Why am I gaining weight?

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  • rastagrrl
    rastagrrl Posts: 7
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    I suggest incorporating exercise into your routine as well. You'll be surprised what a difference even just a daily walk of 45 minutes daily will make. Good luck!:smooched:
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    Protein is way too low, fat is too low and carbs are way, way too high

    Does this really affect fat loss though, I can see protein being important for muscle building what if you just want to shed the fat?

    It affects weight loss for me. If I am high carbs, I don't lose or I lose very very slowly. The second I bump my diet to high protein, low carbs, low sugar I burn through weight like crazy.
  • Miche11e5
    Miche11e5 Posts: 114 Member
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    The great thing about exercise is that it allows you to eat (more)! What are you currently doing for exercise? Women tend to go crazy with cardio exercise and neglect weight/strength training. But, if you add muscle you get smaller (not necessarily lighter) and you burn more calories sitting still.

    There are alot of places where you can find FREE exercise plans on-line and Apps for your smartphone. I like Bodybuilding.com where you can get a suggested program of cadio/strength training for free. http://www.bodybuilding.com/guides/

    As for nutrition, try to limit your carbs and increase your protein (especially if you start stregth training). Healthy fat is key to weight loss too - the kind you find in nuts, seeds, some fish etc. (Almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, avacado, salmon...) So many of us have been programed to eat low-fat and fat-free that we just end up eating more carbs and sugar which can end up being worse on our bodies!

    Good luck and stick with it. It has taken me 2 years to lose 60#, but i did it with healthy eating and a variety of exercise.

    Stay well!
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    It really doesn't seem like you have a good idea of what you put in your body and how it affects you.

    You say you eat within your calories all the time, but then actually in looking at your diary you don't really. And you have loads of excuses why.

    You gained because you didn't burn as many calories as you put in. It's simple. If you want to lose you need to ACTUALLY stick to your calorie goals, not make excuses why you didn't, and you probably want to think about your food choices and maybe think about eating a bit cleaner.
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
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    I understand that you feel pressure to make people happy, especially grandma. Eat all you want and then exercise to burn up all the extra calories. :drinker:
  • Marinayes
    Marinayes Posts: 21 Member
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    Agreed. Portion sizes are crazy. There is a thing called a silent diet. It is where you take 25% less than you normally would eat, thus reducing calories. But, most people aren't likely to notice that you are eating less either. Exercise is absolutely key. I know some mornings I really don't feel like it. I feel discouraged and sore and I have a hundred excuses not to. Who is going to notice anyway? I get depressed and want to hide from the world and myself. BUT, I KNOW I will regret it the next day. I know it will set up an unhealthy pattern for me. So I buck up and do it. I feel better afterwards.

    A Grandmother would certainly notice. ;)

    I think the issue here is portion control and unhealthy food. There is a lot of processed junk in the diary. Just because it's labeled "diet" doesn't mean it's good for you. I also don't see any exercise logged, so that could be a problem.
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
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    Without measuring your food with a scale, I think it is very hard to be accurate. Some measure over and some people measure under actual calories. Step one, move out. Step two, measure your food.
  • dansls1
    dansls1 Posts: 309 Member
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    You also don't mention much about your activity level settings. If you set things up wrong in the first place (you are really sedentary and set your activity level as active), you could be not really eating at a deficit at the calorie levels you are at. I think the important thing is stick with it, measure your food as accurately as possible and make sure you are exercising ;)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I saw a major difference in weight loss when I stopped eating processed foods (basically anything in a box) and switched to whole grains, fruits, and veggies as most of my carbs. Watch your sodium and sugar intake, drink more water, up your protein and healthy fat intake. Your body will respond positively. Also, if you're not weighing/measuring your food, logging every little thing isn't going to do you much good - you're probably underestimating your calories or portions. It's easy to do.
  • sheleen302
    sheleen302 Posts: 266 Member
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    Protein is way too low, fat is too low and carbs are way, way too high

    Does this really affect fat loss though, I can see protein being important for muscle building what if you just want to shed the fat?

    It affects weight loss for me. If I am high carbs, I don't lose or I lose very very slowly. The second I bump my diet to high protein, low carbs, low sugar I burn through weight like crazy.
    ^^^ This for me, though it's not like crazy, but it finally moves the scale.
  • ChrisRS87
    ChrisRS87 Posts: 781 Member
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    Did anyone tell her that she is burning fewer calories than she is consuming yet?

    It's the magic formula.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I usually blame the scales - or water retention.

    Since I registered with Myfitnesspal I weigh everything and record everything.
    Slow and steady loss is better - no loss is frustrating.
    BUT Don't worry about not losing weight, unless you KNOW there is a reason that you are not telling your diary.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    I've read through your replies and your food diary and candidly,doubt that you are eating more than you're burning. Your weight loss goal is set at 1200. Although there are a couple of days where you exceeded your goal, most of the time you are within 100 calories. Since the 1200 would have included your 500 calorie deficit, you would need to eat more than 1700 calories a day to exceed what you're burning unless you're very petite. if you are being accurate with your food counts then you are still eating a deficit. I sincerly doubt that you've gained 4 pounds of fat in two weeks eating less than 1600 calories a day :) To gain two pounds a week you would have to eat 1000 calories a day over what you burn. At the very worst, 1600 a day should be maintanance. And even then, that would be somewhat low to maintain. So:

    1. Two weeks is not enough time to say that you are not losing weight. Your weight can fluctuate up to 6 pounds a day. Give it some time. If you still aren't seeing a loss in another two weeks, then start exploring why.

    2. Most people over estimate their exercise calories and underestimate their food calories. Make sure you are accurately measuring your portions. Earlier advice to cut back your normal portions by 25% is good advice. Even if you aren't measuring that will probably have a positive impact on your weight loss goals. Be careful how much you trust the database as it can be decieiving. I noticed one entry on your diary had a slice of pizza at 164 calories. The true count is probably twice that. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Check multiple entries to make sure your getting a closer to accurate calorie count. When in doubt, I either check it on other sites or go with the highest count.

    3. Your food choices could be better from a nutritional point of view. Nutrition does play an important role in HEALTHY weight loss but you can lose weight eating twinkies and Taco Bell. (google it if you don't believe me). But, you're young and it would be great for you to start healthy eating habits now rather than trying to do it once you're older and hard set into bad habits. More lean meats, fresh veggies and water are always a good idea. That doesn't mean that you can never have pizza or birthday cake again. And it doesn't mean you can't enjoy dinner with the grandparents. You can have it whenever you want.(within reason) Just make sure you're making educated choices, balancing out the "treats" and watching the portions.

    4. If you're not exercising, add it in. Even if you just walk for 20-30 minutes a day it will make a huge difference.

    5. You are eating quite a bit of processed foods and, if your diary is accurate, not drinking a lot of water. That can slow down weight loss/metabolism and contribute to water weight. Drink more water, cut back on processed food and that 4 pounds you're seeing will probably melt away.

    Good luck on your healthy weight loss journey.

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