Tired of this being so hard...
bpwparents
Posts: 359 Member
I'm very thankful for the weight I have lost since the end of May but over the last month I'm finding this a lot more difficult to stick to it. I'll have one cheat meal on a weekend and it will blow my weight loss for the week. It's very frustrating to read people posting that you need to eat 3000 over to gain a pound. Obviously they have never had my body as I gain 2 lbs from being 500 over. I guess I need to do some tweeking again. I've had more pasta than usual lately so maybe that's the issue. It's just so difficult to stick to this and I'm just tired :sad:
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Replies
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tell me about it! :grumble:0
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You and me both. Sorry I don't have any words of wisdom but just wanted to let you know that you are not on your own xxx0
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Thanks. Good to know I'm not alone. If I see a person posting about the amt. of calories needed to gain a lb again, I'm going to track them down and let them suffer the wrath of a hungry person!0
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Depends on if you want to lose fat or lose water. You have to eat 3500 calories OVER maintenance to gain a pound of fat. Which most people can't do in one meal.
But you can gain water weight and food weight from over eating. Especially if you eat more carbohydrates than normal. Your body will bind water molecules with glycogen and store that in your muscles, when that is full that extra will spill over into your adipose tissue(fat under the skin). Normally if you get back on track it'll eventually go away again. I've gained 5 lbs + over night from a cheat.
Don't get discouraged.0 -
I know what you're talking about...I go off my plan just a little on the weekends, and by Monday I'm up 2 pounds! It takes me most of the week to get that off, so I'm lucky to average a 1 pound loss every week. When I look at my Fitbit stats, it looks like I should be losing at least 2 pounds every week!
It looks like you've done great...36 pounds since May! When I feel like giving up, which I often do, I try on some of my nice, smaller clothes and try to remember why I'm doing this. It's really hard, and it's not fair that some of us have to struggle so much. But bottom line is it feels really good to be thinner!0 -
Sorry but those other people are right... and you are not a special snowflake no matter how much you believe you are.
It does take 3500 calories over maintenance as another poster mentioned to gain a pound of fat.. it also takes that much to lose a pound of fat. So unless you are eating 500 over for 7 days straight, then you did not really gain two pounds.
My suggestion, watch your sodium intake if you don't already.. that is generally the cause of rapid weight gain/loss due to water retention. If you know that you are going to have a high sodium day, then drink more water to help balance it out.0 -
Depends on if you want to lose fat or lose water. You have to eat 3500 calories OVER maintenance to gain a pound of fat. Which most people can't do in one meal.
But you can gain water weight and food weight from over eating. Especially if you eat more carbohydrates than normal. Your body will bind water molecules with glycogen and store that in your muscles, when that is full that extra will spill over into your adipose tissue(fat under the skin). Normally if you get back on track it'll eventually go away again. I've gained 5 lbs + over night from a cheat.
Don't get discouraged.
That is good to know and very encouraging0 -
Yes i was going to say the same, your 'cheat' meal is probably high in sodium and you'll store water. I'm always way heavier the day after something salty but it goes back down again after a couple of days. Good luck.0
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You know, it is not a temporary change. It's continuous trial and error and everytime I think of giving up, I remind myself that would be giving up on me and that keeps me going. Don't give up on yourself just keep trying.0
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I'm very thankful for the weight I have lost since the end of May but over the last month I'm finding this a lot more difficult to stick to it. I'll have one cheat meal on a weekend and it will blow my weight loss for the week. It's very frustrating to read people posting that you need to eat 3000 over to gain a pound. Obviously they have never had my body as I gain 2 lbs from being 500 over. I guess I need to do some tweeking again. I've had more pasta than usual lately so maybe that's the issue. It's just so difficult to stick to this and I'm just tired :sad:
Have you been drinking your water? Whenever I eat a meal out, I make sure to drink more water than usual. Drinking the extra water will make what looks like a gain come off much quicker because you truly didn't eat 3500 extra calories. Also, when I plateau, which I have been doing for weeks, I try to work out more. I am finding the Couch to 5K program has helped in this regard and I've taken off a lot more inches by doing it.
