What is not working? -Gained 3 lbs-
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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?
I used this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
I had seen other people on here recommend it--great site!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 body
Okay I will do that. Thank you for your help!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.
Thank you, I will go and review my previous weeks now.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.
I'm set to lose 1 lb/week and I find one week I'll only lose half a pound or stay the same, then the next week I could be down 2.5 lbs. Weight loss isn't always linear, and looking at your average losses over a couple months will give you a better look at how you are doing. Also, the week before and during my TOM, my weight is ALL over the place.
I didn't look at your diary, but based on other comments, do make sure you are netting your 1300 calories.
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It could be multiple things. It's hard to know really as your diary is largely incomplete, especially the macros.
Could be water retention. Could be you have gained a little fat as you are under reporting your actual intake in reality. Could be that you are nutritionally starved (as opposed to energy starved) so you are setting up a hormonal environment which favours fat gain when you unconsiously eat more than you realise, you could have a food intolerance.
You need to consistently track your intake, to include your macros, over the next few weeks. If you still keep gaining then you might get more concrete answers as you have more information to go on.0 -
You're probably sick of replies at this point, but I looked at your food diary and I just wanted to remind you that not everything is about calories.
Calories are important for weight loss, but Fat, Sugars and Carbohydrates are also very important to consider. If you eat too much of any they can cause you to gain weight. You can eat more avocados and nuts, which are a good source of fat, but chocolate mousse and the like are not. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/nutrition/healthy_fatsugar.shtml) "People burned, on average, 300 more calories a day when they were eating the very low carb plan than they did on the high carbohydrate plan." http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/carbs-and-weight-gain.aspx
Adding protein to your diet can also help you burn calories and build lean muscles: http://www.infobarrel.com/Why_women_should_take_whey_protein_for_weight_loss.
"Protein boosts your metabolism, which is the rate in which your body burns and uses food as energy. The faster your metabolism works, the less food your body will be able to store as fat." http://www.leancurves.com/protein-supplements-for-womens-weight-loss. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/protein-and-weight-loss.aspx
And if you need calories so your body doesn't think it's starving eat more vegetables! http://www.peertrainer.com/diet/why_fruits_and_vegetables_help_you_lose_weight.aspx
I hope that helped and that the articles aided in your desire for "scholarly evidence", good luck with your weight loss!0 -
Your diary confuses me a bit so it's hard to advise - although I think you've taken on board others advice about eating better.
What is a whole turkey?
Do you really only eat a quarter of a cup of curry?
A jumbo muffin is about 790 calories - do you honestly cut it in 4 and save the rest for later?
Other than these things, which just seems really bizarre, I notice a lot of chocolate and sweet things. My suspicion is that you get sugar cravings because you body isn't getting enough of the good stuff (proteins, vegetables and pulses)....
Weight can vary as much as 3lbs in one day, for a variety of reasons, so don't worry too much about 1 week when you gained a bit. On the other hand, it's good that you did because it sent you here, where you can get your eating sorted out and get healthy as well as slim 0 -
You're probably sick of replies at this point, but I looked at your food diary and I just wanted to remind you that not everything is about calories.
Calories are important for weight loss, but Fat, Sugars and Carbohydrates are also very important to consider. If you eat too much of any they can cause you to gain weight.
Extra fat, sugar or carbs will not make you gain weight unless your overall calories are over your TDEE. I regularly consume triple the sugar amounts and a lot of carbs due to fruits yet I still lose weight.You can eat more avocados and nuts, which are a good source of fat, but chocolate mousse and the like are not.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/nutrition/healthy_fatsugar.shtml) "People burned, on average, 300 more calories a day when they were eating the very low carb plan than they did on the high carbohydrate plan." http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/carbs-and-weight-gain.aspx
Both of those sites are articles... not peer reviewed studies. Articles can claim anything they want to. Your calorie burns are based on your metabolism.Adding protein to your diet can also help you burn calories and build lean muscles: http://www.infobarrel.com/Why_women_should_take_whey_protein_for_weight_loss.
"Protein boosts your metabolism, which is the rate in which your body burns and uses food as energy. The faster your metabolism works, the less food your body will be able to store as fat." http://www.leancurves.com/protein-supplements-for-womens-weight-loss. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/protein-and-weight-loss.aspx
Protein itself will not build muscle mass. Again the links are articles not actual peer reviewed studies. In order to build muscle mass you need more than simply an increase of protein. You need a calorie surplus and heavy lifting. When we go on a deficit to lose weight part of the weight loss is muscle mass especially if you don't consume enough protein, have little to no weight lifting in your routine and have a high calorie deficit.0 -
Could be that the estimate of the cals on the food are incorrect, esp if homemade it might not be a good estimate. There was (and might still be) an estimate for a slice of pizza at 100 cals and friends of mine were eating slices that were 400+ cals from Season's pizza and recording them at 100 each. Just a possibility.0
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Your diary confuses me a bit so it's hard to advise - although I think you've taken on board others advice about eating better.
