3 months and 14lbs heavier wtf?

Options
Dukesjourney
Dukesjourney Posts: 146 Member
in Motivation and Support
I don't understand my body...in 3 months I have gained 14lbs...this is the person that goes to the gym at least sometimes 4 times a week...and tries to eat as healthy as possible.

I'm starting to think my body has a problem.
I stopped weight daily as the results were really upsetting. I've started weighing once every couple of weeks...everytime the scale goes up...today I get on the scale and have put on another 4 or 5 lbs. I figured I might see something good as a result of the hard work im putting in but it's not happening.

I feel so demotivated!!!
«1

Replies

  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    Options
    Sorry to hear! Mostly, this happens when we're eating more than we think we're eating.
    this is the person that goes to the gym at least sometimes 4 times a week
    If you're progressively increasing your workload, you're getting more fit, and that's excellent! As you probably know, progress on the scale is almost entirely be dictated by diet. Let's take a look at that!
    and tries to eat as healthy as possible.
    If your weight is going up, you're eating too many calories. From a weight gain/loss perspective, it doesn't matter whether those foods were healthy or unhealthy, or whether it was easy or a monumental effort. Unfortunately, your food diary is empty. The simple act of keeping a food diary has been demonstrated to have a big impact on successful weight loss. Not directly, of course! But when we're accountable for everything we put in our mouth, we eat less. I would encourage you to begin logging your foods for a couple weeks and see what happens. It may be just what you need for a turn-around!

    Best of luck to you on your journey. :)
  • GoPhil04
    GoPhil04 Posts: 93
    Options
    Are you weight training? Doing cardio at the gym? Participating in classes? If you would like help and support from the community, you have to let us know what your doing....
  • Dukesjourney
    Dukesjourney Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    Yeah I gave up logging my food when I started to get demotivated...I am going to start logging again though.

    Gophil - I don't do weight training apart from a body pump class...bit I imagine that's not really the kind of weight training you mean. Otherwise I do at least an hr to an hr and half of cardio.
    I participate in body pump, body combat, and spinning on a regular basis and I've just introduced yoga into the mix as well.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    Options
    Yeah I gave up logging my food when I started to get demotivated...I am going to start logging again though.


    Hate to say it, but if you're not logging your food then you're eating more than you think - you're not in a calorie deficit and that's why you're gaining weight
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    You're not logging your food. Eating healthy is all well and good, but if you're not eating the right number of calories you won't lose weight.

    Also exercise makes many people (myself included) hungry. It's easy to increase your intake without realizing it.
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
    Options
    Yeah I gave up logging my food when I started to get demotivated...I am going to start logging again though.

    Problem identified.

    You need to accurately and consistently log your food. You gain weight when you're taking in more calories than you're expending. End of story.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,375 Member
    Options
    I would start over, after I read this. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Options
    Yeah I gave up logging my food when I started to get demotivated...I am going to start logging again though.

    Gophil - I don't do weight training apart from a body pump class...bit I imagine that's not really the kind of weight training you mean. Otherwise I do at least an hr to an hr and half of cardio.
    I participate in body pump, body combat, and spinning on a regular basis and I've just introduced yoga into the mix as well.

    ^ in bold.

    both the culprit (not logging) and the solution (logging) in one sentence.

    good luck. :)
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Options
    Yeah I gave up logging my food when I started to get demotivated...I am going to start logging again though.

    This is why you are gaining weight.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    As everyone has said, start logging again. However, I creeped your diary entries back from January. Do not eat so little. You don't need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight. Set it to something more sustainable - if you are miserable and hungry you won't be able to stick to it.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    Options
    Sorry to hear! Mostly, this happens when we're eating more than we think we're eating.
    this is the person that goes to the gym at least sometimes 4 times a week
    If you're progressively increasing your workload, you're getting more fit, and that's excellent! As you probably know, progress on the scale is almost entirely be dictated by diet. Let's take a look at that!
    and tries to eat as healthy as possible.
    If your weight is going up, you're eating too many calories. From a weight gain/loss perspective, it doesn't matter whether those foods were healthy or unhealthy, or whether it was easy or a monumental effort. Unfortunately, your food diary is empty. The simple act of keeping a food diary has been demonstrated to have a big impact on successful weight loss. Not directly, of course! But when we're accountable for everything we put in our mouth, we eat less. I would encourage you to begin logging your foods for a couple weeks and see what happens. It may be just what you need for a turn-around!

