Help...the scale is going in the wrong direction!

Okay, I just started on MFP this past Thursday....but tracking is not a new concept for me, as I used to be on weight watchers. I started doing green smoothies at the begining of the week and have kept it up and have also worked out (strength and cardio) 5 days this week. I really thought the green smoothies would help get me on the right track and I would drop a couple of pounds right away...but I HAVE GAINED ALMOST 2 POUNDS! I don't understand!!!

MFP is telling me to have 1200 calories a day and I came up short a few days. Would that really make me gain weight??

I am feeling very discouraged and I am just getting started! You see, my husband and I are planning start trying for pregnancy in a few months and I really wanted to lose 20-30 pounds and get healthy before that happens.

I need some advice...do I just need to give it more time? do i need to eat more? do I need to eat differently? What do you think?

Replies

  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    If you just started your exercise program, you may be seeing water weight. Your muscles will be holding water and glycogen for repair.
  • We can't see your diary to comment on diet, that being said you are 28 and I think 1200 might be too low so its possible your settings aren't quite right.

    Use a pyramid for food: veggies, fruits meat and carbs. Watch the sodium levels, drink plenty of water.
    Divide your total caloric intake into meals of how you prefer to eat, like 3 meals with no to 2 snacks or 4 to 6 smaller meals and no snacking and eat back up to half of your exercise bonus back.

    If your food normally comes in a box/package/window don't eat it.

    Throw the scale away (or hide it) and measure yourself! Muscle weighs more than fat and even more so when one first starts out exercising because it uses water to rebuild and strengthen.

    Don't panic, it will happen!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    It's called water. Weight fluctuates up to 10 pounds in a single day due to the amount of water and food in your body at any given time.
  • Thank you for your input...I have changed my diary settings, so you should be able to see it now. I have been trying to watch all categories (calories, carbs, fat, etc...), and I have not been eating much processed foods. I did splurge last night because it was at the football game, but i only went over my calories by a little.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    The tools are just a place to start. You just have to adjust a bit and figure what is best for you.

    We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

    In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
    per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
    the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
    that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
    calculators and text books say otherwise.

    This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
    was just a bit off.

    -John Barban

    You body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

    It is silly to get hung up on a calorie number like 1200 calories. This number is relative to your BMR. If you are a bigger person this is a low number, if you are small like me this is a large number, barely below my RMR.

    If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I pretty much proved that for myself by staying strong and building muscle and doing what I did. I'm the leanest, most muscular, and most fit that I have ever been in my life at almost 52 years old.

    Seperating out the the two things worked for me:

    1) Eat less to lose fat.

    2) Exercise to gain or maintain lean body mass.

    Ignore exercise calories because it's insignificant when you don't have to worry about starvation mode anymore and it's highly over rated. Of course you burn energy, but not nearly what any of the devices say you do.

    If you are not doing a weight training routine you need to start one and do it the rest of your life to ward off osteoporosis.
  • Ten pounds? I'd always heard 2-3. I'm confused.
  • Hi! I'm new to MFP too. I'm just here to maintain maybe lose another pound or 2. Just wanted to tell you that it''s normal for the scale to flucuate like that especially in the beginning. I also got very frustrated but stuck to it and year and half later I'm at my goal. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll see results. :)

    Also, I think it's a good idea to lose before you get pg. I have 2 kids and that weight was hard to get off.
  • It's important to not get the wrong message: it IS likely water weight, but you MUST drink lots of water. Drinking lots of water helps to flush all those salts that normally hold that water in.

    1200 does sound low, though I am not a Dr, Fitness/Nutrition counselor or very healthy person. I'd suggest going through the Goals setup again and allowing it to make some choices for you. You may have selected too low an activity level to describe your current lifestyle, leading "it" to prescribe a reduced caloric intake.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    1200 cals may not be an adequate calorie goal, take a look at the road map and do the math.

    MFP will give you that number if you tell it you are sedentary and want to lose 2 lb a week even though that kind of a goal may not me realistic for you.

    Also since you changes up your diet and added exercise you may be retaining water weight.
    Weigh and measure your portions so you are accurate with your intake, measure your burn with a HRM/fibit/bodybug etc or be very cautious with the numbers that MFP gives you from the exercise calculator.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Also i just looked at your diary and you had a sodium bomb the day before you weighed in. That alone can cause a 2-3 pounds of water retention!