Exercising & counting calories but gaining weight

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13

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  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    3 weeks isn't a long time to not see any results, and the scale isn't always the best way to tell if you have had changes in your body. I had a long period where the scale went down very very slowly, but my body changed a lot. don't worry so much about weight.

    secondly, you are eating healthy and exercising, you are looking after yourself. this is way more important than weight-loss and will help you maintain your goal weight once you get there, so focus on this, cause its great.

    third, you are doing quite a lot of exercise, you should eat back at least 1/2 to 2/3 of those calories, you don't need to eat back all of them as usually MFP over estimates. definitely do this, even if you are not particularly hungry. have a smoothie, some nuts, healthy snacks, granola bar, whatever you like.

    you don't need to eat that low to loose weight, especially with your exercise. definitely eat back your exercise as per above.

    what is your height and weight if you don't mind sharing?
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    I am going to keep an eye on the deficit. I had a feeling that something different had to be done because once I increased the cardio, the weight wasn't coming off like it was before when I was exercising less.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I lost my last 5 lbs by raising my calorie goal by 300 calories from 1200 to 1500 AND eating my exercise calories back. THE HARDEST PART about eating more calories was wrapping my head around it. I was scared, especially because of my age and height.

    I incorporated quinoa and sweet potato to get me there. They were higher in calories and lower on the glycemic index.


    I am 5' 3.5" and at the time I met my goal, I was 43. I am closing in on 45 and I weigh less than 110 lbs. I eat around 2100 calories a day on the days I exercise.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    You may want to consider doing a more dense/higher calorie meal an hour or so before doing your workout, and then a protein shake after to help keep refuel.

    this strikes on a good point, you can easily add bigger portions to your meals to increase the total, you probably wouldn't notice that much :)
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    nikilis - I am 5' 5" and now weigh 123.5 pounds. My goal weight is 120 pounds.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    Lesa_Sass - great inspiration! It is a concept that is very hard to wrap your head around, agreed! That's one of my road blocks right now. :happy:
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    nikilis - I am 5' 5" and now weigh 123.5 pounds. My goal weight is 120 pounds.

    you are soo close! don't be discouraged!!

    I used IF aka intermittent fasting to speed up/jumpstart my weight loss.

    basically you eat all your cals in an eating window, the easiest being 14/10 - 14 hour fast, 10 hour feeding window per day, so say 11am to 9pm.

    im doing 18/6 - 6 hour window (2pm-8pm) and I was fluctuating at 73-74kg, now after 3 weeks, almost a month, im 71.3kg, so its kicked back in to a 1lb a week loss. thats the most I've lost in a month for a good 5-6 months.

    its recommended that women do 14/10 or 16/8. it really worked for me and im in the last 6-8lb.

    overall, just don't give up. :)
  • MissSaturday
    MissSaturday Posts: 784 Member
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    I can see in your food diary you use the quick tool to add calories. However most people on MFP forget to add OIL used when cooking or as a condiment. And that is the main ingrediente to be careful of. Only a tablespoon of vegetable oil has 135 calories circa and olive oil around 100 cal.. not talking about the fat it contains. So if you eat salad and then you put 4-5 spoons of oil it is not a poor diet!!!!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Everybody needs to stop telling her to eat more.


    What is up with this forum? As soon as someone ask for help, 100 people jumps in and tells them to eat more.


    Because from many of our personal experiences and those of fellow member and the thousands of countless "I am plateaued, I eat 1200 calories and do tons of cardio threads" the results generally have come by providing more food to their bodies. Now this doesn't mean she needs to eat 1000 more calories, but increasing to a level where she is supplying her body with enough food that her body isn't fighting her with hormones to prevent weight loss. I can tell you I lost a lot more weight at 2600 calories than I did with 1800. I still measured the same.


    OP, at this point, I would suggest trying to eat more. Since you are looking at more of a vanity weight number, why don't you up your calories to around 1600-1700 (from my experience, most women I know eat 1700-2100 calories daily when working out 5-6 days a week during weight loss). I would also suggest adjusting macro's to around 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats. This should help you achieve 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. In fact, you could even lower protein 10% and increase fats 10% and still hit the numbers. I do agree with other posters, that adding weight training and cutting cardio will significantly help with your definition and body recomposition. Additionally, I would suggest not worrying about a nominal number on a scale and start looking at pictures for results.

    Also, if you want to see what other women do, below is a thread with over 500 women eating 1800+ calories. It's not eating more, it's finding a balance between exercise and fueling your body.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    adewaleadeloy - I used a light version of balsamic vinegar for salad dressing and any oil I used for cooking is olive oil and I measure the serving size out each time. :happy:

    I use the quick calorie option for items I can't find in the database and are out of the ordinary. I always calculate the calories for them on the high end.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    eat more
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    Thank you psulemon! I will check out the resource you provided.
  • wannabpiper
    wannabpiper Posts: 402 Member
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    Approximately 3 or more weeks without losing any weight.

    I went just over three weeks without any loss and was starting to worry. The only thing that kept me from getting really frustrated was knowing that I was doing what I should - tracking calories and exercising. Then one day that scale showed a two lb loss. The only concern I'd have is that you say you think that you're even putting on a bit of the weight.

