Maybe Its Too Early Too See Results?

XDDuckie
XDDuckie Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
Hi there,
I have been doing cardio 45 mins to an hour (zumba) 3 times a week and trying to eat no more than 1600 calories. And I am gaining weight; I have gained 2lbs in a week. Im wondering if I am doing something wrong? Or is it just too early? HELP I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP :(
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Replies

  • hilousna08
    hilousna08 Posts: 14 Member
    are you drinking enough water?
  • mandapanda527
    mandapanda527 Posts: 1
    I feel the same way & I'm doing 1200 calories & of course replacing calories I burn from elliptical 45 minutes 5 times a week
  • XDDuckie
    XDDuckie Posts: 5 Member
    Yes, I am drinking at least 8 cups a day; more when I am exercising
  • rak173
    rak173 Posts: 105 Member
    Dont give up!!!!!!!!!!!

    1) Make sure you are logging your calories correctly. I just started as well and had to invest in a scale (8$ on Amazon!) to weigh my food. My guesses were way off! 2) Also make sure your are logging the correct number of calories burned from exercise. When I use MFP's numbers, I am conservative as I believe the numbers are a bit high. 3) Drink drink drink water!!!!!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    open your diary if you want feedback.
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    Don't stop,make sure you've counted your calories correctly,if you have maybe you need to lower them a bit or do more exercise.Weightlifting would be good.Don't worry you won't end up looking like a bodybuilder from weightlifting lol
  • srkimball10
    srkimball10 Posts: 4
    Last year I started insanity. I had the same problem where I was gaining weight for the first few weeks and it was highly disappointing. After doing some research I had learned that this was a fairly common thing. As you work out (Especially if you are going to a new, higher intensity workout) your muscles will gain a sort of water weight, something to do with the lactic acid (the acid left in your muscles that make them hurt after a workout) another thing is that muscle is heavier than fat too. Take your measurements and follow those instead. Much more accurate sign of body change than the pounds lost.
    Drink lots of water and measure foods well. Keep up the hard work. Change up your routine regularly too. Eat nutritious foods.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    Don't forget, as I will be showing on video soon, that scales are NOT perfect! They do change their accuracy, etc.

    You're a female. Water weight can throw you off if you're paying attention to the scale too much. What is more important is proper amount of calories macronutrients and keeping it constant so you don't panic. When you're first starting out almost no rules of thumb will apply. If you're see-sawing with your water intake, sodium or potassium it will confuse you as well... if you allow it.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    Get a HRM make sure your exercise is at a fat burning level. When I first started everything was so hard as I was so heavy. The HRM helped me know how hard to push myself and when to ease off. I worked out 4-5 days a week to lose my weight. I gradually kept tweaking my diet til it's pretty healthy. First thing I stopped was diet soda. Then I cut the fat back in my diet and then the sodium. Found out I didn't eat nearly enough protein for a sedentary person let alone and exercising one. Keep it up and make small changes. Don't give up. Just because the car has one flat tire doesn't mean you slash the other 3.
  • alexveksler
    alexveksler Posts: 409 Member
    While the caloric deficit is important for weight loss, it is also important what you eat. I peeked at your food diary. You are eating pretty good amounts of out-of-the-box foods, high in sodium and fat. 65g of fat per day is too much. Change what you eat - introduce greens, fruits. and reduce the fat intake and you will see results faster. Good luck
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    Water retention, high sodium diet, perhaps too much cardio, and other factors could be reasons why you are gaining weight.

    Make sure you're not overlogging calories, and clean up your diet to eliminate the really high sodium foods.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    How do you measure your foods? and what are your macro nutrient quantities?
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    While the caloric deficit is important for weight loss, it is also important what you eat. I peeked at your food diary. You are eating pretty good amounts of out-of-the-box foods, high in sodium and fat. 65g of fat per day is too much. Change what you eat - introduce greens, fruits. and reduce the fat intake and you will see results faster. Good luck

    Fats do not make a person fat. Please read up on nutrition before handing out advice. Nor does what you eat matter.
  • alexveksler
    alexveksler Posts: 409 Member
    While the caloric deficit is important for weight loss, it is also important what you eat. I peeked at your food diary. You are eating pretty good amounts of out-of-the-box foods, high in sodium and fat. 65g of fat per day is too much. Change what you eat - introduce greens, fruits. and reduce the fat intake and you will see results faster. Good luck

    Fats do not make a person fat. Please read up on nutrition before handing out advice. Nor does what you eat matter.

