Help! I'm gaining weight!

ellend17
ellend17 Posts: 58
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I joined MFP about 3 months ago and to begin with lost a few pounds so was thrilled.
Then I booked a holiday so started sticking to 1200 cals a day and not logging my exercise in an attempt to lose weight faster and gained a pound. So looked at the forums on here and saw I should be eating more to make up for the exercise I was doing. SO for the past 3 weeks or so I have been logging my exercise - which is usually a 15 min walk each day, plus either a 20 min run or 20/30 minutes on the elliptical/exercise bike, and eating more calories to make up for this. I lost another couple of pounds, but have now gained one again!
I know weight loss is slow, but I am going on holiday in 4 weeks and would love to just lose a little bit more so I can feel great in a bikini, then I will carry on afterwards and accept that losing the rest will be a slow process.

I'm 5'7, started off at 154 lbs and am currently 146lbs. Would love to be under the 140 lb mark (eventually, I know this won't happen in 4 weeks!) I usually eat porridge for breakfast, fruit at midmorning, salad for lunch with some fruit, and then have a hot meal in the evening, such as jacket potato, or something with brown rice, and allow myself a little treat such as a low cal chocolate bar.

Any advice or tips would be very gratefully received!

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You need to be patient (easier said than done I know). Due to water weight fluctuation from a number of things including sodium, exercise and out cycles, 'real' weigh loss can be masked so a slightly longer trend (at least 4 weeks) needs to be looked at. At your height and weight you are already pretty lean and getting those last few pounds off can take a little while.

    If you do not do so already, I would think about strength training - but after you get back off vacation.

    Based on your example menu, your protein must be really low - I would look at your macro settings. If you opened your diary, advice could be more specific (although brace yourself for the people who think you need to cut out food groups if you do!)
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    Weight loss is slow, if you do it quick it will quickly come back on. Are you tracking everything in your diary? Fruit juices, soda/pop etc have loads off sugars and calories for example. You wanna work out your TDEE and then start at consuming 200 calories lower than that, also I put in exercise to my diary but ignore it to my final figure.

    Dont let a pound or 2 here put you off, keep smiling and pushing on!
  • ellend17
    ellend17 Posts: 58
    Diary is now public..
    I try and track everything as accurately as possible by scanning barcodes, and go with what that logs, even though that sometimes differs from what the packaging says?
    Also, should I be logging every tiny bit of exercise - I don't usually log the walk I do at lunchtime as I am sitting for the rest of the day and it really only burns max 100 cals.

    Will look at my TDEE (not sure what that is but i'm sure google will!) and see what that says.

    Thank you both!
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    I only log my runs for personal achievement not to minus it from my calorie intake. I see you have made another thread, will take a look :) Just try to stick to under 200 calories off your TDEE (dont count your exercise in this)
  • GingerRunner
    GingerRunner Posts: 69
    More protein! :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Diary is now public..
    I try and track everything as accurately as possible by scanning barcodes, and go with what that logs, even though that sometimes differs from what the packaging says?
    Also, should I be logging every tiny bit of exercise - I don't usually log the walk I do at lunchtime as I am sitting for the rest of the day and it really only burns max 100 cals.

    Will look at my TDEE (not sure what that is but i'm sure google will!) and see what that says.

    Thank you both!

    I would not worry about the odd walk here and there myself.

    I had a quick look at your diary and your protein looks low - I would try to increase that and hit at least 100g a day (about 110g would be better).

    This thread explains TDEE and setting your calori goal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    you should probably be eating more than net 1200 cals given your size, with only a few pounds to go you should be looking at losing 0.5lb per week.

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