    You may need a "Commin' to Jesus Meeting". In other words, take a really good look at weighing your food, revisiting your BMR, and think about whether you're counting the right number of calories burned when exercising. I'm a big believer in the old calories in calories out way of living, not so much about eating more to lose weight.
  • 6spdeg
    6spdeg Posts: 394 Member
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    Everybody needs to stop telling her to eat more.


    What is up with this forum? As soon as someone ask for help, 100 people jumps in and tells them to eat more.


    Because from many of our personal experiences and those of fellow member and the thousands of countless "I am plateaued, I eat 1200 calories and do tons of cardio threads" the results generally have come by providing more food to their bodies. Now this doesn't mean she needs to eat 1000 more calories, but increasing to a level where she is supplying her body with enough food that her body isn't fighting her with hormones to prevent weight loss. I can tell you I lost a lot more weight at 2600 calories than I did with 1800. I still measured the same.


    OP, at this point, I would suggest trying to eat more. Since you are looking at more of a vanity weight number, why don't you up your calories to around 1600-1700 (from my experience, most women I know eat 1700-2100 calories daily when working out 5-6 days a week during weight loss). I would also suggest adjusting macro's to around 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats. This should help you achieve 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. In fact, you could even lower protein 10% and increase fats 10% and still hit the numbers. I do agree with other posters, that adding weight training and cutting cardio will significantly help with your definition and body recomposition. Additionally, I would suggest not worrying about a nominal number on a scale and start looking at pictures for results.

    Also, if you want to see what other women do, below is a thread with over 500 women eating 1800+ calories. It's not eating more, it's finding a balance between exercise and fueling your body.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day

    lol.. I see you are one of the few intelligent people on this site. Great info!
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
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    Ok looked at your food log for the past month.

    It looks like you definitely log everything.

    You do need to get a food scale if you want to be precious though.
    Measuring cups is fine if you are measuring liquids but everything else should be weighed.
    Would like you to see more protein in your diet but, that's another subject and has very little to do with not losing weight.

    Some stuff I forgot to ask

    1. Do you weigh yourself everyday?
    2. Since you are a female, is it that time of month were you might be bloated?


    There is a possibility that you are just retaining water.

    Look up the "Swoosh" effect:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    I personally have stalled for around 3 weeks before and then lose 3 lbs overnight (after a binge no less).

    You tend to exercise A LOT. This could contribute to a rise in cortisol that may result in water retention.
    Also, I see no "Cheat" days what so ever on your diary. A day of indulging in some extra food my do you good. It will reduce cortisol levels and may tell your body to drop the water weight.

    If you read the article on Swoosh, One of the "signs" that you might be retaining water in your fat cell, is that your skin feel like there are little marble underneath it. I did not experience this but, I know of some people who did.
  • TigersFan14
    TigersFan14 Posts: 29 Member
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    broscientist - Any recommendations on a good and not too expensive food scale?

    I recently read about adding a "cheat day" from an article I read. I do have to do this as well. Tweaks are definitely needed. I appreciate all the advice!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
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    broscientist - Any recommendations on a good and not too expensive food scale?

    I recently read about adding a "cheat day" from an article I read. I do have to do this as well. Tweaks are definitely needed. I appreciate all the advice!

    I have this scale and LOVE it - with a tare feature!

    http://www.zappos.com/oxo-good-grips-5-lbs-food-scale-with-pull-out-display-black?ef_id=UZqrIwAABLbarmcy:20130604144018:s
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Ok looked at your food log for the past month.

    It looks like you definitely log everything.

    You do need to get a food scale if you want to be precious though.
    Measuring cups is fine if you are measuring liquids but everything else should be weighed.
    Would like you to see more protein in your diet but, that's another subject and has very little to do with not losing weight.

    Some stuff I forgot to ask

    1. Do you weigh yourself everyday?
    2. Since you are a female, is it that time of month were you might be bloated?


    There is a possibility that you are just retaining water.

    Look up the "Swoosh" effect:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    I personally have stalled for around 3 weeks before and then lose 3 lbs overnight (after a binge no less).

    You tend to exercise A LOT. This could contribute to a rise in cortisol that may result in water retention.
    Also, I see no "Cheat" days what so ever on your diary. A day of indulging in some extra food my do you good. It will reduce cortisol levels and may tell your body to drop the water weight.

    If you read the article on Swoosh, One of the "signs" that you might be retaining water in your fat cell, is that your skin feel like there are little marble underneath it. I did not experience this but, I know of some people who did.

    I am not trying to attack or be condescending here, but isn't adding a cheat day or a binge day/meal, the same thing as increasing your daily intake? Realistically, we look at calories over a week not a specific day. Do a binge meal can essentially but viewed as raising your daily intake.
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
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    broscientist - Any recommendations on a good and not too expensive food scale?

    I recently read about adding a "cheat day" from an article I read. I do have to do this as well. Tweaks are definitely needed. I appreciate all the advice!

    scalers.jpg

    If you got a Costco membership this one might be on sale in your area for $9.99.

    It think I bought mines at $15 but, even at the regular price of $20, it's worth it.
  • AJL437
    AJL437 Posts: 71 Member
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    One more thought - also try to double check your exercise calories using a heart rate monitor or using an online calculator. I was surprised how my calorie burn lowered after losing 15 pounds. Activities that burned 500 calories when I started now burn a lot less.

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