Just gained back all the weight I lost...wtf!

Frank_Just_Frank

Hello,

Here's my back ground. I used to be 22 pounds heavier, but going to the gym brought it down that much. As Far as diets go I've tried everything. E-ver-y-thing. The closest I came to success was with Smarter Science Of Slim. I was doing great for a few months there and then just like clockwork, the scale started climbing right back to 260.

Now I'm trying this and on week 1 I lost almost 4 pounds. Weighed in this morning and its all back. My weekly weigh-in day will be Monday and I'm pretty sure I know what the answer will be.

It doesn't matter if its WW, SSOS, paleo, low carb, etc. my gut kicks in on self defence mode and sucks up whatever I lose in short order. Anyone else go through this? Is there a group for this? I've been at this for almost 15 years and I'm sick of it. Maybe I should go to a doctor or something.

JessicaDumont2

You may need to give it more time, one or two weeks doesn't seem like enough time to see a big difference. You could be carrying a lot of water weight.
Also, my weight fluctuates like crazy. I can get on the scale in the morning and it'll be 131 and weigh myself a couple hours later and be almost 135.
I just suggest giving it more time.

laurievick

I am with you. I lost 10 lbs, get excited and gain it right back. I track every freaking crumb that goes in my mouth and consistently stay at my calorie intake goal and NO losses whatsoever. I went to the doctor last week and I told her that I was now seriously considering weight loss surgery because I am sick of being at this size! Her advice was to go to a dietician which I guess is the next appointment I make.

coke_bottle

Don't feel like the lone ranger that is the story of my life!!

roseenk

After yo-yoing back and forth also, I went to the doctor and took exactly what I was eating. She decided to check my thyroid ... and wala .. it was bad. Now I am taking Synthroid ... and am able to lose the weight .. and keep it off. Just a thought?

jzammetti

Tell us how much you are eating each day and how many calories burned from exercise and how often...maybe we can help better if we had more information.

I can tell you that in my experience, my weight will vary up to 6 pounds in just one day...give it some more time and watch for trends instead of just one number at a time. Also, take measurements so you can track changes that may not reflect on the scale.

If you give us more detail about food and exercise calories we may have more to say.

Frank_Just_Frank

I do a 3k uphill fast walk 3 times a week (when the weather warms up i will run it) and I do powerlifting twice a week and yoga once a week (it makes the back feel great).

I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and try to keep my macros at 30/30/30 like it did with SSOS because it did work for a good while.

Maybe it is the thyroid. I'm not quitting the calorie counting yet, but considering the swing back up I have a feeling lll be having some déjà vu

jzammetti

I do a 3k uphill fast walk 3 times a week (when the weather warms up i will run it) and I do powerlifting twice a week and yoga once a week (it makes the back feel great).

I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and try to keep my macros at 30/30/30 like it did with SSOS because it did work for a good while.

Maybe it is the thyroid. I'm not quitting the calorie counting yet, but considering the swing back up I have a feeling lll be having some déjà vu

I eat about the same amount as you and am less active and female only 5'2" tall...I think you may not be eating enough with all that activity. have you calculated your TDEE and BMR?

ryry_

Questions off the bat.

1. Do you weigh everything on a food scale or estimate?
2. How many times a week do you eat out?
3. Do you have a cheat day where you eat whatever and don't log?
4. Would you open your diary?


The scale on a day to day basis can fluctuate so its unreliable. Have you only weighed yourself twice? For instance, after the night I play basketball I will weight 3 lbs less than on a day where I don't excercise. THe trend over time is what you want to be concerned about. Give it 4 weeks and if you are weighing, excercising, and eating 2000 calories every day, I feel confident you will be down around 8-10 lbs. I started at 254 and after about 2 months of eating at 2000 a day I was 230.

BondBomb

After yo-yoing back and forth also, I went to the doctor and took exactly what I was eating. She decided to check my thyroid ... and wala .. it was bad. Now I am taking Synthroid ... and am able to lose the weight .. and keep it off. Just a thought?

'Voila'

Frank_Just_Frank

Ok, so maybe there are even more things to try. Didn't realize there are so many out there.

I just made the diary public.
I don't actually weight the food. When it says 1drumstick, I just record that but don't weigh it.
Cheat days are probably the weekends but its mostly out of inability to sit down and organize myself.
I eat out 3-4 times a week.

My bmr is approx 2300-2500 calories according to a couple web tools I tried. Never looked at a tdee.

scottcd

Maybe you're just constipated.

Springfield_Rocks

Ok, so maybe there are even more things to try. Didn't realize there are so many out there.

I just made the diary public.
I don't actually weight the food. When it says 1drumstick, I just record that but don't weigh it.
Cheat days are probably the weekends but its mostly out of inability to sit down and organize myself.
I eat out 3-4 times a week.

My bmr is approx 2300-2500 calories according to a couple web tools I tried. Never looked at a tdee.

This will teach you how to set up your calories.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

THIS!!! Listen to Pu_239!

trogalicious

Maybe you're just constipated.

Strong first post.

