ivlost15 pounds but gaining it back help!!!!

I will try and help as I don't see anyone else replying yet.

Losing then gaining back....It happens from what I've read on other MFP posts.
I myself lost 8-10 pounds last month, gained about 8 back. I'm hoping it was just muscle gain + water retention as a lot of folks on here say it very well could be, sine three of my workout days are somewhat moderate to heavy strength training. I'm usually under my calorie goal, but might go over once or twice a week, but there is no way I've had a surplus of 28,000 calories to have gained that 8 pounds back. 3,500 surplus calories = 1 pound of fat essentially

Here's the hopefully helpful part....

From what I've read in years of using MFP and other fitness sites, if you really want to make sure you're doing this right, then.....

(these are not in any particular order)

1) you have to weigh your food with a food scale. Log the weight of the food. (unless its a liquid, I would assume it's okay to use a measuring cup, right? However, I do realize there are measuring cups for dry foods and liquid foods...is there a difference?). Log each little item in a salad. Don't just use some generic MFP listing of some similar salad. Never, ever guess the calories or guess how much you've eaten. That's where mistakes happen and that's where people fail at logging. Confession: we've probably all done this or may still be doing it! I blame the software behind MFP. It's not the easiest at finding everything in their food database....but I digress...
2) stay hydrated with lots of water and more water. Opinions vary. Just yesterday I read an article saying that one should figure this out by taking their body weight - half their body weight and the resulting number is how many ounces of water they should be drinking. So for me the formula would look like this: 190 pounds - (1/2 of 190 lbs.) = x ounces of water. So then 190 lbs. - 95 lbs. = 95 ounces of water. 95 ounces of water = about 12 cups of water = ALOT of water!
3) get adequate sleep for your age group (most adults need 7-9, but no more than 9) I recently read somewhere that 7 is best for HGH production...but not 8. Why 7? Wouldn't 8 be better? Weird huh? The article didn't specify how much REM sleep was needed.
4) use a heart rate monitor to track your BPM and estimate calories burned. Remember that this will always be an estimate of calories burned, but it should prove more accurate than guessing or using the MFP amounts.
5) pray to the fitness gods and hope for a good outcome! Well, maybe there are no fitness gods, but at least pray to the God of your faith for a healthier you!
6) find a mentor, preferably of the same gender that has been in your shoes (body size/age) and made it happen, looks great in a bathing suit, is not a cocky jerk, practices what they preach, and is not out to spend all your hard-earned money or sleep with your significant other.

I do not follow all of these rules, and this is why I most likely haven't met my goals yet this time around. I've come very close in the past, so I know it works, but then again that was about 2-3 years ago and my health was different. This time around I have to take it easier, and I'm now over 40. Ugh! It's ALMOST a whole new ballgame now.

Good luck to you on your fitness journey.

First, you're doing great. When you say you're gaining it back, can you be more specific? Is it a pound or two? I looked at your diary and I don't see where you are going over, you missed last Friday and Saturday so I'm going to assume you ate extra, probably extra sodium so its water retention.

I just sent you a friend request. Let's support each other