Help... Following MFP and still gaining weight...

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CosmicChameleon
CosmicChameleon Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Everyone,

I'm a 29yr old male, who weighs roughly 245 (and is 5'11"), who lives a mostly sedentary lifestyle (except for the exercise I do, described below)... And well, lately I've been following MFP's suggestion of eating only 1620 net calories, in order to lose 2lb a week. However within the last 2 weeks I gained about 2lbs. Two weeks ago I only lost 0.2lbs, then yesterday when I had weighed myself I had gained about 2.3lbs. I don't know what I'm doing wrong...

Currently I will admit that I don't eat the BEST of foods, as I've been constantly eating things like Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches for my breakfasts, Lean Cuisines for my lunches, and those home meals in a bag for dinners... and I'm only eating fast food on rare occasions (and if I do it's usually like Subway, or Chipotle).

For exercise, I play racquetball for about an hour, two times a week (sometimes three). I've been entering it in as "Casual Racquetball in MFP, although it may be a bit more competitive. But I wanted to not OVER-estimate the calories I burn when playing... I also go on walks occasionally here and there.

Anyways, I'm going to list my last weeks history for people to analyze, and maybe you all can give me some ideas of what I may be doing wrong. I will admit, though, that a couple of times this past week (after playing Racuetball) I wasn't able to eat enough food to get back up to the full 1620 NET calories, but I tried to eat as much of my 'exercise burned' calories as I could. Here is my past weeks history...

GOAL:: 1620 Net Calories (to lost 2lb/wk)

Feb 1, 2011:: Food - 2451 // Exercise - 1348 // Net - 1103 // Remaining: 517
Feb 2, 2011:: Food - 1710 // Exercise - 0000 // Net - 1710 // Remaining: -90
Feb 3, 2011:: Food - 2730 // Exercise - 1476 // Net - 1254 // Remaining: 366
Feb 4, 2011:: Food - 1650 // Exercise - 0000 // Net - 1650 // Remaining: -30
Feb 5, 2011:: Food - 1670 // Exercise - 0000 // Net - 1670 // Remaining: -50
Feb 6, 2011:: Food - 1620 // Exercise - 0000 // Net - 1620 // Remaining: 00
Feb 7, 2011:: Food - 1986 // Exercise - 834 // Net - 1152 // Remaining: 468
Feb 8, 2011:: Food - 1620 // Exercise - 0000 // Net - 1620 // Remaining: 00


Can anyone help me out here... Why after that past history, did I gain just over 2lbs, as opposed to lose 2lbs??? My wife says that it might be because I've been gaining muscle mass (from playing Racquetball), which might answer that question. But I'm not sure that's really the case. I DO weigh myself at the same time every single week (Tuesdays at 5-6pm)...

So any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks everyone!

~Tyler
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Replies

  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Open your diary- it will help us make suggestions
  • mochama12487
    mochama12487 Posts: 130 Member
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    If you open your diary, it will be easier to help, but from what I am reading above, you might be consuming far too much sodium, which can allow you to retain water and thus not lose weight, and in some cases gain it. While a lot of the food you are eating might now have many calories, anything that is prepackaged such as Jimmy Dean or the frozen lunches, are just LOADED with sodium. Even Subway is bad about that. And if you are not drinking much water, that can add to the issues as well. Good luck!
  • MissKim
    MissKim Posts: 2,853 Member
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    Just my opinion, but it sounds like your holding on to alot of water weight because just about everything you eat is high in sodium!!! Just for experimental sake, try watching your sodium for a week, keep in under the allowed goal and I bet you start losing! Your going to have to come up with some better lower sodium food choices! I know it's not as convenient or tasty, but its a def have to
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    I see that on some days your are remaining quite a few calories. I dont think its so wise to be below your allowance by so much. Your confusing your body, one day you over eat the next your way under. your body will think your starving yourself if you keep going so many hundreds under your allowance and wont let you burn anything.

    Also any food that is pre-prepared and packaged for you has a whole lot of extras added like salt and sugar so you would be better off making your food from scratch. that way you know exactly whats going into your body.

    keep up the excersice though.
  • LizardIsANerd
    LizardIsANerd Posts: 113
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    My guess is that sodium is way high and water intake is not as high as it should be...
  • Sheila_KI
    Sheila_KI Posts: 206 Member
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    Sounds like you are eating quite a bit of processed foods. The sodium count in those foods is extremely high. I would try and cut down on the processed foods. Eat fresh and drink lots of water.
  • TazzytheMotivator
    TazzytheMotivator Posts: 646 Member
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    That is true, muscle weighs more than fat. Are you drinking your water 8 glasses are for the person normal weight, if we are trying to lose than we have to increase more water intake. Like whatever your current weight is now drink halk of it in ounces in water. The more water you drink the more it takes out of your system. Third option maybe it was just a bad week. and nothing more. Keep on moving don't stop.
  • CosmicChameleon
    CosmicChameleon Posts: 6 Member
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    Firstly, how do I open my diary?

