WTF??? How could I have gained 2.5 pounds??

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  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
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    I am consistently eating between 1400-1600 calories. When you look at my diary I do drink at least 90 oz of water and eat veggies, I just don't usually log them unless they have calories. I wear a fitbit and I have at least a 300-600 calorie deficit a day. I had ONE cheat day this week, but there is no way number-wise that I should have gained 2.5 pounds this week. And no- it's not my TOM.

    I weight train 3 days a week (yes, with REAL weights- not cute pink ones) and cardio twice a week and daily walks. Plus, my job has me on my feet the majority of the day.

    Help either with advice or just some "hang in there" support. So frustrated!!!

    A few things (without knowing how much you weigh -- that matters when you're talking about how many calories you're consuming and your activity level):
    1. 2.5lbs isn't a lot. - that can be water retention. Be sure to weigh yourself at a consistent time (morning, afternoon, night, etc.) when you weigh yourself. If you feel like you should weigh every day, take a three-day average to compensate for the normal fluctuations. I'd actually recommend weighing every couple of weeks, if not longer increments. This stuff takes time. Don't stress over daily measurements. Look at the big picture and trends.
    2. I know this will sound odd, but you might want to stop doing cardio workouts. Provided your 3x/week weight training is as challenging as you indicate, the cardio is not necessary for your weight loss (and could be hindering it). You said you were on your feet for your job -- that, along with the intense weight training, is more than enough for you to lose weight. Unless you just love running or whatever you're doing, you can drop it altogether.
    3. Eat more protein.
    4. If you're plateaued, an adjustment is needed. We'd need more information to determine what is needed.

    Hang in there.

    I am 5'3" and today was 148.5 I am comfortable at about 127-130. Acording to my fitbit I average 10,500-16,000 steps a day. I hate cardio- would love to never do it again! I enjoy walking, but that's about it. I know I need to up protein- I get at least 100 a day and aim for 125ish. I am not a meat lover so embrace cottage cheese, eggs, protein drinks, and Greek yogurt.

    I have not taken measuraments, but my clothes fit exactly the same.
  • Jingram2b
    Jingram2b Posts: 25
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    With those numbers in mind and a guess by me about your body fat range, your calories are in a good range to lose weight at a steady rate of around a pound a week.

    Try this for a couple of weeks:
    1. Stop doing the extra cardio work.
    2. Keep doing the intense weight training
    3. Eat in a consistent way (I have a meal plan that I eat for a week or two at a time to limit variables) and get around 115 g of protein and 1500-ish calories each day.

    Then compare your weight.

    If you decide to try the above, please let us know how it went. Even if you decide not to try, let us know how it's going.

    Cheers.
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
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    With those numbers in mind and a guess by me about your body fat range, your calories are in a good range to lose weight at a steady rate of around a pound a week.

    Try this for a couple of weeks:
    1. Stop doing the extra cardio work.
    2. Keep doing the intense weight training
    3. Eat in a consistent way (I have a meal plan that I eat for a week or two at a time to limit variables) and get around 115 g of protein and 1500-ish calories each day.

    Then compare your weight.

    If you decide to try the above, please let us know how it went. Even if you decide not to try, let us know how it's going.

    Cheers.

    1500 gross or net?
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
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    For the last 7 days according to the numbers I have had a 4433 calorie deficit. Yet, I am 1.5 pounds higher.

    I have been eating Kashi everyday and have been, um, bloated and stinky, could that cause scale change?
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
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    For the last 7 days according to the numbers I have had a 4433 calorie deficit. Yet, I am 1.5 pounds higher.

    I have been eating Kashi everyday and have been, um, bloated and stinky, could that cause scale change?

    You had said in an earlier post that you only have 17lbs left until your goal weight. That large of a deficit is most likely too large for the amount of weight you have left.

    Set your goal to 0.5lbs per week and eat what it tells you plus your exercise calories. Do this for a few weeks and see what happens.
  • Jingram2b
    Jingram2b Posts: 25
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    Gross. The activity from lifting and from your job are factored in.***

    Your mention of the deficit confirms what I was thinking. You're getting closer to your goal and/or LBM and are stalling a bit because of a deficit that's likely too large (easy to do with all the cardio you were doing in addition to your weights and work). Drop the cardio, stick with the weights and you should be on your way.

    Do you know your BF%? I could really get the calories closer if you do. If not, 1500 and dropping cardio should work.

    *** Aside because it was mentioned in this thread: far too many people on here try to "eat back" their exercise calories when the reality is they aren't exercising enough to actually need more calories than what the program spits out. The number it gives you considers your daily activity. IF you are honest with the entry, i.e. not saying you're more active than you are, then you can get a good ballpark calorie range.

    You don't need to track the exercise calories that are part of your routine (you've already accounted for them) and eat them back. If you run a marathon, eat more. If you ride your bike 30 miles, eat more. If you swim for two hours, eat more.

    if you do your aerobics class at the Y and factored it in when you started, don't put that in and don't eat more.
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
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    Last week as I mentioned, no weight loss and large deficit. Today the 2.5 pounds are gone plus another .5 pound and my deficit was UNDER 3500 for the week. I know bodies aren't textbook, but someone please explain! I have been drinking a lot of iced tea but that's the only diet change. The smaller deficit comes from Saturday being an entire cheat day and doing less cardio.
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
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    Do you know your BF%? I could really get the calories closer if you do. If not, 1500 and dropping cardio should work.



    My friend is a trainer and I am going to have her measure my body fat %.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    Your body is composed mostly of water and water fluctuates. I'd only worry about the overall trend, not the exact math.

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