    Best of luck to you on your journey. :)

    I really have nothing more helpful to add except to say that this individual made a very gracious and respectful answer. I hope that you can get past your gains (we all can understand how you feel!) and good luck to you.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    As everyone has said, start logging again. However, I creeped your diary entries back from January. Do not eat so little. You don't need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight. Set it to something more sustainable - if you are miserable and hungry you won't be able to stick to it.

    True-- it also leads to binging in many many people. Which could explain the gains once you stopped logging.
  • walkinthedogs
    walkinthedogs Posts: 238 Member
    Options
    Yep, start logging and log accurately, mostly so you can see at what calorie intake works for you with the amount of exercise you get. You're just fooling yourself if you don't log accurately. I know from experience. I kept saying, I'm doing everything right, why can't I lose weight, but really it came down to the fact that I didn't want to admit or I forgot how much I was really still eating. Once I started logging and log everything as accurately as humanly possible for me, the weight is coming off.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    Options
    After a 14-pound gain... It's time to reevaluate, my friend. Just go back to the drawing board, start logging carefully like everyone said, and make it happen. Commit to two weeks... You'll see.
  • Dukesjourney
    Dukesjourney Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    Hmm seems the generally consensus is to get back to the logging.
    I will take a your comments on board. I will start again tomorrow and keep track of what I eat and hopefully I will see a significant difference.

    Barneygood - I don't mean to eat so little. I try not to snack and as standard eat 3 low cal meals a day.
    Any tips for increasing it would be great.

    Thank you for all the comments
  • Dukesjourney
    Dukesjourney Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    After a 14-pound gain... It's time to reevaluate, my friend. Just go back to the drawing board, start logging carefully like everyone said, and make it happen. Commit to two weeks... You'll see.

    Yes you are right...I need to reevaluate..start again!!
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Options
    Have you taken a pregnancy test?
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
    Options
    ALIENS!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    Hmm seems the generally consensus is to get back to the logging.
    I will take a your comments on board. I will start again tomorrow and keep track of what I eat and hopefully I will see a significant difference.

    Barneygood - I don't mean to eat so little. I try not to snack and as standard eat 3 low cal meals a day.
    Any tips for increasing it would be great.

    Thank you for all the comments

    Calculate your caloric needs to maintain at your current activity then eat 500 calories less than that daily for a one pound per week projected loss ... then accurately measure and log everything (solid and liquid) you consume along with your exercise. Take care not to overestimate your exercise burns and underestimate your intake.

    It isn't rocket science. Do the math, figure out what your body NEEDS, go from there.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    Hmm seems the generally consensus is to get back to the logging.
    I will take a your comments on board. I will start again tomorrow and keep track of what I eat and hopefully I will see a significant difference.

    Barneygood - I don't mean to eat so little. I try not to snack and as standard eat 3 low cal meals a day.
    Any tips for increasing it would be great.

    Thank you for all the comments

    I don't know your height or your current weight, but I was put on a 1500-cal diet by my doctor, and it's providing a very reasonable rate of weight loss, and it's feeling totally sustainable for me at this point. I'm 5'4" on a good day and hovering around 200lbs right now. I do not eat back exercise calories, but I don't burn a ton.

    Don't focus so much on eating low-cal options - in January you were eating about half as many calories as you could be to still lose at a good rate. I usually have about 300 for breakfast (for me, this is oatmeal with fruit, a sausage, and some espresso usually), around 300-450 for lunch depending on what my breakfast is, about 400-600 for dinner (again, depending on how much I've eaten earlier), and the rest I leave for snacks. If you prefer not to snack you can have larger meals, this is just what works for me. There is usually room for me to have a treat about 1-2 times per week (e.g. some frozen yogurt).

    I struggled a bit at first, thinking I had to give up everything I used to eat and completely revamp my whole diet. That wasn't necessary for me, since I actually was eating pretty well, just too much of it. It took some time to figure out how to make breakfast keep me full until lunch (I added the sausage or eat some eggs for protein), and I try to avoid things that are going to use up a lot of calories without making me feel full. I gave up eating pasta for the most part - I find I always want to eat again after having pasta, so it just didn't work for me.

    Feel free to friend me if you want to talk.

Categories