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Gaining weight no matter what I do

purple4sure05
purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
edited January 28 in Health and Weight Loss
For four months I was able to lose weight with absolutely no problem, almost two pounds a week. I maintained for about a month and then went on a five day vacation where I didn't watch what I ate as closely. That trip also included a maybe 2500 calorie cheat day. When I came back from the vacation, I had gone from 115 to 119. Four pounds seemed like an awful lot of weight to have gained in just five days, so I didn't stress it and took two weeks going back to eating at a deficit, and I was burning about 800 calories per day. I just weighed in again and I am now 120 and feel like punching something after all of the hard work I've put in these past two weeks. What am i doing wrong?

I've been out of town a lot lately and my food diary has been incomplete but I've been mentally accounting for the food that I have been eating. I'm going crazy just trying to get back on track. I really don't want all of my progress to have gone to waste so quickly.

The only other factors I can think to mention is that I did start the 30 day shred about a week and a half before i left for my trip, however, I weighed in before I started, and right before the trip, and I hadn't gained any water weight in that time period.

I could really use some help :(

Replies

  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
    I've been out of town a lot lately and my food diary has been incomplete but I've been mentally accounting for the food that I have been eating. I'm going crazy just trying to get back on track. I really don't want all of my progress to have gone to waste so quickly.

    This could be the culprit. There have been days I've mentally counted calories but then log them at the end of the day and am shocked that I've eaten a few hundred calories more than I thought. Now, I'm an accountant so it's not that I can't count, but trying to keep track mentally just doesn't work for me. There's always that latte that I forget or I round wrong or something else that's off. Maybe it the same for you? I'd suggest going back to logging everything and see if that helps.
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    I've been out of town a lot lately and my food diary has been incomplete but I've been mentally accounting for the food that I have been eating. I'm going crazy just trying to get back on track. I really don't want all of my progress to have gone to waste so quickly.

    This could be the culprit. There have been days I've mentally counted calories but then log them at the end of the day and am shocked that I've eaten a few hundred calories more than I thought. Now, I'm an accountant so it's not that I can't count, but trying to keep track mentally just doesn't work for me. There's always that latte that I forget or I round wrong or something else that's off. Maybe it the same for you? I'd suggest going back to logging everything and see if that helps.

    Well yes, I agree this could have to a lot to do with it, but still, four pounds over five days? It seems kind of extreme.
  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
    I agree. I would guess some of that 4 pounds is water weight if you were consuming more sodium than usual. I know after my last vacation the scale said I gained 8 pounds but 4 of those pounds were gone the next day! You could try eating low sodium, high potassium for a few days and see if that moves the scale.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    It'll be water weight, just get back you your normal routine & you'll be fine!
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    But if it were water weight, wouldn't I have gone down instead of up two weeks later? I am so discouraged :(
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    If you're gaining weight and sustaining it over a period of time, it's because you're eating too much. A 4-pound weight gain in 5 days is nothing if your diet has changed. That much IS water weight. But most people cannot accurately count calories in their heads, and it is highly likely that you were eating more than you thought, especially if you were just eyeballing your portions and not weighing and measuring.

    Track your calories diligently, and be as accurate as you possibly can. Give it a month or so.
  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
    But if it were water weight, wouldn't I have gone down instead of up two weeks later? I am so discouraged :(

    Not if you are still eating high in sodium. Another reason to log all your food. Don't be discouraged by the scale. It'll go up and down all the time. If you are leading a healthy lifestyle then you'll get where you want to be eventually! The scale is not the only way to measure progress and if you rely on it you'll be dissappointed over and over. Be proud of your healthy behaviors and have faith the scale will come along eventually :))
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    From your profile: "Slowly, I'm reteaching myself how to eat normally and maintain my original goal weight of 120 pounds, and be happy with myself the way I used to be, regardless of the number on the scale."

    Why are you unhappy about being 120 pounds if that's your goal weight, and you think anything less than that is too low?
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    I agree. I would guess some of that 4 pounds is water weight if you were consuming more sodium than usual. I know after my last vacation the scale said I gained 8 pounds but 4 of those pounds were gone the next day! You could try eating low sodium, high potassium for a few days and see if that moves the scale.
    Yes. With a lot of restaurant meals, you are consuming large amounts of sodium and retaining water. Start drinking water like crazy and stick to your food and exercise routine and you'll get back on track.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Edit: Geeze, triple post.
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
    I looked at your food log and your not eating enough 600-900 per day is not enough.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Sorry, double post.
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    I looked at your food log and your not eating enough 600-900 per day is not enough.

