What is not working? -Gained 3 lbs-
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Honestly speaking EVERYONE is worth helping. Even the dumbest of the dumb.
I believe in helping the dumb, I really do. I refuse to help the rude and downright discourteous, though.0 -
My husband and I weigh out portions of nuts and seeds. They add calories and good fats and protein. Sunflower seeds, almonds, and pumpkin seeds are what we typically eat. Avocados are good too. Eat more protein too.
Your body needs fuel. I had to up my calorie intake in order to see a difference. The more you work out, the more you need to eat. The site already has you at a deficit. If you workout, it's designed for you to eat those calories back.
Amen, sister! I had to do the same thing. I hardly lost any weight in March and now in April, the pounds are melting off! Lol, but I'm also exercising a lot more & it's taken me 2 months to slowly start changing my eating habits.0 -
You won't lose every week. Sometimes you'll go down, sometimes you'll go up. It's important to keep a slow, steady weight loss in order to succeed and keep the weight off.
This entire site is "peer reviewed". When there are thousands of people successfully losing weight at 1 pound per week and feeling great you have to see it's the way to go.
So its normal to go up? If so, next week do those people lose more weight or do they lose only the regular 2 lbs?
I am a bit confused about this weight gain/loss scenario. Why does it happen if people are tracking their food and exercise properly and doing everything right? (I am not claiming I am doing anything right. I am just trying to learn).0 -
First of all, those that don't have something positive to say should just MYOB!! This journey is hard enough and it doesn't have to be made harder by bullies and inconsiderate people.
You have to monitor your overall weight loss and concentrate on that and your first few weeks are a testament to your dedication. You are a young adult and a woman, you can expect fluctuations in your journey if you look at it weekly. Female issues can add weight in a very short time and can also decrease weight in a very short time. Allow for that and don't be afraid of that, embrace it.
As for eating more calories than you are eating now...it may be advice that is founded in good experience but I believe it is better to monitor your body, you know your body better than anyone else and should do what is best for your body.
Remember this as well....there is a reason that ALL diets suggest a weight loss of NOT more than 2 lbs a week. You will have to experiment with your daily food diary to find that balance that will give you that steady and healthy weight loss.
If you look at it from a long term view and continue to monitor your journey and find in the next two months that you steadily lose weight 3 out of 4 weeks and have this one week of gain then you may want to contribute it to a female effect. During that one week it may be prudent to monitor your sodium intake and lower it for those days. Up the fresh fruits and veggies during that one week as well. It will help flush your system.
Ignore the negative people that insist on posting rude comments on boards and blogs...you don't need them. The positive people who are struggling right along with you out number them and will help to guide you in a positive and uplifting manner.
You are doing a great job, celebrate your success!0 -
I agree that you aren't eating enough. My weight loss stalled after just a few weeks following the guidelines MFP set (1400-1600). I upped my cals so that I net just above my BMR (or try to). I'm still losing at least a pound per week, and have reduced my body fat without losing any muscle. Chances are, you are eating way below your BMR and your body is fighting to keep what you have.
I would suggest using this calculator:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr
Also, invest in a food scale! It will likely make you realize you are not estimating correctly. I swear by weighing out just about everything. You can get a decent one on Amazon for $10-$15.0 -
You won't lose every week. Sometimes you'll go down, sometimes you'll go up. It's important to keep a slow, steady weight loss in order to succeed and keep the weight off.
This entire site is "peer reviewed". When there are thousands of people successfully losing weight at 1 pound per week and feeling great you have to see it's the way to go.
So its normal to go up? If so, next week do those people lose more weight or do they lose only the regular 2 lbs?
I am a bit confused about this weight gain/loss scenario. Why does it happen if people are tracking their food and exercise properly and doing everything right? (I am not claiming I am doing anything right. I am just trying to learn).
The body doesn't respond to the math of weight loss. There are a lot of factors that change our weight. I can step on the scale four times within an hour, each time getting a different weight while not doing anything myself to change that weight.
Hormones change your weight (especially if you are female... TOM can cause females to gain upwards of 10lbs). Water rentention/sodium/muscle retaining for repair all change your weight. Undigested food changes your weight. Your weight changes naturally. You most likely won't lose every week. It's just what happens.