Also, OP, follow the link PU gave. It sets up a common sense way of losing weight. Worked for me.

Frank_Just_Frank

Ok I bookmarked that post and will delve into it tomorrow. Never heard of tdee but ill figure it out.

Thanks for that!

51change

See "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and "Hungry for Change" on Netflix. That should take care of it.

Adw7677

I LOVE YOU! I mean..... It's refreshing to see a guy with the same problem. I was totally expecting to see a woman, and was going to say it's water weight. Do guys get water weight?

Candycane777

Ok, so maybe there are even more things to try. Didn't realize there are so many out there.

I just made the diary public.
I don't actually weight the food. When it says 1drumstick, I just record that but don't weigh it.
Cheat days are probably the weekends but its mostly out of inability to sit down and organize myself.
I eat out 3-4 times a week.

My bmr is approx 2300-2500 calories according to a couple web tools I tried. Never looked at a tdee.

You eat out 3-4 times a week? I would start my investigation there

trogalicious

See "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and "Hungry for Change" on Netflix. That should take care of it.

no.

all the OP really needs to do is figure out a sensible calorie deficit and be patient with it. I fail to see how spending time watching Netflix is going to take care of it. Sounds like he's tried enough plans/programs, why throw a load of propaganda at him?

Get a food scale.
Accurately weigh and measure your intake, you could really be overeating and not know it.
You could also be undereating. Follow the link PU gave you, it explains TDEE.

pghlulu

I am a petite girl and my weight can fluctuate +/- 6 pounds at times. Usually due to sodium intake, what I've eaten or had to drink recently (consider the weight of the actual food/water you are putting in your body), time of day, regularity etc.

Also, your diary looks like you go over sodium, often. It's possible you are retaining water. But it's also possible you are just dealing with regular fluctuation.

You need to give it a few MONTHS and then see what your progress has been.

zombiemusicgirl

I do the same thing. The weekends are hell for me. I am in a band with a bunch of guys, and after practice Saturdays its beer wings and pizza at the bar. The next day I am usually sitting around in my pj's and having a reprise of leftover pizza. I just recently told myself that it's time to cut the *kitten* and do it.

For right now, I just have to treat this like a new job. I totally stole that from an old post. When you start a new job, you don't get any days off, you can't come in and slack off, and you can't schedule vacations. For the first 3 months you have to be on time, working your butt off and proving that you can do it. I feel like weight loss works the same way. Fully commit for 90 days. That means planning for the weekend as well. (i'm half telling you and half telling me)

We are a huge network of people who want you to succeed. Some will coddle, some will give tough love. But the most important person to have on your side, knowing you can do it is you.

I have to give myself this advice just as much as you. Good luck to you!

edit: I forgot - weigh EVERYTHING! And preplan those lunches out! I'm always completely floored how much my sushi calories are. Unless its just sashimi that sushi rice adds up!

Frank_Just_Frank

The food scale is an interesting idea. Ill give it a shot to see if I'm actually eating more than the serving size thinks it is.

I'm definitely going to look into this tdee much more.

Eating out is almost always lunches. It's usually sushi or a sandwich or this place near work that serves "real food" instead of fast food. I know it sounds odd, but th place sells grilled meats, veggies, rice or potatoes, stews, soups,etc. it's the only place like that I've ever seen in a food court.

Thanks for the info PU.

calibriintx

I do a 3k uphill fast walk 3 times a week (when the weather warms up i will run it) and I do powerlifting twice a week and yoga once a week (it makes the back feel great).

I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and try to keep my macros at 30/30/30 like it did with SSOS because it did work for a good while.

Maybe it is the thyroid. I'm not quitting the calorie counting yet, but considering the swing back up I have a feeling lll be having some déjà vu

There's no way you're eating enough food. My goal is 1850 and you're a guy, bigger than me, and you workout more than me. You need more food! Figure out your TDEE, eat at a deficit and it'll work out.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Start weighing your food. Here's an interesting study about how much estimates can be off. Even dieticians underestimated their calorie intake by a significant amount:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12396160
"In this study they compared caloric intake from 10 female registered dietitians and 10 women of comparable weight who were not dietitians and the study compared the energy intake obtained from 7-day food records with energy expenditure measured over the corresponding 7-day period using doubly labeled water.

Participants were told that the goal was to record food intake as accurately as possible, because it would be compared with the simultaneous measurement of energy expenditure determined by doubly labeled water.

Dietitians underreported their food intake by an average of 223 calories per day, while the non-dietitians underreported their intake by an average of 429 calories per day. "


Also be patient, it takes time.

ETA: another thought about the eating out-- I love to eat out but I don't think that the calorie counts are terribly accurate. I saw a YouTube video the other day where they actually tested the calorie content of a few restaurant items and one of them turned out to be double the amount listed on the website. The only one that was correct was Subway.

Bigbluefrog

Maybe your not eating enough, the body will go into starvation mode then store fat instead of burn it.

Increase water intake, watch diet sodas and salty foods for retaining water.

Never hurts to check out your thyroid.

I have hypothyroidism and it is tough to lose...it takes effort and lots of exercise.

