Help! What am i doing wrong?

Rashmi_mishra

Hi

I just got off the GM diet and moved onto MFP. I am 180lb female! Its been 15 days and i have actually gained back the weight i lost during the GM diet and have to start all over again. I am eating more or less at the recommended net calories (1260) and try and exercise at least 3 days a week for 20-30 minutes (Zumba, Strength) and eat back most of the calories burned. I have not yet started losing weight. What am i doing wrong? When can i expect to see the scale dropping :frown:

LosingitinWY

Hi You probably aren't doing anything wrong. How are you feeling?? I'd recommend NOT watching the scale for a couple of weeks. Base things on how you feel. If you are consuming enough water and nutrients and eating the right kinds of foods with a balance of carbs/protiens/etc then you should be feeling more energetic. Give it a couple of weeks for your body to regulate after beginning something new before you begin to watch the scale. Just my opinion I know it's harder to say than do too! We all want to see instant results.

ladymnlite

If you're gaining weight, you may be putting on muscle mass from the exercise... which would be a good thing because that muscle will burn more fat during the day. Did you just start exercising recently?

Also, you may be overestimating how many calories you are burning while exercising. If that is the case then you eat them back and end up eating too much back.

bonitacash08

Hi,

My guess would be you're not eating enough for your activity level, age, weight, and height. There are tons of calculators available to help you figure out how much you can eat to lose weight safely.

Good Luck

Rashmi_mishra

Thanks! I am feeling better and more energetic and have lost a little around the hips due to all the Zumba :-) BUT that damn scale isn't budging!! ordered a body tape measure and personal body fat tester from amazon to make me feel better and track progress..

donna1432

Its because it was a diet.. first 3 letters what do you see ;(... it has to be about a lifestyle change of eating healthy (nutriton) and working out and keeping your goals close by always

queenbea77

Go to the "scoobyworkshop.com" calculator here and find your BMR & your TDEE. Compare your TDEE calories to what you are eating now - you might not be eating enough to compensate for the amount of exercise & activity you are doing. How much water are you drinking? That could also be a factor.

I was trying to eat 1,200 cal per day plus working out 5 x week x 60 - 90 min (spin, boxing etc) and wasn't having any luck. I did my calculations that I mentioned above & subtracted 20% from my TDEE which showed me needing to eat around 1,800 cal per day. I've been losing 1/2 lb per week - not much of course but it's more than I saw when I was doing 1,200 calories.

ami5000psu

If you're gaining weight, you may be putting on muscle mass from the exercise... which would be a good thing because that muscle will burn more fat during the day. Did you just start exercising recently?

Also, you may be overestimating how many calories you are burning while exercising. If that is the case then you eat them back and end up eating too much back.

She's not putting on muscle from Zumba.

OP what is probably happening is that 1. you were on a diet before that was probably pretty restrictive. I don't know what the GM diet is but you probably gained weight back because you stopped doing whatever the diet told you you should be doing. That does not mean you should start doing it again. 2. You're most likely not eating enough even if you are underestimating the calories you are eating and overestimating a burn. This is probably because you set an aggressive weekly weight loss. Either change it to .5 or 1 pound a week, eat more, and eat back exercise calories or use the scooby calculator. At the very least eat your BMR. Get a food scale if you don't have one already and weigh everything. Good luck!

queenbea77

If you're gaining weight, you may be putting on muscle mass from the exercise... which would be a good thing because that muscle will burn more fat during the day. Did you just start exercising recently?

Also, you may be overestimating how many calories you are burning while exercising. If that is the case then you eat them back and end up eating too much back.

She's not putting on muscle from Zumba.

OP what is probably happening is that 1. you were on a diet before that was probably pretty restrictive. I don't know what the GM diet is but you probably gained weight back because you stopped doing whatever the diet told you you should be doing. That does not mean you should start doing it again. 2. You're most likely not eating enough even if you are underestimating the calories you are eating and overestimating a burn. This is probably because you set an aggressive weekly weight loss. Either change it to .5 or 1 pound a week, eat more, and eat back exercise calories or use the scooby calculator. At the very least eat your BMR. Get a food scale if you don't have one already and weigh everything. Good luck!

I agree - I always measure & weigh my food - it's shocking to dish something out that you would normally eat and then dish it out according to the "correct measurement". I had that eye opener yesterday when I measured out 1 oz. of cheese - all I could think of was "OH my, all these years I've been probably eating 5x the right amount!"

Check out your measurements on the scoobyworkshop calculator and get back to us - we're here to help! After all we are all in the same boat. Friend me if you like

Rashmi_mishra

Thanks everyone :-) I'm a newbie and trying to understand all this and apply! appreciate all the help and advise! I did go off my net calorie goal on the weekend and trying to make up now.