What is a whole turkey?
Do you really only eat a quarter of a cup of curry?
A jumbo muffin is about 790 calories - do you honestly cut it in 4 and save the rest for later?
Other than these things, which just seems really bizarre, I notice a lot of chocolate and sweet things. My suspicion is that you get sugar cravings because you body isn't getting enough of the good stuff (proteins, vegetables and pulses)....
Weight can vary as much as 3lbs in one day, for a variety of reasons, so don't worry too much about 1 week when you gained a bit. On the other hand, it's good that you did because it sent you here, where you can get your eating sorted out and get healthy as well as slim
A whole turkey is a whole turkey bought from a store marinated with vinegar and spice and put in the oven to roast. And then you can eat it several times a week till it is all done
I do eat only 0.25 cups of curry with 1 roti (that's like a pita but homemade with no oil/butter and is made with brown bread). So the curry is like a dipping sauce if that makes sense
And yes I do cut my jumbo muffins into 1/4's now. I used to eat one whole one for breakfast, and looking back I can't believe I ate like 1000 calories just for breakfast! After cutting it into 1/4 I wrap it in plastic wrap and laugh at everyone in my home who is muffin deprived while I am still eating my bits.
For the chocolate and candy.........I have no excuse. My sister works in retail and they were going to throw out all the Easter candy......so she bought a whole bunch on sale for cheap. I couldn't say no TT_____TT So, I have just been controlling how much of the chocolate I eat. When it is done I will not go seek out more for no reason.
I know it is weird XD0 -
Your body is reacting to the lack of calories therefore not burning your fat.
If you are not eating breakfast, do so. It gets your metabolism going for the day. last year when I was not trying to lose weight, I started eating oatmeal for breakfast. 1/2 cup quick oats, 1 cup of milk, sprinkled with cinnamon and 2 or 3 months later I was 10lbs lighter and others could tell. I didn't change anything else, no exercise, didn't change my food habbits, I was still eating larger portions then I should have.
Today, instead of 1 cup of milk, I use 2/3 cup of Almond Silk Vanilla Milk, sometimes add fruit, sprinkled with ground nutmeg and/or vanilla extract, it taste so good!!
Don't use the flavored oatmeal packets, they are not as healthy as plain oatmeal and you get more for the money in the tub of oatmeal.0 -
Don't freak out over a gain unless it sticks. I've had my scale show a gain only to go back down the next day. More than likely it's water weight and nothing to worry about. Watch sodium levels and drink lots of water.0
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Your body is reacting to the lack of calories therefore not burning your fat.
If you are not eating breakfast, do so. It gets your metabolism going for the day.
Eating breakfast doesn't get your metabolism going. You don't have to eat breakfast for better losses.
A lot of people find if they don't eat breakfast they overeat later in the day. This is an example about how for some not eating breakfast does cause them to gain or not lose just because they eat more throughout the rest of the day.
Some people find if they don't eat breakfast they are fine throughout the day.
Ultimately, as long as your calories are at a deficit for the day you will lose weight. Whether you eat breakfast or not.. whether you eat one meal or six.
I don't think the OP issue is with sometimes not eating breakfast. I think the issues are not eating nearly enough and not eating the right foods as there is a lot of processed food in the OP diary.0 -
I think a lot of it is you don't drink enough water/drink so many sugary drinks that likely have high sodium contents.0
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So I started this site a little over a month ago and was losing 3 lbs / week. Last week I lost 2.5 lbs. But, this week I gained 2.5 lbs TT_____TT And honestly I didn't change much. Please help me. What am I doing wrong?
You aren't very good at figuring out if you are losing fat or not.
Lots of things can cause the scale to go up or down, totally unrealted to fat loss.
Start using an alternate means of measurement as well, or even better, multiple alternate means of measurements.
Calipers, scale, tape measure, progress photos. There is only a problem when all of them tell you there is a problem. Of the bunch, the scale is the easiest to use, but also the least reliable.0 -
I have to agree with the first comment above - you're not eating enough. I'm not going to tell you to eat more than your daily goal, but you're not even meeting that goal! You're under 1300 and when you subtract your exercise cals you're only netting around 450 calories a day! Waaaaay too low.
You lost at first, but now your body is catching on to the low intake, and losses are slowing - your body has no reason to burn fat - it wants to store it because you're not giving it enough fuel.
