

    1. Not true
    2. Also not true
    3. Has been disproven over and over
    4. It is irrelevant when calories are consumed. It's total cals, not time frame.
    5. Water is good. You can tell if you're consuming enough by the color of your urine. If it's clear to pale yellow, you're good. If it's darker, then you should up your intake. Some supplements and meds can affect this though, so for sure try to consume the standard 64 oz :)

    Like all topics, there are ton of myths out there. Part of being here and doing research was to try and read what was true, as opposed to what people just repeat because they've 'heard' it or seen it posted.

    Good luck

    Actually, I *have* done my research and these were all learned from various scientific studies and input from doctors. And, I have STEADILY lost 2 pounds per week EVERY week following them. My friends who were stalled and tried this also lost weight. You can look for and find the studies. You can even find much of this information repeated on Dr. Oz.
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    Here are a couple of sample quotes:

    Per Dr. Oz "Finally, don’t forget to drink your water! Not drinking enough will also slow down your metabolic rate as much as 3%!

    "Eat just enough so you're not hungry — a 150-calorie snack midmorning and midafternoon between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming." Dan Benardot, PhD, RD, an associate professor of nutrition and kinesiology at Georgia State University, and Tammy Lakatos, RD.

    I am far too busy to spend time finding more quotes from medical and scientific experts to humor you. But, I posted what I have learned via research, reading health articles, attending health seminars, watching The Doctors & Dr. Oz, and talking with my own doctor. They have worked for me and are continuing to work for me. I believe that IS the point of this forum.

    So, I am down 46 pounds lost at an average of 2 pounds per week. Take it or Leave it.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Dr. oz

    lawl
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    The same dr. oz that recommends raspberry ketones?

    The one that endorses all the other medical crap cause he gets paid?

    THAT Dr. Oz?

    yuuuppp

    Actually, though, I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just trying to say that repeating oft quoted myths aren't helping anyone. I know you were making an attempt to help

    :flowerforyou:
  • I didnt gain but i didnt lose as much as i usually do because i was excersising and not eating ENOUGH calories!
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    The same dr. oz that recommends raspberry ketones?

    The one that endorses all the other medical crap cause he gets paid?

    THAT Dr. Oz?

    yuuuppp

    Actually, though, I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just trying to say that repeating oft quoted myths aren't helping anyone. I know you were making an attempt to help

    :flowerforyou:

    Being rude and saying it wasn't intended that way does not make it less so. In the future, you may wish to think before you post and phrase things more respectfully.

    In any event, while I don't take raspberry ketones, I have read there are scientific studies to support their use. Studies have shown raspberry ketone effective in regulating Adiponectin, a hormone that causes the body to boost metabolism and burn fat faster and more efficiently. See for example, Morimoto, C., Satoh, Y., et al. (2005) Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone. Life Sciences, 772194-204. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.12.029; Nutrition & Functional Food Research Team, Korea Food & Drug Administration. (2010) Raspberry ketone increases both lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Planta Med, 76(15), 1654-8.

    So, if that is something which Dr. Oz has suggested might help folks, there does appear to be scientific backing for his saying so... not just your claimed financial motives.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Katelouiseoz,

    Okay, I am losing steady about 2 pounds a week and have been for months. I learned several valuable lessens re weight loss. I will share them and hope they help you. But, I am not an expert and don't blame me if it doesn't help. <g>
    1. If you are 40+, it is important NEVER to eat more than 500 calories at any sitting. Your metabolism will burn faster (like someone in 20s) if you follow this. There was a study I read.
    2. When you get up in the morning, eat something, ANYTHING, as soon as you are awake. A cracker, a peanut, ANYTHING. This will turn ON your metabolism for the day. The sooner you eat, the sooner it starts.
    3. Eat every 2 to 3 hours all day (have healthy snacks with you like pumpkin seeds or vegetable chips). Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. This keeps your metabolism turned on and running all day.
    4. Do NOT eat after 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the latest.
    5. You MUST drink enough water for all of your bodily functions PLUS enough to process the fat you burn off. If you diet or work out enough to lose fat, but you don't have enough water in your system that day to process and flush out the burned fat, your body has NO CHOICE but to reabsorb it. You will have wasted all that dieting effort. NO, 8 glasses is NOT enough. A rough measurement (per the doc that put on the seminar where I learned this), is to take your weight and imagine the number of pounds is ounces (no, don't convert it, just pretend). You need to drink half your weight ... so, if you weigh 200 pounds (you'll have to do the kg to lbs conversion as I don't know that), you want to drink 100 ounces (half the number of pounds you have) in water daily. If you want a more precise measurement, you can go to the about.com site and use their official water calculator which goes through all the variables. Whenever I don't drink enough water, my weight loss stalls. Here's the site: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
    Okay, I have a few other tips, but try those & see how it goes!
    Dawn

