sticking to the cals and exercising but gained??

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kimbietightlips
kimbietightlips Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
this is my first time ever sticking to a diet............... my first time wanting to diet tbh. I used to be thin years ago without trying. to be fair i was an outdoors instructor so was very active. after stopping that line of work I steadily put on then a pregnancy didn't help. but the past 3 months I've put on more than a stone so thought time to act really.

I swear I've stuck to 1200 cals a day. been very honest about what I'm taking in, even putting down cups of tea. ive been exercising at least 5 times a week but I've not lost anything, in fact I've gained a pound................

what am i doing wrong :(

Replies

  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    you may be eating not enough. how tall are you and how much do you have to lose?
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
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    Without knowing your stats, id say your not eating enough. I work out 4days a week, maybe 5, eat 1600 calories a day regardless of it i have worked out or not and have lost weight. You need to get your metabolism working and then the rest will take care of itself. Look up "in place of a road map" on this weight loss board. He does a good job explaining how to figure out your bmr and tdee and how many calories you should be eating a day.
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
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    Give it time. Healthy living is not a quick fix.

    If you do not get many comments on this there are at least 10 other posts pretty similar to this just today.
  • VISCIENTIST
    VISCIENTIST Posts: 31
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    I would guess you are not eating enough as well.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Read the first post in this thread, which most likely explains the weight gain:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read

    Also, you're probably not eating enough, especially exercising as much as you are. Most people figure the more they exercise and the less they eat, the more weight they'll lose, which isn't necessarily correct. Creating a huge deficit and doing tons of exercise can adversely affect your weight loss (not to mention your bodily functions). Read this article, which explains it very well:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Find your BMR and TDEE. Eat between there.

    When starting a new exercise regime and/or altering your diet, your body will usually do strange things with water weight.

    An example of the oddities of water weight: I weighed myself before taking a hot bath. In the hot bath all I did was shave and wash. I lost 2.8 pounds. lol.

    So yeah, give it time and try to weight yourself under constant conditions.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    How long are we talking? A week? A month?

    It takes time for the body to adjust to diet and exercise. Give it time. Also, body weight can fluctuate by 5lbs or more day-to-day, which makes the scale a bad gauge of progress (especially over shorter periods of time).
  • aleatha5
    aleatha5 Posts: 23 Member
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    You should open your diary so people who would want to comment can give you some more tailored advice. But, yeah, I'd agree that dropping to 1200 might be too little calories consumed.
  • ImmaZombie
    ImmaZombie Posts: 84
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    I'll stick this here for ya. I just started Road Map yesterday, so still new to it but I will say that I slept better last night than I have in weeks and was not hungry when I went to bed. You may not be getting enough calories.

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/804485-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • hotjacki85
    hotjacki85 Posts: 287 Member
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    Are you eating back your calories you lost while excerising? Then on top of that eating the 1200 calories? You could also be gaining muscle. If you are doing any lifting strength training. I am 5'10 and 174... I too will gain weight eventhough I am eating back excercise calories and working out... but... i lift/strength train so i am building muscle... which sucks at first but once your muscles start eating away that fat its a wonderful thing :)
  • justsignmein2258
    justsignmein2258 Posts: 5 Member
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    I agree with a number of the posters re not enough food. You could also not be eating enough of the right foods at the correct time, i.e not enough protein to help your muscles repair after a workout. But more than anything, don't base your postive or negatives on the weight of the scale. Have you measured your body? How do you feel after you eat? After a workout? Clothes don't feel as tight? There are a number of things to look at, not just the scale weight. Good luck and keep coming back!
  • lunrain
    lunrain Posts: 2
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    I agree with not enough nutrition. I tell you this because it happened to me sometime last year. However, it all depends on how much you currently weigh. I suggest you try fat burning cardio as well, preferably with a heart rate watch or phone app. It helped me quite a bit because when I stuck to my fat burning heart rate I started losing weight like crazy. I lost a total of 62 pounds in 10 months by using MFP, eating well and doing 30 minutes of cardio (jogging). Don't give up! If something doesn't work, look for what will. Everyone's body, metabolism and nutrition guidelines are different.
  • freddykid
    freddykid Posts: 265 Member
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    based on nothing you should stick with it for longer. :drinker:
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Are you eating back your calories you lost while excerising? Then on top of that eating the 1200 calories? You could also be gaining muscle. If you are doing any lifting strength training. I am 5'10 and 174... I too will gain weight eventhough I am eating back excercise calories and working out... but... i lift/strength train so i am building muscle... which sucks at first but once your muscles start eating away that fat its a wonderful thing :)

    Muscle does not "eat" fat.


    The OP is probably eating more than she thinks. It's easy to do.
  • katheern
    katheern Posts: 213 Member
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    It could even be you are underestimating how much you eat. Do you have a food scale? Are you measuring everything that you eat?
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
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    You are probably not eating enough: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But also, it is common for muscles to retain water when starting a new exercise. Don't get frustrated! Give it time and you'll see the weight come off. :)
  • firemanfive0
    firemanfive0 Posts: 228 Member
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    Am in no way plugging this site...but there may be some answers there for you.....http://www.jcdfitness.com/2010/05/4-ways-to-ruin-your-calorie-deficit/

    and another site......http://www.livestrong.com/article/553602-weight-gain-due-to-insufficient-calories/
  • Kris1997
    Kris1997 Posts: 241
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    I agree with not enough nutrition. I tell you this because it happened to me sometime last year. However, it all depends on how much you currently weigh. I suggest you try fat burning cardio as well, preferably with a heart rate watch or phone app. It helped me quite a bit because when I stuck to my fat burning heart rate I started losing weight like crazy. I lost a total of 62 pounds in 10 months by using MFP, eating well and doing 30 minutes of cardio (jogging). Don't give up! If something doesn't work, look for what will. Everyone's body, metabolism and nutrition guidelines are different.

    Fat burning heart rate?? How do you find this?
  • ssl444
    ssl444 Posts: 88 Member
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    You need to eat back your exercise calories.
  • ssl444
    ssl444 Posts: 88 Member
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    Also measure your body fat, just because you are not losing weight you could still be burning body fat, I track mine on a regular basis.

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