Fed up and disheartened

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Been to gym 4 times this week been swimming 7 hours this week been to water aerobics class this week. Maintained very healthy eating not going above 1200 calories a day sometimes as low as 900 and I have put 3 lb on could someone please please explain as I am nearly in tears here.
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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Not sure how you can do all that exercise on so little food but whatever...

    Diary not open so hard to comment on what you are eating...

    As for the 3lbs water weight probably....or you are eating more then you thought.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • shazzahare123
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    Opened food diary, sorry did not realise it was on private settings. I log everything I eat and my husband prepares all my food which I think is very healthy.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Your not eating enough!! MFP is set up that your suppose to eat back/or most of your exercise calories!! That's why you get the little warning when you close out your diary about not eating enough!!
  • db34fit69
    db34fit69 Posts: 189 Member
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    Are you sure you are burning so many calories when exercising? Over 1300 calories per hour for swimming seems very generous, as well as over 300 for 15 minutes of bike riding. Are you using a heart rate monitor?
  • joolsmitchell
    joolsmitchell Posts: 53 Member
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    You are definitely not eating enough. You only consumed just under 900 cals on Saturday yet you did over 1600 cals worth of exercise. From what I have heard before I assume you will be burning muscle mass rather than fat and by eating so little your body will hold on to all it can just to survive. When doing that amount of exercise you really need to fuel your body properly. This is not sustainable long term.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Been to gym 4 times this week been swimming 7 hours this week been to water aerobics class this week. Maintained very healthy eating not going above 1200 calories a day sometimes as low as 900 and I have put 3 lb on could someone please please explain as I am nearly in tears here.

    Eat.
  • Sparkle_Princess
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    You certainly arent eating enough hun. 1200 is a minimum but then if you are exercising you are burning calories so even more food is needed.

    As for your exercise, as someone else said are you using a HR monitor?



    As an example my daily intake is 1680, today I burnt 1195 horseriding so I have only 485 net . If I only eat the 1200 calories then im giving myself 5 calories to survive on for today, its not enough.
  • shazzahare123
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    I am going by the logging exercise on here. I get my heart rate between 111-129
  • Mouseanonymous802
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    Either eat back exercise cals as long as their accurate which ATM they aren't or make sure your husband doesn't add more than you think in oil or other high cal stuff and make sure you're not underestimating food intake.
    Did you really only have pineapple on the 21st?
    Also don't use quick added calories too often, try amd log your food :)
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Good news:

    You didn't gain 3 pounds of fat this week. I promise. You probably are retaining water.

    If you did more exercise this week than usual, your muscles may be sore and holding onto water, too.

    Your body isn't storing fat or creating fat from your calorie deficit.

    However, what I noticed is that your husband is preparing your food. What process do you use to log what he makes? Does he give you the recipe or are you estimating? That can make a huge difference.

    You can and should get enough to eat, because it will help you have enough energy, a better mood, and even help you move more and get more exercise. You don't need to starve to lose weight. However, to know if you are taking in too little, too much, or just the right amount, you need to be informed. Get involved in the cooking process or ask your husband questions about how much oil and fat did he use, etc. Weigh your portions until you have a good idea of what portions should look like.
  • Howdoyoufeeltoday
    Howdoyoufeeltoday Posts: 481 Member
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    I am going by the logging exercise on here. I get my heart rate between 111-129

    I think your calories burned for swimming is off. They calculate 60 minutes of swimming non-stop at the same pace. Now maybe you are swimming at the same pace for a full hour, I don't know cause i'm not there, but if you take breaks and stuff you might want to only calculate 3/4 of an hour. You also should be eating more, esp. if you're doing lots of exercise. And you should be eating a bigger breakfast, it gets your metabolism started for the day. Don't get fed up, it takes time to get everything on track but once you do it's worth it. :)
  • seliinac
    seliinac Posts: 336 Member
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    Are you sure you are burning so many calories when exercising? Over 1300 calories per hour for swimming seems very generous, as well as over 300 for 15 minutes of bike riding. Are you using a heart rate monitor?

    ^This may be a factor along with what others have said about not eating enough. Unless you're really, really, really riding hard for those 15 minutes on the bike, I can't see burning 300 calories.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    I am going by the logging exercise on here. I get my heart rate between 111-129

    The exercise burn numbers on here are extremely inaccurate for us older and heavier ladies. Trust me, after I started using a HRM, I found out I was burning less than half the amount MFP gave me. Now, I never count more than 400 cals an hour, and that is with my HR in the 130-150 range. I rarely, if ever, eat back any of my calories, as it just doesn't make a difference for me. But seeing the high numbers in the beginning and not seeing the same results on the scale, was extremely frustrating. So cut the numbers at least in half. You can do that manually when you enter the exercise.

    As for the reason you aren't losing--

    Weight fluctuates quite a bit for us ladies, due to hormones, salt and carb intake, etc. Don't get too excited over the daily number, but look at a couple of weeks at a time.
    Watch your sodium.
    Watch your sugar and carb levels. For ladies our age, sugar and carbs can make us retain water sometimes.

