WHAt AM I DOING WRONG!?!?

paxbfl

Maybe ditch the scales for a bit and start taking measurements instead to see how your bodys changing in inches rather than lb. you may be surprised

Great advice but she has 91 pounds to lose. If she eats at a 20% deficit she will lose fat much faster than she can possibly put muscle on. I have no doubt that she'll see the scale move if she figures out the numbers and sticks to her goal.

MightyDomo

Open up your diary maybe? Without seeing diet and exercise we cannot have the full scope of what is going on.

I would think if your gaining even with exercise it could be sleep or diet related. Certainly was my problem all of last year, I spent 11 months pretty much having 0-3 hours of broken sleep everynight (insomnia and nothing worked to treat it) I ended up needing to consume higher carb to give myself enough energy to get up everyday and I didn't balance it with protein and healthy fats. I went from about 133lbs to 171lbs in that time. So try looking at all aspects of what your doing and see if there is something different from when you were losing.

kevin3344

Usually I agree with the posts about being patient and weigh yourself once a week (at most)... but you have 91 pounds to lose. If that's true (that you are 91 pounds or more above your ideal weight) you should be losing weight pretty easily.

We need more information. Did you calculate your BMR and TDEE? Use this calculator if you haven't:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

This will also give you a calorie goal based on a 20% calorie reduction off your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Let us know what that number is... and what your MFP goal is. They should be similar when you factor exercise in.

MFP sort of encourages you to eat back your exercise calories, because the goal changes when you put your workouts in. I would NOT eat back those calories back! In the midst of my weight-loss, I never did - and lost 2-3 pounds a week.

Think of it this way... eat at a deficit set up for 1 pound of weight-loss per week (which MFP can set up for you under the goals section). Basically that's a 500 calorie deficit per day off your TDEE. Then do your workouts but think of your workouts as "EXTRA" calorie burning. If you can burn an additional 500 calories per day (like I do), you'll burn another 3500 calories per week which is another pound. BOOM - there's 2 pounds per week you can lose.

Unless you get into strange situations (that usually happen when you get closer to your goal weight), this is just simple math - calories in and calories out. You just have to know all your numbers.

Try the calculator and let us know what you come up with!

THIS. Also, open your diary...I bet it's in there. Could be too much sodium (which will cause you to retain water) or something else. However, if you've logged religiously every day (and been in a calorie deficit) you should see results.

Yea I have been working out at the gym for 2-3 times a week & 2 1/2 hours

If you're burning cals and still gaining it's not a calorie deficit. Keep in mind you can "eat healthy" and still gain weight. It just means you're taking in more than you burn off. Focus most of your efforts on your diary and a calorie deficit and you'll see results at the gym.

I'll give you a real life example of how important it is to log *everything*. My sister-in-law was at a standstill, logging every day, walking, etc. Wasn't losing. I asked her if she was logging everything and indeed she was - or so she thought. "Once in a while", she would sit at the computer and eat candy, which she didn't think amounted to much. I think it was a handful of Boston Baked Beans. Turning the bag over and looking at the cals she was in shock. Half a small bag was 300, a quarter of her daily goal of 1,200 calories. She cut out the candy and lost 17lbs in just over 3 months! That little bit of candy was the difference between her standing still and losing...

jlapey

Go to this group and read all the threads with red pins. If you have questions, you can join the group. It is run by a couple of MFP's most knowledgeable and successful members. They are very welcoming and informative.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

PottsvilleCurse1925

Maybe you're pooping wrong causing a plateau? Check this thread out.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813554-do-i-poop-wrong?hl=poop

sa11yjane

I eat 1350 cals and exercise and can't lose weight- my BMR is higher than this at 1450 and a website says I should be eating around 2100 to maintain. It's just plain tough sometimes, isn;t it? My thyroid is on the low side but not yet low enough for medication. Do hope that your weight loss picks up soon as it's really depressing and I empathise with you x

GuybrushThreepw00d

When I first started I didn't workout I just changed my eating habits. Now I'm eating right and working out & I'm gaining a pound every freaking week. What am I doing wrong? Help me out you guys!!!

At a guess, your not maintaining a calorie deficit.

Open your diary.

How many weeks have you been gaining for?

mas1989

Same thing here - have been excercising 5 to 6 times a week for the last 3 weeks and writing down what I was eating and have not lost a single pound - think even gained a half pound. Just started completing food journal on this site several days ago so hoping it will help. Good luck!

alienrite

Don't worry girl, the same thing was happening to me when I started working out hard at the gym. The scale said I was gaining a pound a day! Next week the scale will be better, when your muscles are recovering, they retain more water, especially in the begininng. Don't sweat it... just keep doing what your doing!

