Exercise Calories- HUH?

running_mom · February 2010

Ok. So I finally listened to everyone and ate some of my exercise cals. I GAINED 3 lbs. How??? I have been at a plateau for like 3 months now. Within that time I haven't lost weight but I haven't gained it either. I was reading threads on here and talked to my cousin who is an exercise specialist. She said the same thing. I have to eat more to lose more. I think this is crap because like I said I gained weight. I totally see why people go to pills and unhealthy ways to lose weight. It is so frustrating to see that others can lose 2 lbs a week and I'm struggling to lose it in a month. I do things right: small portions and healthy choices, drink all my water, exercise 4-6 times a week for 1-2 hours. And NOTHING. THIS SUCKS!!!

tlynnweb · February 2010

Sometimes it works for some people and sometimes it doesn't. Are you measuring everything? Sometimes that's how people sabbotage. They eyeball thinking they are measuring right?! I don't know, just throwing some ideas out there. Maybe make your food journal visible to everyone so we can check it out and see if maybe someone can find some reasons for you? It sucks.

mandijo · February 2010

Maybe mix up your exercise routines and shock your body a little bit. Sometimes doing the same thing every day makes your body get used to something and you need to change it upa bit!I know how frustrating it is to not lose weight when everyone around you is. I thought 5 pounds a month was a relatively feasible goal and I'm averaging 2 a month. Keep trucking girl! You can do it!

angelwings2000 · February 2010

Sorry to hear your weight loss is not going as you wish. Just a thought it could be your sodium intake that is sabotaging your efforts. Try checkling those levels and see if they are high, maybe you are retaining water. Good luck. :flowerforyou:

RedHotRunner · February 2010

Somethings not right. If you're watching what you eat and exercising that much and that often, I see no reason that you're not losing weight.

How long have you been eating your exercise calories? How much weight do you have to lose? Are you close to having your period?

All of these things can affect your weight loss.

acakeforawife · February 2010

I am actually in the exact same boat! Been plateauing for 3-4 months now, and have recently done more reading and research and decided I might need to eat more. After a week - I gained!!!! :ohwell:

BUT, here's what I'm thinking. If my body really was feeling 'starved', then maybe it's still thinking it might 'starve', and so it's hanging on to stuff, and it needs a bit more time to realize I'll be constantly supplying it with food. Think about it like a stray dog -- if it's been abused in the past, it isn't going to suddenly warm up to you just because you gave it some extra liver treats.

So I've vowed to give it one month, of careful, honest tracking, and eating exactly how the site recommends I do. Then I'll see where I am after that.

Good luck!

SHBoss1673 · February 2010

This is perfectly normal, and to be expected.

When your metabolic rate adjusts to a new calorie limit, and then you eat more, initially you will gain a little bit if you just push your calories up all at once.

The recommended way to raise your calories is to do it slowly, say 50 calories a week for a number of weeks until you reach your new total.

But if you do it all at once, expect to gain a couple of pounds, these pounds will quickly be lost again once your body adjusts to the new calorie amount. It's nothing to freak out over. Give it time.

SHBoss1673 · February 2010

I am actually in the exact same boat! Been plateauing for 3-4 months now, and have recently done more reading and research and decided I might need to eat more. After a week - I gained!!!! :ohwell:

BUT, here's what I'm thinking. If my body really was feeling 'starved', then maybe it's still thinking it might 'starve', and so it's hanging on to stuff, and it needs a bit more time to realize I'll be constantly supplying it with food. Think about it like a stray dog -- if it's been abused in the past, it isn't going to suddenly warm up to you just because you gave it some extra liver treats.

So I've vowed to give it one month, of careful, honest tracking, and eating exactly how the site recommends I do. Then I'll see where I am after that.

Good luck!

this is exactly right my dear. Good job!

lazygirllosesweight · February 2010

Are you measuring your body? Perhaps you are losing fat while gaining muscle. Good for your body, good for your shape, but doesn't show on a scale.

NaturalMom · February 2010

I definitely agree about checking your sodium intake and where you are at in your cycle. I used to track every day (for months) and found that these could have an impact of up to 5lbs +/- for me. Another great tool is the Beck Diet Solution workbook; Dr. Beck has some great advice and tools to help with panic associated with temporary plateaus and inexplicable weight gain. Good luck!

jillybeanruns · February 2010

My personal opinion is that you can't switch things up and expect it to work immediately. Give it at least a few weeks to kick in and work. Maybe after, try to eat less of your exercise calories. Patience is really key, as frustrating as this whole process can be.