MFP has you at a daily deficit at the 1300 already - eat that much with no exercise and you'll lose. Factor in the exercise and you are creating too large a deficit.
If you feel like you can't eat more food to meet your goal, eat more calorie dense foods - add some nuts and nut butters, avocados, full fat dairy, use olive and coconut oils in cooking and dressings - small portions of these foods pack a lot of healthy calories, getting you closer to goal without feeling like you have to eat a ton of food to get there.
Thank you for an actually helpful reply. I already put dressing in my salads, and vegetable oil in my daily curries. I also leave room for error....so that is why I am a few calories low. I'll start drinking a cup of milk per day again to up my calories. I also walk for 2 hours per day because there are a few days I have to skip exercising. Do you think I should reduce the amount of time I walk?
Also, a major concern of mine is that I gained weight......not maintained it. Can you please explain why this happened when I am on a calorie deficit?
Sorry for the trouble.
When you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into "survival mode" and stores as much fat/calories as possible instead of burning them because your body is not sure when it will get more fuel again. Make sure that you are eating at least what MFP is telling you - don't include your exercise calories until you can be sure you are meeting your minimum daily calorie intake.
On a different note, I wanted to share with you my experience: I hit a plateau a few weeks ago and actually gained a few pounds as well, even though I was staying within my calorie intake. Another thing: I was hungry ALL THE TIME, which made things more stressful, and was having awful cravings (candy, etc). I saw in another forum that some said if you are having cravings, you're not eating enough. The last 2 weeks, I have been going over my daily calorie limit by about 200 calories (this has helped the hunger thing) and I've actually dropped over 5 pounds! Just something to think about - that you don't need to starve yourself to meet your goal, it's all about taking care of your body and doing what it needs.
Hope this helps!0 -
If water really isn't your favorite thing to drink, try using Crystal Light or other drink additives (like Kroger) instead of drinking juice and all those other funky drinks. They are generally about 5 calories a packet AND helps increase your water intake.0
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Your body is reacting to the lack of calories therefore not burning your fat.
If you are not eating breakfast, do so. It gets your metabolism going for the day.
Eating breakfast doesn't get your metabolism going. You don't have to eat breakfast for better losses.
A lot of people find if they don't eat breakfast they overeat later in the day. This is an example about how for some not eating breakfast does cause them to gain or not lose just because they eat more throughout the rest of the day.
Some people find if they don't eat breakfast they are fine throughout the day.
Ultimately, as long as your calories are at a deficit for the day you will lose weight. Whether you eat breakfast or not.. whether you eat one meal or six.
I don't think the OP issue is with sometimes not eating breakfast. I think the issues are not eating nearly enough and not eating the right foods as there is a lot of processed food in the OP diary.
Here are some of the ways that regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss:
Reduced hunger. Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office. In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity. Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119
and
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/fact-or-fiction-eating-breakfast-can-help-you-lose-weight.html0 -
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?
I got a food scale a while back (and also use it to measure my packages for the post office and have found it agrees with their scales down to the oz). It is very reliable and I love it! Here is the link to where I got mine: http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Biggest-Loser-Digital-Food-Scale-6.6-lb.-Capacity/11090896 . I hope that helps!
Oh, and are you getting enough sleep? I find that has a pretty big effect on my weight loss. And here is a link about that you might find helpful: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/sleep-weight-loss_n_1891171.html0 -
Your body is reacting to the lack of calories therefore not burning your fat.
If you are not eating breakfast, do so. It gets your metabolism going for the day.
Eating breakfast doesn't get your metabolism going. You don't have to eat breakfast for better losses.
A lot of people find if they don't eat breakfast they overeat later in the day. This is an example about how for some not eating breakfast does cause them to gain or not lose just because they eat more throughout the rest of the day.
Some people find if they don't eat breakfast they are fine throughout the day.
Ultimately, as long as your calories are at a deficit for the day you will lose weight. Whether you eat breakfast or not.. whether you eat one meal or six.
I don't think the OP issue is with sometimes not eating breakfast. I think the issues are not eating nearly enough and not eating the right foods as there is a lot of processed food in the OP diary.
Here are some of the ways that regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss:
Reduced hunger. Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office. In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity. Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119
and
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/fact-or-fiction-eating-breakfast-can-help-you-lose-weight.html
I pointed out how some people, not everyone, will overeat later in the day if they do not have breakfast. Provided it doesn't cause you to overeat later in the day and doesn't stall your energy, not eating breakfast is fine as some people just cannot stomach eating in the mornings. Some days I can't eat until later in the afternoon.
Consuming food in the morning or not will not increase or decrease your metabolism though.. that's what I was trying to point out. Tons of people here who do IF don't eat until the afternoon (some later in the evenings) and have had fantastic results.0
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