HELP! I've actually gained weight

JulieGirl58

I've been a member for a couple months now and have actually gained weight. It seems like tracking my food makes me into a crazy person and I now eat more than usual. Suddenly all this focus on what I am eating makes me feel hungry all the time. Before when I wasn't thinking about what I ate I actually ate less and sometimes even forgot to eat. I had a couple of MFP friends at first but then decided to just do this with my family. They do not log in on a regular basis so I am not getting enough support. I hope my old friends recognise me and invite me back. I am 58 and about 50 pounds overweight. I want to be healthier, not just lose pounds. I have longevity in my genes and my family tends to live into their 90's and beyond. If I'm going to get that old I want to be healthy, not in a nursing home. HELP! I need friends.

Cynlou226

Eating is a hobby for me and my husband. So, I have searched out lo-cal. snacks. Sugar free Jell-O, strawberries with angel food cake, 100 cal. popcorn. You can do it. Adjust your snacking to lo-cal would be my suggestion.

Victoria0509

I use to go crazy thinking about keeping track of my food but then I realized that I basically eat the same foods consistently and if
I save the food or recipe I can just plug it in and forget about it. I use the calorie counter and save the recipes and it's so easy!
Don't freak out about it. I'm to the point where I know what I can eat at each meal and not write it all down unless I go out to eat
or eat something new. Good luck and hang in there. Be sure and weigh your food. Sounds to me like you might not be doing that if
you are gaining.

bevmcarthur

you can add me as a friend if you like also can you open share your diary so we can see what you are eating that way we can maybe give you ideas of what to change or add

jackieg218

hello there, I actually dont know you but would be glad to be friends if you would like. I am 43 and so far have lost 52 lbs. Feel free to add me if you would like. I log every day. Good luck on your journey!

Jackie

mikkiforsyth

Are you working out and tracking that too?

I sometimes find myself eating more on work out days because, obviously cardio changes the calorie count.

Also, if you think you've just hit a plateau try having one high calorie day to jump start your metabolism.

JulieGirl58

Thanks for all the replys.

bevmcarthur

Hi Julie
i have had a look at your diet you really need to add real food to your diet
your sugar in take is VERY high i dont see a lot of veggies in your daily intake add good fats and proteins and eat clean foods everyday you eat a lot of bad sugar add 2 servings of fruit to your diet like berries they are GREAT for you and are low in natural sugar add 1/4 avocado or almonds or coconut oils eggs for good fat
do you know how many calories you should be eating a day? do you do any cardio or weight training?
I eat a 40/40/20 diet that being 40 carbs 40 protein 20 fats
hope this help

JulieGirl58

My sweet tooth is my biggest problem. I love fruit so adding that is not hard. Veggies are a little bit more difficult. But I'm trying harder now and I think with input I can do better.

JulieGirl58

Working out is difficult due to a knee injury. But I have a total gym and a recumbent bike so I need to stop making excuses.

bevmcarthur

Julie
i asked you this the other day do you know how many calories you should be eating ?
i eat 40 protein 40 carbs 20 fats
if you look at my dairy you will see that i do occasionally have a treat as i also have a sweet tooth but its a treat not something i have everyday you will also see that i have sugar in m diet it but its all natural from fruits and veggies
i see u like ice-cream have you ever tried Skinny cow ?
Or make your own Sherbet all it is is fruit

kalinsak

Good morning Julie, Yup that can happen. Tracking what we eat is one of the keys to weight management. Hunger can be a real drag for sure. I would be happy to friend you and help with support. Discuss foods, recipes, activity whatever will help. Look for me. Take care, Steve

lnxjenn

Try the small frequent meals, like eat every 2-3 hours. Have a snack that is protein and carb like Veggies and hummus. And have a good quality breakfast and lunch. Seriously! I have been really making myself stick to 2-3 hours between eating, and I've already seen some improvements on my weight and hunger level! When before, eating just breakfast, lunch, dinner with maybe a snack, with several hours between, I wasn't losing at ALL and went up to 223 :frown: So, try that! Could help you quite a bit!

jen4relient22

i totally understand eating more now that you are tracking... i've done the same thing. however, i have really switched all of my snacking foods to healthier options....
so instead of having ice cream for dessert, i have a frozen greek yogurt bar (seriously delicious and only 80 cals!) or a banana with peanut butter or low fat pudding on top... seriously delicious!
vegetables are harder for me to snack on, but i have found that cherry tomatoes are amazing as a quick snack and virtually zero calories, and sliced up cucumbers are really good along side that.
low fat string cheese is also really good because it takes a while to eat so it distracts me for a little while. popcorn is the same way.

good luck!