Willowana

I have a hard time losing and keeping it off, too. What MFP has taught me is that consistency is key. I started out haphazardly, but I kept at it, and refined the way I do things. I started seeing MUCH better results. I know I've admitted this before on the forums....I'm lazy. I am cosmic lazy. I try to find the easy way to do everything, Here's my hard learned lessons, for what they're worth:

* Digital food scale!! Measuring cups suck. It takes very little effort to throw an empty container on it, and pour in whatever you are eating.

* Exercise increases metabolism. When I start slacking, so do my results.

* Plateaus: Chances are I'm not eating enough. If that's not it, it's time to recalculate my TDEE, and remeasure my body.

* Weight lifting causes water retention as the muscles heal. When I lift more, the scale slows down or gains. Time to whip out the measuring tape and stop staring at the scale.

* Don't lick the spoon. Everything that goes in my mouth, goes in my food diary. No little bites here and there.

* Fast food has copious amounts of salt. Salt causes water retention. Drink more water, stop eating out so much.

* Drinking lots of water throughout the day and weighing myself afterwards is stupid.

* No "cheat" days. If I want something, I had better figure out how to cram it in and stay within my calorie range. This is for life, right? Then I better start learning how to live within my caloric means.

* Patience really is a virtue. As long as I stay on my path, the weight will come off.

* Foods must be logged daily. Weekends are no exception. It's easier for me to log the night before so I don't have to guess throughout the day.

* That negotiation skills workshop I attended can be applied to weight loss. If I want that piece of candy, then I have to take something out of my food diary worth the same amount of calories before putting it in my mouth.

* I'm only as good as the efforts I put in. Progress is made by being cognizant of my decisions. When I stop paying attention, the scale begins to creep upwards.

* This isn't a diet. It's the way I plan on living for the rest of my life. So, I had better make it enjoyable. Burning out, getting frustrated, and feeling deprived will only sabotage my efforts. I eat whatever I want, but in moderation.

* Get my mind on board with my efforts. If only half of me is committed to this, then I'm doomed to fail. If I'm the one thing holding me back, what the hell is pushing me forward? I can't be my own worst critic; I have to be my own advocate.

* If I have a bad day, binge, or celebrate a little too merrily...tomorrow it's back to my regularly scheduled program. I don't worry about it or beat myself up over it. Life happens, move on! Just make sure tomorrow is better than yesterday. It's easy to fall back into old habits after a high calorie day.

Hope some of this helps. I'm still bumbling along, finding new things to try, and experimenting to learn what works for me. Don't give up too soon. You can do it. It takes time and some work to figure out what you might be doing wrong. That's the "short" list of the things I've had to change....lol.

Edited for stupid typos.

mockchoc

Ok, so maybe there are even more things to try. Didn't realize there are so many out there.

I just made the diary public.
I don't actually weight the food. When it says 1drumstick, I just record that but don't weigh it.
Cheat days are probably the weekends but its mostly out of inability to sit down and organize myself.
I eat out 3-4 times a week.

My bmr is approx 2300-2500 calories according to a couple web tools I tried. Never looked at a tdee.

There is your problem! You aren't eating enough if you are only eating 1600-2000. You have to eat more than your BMR but aim for 20% less than your TDEE. Your body will hold onto anything you eat if it think you are starving it. I'm a short older woman and I lose on what you eat so eat more.

LisaMfit4life

Hi! One important thing that you need to realize is that in order to succeed think of it as a healthy lifestyle change and not a diet. When people think of it as dieting that is where they tend to struggle. The first step would be to evaluate what you are eating and how much.. Fad diets don't work and there are so many out there it can be confusing for everyone. A clean diet consisting of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables as well as drinking a lot of water will produce the best results paired with exercise. I notice you are exercising which is great but maybe adding more cardio or strength training will hep expedite your progress. I gained a few pounds over the last couple of years and was also working out, but once I evaluated my diet a little more closely and changed my eating habits paired with exercise the pounds started to come off. Another important thing to remember is that you stated you eat out 3-4 times a week and that alone will sabotage any exercise you do. Diet is very important in achieving your goals. Good luck and I hope things work out for you. If there is anything I can do I would be more than willing to help.
Lisa

roseenk

Thank you for the correction. Maybe you would like to contribute something else that is actually useful?

wendalyse

Zombiemusicgi, that's really good advice. You are right; you do have to treat it just as you would a new job.

:flowerforyou:

geemecker140

Interesting that the Paleo diet didn't work for you.... If you do your research and do it right, and cut back on the nuts/fats/fruits (1-2 serving of each a day) then you should lose weight (even without exercise.) Paleo is especially wonderful if you aren't the type that enjoys counting calories. I'm losing 3-4lbs a week right now eating Paleo, but I have cut my nuts/fats/fruit servings down to 1 a day each and I primarily eat veggies with a bit of meats. Anywho.... it would be worth another try for you, Paleo isn't just for the weight loss, it's for your overall health. And make sure to do your research on how to lose weight on a Paleo diet! Good luck.