ALMA196 · February 2010

remember if you are doing some kind of weight training, muscle weighs more than fat!! you might see the inches drop but not the weight! witch i think its more important!

mromnek · February 2010

hmmm.... interesting. I upped my calories the other week, and gained 3.5 lbs!!! Even though every other measurement is getting better. So, I kinda re-evaluated and decided to increase my exercise. We will see what happens.

running_mom · February 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is some other info if anyone has suggestions. When I workout I ususally run 3 miles everyday because I'm training to do a 5K in May. Then I'll do a half hour of a different cardio: elliptical, treadmill, or bike. Then I'll also do weight training. I'll even mix that up. I'll do more reps one day then I'll switch to more weight. I track my food and exercise. I do question how accurate the numbers are when I plug them in on this site.

I even went as far as going to the doc to see if I could take anything. I have a blood disease. I know my doc said that could have something to do with it. Since my body is trying to use all it's energy to stay healthy and alive my metabolism is kinda messed up.

How do I make my entries public? I totally don't care who can look if they can give me some good advice!

amancay · February 2010

How do I make my entries public? I totally don't care who can look if they can give me some good advice!

it's in your settings (under the food tab, specifically), at the bottom of the page it shows the sharing options!

cds2327 · February 2010

how long did it take with you eating your exercise calories back before you gained 3 pounds? it may just be your body adjusting.
also, 3 pounds really isn't that much. it could be water weight, sodium, etc.
hang in there, i know it is frustrating.

Ashia1317 · February 2010

I hit a plateau myself. And after ready so many articles on BMR and calories when working out, I found out that I wasn't eating enough. 1200 calories is what MFP recommended for me. It's not enough. I need at least 1400 when resting, sleeping, or at my desk job. I need atleast 1600 calories when I work out.

My body is responding better. It didn't happen over night, but it did eventually happen. You have to give yourself time to adjust. It's frustrating I know, but there are always different obstacles in our way, especially as women: water retention, TOM, etc. And I gain about 3 - 5 lbs during my TOM, so I don't even weigh myself then. But my tape measure is moving even when the scale is not.

Give it time and don't give up!

alicew789 · February 2010

Number of times you eat per day will help with your metabolism as well. Particularly with people like us who have a hard time eating the proper number of calories. Be prepared to feel a bit hungry once it kicks in though because once you start eating 5-6 times a day (remember portions) your body get's used to that schedule and absolutely let's you know when you've missed a meal or a snack.

sweetteacher123 · February 2010

I totally see why people go to pills and unhealthy ways to lose weight.

If you think you are frustrated now, just try to lose weight the truly unhealthy ways! Diet pills may work for a while, but unless you make the lifestyle changes MFP helps you with, you will gain it all back! I know it is frustrating, but keep working hard. You are doing this the RIGHT way, which is slow and steady. Good luck!

karmasBFF · February 2010

I am actually in the exact same boat! Been plateauing for 3-4 months now, and have recently done more reading and research and decided I might need to eat more. After a week - I gained!!!! :ohwell:

BUT, here's what I'm thinking. If my body really was feeling 'starved', then maybe it's still thinking it might 'starve', and so it's hanging on to stuff, and it needs a bit more time to realize I'll be constantly supplying it with food. Think about it like a stray dog -- if it's been abused in the past, it isn't going to suddenly warm up to you just because you gave it some extra liver treats.

So I've vowed to give it one month, of careful, honest tracking, and eating exactly how the site recommends I do. Then I'll see where I am after that.

Good luck!

I am doing the exact same thing...30 days before I make any more changes!

karmasBFF · February 2010

remember if you are doing some kind of weight training, muscle weighs more than fat!! you might see the inches drop but not the weight! witch i think its more important!

Unfortunately, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound (rememer the lb of bricks vs a lb of feathers)? The difference is volume. A pound of muscle LOOKS like a lb of meat, while a lb of fat may look like a lb of bread. BIG DIFFERENCE! That is why you lose inches while not losing WEIGHT. Try taking your meaurements and see if there is progress there.

firegirlred · February 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is some other info if anyone has suggestions. When I workout I ususally run 3 miles everyday because I'm training to do a 5K in May. Then I'll do a half hour of a different cardio: elliptical, treadmill, or bike. Then I'll also do weight training. I'll even mix that up. I'll do more reps one day then I'll switch to more weight. I track my food and exercise. I do question how accurate the numbers are when I plug them in on this site.

I even went as far as going to the doc to see if I could take anything. I have a blood disease. I know my doc said that could have something to do with it. Since my body is trying to use all it's energy to stay healthy and alive my metabolism is kinda messed up.

How do I make my entries public? I totally don't care who can look if they can give me some good advice!

Running is not a good weight loss tool. You can jog and walk, but running will cause you to gain muscle. I don't remember the exact measure, but for every one part muscle, you retain two parts water (or something like that). Most of the weight associated with muscle gain is, in fact, water. Running builds muscle. I gained ten pounds training for a marathon. And I was in a slight calorie deficit. I want to stress that I did not gain weight associated with food intake. I tracked my calories here in order to not have problems with my cycle because we were trying to conceive.

