im so upset.

Do not be discouraged...You have to remember that water will also weigh you down. I know people that go a week or more and do not get on the scale daily. Maybe you could try that approach...and you also have to remember that muscle weighs more than fat. So if you have been working out quite a bit that could make the difference too.

You can't base it off of one night! Of course you are going to lose weight eating under 1200 but you are also much more likely to stall out because you've messed your body up not eating enough. You can't really gain weight overnight so it's not like it's real weight. If you're sticking to 1200 calories and exercising you're not eating enough. Your weight might show an initial increase but more than likely it will be way more beneficial in the long run. You don't have to eat all your exercise calories but I really don't think the bare minimum (1200) plus exercise is good for your body.

You have to eat an additional 3500 calories in a week to actually gain a pound. I can't imagine that chicken and brown rice was that much. Your weight fluctuates, it can be many things. You can't base all of this purely on the scale. Eating back some of your exercise calories for ONE night did not cause you to gain weight.

You can't base it off of one night! Of course you are going to lose weight eating under 1200 but you are also much more likely to stall out because you've messed your body up not eating enough. You can't really gain weight overnight so it's not like it's real weight. If you're sticking to 1200 calories and exercising you're not eating enough. Your weight might show an initial increase but more than likely it will be way more beneficial in the long run. You don't have to eat all your exercise calories but I really don't think the bare minimum (1200) plus exercise is good for your body.

You have to eat an additional 3500 calories in a week to actually gain a pound. I can't imagine that chicken and brown rice was that much. Your weight fluctuates, it can be many things. You can't base all of this purely on the scale. Eating back some of your exercise calories for ONE night did not cause you to gain weight.

junipuni hit the nail on the head. Just 1200 if you're exercising is too low, and you didn't gain a pound from a piece of chicken and rice. Weight loss is (sorry for the cliche but I like this one) is a marathon; not a sprint.

More importantly, I know you're really frustrated but please don't let one "setback" (I put that in quotes because 1 pound is not a setback--my weight fluctuates 6 lbs every DAY) discourage you and make you quit. You can do this.

Sounds like you ate the rice pretty late in the evening. Remember the theory of not feeding rice to birds - cause it all swells up. Could have a lot to do w/ it. It swelled and absorbed all your water. drink lots of water and I'm sure that 1lb will be back off tomorrow or the next day.
Also - i never eat my exercise calories. I make sure and eat between 1200 and 1350 (my daily allowance).

1200 calories is NOT ENOUGH FOOD. (Unless you are 100% bedridden or under 4' tall)

You need to fuel your body. You will not see healthy, long-lasting results if you continue to starve your body. My minimum calorie intake is 1400 calories on days when I don't work out. I'm female, in my 20's, and 5'9". I also have an overactive thyroid and my doctor recommended 1400 calories; otherwise, about 1550 would be my daily minimum.

You're most likely seeing weight gain because you're throwing your body into starvation mode--causing it to store fat and burn muscle for fuel: all around, not good for you, your body, or your weight-loss goal. You need to up your base calories and continue eating your exercise calories. It will take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to get your metabolism functioning normally again. Your can't jerk your body around like a 16 year old with a stick shift and expect great results. There's a great post called "700 calories a day and not losing" that addresses the problems your having.

(Other reasons for weight gain include hormones & time of the month, not getting enough sleep, weighing yourself at different times of the day and under different conditions, and natural body flux after sleep and exercise. Try weighing yourself only once a week and under the same conditions every day: ie, every friday when you wake up, right before the shower).

I can't stress how much you need to up your calories. 1200 a day is not healthy for anyone on their feet and over 4 feet tall. Restricting your calories and then not eating your exercise calories back..... just not a solid idea.

Yes I'm sure your husband is right. I gained 3 pounds the week before my period this time, but it's all gone as of this morning and I haven't even started yet. Tubal ligation can fail so you might want to take a pregnancy test if it doesn't start in a few days. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take your current weight X 10 (for maintenance)and then trim 500 cals a day off of that to lose weight properly. However you're not supposed to ever go under 1200 per day. Your body is going to hold on to every bit of fat you have if it thinks your starving it.

