need some help- what am I doing wrong??

starrynightinaug
starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone-

I hit my goal weight this summer- 128, and ever since than, the weight has been climbing back on and I don't know why. The only thing that has changed has been two nights a week I take classes at night, eat dinner around 8:30ish. I am working out everyday, I count my calories- I have backed them down, than upped the calorie consumption to see if that would help for awhile, now I am back to 1290. I do not want to go crazy with the weight loss, would be content just losing 5 pounds, but it seems every time I weigh, the scale moves up. Clothing wise, the only thing that has changed has been tighter in belly, yet loose in the thigh area, which is odd. What the hell am I doing wrong?? Help!!!
Diary is now open.......

Replies

  • starrynightinaug
    starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
    to get a general idea of how I eat- look at last week- this week on school break so my eating is here and there- not my normal regiment- working out is the same though, maybe 10 min. more at gym since I don't have to rush to work.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    If you are gaining you are at a surplus of calories which is evident when you look at your diary.

    You don't weight your food and eat back all your exercise calories.

    chances are you are eating more than you think.

    When you eat has no bearing on weight gain or loss...it's how much.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    If you are gaining you are at a surplus of calories which is evident when you look at your diary.

    You don't weight your food and eat back all your exercise calories.

    chances are you are eating more than you think.

    When you eat has no bearing on weight gain or loss...it's how much.

    This, and vanity pounds are not lost overnight. Be very accurate with your food intake, and don't eat all your exercise calories.

    ETA: OP, how tall are you?
  • starrynightinaug
    starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
    5'6
  • starrynightinaug
    starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
    so I should not be eating the calories I burn working out? And for the most part, I do measure- I did weight watchers a while back, use the scale, use measuring cups, etc.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    so I should not be eating the calories I burn working out? And for the most part, I do measure- I did weight watchers a while back, use the scale, use measuring cups, etc.

    You should eat most of your exercise calories, but leave some as a margin for error. What are you using to calculate your burns? What sort of workouts are you doing?

    How long did it take you to lose the last 5 pounds before? You're within a healthy weight range, so I'm sure you know already that it's not going to come off overnight, especially if your last week has been atypical.
  • starrynightinaug
    starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
    when I use the treadmill or elliptical (level nine,), I plug in the numbers that the machine tells me. The days I do weights (do squats, lunges, bicep curls, etc) (prefer free weights, use 15 /20 pound weights) I use what MFP has for the number... not sure if right-
    In the summer, I do landscaping, so it is more manual work, have a feel that is why I was able to lose - I am happy with my body for the most part (except the damn stomach) but really hate the scale right now, makes me annoyed- yes, I should not worry about a number, but when all you do is see it creep up, I get discouraged.
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
    And for the most part

    Be careful with the "for the most part". Losing weight when you are pretty much at goal is very difficult and there's just not room for error. We tend to relax over time on measuring and weighing because we have a pretty good handle on eyeballing things but it's always good to go back to basics when your weight fluctuates.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    measuring cups don't cut it.

    Take cereal for example.

    Fruit loops serving size 1c or 27 g....27g=3/4cup=110 calories

    So if you are eating 1cup of fruit loops you are about 140calories not 110.

    As for the exercise calories machines are on the high end...I would eat back 50-75% of them.

    ETA if you don't like how you look get off the cardio machines and lift heavier weights.
  • starrynightinaug
    starrynightinaug Posts: 21 Member
    I do three days of lifting for 50 minutes. 4 days of cardio, due to half the time I am pretty damn sore the day after lifting- I am slowly upping weights as time goes by, but don't want to harm myself. When I use the treamill/run, I use my nike fit app- you think that could be wrong as well?
  • SamZ10
    SamZ10 Posts: 49 Member
    Get a Heart rate monitor for your work outs. MFP calculations and the numbers on the machines never match up to what my HRM says I burned.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Get a Heart rate monitor for your work outs. MFP calculations and the numbers on the machines never match up to what my HRM says I burned.

    And I would add that you shouldn't use an HRM or anything like that for strength training.

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