Not losing, gaining!

You will learn from my fitness pal as you go, I've learned not to stick strictly to the calorie count. I keep my metabolism guessing. My caloric intake is 1450, sometimes I will have up to 2100 calories, maybe once a week. This gives me a reward for following my diet and believe it or not, the lbs. come off faster. You might gain a pound or two after eating the big meal, but within' the next day, instead of losing 1 pound you might lose up to 4. My weight goes up and down also but, ultimately it is going down. But then again I weigh myself everyday. The best thing I've added to my diet has been Chia Seeds. They are inexpensive, full of energy and omega 3. I have told all my friends about Chia Seeds and they all love them too.

Eat a little something every three hours...visualize palm/fist servings - but more often than regular/conventional meal times. Don't try to do it ALL at once. Get the eating habit right, then the exercise (if you want).

My basic previous diet that I was successful on in 2009 was simple: drink your water, eat your oatmeal, no fried foods, eat unlimited crudities, eat more often, mammals are a side dish (choose something else), palm/fist your portions, move.

This last summer I encountered the same emotional issues that made me gain in 2009, I just haven't cared or been motivated to do anything about it. Be nice to yourself. In your time management do something for yourself EVERY day that does not involve food. Identify your stressors (limit five) and work on one at a time. It's never easy. Break down your goals to REALISTIC and non threatening marks - I only do 5 lb goals ... and I must plateau at that mark for a full week, before I see another mark.

BTW never heard of Chia Seeds.....my "lift" at work is a handful of almonds if I need something between meals, and B12 Complex in the morning is a must. (I don't take multi vitamins.... Work is my stressor, I do well on the weekends.

I just seriously started this week - my daughter has lost 40+ with MyFitnessPal as her buddy - I figured something was working - at least making her aware of herself, so I may as well focus too. And this definitely helps me focus on ME.

What is "the diet" you are following so closely? Sometimes that is my stressor. I prefer not to count or measure and keep it simple. This helps with the counting part.

I don't know. Me too. I don't get it, people are telling me to eat more. It doesn't mae sense. I am equally frusterated as the same thing is happening to me.

count all your calories.

Same thing happening to me too. Am drinking a lot of water - measuring it all so up to 10 glasses of water a day. Working out better and eating decent (but always under my calorie goal - 1500). I was losing weight when i was not drinking half of the water. As soon as I upped my water intake - I didn't see any pound lost in the 1st week and now 1.5 pounds gained in the 2nd week.

Whats happening ?????????????? I am interested to see comments in this thread. Also my diary is open for suggestions - please excuse yesterday - it was a bad day and I know it very well.

Same thing happening to me too. Am drinking a lot of water - measuring it all so up to 10 glasses of water a day. Working out better and eating decent (but always under my calorie goal - 1500). I was losing weight when i was not drinking half of the water. As soon as I upped my water intake - I didn't see any pound lost in the 1st week and now 1.5 pounds gained in the 2nd week.

Whats happening ?????????????? I am interested to see comments in this thread. Also my diary is open for suggestions - please excuse yesterday - it was a bad day and I know it very well.

try to eat cleaner - as in whole foods that aren't processed. those lean cuisines are horrible for you. choose a lean protein, a complex carb and veggies every 2.5-3 hours (message me if you want a list of foods or more info) - i also see that you haven't tracked any workouts for a few days? water intake will affect you fat percentage, it could be 1%-2% lower with adequate water intake even if you weight a little more. dont listen to the scale!! - muscle tissues takes less space then fat - best way to track progress is measurements, how your clothes are fitting and before and after pictures

I forgot to add that I don't think 4 lbs for 47 days is all that bad! That's almost a lb a week. I agree with the other poster that you probably gained a couple lbs of muscle. Don't be discouraged and think long term. Even if you do exactly what you're doing in another month you will have lost 8 lbs....in another month, 12 lbs.....etc.

I am so frustrated! I am on a 1300 calorie diet and walking. It took me a few weeks until I finally began to see weight loss, and I was so excited when I hit the 4 pound loss. Then, the next week I gained about a pound, and this week gain a bit over a pound. I am now at a 2 pound weight loss for over a month and a half.

I was not getting discouraged at first, but I am now. I have been following the diet very closely.