If you have a deficit weekly that is equal to the math of 2lbs lost, doesn't mean you will lose 2lbs. You could have a weekly deficit that works out to 5lbs (not healthy at all) but actually gain. My deficit is apparently only about 0.5lb a week. I tend to lose at least 1lb. Unfortunately doing things right won't always result in the losses the math claims.0 -
My husband and I weigh out portions of nuts and seeds. They add calories and good fats and protein. Sunflower seeds, almonds, and pumpkin seeds are what we typically eat. Avocados are good too. Eat more protein too.
Your body needs fuel. I had to up my calorie intake in order to see a difference. The more you work out, the more you need to eat. The site already has you at a deficit. If you workout, it's designed for you to eat those calories back.
Thank you for your reply. I love nuts. I have developed a strange addiction to almonds, raisins and peanuts lately. I will try to eat more of those.0 -
You're not eating enough. And no, I'm not going to link you to "peer reviewed journal articles".
HIT YOUR NET CALORIE GOAL. You are under it by several hundred calories a day.
Okay, I can do that at least. Are there any calorie-dense foods you suggest that I should eat to up my calories?
I am a bit older than you and weight less than you and NET 1600 calories a day at minimum.
You definately need to consume more. You are often netting far under 1000 calories a day.. some days less than about 400 calories net. You NEED to eat more. What you are eating is not even all that healthy of food choices (I see days where you just eat turkey for lunch and dinner). Where are the vegetables, fruits? Carrots and dip for lunch? Half a bag of popcorn for dinner?
When you consistantly eat too little your body will adapt and burn less at rest. When you aren't properly fueling your body you increase muscle loss.
I would bet your sodium is high if you tracked that. Take out the juices and add in fruits and vegetables. Have salads with the turkey. Add in vegetables. Have fruit with your breakfast. Try to cut out all the processed foods (or a good chunk of them) and replace with fresh foods. Extra sodium can cause weight gain due to water rentention.
ALso, know you won't lose every week regardless of your efforts. It is just how it goes. Water rentetion, hormones etc all change your weight along with natural changes.
Thank you. I thought I could eat however I wanted so that is why I was going crazy with the turkey. It was my lazy microwaved meal. I will stop being lazy and eat more fruit/salad.
But, I usually eat at least 2 medium oranges per day. Is that not enough? How much fruit/salad is considered enough?0 -
I wouldn't cut back on the walking as you asked a couple of posts ago. You might want to try upping the speed and doing less time, see if that helps.
You and I are similar in weight and goals. I too tried keeping my calories around 1200-1300 when I first joined. That worked for about a month. But as I got in better shape, and started working out harder, my body had enough of being deprived and I plateaued for several weeks. I figured out my BMR and TDEE and started doing TDEE - 20%, which put me at about 1700-1800 calories depending on the amount of exercise I did per day. I started that 3 weeks ago and have lost 4 pounds--it took about a week for my body to adjust and rejoice in more calories.
I also don't think that you've truly gained 3 pounds. The body is fickle and so is the scale. You might see a bigger drop once your body adjusts to eating more every day.0 -
Are you entering the correct portion sizes?
And you don't track all of your macros. Try a different approach.
I am not weighing my food. But, I try imagining how much would fit in one cup and go accordingly. There may be a margin of error in my tracking, but it is not that large (maybe by .5 or less).
How do you suggest I track my portion sizes more correctly?
Also, what do you mean by "you don't track all of your macros"?
Always always always weigh food. You can get a food scale pretty cheap. What we think is 1 cup of rice for example is usually a lot more. Never use measuring cups/spoons for food only for liquids as food will vary by weight. My oatmeal for exmaple is a certain amout of grams that should fit into 1/3 cup. When I weight that 1/3 cup it is more grams than it should be. Eyeballing it will only result in you consuming more than you are tracking. Far too often we overestimate our exercise or intensity and underestimate what we are consuming. Pay attention to labels as well as some things that we think are a single serving actually have two or more servings in them.
Okay I will buy a cheap food scale when I find one. When I make food at home should I measure each ingredient separately then, or should I measure the finished product on the scale?0 -
Are you entering the correct portion sizes?
And you don't track all of your macros. Try a different approach.
I am not weighing my food. But, I try imagining how much would fit in one cup and go accordingly. There may be a margin of error in my tracking, but it is not that large (maybe by .5 or less).
How do you suggest I track my portion sizes more correctly?
Also, what do you mean by "you don't track all of your macros"?
