Doing everything right and gaining weight

EvetteMarquez

I'm trying to keep my cool here. I didn't ask for smartass opinions.

acogg

IMHO, you are eating a high sodium diet from processed foods. Foods like Hamburger Helper are extremely high in sodium, which can lead to water retention. Start tracking your sodium and potassium intake. Try to raise your potassium and lower your sodium. Very difficult, but anything is better than nothing. Potassium helps to regulate sodium and vice versa. The typical American diet is high in sodium and low in potassium due to processed foods. Don't go overboard, though. Too much potassium and too low sodium is bad also. More balance is what you want to achieve. I have found that high potassium foods are typically whole foods, high sodium are typically processed foods. My favorite potassium boosters are dried apricots, bananas and oranges. Good luck and hang in there. This is a learning experience that will benefit you the rest of your life.

EvetteMarquez

IMHO, you are eating a high sodium diet from processed foods. Foods like Hamburger Helper are extremely high in sodium, which can lead to water retention. Start tracking your sodium and potassium intake. Try to raise your potassium and lower your sodium. Very difficult, but anything is better than nothing. Potassium helps to regulate sodium and vice versa. The typical American diet is high in sodium and low in potassium due to processed foods. Don't go overboard, though. Too much potassium and too low sodium is bad also. More balance is what you want to achieve. I have found that high potassium foods are typically whole foods, high sodium are typically processed foods. My favorite potassium boosters are dried apricots, bananas and oranges. Good luck and hang in there. This is a learning experience that will benefit you the rest of your life.

Thank you. I agree that I am consuming too much sodium

sapf

I'm mostly venting here but would love some helpful advice. I don't know that much about losing weight. I started my healthy lifestyle November 9th and since then I've lost 15lbs which I'm pretty proud of But now the scale just will not go down. I'm assuming I'm not exercising enough? I eat lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein but for some reason I'm starting to gain weight and its super frustrating. I eat between 1200-1400 calories everyday and I doing some walking. I was running in the beginning but suffered a leg injury so I cant run for a little while. I honestly feel like I'm losing weight but I'm not losing inches or anything. Any help would be appreciated. TIA

I'd advise using a food scale to actually weigh/measure your food. Sometimes a measurement like 1 cup can vary based on how tightly the food is packed etc. Using exact mass will be helpful. Also, 15 lbs in two months is great. You might just be at a small plateau, that time of the month, a little too much drinking at new years etc.

Helloitsdan

Sodium has no hold on fat loss.
Learnt o eat at the proper deficit and youll lose the weight.
Drink the proper amount of water and get the other minerals you need and sodium means nothing.

The above post, that went ignored, has helped 100s lose weight.
Take it or leave it.
;D

If you decide to try it send a FR so I can seed you out to the other Road Mappers.

EvetteMarquez

I'm mostly venting here but would love some helpful advice. I don't know that much about losing weight. I started my healthy lifestyle November 9th and since then I've lost 15lbs which I'm pretty proud of But now the scale just will not go down. I'm assuming I'm not exercising enough? I eat lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein but for some reason I'm starting to gain weight and its super frustrating. I eat between 1200-1400 calories everyday and I doing some walking. I was running in the beginning but suffered a leg injury so I cant run for a little while. I honestly feel like I'm losing weight but I'm not losing inches or anything. Any help would be appreciated. TIA

I'd advise using a food scale to actually weigh/measure your food. Sometimes a measurement like 1 cup can vary based on how tightly the food is packed etc. Using exact mass will be helpful. Also, 15 lbs in two months is great. You might just be at a small plateau, that time of the month, a little too much drinking at new years etc.

I have a food scale I will start using it more

EvetteMarquez

Sodium has no hold on fat loss.
Learnt o eat at the proper deficit and youll lose the weight.
Drink the proper amount of water and get the other minerals you need and sodium means nothing.

The above post, that went ignored, has helped 100s lose weight.
Take it or leave it.
;D

If you decide to try it send a FR so I can seed you out to the other Road Mappers.

It wasn't ignored I know sodium has no hold on fat loss.
Im trying to read it now

bassanne

This post might be worth a read.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This helped me break a plateau of a couple of months. I ended up eating more and lost more. Work the numbers and see if this changes things for you.

acogg

Sodium does not cause fat gain, but it does cause temporary water weight gain which can be very discouraging to dieters. I have tracked my weight gains vs. sodium intake and the correlation is unmistakable.