    Really? Perhaps you should go back and read an original post before throwing out your comments. The original post was a plea to understand why she is not losing any weight with daily exercise and current diet. Perhaps you should read up on the benefits of the micronutrients and understand that 100 calories of cheetos and not the same as 100 calories of spinach.
  • hekate89
    hekate89 Posts: 28 Member
    Last year I started insanity. I had the same problem where I was gaining weight for the first few weeks and it was highly disappointing. After doing some research I had learned that this was a fairly common thing. As you work out (Especially if you are going to a new, higher intensity workout) your muscles will gain a sort of water weight, something to do with the lactic acid (the acid left in your muscles that make them hurt after a workout) another thing is that muscle is heavier than fat too. Take your measurements and follow those instead. Much more accurate sign of body change than the pounds lost.
    Drink lots of water and measure foods well. Keep up the hard work. Change up your routine regularly too. Eat nutritious foods.

    ^This! This is soo important to remember! In the beginning it is more useful to take measurements because you might get heavier, but you could get smaller at the same time if you are gaining muscle. Also I had a few problems with my weight just standing still for a month or so. I did eat healthy and worked out a bit, but nothing happened. Turned out I was actually eating too little, so when I started eating a little (like 100-200 calories more than I had done earlier) more, I started to go down again. Just a tip=)
  • JayyBake
    JayyBake Posts: 8 Member
    Um...the OP never said fats make you fat, he/she just said 65g of fat per day is too much. And while I agree, that is merely a matter of opinion. And yes, WHAT you eat makes a huge difference. You can intake 2000 cals/day from a meal at mcdonalds, or 2000cals/day from things like baked chicken, milk, and greens. And I promise, your metabolism will like the healthier foods alot more than it will like the fast food.
  • alexveksler
    alexveksler Posts: 409 Member
    Um...the OP never said fats make you fat, he/she just said 65g of fat per day is too much. And while I agree, that is merely a matter of opinion. And yes, WHAT you eat makes a huge difference. You can intake 2000 cals/day from a meal at mcdonalds, or 2000cals/day from things like baked chicken, milk, and greens. And I promise, your metabolism will like the healthier foods alot more than it will like the fast food.

    This!! Precisely my point. I lost 40LBS on 1500 calorie diet. After moving to raw fruits and veggies and increasing my calories to 2000 daily, I lost additional 50. Go figure!! :)
  • francesjdae
    francesjdae Posts: 15
    Be patient & don't give up!
    Understandably, you want to see results (quickly!), but the best investment is in your health and not for body aesthetics.
    Continue doing your research from credible sources, but don't be distraught with yourself & give yourself credit for putting in work and being disciplined enough to track your foods and make healthy decisions.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    After a particularly intense workout a couple weekends ago (2 1/2 hours of mixed martial arts on Saturday after a full-body weight session Friday night), I gained three pounds overnight. It was just glycogen, but it's taken this long for it to come back off. It's normal for this to happen following a significant uptick in activity. Two weeks isn't long enough to show a real trend... I'd suggest you stay the course for 2-4 more weeks before making adjustments.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    While the caloric deficit is important for weight loss, it is also important what you eat. I peeked at your food diary. You are eating pretty good amounts of out-of-the-box foods, high in sodium and fat. 65g of fat per day is too much. Change what you eat - introduce greens, fruits. and reduce the fat intake and you will see results faster. Good luck

    Fats do not make a person fat. Please read up on nutrition before handing out advice. Nor does what you eat matter.

    Really? Perhaps you should go back and read an original post before throwing out your comments. The original post was a plea to understand why she is not losing any weight with daily exercise and current diet. Perhaps you should read up on the benefits of the micronutrients and understand that 100 calories of cheetos and not the same as 100 calories of spinach.

    Yes, *macro*(not micro as you call them, those would be your vitamins and minerals) nutrients are important. However, the OP would like to know why they are not losing weight. Simply stating "you're eating too many fats!" is completely rubbish. I'm eating about 80g of fats per day, am I becoming fat?
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Um...the OP never said fats make you fat, he/she just said 65g of fat per day is too much. And while I agree, that is merely a matter of opinion. And yes, WHAT you eat makes a huge difference. You can intake 2000 cals/day from a meal at mcdonalds, or 2000cals/day from things like baked chicken, milk, and greens. And I promise, your metabolism will like the healthier foods alot more than it will like the fast food.

    Ok so you're telling me I'm not going to get fat if I eat 4000 calories of healthy, unprocessed meals? Please, explain your logic and science here. :)

    Just ETA: I spent a whole month of eating pizza weekly, however sticking to my daily allowances, and experienced NO difference in significant weight gain, from when I was eating dry grilled chicken, whole foods and only complex carbs. Show me studies that support your broscience pls.
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    You can get fat from healthy food if you're eating quite a bit over maintenance.I eat 100% clean all year round and bulk on 5000 calories and put on quite a bit of fat.You could eat junk food and as long as you're in a calorific deficit and training you would lose weight(wouldn't look as good though)
  • keishakylejohnson
    keishakylejohnson Posts: 42 Member
    Don't give up! I have the same issue and have thought the same thing, but when we reach our goal it will all be worth it. I'm working hard and have been eating right, but the numbers on the scale sometime don't reflect how hard I think i've worked. So, i'm going to push even harder and so should you!! You've got to remember too, on the weeks you don't lose, have you possibly gained muscle?? & recheck your waist/neck/hips measurements and see if you've lost on those :) We can do this..
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    There are a few possible scenerios here.