    The entries are incomplete right now. Throw in several hundred calories of fruits, vegetables and grilled chicken for most of those days.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    I looked at your food log and your not eating enough 600-900 per day is not enough.

    ^^^THIS!!!!!!! Eat more!!!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If you are not logging (and measuring), then you really don't know how many calories you are eating. Especially with eating out. You don't know exactly how many extra hidden calories are in the restaurant food.

    The two most likely possibilities are: 1- you are actually consuming more calories than you know, or 2- water weight.

    Get your logging accurate and you will likely see results.
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 429 Member
    I looked at your food log and your not eating enough 600-900 per day is not enough.

    The entries are incomplete right now. Throw in several hundred calories of fruits, vegetables and grilled chicken for most of those days.

    Start logging completely!
    600-900 calories daily is not sufficient even if you were to have added in some fruit, veggies or chicken. They would have to equal 740+ calories just for you to have met your minimum set daily allowable at 1640. You also have too many calories left over after your exercise calories are added. To have 1300 to 1500 calories remaining is more than you are consuming and not healthy. And if it’s because you just didn’t log food, then just because you think you can mentally calculate (as you stated) calories, doesn’t mean that you are guesstimating carbs and fat & sodium appropriately which could also explain the gain.

    Start logging everything until you are maintaining and comfortable with doing it without. I have been maintaining for 8 months & I still log everything every day. On the days you have logged why would you not log breakfast or dinner or both. If you are skipping breakfast you are slowing down your metabolism and if you are skipping dinner you are doing the same. If you skip both, that is even worse as there would be numerous hours between lunch the day before and lunch the next day. I would also suggest logging the sodium & logging that you are hydrated. Make sure you get enough protein.

    The system is foolproof. Do it right and it should get you back on track! Good luck,
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    If you are not logging (and measuring), then you really don't know how many calories you are eating. Especially with eating out. You don't know exactly how many extra hidden calories are in the restaurant food.

    The two most likely possibilities are: 1- you are actually consuming more calories than you know, or 2- water weight.

    Get your logging accurate and you will likely see results.

    Spot on.
  • Woodsmoke
    Woodsmoke Posts: 360 Member
    Sweetheart your diary suggests you are under-eating. Starvation and deprivation will only make you GAIN weight!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I agree. I would guess some of that 4 pounds is water weight if you were consuming more sodium than usual. I know after my last vacation the scale said I gained 8 pounds but 4 of those pounds were gone the next day! You could try eating low sodium, high potassium for a few days and see if that moves the scale.

    That was exactly my thoughts
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,103 Member
    4lbs is 14,000 fat calories. That means in 5 days you had to have consumed 2800 calories over your regular goal to have a legit 4lbs mass gain. I doubt it.
    Based on your profile, you probably need to change your perspective on weight. If one looks the way they want, fits the clothes they want, and people compliment their physique, then does weight matter? Do you post your weight on your forehead daily for others to see?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    4 months of nonstop dieting probably isn't the best for your metabolism. Lookup a YouTube video "metabolic damage" by Dr. Layne Norton
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    Get back on track and then see if you lose any within a week. If the trend starts going down, I wouldn't worry about it.

    If you are on track and conitnue to gain, you might have a thyroid issue. I have one and just had tests - thought I was properly medicated, but just gained 5 pounds in about 2-3 weeks. It is real weight and it's all in my belly.

    Also, are you pregnant? Just a thought.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    4lbs is 14,000 fat calories. That means in 5 days you had to have consumed 2800 calories over your regular goal to have a legit 4lbs mass gain. I doubt it.
    Based on your profile, you probably need to change your perspective on weight. If one looks the way they want, fits the clothes they want, and people compliment their physique, then does weight matter? Do you post your weight on your forehead daily for others to see?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I shave it into my head, that way I better make sure it doesn't change for at least a month or however long it takes to grow out.

    :)
  • Sparlingo
    Sparlingo Posts: 938 Member
    4lbs is 14,000 fat calories. That means in 5 days you had to have consumed 2800 calories over your regular goal to have a legit 4lbs mass gain. I doubt it.
    Based on your profile, you probably need to change your perspective on weight. If one looks the way they want, fits the clothes they want, and people compliment their physique, then does weight matter? Do you post your weight on your forehead daily for others to see?

    YES! I tell myself the thing about us not wearing our weight on our foreheads all the time.

    You might want to start a) logging accurately, so you can put your mind at ease and know that you're in a good range for yourself -- and at maintenance, I might add, since you're at goal from your profile, and b) weigh less frequently. It doesn't seem like the scale is doing nice things for your sanity right now!
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