Akimajuktuq

There's some very bad advice here promoting low calorie and low fat dieting (20% fat WTH?!). WHAT you eat matters. Since sugar is a problem (likely carbs from processed foods in general) please look into a high fat (natural healthy fats from animals, coconut, olives, avocado etc), moderate protein, and low carb (I do NOT mean processed foods labelled "low carb") lifestyle.

Contrary to what most people on MFP say, there's far more to fat loss than just calories in/calories out. The endocrine system manages metabolism with hormones and that drives fat storage, hunger,etc.

And I assure you that a ketogenic lifestyle is healthy. The list of health problems that I have resolved is miraculous, but totally typical of other people who have a ketogenic lifestyle. However, I don't recommend a ketogenic lifestyle as a temporary fix or if weight loss is the only goal. This is a way that I can live forever so there is no finish line where I will resume eating the same foods that made me sick.

I hope you find what works for you.

98by2014

I know how you feel - somehow, becoming more conscious of what you ate makes you eat more and I feel like sometimes looking at your food log makes you unable to wait for the next meal.

I think that with your knee injury, maybe you could do some cardio that focuses on your upper body instead of your legs, such as windmills (I find these extremely fun, haha) or punches? Maybe even some light kick boxing, making sure that you focus on your knee in order not to put it out after one extremely enthusiastic high kick.

When it comes to your sweet tooth, how about boiled sweets? If I have a craving for sweets, I love to grab a couple of wherthers originals and because they are hard sweets, they take a long time to suck on and even if you chew on them you get bored of it after a while because they stick to your teeth ect. Also, I love sherbert fruits like sherbert lemons for when I want something sour :-)

I know its not much but I hope this helps a little bit! :-)

susanswan

HI Julie,
I started to get control of my eating habits when I turned 50. It's been a long process with ups and downs. Like you I wanted to be healthy into old age, not have a heart attack or stroke waiting for me one day. I began to read everything and knew that healthy eating was where it was at for me. It was a tough choice, but I made the commitment to health and have never looked back.

My first wake up call was meeting folks who had lost huge amounts of weight. When I asked how they did it they told me they cut out white flour and sugar. Bummer. I loved to bake cheesecakes and anything else I could find a recipe for. I was 205 pounds and so sick of the whole package that goes with it! Just sick of it. I made the choice to first stop white flour and sugar. I read Dr. Oz You On A Diet. It was very informative. (That was when he was on Oprah all the time showing internal organs of folks who ate crap in their diets.) Within 2 weeks or less my sugar cravings were simply gone! For the first time in my life I was no longer a slave to my husband bringing in a carton of ice cream or a bag of cookies. I finally had the power to say no to them! I felt I was really onto something. It motivated me to lose 53 pounds.

I started with just walking because my knees are iffy and I didn't want to get hurt. I also began using light dumbbells. For women our age who lived a life of physical neglect, getting hurt is easy, so start small if you do something. Something else that was also important to me was fitting it in to my regular day. Walking works. Soon I was no longer short of breath when I walked and I even rescued a dog to be my walking buddy to make it more fun. Now I tell myself I do it for him.

If you are interested in health you might want to check out www.drfuhrman.com I stumbled upon him on PBS. His angle is food is your medicine. I got on board with that. Nutrition is the basis of his family practice and has helped thousands of people lose weight and more importantly come back or prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and auto immune diseases just by the use of relearning to eat plenty of produce, something I never did enough of. It has changed my life. I am interested in prevention rather than treatment. I've been following his program for about a year and a half and have never had more energy. I lost my last 10 pounds easier than the first and I eat tons of food! I am never hungry. My goal is to follow him about 90% allowing 10% for "real life" events.

So what ever you choose to do, keep working towards your goal. Keep searching for answers that you need. It's been 6 years for me and I still have my struggles. I made it to 135 pounds and went from a size 16 to a 4! I've never felt better in my life. I did start baking again for the holidays and my weight popped right up 9 pounds! It was very scary. I realize since I met my goal and even got below to 132.6 I loosened up on my eating. That is when all of the old habits come rushing back in. I realize I can't do that. Any little thing I do causes instant weight gain for me. But I know what to do and I know that every day or every week does not need to contain a treat. Good health should be my treat. That is what is important to me now, and every day I need to start by reminding myself.

You can add me as a friend if you like. My profile is open. Good luck on finding your way, I know you can do it as long as you don't give up!

toutmonpossible

I've been a member for a couple months now and have actually gained weight. It seems like tracking my food makes me into a crazy person and I now eat more than usual. Suddenly all this focus on what I am eating makes me feel hungry all the time. Before when I wasn't thinking about what I ate I actually ate less and sometimes even forgot to eat. I had a couple of MFP friends at first but then decided to just do this with my family. They do not log in on a regular basis so I am not getting enough support. I hope my old friends recognise me and invite me back. I am 58 and about 50 pounds overweight. I want to be healthier, not just lose pounds. I have longevity in my genes and my family tends to live into their 90's and beyond. If I'm going to get that old I want to be healthy, not in a nursing home. HELP! I need friends.