    One - when we start exercising or increase intensity, we tend to increase weight by a pound or two. This is due to water retention in the musles (not the same as bloating) and is normal and will subside.

    Two - you also need to consider that there are any number of variables that affect the scale number. Your menstrual cycle can increase weight (bloating) and any other number of factors. Not weighing at the same time of day will also play a role, it is nothing to fluctate 5lbs or more during the course of the day. Even scales can be inaccurate.

    Three - you may be eating more than you think. I would look at this option if the scale continues to move up or doesn't move after a few weeks, like more than 3. Log everything. Weighing your food is most accurate. Measure the rest.

    A good link to start with
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • daveyb989
    daveyb989 Posts: 9 Member
    Thats the benefit of MFP - you can still enjoy treats - just count them in with all the other stuff each day and make sure you aren't going over. Much more helpful for me than cutting out all the goodies - you feel like you're denying yourself and makes it almost inevitable you'll give up - or maybe I'm just weak willed
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I just had a quick look at your diary. Make sure you use your own entries. If you make a sandwich, log all of your ingredients instead of picking an option like "tuna sandwich". Weigh and measure them all. Also, I check your labels and entries carefully. I notice you have 2tbsp of Hellman's Mayo at 70 calories. That is correct for Hellmans light mayo, but the regular stuff is closer to 100 calories per tbsp.
  • RomulanWarbird
    RomulanWarbird Posts: 230
    Don't forget, as I will be showing on video soon, that scales are NOT perfect! They do change their accuracy, etc.

    You're a female. Water weight can throw you off if you're paying attention to the scale too much. What is more important is proper amount of calories macronutrients and keeping it constant so you don't panic. When you're first starting out almost no rules of thumb will apply. If you're see-sawing with your water intake, sodium or potassium it will confuse you as well... if you allow it.


    This!! The water-weight thing is a big deal. I like to weigh every day just to measure my fluctuations. Last week I went up 3 lbs in a day because of just one day of weird salt/water intakes compared to the usual, and it went back down the next day when I evened out.

    Scales aren't everything so don't worry. I would also take the suggestion to invest in an HRM it's really helpful. I have the polar ft4 model and it's cute and works really well.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    After looking at your diary there are a few entries that I would question.

    Sandwich - Tuna Sandwich, 1 oz
    5 slices of pizza for 760 calories (please bring me this pizza if that's the case as long as it's not made from cauliflower)

    April 4th doesn't look like you finished logging for the day
    April 5th nothing logged

    That's just a few after a quick look, you need to be as accurate as possible. Weigh your portions, stay away from homemade / generic entries. The homemade entries are someone else's recipe you don't know what they put in to get that number.

    Work on improving your accuracy, and keep going! It is a learning process, and takes tweaking and patience.

    Good luck
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    ...As others have mentioned... please make sure you're tracking your intake closely. And if you're not measuring do that or more of that, don't take labels for granted. Also yes mfp can be very off and incorrect at times. Barring disease or malfunction, these perceived problems are usually related to water fluctuations or non accurate tracking. Analysis and meta analysis by people way smarter than all of us has pointed to and confirmed this.

    And the more complex a meal, the more inaccurate you're going to be. If you didn't cook it or prepare it, the more inaccurate it will be. That and yes be patient, you will need to learn how and when and what to tweak and change and move around for you and your lifestyle. But make no doubt about it at the the end of the day(s) it's about calories in vs calories out....barring disease or malfunction.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    While the caloric deficit is important for weight loss, it is also important what you eat. I peeked at your food diary. You are eating pretty good amounts of out-of-the-box foods, high in sodium and fat. 65g of fat per day is too much. Change what you eat - introduce greens, fruits. and reduce the fat intake and you will see results faster. Good luck

    Really? Perhaps you should go back and read an original post before throwing out your comments. The original post was a plea to understand why she is not losing any weight with daily exercise and current diet. Perhaps you should read up on the benefits of the micronutrients and understand that 100 calories of cheetos and not the same as 100 calories of spinach.

    I'd like to know how 65 grams of fat is too much? Based on what premise? And when does the correct amount of fats "kick in" to make a difference when she lowers them...to what level....and how does that level of say 20grams(or whoever you feel is the appropriate amount) change the metabolic functions of freeing up more fatty acids?

    100 calories of spinach is the same as 100 calories of cheetos. Yep. Pretty simple. As far as burning fat goes. I can assure you of that. Other than that, no food is the same. No vegetables are required to lose weight. They might be required for overall health. The importance of micronutrients has nothing to do with fat burning other than if a person doesn't get them they will develop a disease or malfunction...I would be open to being privy to any complex or lay person explanation ask to the mechanism of metabolic change to which you imply.

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