How the hell did I gain weight?

Looks like you might be a little high in salt with the olive binging lol I have read they are higher in sodium...

Taco Bell too is probably a bit higher in salt... so you could be retaining water.

I saw Mexican food, donuts, olives, and absolutely no water. The weight won't come off until you clean up your diet, unfortunately. Not that you can't eat the occasional donut, but you probably can't have four and expect weight to come off, especially in combination with everything else, at amounts that put you well over your goal.

I know it's frustrating. I spent the last year lifting weights and working out like crazy, and lost the same four pounds over and over again. It wasn't until I started eating better - way better - that the weight started to move again. It wasn't so much the calories, either - I'm only about 100 less than what I averaged before - but the quality of the food is way better. I still get to have treats, in fact I'm eating ice cream right now, but it's low fat with a cup of blueberries thrown in.

It's a challenge, but you can get a handle on your choices, and soon you'll find you don't miss the things you used to choose.

A calorie is a calorie.. eating clean will keep you from retaining water but in the grand scheme of things you aren't going to get fatter just because you ate 500 calories worth of pastries instead of say, fruit. Not saying you did, just an example.

I think your "extra weight" is water I personally don't have the cleanest diet either so I have days where I weigh a bit more than usual and am bloated.. then the next day I look thinner and lo and behold have lost 3-4 lbs.. it's ridiculous

Unless you overate your TDEE by 5250 calories in the past nine days, it is probably just water weight my dear

Okay so I am guilty of not exercising at the gym for about 9 days and I was super stressed out so I kind of went bazzurk on the portion control and didn't eat "clean" majority of those 9 days.
However I had my weight loss goal set at 1 1/2 weight loss per week. Few times I went over my calorie limit by 300-500, which would atleast have me lose a pound a week or half a pound or even maintain right?
I ended up gaining 1.5lbs in 9 days.
My diary log is open, so anybody please give me advice.

Much appreciated.

If your last weigh-in that you are comparing to was the morning after a big cardio night and you didn't eat enough carbs, you probably had false weight loss from glucose stores/water being used up.

You restored them, and the sodium water retention in addition. Then weighed. Gain. False gain.

Don't know if weigh-in comment was true, but you might look.

Now true, if you really were eating at a deficit, you still should have lost some, not gain.

Sounds like you don't have the deficit you think you do.

Because your metabolism slowed down already?
Because your metabolism is slower than expected anyway?

2 directions to take to test it out. One will lead to more slowdown eventually, one will lead to higher metabolism eventually.

There was this study recently where a professor set to out to prove that a calorie was a calorie. He ate nothing but junk and still managed to lose weight. The key was he stayed within his calorie goal, which is why he was able to lose weight. I bet it was really hard to stay under the calorie goal while eating nothing but junk because it's just not very filling. Now, if you don't have the pressure to complete a grand experiment the way he did, my theory is most people couldn't have done it.

I don't believe you need to eat cleancleanclean all the time. But you do need to move more to a 90/10 plan - 90% of the time I'm going to eat healthier foods, and 10% I'll have Taco Bell or Krispie Kreme. Basically, it's the way naturally thin people seem to eat all the time without thinking about it even. The rest of us have to retrain our brains, bodies and palates.

Start small. Are there smarter options at Taco Bell? Or, better yet, can you start making your own version at home? I have tacos, pizza, steak, and the aforementioned ice cream, it's just different than it used to be because I make it myself or found a healthier version of what I really liked, and I'm careful on the portions.

Okay so I am guilty of not exercising at the gym for about 9 days and I was super stressed out so I kind of went bazzurk on the portion control and didn't eat "clean" majority of those 9 days.
However I had my weight loss goal set at 1 1/2 weight loss per week. Few times I went over my calorie limit by 300-500, which would atleast have me lose a pound a week or half a pound or even maintain right?
I ended up gaining 1.5lbs in 9 days.
My diary log is open, so anybody please give me advice.

Much appreciated.

I know a lot of people subscribe to the "calories in/calories out" thinking; that you can eat whatever as long as you stay under your calorie goal.

I am not one of those people.


Clean it up for 1-2 weeks and see if that makes a difference. I can eat under or just at my calorie goal, but if it's sugar and processed foods I'll plump right up around the tummy.

A calorie is a calorie.. <snip>

No.

This is the whole problem. We are told a calorie is a calorie. It is not true. I just wish someone had told me a long time ago .

It looks to me like you are eating way to many carbs and to much sugar. I would cut out some of the carbs and sugar and eat more fruits and vegetables. Also, drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help. Make sure you get some kind of exercise in at least 5 days a week.

Good Luck!!

A calorie is a calorie.. <snip>

No.

This is the whole problem. We are told a calorie is a calorie. It is not true. I just wish someone had told me a long time ago .

orlly?

Just a suggestion: If you're eating a lot of processed foods, how can you be absolutely sure that the calories on the package are correct? Same with fast food etc... There is no way to tell how many calories you really had unless you prepared the meal yourself without using processed food.

I just think there are bad calories and good calories...I'd rather fill up on the good..the bad ones make you retain water, take longer to digest etc.

Unless you overate your TDEE by 5250 calories in the past nine days, it is probably just water weight my dear

^This! Also, TOM? That makes my weight fluctuate by three pounds or so.

A calorie is a calorie, that can go either way....but do you think your body responds the same to junk. If You ate, fruits, veggies, eggs, chicken etc for a 1200 calorie day-compared to a big mac fries and a coke, plus some cake...yes that may =1200 BUT no way you would be healthy! ...PLUS I read that Donuts are one of the top 3 worst foods ever! No nutritional value at all! Just a waste of calories! If you go a week of no fast food, soda and just clean healthy eating, I bet those 1.5 pounds come off plus some! Be kind to your body and it will repay you for it.
Plus if it is just water weight, eating healthy food will definitely keep the sodium down and de-bloat you

Sticking to a strict meal plan will eliminate any problems you are having with calorie problems. Because then you know the exact calorie amount! yes it is not easy! but I do it. And have lost 3 pounds in one week. Try not to venture to far off the path. Especially when looking up calorie intake on here or online, its not always gonna be right.