I lost 11lbs the first month, now I'm on my second and I'm afraid I'm going to gain it all back

11 lbs in a month is a lot of weight loss although it isn't unusual for the first month. My guess is that you lost 6 lbs of fat in the first month (1.5/lbs per week) and the rest was water weight. I lose 0.22 lbs per day which is 3-1/2 ounces or as I joke: 1/2 cup of duck fat. My weight jumps up and down by as many as 5 lbs but regularly 2-3 lbs per morning. It is easy to see a large drop and think we are doing spectacular but I have learned that if I am showing a loss greater than 1.5 lbs per week than it's not real and I now expect my weight to come back to my average. Likewise, if I show a jump in my weight, I know that it will eventually drop back to my average. It can drive you crazy if you let it and I know that if I didn't want to see any false gains, I would have to weigh myself monthly. Even weekly, the scale would have shown a gain 1 out of 3 weeks. That being said, stay the course and keep yourself at your calorie goal and you will lose weight.

anichellek

Hey girl hang in there.

I am in a similar boat to you. I started MFP about 3 weeks ago. Weighed in today, up 1lb :frown: buuuuut my overall measurements went down 2.5 Inches. I was stoked to weigh in since I could tell my clothes were fitting a little better, so needless to say I was pretty disappointed when the scale had moved in the wrong direction.

So my advice would be to take pictures and measurements. Hopefully on the weeks the scale doesn't go down you will at least see a change in those. Good luck!

CakePlate

So I'm not a scientist or a specialist, but I do read things on the internet and work in the medical field :laugh: When you start exercising your muscles and joints are a little bit jarred by this new activity, so they collect fluid in order to protect themselves. After a few weeks this excess water weight will go away and you should be back on track. HOWEVER, as others have said, it very well could be muscle, so you should take measurements and go by them more than you do the scale. Also, I think some of us are starving ourselves. If we don't eat enough calories our body will hold on to everything it gets. Don't hurt your progress by not eating enough! Good luck, stick with it and it will start coming off again.

ancatdubh13

Definitely start measuring or see if you can get a skinfold test done at your gym. Without any other information I would guess that you are still losing fat but gaining muscle, which is heavier. I've only lost 2 lbs in three weeks, but it's intentional as I am also trying to build muscle. But I've definitely noticed a difference in my body, my pants aren't as tight and my arms look leaner / more toned.

kathrynbrodie90

i found this was a problem for me last year when i tried to diet, its just muscle weight, it weighs nearly double fat, dont worry about weight, try measurements, ive done that and even though i have only lost 5 or 6 pounds i have lost 16 inches in total around my body 6 being from my abdomen.

when you see those number go down it really is worth it, ive kept note of my arm, forearm, chest, neck, abdomen, hips, thighs and calf for 3 weeks now and it feels so much better seeing those numbers going down rather than the scales going up.

glahlstedt

It has taken me 9 months to lose 14lbs, so consider yourself lucky girl! you are doing something right. all of our bodies respond differently! good luck!

glahlstedt

good to know!

lawandfitness

I am also very glad to see this. I started out changing my eating habits (1200 calories a day plus eating my exercise calories) and running a bit on the treadmill and was losing weight, 1-2 lbs a week. I started the 30 Day Shred 8 days ago, still eating well and I am heavier now than when I started...arrrrrgggggg! I finally have it in my head to just keep going and eventually I will see a pay off. I've started week 4 of my lifestyle change today, so I will give it a few more weeks and pray for the best. Thanks for starting this thread.

Just wanted to let you know I started 30 DS almost 4 weeks ago, and it wasn't until week 3 I saw the scale move. I was actually gaining, but I get why.... You are doing a new circuit program that includes weights, water gets into your muscles after a workout to repair them, so you may weigh more. Also, you are replacing fat with muscle, so this may be the reason for the weight increase. Take your measurements. When I didn't see the scale move in 3 weeks, I retook my measurements and saw there was a significant change, made me feel a lot better( and saner)!

Also, I am new to this so my explanation above may get ripped apart, but I tried my best!

LivMinusTen

Same here... I can lose three pounds and then just stop losing weight for weeks. I used to do bootcamp 3 times a week, ski and do exercises at home: lost nothing. Then I did kettlebell training, which I love, and I did gain some muscle and saw some positive body changes, but still no weight losses. I have now started to do 30 minutes of Jillian Michaels workouts five times a week and hope this works. I would be happy with ten pounds less but I am also lucky to have found workouts I really enjoy.

Soula7475

When you just start working out, your body responds by making more glycogen and storing it in your liver. Glycogen is a complex, branched molecule that contains a lot of water and can be part of this "water weight gain" when you start getting into exercise. Don't worry, this glycogen will help you work out longer and harder by keeping your blood sugar stable during exercise (so you don't fatigue as quickly). Just keep at it and trust that exercise will make you more fit and support weight loss (so long as you keep your calories in check).