Frustration galore

notsothinlizzie

So my first official week has come to a close........
I've been within my daily caloric needs.. I've exercised, I've drank water the result UP 4 POUNDS!!!
Really????
At this weight I can't afford a week of gaining.
Very Sad girl here right now... :brokenheart: :sad:

pamperedlinny

First - keep on trying. Don't give up.
Second - exercise & water do wonders when the scale won't move.
Third - do you have an intolerance for anything. Not something you're allergic to but just don't digest well.

I have PCOS and have learned that if I stay in my calories but have too many refined carbs that I'll still gain anyway. Some people have the same thing with gluten or other foods/chemicals. You may want to have a doctor test to see if you have any sensitivities or intolerances.

nxd10

Frustrating!

But if you're drinking more water it may just be water retention. How's your salt?

Keep going. You will CERTAINLY gain if you go back to eating too much and not exercising. Have faith. You can do it.

Jennvandemark

It was your first week, don't give up!!! There are a lot of reason you could be up 4 pounds but they will come off fast. Just give it more time and your body will start to do what you want it to do. Don't be sad you still did something great this past week, you got your heart pumping which only makes it stronger. You stuck with it so you know you can do it, just take it a day, week, month at a time. Your body will respond I promise. Now Chin up you are doing great you are changing you LIFE.

GOBIGGOHOME

Omg, I have the same problem. I have to say the people here helped alot.
I have not lost any weight but I do feel like I lost inch's. My general outlook is
so much better because I know it has to work in the long run. I know if I slip im not going
to fall. I am simply going to get right back on. I believe we made the right choice by coming
here for support. I don't think it gets much better then this. Smile it gets better.

JesterMFP

If you've been within your daily calorie goals (assuming they are set up correctly) then you haven't gained 4 lbs of fat. You'd need to have eaten roughly 14,000 calories over your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) aka maintenance calories in order to have gained 4 lbs in fat. That's way over your MFP calorie goal, and it looks like you haven't even been reaching that goal.

Have you just started exercising this week? Or started exercising more? When you start a new, or more intense, exercise regime, your muscles retain water as they repair themselves. Although a lot of people lose a good few pounds in their first week (mostly water) it's not uncommon for people to gain.

There are other things that can make you gain weight (not fat) on the scale - increased sodium, increased carbs, hormonal fluctuations will all cause water retention. Don't panic, just keep doing what you're doing (don't be afraid to eat up to your calorie goal) and you should see weight loss over the next couple of weeks.

kashmirdreamer

Are you measuring your food? August 10th, you had a bunch of different chain restaurant meals but I find that those are usually unaccurate. I try to "guestimate" as much as possible but usually overestimate to compensate for the inaccurate information. If I cook something, I enter the exact measurements and use measuring cups because people tend to underestimate by visual. Also, I know a lot of people do not advocate eating back your exercise calories but you should make sure that you eat the minimum so that your body has enough.

Keep going though! It is definitely slow moving at first and weight can wildly fluctuate depending on the day/time. I go 1-3 lbs a day up and down.

brynnsmom

Make sure your calorie burns are accurate- invest in an HRM, etc. Measure everything. And this is just my opinion, but I would avoid fast food meals regardless of whether or not they "fit your calories." It's full of sodium and fat and there are so many better more nutrient-dense foods you could enjoy instead.

mkstirp

I think your base calorie level might be a bit too high. I had this same argument with my nutritionist daughter. The calculations become less accurate as we go up in weight since our fat percentage is higher. Without 5 to 6 hours in the gym a day, few people can lose significant weight at 2000 cal a day. Try adjusting the inputs to get a 1600 to 1800 cal goal. But I also agree you haven't gained any fat, it's probably water gain. And sorry to say but fast food is not going to help you on your journey.

N0703989

Ah bless you, I bet you were absolutely gutted! I know you were because it happens to me too. In the past I would stick faithfully and the scales wouldn't budge or worse they move up. This would be the point when I'd give up, but not this time. Which has led to a couple of realisations. First there is a sort of pattern where I drop 4lbs every other week, and second I lose more when I eat my target. The second is more problematic because I've spent a lifetime dieting, its hard to stop the starvation tactics. Though I hasten to add its always been feast then famine. I will break the habit but it will take time.

