I think I am doing something wrong...

arains89
arains89 Posts: 442 Member
edited January 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I know people get mad at these sorts of post but this isn't "im at a plateu help me out". I am actually gaining weight and I can't wrap my head around it. I am 160 lbs. I was 156 a couple of weeks ago. I net 1200 cals/day (I eat back my exercise calories) and I am doing turbofire so I do intense workouts 6 days/week and on my off day I generally just go for a long walk with my family. Am I doing something wrong when it comes to the food? I know I have read people saying that they aren't eating enough and they plateu but I am not just stuck I have actually gained 4 pounds... Any advice? I am 5'6" so 160 is still overweight for me. Ideally I still have 20-25 pounds to lose. Anything that may help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • gaillynnew
    gaillynnew Posts: 1 Member
    How many calories are you "eating back?"
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    epends on what workout I did that day. Generally I burn between 300-500 cals and I usually eat most of them back give or take a 100.
  • rmchapman4
    rmchapman4 Posts: 152 Member
    I need to see responses.. I have gained 5 pounds since I've started doing 35 minutes of step aerobics AND 8 pound weights for my arms AND push-ups [I've been doing these about a month 3-4 times per week]! This is CRAZY! :sad: :indifferent:
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    I'd say first start with opening your diary - it's a bit hard to offer advice even with the context you've provided.

    But offhand it sounds like water retention from an intense workout regimen. Muscles retain water to heal and repair, so anything especially difficult can lead to temporary gains. Try a rest week, where you do Turbo only 4 days a week with 3 active rest days. It should help your body recover and let go of some of the water weight.
  • aimgirl
    aimgirl Posts: 50 Member
    Could you be pregnant?
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
    Well everyone's body is different, what types of food are you eating? This is number one. Food, Food, Food. Unless you have a medical issue, what you put into your body is going to be the most important part of your progress. if you are eating right then I would give it some more time.
    it could be a number of things happening, are you measuring yourself? I know I fluctuate even when I am working my butt off but my body is changing. I do not lose weight right away, but eventually it comes off.
  • tubzzy77
    tubzzy77 Posts: 104 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories. Make sure you get around 130g of protein a day.
  • pdfrazier08
    pdfrazier08 Posts: 178 Member
    I gained weight when I first started. I was very discouraged. People told me I was gaining muscle. WHATEVER I knew it wasn't muscle. After about a month of sticking with it, the pounds started to come off slowly and then eventually saw a bigger loss. Just stick with it and you will see results. I have to remind myself that I didn't gain weight overnight and therefore it isn't going to come off overnight either.
  • RTheHutt
    RTheHutt Posts: 46 Member
    Is there any change in your size or measurements? Maybe you're toning/building from the exercise and just not seeing a change in weight. If that's the case, just hang in there!

    I know this happens to me. I start running and gain weight even as my clothes fit better. It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Do you weigh every day? If so, was the 4 lb gain overnight? Or, has it been a gradual increase of eg. a fraction of a pound each day? If it's a sudden increase. then it's not likely to be because you're eating too much. It could be water retention due to more sodium than usual, more carbs than usual, hormonal changes or a change to your exercise programme. (Did you just start the Turbofire?) In which case, keeping things the same for a couple more weeks may see that weight come off again just as quickly.

    Are you taking measurements of your body, and if so, have you noticed a gain there?

    If it's a genuine fat gain, and you're being very accurate about measuring/logging all your food, then it's possible that you're over-estimating your calorie burns. An over-estimation of calorie burn wouldn't normally lead to a 4lb gain over two weeks, as you have a calorie deficit that would absorb a lot of that. So, I'm not convinced it's that, but if you're logging say 1000 calories a workout, and eating those all back, that might be the issue. How do you estimate your burns?
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories. Make sure you get around 130g of protein a day.

    Sounds about right.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    epends on what workout I did that day. Generally I burn between 300-500 cals and I usually eat most of them back give or take a 100.
    Ok, you posted this while I was replying. With those numbers, I highly doubt eating back your cals is the issue, as your calorie deficit is probably big enough to cover that to start with. It could well be water retention from the exercise.
  • bethgrayster
    bethgrayster Posts: 56 Member
    How are calculating your calories burned?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories.
    She's currently eating 1200 + 300-500 in exercise calories. That's not really that much different from what you're suggesting.
  • muddynicola
    muddynicola Posts: 41 Member
    My first inclination is that the exercise is not burning off as much as you think it is, it's better to underestimate than over estimate the calories you burn because you could be eating more than you are using.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories. Make sure you get around 130g of protein a day.

