Less calories, more exercise.. and I'm gaining weight! HELP

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roxus
roxus Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, I'm really really struggling with this "weight loss journey"... I am eating healthily, within my calories, exercising - high intensity, low intensity and weights... and the scales aren't shifting... worse... they're going up!!!

A few years ago, I was 4 stone heavier, I tried dieting through weight watchers, slimming world, and just alone and nothing worked, in fact sticking with slimming world 100%, I ended my journey heavier than when I started. In 2009 I began lighter life (LL) and it was the best thing I have ever done, the weight fell off, and since 2010 I have maintained my weight at just over 11 stone.

My weight has of course fluctuated over the months and my body seems "happy" at somewhere between 11 stone 3 and 11 stone 7. After my LL journey, we discovered that when I exercise my body is a great retainer of water as over the weeks I could lose and gain up to 5lbs but my clothes didn't feel any different.

So moving on to current dates... I decided I wanted to lose up to a stone before my holiday in July, and tone up a bit. My journey so far has included "eating clean", the 40/40/20 diet, drinking plenty of water, and plenty of exercise including the 30DS, Insanity, T25, swimming, walking and various other toning exercises... but the scales aren't budging and I am losing the will!

I understand less calories in, weight off etc. etc. I'm averaging around 1400 calories (am 5' 7 and currently 11.6 stone). LL was as ketogenic diet, and I'm just wondering if maybe I need to lower my carbs to a really lower level and see if that works. I really don't want to have to go back to eating packets of food, and want to do this the "normal" way...

Has anyone else experienced this, or have any help or advice on what I could do differently?

Thank you!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    how long have you been eating 1400 cals? do you weigh everything with scales?
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
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    How long have you been doing this for?
  • Abi198111
    Abi198111 Posts: 76 Member
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    Try playing with your macros... I plateaued recently so changed my macros to 40/30/30 (p/f/c), upped my exercise (cardio and strength) and have started losing again. Although, you could just be replacing fat with muscle which would explain why you don't seem to be losing. Remember though, you should be aiming for fat loss, not weight loss. Would you care what the scale said if you could fit into a size smaller clothes and were toned and lean?? I wouldn't! Stick with it :smile:
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
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    Suggest you must weigh absolutely everything that you eat.

    Otherwise its practically impossible to gain weight.

    Exercise doesn't mean a lot unless you are doing a lot of it. Calorie deficit is how we lose weight.

    I gained temporarily around my birthday cause I ate (with in calorie range) more junk food than I normally would. This temporary gain disappeared within a fortnight. Highly refined carbs and salt make me retain fluid. However that was temporary.

    Weigh and measure all your food accurately.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Try playing with your macros... I plateaued recently so changed my macros to 40/30/30 (p/f/c), upped my exercise (cardio and strength) and have started losing again. Although, you could just be replacing fat with muscle which would explain why you don't seem to be losing. Remember though, you should be aiming for fat loss, not weight loss. Would you care what the scale said if you could fit into a size smaller clothes and were toned and lean?? I wouldn't! Stick with it :smile:

    changing macros will not aid weight loss...calorie deficit does that...

    Exercise (esp increase calorie deficit)

    you do not replace fat with muscle...it is very hard to build muscle at a deficit.

    To the OP do you weigh your food? with only 11lbs your margin of error is very small...
  • jasondickinson9693
    jasondickinson9693 Posts: 3 Member
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    What other measurements have you taken? The scales don't always tell the full story. A better guide, I think, is the fit of your clothes, waist/ neck/ wrist/ hip measurements and body fat %.
    The scales sometimes take a while to catch up ????????
  • SuMcP
    SuMcP Posts: 244 Member
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    As some have said above, check the accuracy of your logging by weighing your portions.

    You may be gaining muscle, and the exercise may be causing you to retain water which muscles need to recover. You could consider trying some sort of anti water retention supplement.

    In terms of success, you may also be heavier but smaller, especially when exercising; I have around 14lbs to go to my target weight, but I am already a size smaller that when I was last at that weight. My weight fluctuates too even though I log everyday, but my measurements continue to reduce.

    Stick with it, ping me a friend request if you like .:flowerforyou:
  • cherigaudet
    cherigaudet Posts: 6
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    Hi there. You and I seem a lot alike. For four months, I've exercised 5-6 days a week (my workouts are with Daily Burn's True Beginner and Cardio Sculpt programs). I've eaten within my recommended-by-MFP calorie range for losing 1/2 pound a week, and I have actually gained four pounds. My clothes fit pretty much the same - maybe they're a tiny bit looser. I only took one measurement, the only one I really care about - my waist. That hasn't changed either. So there's no explanation for why my clothes would feel looser, but it kind of suggests that I'm building the same volume of muscle that I'm losing in fat.

    But I stopped paying attention to all that weeks ago, because it was making me crazy. I have had to radically change my thinking about why I am doing this.