    And secondly, The sodium bit is something I didn't think of. I bet i AM eating way too much sodium. I'll open my diary as soon as I figure out how.
  • twe930
    twe930 Posts: 3
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    Thinking maybe the quality of foods you eat may not be helping. Try switching to fresh salads with grilled chicken, kidney beans, avacado and lowfat dressing. You may need to up the fiber. Also, how much water are you consuming daily?
  • olpbabe
    olpbabe Posts: 89
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    Your body will not think it's starving itself. That is a silly myth. Think of the Biggest Loser, do you think those people eat back all their exercise calories? No. Don't eat so much the days you play raquetball. And don't eat prepackaged food high in sodium. Try to eat natural foods. I've been making things from scratch, and believe me, my body feels so much better now. If you have a Whole Foods or something nearby, that's a great place. If not, try to buy more fresh stuff. Fish is an amazing food...very filling and low in calories. But try and get it as fresh as possible! Also, drinks LOTS of water!
  • mochama12487
    mochama12487 Posts: 130 Member
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    go to settings, and then diary settings, and you will see the options there.
  • KidP
    KidP Posts: 247 Member
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    Someone more scientifically minded will probably give you a better guess, but mine would be that the types of things you've mentioned eating are likely loaded with sodium & other stuff that's not so great. I would bet that if you got rid of Lean Cuisine, Jimmy Dean, etc & put in some home prepared/less processed meals you'd see more weight loss.

    Kudos for doing racquetball that much - that's sounds like a great workout!
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
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    open your diary so everyone can see what you are doing. that way you will get more feed back on what you might want to change to get you back to losing. also are you weighing in on the same day at the same time every week? You need to do this. Best time I've found plus what I've read is as soon as you get up in the morning before you eat.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Just guessing here, since we don't have access to your diary to see your macronutrient intakes, but from what you're describing, you're eating a high fat, high sodium diet. Both of those things will impede weight loss. If you also aren't drinking enough water, you have a double-whammy. You're going to need to improve the diet - as the saying goes, you can't out-exercise a bad diet.

    Get more lean meat, good fats, good carbs. Drink water. Add in strength training.

    Also, here are a couple of great threads that help explain how to set up good goals, and how too much "bad diet" on occasion will effect weight loss. Good luck to you!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
    If your goals aren't set up appropriately, your metabolism won't be running optimally.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
    (pay attention here not so much to the cal intake, but the overall diet and "binging")
  • literaryshots
    literaryshots Posts: 66 Member
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    I'm going to bet that too much sodium and not enough water are probably part of your issue. For water you should drink 1/2 your body weight converted to oz.-so that would be about 15 8 oz servings for you. More if you work out and or have a high sodium diet. Prepackaged foods are really bad in the sodium department. Try hard boiling some eggs, or pre scramble and assembling some of our own breakfast burritos so you can control how much fat from cheese, turkey sausage, etc. If you aren't tracking sodium, make that change so that you can take a look.

    If you're doing well with water and sodium at least you can elliminate them as problems.
  • benitocereno
    benitocereno Posts: 101 Member
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    Your net looks pretty good. It very well could be losing fat and gaining muscle, especially if you were inactive before. Give it a few weeks and see how it sticks - I'll bet money you start losing inches even if you're not losing 'weight.' Try to eat less processed food (especially because the sodium will mask your losses with water weight!). Also be careful about weighing your portions if you can, don't trust yourself, especially if you haven't ever tried weighing stuff. You'll probably be surprised!

    I can tell you Chipotle is something I love too, but their burritos are usually 800+ calories with a ton of sodium. I still eat it, but I used to get that, chips, and guac.... which turns out to be around 1500 calories for a single meal. Wowzers.

    One last piece of advice- try weighing yourself in the morning if you can, I find it to be more accurate, but that could just be anecdotal.

    Quick edit: please keep your calories similar to what you're currently doing (if it's accurate once you take a look!) :). For your size I wouldn't drop lower than 1500/1600 if you want your diet to be sustainable and to keep your metabolism kicking at full speed.
    Your body will not think it's starving itself. That is a silly myth. Think of the Biggest Loser, do you think those people eat back all their exercise calories? No.

    Those people have doctors monitoring them all day, every day. Don't spread bad advice please. If those people are below 1200 calories they are on super high-protein, very specific diets that are geared to them with constant supervision. It does not work for everyone and should not be tried unsupervised, at home. Minimum calorie numbers exist for a reason.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Currently I will admit that I don't eat the BEST of foods, as I've been constantly eating things like Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches for my breakfasts, Lean Cuisines for my lunches, and those home meals in a bag for dinners... and I'm only eating fast food on rare occasions (and if I do it's usually like Subway, or Chipotle).

    I am going to be straight up... cut out this processed mess! It is doing nothing to help your metabolism or health. These products are loaded with sodium which makes you retain excess water weight- drop these processed foods (or cut back a bunch- 3 meals a day processed is too many- just keeping it real)... I bet once you begin to give your body fuel (food) it can actually use verses artificial things with little nutritional benefit- you will drop the weight like its hot! Good luck!
  • courtneyholt
    courtneyholt Posts: 8
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    I find even when i do a day of hard core working outs I still stay at my calorie goal or below it, just cause i burned 800 calories does not give me a free pass to eat 800 more calories
  • bettertracie
    bettertracie Posts: 196 Member
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    Just at first glance, i'd say your eating back waay too many of your exercise calories... your body will start starving itself at less than 1200 intake calories....

    And since you've said those calorie choices arent the good ones, you could probably just skip a few of those sausage biscuits and reach for a cheese stick and an apple or try oatmeal and a piece of fruit, you'll be satisfied, but making much better choices so those calories go where they need to instead of piling on the scale.

    In my opinion you'll never lose if you're eating more than 2000 calories a day period, excersize or not, sounds like youre eating too much
  • bayba792
    bayba792 Posts: 21 Member
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    To open your diary you have to go to settings under the food tab and at the bottom is the diary settings. Also muscle does weigh more than fat but I read a article that you wouldn't gain weight from gaining muscle, you would more than likely not lose weight. In order to gain weight while building muscle is eating more than your calorie recommendations. (I'm no expert though) So I would agree maybe sodium is causing you to retain water.

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