You've had a lot of great advice, the most important is don't give up! Have faith in the math - eat less calories and you will lose weight.

weepingwillowtrees

How much are you exercising? Exchange all your grains..IE white bread, white rice...for whole grains. Let go of soda. Just give it up. I used to love Dr Pepper and now I drink Unsweetened tea. If you are going to eat at a fast food chain, do it once a week. Stick to about 350 calories a meal and 250 calories for a snack. Believe me...This works. In december I weighed 334 LBS. With these guidlines I am down to 288lbs and counting. Keep it up. The first couple of weeks are always the hardest. Add me to your friend list if you want.

sneckerdoodle

i always gain about 4-6 lbs when i first get back to working out. so be patient and continue eating right and excercising.
you will see results, it's sometimes a tough road to get there so be strong, you can do it!

notsothinlizzie

Thank you everyone. Great advice. I appreciate the help.
I did weigh in after the "big hike" and my legs were sore for days so yes they were holding water.

I'm working on healthier eating and avoiding the scale for just a while. Sometimes I get too wrapped up in a number.
PLUS the pop is gone from the house.

Happy Friday to all.

Shambree813

Hang in there Lizzie! You have gotten some good advice from the other posters. Be kind to yourself and patient. We didnt do this to ourselves overnight and the problem certainly wont be fixed over night. It is tough, believe me I know! My weigh in day was actually Wednesday and my scale said the same thing...up 4 pounds. Instead of beating myself up(and I wanted to) and going into my old defeatist, self hatred "I cant do this, the h*ll with it" thought patterns, I just didnt record the weight that day, continued on my plan and today all that 4 pounds plus an additional 1 were gone. Weight fluctuates a LOT from day to day, if you stayed within your goals and gained, it could be anything from hormone levels, too much salt, not enough water, etc. If it takes longer than a week to see loss, so be it, keep trying and be patient and kind to yourself. Just stay the course, track everything that goes into your mouth honestly, move and exercise as much as possible and that scale WILL move downwards. Slow and steady wins the race...you can do this.

MTBrob

HI .. I was looking at your diary....... I'm sorry but you are not going to get the losses you want on that type of food intake.. You can't out work a bad diet plain and simple.....

FIrst thing I would do is focus on eating more at breakfast.. Its a good foundation to starting your metabolism ..

Eat around 5 small meals a day ( Healthy ) the idea is to keep your metabolism burning.....


Finally be honest with yourself.... You know that dominos is a bad choice... You know having a donut is a bad choice.. You will only get out what you put in ... I wish you best of luck ..

Shambree813

Ah bless you, I bet you were absolutely gutted! I know you were because it happens to me too. In the past I would stick faithfully and the scales wouldn't budge or worse they move up. This would be the point when I'd give up, but not this time. Which has led to a couple of realisations. First there is a sort of pattern where I drop 4lbs every other week, and second I lose more when I eat my target. The second is more problematic because I've spent a lifetime dieting, its hard to stop the starvation tactics. Though I hasten to add its always been feast then famine. I will break the habit but it will take time.

You've had a lot of great advice, the most important is don't give up! Have faith in the math - eat less calories and you will lose weight.

I agree with everything you said!

JesterMFP

HI .. I was looking at your diary....... I'm sorry but you are not going to get the losses you want on that type of food intake.. You can't out work a bad diet plain and simple.....

FIrst thing I would do is focus on eating more at breakfast.. Its a good foundation to starting your metabolism ..

Eat around 5 small meals a day ( Healthy ) the idea is to keep your metabolism burning.....


Finally be honest with yourself.... You know that dominos is a bad choice... You know having a donut is a bad choice.. You will only get out what you put in ... I wish you best of luck ..

Meal timing doesn't matter for weight-loss. Your metabolism is working all the time, it doesn't need a big breakfast to start it up. Several small meals a day suits some people, but not everyone. It's also perfectly possible to lose weight with the occasional donut or whatever. There's a lot to be said for eating nutritious, whole foods, but cutting out all "junk" overnight is not necessary for successful weight-loss.

Treesy72

HI .. I was looking at your diary....... I'm sorry but you are not going to get the losses you want on that type of food intake.. You can't out work a bad diet plain and simple.....

FIrst thing I would do is focus on eating more at breakfast.. Its a good foundation to starting your metabolism ..

Eat around 5 small meals a day ( Healthy ) the idea is to keep your metabolism burning.....


