I think MFP is making me fatter

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Replies

  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..even though I don't go completely bonkers with it. I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

    Alot of that has to be water retention cause there is no way you could gain that much fat... I had my spike day/cheat day yesterday and ate half dozen hot wings with celery/ranch, super nacho's, and a 10 in Pizza, and capped the night with a large DQ blizzard and even though I don't get on the scale but once a week I will guarantee I am up 5 or 6 lbs. but it is just water weight.. I get back on point this A.M. , already got my workout in for the day (burned 1526 calories) and by Monday I will be back at weight and pushing to lose my 1/2 lb. for this weeks goal... Remember that last 10 lbs. is always the hardest to get off..... Best of Luck...
  • sebastiana29
    sebastiana29 Posts: 6
    When I hit puberty, my mom gave me a book that calculated the calories in every food and the calories in every exercise. I became obsessed and it started a lifelong struggle with food. A calorie is NOT a calorie. They are good to keep track of, but that's only the surface. If you're getting out of control with it, walk away - there are other ways to watch what you eat, like writing down what you eat, how much, and how you feel about it in a paper journal

    I have a nutritionist friend who hates MFP because it tracks your carbs/fats/proteins without looking at what KIND of fats/carbs you are eating. But it is an easy tool for me to watch what I eat - especially portion sizes. I can down a whole bag of trail mix thinking "fruit! healthy nut fats!" and then end up gaining weight in spite of all my training. That's where MFP is useful. I also like to log how certain foods make me feel - if they make me gassy, if they're filling, if they feel good before/after a workout.

    Bottom line: this site is a tool. Eventually, the idea is to internalize your sense of portion sizes and nutrition and your awareness of the nutrients you are getting over the course of a day/week and not necessarily need it anymore.

    Good luck...
  • mmychal
    mmychal Posts: 69
    Though I can't see your diary, I'm guessing that if you are feeling hungry after reaching your calorie limit, then you must be eating some empty calories or not enough protein. I used to eat almost double the recommended calories MFP suggests before I started logging and I always felt hungry. The reason for that is I was eating lots of terrible empty calories (processed foods, chips, excessive sugar). When I switched to tracking calories I also decided to eat more whole foods and lean proteins. Even though I was eating fewer calories, I was packing in the protein and I really felt full.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    This is my first time logging food, and it's the first time in more than a decade that I have set aside time in my day for exercise. I have experienced phenomenal weight loss in just under one month.

    I hope you find something that works for you.
  • larosita57
    larosita57 Posts: 60 Member
    I hear ya....MFP has really helped me see how much unhealthy crap I was consuming, but the down side is that it is making me way TOO much attention to my weight and food...which isn't so healthy either. We all have other, equally important parts of our selves/lives, right? Many years ago, I suffered from anorexia. Now I overeat...but the sheer numbers of people on MFP with active eatings disorders sometimes depresses me...I feel for them - but I don't want to ever be that obsessed with food or weight again. It's miserable.

    So - there has to be a balance, right? I try to keep away from forums where there are an overabundance of people who photo their six-packs and talk incessantly about weight lifting and "pure" nutrition - that's their trip, that's cool, but it personally makes me crazy. You know what is healthy for you; you don't need to be fixated on calorie-logging to be healthy and happy with yourself!
  • PirateSushi
    PirateSushi Posts: 2
    I've only been on MFP for about a month and a half. I totally feel the same way sometimes about the calorie tracking. But it's similar to a meal plan that any personal trainer or nutritionist would do. Maybe try giving yourself one "cheat" day a week where you don't have to obsess as much. It might be a good way to transition you into the next phase of your health and fitness plan. Meal tracking is meant to condition you into making healthier/ lower calorie choices and lower your portions. After awhile you will be able to recognize your portions and you won't need to track them.

    Give yourself Cheat Day and see what happens! And good luck! :-)
  • avigneault
    avigneault Posts: 7
    I wouldn't step away from the food tracker personally. If it's really stressing you out then ok, maybe for a few days. But I know from my personal experience that when I 'estimate' how much of something I'm eating or don't hold myself accountable, I go WAY over and actually weigh more the next time I dare to set foot on the scale.

    I track every thing. Every bite. Down to a jolly rancher at work. You don't realize how much grazing adds up. Then you congratulate yourself for sticking to your numbers for the day but really, you're way over. And don't be embarrassed if you go over, make a note - to yourself - about what to change for the next day. Besides, unless you make it public no one can see your log except you. It's personal accountability and being realistic about your food with yourself.

    I go over my fat every day - but I know they're healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, salmon) so I don't stress on it. And if I have a beer or go out to eat with friends, I add WAY more calories than I expect my meal really is into my food log and then make sure to burn some off at the gym!

    MFP is for YOU and you only. You can't be embarrassed or not log because you're only continuing to enable yourself to overeat and not be accountable.
  • LiftHuff
    LiftHuff Posts: 131
    I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..even though I don't go completely bonkers with it. I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

    Sounds like you're talking about BMI ranges, which are silly, irrelevant, and sometimes even terrifying. Don't pay any attention to the scale at this point.

