Moving in the wrong direction

ahoward76
ahoward76 Posts: 21
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Well, I am quite discouraged this morning....2 days now with a wt gain instead of a loss. Yes, I do weigh myself daily which I know I shouldn't do, but I do!! Not sure what I am doing wrong and need help figuring it out.

I am drinking 10-12 glasses of water daily, eating (almost )1400 cal a day and doing cardio 45 minutes at least 6 days a week. This is a hugh improvent from a month or so ago when I was at my highest weight of 206 at home & 210 at my GP's office. Before that I was prob eating 4000 cal a day, if not more, and no exercise or water. During the past month, before MPF, I lost between 7-9lbs (home and dr's office) doing basically the same as I am doing now. I joined MFP on Friday, and Saturday was down 2 more lbs. Since saturday, the scale is moving in the opposite direction and I am back up 2 lbs today. So fellow MFP friends, what am I doing wrong? I have to add that MFP had me eating 1600+ cal a day not including what I earned back w/ cardio. I bumped that down to 1420 a day but haven't eaten 1400 since I started. Please help!!!

Thanks! :)

Replies

  • tawny7
    tawny7 Posts: 276 Member
    You might need to eat more calories because of the exercise. Your body went from 4000 calories a day to 1400...it may have gone into starvation mode! Eat healthy snacks, add fruit/veggies where you can and see what happens.

    I can't weigh myself everyday...I get too obsessed about it!!
  • Brat3073
    Brat3073 Posts: 160
    you may not be doing anything wrong.....I am having the same problem as you are now. i will go up a lb one week and then kick it up a notch, loose 2 and then the day of my weighn in......crap, theres those pounds again. they come back to haunt ya! Just keep plugging away, youll get there. This is hard stuff! lol
  • heiferella
    heiferella Posts: 3
    maybe the calorie intake it still too much, try 1200. i'm on the medifast diet and only intake 1000-1100 cals a day. but as long as you're getting the vitamins you need with a 1200 cal diet, you should lose more. also you may need to cleanse your body.... more specifically, a colon cleanse.
  • angelwings1974
    angelwings1974 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm having the same problem. I've been doing the 1200 calories daily and never gone over, but I put on weight instead of losing. Given it could be due to menstruation, but this is crazy. I've done everything right including exercise every day as I am always running around the office. What's wrong with me???
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
    I would first try increasing your calories. I had a couple of weeks where my weight loss stalled and I actually gained. I then increased to 1600 (due to MFP wanting me to consume just over 1400) and with in two weeks I have lost 4 pounds. If the increase does not work then try lowering. I do not know why people recommend 1200 like it is some magical number. You have to find what suits your body. Mine likes about 1400-1600 on no exercise days and 1500-1800 on exercise days.
  • kerrymh
    kerrymh Posts: 912 Member
    you probably are doing ok..but my advice is don't wt yourself daily...a full or empty bladder is 1lb difference right there..also (embarrassing to write) but bowel movements can effect things. And so can water weight. are you eating alot of processed foods? They can have a lot of sodium.
    I would not recommend going below 1200cal if mfp is saying you can have 1600. And you aren't eating your excersize cal.
    But really best thing is to take your measurements and get on the scale once a week and measurements once a month. The tape measure can show improvements when the scale does not. Don't be discouraged because it will all pain out in the end if you have faith that you are doing healthy things for your body.
    Plus the first couple weeks of a wt loss program ie when you lost 9 lbs alot of that is water weight (think to the first week on the biggest loser..they lose like 30lbs in one week...mostly water and then it tends to slow down) It will become steady if you become steady.
    Also is it your time of the month all those things are important to factor in.
  • Irishaingeal
    Irishaingeal Posts: 29
    It can be any number of things. Your body thinking you aren't giving it enough food if you went from 4000 cals to 1400 cals. Also if you have been doing the same exercise your body could be use to it already. You may need to change it up. I change workouts daily... Or you could be gaining muscle which weighs more then fat. But is a good thing b/c it will help keep your metabolism higher to burn more cals.

    Hope this helped...

    Rara
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    Is it that time of the month? How are your sodium levels? The weight gain might just be from retaining water. Also are you weighing your self at the same time of day in the same type of clothes? That also could cause the variance in weight. I would also suggest you start taking your measurements as you might be gaining muscle which is denser then fat.
  • trent_sluiter
    trent_sluiter Posts: 27
    I think it's too little of calories as well. Make sure to consume some of the calories you have burned so you atleast net over 1200 calories. Seems like too much water as well (yes, there is such a thing.) Keep in mind that when people recommend 8 glasses a day they mean your overall intake of water which includes water you get from food. Since you do so much cardio I would suggest actually drinking 7-8 glasses and you should be fine. Keep in mind INCLUDES teas and such.