I read all kinds of comments to other people, like, people lose at a different rate, are you drinking water, eating fries, drinking alcohol??? I have been drinking water, not logging it though. Very rarely drink alcohol, and eating a lot of high fiber foods, veggies and fruits. I haven't been logging things like celery, green beans, and low calorie foods like that.

What I understand about weight loss is, if you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight! Why is this not happening?!

p.s. I also get enough sleep. Oh, and I just restarted 47 days ago (Feb).

Log everything as already mentioned because yes everything "counts". Don't spend hours in front of a computer or TV and for the love of all you hold dear do NOT quit and "restart", it means you quit, it means you've thrown in the towel, it means you've given up hope. Stay the course, admit that you've made a few mistakes and embrace them, own them and remember them the next time you find yourself choosing to make another.

Losing weight and more importantly keeping it off is not about something you do for a while until it's finally over with, it's about choosing to live your life differently.

Allow me to suggest a book for you and anyone interested in "sticking to it". 'The Willpower Instinct' by Karen McGonigal : How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It. Keep in mind that this is not "the" book, the magic book that finally does it for you, but it can be a tool that will help you through your journey in weight loss and anything else that you're trying to get done.

"...the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life.” ―Steve Maraboli

The scale is only ONE small factor, and it's really not a great way to gauge all the good you are accomplishing. Are you feeling better? Have more energy and endurance, after those walks and eating healthy? How are your clothes fitting? Forget the scale for a while. Keep at it. Make it a habit. Trust in the process. Remember that you're exercising and eating right for your health and your body... the numbers will fall into place when the time is right.

Best piece of advice I've ever been given on MFP is to take measurements and *regular* progress pics -- those visible results mean SO much more than the fickle numbers on the scale ever could!

I can totally relate to your frustration. Quick question: How are your clothes fitting you? You may possibly be replacing fat with muscle. Keep on the program, weigh yourself only once a week (or even every other week). Pay more attention to your energy level and the fit of your clothing. The needle on the scale may not move, but you may find you can step out of your jeans without unzipping them ... woo hoo!

I am so frustrated! I am on a 1300 calorie diet and walking. It took me a few weeks until I finally began to see weight loss, and I was so excited when I hit the 4 pound loss. Then, the next week I gained about a pound, and this week gain a bit over a pound. I am now at a 2 pound weight loss for over a month and a half.

I was not getting discouraged at first, but I am now. I have been following the diet very closely.

I read all kinds of comments to other people, like, people lose at a different rate, are you drinking water, eating fries, drinking alcohol??? I have been drinking water, not logging it though. Very rarely drink alcohol, and eating a lot of high fiber foods, veggies and fruits. I haven't been logging things like celery, green beans, and low calorie foods like that.

What I understand about weight loss is, if you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight! Why is this not happening?!

p.s. I also get enough sleep. Oh, and I just restarted 47 days ago (Feb).

You should be logging everything, and if you're not losing, weighing and measuring everything. You may also want to put together some meals whose calorie content is known (no winging it) and stick to that for a while. You may not lose weight every week, but you should see your weight go down every few weeks.

I know that others will say differently, but I have never found the answer if I was not losing weight was to eat more. Usually, I was underestimating the calories in something. I've never been overweight. Normally, if I cut calories I see a response in a few days.

Just so you know...
Green Beans, 1 cup - 34 cals
Celery, raw, 1 cup chopped - 14 cals

Another thing to watch is sodium. It can affect scale weight - but again, that's only water weight. True sign of your progress is how you look and feel.

Other "true signs" of progress are lower body fat percentage, glucose and cholesterol levels (among others) and the number on the scale.

Check with your dr your body may not be allowing you to lose at 1300 calories, it may think you're in starvation mode. I'm on 1500 and log everything just so I realize what each thing adds up to. Just a thought and don't get disgusted, it will work.

Also, if you aren't weighing and measuring you are inviting further calorie creep into your diet. Calorie creep can absolutely destroy your diet.

This! Calorie creep is so easy to do. Honestly, check out this 3 minute video. A real eye opener:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

(Unfortunately, there may be an annoying ad that runs before the video, but the ad is easy to skip over. I promise you the video is worth watching)