OtiWanKenobi

Hi :-) Pretty much what everyone is saying is on point. You're eating too little and in some cases barely 1000 a day. You will loose weight fast but you're harming your metabolism, which is what you're experiencing now. Your body is grasping onto whatever little energy it has to keep you going...thus not allowing you to lose weight. Also, the high sodium content in foods causes you to retain water so you should try to keep that in check and make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day.

Read the "in place of a road map" that several people have posted for you. It will help you figure out how much you should be consuming.

I'm 5'7" and 199 lbs and I'm eating around 2000 cals a day, which includes calories burned from exercise. With my road map I've been loosing about 1lb a week...(well not so much these days bc of the holidays...LOL!) I've been where you were and I got stuck and it took a lot of learning to realize the right way and to get out of the starvation to loose weight state of mind.

Best of luck to you!

dolajph

You could be gaining muscle which weighs more...Even if you measurments don't show it you could be firming up....Don't give up and try to stay on the low end of the calories for a few days.....You will start losing again.

Annvona

I really hate when this happens... It happens to everyone. In my opinion you need trick your metabolism. Your body has gotten used your low calorie intake and if you are really 219 1200-1400 calories will put your body in starvation mode. In starvation mode instead of shedding pounds you body tries to hold on to weight . It's a built in mechanism to save the fat stored for energy. I would try CHEATING. Try having one day a week where you indulge and bring those calories up to 2000-2200. Also try to exercise different ways to avoid aggrevating your injury. For instance sit-ups instead of running or just try to concentrate on upper body for now. Hand weights are great and using them in reps or sets at a low weight will have an aerobic effect.... hope I helped xo

w00dy

I highly recommend drinking plenty of water (as fat is stored dry in the body) and cutting back on foods high in sugar (high blood sugar levels promote fat storage), focus on foods high in fibre and nutrients rather than how many calories it has... there is a difference in food for fuel (i.e. empty sugar calories) and food for function ( e.g healthy fats like omega 3 & 6 that actually aid fat loss). If your calorie intake is below your basal metabolic rate your body will store whatever it can as fat, eat more often to keep your metabolism going and include fibrous foods to help keep you fuller for longer. Hope this helps.

EvetteMarquez

Thanks everyone I've upped my calorie goals.

lilteepot

This post might be worth a read.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This helped me break a plateau of a couple of months. I ended up eating more and lost more. Work the numbers and see if this changes things for you.

This.

thebigcb

Are you being 100% honest with food and exercise?

taraw0503

I really hate when this happens... It happens to everyone. In my opinion you need trick your metabolism. Your body has gotten used your low calorie intake and if you are really 219 1200-1400 calories will put your body in starvation mode. In starvation mode instead of shedding pounds you body tries to hold on to weight . It's a built in mechanism to save the fat stored for energy. I would try CHEATING. Try having one day a week where you indulge and bring those calories up to 2000-2200. Also try to exercise different ways to avoid aggrevating your injury. For instance sit-ups instead of running or just try to concentrate on upper body for now. Hand weights are great and using them in reps or sets at a low weight will have an aerobic effect.... hope I helped xo

This works. You need to break your plateau. I was stuck for a while and I ate more and started to lose again. Sounds crazy, but you do need to eat more. Everyone on here is right. Have you tried power bars or supplement drinks like Muscle Milk? LOVE Muscle Milk Light. So good and it's great right after a work out.

ChristyRunStarr

Thanks everyone I've upped my calorie goals.

Don't forget to give it time (at least a month!)

EvetteMarquez

Are you being 100% honest with food and exercise?

YES

EvetteMarquez

Thanks everyone I've upped my calorie goals.

Don't forget to give it time (at least a month!)

I will thanks.

judisgym

Depending on your weight are you eating enough calories? If you restrict your daily intake too low the body will respond by thinking it is in starvation mode and lower metabolic rate to conserve energy. This is an adaptive response from the days when our ancestors were hunter, gatherers and oftentimes did not know when they would have their next meal. Also, make sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet including the correct ratio of fats, carbohydrates and proteins as well as vitamins and minerals. A diet with adequate complex carbohydrates which have fiber will keep you full longer and is nutrient dense but not high in calories. If you are not measuring your food, try doing so until you really have a handle on portion size. In my experience, most individuals underestimate their caloric consumption and overestimate the amount of physical activity they do. Are you dehydrated? Make sure that you have adequate water intake throughout the day, but do not overhydrate. Dehydration interferes with fat metabolism. Is your weight goal unrealistic for your body size? Agreed we all want to look great in our clothes, but remember that the health aspect is even more important. What we see on TV, movies, magazines as the perfect body is unrealistic for the majority of us. Also remember that most of the celebrities have trainers, cooks, etc. as well as stylists to help them look this way.

