Eating less, exercising more, but GAINING weight! Why?

LAWSBIGGAL
LAWSBIGGAL Posts: 47
in Motivation and Support
I just started a new job where I walk about a block and a half everyday at LEAST twice a day, but usually 4 times a day. ALSO...I walk the stairs to the 4th floor every morning and evening and most days for lunch and some days even for my two breaks. Up and Down.

Prior to this I worked at a place where I parked right outside my office door and walked straight into my desk that was literally right inside/beside the door and barely moved all day, I used to eat french fries and with either chicken nuggets, fish sticks, hot dogs, or something along those lines just about 5 days a wk. I also ate tons of pizza...anywhere from 3-5 pieces in a sitting. Not to mention, I snacked practically all day long.

NOW...not only do I get the everyday exercise I mentioned above, but I also move around a lot in my workplace. I can't snack all day long, so I almost never snack at all unless I simply feel sick from hunger, but even then I just take a couple bites of something just to put something on my stomach so I don't feel sick. I occasionally go out to eat at lunch and get a sandwich or something sort of light. I usually just eat a smart ones or lean cuisine or something like that these days. I'm drinking more water than I usually do. I may have a couple of sodas a day, but that's not something new. The only difference with that is now I'm drinking caffeine-free instead of regular.

So what's the deal? Why is my stomach and muffin top getting bigger, and my clothes are getting tighter and the number on the scale is going up. I just don't understand if I'm eating less and moving around much more than I was, then why am I getting FATTER? :(

Replies

  • beckyh444
    beckyh444 Posts: 6 Member
    Are you keeping track of everything you are eating and drinking? Sometimes those light foods have lots of hidden calories that you wouldn't have thought were there. For example the chicken Cobb salad with crispy chicken at red robin has waaaay more calories than the hamburger and French fries....go figure. Deception can play a big part of this. Try logging everything you do and see if you can see a change. Drop a soda a day and you'll be dropping 200 calories :)
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    Keep in mind it's 80% diet, 20% exercise...so I would look at your diary log. As long as your netting at least 1,200 calories a day I bet you can find it in there. Watch your sodium intake as well.
  • jordanreddick
    jordanreddick Posts: 197 Member
    Sodium can be a horrible monster to deal with, I know I retain 3-4 pounds of water on a bad sodium day even if I drink a butt load of water to try and counteract I will still swell. Not to mention the processed "low calorie" foods are LOADED with sodium. That is how they sell you, low calorie but had to but something in there for the taste factor. Log EVERYTHING...It may be tedious, but from what you say you are eating, walking 3 blocks a day and up and down 4 flights of stairs is not going to counteract what you are putting in. You may not eat a lot of actual food, but the amount of sodas you are drinking in a day is almost your alotted calorie intake for the day. Leaving you with no room to wiggle on your food intake. Cutting out those things will make an amazing diffence I promise. Start small with that and then move to all natural raw fruits and vegetable with lean protein and the scale and inches will melt off. After you are comfortable with your diet, add exercise in and your journey is in full force. Good luck! Fell free to add me.
  • LAWSBIGGAL
    LAWSBIGGAL Posts: 47
    WOW! That is GREAT advice! Thank you so much! I actually really thought about the soda thing yesterday because I never do this, but I drank a soda for breakfast and ate nothing else. I seriously never do this, and trust me I never will again because it made me so sick. I barely made it to the bathroom at work yesterday and threw it all back up. Ew! I wish I didn't love soda so much. It's not even the flavor so much...sometimes the flavor is really good, but it's more of an addiction to the carbonation. Does that make any sense? lol

    I hadn't really thought about my sodium intake. I will try to track every single thing and adjust it. I need to marry a chef that cooks nothing but healthy/whole foods. lol I love to eat it, I just don't like taking the time to make it...I hate to cook. I've fallen into the lazy convenience trap...hence the reason I struggle with weight these days. :(

    Thanks guys!
  • Pir8life
    Pir8life Posts: 9
    You sound like me...in the past. There are many reasons that you mentioned why you are gaining rather than losing. The small changes that you've made by taking the stairs and walking are good changes and it's more than nothing. But the biggest weight loss gains will come from keeping your heart rate up for 30-45 minutes to start. For someone just starting to work out that's not easy but can be achieved by giving it your best and gradually increasing to meet your goal. You'll be surprised at just how quickly that can happen. Secondly, your diet sounds like it's self destructing. A few bites here and there of what? A few bites of a Nutrigrain bar is going to have a different impact than say some Greek yogurt and a handful of almonds. I eat all day long...literally. If you look at my diary, you'll see just how much I eat. I eat BEFORE I get hungry. If I even think I'm going to be hungry, I grab something quick and healthy. That and water. I now drink 128oz of water a day. That's not for everyone and it all depends on you, your size etc. Google how much water you need, it's easy to find.