If you have too much sodium one day, you can see a 2-5 pound gain-in one day! Sodium intake should match your total calorie intake-one milligram per calorie. This is not too much. If you are working out, you should be sweating and you lose sodium when you sweat.

Are you drinking enough water? If you drink two liters of water one day, when you typically don't drink more than a cup, then your body will store the water. It only takes one liter of water storage to shift your weight two pounds.

Relax. I know you're frustrated, and I know how you feel. There's another active post about BMI on here right now. Get your BMI professionally measured, and use this tool to monitor your weight loss if you are going to run. Weight is a poor indicator of health if you work out.

karmasBFF · February 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is some other info if anyone has suggestions. When I workout I ususally run 3 miles everyday because I'm training to do a 5K in May. Then I'll do a half hour of a different cardio: elliptical, treadmill, or bike. Then I'll also do weight training. I'll even mix that up. I'll do more reps one day then I'll switch to more weight. I track my food and exercise. I do question how accurate the numbers are when I plug them in on this site.

I even went as far as going to the doc to see if I could take anything. I have a blood disease. I know my doc said that could have something to do with it. Since my body is trying to use all it's energy to stay healthy and alive my metabolism is kinda messed up.

How do I make my entries public? I totally don't care who can look if they can give me some good advice!

Running is not a good weight loss tool. You can jog and walk, but running will cause you to gain muscle. I don't remember the exact measure, but for every one part muscle, you retain two parts water (or something like that). Most of the weight associated with muscle gain is, in fact, water. Running builds muscle. I gained ten pounds training for a marathon. And I was in a slight calorie deficit. I want to stress that I did not gain weight associated with food intake. I tracked my calories here in order to not have problems with my cycle because we were trying to conceive.

If you have too much sodium one day, you can see a 2-5 pound gain-in one day! Sodium intake should match your total calorie intake-one milligram per calorie. This is not too much. If you are working out, you should be sweating and you lose sodium when you sweat.

Are you drinking enough water? If you drink two liters of water one day, when you typically don't drink more than a cup, then your body will store the water. It only takes one liter of water storage to shift your weight two pounds.

Relax. I know you're frustrated, and I know how you feel. There's another active post about BMI on here right now. Get your BMI professionally measured, and use this tool to monitor your weight loss if you are going to run. Weight is a poor indicator of health if you work out.

Hmm, Im not sure this is so accurate as far as running not being a great weight loss tool because it does build muscle and muscle burns fat all on its own (not quite that simple). So, yes, it doesn't show on the scale (maybe that's what you meant), per say, but you are definitely heading in the right direction.

firegirlred · February 2010

remember if you are doing some kind of weight training, muscle weighs more than fat!! you might see the inches drop but not the weight! witch i think its more important!

Unfortunately, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound (rememer the lb of bricks vs a lb of feathers)? The difference is volume. A pound of muscle LOOKS like a lb of meat, while a lb of fat may look like a lb of bread. BIG DIFFERENCE! That is why you lose inches while not losing WEIGHT. Try taking your meaurements and see if there is progress there.

This depends on your perspective. Most people are referring to the space that fat takes up on your body, vs the space that muscle takes up on your body. So yes, a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat.

Running is to aerobic activities the way that heavy weight lifting is to weight training. If you want to build muscle, you should not be in a caloric deficit. In order to maintain the increased metabolism required by greater muscle mass, you must fuel it. In order to maintain the mass, you must fuel it and use it. Dieting and muscle building are generally mutually exclusive. I say generally-there are exceptions.

Professional athletes are rarely in caloric deficit for this reason.

Karma-You make a GREAT point about measuring. The inches are much more important than the actual numbers on a scale.

Banks is one of the best minds on here. He should weigh in...on this subject again.

karmasBFF · February 2010

remember if you are doing some kind of weight training, muscle weighs more than fat!! you might see the inches drop but not the weight! witch i think its more important!

Unfortunately, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound (rememer the lb of bricks vs a lb of feathers)? The difference is volume. A pound of muscle LOOKS like a lb of meat, while a lb of fat may look like a lb of bread. BIG DIFFERENCE! That is why you lose inches while not losing WEIGHT. Try taking your meaurements and see if there is progress there.

This depends on your perspective. Most people are referring to the space that fat takes up on your body, vs the space that muscle takes up on your body. So yes, a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat.

So true, in that sense! However, in the grand scheme of things, people are not measuring cubic inches, they are measuring themselves. And some people, unlike you and I, do not understand that the statement "muscle weighs more than fat" comes with fineprint! :laugh:

Exercise Calories- HUH?

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