    Man, I must be the size of a small whale by now, 'cause I break pretty much every one of these. There really is no scientific basis for these claims.

    1. I eat 500+ calorie meals. Sometimes, I eat 1000+ calorie meals. I'm 41, and weigh 110 lbs. or thereabouts.
    2. I follow IF. Which means that I eat no breakfast fairly routinely. I break my fast when I feel hungry, sometimes as late as 2:00PM. Your metabolism does not stop when you sleep.
    3. I eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes, that means I eat a couple of times a day, sometimes, it means I snack all day long.
    4. I routinely eat late at night. Like at midnight. Meal timing and frequency have no relevance to weight loss.
    5. Umm...NO! If you are eating at a caloric deficit, your body will convert stored fats/muscle to energy. It is important to stay hydrated, but there is no need to overdoo it.

    P.S. you're not the Doberdawn associated with the toenail dremeling info, are you?
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    Actually, there was a double blind study done re the 500 calories per meal limit. It was referred to in an article in Prevention or some like magazine just this past year. If your metabolism hasn't slowed, good for you. But, for many of us, it has & these are tips from studies that will help boost it. The water info came from a doctor at a health seminar who was highly involved in weight loss studies. All of the info I posted came from like sources. If you don't need it, don't follow it. Why don't you try providing suggestions to help these folks if you think you are so knowledgeable? I was under the apparently mistaken impression that we are on here to help each other. Last time I will bother. Congrats.
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    I realize that your intent was to be helpful, but so much is this is just pure myth.

    1. Not true
    2. Also not true
    3. Has been disproven over and over
    4. It is irrelevant when calories are consumed. It's total cals, not time frame.
    5. Water is good. You can tell if you're consuming enough by the color of your urine. If it's clear to pale yellow, you're good. If it's darker, then you should up your intake. Some supplements and meds can affect this though, so for sure try to consume the standard 64 oz :)

    Like all topics, there are ton of myths out there. Part of being here and doing research was to try and read what was true, as opposed to what people just repeat because they've 'heard' it or seen it posted.

    Good luck
    [/quote]

    ^^ this wasn't rude at all, and the point of the forums is to share knowledge and be helpful which is exactly what she was doing.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    All of the info I posted came from like sources.

    you mention that all your suggestions come from "studies" and "research". Perhaps you can post links to the studies, as I've also read studies and research that contradict what you've said.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Actually, there was a double blind study done re the 500 calories per meal limit. It was referred to in an article in Prevention or some like magazine just this past year. If your metabolism hasn't slowed, good for you. But, for many of us, it has & these are tips from studies that will help boost it. The water info came from a doctor at a health seminar who was highly involved in weight loss studies. All of the info I posted came from like sources. If you don't need it, don't follow it. Why don't you try providing suggestions to help these folks if you think you are so knowledgeable? I was under the apparently mistaken impression that we are on here to help each other. Last time I will bother. Congrats.

    It's one thing to say that there are studies, quite another to cite your sources. If you do the latter, you're less likely to run into problems with skeptics. People find different ways to eat that help them stay on track - eat frequently, eat infrequently, IF, low carb,, low fat, vegan, whatever. At the end of the day, what matters is that one finds a reasonably healthy way of eating that helps them stay within their calorie goals.

    As for me, my metabolism HAS slowed down significantly. But, calories in, calories out still holds true.
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    It's one thing to say that there are studies, quite another to cite your sources. If you do the latter, you're less likely to run into problems with skeptics. People find different ways to eat that help them stay on track - eat frequently, eat infrequently, IF, low carb,, low fat, vegan, whatever. At the end of the day, what matters is that one finds a reasonably healthy way of eating that helps them stay within their calorie goals.