Finally be honest with yourself.... You know that dominos is a bad choice... You know having a donut is a bad choice.. You will only get out what you put in ... I wish you best of luck ..

^^^^^THIS^^^^ I looked too and yeah, bad choices all around. See if you can try to eat whole healthy foods daily and have the processed stuff on RARE occasions. Also make sure to weigh and measure EVERYTHING. It will make an enormous difference :-) good luck

MTBrob

Studies show your metabolism slows down and eating a good breakfast ( not talking eat a thousand calorie breakfast here ) everyday along with eating healthy meals/snacks through out the day will keep you full and constantly keep your metabolism in a higher burning state..

Yes your metabolism is always working but not at a consistent optimal state.......

The poster is upset that her first week of weight loss is done and she gained 4 lbs.. Well that can easily be contributed to the choices she made over the last few days.. Can you eat donuts? Sure..... should you if you want to lose weight and reach your goals ? Probably not..

None of us would be here in the position we are now if we never had to make the choice of carrots over chocolate cake as a snack or if our metabolism was firing on all cylinders..


I have loss over 100lbs doing the above and I can only relay what has worked for me... However no mater which way you reach your goals consistent bad habits aren't going to get you there.

siriusalien

Studies show your metabolism slows down and eating a good breakfast ( not talking eat a thousand calorie breakfast here ) everyday along with eating healthy meals/snacks through out the day will keep you full and constantly keep your metabolism in a higher burning state..

Yes your metabolism is always working but not at a consistent optimal state.......

The poster is upset that her first week of weight loss is done and she gained 4 lbs.. Well that can easily be contributed to the choices she made over the last few days.. Can you eat donuts? Sure..... should you if you want to lose weight and reach your goals ? Probably not..

None of us would be here in the position we are now if we never had to make the choice of carrots over chocolate cake as a snack or if our metabolism was firing on all cylinders..


I have loss over 100lbs doing the above and I can only relay what has worked for me... However no mater which way you reach your goals consistent bad habits aren't going to get you there.

Hello, I'm not trying to pick a fight here: I looked at your food diary- not everyone finds all the powdered stuff palitable. I know for myself, diet had to be sustainable LIFTIME and in REAL LIFE. Have you considered what happens when you slide every so slowly back to real food?
I certainly add in a shake or protein supplement to fill a gap and make my macros, but I could never advocate that being "the diet" plan.

MTBrob

Hello, I'm not trying to pick a fight here: I looked at your food diary- not everyone finds all the powdered stuff palitable. I know for myself, diet had to be sustainable LIFTIME and in REAL LIFE. Have you considered what happens when you slide every so slowly back to real food?
I certainly add in a shake or protein supplement to fill a gap and make my macros, but I could never advocate that being "the diet" plan.

I re-read some of my posts to be sure and I don't see where I was advocating, "Here eat this for breakfast or eat that for dinner....." For me Protein works, as I am building muscle mass. In her case probably not so much ( Still a scoop of whey better than Chocolate cake for a snack )

To be perfectly clear what i was recommending was to make better choices in the poster's food in take. As they were upset they gained 4 lbs but their diary is full of high fat, high sugar choices, so really what do you expect you really can't be shocked by the out come when your eating habits were bad am I right ? If I am wrong I need to get on the Eat ice cream for every meal every day diet.. because then I would be in heaven.


The above poster needs to be honest with themselves..Deep down they know eating pizza for dinner, eating cake for snack and eating donuts for breakfast aren't going to get the results you so desire... Is that few minutes of of joy eating that crap worth more than the REAL joy you will feel when you reach your long term goals ? For me .. no it's not.. So I make choices to eat better.. Do I slip up ? Oh yes I have and I do .. But I am not on here posting about gaining weight when the day before I ate bad all day ...

airangel59

The above poster needs to be honest with themselves..Deep down they know eating pizza for dinner, eating cake for snack and eating donuts for breakfast aren't going to get the results you so desire... Is that few minutes of of joy eating that crap worth more than the REAL joy you will feel when you reach your long term goals ? For me .. no it's not.. So I make choices to eat better.. Do I slip up ? Oh yes I have and I do .. But I am not on here posting about gaining weight when the day before I ate bad all day ...

