Why am I gaining weight?

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momofthree056
momofthree056 Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
I use this program trough my iPhone. I entered in my weight, ht, and goal weight. The program calculated a 1200 cal diet. I am eatting 1200 cal or less but I gained weight? Please help... What am I doing wrong...

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  • GreenieBean
    GreenieBean Posts: 64
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    DO NOT EAT LESS THAN 1200!! If anything you might need a little more. And be sure the calories you are taking in are good calories. Not empty ones like in a cookie or piece of white bread. Stick with lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and veggies

    When your body doesn't get the right amount of calories you enter into starvation mode. That means when you do actually eat your body will retain it all and cause you to gain weight.
  • jessicajoy87
    jessicajoy87 Posts: 905
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    I had a problem with my weight loss. I have had three kids within the past three years. I asked my dr about why I am not losing weight. She told me that after you start having kids that you really need to work out. She said that I have to work outa little harder than other people because baby weight is hard to take off.
    I suggest that you make sure you are exercising at least 30 minures daily and make sure that your diet consist of whole grains and natural sugars found in fruits and veggies. I really enjoy doing the Leslie Sansone walk at home work outs. 10 bucks at walmart. I think they are really fun and easy to do but you get a great workout. Good luck. If you stick to it and make some minor modifications you will see results.
  • bina365
    bina365 Posts: 1
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    i'm not sure if this is right, but i remember reading an article talking about this. it basically said that you might not have been eating enough calories for the best metabolism, so 1200 calories might be large compared to what your metabolism is used to, so you would gain weight. however on the bright side, it then said after 1 or 2 weeks your metabolism will adjust, and you will start losing weight. again, i'm not sure if this is exactly right, but good luck! :happy:
  • amandabackinshape
    amandabackinshape Posts: 4 Member
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    Well, I should start off by saying that I am not an expert, I just am going off of what I have researched and my own personal experience. There could be a lot of different factors playing into why you aren't seeing results just yet. I don't know many details about your situation, but one factor could be excercise. Are you incorporating excercise into your program? Excercise is essential not only for weight loss, but also all around health. There are tons of ways to integrate it into your eeryday life (take the stairs instead of elevator, park far away from the door etc.). If you've just started an excercise program, it could be your body adjusting too. Remember, mucle weighs more than fat, and as you lose fat, you gain muscle (and thus weight). Another thing that could be factoring in could be the types of foods you are eating. Are you getting a good variety of the different food groups (carbs burn fast, proteins slower, so you need both to maintain, fruit and vegetables are essential for nutrients and low calorie fillers). Also be aware of everything you are putting in. Cooking oils, seasonings, etc add calories. Calories you drink count too, and they are easily forgotten because you are not chewing. Prepacked foods do not always match their listed net weight (that is just the minimum weight they have to be), you could be taking in a bunch of 'hidden' calories.
    If you have the opportunity, meeting with a nutritionist could help a lot to get you going, and they can look at your food diaries and help you alter where needed. (Most doctors have one on staff and alot of insurances cover at least 1 trip to see them). Also, if you go to a gym, you could ask them to do a body fat test (many will do 1 free and others for a small fee). This can help you track fat lost vs.weight lost (by checking every now and then).
    If there are still some pretty significant weight gains, you could ask your family doctor, sometimes weight gain is a symptom of an underactive thyroid (along with fatigue, dry, brittle nails, etc.)
    Above all else, be kind to yourself, weightloss and fitness is a hard battle,but hang in there, and you'll be seeing results soon! Good Luck!
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
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    It could also be water weight. You've only joined this month; your weight normally fluctuates up to 5 pounds or more. Are you tracking sodium in your diary? There is a lot of hidden sodium in foods where you wouldn't expect it, and that makes your body retain water too.

    Make sure you drink 8 cups of water a day to help your body get rid of excess sodium. Weigh yourself once a week in the morning and do that for a few weeks - if you're eating 1,200 net calories and exercise the weight will come off. :drinker:
  • LaTerri
    LaTerri Posts: 42
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    The key to loosing weight is consistency. You have to keep eating 1200 good calories spread out throughout the day to take off weight. Are you eating 600 for lunch and then 600 for dinner and nothing the rest of the day? That won't work. You need 3 meals and snacks out of that 1200. Stay with it for a month, and you will see weight come off.

    You can do this!!!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    have you been to the doctor and told them you started restricting your food intake? have they done a blood panel recently? if you have been diligently tracking your food and you are really baffled about the weight gain, that is the first place you should go. you could have a metabolic or hormone problem.

    read this article - http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/why-arent-you-losing-weight - and schedule a doctor's appointment!
    dawn
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    Here are the most important questions...how long have you been using MFP and how long have you had this "gain?" Patience is a virtue :)
  • irismoon
    irismoon Posts: 83
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    How many calories were you eating before starting your 1200 calorie diet? And how long have you been on it? I ask this because from all the diet research I've done if you suddenly switch to a really low calorie diet plan you will gain weight because your body thinks it is starving and the same goes for eating under 1200. You are never supposed to eat under 1200 calories according to many articles I've read from diet magazines and books. You need 1200 or more for your body to work properly otherwise your body stores the food because it thinks you are starving. Not good. You also need to space out your calories evenly through out the day or you slow down your metabolism. You should never skip a meal. This causes your body to store food later as a way to prepare for your other skipped meals because it doesn't know when you'll eat next. It's all about your body trying to survive. It doesn't know you are doing this to loose weight so you have to work around your body so you will.

    So make sure you are doing the following:

    - Eating a healthy breakfast to start your metabolism in the morning. Needs to be at least 300 calories.
    - Eating at least 3 meals a day with snacks in between. (Make a meal plan to total calories ahead of time.)
    - Not skipping meals.
    - Are eating at least 1200 calories a day. Never under.
    - Exercising at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. (This is the minimum for getting good results in weight loss)
    - Eat up at least half your calories from exercise. If you don't you body won't have enough energy to work right.

    Also don't forget to give your body time to adjust. This a real big one and can be annoying. Always try to give a new eating plan about a month to start working.

    Good luck!

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