Yes I'm sure your husband is right. I gained 3 pounds the week before my period this time, but it's all gone as of this morning and I haven't even started yet. Tubal ligation can fail so you might want to take a pregnancy test if it doesn't start in a few days. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take your current weight X 10 (for maintenance)and then trim 500 cals a day off of that to lose weight properly. However you're not supposed to ever go under 1200 per day. Your body is going to hold on to every bit of fat you have if it thinks your starving it.

with that, that puts me at even LESS calories @970. THEN i WOULD be at starvation mode. im 147 pounds...so 147 pounds x's 10 would be 1470 - 500 = 970 calories. that doesnt work.

Right - that's why she added that you're never supposed to go under 1200 per day. So, based on a generic formula, it's under but you bump it up to 1200 because that is the minimum the body needs.

Oh my this thread is all over the place. And that should show you that a 1pound gain from one meal, one night doesn't make sense. You've said you work out regularly, your muscles grab water after a workout. I think the biggest deal here is that you weigh yourself WAY too frequently. Your weight changes a lot in the course of a day and even within a week. Remember that the scale isn't biased towards fat; it's the whole of you on there. I'd chalk that "gain" up to water retention from the workout and the water your body transports carbs with. I never weigh at the end of a day, as I've ingested food, water, and other evil demons that make me hate the scale.

As for eating your exercise calories, you need to. Otherwise you'll be under what is a healthy amount to eat for your body to exist. I don't eat the whole amount that MFP calculates - it tends to be way too high, so I stick to about 50% of what it says on here. You may see a loss for a little bit by not eating them, but you'll end up with problems. If your body thinks it's starving, when you eat again it'll go nuts and hold on to everything it can.

Also, you aren't very far from a good weight. The less you have to lose, the slower it comes off.

Lastly, don't think that your tubes being tied will save you. My mom had hers cut and cauterized in 1984. I became a big sister in 1993. And no, they didn't grow back together.

Good luck! And remember these things take time.

1200 calories is NOT ENOUGH FOOD. (Unless you are 100% bedridden or under 4' tall)

You need to fuel your body. You will not see healthy, long-lasting results if you continue to starve your body. My minimum calorie intake is 1400 calories on days when I don't work out. I'm female, in my 20's, and 5'9". I also have an overactive thyroid and my doctor recommended 1400 calories; otherwise, about 1550 would be my daily minimum.

You're most likely seeing weight gain because you're throwing your body into starvation mode--causing it to store fat and burn muscle for fuel: all around, not good for you, your body, or your weight-loss goal. You need to up your base calories and continue eating your exercise calories. It will take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to get your metabolism functioning normally again. Your can't jerk your body around like a 16 year old with a stick shift and expect great results. There's a great post called "700 calories a day and not losing" that addresses the problems your having.

(Other reasons for weight gain include hormones & time of the month, not getting enough sleep, weighing yourself at different times of the day and under different conditions, and natural body flux after sleep and exercise. Try weighing yourself only once a week and under the same conditions every day: ie, every friday when you wake up, right before the shower).

I can't stress how much you need to up your calories. 1200 a day is not healthy for anyone on their feet and over 4 feet tall. Restricting your calories and then not eating your exercise calories back..... just not a solid idea.

Might not work for YOU...I eat 1490 calories a day, I burn on average 900 cals a day...no plateaus, no stalling, no starvation mode has happened to me, you need to readjust your goals every few pounds of weight loss, what worked inthe beginning doesn't always work when you start losing weight. I never eat back my exercise calories, ever..and i'm doing just fine, i've been at my goal weight for over 11 years.

You can't base it off of one night!

i ditto this. not to mention it takes a few days to see the weight gain from a disaster earlier. e.g. say you go over for a couple of days on cals, and then eat what you are supposed to for a couple of days, then you weigh yourself to see that you gained weight. this is from the going over days prior.

I always heard/read that whatever you do today - you won't see for 2-3 days. Unsure if that is true, I should "google" that topic.

For instance, if you totally pigged out today you wouldn't see the gain until 2-3 days.

I'm actually doing a 2-week weigh-in because I am tired of my moods being dictated by a number on the scale. :flowerforyou:

I think you are doing fine.

Good luck - keep up the good work.

~Tammy

I find that my weight in the morning is based on what I did 2 days prior.

How tall are you? Your before photo looks pretty darn good, maybe you are trying to lose more than your body wants to let go of?