Don't lose hope... just hang in there. We all have low days.0 -
you are not a special snowflake no matter how much you believe you are.
This cracked me up. Anyhoo, I agree with the other posters. You are likely retaining water from the overeating, most likely from the sodium. Drink extra water to flush out the excess and weigh again in a few days. I bet the scale will go down.
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Hang in there! You are doing awesome! I started in April and have lost 31 pounds, and I know how hard that's been. I totally understand about the whole "ate 500 calories and are up 2 pounds" thing. My body reacts the same way, in fact I believe most people's do. That's why people quit, because the numbers lie. You can't eat 500 calories over and gain fat, but you can retain sodium in your cells, which causes water retention, which causes the scales to show higher immediately. I just keep telling myself, it's not fat, it's my body processing my food. Exercise does the same thing to me, if I am sore from starting something new, I will show higher on the scale for at least two or three days. But again, it's not fat, it's just the cells in my body adjusting. Mentally I do better when I think of my cells holding water instead of focusing on my stomach or my neck or flabby arms. In my mind, those areas are only getting better, slimming down, and toning up. Hope you have a good day today, and know lots of people are right there for you!0
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hang in there and keep working hard. Lots of people will say different things but a lot is generalized. Everyone is unique and so are the ways in which they achieve results. Those results will happen, but its definitely not easy by any means. If somebody gained a lot of weight that isn't easy either, just doesn't seem hard at the time but it is. It gets confusing at times but really, fitness and nutrition is the key. Pay close attention to details as far as eating and working out and vary them both from time to time. As I said, its hard..very hard but if you want it bad enough it becomes a pleasant addiction0
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Just a suggestion - try weighing yourself no more than once a week, and ideally only every 10-14 days. You'll see bigger losses, which will be encouraging and motivating, and normal bodily fluctuations are less likely to make you think you've gained weight, when really your body is just holding on to water. If the weekend days are when you 'cheat', maybe make first thing Friday or Saturday morning your weigh-in time, rather than weighing on a Monday morning after a high-sodium meal or two (I'm guessing) and panicking because you've 'gained' 2lbs of water retention.0
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I've got an idea. Stop having your cheat meal. :P0
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Wow learned something new here.0
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In my experience, when I was eating 1200 calories and then would go over on Saturday or Sunday, all my progress would seemingly be undone. It was as if my body was freaking out from having eaten so little during the week, so it would hold on to whatever extra it got. I gradually raised my calories from 1400 to 1700 and as long as I am honest about logging and my calorie burns, I steadily lose without the wild fluctuations. My official 'weigh in' day is Friday since it is as far away from the weekend as possible, where the splurges usually occur.
Sodium also has a lot to do with it. I was 148lbs on Sunday and am 152lbs today. I didn't eat 14,000 calories over maintenance, I'm just holding a lot of water from the salty, salty pizza indulgence.0 -
I agree with the posters above...it depends on what is in your cheat meal (s). You're not the only one that gains a few pounds by one or two days of bad eating. I always find that getting right back on track with eating healthy, exercising and drinking LOTS of water those pounds come off fairly quickly. Don't give up! There is definitely a learning curve to being successful with your weight loss and healthy lifestyle. A big part of it is learning how your body responds to what you eat and certain exercises. Be patient and stay encouraged 0
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Cheat days are sometimes eating meals that high in sodium and when it is high in sodium you have more water retention. So it is to be expected that's why after a cheat day don't look at the scale just keep working it off normal.0
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I'm very thankful for the weight I have lost since the end of May but over the last month I'm finding this a lot more difficult to stick to it. I'll have one cheat meal on a weekend and it will blow my weight loss for the week. It's very frustrating to read people posting that you need to eat 3000 over to gain a pound. Obviously they have never had my body as I gain 2 lbs from being 500 over. I guess I need to do some tweeking again. I've had more pasta than usual lately so maybe that's the issue. It's just so difficult to stick to this and I'm just tired :sad:
This is something that has puzzled me from the day a started this site almost 2 monts ago....If you are trying to lose weight and change your eating habits and life style why in the world would you want to have a cheat day???? Purposely cheating is not a concept that I believe fits in to a weight loss program. If you happen to go over a little one day that is another thing but it seems to me that when a person begins to incorporate the concept of purposely cheating on the weekend or any day you set yourself up for the strong possibility of not being successful in keeping the weight off over the long haul. Just my opinion take it for what its worth.