Always always always weigh food. You can get a food scale pretty cheap. What we think is 1 cup of rice for example is usually a lot more. Never use measuring cups/spoons for food only for liquids as food will vary by weight. My oatmeal for exmaple is a certain amout of grams that should fit into 1/3 cup. When I weight that 1/3 cup it is more grams than it should be. Eyeballing it will only result in you consuming more than you are tracking. Far too often we overestimate our exercise or intensity and underestimate what we are consuming. Pay attention to labels as well as some things that we think are a single serving actually have two or more servings in them.
Okay I will buy a cheap food scale when I find one. When I make food at home should I measure each ingredient separately then, or should I measure the finished product on the scale?
Measure/weigh each separately and either add to your diary or add to the recipe builder for accurate counts. Unless something in the diary is listed as cooked weight always use raw weight.0 -
I would definitely get a tape measure for results review as well. Also, I think 1300 calories net is perfectly acceptable if that's what you want but you need to try as best you can to hit that net amount. Since you have found you gained weight, it may be water retention or that your body is burning less to compensate for such a large deficit of fuel. Lifestyle changes are different for every one and definitely trial and error. Try not to let the one week get you down and see if it evens out next week. I didn't do any peer reviewed studies but this has been a frustration of mine and some of those on my friend list. I'm almost 70 days in so there are some trends that I can see now and seeing them has helped me avoid some of that panic I had in the beginning. Good luck to you!0
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Cut out the sugary drinks and treats, replace with fruit like apples with natural peanut butter or some berries. Eat more vegetables. Have a decent breakfast like.... scrambled eggs and a banana for example... add a salad to your lunches and dinners.
I feel like I have cut out the sugary drinks (which was my biggest problem before) extremely well. The other day I bought a Dole bottle....and misread the label, so I drank it all. I kept the bottle and when I was recording the calories later I was shocked at how many calories I had consumed........and they weren't even that filling. So, I completely agree with you on this point.
But, I still drink Fuze, Tropicana orange juice, or some other low calorie beverages sometimes.....as water sometimes makes me want to puke.
I will eat more vegetables and breakfast. Thank you for your help.0 -
First of all, those that don't have something positive to say should just MYOB!! This journey is hard enough and it doesn't have to be made harder by bullies and inconsiderate people.
You have to monitor your overall weight loss and concentrate on that and your first few weeks are a testament to your dedication. You are a young adult and a woman, you can expect fluctuations in your journey if you look at it weekly. Female issues can add weight in a very short time and can also decrease weight in a very short time. Allow for that and don't be afraid of that, embrace it.
As for eating more calories than you are eating now...it may be advice that is founded in good experience but I believe it is better to monitor your body, you know your body better than anyone else and should do what is best for your body.
Remember this as well....there is a reason that ALL diets suggest a weight loss of NOT more than 2 lbs a week. You will have to experiment with your daily food diary to find that balance that will give you that steady and healthy weight loss.
If you look at it from a long term view and continue to monitor your journey and find in the next two months that you steadily lose weight 3 out of 4 weeks and have this one week of gain then you may want to contribute it to a female effect. During that one week it may be prudent to monitor your sodium intake and lower it for those days. Up the fresh fruits and veggies during that one week as well. It will help flush your system.
Ignore the negative people that insist on posting rude comments on boards and blogs...you don't need them. The positive people who are struggling right along with you out number them and will help to guide you in a positive and uplifting manner.
You are doing a great job, celebrate your success!
