Gaining and don't understand what I'm doing wrong

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mripley71
mripley71 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working out for over three weeks now doing Zumba and Golds gym cardio workout on the Wii, also bought myself a strike bag that occasionally will throw some punches and kicks at for about 5 to 10 minutes after previous workouts. All in all find myself working out over an hour. This week I decided I needed to track my calories so I got the app installed to my phone and have been doing great logging everything I eat throughout the day, every day I work out I have any where from 500 to 700 calories in the green. My problem is that after 6 days I have gained 1.5 pounds what am I doing wrong?

Update since I posted that in another post 10 days ago I have been tracking everything I eat and have been doing the same routine for the most part, I am now even more frustrated as I have gained more weight. Have increased around 3 pounds since I started. DONT UNDERSTAND WHY????? Believe me I want to cry. I have measured and haven't even noticed a difference there. My calorie burn I have been taking from my Lifetrak. Will open my diary up and will be grateful to all that can suggest where I'm going wrong
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Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Do you weigh and measure everything you eat before you put it in your mouth?
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
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    you sure like those sausage, eff and cheese muffins....500 calories every morning, then on another day you've had fries? for breakfast?

    Try balancing all your meals throughout the day, bakes beans on toast (1/2 tin) is a great morning starter. Also try having different meals in the mornings, sure have your S/E/C muffin on a weekend, but I don't think having it daily is great
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    You're logging huge calorie burns for a very small amount of exercise time and then eating back all those calories and sometimes more...
  • mripley71
    mripley71 Posts: 11
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    I agree its not the best breakfast but I work at a convenience store opening 5 days a week at 5 in the morning so it is something that I have already made up. Not many other options there. The fries aren't french fries they are potatoes cooked on a grill.
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
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    You cant take healthier foods into work with you? Or have cereal at work? even taking a fruit medley and having it packed up the night before work. There has to be alternatives for breakfast :) your lunch's often involve subways or nuggets, again, make a pack up for work if still there.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    You're logging huge calorie burns for a very small amount of exercise time and then eating back all those calories and sometimes more...

    This. You're overestimating your exercise burn and underestimating your portions. Get a food scale, weigh everything including cooking oil and condiments, and try eating back only half (or fewer) of your exercise calories.
  • mripley71
    mripley71 Posts: 11
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    I do an hour of zumba and going by my lifetrak is what calories I input for that workout. As far as measuring most of it is premeaaured and if not I over estimate.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    you sure like those sausage, eff and cheese muffins....500 calories every morning, then on another day you've had fries? for breakfast?

    Nothing wrong with that at all, they actually have a decent macro balance. No sense fear mongering food.

    Rigger
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
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    Something isn't right somewhere then, Do you have a HRM on when doing zumba? You seem to be doing a lot of exercise, so it must be your diet and food intake.
  • mripley71
    mripley71 Posts: 11
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    Yes my lifetrak has a heartrate monitor on it that is what I use to get my calorie burn for my workouts.
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
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    Don't think its great to have daily though, do you? seriously....looking at the rest of the diary as well, on a daily basis its not a balanced daily meal imo
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    1. Fix your macros .. the default MFP macros are backwards for most people. You protein should be much higher than carbs .. especially since your carbs are almost all the bad kind.

    2. Bring a protein shake or healthier food to work

    3. Skip the buns/fries

    4. Get a good HRM with a chest strap so your calorie burn is more accurate. You don't mention your height/weight but it looks like whatever you're using is highly overestimating.
  • Othelie24601
    Othelie24601 Posts: 21
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    I do an hour of zumba and going by my lifetrak is what calories I input for that workout. As far as measuring most of it is premeaaured and if not I over estimate.

    - Don't estimate weigh and know for sure.
    - Don't eat back more then half your exercise calories.

    In addition I wouldn't go down to 1200-something calories as you have done since I doubt your BMR is that low.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I'm seeing homemade loaded pizza in your tracker for 181 calories/slice. Is this a home made veggie pizza on a tortilla or something? How are you getting the calories?

    Also, if you're eating a prepared breakfast sandwich from a convenience store, it's likely far higher in calories than 1 egg+1 kraft cheese slice + 1 franz english muffin + 1 sausage patty. It's probably more like 500 calories all on its own. If it doesn't come with nutritional information, don't eat it regularly. Buy all the elements and make them at home. Then you know what's in them.

    But yeah the things you're logging I'm assuming are guesses from the database. If you want to do a home made pizza, use the recipe builder tool in the food tab on this site and divide by the number of slices you made.

    You are likely well underestimating calories consumed.
  • TKhamvongsa
    TKhamvongsa Posts: 287
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    I'd adjust carbs/fats and increase protein - maybe replace some of your meals with whole foods rather than processed. And like others have said - don't eat back your calories. Always weigh your food to ensure you know exactly how much you're eating. Buy a heart rate monitor (I personally don't have one, I don't know how much I'm burning, I just give a rough estimate; I'm still losing so the estimate can't be that bad) and be patient.
  • mripley71
    mripley71 Posts: 11
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    I have been trying to follow what this app has recommended for me due to my weight and height.
  • mripley71
    mripley71 Posts: 11
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    I personally make the breakfast sandwich with those ingredients so not sure why the calories would not be that.
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I'm also highly suspect of the large calorie burns. But I don't know your stats. It also looks like your calorie settings are probably too low. Have you accurately calculated your BMR? Start here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Also, weigh and measure everything even if it is pre-portioned. You can't be sure that you're overestimating. And I can't put enough emphasis on how important this is. Weigh and measure everything consistently for 30 days and see what happens.

    I just about cried the first time I measured peanut butter. True story.
  • tech_kitten
    tech_kitten Posts: 221 Member
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    It doesn't tell us how much you weigh, but I assume you're not obese because you only show 20 lbs to lose. Have you used this calculator? http://caloriesburnedhq.com/zumba-calories-burned/

    It looks fairly reasonable as long as you don't overestimate your intensity.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Your results are telling you that you are taking in more calories than you're burning. Either you're underestimating your intake or overestimating your burn. (I'd bet a little of both, although burning 1,151 calories from exercise on Saturday seems wildly optimistic. What were you doing?)

    You've gained 3 pounds in like 2 weeks, is that right? That's within normal fluctuation range, so it's not necessarily something to worry about right away. How stable was your weight before you started tracking and weighing? Did it fluctuate a lot?

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