Why am I gaining weight with Fitness Pal?

24

Replies

  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders

    it is possible she's eating too little, but the rest of this advice is a mishmosh of silliness.

    x2
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders

    1346839458-auto-dafuq-dafuq-did-i-just-read-200165.jpeg
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders

    it is possible she's eating too little, but the rest of this advice is a mishmosh of silliness.

    Oh good gawd thank you...I read that one and was like UGH
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
    Hi, I began this program about 4 weeks ago, am following a 1300 calorie plan
    and exercise about every other day. My goal was to lose about 8 lbs. I HAVE GAINED
    5 lbs. What is going on? It is not muscle weight, and I do not have thyroid issues (I had blood work
    done for that.). I am a 37 year old mom of 2 and weigh more than ever!

    Example:
    I gained 5lbs over a the holidays (thanksgiving -After xmas)
    got back on the wagon of course weighed-in on my usual day this past Saturday loss 1lb, GREAT!
    Tuesday got on the scale for curiosity Gainded 6lbs
    got on the scale again this morning (Thurs) loss the 6lbs and
    I bet you by Saturday my offical weigh in day I will be 1lb less than last Satuday, LOL!!
    It happens...:ohwell:
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    If you're logging everything correctly with a food scale then you should be, are you eating back your exercise calories like MFP is designed?

    ^This.

    I forgot to mention that you need to be eating back your exercise calories to bring your NET (calories in - calories out = net) to at minimum 1200 calories per day (if you're a woman). If you burn 400 calories exercising, you need to be eating at least 1600 calories per day for a net of 1200. But keep in mind, MFP exercise calories tend to be overestimated.

    I eat 1200 calories per day because I have a medical condition (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that makes it difficult for me to even take leisurely walks sometimes, so I've set my activity level to sedentary because my loss mostly comes from taking in low, healthy calories. Having EDS and being obese is a toxic combination, so my doctor has recommended 1200 per day for me as well. If you're exercising and running around with kids, you should be at least lightly active and not eating only 100 calories a day more than me.
  • Tiernan1212
    Tiernan1212 Posts: 797 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders

    No. Just...no.

    Temperature and timing have nothing to do with water intake and meals. Eat when you want, timing doesn't change what you put in your body.

    And seriously, base calories - 400?! And what happens when you don't burn 400 cals during your workout?

    :huh:
  • tumbledownhouse
    tumbledownhouse Posts: 178 Member
    don't know if anyone has mentioned, did you weigh yourself at the same time of day each time? i.e. nekkid, first thing in the morning, after dropping the kids off at the pool and before eating? Fairly normal for me to be up to 5lbs heavier at night than in the morning.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    Your food log is not viewable, so not many folks are going to be able to give any specific feedback. I lost 5 lbs my first 4 weeks on MFP, eating between 1200-1300 cals and exercising 3 times a week for 90 mins a week, and I'm pretty sure I didn't even make the exercise goal that first couple of weeks. Eye-balling portion size and guesstimation doesn't cut it. Weighing and measuring portion size and logging it in every day, honestly, every piece of food I put in my body. Using timers and maping out distances when doing my walking or exercises, then logging them in, that's how it works for me.

    This. I set a 1500 calorie goal, but I was estimating portions and probably eating closer to 1800 without realizing it.
    You're eating too much.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Most likely options -

    1. Short term gain caused by sudden increase in exercise. Your muscles are holding water to repair, and this will increase your weight.

    2. It's a 'blip'. Weight loss isn't linear, and you'll go up and down even as you trend down overall. You may just have more in your bowel at the moment, or be retaining water.

    3. You are eating more than you think you are. If you aren't weighing everything you eat, you are probably eating more than you think you are. No matter how good you think you are at 'eyeballing it'.

    4. You aren't exercising as much as you think you are. Just as in 3, where most people under estimate their intake, most people over estimate their calorie burn. If you are routinely logging 1,000+ calorie burns, you are probably overestimating.

    None of these are personal - I don't know you and don't claim to - they are just the most common causes of your problem.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
    You didn't "gain" 5# of muscle in 4 weeks at a deficit. Sorry. You can convert fat to muscle but you will not gain muscle (in lbs) at a deficit. Period. Probably water weight.... usually when you see a small gain, you will in time see the loss. Just be patient. That being said... if you are only eating 1300 cals/day and you're working out... sounds too low to me.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    It could be water weight or the scale is showing the muscle you're gaining from exercise. The scale isn't always reliable because it doesn't differentiate muscle and fat gain, so go by how you feel. Take measurements, maybe you lost inches. If you're logging correctly and at 1300 calories per day, you can't be gaining fat. That math doesn't make sense. Be honest with yourself, log everything correctly (weigh and measure your food and drinks with calories, like juice), and give it some more time. MFP is a great resource and is not leading you astray, but you have to keep yourself accountable and log honestly and religiously.