Thank you. I will record this as a week I gained weight then, so that I can reflect on it and make changes accordingly. This post was very helpful.0 -
What you should do is buy a kitchen scale and weigh everything out
You can get them for around $10 at walmart
Because honestly you can pack in a cup a flour by smashing it down or you can loosely scoop the flour in and even though they are in the same cup the flour packed tightly in is more flour then the flour loosely packed
Alton Brown always weigh everything for that reason
So on the side of say the goldfish package it says 55 goldfish is 30 grams - i dont count out 55 goldfish i just weigh 30 grams sometimes its a little less or little more then 55 depending on size of goldfish
Same thing I can say i am eating 6 baby carrots which i could enter but it would not give me the exact right calories opposed to saying ok well i am eating 1.2 ounces of carrots
I love my scale and you will learn to eyeball things this way when you are somewhere without a scale
I have found for myself i get 1370 calories the days i dont exercise i eat 80% of my calories so about 1100 calories as i find that is what works best for me for weight loss -- I just learned not to long ago that you need to eat back most of your exercise calories as well otherwise you won't lose weight so now i am trying to find the perfect percentage i think for me 82% of my exercise calories+1370 calories is what i need to eat per day to lose weight
EVERYONES body is different so EVERYONE will have different ratios and you need to figure out what works for you
What I suggest you do is - Right now your body is in a starvation mode because your so below your calories it thinks your starving yourself so its protecting itself and storing all your calories/fat - So I would take 2 days and eat about 300-400 calories more then your daily allotment+exercise this is to just get your body back into oh hey we are getting our calories today - you might be shocked and find you lose weight the first day - Then try to eat as close to your calorie allotment as possible do as i did and figure out what percentage works good for your body0 -
Along with eating your calories, I would try mixing up your walking with something else, your body will get into a routine and you'll need to jump start it again by doing something different. Also, strength training. Building muscle will help you lose weight.0
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You won't lose every week. Sometimes you'll go down, sometimes you'll go up. It's important to keep a slow, steady weight loss in order to succeed and keep the weight off.
This entire site is "peer reviewed". When there are thousands of people successfully losing weight at 1 pound per week and feeling great you have to see it's the way to go.
So its normal to go up? If so, next week do those people lose more weight or do they lose only the regular 2 lbs?
I am a bit confused about this weight gain/loss scenario. Why does it happen if people are tracking their food and exercise properly and doing everything right? (I am not claiming I am doing anything right. I am just trying to learn).
The body doesn't respond to the math of weight loss. There are a lot of factors that change our weight. I can step on the scale four times within an hour, each time getting a different weight while not doing anything myself to change that weight.
Hormones change your weight (especially if you are female... TOM can cause females to gain upwards of 10lbs). Water rentention/sodium/muscle retaining for repair all change your weight. Undigested food changes your weight. Your weight changes naturally. You most likely won't lose every week. It's just what happens.
If you have a deficit weekly that is equal to the math of 2lbs lost, doesn't mean you will lose 2lbs. You could have a weekly deficit that works out to 5lbs (not healthy at all) but actually gain. My deficit is apparently only about 0.5lb a week. I tend to lose at least 1lb. Unfortunately doing things right won't always result in the losses the math claims.
Thank you, that made sense
. 0 -
Ok I get that you don't understand but many things can be a factor for you gaining weight, extra stress, lack of sleep, your body will adjust to what you are doing so you need to change it up a bit possibly. you may have hit a plateau which is ok. you judge your progress by saying, ok I had a bad week, what do I need to do to change it, Take a step back and review EVERYTHING, you are doing Eat more healthy calories, whole foods, not processed. You are exercising and that is great, change the terrain of your walks(it works different muscles). but know that if you gain one week it is a week to step back and review what you did and see what you can change to lose weight the next week, And Just remember it is a journey it will have ups and downs.0
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I wouldn't cut back on the walking as you asked a couple of posts ago. You might want to try upping the speed and doing less time, see if that helps.
You and I are similar in weight and goals. I too tried keeping my calories around 1200-1300 when I first joined. That worked for about a month. But as I got in better shape, and started working out harder, my body had enough of being deprived and I plateaued for several weeks. I figured out my BMR and TDEE and started doing TDEE - 20%, which put me at about 1700-1800 calories depending on the amount of exercise I did per day. I started that 3 weeks ago and have lost 4 pounds--it took about a week for my body to adjust and rejoice in more calories.
I also don't think that you've truly gained 3 pounds. The body is fickle and so is the scale. You might see a bigger drop once your body adjusts to eating more every day.
Where do I go to measure my BMR and TDEE? I've googled these terms, but there are many sites that calculate them differently. Which site do you recommend?0 -
I would definitely get a tape measure for results review as well. Also, I think 1300 calories net is perfectly acceptable if that's what you want but you need to try as best you can to hit that net amount. Since you have found you gained weight, it may be water retention or that your body is burning less to compensate for such a large deficit of fuel. Lifestyle changes are different for every one and definitely trial and error. Try not to let the one week get you down and see if it evens out next week. I didn't do any peer reviewed studies but this has been a frustration of mine and some of those on my friend list. I'm almost 70 days in so there are some trends that I can see now and seeing them has helped me avoid some of that panic I had in the beginning. Good luck to you!
Thank you.0
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