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You aren't alone! If I cheat on the weekend, my weight sky-rockets pretty quickly. But I can't live without at least one cheat meal a week... it's what I live for lol.
Here's my solution: I usually "cheat" on Friday or Saturday, and on Sundays I do a mini juice cleanse all day. I have a juicer (don't do it w/ bottled juice - only fresh), and I juice fruits and veggies 5x/day all day, and don't eat anything else. By Monday I feel great and all my weekend ugghh is gone!
Also, my good friend who is a holistic nutritionist gave me these "words to live by:" for every meal that you eat, make sure half of your plate is green (veggies/fruits). It's great advice. Now, if I go to eat a plate of chicken wings, I eat a salad first.
Hang in there! You aren't alone in this, and the results WILL be worth it in the long run!0 -
Go back to grass roots, weigh all your food and don't guess anything. I see lots of people's diaries with one cup of this and one cup of that, if I look in my own cupboards I have several different cup sizes so that sure would confuse the life out of me! I doubt very much that you ate an extra 7000 calories with one cheat meal and gained 2 pounds, as previously stated it is most likely water weight. Just out of curiosity how often do you weigh yourself?
You should probably try to eat a little more as well if you are hungry, I would recommend you up your calories to your BMR and see how you get on with that. I lost consistently throughout this and was never hungry. Also try to eat more foods that will help keep you filled up for longer, for example two small apples will be around 100 calories (less than half a Mars Bar) and I guarantee you that you will feel fuller after the apples and for much longer.
Good luck.0 -
We have all been there, but having that type of negative attitude towards your weight loss journey isn't going to help you lose more weight.
I actually have an entire cheat day, my aunt's personal trainer recommended it. It shocks your body so that you aren't doing the same thing all the time which the body can get "used" to.
Are you drinking enough water? Have you looked into lowering your sugar intake (when I say this I don't mean carbs I mean actual sugar)? Most of us don't realize that when that sugar reaches our system it turns into fat, so it helps to have a good balance of everything. Have you tried increasing your protein intake? How is your sodium intake? Are you weighing yourself during your time of the month or even a week before, typically we all have that "water" weight.
Remember, pasta is loaded with sugar, and most pastas after eating them you are hungry shortly after, unless you eat it with a good amount of protein.
Life is too short to not have your desserts or cheat days or meals, you want to enjoy yourself too!
I know how hard it is to lose weight, and I truly don't believe that going over 500 calories once a week contributes to an entire 2 lbs. gained, there has to be other mitigating factors.