    I used to drink maybe a glass of water if that a day. Mostly soda's, sweet tea etc. my exercise consisted of working in the yard or around the house and I ate like a small kid. A few pizza rolls here, a Nutrigrain bar when starving, or in a pinch I'd grab a fruit smoothie from the local coffee shop. I never lost weight unless I ate something jacked up and hit the toilet several times a day. And then , I would go cool, i just lost weight and eat something completely off the charts.

    Today is my fourth day at this. I had to grab myself by the collar and shake myself good saying, "Be honest, you're not fooling anyone, not even yourself." With the help of my wife, this forum and myself, I am well on track. I am not an expert, just some guy that's been where you are but is now going in the right direction. My first weigh in will be Sunday, I sneaked a peek and I am 5lbs down so far and it's just Wednesday. I may not be perfect with my weight loss plan but it's working! I have more energy, I have goals and I have all of the friends from this sight cheering me on. Check out my diary and add me if you'd like. We can do this together!!
  • Jenn264
    Jenn264 Posts: 43
    Make sure you are getting a good breakfast in. I usually have a piece of whole grain bread (80 cals per slice), Put simply Jiff creamy peanut butter on there and some fat free cottage cheese or a hard boiled egg. I try to eat every 3 hours to keep my metabolism going, meals consisting of (300 calories or so) and drink plenty of water. Try to cut the pop out or drink diet soda, I think not drinking any pop helps A LOT with weight loss. Id say watch your sodium too, those frozen meals can fool you. Hope this helped.
  • Gabster25
    Gabster25 Posts: 6
    This is so true. Those frozen meals are convenient and low cal, but have lots of sodium. The also tend to be carb heavy with pasta and rice as main dish. You are probably retaining lots of water. Make sure to track everyday and check your report to see if you are withing the protein, carb, and fat ratio. Remember, high carbs turns into sugars which turns into fat and weight gain.
  • rustigirl619
    rustigirl619 Posts: 1 Member
    I just started the Mediterranean diet on Monday, and weighed myself this morning and was up 2 pounds! Frustrating! I am doing 1500 calories a day and exercising every day, and have completely stopped drinking. I think I may be taking in too much water and sodium. I have to remember its a marathon not a sprint. Good luck everyone!
  • strawberrycoconut87
    strawberrycoconut87 Posts: 19 Member
    Sometimes I just get bloated, myself. Also, your period can make you gain a bit of weight temporarily. Once, I was dieting very strictly, weighing myself daily, and one morning I got on the scale and I weighed like 5 pounds heavier than the day before. I knew immediately it must be period weight because nothing else would make any sense.
  • kessler4130
    kessler4130 Posts: 150 Member
    Watch this video, this guy is a wizard when it comes to fitness.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcM8HablpZk
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
    Unless you've gained more than a couple of pounds, don't worry. Stick with your plan and you'll lose soon.
  • jdrake621
    jdrake621 Posts: 1 Member
    I would say you need to cut your soda out for sure. But you also might need to eat more. But when I say eat more its more healthy food. No processed food. Its no good for you. I have done multiple workout programs one I only focused on exercising and felt I was doing much better with my food intake but my results were not what they should have or could have been. Then I started a new program and it really taught me how to eat the right foods and the amounts. In the 21 days I lost 11 pounds and 7 and 1/4 inches. Add me as a friend and I don't mind helping you with what you are eating etc..
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    I would say you need to cut your soda out for sure. But you also might need to eat more. But when I say eat more its more healthy food. No processed food. Its no good for you. I have done multiple workout programs one I only focused on exercising and felt I was doing much better with my food intake but my results were not what they should have or could have been. Then I started a new program and it really taught me how to eat the right foods and the amounts. In the 21 days I lost 11 pounds and 7 and 1/4 inches. Add me as a friend and I don't mind helping you with what you are eating etc..

    First post and the fact you're here to build your MLM pyramid shows ... congrats.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    OP ... make sure you accurately log everything you put in your mouth. You might not snack throughout the day but that doesn't mean you're not taking in more calories than you think at meals, your sodium intake might contribute to water retention, hormonal issues come into play, along with literally thousands of other possibilities. Accurate logging helps identify potential issues. Be completely honest with yourself about how active you are. Walking is a great exercise but it does not burn many net calories compared to other activities. Overestimation of caloric burn is quite common on MFP ... sometimes its a simple thing such as a calculator that provides total rather than net burn (an error that almost doubles the calories from walking), sometimes it's people believing marketing hype rather than science.

    Once you address those aspects, open your diary so the community can look for indicators of what the issue is.
  • StrongHealthyPowerful
    StrongHealthyPowerful Posts: 98 Member
    If you are crazy about the carbonation, have you thought about switching to seltzer? That might help you wean yourself off it, and it's a much more healthy option...

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