    My take on it is this. I started counting calories and exercising so I could meet a short-term goal - I wanted to get back down to my "goal weight" of 135 lbs. I'm 5'5" and now weigh 144, started out at 140 lbs. The whole range from 135 to 144 is within the healthy range of weight for a person my height. I just liked the number 135 better.

    Based on your stats, your BMI is just ever so slightly in the range that has been rather crudely labeled "overweight." I say crudely because those categories ARE crude, and do not take into consideration the finer nuances of how real people are actually built. Those "healthy weight ranges" and the BMI are far from perfect indicators of health. What I'm trying to say is that you probably are quite healthy at the weight you are at, especially if you can do all those tough workouts!

    When I weighed 140, I was a pile of flab and bones. Now I have muscles developing, and greater endurance. Those are characteristics that will help me live a healthy life for the LONG HAUL. How is your body different from when you started?

    Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint.

    Evidently, I needed to gain weight. Evidently so did you. Healthy weight ranges and BMIs be damned. Because that's how we're built. End of story.

    But over time, all that muscle and stamina you are building doing all those wonderful workouts are going to make you stronger, happier, and more fit than ever before, if you stick to them like glue, from now on, every day, for the rest of your life. Who knows how that will reshape your body down the road.

    No more scale anxiety. Congratulate yourself on living a healthy life, and enjoy your holiday, weight be damned.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    As some have said above, check the accuracy of your logging by weighing your portions.

    You may be gaining muscle, and the exercise may be causing you to retain water which muscles need to recover. You could consider trying some sort of anti water retention supplement.

    In terms of success, you may also be heavier but smaller, especially when exercising; I have around 14lbs to go to my target weight, but I am already a size smaller that when I was last at that weight. My weight fluctuates too even though I log everyday, but my measurements continue to reduce.

    Stick with it, ping me a friend request if you like .:flowerforyou:

    she is not gaining muscle...

    you need to lift heavy weights and eat at a calorie surplus (unless new to lifting or obese) to gain muscle...
  • earthboundmisfit
    earthboundmisfit Posts: 192 Member
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    If you're exercising a lot you might need to increase your calories. If you're not eating enough to compensate for the exercise it can slow your metabolism. People might think this is wrong, they're all posting "calorie deficit" but you might want to try it for a week and see if it helps.
  • natstar26
    natstar26 Posts: 130 Member
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    What is a typical day of eating for you? Its important not only to weight everything but even the little things like oil, butters ect Eating back what you have burnt is important also, just bare in mind some of those calorie counters make calories burnt a little high. Are you drinking enough water? Getting enough sleep? All these little things effect weight loss, even stress!
  • SuMcP
    SuMcP Posts: 244 Member
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    As some have said above, check the accuracy of your logging by weighing your portions.

    You may be gaining muscle, and the exercise may be causing you to retain water which muscles need to recover. You could consider trying some sort of anti water retention supplement.

    In terms of success, you may also be heavier but smaller, especially when exercising; I have around 14lbs to go to my target weight, but I am already a size smaller that when I was last at that weight. My weight fluctuates too even though I log everyday, but my measurements continue to reduce.

    Stick with it, ping me a friend request if you like .:flowerforyou:

    she is not gaining muscle...

    you need to lift heavy weights and eat at a calorie surplus (unless new to lifting or obese) to gain muscle...

    Um you don't know that she is not gaining muscle and you are incorrectly spouting one of the common myths put about as scientific fact. I have gained muscle whilst not eating surplus nor lifting heavy weights. I have had my body composition measured regularly and my muscle percentage is significantly higher and fat significantly lower.

    This forum is to offer help and support, not, as far as I know, to run people down and demoralize them.
  • roxus
    roxus Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks all, I do weigh and track absolutely everything, even oil when cooking... So much so the other half is fed up of me barking at him to weigh everything when it's his turn to cook. A typical day would be:

    A low carb higher fibre protein shake after morning workout for breakfast. OR... porridge with fruit / branflakes / fruit and cottage cheese / boiled eggs with a piece of brown seeded bread etc.
    Morning snack - carrots and celery sticks or fruit
    Lunch - salad with some protein (usually chicken, salmon, prawns or cottage cheese) - and I have been having wholewheat pasta sometimes recently as someone at the gym suggested upping carbs at lunchtimes.
    Afternoon snack - fruit or vegetable sticks
    Dinner - chicken/salmon/beef with steamed veg and either sweet potato/brown rice/wholewheat pasta/ cauliflower rice etc.

    I've been doing my current regime for around 6-8weeks, measurements wise I haven't changed apart from my chest shrinking slightly!!!

    I'm going to stick at it, but really wish I could get it right! I drink lots of water per day easily 2-3litres and do find that when I stop the exercise and continues to eat the same the scales tend to go down!
  • SuMcP
    SuMcP Posts: 244 Member
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    Check out the advice on plateaus on fat2fitradio.com. Stick with it, you will get there x

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