    Look at the mirror, the measuring tape, how your clothes fit, and how you feel.
  • heretic911
    heretic911 Posts: 66 Member
    I've been on for 7 months. I don't stress if my bust my calorie goal periodically. I feel like MFP has made me more aware and able to make better choices. And if I make the conscious decision to splurge - I log it but don't worry about it. Healthy eating needs to be a sustainable lifelong journey - not a temporary diet.

    I agree, it has made me aware and less compulsive:)
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I think of coming in under each day as a game, and try to enjoy the process. This game has benefits in real life though. :wink:
  • yngone
    yngone Posts: 52 Member
    No reason to be embarrassed,......... keep your diary private. Use MFP as a tool for yourself,
    I would continue to log, to stay accountable and keep on track, ..... estimations don't work for me.........but I've got a long ways to go!

    I've done WW in the past and counting points, planning meals its all compulsive anyhow, but I think that's part of it, it helps to retrain your brain so to speak into a healthier lifestyle.
  • ProjFit
    ProjFit Posts: 143
    I can totally relate!... When I first joined I was like, "ya.. cut back calories.. if it comes off, great." But now, Im more like "omg, I am over my sodium, omg.. only 21 calories left for the night.. so hungry!!!! must work out"
    The thing I try to do is remember that Its a life change, and I know everyone and their dog is probably saying that to you, but its because its true. If you mess up sometimes, its natural and it wont kill you. Plus your body needs certain higher calorie days. Sometimes, I will log on but not plop everything into my diary until bed time.. Im not sure how long youve been on here but it does eventually get better.
  • Hakarn
    Hakarn Posts: 62 Member
    Try to use it as a guide instead of "have to get these numbers!" Around mid day to early evening I check where I am and then plan out what I should have for dinner. If I don't do that, I just come on the following day and log in my stuff. Most of the time when I do that I go over, but it allows me to see which foods I should be avoiding. When I am looking at the numbers constantly, I almost always get under the calorie goal, so I have to force myself to eat up to it.

    Just because the scale says 5-10 pounds after you binge does not mean you gained 5-10 of fat. You would need to eat somewhere around 36,000 calories in one day to accomplish that. Just relax and give it a few days, as your body will bounce back close to the original weight.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    I've quit logging for a while because I was feeling the same way. I still try to make healthy choices, but not obsessing over a donut or a beer. I've actually lost two more pounds! Take a little break and see what happens. I promise you won't gain ten (real) pounds in a week.
  • patcaplanandrews
    patcaplanandrews Posts: 2
    I think it helps if you eat the same things without too much variety. It seems to take interest away from food. It also helps me to plan the day's eating in advance, so I have something to look forward to. I need to do better with tracking but find even a little bit helps!
  • talon8
    talon8 Posts: 15 Member
    I've only been tracking since March. Well, Weight Watchers March-May and then on here since then. Sometimes (not often) I don't log everything I eat because I'm embarassed, but I at least log most of it. I've never taken a complete "day off".

    Honestly, you should be logging everything, embarrassing or not. MFP can't tell if you're eating more than what you put into the system and therefore it's useless. And besides, being embarrassed about some of your food choices (being if they are junk food) Will HELP. It will make you not want to log, but since you have to log EVERYTHING you'll more than likely end up choosing to not eat it.

    I set my profile to private so I would log everything and not try to look good to anyone that looked at my journal. It was a good move as now I really know how much the cheating and overindulging effects the outcome. Now I know how I got overweight!
  • jheeley1989
    jheeley1989 Posts: 10
    What I try to do is plan everything a day in advance so I know exactly what to eat. It helps massively as I know exactly what to get out of the freezer so I'm not 'hunting' and finding the rubbish foods that would tempt me if i wasn't sure what I wanted.
    It also helps with obsessing as well as you don't need to look again for 24hrs.
  • K_Hilscher
    K_Hilscher Posts: 8
    I've used weight watchers in the past. It helped me lose 60 pound in the past and again now as 20 has creeped back on. I found I was obsessing over the points and how much I could have and was worried about being hungry all the time. It made me eat more carbs and fat free food and less protein. Weight watcher also has another program where you only eat power foods, as much as you need to be full and don't count points. It helped me get past a plateau and lose some more weight and took away my hunger and obsessing over points and numbers. If you still have access to the weight watchers information it might be worth a try.
  • NicoleHernandezz
    NicoleHernandezz Posts: 51
    Since I've joined MFP, all I've done is OBSESS about food. I've become more aware, yet more paranoid. All I think about is food and logging and I feel like it's making me hungrier than if I just didn't worry about it. Anyone else feel the same way??

    I totally understand you. It can be horrible. I track everything though and I cannot lose weight. Ive lost 70 lbs (not through MFP) and now my body has been stuck for MONTHS. I am scaled obsessed and I hate it :( I only wanna lose 8 more lbs and I cannot no matter how much I workout......I feel your pain

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