When you have less to lose, it can be harder and take longer than someone like myself who started over 200 lbs.

wow, so if you eat a tiny bit over your limit, for the rest of your whole life, you will gain weight? Personally I would hate this!

1200 calories is NOT ENOUGH FOOD. (Unless you are 100% bedridden or under 4' tall)

You need to fuel your body. You will not see healthy, long-lasting results if you continue to starve your body. My minimum calorie intake is 1400 calories on days when I don't work out. I'm female, in my 20's, and 5'9". I also have an overactive thyroid and my doctor recommended 1400 calories; otherwise, about 1550 would be my daily minimum.

You're most likely seeing weight gain because you're throwing your body into starvation mode--causing it to store fat and burn muscle for fuel: all around, not good for you, your body, or your weight-loss goal. You need to up your base calories and continue eating your exercise calories. It will take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to get your metabolism functioning normally again. Your can't jerk your body around like a 16 year old with a stick shift and expect great results. There's a great post called "700 calories a day and not losing" that addresses the problems your having.

(Other reasons for weight gain include hormones & time of the month, not getting enough sleep, weighing yourself at different times of the day and under different conditions, and natural body flux after sleep and exercise. Try weighing yourself only once a week and under the same conditions every day: ie, every friday when you wake up, right before the shower).

I can't stress how much you need to up your calories. 1200 a day is not healthy for anyone on their feet and over 4 feet tall. Restricting your calories and then not eating your exercise calories back..... just not a solid idea.

Might not work for YOU...I eat 1490 calories a day, I burn on average 900 cals a day...no plateaus, no stalling, no starvation mode has happened to me, you need to readjust your goals every few pounds of weight loss, what worked inthe beginning doesn't always work when you start losing weight. I never eat back my exercise calories, ever..and i'm doing just fine, i've been at my goal weight for over 11 years.

So you net 590 calories a day? And have been doing that for a sustained period of time?

Just because your body burns that many calories does not mean you need to eat them back...and yes i've been doing this for 11 years....and i'm never ever hungry enough to even want to eat back my exercise calories, nor am I anorexic, or deficient in any vitamins, i'm very, very healthy.

I don't recall seeing what you are doing for exercise. Are you doing strictly cardio or a strength/cardio rotation? How long are you workout out? How many calories do you burn during your workouts?

No, you don't have to eat back all of your exercise calories, but if you don't, you could be placing your body into starvation mode. If you eat 1200 calories, but burn 700 from exercise in the same day, you are only eating 500 calories for that day. That is NOT enough fuel for your body. Unless you have some thyroid issues, eat at least the 1200 on non-exercise days, and try to eat at least half of your exercise calories back on the days you do workout.

I agree, you can't weigh yourself daily. Our weight fluctuates from day to day based on many different things. It sounds like this is your normal TOM, so even if you're late, you will still put on water weight. Weigh once a week or even once every 2 weeks. Eating chicken and rice (the rice will not swell up after you eat it since it is already cooked and has absorbed the water from cooking) will not cause you to gain a pound. However, if you are eating late at night, it has a better chance of being stored as fat rather than being burned off completely. So try not to eat at least 2-3 hrs. before going to sleep. Eat more fresh/frozen fruits & veggies, lean proteins, low-fat salad dressings, leafy greens (not iceburg lettuce), whole grain breads, and add in healthy fats such as almonds, olive oil, avocados, etc.

Give it some time. I think it will turn around for you if you just don't stress out about it. Stress will NOT help in trying to lose weight. I also wouldn't stress out about your husband losing weight faster than you either. Men naturally have more muscle than women, hence their metabolism is higher. You don't have much weight to lose, so it will be a little slower coming off. I've been struggling with 5 pounds for a few months now and I've realized that it's going to fluctuate every so often. So sometimes a few pounds come back. I don't stress about it. Just keep working out, keep eating healthy, and HAVE FUN!!!! Those few pounds will drop off when you least expect it ... but only IF you stop looking for them to go away. Stop stressin over the scale. Put it away. Track your calories here every day for 2 weeks and exercise 5-6 days per week (at least 3 days strength training & 2-3 days of cardio). Then after 2 weeks, bring the scale out and weigh again. Ithink you'll be pleasantly surprised! Hang in there!!