I have GAINED weight!!

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labourne
labourne Posts: 6
in Getting Started
Hi everyone, I just started a profile because I've been trying to lose weight for a month and I have just bobbed around between a couple pounds. I've tried multiple different methods, eating 1800 or 1200 or in between, working out for a half an hour to now an hour and a half plus and I'm still not losing! I'm at a loss, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong and the frustration is reducing me to tears. I lost a stone 18 months ago eating 1600 and exercising 2 hours a day but then Christmas came and I put it all back on. Im at the weight now that last time I had a plateau but I'm on the verge of a bad obsession again. I haven't worn a bikini in 3 years and I just turned 19! I promised my sister I would go swimming with her so I need not break that promise. All I want is to feel good and confident in my skin and I never have. If any of you have experienced similar I would be so grateful for any words of wisdom, I am quite desperate now! Thanks for reading
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  • Southpaw_Stef
    Southpaw_Stef Posts: 8 Member
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    Can I ask, what sort of exercising have you been doing? Different exercise has hugely different effects on my weight; for example, last year I rowed obsessively at least 4-5 times a week and alongside this cycled usually 30km each time. Ate well, my normal healthy low-cal, pre-fight diet. Barely lost anything (which was actually good because I wasn't trying to lose any weight). But then I switched the rowing and cycling for running 10-15km 4-5 times per week and I couldn't keep any weight on at all. It just dropped off, it was mad - I had to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter every day to stop me dropping any more weight.

    So, it could be that maybe you need to try a different kind of exercise? Especially if you have been doing the same thing for a long time, as your body may have become very efficient at it.

    How much weight do you want to lose?

    Keep your chin up! :)) everyone hits plateaus - you'll get there!
    Stef
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    you stay you've tried different calorie goals, but nothing works

    in general the advice is that you would need to try something for 6-8 weeks before you can *kitten* properly who it's worked
    weight loss is not linear - weight varies throughout the day and monthly cycle

    I would suggest that you read up on a couple of posts like:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    and
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    that you set a good target loss (based on your ticker of 15lb to go) probably 0.5lb/week to 1lb/week
    and log accurately and eat your calorie and macro target for 6-8 weeks - then re-evaluate and adjust

    as a rule of thumb calorie targets would be re-calculated ever 5lb or so lost
  • Southpaw_Stef
    Southpaw_Stef Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh and also, it's probably worth remembering that body weight does fluctuate monthly for us girls ;) the week before I'm due for my time of the month, I usually put on around 6lbs overnight in water retention (it's actually visible, it's fully freaky). So it's worth factoring in your monthly cycle as well.

    And make sure you weigh yourself at the same time each time - not morning some days, evening others, because that makes a huge difference!

    Keep smiling :)
  • chezza189
    chezza189 Posts: 25 Member
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    I agree, I think 2hrs of exercise to try and loose weight is a bit unnecessary.. It is also totally not doable long term. Weight loss isn't a quick fix, it is change of lifestyle. It has to be a change which you can reasonably do long term. Also 1600 seems a bit high for weight loss. Perhaps try 1200 cals a day, watch the content off food and do 30 mins of exercise 3-4 times week.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    general ignorance:

    weight loss <> calorie deficit
    excercise calori burns can contribute to that deficit
    but you can't out excercise a *bad* diet

    >> over 6-8 weeks if you gaining then your're eating more than you burn, if you're static then you're eating at maintenance and if your're losing then you're eating at a deficit
    ^^ this doesn't work over shorter periods of if you keep changing what your doing
  • jec285
    jec285 Posts: 145 Member
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    I'll be that guy...


    You probably aren't weighing/measuring your food properly.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Hi everyone, I just started a profile because I've been trying to lose weight for a month and I have just bobbed around between a couple pounds. I've tried multiple different methods, eating 1800 or 1200 or in between, working out for a half an hour to now an hour and a half plus and I'm still not losing! I'm at a loss, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong and the frustration is reducing me to tears. I lost a stone 18 months ago eating 1600 and exercising 2 hours a day but then Christmas came and I put it all back on. Im at the weight now that last time I had a plateau but I'm on the verge of a bad obsession again. I haven't worn a bikini in 3 years and I just turned 19! I promised my sister I would go swimming with her so I need not break that promise. All I want is to feel good and confident in my skin and I never have. If any of you have experienced similar I would be so grateful for any words of wisdom, I am quite desperate now! Thanks for reading

    a month isnt long enough to see if any calorie goal is working, let alone 1800 cals, 1200 cals and everything in between!

    set MFP to lose 1lb per week, eat that amount of calories and if you're not losing weight after 4 weeks, come back!
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    general ignorance:

    weight loss <> calorie deficit
    excercise calori burns can contribute to that deficit
    but you can't out excercise a *bad* diet

    This more than anything else is the biggest lesson to be learnt

    We have all seen many people at the gym that seem to be always there doing different classes and never looking any slimmer

    It's quite possible to spend an hour exercising at he gym, then have a Cappuccino afterwards and negate all the calorie burning benefits of the workout (Im aware that there are of course other benefits besides burning the calories)
  • labourne
    labourne Posts: 6
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    I've been doing about an hour daily of interval training + which as you've pointed out is probably the wrong type of exercise. So I should lower my calories to 1200 and do cardio for 30 or 40 minutes you say?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I've been doing about an hour daily of interval training + which as you've pointed out is probably the wrong type of exercise. So I should lower my calories to 1200 and do cardio for 30 or 40 minutes you say?