Tracking everything you eat for a while can be an excellent education. If you really can't stand it, work out 6 to 8 healthy meals that create a deficit that are composed of known foods and eat nothing but them for a couple of months. And weigh yourself at least weekly. Track your body fat too if you can.

JulieGirl58

I'm supposed to have 1500 calories a day. But I tend to eat more like 2000. I have this weird mental attitude that I deserve to eat what I want. It will be a challenge to cut back on my calories and eat healthier. I've been thin most of my life and could eat whatever I wanted for years. Now suddenly the old lady fairy and the fat lady fairy have ganged up on me and changed my metabolism and I can't do that any more.

bevmcarthur

i hear you on the age thing i am 50 i i have a hard time losing also weight also ? Are you going by what MFP says you are to eat or by another calculator and are you adding your own numbers to MFP or using what they say you should eat as i find it dosnt give you enough protein if you need help with that just let me know and i will tell you how to change it on MFP

Bradfi

For me, I LOVE sweets. Soda, chocolate, lots of goodies. If you have a hard time getting away from the sweets, change what sweets you're eating. Personally I don't believe in diets, I believe in clean eating. Eating REAL food, not food-like products is what dropped me 10lbs in a month. When you get a sweet craving, eat an apple, banana, anything that is REAL and FRESH! If you don't like veggies, I mean they should be a staple in your diet, try eating sugar snap/snow peas. They are sweet, crunchy, and refreshing. Soda is a great thing to drink less of if you want to trim up. Other fresh, sweeter veggies I'd suggest are carrots and jicama(another root). Good luck!

TheNewLorrain

first of all stop beating yourself up over it. We all go through plateaus hit that proverbial rut Please feel free to add me as a friend. I have over a hundred lbs to lose but for me its 1 at a time. Have you taken a look at your daily diary to see what are your routine foods you eat? Are any of them ones that you could change up? replace with foods that fill you up better and have same or lower calorie? just a couple of suggestions. Also if you are excercising regularly muscle weighs more then fat henceforth gaining weight look forward to chatting with you.....Lorrain

TheNewLorrain

my first two days on this program my calorie intake was too high so glad I adjusted it because I dropped four lbs. Mental attitude goes along way. And sadly we may want what we want but its not always the way it is. Sure I want to eat a big ol bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce. Do I ? nope...have it in moderation proper serving and count your calories. Be accountable. You aren't fooling anyone but yourself sadly. Our weight is there for all the world to see. by cheating the system you are only cheating yourself. You are worth so much more then that

JulieGirl58

I'm actually going to be following The Full Plate Diet which focuses on adding fiber to your diet and eating clean. I don't pay much attention to the guidelines from MFP. But I'm trying to educate myself on healty eating, too.

MichelleMac58

Feel free to add me for support......been there and done that but finally with mfp I'm getting there slowly but surely.

lucyhross

I've been a member for a couple months now and have actually gained weight. It seems like tracking my food makes me into a crazy person and I now eat more than usual. Suddenly all this focus on what I am eating makes me feel hungry all the time. Before when I wasn't thinking about what I ate I actually ate less and sometimes even forgot to eat. I had a couple of MFP friends at first but then decided to just do this with my family. They do not log in on a regular basis so I am not getting enough support. I hope my old friends recognise me and invite me back. I am 58 and about 50 pounds overweight. I want to be healthier, not just lose pounds. I have longevity in my genes and my family tends to live into their 90's and beyond. If I'm going to get that old I want to be healthy, not in a nursing home. HELP! I need friends.

i think this is exactly whats happening to me! logging all my food makes me want it more! im in the exact same boat as you- i keep digging myself a digger hole!

but lets keep our heads up! we can so this!

(if you do get any tips/ resolutions pls let me know!)

larsensue

I have also gained weight. don't know what to do, very upsetting!

RebelRenny

There sure is something to be said about the mental aspect. Especially if you've been thin all your life until....

I have found that, although I am disciplined for periods of time, the more I obsess about my weight the more I want food. Instead, I have decided to educate myself on what good nutrition is and eat for health instead of eating to lose weight. It promotes a shift in my thinking, and I have lost weight in the process.

I've been helped by reading Dr. Fuhrman's and Jon Gabriel's books. I have also connected with people who are all on similar journeys and of similar age.

Feel free to friend me or message me. As it happens, I have not logged my food recently, because I am going through a spell that I have been very busy and in any event eat very healthy foods. I do log my exercise though.

All the best to you.
Renny