    Best of luck,

    Bri

    She hasn't gained 5 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. It's not possible.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    You didn't "gain" 5# of muscle in 4 weeks at a deficit. Sorry. You can convert fat to muscle but you will not gain muscle (in lbs) at a deficit. Period. Probably water weight.... usually when you see a small gain, you will in time see the loss. Just be patient. That being said... if you are only eating 1300 cals/day and you're working out... sounds too low to me.

    thank you!
    Even with the right workout and food intake she'd probably only gain 2.
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
    Most likely options -

    1. Short term gain caused by sudden increase in exercise. Your muscles are holding water to repair, and this will increase your weight.

    2. It's a 'blip'. Weight loss isn't linear, and you'll go up and down even as you trend down overall. You may just have more in your bowel at the moment, or be retaining water.

    3. You are eating more than you think you are. If you aren't weighing everything you eat, you are probably eating more than you think you are. No matter how good you think you are at 'eyeballing it'.

    4. You aren't exercising as much as you think you are. Just as in 3, where most people under estimate their intake, most people over estimate their calorie burn. If you are routinely logging 1,000+ calorie burns, you are probably overestimating.

    None of these are personal - I don't know you and don't claim to - they are just the most common causes of your problem.
  • dancingswiffer
    dancingswiffer Posts: 4
    You also have to take into account your specific body's needs. For example, I have PCOS. My doctor told me that I cannot simply count calories to lose weight. My body's issue is with bad carbs. I have to do the Atkin's diet in order to be healthy and fit.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders



    Ignore all of this. Well, the 2nd to last sentence isn't entirely bad.
  • dshalbert
    dshalbert Posts: 677 Member
    The holidays, maybe?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Your starving eat more...protein and good fats together and carbs and protein after workouts. Never carbs and fat. Drink Cold water 1st thing in the morning. 20 min of something. Even 20 squats 10pushups 20 crunches. Breakfast 2 hours after waking. No package crap. If it's in a box, you're better off eating the box (lol) You'll get more nutrition out of it. Carbs only after work out. . Base calories + 400 on workout days, base calories - 400 on none workout days. It will work wonders

    I love eating the box.

    patrick-harris-see-what-you-did-there.gif
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,239 Member
    So the weigh and measure your foods has been beating to death (but is absolutely correct) so I’m sure you got that, I saw a few post about measuring yourself, that’s where I would focus. Measuring helps you track progress that you may not see otherwise. I measure my, neck, chest, waist, thighs, calves, forearms, and biceps. I was doing a combination of weight training, TRX, cardio, and circuit training. My weight was going up significantly so I started measuring, I noticed that while my arms and legs went up in size, my neck, chest and waist went down. These were mostly unnoticeable except for my pants were fitting loser and I was able to get to a new hole on the old belt.

    I just started using the site and I am still in the process of setting everything up but you can add all the measurements for tracking purposes.

    I wish you the best of luck, stay positive and believe in yourself.
    V/r,
    DW.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Open your diary and we may be able to help more.
  • VoodooAborisha
    VoodooAborisha Posts: 147 Member
    If you are eating your exercise calories back - i.e. when you log exercise and MFP gives you extra calories to eat - I wouldn't eat all those extra calories back.

    I hurt my back for a month so stopped exercising during that time. So I was no longer exercising, logging exercise, and eating the exercise calories back. I lost more weight more quickly during that month when I was not exercising, logging it, and eating the calories back, I think because the # of calories MFP says you've burned with this or that exercise seem to always be grossly overestimated. So before I hurt my back, when I had been exercising, logging it, and eating back exercise cals, I had been eating more calories back that I thought I had earned with exercise than I had actually burned.

    Depending on how much you exercise, you will want to only eat back part of your exercise cals, unless you have one of those monitors you wear on your arm and you can add by hand EXACTLY what your device says you burned.

    Also, if it makes you feel better, me and several people I know didn't lose anything for the first 4 - 6 weeks, then the weight just started to fall off. I think it takes time for the body to realize what it needs to do.

    Good luck!

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