    why do you think interval training is the wrong type of exercise?
  • shyfranklinstein
    shyfranklinstein Posts: 61
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    I think you should start out at a really healthy calorie goal first. Start by figuring out your daily needs as an individual. Those cookie cutter 1200 cal a day diets can be really harmful in the long run and are not easily maintainable. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ this has been very helpful for me and a lot of other people. Also what I did was submerged myself with reputable sources of exercise and nutrition information. 2 hours a day is overkill. Any promises of a fast fix or slim in seconds is a huge red flag. Bouncing around in weight and cals can be damaging to your metabolism and I think once you get on the right track you will be amazed what your body will and can do given proper nutrition and training.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ashley-conrads-21-day-clutch-cut.html
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jim-stoppani-six-week-shortcut-to-shred.html

    Those two programs are amazing and go into detail as to how/why/when
    Hope that helps!
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    in the short term - leave your excercise

    and focus on "accurately" logging using weighing scales everything that you consume
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    until you do any 'calorie' adjustments are just another guess
  • labourne
    labourne Posts: 6
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    It's much mote focused on strength rather than the usual repeatedly getting the heart rate up. My muscles burned for WEEKS after I started so I can probably hold that accountable. I was thinking I would probably benefit a lot more doing straight cardio 5 days and once a week do some of the interval strength training. Am I misled again? I really don't know what I'm doing haha!
  • labourne
    labourne Posts: 6
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    I think you should start out at a really healthy calorie goal first. Start by figuring out your daily needs as an individual. Those cookie cutter 1200 cal a day diets can be really harmful in the long run and are not easily maintainable. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ this has been very helpful for me and a lot of other people. Also what I did was submerged myself with reputable sources of exercise and nutrition information. 2 hours a day is overkill. Any promises of a fast fix or slim in seconds is a huge red flag. Bouncing around in weight and cals can be damaging to your metabolism and I think once you get on the right track you will be amazed what your body will and can do given proper nutrition and training.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ashley-conrads-21-day-clutch-cut.html
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jim-stoppani-six-week-shortcut-to-shred.html

    Those two programs are amazing and go into detail as to how/why/when
    Hope that helps!

    Thank you! This really does help, I've been hoping to find some information like this to help me get my head around it all! (:
  • shyfranklinstein
    shyfranklinstein Posts: 61
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    You are welcome! It is really important to remember you need to be mentally healthy to be physically healthy!
  • Keepcalmanddontblink
    Keepcalmanddontblink Posts: 718 Member
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    It's much mote focused on strength rather than the usual repeatedly getting the heart rate up. My muscles burned for WEEKS after I started so I can probably hold that accountable. I was thinking I would probably benefit a lot more doing straight cardio 5 days and once a week do some of the interval strength training. Am I misled again? I really don't know what I'm doing haha!
    If you are doing strength training, than ditch the scale and use a tape measure instead. You are probably losing some inches, just not pounds. I track both.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    It's much mote focused on strength rather than the usual repeatedly getting the heart rate up. My muscles burned for WEEKS after I started so I can probably hold that accountable. I was thinking I would probably benefit a lot more doing straight cardio 5 days and once a week do some of the interval strength training. Am I misled again? I really don't know what I'm doing haha!

    No you wouldn't benefit from doing straight cardio. Getting your diet under control with a mix of weight training and cardio is the best approach. BTW, what are your stats (height, weight, age), do you have any medical conditions, and how active is your lift outside of exercise (jobs/etc...)? And do you use a food scale?
  • labourne
    labourne Posts: 6
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    No you wouldn't benefit from doing straight cardio. Getting your diet under control with a mix of weight training and cardio is the best approach. BTW, what are your stats (height, weight, age), do you have any medical conditions, and how active is your lift outside of exercise (jobs/etc...)? And do you use a food scale?

    I'm 5'5, 140, 19. I'm at a desk all day so not at all active at work. I'm really anal with calories so if I was incorrect it would be a maximum of +/- 50 cal. I'm completely free of medical conditions, so there's nothing that could hinder my efforts besides lack of education on the matter at hand.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    I'm 5'5, 140, 19. I'm at a desk all day so not at all active at work. I'm really anal with calories so if I was incorrect it would be a maximum of +/- 50 cal. I'm completely free of medical conditions, so there's nothing that could hinder my efforts besides lack of education on the matter at hand.

    a study of people whose sole target was calorie tracking accuracy found that dietitians (who are well trained and informed) underestimated by an average of 223cal/day while the normalising sample of similar adults also targetting accuracy underestimated by 429 kcal/day (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12396160)
    as a non-professional, who weighs everything I can and is quite well infomred I assume that I am not as good as a dietitian and probably underestimate by ~300 cal/day - as my deficit target is 275 cal/day it would be very easy for me to wipe out my deficit


    you are likely over-estimating your burn and/or underestimating your consumption and somewhere in the middle your deficit is being wiped out
  • labourne
    labourne Posts: 6
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    a study of people whose sole target was calorie tracking accuracy found that dietitians (who are well trained and informed) underestimated by an average of 223cal/day while the normalising sample of similar adults also targetting accuracy underestimated by 429 kcal/day (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12396160)
    as a non-professional, who weighs everything I can and is quite well infomred I assume that I am not as good as a dietitian and probably underestimate by ~300 cal/day - as my deficit target is 275 cal/day it would be very easy for me to wipe out my deficit


    you are likely over-estimating your burn and/or underestimating your consumption and somewhere in the middle your deficit is being wiped out

    Oh wow okay, that's interesting I'll bare that in mind, thanks

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