    The other thing about the amount of cardio you are doing, It's quite possible you are gaining a lot of muscle mass. Muscle ways three times as much as fat but is obviously good for you. I would start doing measurements and if you notice that the weight is not coming off but you are shedding the inches, then I wouldn't be discouraged because you are getting healthier and once the muscles have filled out the weight will come off as well.

    Good luck! You have our support!
  • watkinsc
    watkinsc Posts: 177 Member
    Don't stress! It is totally normal for your weight to fluctuate a couple of pounds from day to day! Follow the program you have set. You will see results. Remember 1-2 pounds a WEEK is success.. The best advice I can give is 'don't give up' . I have been where you are a hundred times. Then I would get discouraged and quit working at it. You're here, you have a plan, give it some time! add me as a friend if you would like.. :flowerforyou:
  • MichelleFirestone
    MichelleFirestone Posts: 212 Member
    try mixing it up. confuse your body. have a few extra calories for 2 days, and then go back down. seemed to give my body a kick start, when I was stuck at same weight for 3 weeks.
  • Sporty98
    Sporty98 Posts: 320 Member
    I have been 17 days without any weight loss! I have been working out twice/day, counting every calorie, etc.....doing everything "right"....So, why no weight loss?! Not sure. I had gained a few pounds when I had my period, but then it didn't come off....then the plateau started. Everybody kept saying I wasn't eating enough.....or I wasn't counting all of my calories, or not drinking enough water, etc. etc......

    It is so frustrating! I completely understand how you're feeling.....But just don't give up! If you stick with it the weight will come off! Good luck!
    (Note: I was finally down almost a pound this morning....Yay!)
  • ebert5150
    ebert5150 Posts: 135 Member
    Here's what I would do. Anyone feel free correct me if I'm off base:

    1. If you're exercising you should adjust your calorie intake. You're burning more fuel so you need more to make your body run efficiently.

    2. The daily calorie levels on MFP seem pretty low to start with. The one they give me is is equal to my BMR I found on just about every other site. My wife kicked hers up a bit and is losing 2 pounds a week

    3. I weigh myself daily also but really only worry about my friday weigh in. I will see sometimes a 3 pound difference from one day to the next.

    4. Don't beat yourself up and stay in for the long run.
  • Birdnicaj
    Birdnicaj Posts: 95
    You got some really good advice here so I won't repeat what the other posts have said. I just wanted to add that if you had a high sodium day (maybe even without realizing it) or if you body retained water for another reason (period or constipation) it can take up to 4 days for the body to "work through it" and process out the water. I wouldn't worry unless the problem persisted from one week to the next. When I found out how long it takes for the body to work through excess fluids I was relieved myself. Keep at it. You cals sound fine to me, I was on 1340 per day, losing nicely and sometimes I even ate the exercise cals too!
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    Are you eating atleast 6 times daily, to get the metabolism boosting, you need to eat frequently. You need to eat meals in between breakfast and lunch and then between lunch and dinner. What is your sodium intake. You maybe eating less calories, but maybe consuming too many sodium. The most you should eat is 2300mg, however best to stay around 1500 mg.
  • FelipaJ
    FelipaJ Posts: 71
    I weight myself daily as well. My official day is Sunday. If I'm doing everything right I might see an increase during the week but by Sunday I'm done. So try not to freak out and give it time.
  • joannasamples
    joannasamples Posts: 16
    Been there, done that! it's SO frustrating! I have to agree with the poster who said you may need to actually eat more. if you're only taking in 1400 calories, but burning 300 exercise calories on top of your lifestyle/existence calories; it may be sending your body into starvation mode. I try to eat about 1/2 of my exercise calories and that seems to be working for me....at least for now. If I can find the post that changed my outlook, I'll message it to you, but try eating a little more and see if that works better.
  • ahoward76
    ahoward76 Posts: 21
    Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I am eating about 6 small meals a day bfast, lunch, dinner and a snack in between bfast and lunch, lunch and dinner and one small snack after dinner. The small snack after dinner I'm not crazy about but my Dr. suggested about a 15gm carb snack to help my fasting bloodsugar in the morning, which was running above 100 daily. But, based on all the responses, I am going to up my calories to at least 1500 and see how that works for me. AND, I am going to try weighing every other day instead and see if that helps this crazy frustration I have! :wink: Thanks again for all the advice!

    I have gotten several emails for friend request but I don't have a message on my page showing the request. Not sure what to do about that. So, those of you that have friend requested me, I'm not ignoring you. I will accept you once it shows up on my page.:wink:

    Thanks guys! I feel the support!! :love:

    Audrey
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