I agree with this...and not just to the OP but I've seen a lot of food diaries on MFP that have what most people would consider poor dietary choices. I don't eat clean and I love my fast food/eating out, I try to pick the lower calorie choices (45 cal bread vs 110 cal, lower cal yogurts, etc) and I have to watch my carbs (dm2) so I'm conscious of that as well. I don't exercise yet but I'm working on it if I can get the new bike assembled.

I'm no newbie to dieting/lifestyle change but I do know you can't eat what you were eating before and expect to lose the weight. And it is true, the joy of eating that donut or cake is momentary on the lips but sticks on the hips and for me if I'm going to indulge in a treat (and work it into my plan), I will make better choices for the rest of the day to encourage the weight loss.

To the OP, you have to find what foods work for you, eating less than you were before you were "watching" = weight loss
Try cutting back on some of the junky food, see if after a week of better food choices, you do lose weight. Good luck and hang in there.

siriusalien

Hey, I thought MFP was a learning tool. Diet, if it's going to work, is a life change. So when you check on some one's diary and give advice:
1) be prepared to have your diary looked at 2) say what you say gently. Because what a discouraged, frustated newbie hears is: your diet sucks- you suck.
And that's not what's needed. Advice needs to be aprapo to the poster.

runfreddyrun

make small changes. if you are in the habit of eating a lot of fast food, order the chicken sandwich but no fries and no coke. start drinking shakes once or twice a day. i like walker diet because it's cheap and is alot better than slimfast. i also eat a lot of lean cuisines, which i know are crap but it's better than ordering a pizza.

look at your diary over the last week and see what you can cut out. i also like fast food, pizza and donuts but haven't craved any of it over the last week. every night i will have a skinny cow ice cream sandwich, although i didn't last night. i also have a few shakes and lean cuisines a day. i like cooking breakfast. if i don't feel like cooking i will eat a jimmy deal delight sandwich, which actually taste pretty good.

i realize that i am still eating a lot of processed food, but right now i am focused on cutting out most (if not all) of the crap and staying within my calorie range. once i get into the habit of eating better i'll try for the less processed food.

JesterMFP

Studies show your metabolism slows down and eating a good breakfast ( not talking eat a thousand calorie breakfast here ) everyday along with eating healthy meals/snacks through out the day will keep you full and constantly keep your metabolism in a higher burning state..

Yes your metabolism is always working but not at a consistent optimal state.......

The poster is upset that her first week of weight loss is done and she gained 4 lbs.. Well that can easily be contributed to the choices she made over the last few days.. Can you eat donuts? Sure..... should you if you want to lose weight and reach your goals ? Probably not..

None of us would be here in the position we are now if we never had to make the choice of carrots over chocolate cake as a snack or if our metabolism was firing on all cylinders..


I have loss over 100lbs doing the above and I can only relay what has worked for me... However no mater which way you reach your goals consistent bad habits aren't going to get you there.

Do the studies show that several small meals a day keep the metabolism in a "higher burning state" than three big meals a day? How about one massive meal? Or does it make no difference? I'd like to see studies that back up the theory that you need to eat breakfast for weight loss, or you need to eat several small meals. (Not being sarcastic, honestly would be interested to see those.)

Quality of diet is a different issue. I'm not sure what exactly you're saying is wrong with having a donut for breakfast. Is it that donuts are high in calories? Or that she'd be better off with a high protein breakfast? Or unprocessed? What makes it a "bad choice"?

The OP is at the end of her first week doing this; the first of many weeks. I can't speak for her, but chances are she is trying to make small, sustainable changes to her diet so that she can be successful not just in losing the weight, but keeping it off too. There are plenty of people around who have been completely successful in their weight-loss goals but have chosen not to give up pizza or donuts forever. Other people choose to eat only completely unprocessed foods, or low-carb, or vegetarian, or whatever. A good diet is important for health, but it's not actually that vital for weight loss. I rarely eat donuts, but I eat plenty of other stuff that I'm sure you would call "bad choices". I'm having no trouble with my own weight-loss goals though, and I also have a much better diet than I did 6 months ago. You've done really well to lose over 100 lbs, but what has worked for you wouldn't be sustainable for me long-term. Some people like the "all or nothing" approach; for some of us, we'd never reach our goals doing that.