    This is what she's already doing in a sense if she eats 1200 cals and eats back her 300-500 exercise cals a day -_- which ends up being between 1500-1700 cals or so in a day.
  • Thinnyminime
    Thinnyminime Posts: 41 Member
    It is very important to take your measurements. You are probably gaining muscle in your legs and core. Enter your stats into a BMR and BMI calculator. While you need to eat those calories back you need to eat lots of protein if you are working out that much. It sounds like you are in this for the long haul so give yourself a break too from time to time. Bring the intensity down a notch and let your body catch up. Then you can really give 'er and launch off that plateau. My money is on your body comp changing and that is a good thing. You can also have your body comp analyzed at your gym...they charge money but it is totally worth it. Hope this helps...keep up the great work.
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    No way am I pregnant!!! I would die (my daughter is 7 months) I am into my 5th week of turbofire so I did not just start it. My HRM is what I use to calculate calories burned and the weight gain was over night but it has stayed the same. I generally weigh in on Thursdays. I weighed in at 157.6 (which was a gain from the previous week) and then Saturday I got on the scale for the heck of it hoping that small gain had disappeared and I was at 160!! And I have weighed myself every morning since hoping to see it go away and the scale has consistantly said 160. My clothes do fit better I haven't taken measurements lately though.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    I agree with the water weight from intense exercise. Maybe increase your water intake for a few days and see what happens. I just broke through an 11 day stall for this same thing..didn't gain weight but had a very intense weight training session for full body and then my weight loss halted for awhile. Weightloss is an art, not a direct science. :) hang in there.
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    1) Take a deep breath...woosah..
    2) Are you measuring the food or assuming?
    3) Stop looking at the scale so much
    4) Did you change your routine up from what you were doing previously?
    5) Woosah...
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories.
    She's currently eating 1200 + 300-500 in exercise calories. That's not really that much different from what you're suggesting.

    yes, but im sure she isn't exercising 7 days a week.
    Her weekly roundup of calories is most likely still very low therefore her average is definitely lower.
  • smanning1982
    smanning1982 Posts: 210 Member
    Im about the same size as you. 5"5 and now I am down to 153 (started my diet once again at 162.5 three weeks ago)

    If I do any type of excersise routine I don't lose weight. I don't know why! I just doesn't happen. However, if I do not exercise and just stick to 1200-1300 calories a day I usually lose 2 lbs a week. I have 4 kids so I am still pretty active, I just don't exercise on a regular basis. I'll do a 5K like once every 2 months and I usually won't lose anything the week I do!
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories. Make sure you get around 130g of protein a day.

    This is what she's already doing in a sense if she eats 1200 cals and eats back her 300-500 exercise cals a day -_- which ends up being between 1500-1700 cals or so in a day.

    Just repeating:

    yes, but im sure she isn't exercising 7 days a week.
    Her weekly roundup of calories is most likely still very low therefore her average is definitely lower.
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    measure yourself.... Its probably muscle and water.
  • smb0701
    smb0701 Posts: 234
    are u breastfeeding?
  • ShimmerKitten
    ShimmerKitten Posts: 50 Member
    You sound to be burning a lot, and i think theres a bit of a limit to how much you should eat back.
    Try eating half of what you work off back, and see if that helps?
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    If your clothes are fitting better - it probably is an increase in muscle mass.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    Sounds like you're starving your body. Eat 1600 calories a day and don't eat back your 'exercise' calories. Make sure you get around 130g of protein a day.

    ^^ THIS
  • tubzzy77
    tubzzy77 Posts: 104 Member
    She's currently eating 1200 + 300-500 in exercise calories. That's not really that much different from what you're suggesting.

    My apologies but to me in her first post it sounded like she ate 1200 calories total which included the exercise calories.
    I net 1200 cals/day (I eat back my exercise calories)
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    Maybe I need to up the protein and cosistantly stay at 1600 accross the board. I generally eat about 90g of protein. Gah this is too hard can't I just keep eating healthy and working out daily and gradually lose the weight and tone up??? So annoying when you are working so hard. And for the record, I don't let myself go hungry. I eat like every 2 hours and I stay full... Very frustrating.
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