just starting out....and a bit frustrated

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jcav1128
jcav1128 Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello to all! I have yoyo dieted for a long time. I finally hit my highest weight ever after i had foot surgery. I started on my journey 2 weeks ago and i lost 4 lbs the first week, and somehow this week i gained 5. I have been logging every morsel that passes my lips. I have been exercising.....and i am getting frustrated. any advice?

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  • Tina1128
    Tina1128 Posts: 37
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    Just a guess without seeing your diary but... too much sodium too little water? Are you eating enough period?

    Just DON't get discouraged -- you're in this for the long term so keep up the plan!! :)
  • sierraskooter
    sierraskooter Posts: 33
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    It would appear we are in the same boat here! I have about 100 lbs to lose and I get very frustrated because of that. It seems like nothing ever works! Just log what you eat, try to stay in your goals and exercise everyday. If you fall off the wagon, pick yourself up and climb back on. That is what everyone is telling me. I sent you a friend request, we can work together if you would like!
  • kuechletwins
    kuechletwins Posts: 88 Member
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    I'm feeling frustrated as well. I haven't lost a thing yet and have been incredibly anal about logging and exercising. All I can say is stick with it - no matter what the scale says, we are still getting healthier!
  • bjmk19047
    bjmk19047 Posts: 123
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    Don't get frustrated. I know it's easy to say that but it's the truth. Just keep trying to stay on track. Drink enough water. And only weight yourself once a week!
  • Rowell29s
    Rowell29s Posts: 32
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    If you are doing strength training then that could account for some of the weight gain but keep it up because the muscle u are building will start to burn the fat faster. It could also be that you are eating to few of calories and your body is in starvation mode. Try to increase your water intake and watch how many carbs you are taking in. Keep it up, I am sure u are on your way to dropping the pounds. How many calories are you eating a day and what kind of foods? This happened to me and I had to start eating every 2 hours to increase my metabolism. You may try that? I hope that this helps. Keep us posted.
  • ShaneCRoach
    ShaneCRoach Posts: 14
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    What kind of exercise are you doing. I nearly always gain a pound or two for the first week or two that I do any sort of weight training. Not sure why. You might want to recalculate the goals the site set for you to see if maybe something went wrong there.

    Program has been working like a dream for me, so if you just hang in there I think you'll find it works over the long run.
  • BioShocked89
    BioShocked89 Posts: 330 Member
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    Sounds like a severe case of the "second week curse". On the second week of dieting, almost everyone either gains back a few pounds or maintains. It varies from person to person. Some people gain, some maintain, and some still lose pounds. Here's an article you might find interesting about it. I think this may be your problem: http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19058097.php

    Some other factors that will effect your weigh in:
    When you weigh in-early in the morning is best, before you eat OR drink anything. After 8 hours of sleep, your body should have processed to food and you will be able to get a more accurate weigh-in.

    When you stop eating for the day- Stopping eating before 8pm is what I've always been told whether you diet or not. It's harder for the body to process foods because it's already started shutting down for the night.

    Go to the bathroom: You'd be surprised at how much waste can be stored in our bodies. Whether it be number 1 or 2, [more dramatic difference with number 2] going to the bathroom before you weigh in can really help.
  • WritingMyLife
    WritingMyLife Posts: 57 Member
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    That does sound like sodium induced water retention to me, or PMS? You certainly didn't gain 5 pounds of fat. :) I've been frustrated myself by the scale last weigh in. Are you feeling better? Is anything easier to do? (For me, it was walking up the stairs carrying the baby.) I plan to just stick to it for the rest of the month, see where I am, and maybe tweak something then, like alternating days of higher and lower calories. Hang in there, we'll get it right! (And feel free to friend me.)
  • shakat
    shakat Posts: 2 Member
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    I have also been experiencing the same thing. I would suggest measuring yourself too, because what I have found is that I am losing inches despite the fact that I seem to keep losing and gaining the same 2 pounds. When I see that I am losing inches, though, it is easier to keep going.
  • GuyIncognito
    GuyIncognito Posts: 1
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    First of all: don't panic.

    Depending on what you ate before you started watching your diet, it may take your body a little time to get used to your new eating habits. Make sure you drink enough and weigh yourself once a week. I usually do this on friday morning after emptying my bladder. Don't weigh yourself during the day, water weight kann cause up to 5 extra lbs and that might get you frustrated.

    Second, calories. They are an awfully arbitrary number, determined by actually burning something inside a calorimeter and measuring the energy output. The human body does not work like an engine and burn the stuff you eat. But overall, staying inside your target calorie zone should give you a goal to stick to.

    Third, Carbs. Losing Fat is not about calories in vs. calories out. It's about what you eat and common popular misconceptions. Lots of people think that fatty foods are bad. This is only partly true. Industrial Foods with trans fat are bad. Avoid trans fat at all costs. Try not to eat too many carbs, too. Why?
    The digestion of carbohydrates is assisted by the hormone insuline. Insuline makes your blood sugar levels go up after a meal with lots of carbs and it also stimulates storing energy in the fat cells.

    Fourth, muscle. If you started exercising recently and haven't been exercising in the past, your body will try to become acustomed to the new stress level. It will strenghten the muscle fibers and build new ones. A lot of people start gaining weight first when starting to exercise. This is because a pound of fat roughly is worth 3500 Calories, while a pound of muscle is worth about 1600 Calories. By shifting energy from your bodyfat to muscle your net weight increases but your bodyfat-% may actually decrease.

    Fifth: Keep it up! :)
  • jcav1128
    jcav1128 Posts: 2 Member
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    thanks for all the advice everyone! I do all my tracking on my i touch and for some reason its not synching up here (i guess its something i should work on :)) I appreciate all the advice. Im keeping up on it and i want to move forward! Ill keep u all updated!

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