I know you're just trying to help with your suggestions, but remember, she's in her first week at this. She may decide to make different food choices somewhere along the line, but for now, she's kept under her calorie goal for the week and is wondering why she sees a 4 lb gain on the scales. From the information given, that's extremely likely to have the more simple explanation of water retention following exercise.

knittermom07

Personally I would recommend not stepping on the scale for the first month. Honestly, when starting a new exercise routine you will always gain water weight and it takes a while to adjust, plus I really think our bodies don't like to loose pounds, it's strange. Keep going, don't let this get you down, focus on how you feel and how you are gonna feel in a few weeks. that is the hardest time to get thru. Just be stubborn about it and keep at it!

Capt_Apollo

HI .. I was looking at your diary....... I'm sorry but you are not going to get the losses you want on that type of food intake.. You can't out work a bad diet plain and simple.....

FIrst thing I would do is focus on eating more at breakfast.. Its a good foundation to starting your metabolism ..

Eat around 5 small meals a day ( Healthy ) the idea is to keep your metabolism burning.....


Finally be honest with yourself.... You know that dominos is a bad choice... You know having a donut is a bad choice.. You will only get out what you put in ... I wish you best of luck ..

Meal timing doesn't matter for weight-loss. Your metabolism is working all the time, it doesn't need a big breakfast to start it up. Several small meals a day suits some people, but not everyone. It's also perfectly possible to lose weight with the occasional donut or whatever. There's a lot to be said for eating nutritious, whole foods, but cutting out all "junk" overnight is not necessary for successful weight-loss.

yes, meal timing doesn't matter, but the whole "eat 5-6 smaller meals a day to lose weight" is a good tool for people that tend to binge eat at scheduled meal times. it still takes a lot of willpower to be able to serve yourself only one bowl of pasta or just one pork chop or what ever at dinner.

i know from experience that when i first started to lose weight i would plan 5-6 meals a day. two of those meals were something like an apple and some almonds, but whatever.

also, while breakfast doesn't "jump start" anything, having a good solid breakfast can help you satiate your hunger until lunch time, and prevent the feeding frenzy that may occur if you have a poor breakfast.

runfreddyrun

it may take a few weeks or months before you figure out what really works for you (i.e. how much exercise, how many calories, what to eat).

the main thing is to make small consistent changes and to not give up.

JesterMFP

also, while breakfast doesn't "jump start" anything, having a good solid breakfast can help you satiate your hunger until lunch time, and prevent the feeding frenzy that may occur if you have a poor breakfast.

This is purely anecdotal, but I know plenty of people - in real life as well as on here - that actually feel much hungrier if they have breakfast, and struggle to wait until lunch. If they don't have breakfast, they find it easier to wait. I agree with you though, that if someone is prone to bingeing after a large fast, then regular meals would probably work better for them. I think it's one of those things where everyone has to find what works for them.

wrinju

Just remember this is not a race. You are drinking water and You are starting to track your calories and if you were like me I never tracked my calories before. This is my first week doing it and I'm really amazed by what I've put in my mouth. I also broke out the measuring cups, spoons and scale. I'm realizing what real portion sizes are.

Keep moving and each day think about what you put in your mouth. Ask youself if this will help you reach your goal or not.

You might not see the results you wanted on the scale but know you are making some good first steps!

MTBrob

It is generally considered among many fitness experts as well as metabolic study institutes that eating regularly and consistently keeps your body burning the few you are putting indie of it..

I am not going to do the leg work or you but you can study up on the below to back my claims as well as a few simple google searches can help

John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president, Precision Nutrition; author, The Metabolism Advantage. Berardi, J. The Metabolism Advantage, Rodale Press, 2006. Sanjay Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. DavidAllison, PhD, professor of biostatistics and director of the clinical nutrition center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.Noreen, E. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 1, 2003; vol 35, supplement 1: p S248. Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, assistant professor and director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

As I said before.. The poster came on the boards up set that she gained.. Most people ( and I know there are exceptions, I feel compelled to throw that caveat out to you ) their first week with eating right and exercising will mostly lose water weight not retain...My first week at almost 300lbs this time 2 years ago I lost 10 lbs.

What I am saying is you can't expect to reach your goals or consistently lose if you are going to maintain the choices the poster made this past week in her diary.

This is getting redundant, so I am going to back away now..

Exercise and better choices is what the poster needs to be successful in reaching her goals.. As I said before I wish you the best of luck.