    How long did it take you to lose the weight you already have lost? If you lost a lot in a short period of time, your weight may just be adjusting right now to the big drop. So again, be patient and look at longer term. At this point, an average 2 pounds a week would be good for you.

    With as much extra weight as you are carrying, you do not have to worry about 'starvation mode' due to too low of calories. So don't increase your calories overall. If you are eating at a deficit, you WILL lose weight over time.

    That said, don't eat so low that you end up starving and binging. You will only negate the deficit that you created.

    Most likely, you are underestimating the calories you are actually eating. If your hubby does all the cooking, is he weighing and measuring everything that goes into the meals? Or are you just finding entries that look close and going with those numbers?

    Using scales and measuring accurately is crucial for us at this stage in life. We simply cannot just 'eat better and move more' and expect the weight to fall off like it did in our 20s and 30s.

    I would suggest adding in some healthy fats like nuts and avocados, (35-45 g p/day) making sure you get at least 70g of protein a day, and lowering your carbs a bit. Choose higher fiber carbs, and less sugary carbs. Juices are the worst.

    For most people, it is simply calories in-calories out, but for us women in our late 40s and older, who have a higher BF%, the sugar/carbs really make a difference. Have you been checked for Diabetes or Insulin resistance? If you haven't, please do that. If you do have higher glucose levels, even if they are technically in range, then you may be insulin resistant and will need to follow a Diabetic diet.

    Hang in there. Patience and consistency are the keys!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    You are not eating enough, your body is storing fat because you are starving it. Also, don't skip breakfast, that is your energy for the day.

    Eat some smaller snacks through out the day and look for a change.
    Don't be disheartened, it's all about trial and error. You will see a change!

    No. Your body is not storing fat because you are starving it.

    ETA. That would only happen if you were closer to your goal weight, and did not have the fat stores to use for energy.
  • april1445
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    You need to eat more calories (my dietitian friend says never less than 1500), and swimming is good for fitness, but not for weight loss--you aren't burning as many calories as you think there.
  • LisaOnAMission007
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    You are eating way too little in my opinion. I can't even lose weight eating as little as 1200 calories, and I have to eat as much as 1600 calories. Especially considering the way you're working out as well. You'll end up gaining, or retaining, what you eat. I've been there before years ago, and it's not a fun place to be in!

    BTW, how is your hunger? You're eating at times over 30 grams of sugar. For me, that would make me very hungry. The best advice I've ever read is this.. eat at your goal weight's maintenance calories while trying to lose weight. So, if you're trying to reach 130lbs, find an online calculator and put in what a 130lb person eats at maintenance. You'll be surprised at much more you could eat too!
  • acidosaur
    acidosaur Posts: 295 Member
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    You are not eating enough, your body is storing fat because you are starving it. Also, don't skip breakfast, that is your energy for the day.

    Eat some smaller snacks through out the day and look for a change.
    Don't be disheartened, it's all about trial and error. You will see a change!

    No. Your body is not storing fat because you are starving it.

    ETA. That would only happen if you were closer to your goal weight, and did not have the fat stores to use for energy.

    This. OP, I recommend that you read through: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    And start again using the above principles.

    Most of all, it will take you longer than a week to see any change. Keep eating at a deficit for at least a month, then weigh yourself again. It took me six weeks before the pounds started to drop.
  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
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    Good news:

    You didn't gain 3 pounds of fat this week. I promise. You probably are retaining water.

    If you did more exercise this week than usual, your muscles may be sore and holding onto water, too.

    Your body isn't storing fat or creating fat from your calorie deficit.

    However, what I noticed is that your husband is preparing your food. What process do you use to log what he makes? Does he give you the recipe or are you estimating? That can make a huge difference.

    You can and should get enough to eat, because it will help you have enough energy, a better mood, and even help you move more and get more exercise. You don't need to starve to lose weight. However, to know if you are taking in too little, too much, or just the right amount, you need to be informed. Get involved in the cooking process or ask your husband questions about how much oil and fat did he use, etc. Weigh your portions until you have a good idea of what portions should look like.

    This ^^^

    It's water weight. It could be from exercising, sodium intake, hormones, ect.

    I took a quick look at your diary and like others have said you don't need to eat 800 calories to lose weight. It's a quick fix and not sustainable. It can lead to hair loss, headaches, feeling lethargic ect.
  • shazzahare123
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    All figures are accurate according to myfitnesspal. I do swim 60 minutes without stopping and fitness pal gave me the calorie loss. Bike exercise is pedling very fast to get my heart rate up which has been worked out by my personal trainer.

    Hubby does all the cooking and he weights everything and we don't use any cooking oils at all. He reads all packet details and is very accurate. The first week of diet I was on fluids only for a week then introduced one meal a day then back to normal. I think I will have to eat more and see how I get on. Thanks for all advice.