    I did refer to some specific quotes from one of the guys who did calorie/metabolism study. I included specific studies re raspberry ketones. I referred to Dr. Oz show. None of the critics on here has cited anything. I would note that this is a sharing forum, not a research thesis. I read health-related articles every week all year long. I don't keep them all, but I keep the useful knowledge. So, I don't always have the issue & cite for which Prevention it was in. ***But,*** I notice the critics posted nothing but rude comments like "Dr. Oz lawl". Where are your sources or are you just determined to run off people & discourage them from posting ans sharing? Why?

    I have referred to where I learned it & that it has worked for me personally very well. Why would you want to deter sharing potentially helpful info like that? *shakes my head*
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    This page lists references in relation to why Breakfast generally isn't nearly as important as it's made out to be:
    http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/what-kind-of-breakfast-is-best-for-weight-loss.aspx
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    Dr. Reza Yavari author of It Must Be My Metabolism cited in Woman's World 10/3/06 says to eat breakfast because "It jumpstarts your metabolism in the morning-- and skipping it can actually slow your metabolism to a crawl." But again, I am neither writing nor defending a doctoral thesis. I am just sharing tips I have learned that worked when I tried them.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Do we know what this Dr is basing what she is saying on?
    The 'kickstart your metabolism' is generally accepted as a myth now, as far as I know - it was accepted reality a few years ago.

    It's certainly worth trying I'm sure.
    However, for me it's more likely to lead to weight gain rather than weight loss in my experience.

    I find myself hungry again at about the time I'd first be hungry, but I've already eaten a meal.

    As I'm doing a fair bit of heavy lifting and the like (move car parts from one unit to another) at the moment, I have been trying to have some protein-rich food early on hopefully ensure my muscles grow as much as reasonable. However, failed to find out my old protein powder unfortunately :(.
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 733 Member
    Do we know what this Dr is basing what she is saying on?
    The 'kickstart your metabolism' is generally accepted as a myth now, as far as I know - it was accepted reality a few years ago.

    It's certainly worth trying I'm sure.
    I don't know, but Dr. Oz just said the same on his show within the last 2 weeks. And here's an article from just last year citing sources such as the Mayo Clinic http://www.livestrong.com/article/448655-does-breakfast-increase-metabolism/
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    The Mayo Clinic article says nothing about "kicki starting" your metabolism. The other 2 sources cited by Livestrong do not cite any sources of the information.
    Question
    Breakfast: How does it help weight control?
    Why does eating a healthy breakfast help control weight?
    Answer
    from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

    Here are some of the ways that regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss:

    Reduced hunger. Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office. In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.
    Healthy choices. Eating breakfast may get you on track to make healthy choices all day. When you eat breakfast, you tend to eat a healthier overall diet, one that is more nutritious and lower in fat. When you skip breakfast, you're more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day, too.
    More energy. Eating breakfast may give you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the glycogen stores that supply your muscles with immediate energy. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity.

    So, if you skip breakfast — whether you're trying to save time or cut calories — you may want to reconsider, especially if you're trying to control your weight.

    FYI - Prior references will appear as at the bottom of the Mayo Clinic article. If you don't see prior source citation like this, don't believe it. Find another article with sources.
    References

    Wyatt HR, et al. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Research. 2002;10:78.
    Purslow LR, et al. Energy intake at breakfast and weight change: Prospective study of 6,764 middle-aged men and women. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2008;167:188.
    Greenwood JL, et al. Preventing or improving obesity by addressing specific eating patterns. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2008;21:135.
    Kant AK, et al. Association of breakfast energy density with diet quality and body mass index in American adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1999-2004. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88:1396.
    Gibson SA, et al. What's for breakfast? Nutritional implications of breakfast habits: Insights from the NDNS dietary records. Nutrition Bulletin. 2011;36:78.
    Ashwell M. An examination of the relationship between breakfast, weight and shape. British Journal of Nursing. 2010;19:1155.
    Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 28, 2011.

    Please stop citing Dr. Oz as a source, he is not a peer reviewed source. His degree is in cardiothoracic surgery, not in nutrition or fitness. Also the disclosure for his site and TV show clearly state "entertainment purposes only ". He provides no peer reviewed sources for his information like the above.