Hope that helps, you can add me if you would like!0 -
A suggestion could be...just toss that scale somewhere and don't even worry about it. Take your measurements, write them down and get out there and do your work. Make healthy eating choices as well. One cheat meal a weekend is not going to ruin your weight loss attempts but focusing on a number on the scale very well can. Go on measurements and how you feel to determine if you are improving. Do a weigh in around 2 weeks from say...today, so with measurements, feel and scale number you have 3 units of measure for you hard work0
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I'm very thankful for the weight I have lost since the end of May but over the last month I'm finding this a lot more difficult to stick to it. I'll have one cheat meal on a weekend and it will blow my weight loss for the week. It's very frustrating to read people posting that you need to eat 3000 over to gain a pound. Obviously they have never had my body as I gain 2 lbs from being 500 over. I guess I need to do some tweeking again. I've had more pasta than usual lately so maybe that's the issue. It's just so difficult to stick to this and I'm just tired :sad:
This is something that has puzzled me from the day a started this site almost 2 monts ago....If you are trying to lose weight and change your eating habits and life style why in the world would you want to have a cheat day???? Purposely cheating is not a concept that I believe fits in to a weight loss program. If you happen to go over a little one day that is another thing but it seems to me that when a person begins to incorporate the concept of purposely cheating on the weekend or any day you set yourself up for the strong possibility of not being successful in keeping the weight off over the long haul. Just my opinion take it for what its worth.
Cheat meals can help with weight loss, especially if your at a severe deficit. And they can give a psychological boost. Problem is most people make their diets TOO restrictive when they don't need to (aka following MFPs stupid blanket 1200 calorie requirement) and then when they do "cheat" they go nuts. Cheat meals should be planned and timely.0 -
If you wait a few days before you step on the scale, it will be back to normal. Gaining a few pounds extra on cheat days is pretty much always water weight. Unless you're going crazy overboard0
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This is helpful. Thank you!0
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I just checked your diary and you're only eating 1200 calories a day, which is way too few for most people. Without getting mired in hard sums, go back to your MFP goals and reset them to lose no more than 1lb a week. I bet it gives you more to eat! Also you're not eating enough of your exercise calories, on some days you still have a deficit of more than 400. Aim to eat at least 75% of them back, to allow for a margin of error in whatever calculation method you use.
Make these changes and you won't need a cheat day. :flowerforyou:0 -
I'm very thankful for the weight I have lost since the end of May but over the last month I'm finding this a lot more difficult to stick to it. I'll have one cheat meal on a weekend and it will blow my weight loss for the week. It's very frustrating to read people posting that you need to eat 3000 over to gain a pound. Obviously they have never had my body as I gain 2 lbs from being 500 over. I guess I need to do some tweeking again. I've had more pasta than usual lately so maybe that's the issue. It's just so difficult to stick to this and I'm just tired :sad:
This is something that has puzzled me from the day a started this site almost 2 monts ago....If you are trying to lose weight and change your eating habits and life style why in the world would you want to have a cheat day???? Purposely cheating is not a concept that I believe fits in to a weight loss program. If you happen to go over a little one day that is another thing but it seems to me that when a person begins to incorporate the concept of purposely cheating on the weekend or any day you set yourself up for the strong possibility of not being successful in keeping the weight off over the long haul. Just my opinion take it for what its worth.
Cheat meals can help with weight loss, especially if your at a severe deficit. And they can give a psychological boost. Problem is most people make their diets TOO restrictive when they don't need to (aka following MFPs stupid blanket 1200 calorie requirement) and then when they do "cheat" they go nuts. Cheat meals should be planned and timely.
agreed fully here....that 1200 calorie thing drives me nuts lol0 -
Depends on if you want to lose fat or lose water. You have to eat 3500 calories OVER maintenance to gain a pound of fat. Which most people can't do in one meal.
But you can gain water weight and food weight from over eating. Especially if you eat more carbohydrates than normal. Your body will bind water molecules with glycogen and store that in your muscles, when that is full that extra will spill over into your adipose tissue(fat under the skin). Normally if you get back on track it'll eventually go away again. I've gained 5 lbs + over night from a cheat.
Don't get discouraged.
This ^^ I see so many posts on MFP giving the rule for losing/gaining fat as a rule for losing/gaining weight. They are not the same thing. All weight is not fat. If you like pasta you don't have to give it up, just know that if you eat lower carb most of the time then have a high carb meal that you will get a temporary jump in water weight and don't sweat it.0
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