Additionally, how much walking are you doing, at what intensity? The lower the intensity of the activity the longer it takes to burn the same number of calories as a more intense activity. One pound = 3500 kcals. To lose one pound per week you need to create a 500 kcal deficit per day. You can do this with a combination of caloric restriction and increase in physical activity. Most individuals use time constraints as the reason to not exercise. Remember you can break your daily physical activity into 10 minute increments. Current recommendations for weight loss are 250-300 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise for weight loss. Secondly, are you doing any strength training? By increasing your muscle mass through strength training you will increase your resting metabolic rate meaning you will be burning more calories at rest. Additionally, muscle is more dense than fat. As such as you gain muscle mass you will see changes in inches more so that rapid change in the scale. Finally, incorporate a stretching routine on most days of the week. You should also make sure that you warm up before each exercise session and cool down and stretch afterwards.

I'm not sure of your situation but if you are able, you might want to meet with a registered dietitian to help you with your diet. You can also meet with an exercise specialist who can do some baseline measurements and assist you in developing a realistic wellness plan to meet your goals. Finally, not sure of your age or if you are on any medications. You might want to check with your physician to ensure that you do not have any medical condition such as hypothyroidism that might be hampering your progress. Best of luck to you on your journey. It is not easy, but well worth the effort.

Bobby__Clerici

You don't gain weight from a calorie deficit (unless you're gaining weight from water retention due to high sodium). One of two things is going on: you're eating more calories than you think, or you're NOT exercising and still eating back your exercise calories.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Neither success nor failure happens by accident notwithstanding any medical issues.
It's time to clean the slate and start again.

heatherdeveaux

.

KatLifter

This post might be worth a read.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This helped me break a plateau of a couple of months. I ended up eating more and lost more. Work the numbers and see if this changes things for you.

^^ this, and even if you can't run, try doing some lifting. Building more lean muscle mass will help burn fat.

Reesecup312

Don't eat your exercise calories back and measure everything. Stick to 1200-1300 a day. Works for me!!!

Bobby__Clerici

You dont eat enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

^^^^^
THIS
Don't join the crash diet herd.
Even fleeting success seems like failure. The above link is your light at this tunnel's end.
GOOD LUCK :flowerforyou:

Helloitsdan

Don't eat your exercise calories back and measure everything. Stick to 1200-1300 a day. Works for me!!!

Shes not in her 50s and shes more active than you probably are. This is horrible advice for someone looking to maintain lean mass while losing fat. Congratz on your losses but this is bad advice.

mikeschratz

Don't eat your exercise calories back and measure everything. Stick to 1200-1300 a day. Works for me!!!

Shes not in her 50s and shes more active than you probably are. This is horrible advice for someone looking to maintain lean mass while losing fat. Congratz on your losses but this is bad advice.

^^^ this!

4theking

Exercise is not going to determine whether you lose weight or not. You are either eating more than you think and that is causing your weight loss stall, or you are undereating, which at 200lbs, I believe you are. At a minimum eat around your bmr and have a one day a week to eat a bit more.

geekpryncess

I'm having a similar issue to the OP, and all I have to say is, this thread is SO confusing! Half the people are saying eat more, half are saying stay around 1200. IDK what to do! I have looked at the road map thing before and it's confusing in and of itself.

One thing I can say though is, I really really don't get it how eating near 2k cals a day would help me lose weight. And I'm too scared to try it. I'm 5'2" and stuck around 195, with a very sedentary day (desk job, 3 hours commute, school). I am wiped out after a 12m Dance Central workout! I have lost weight before with a 1200-1300/day diet and 4-5 20m walks a week, (plus an active sex life!!). I didn't stick with the logging and 1200 cals/day and stopped the walking, and after a year or so the weight came back (no surprise). This time I know it's just something I will have to make a routine for the rest of my life if I want to keep the weight off for good.

Anyway, it's not coming off as quickly this time, even though I'm doing the same thing basically. I think I am a bit less active due to my BF being away in school (no sex, and no walking partner!). But I'm trying to do something. I am so out of shape and 15m is about the max I can endure right now.

Sorry, not trying to hijack thread, just was hoping to get some answers too and instead thoroughly confused! I think I have learned a few things, I want to get a scale and start weighing, it's possible some of my logging is inaccurate due to the suggestions a few of the people here have mentioned. Otherwise afaik I think I am being honest with it as best I can.