Exercising like crazy, eating right, and I have gained weigh

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lcamero2
lcamero2 Posts: 52
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, check out my food and exercise diary if you want to see what I am eating, but for the past week and a half I have been working out everyday (1 day off) taking my dog for a walk for 2 hours (10k) and going on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes (burning 650 calories) and normally my total calories burned from exercise a day are 1100-1200.

Today was the last day of my goal not to weigh myself for a whole week and I did it! But I was sooooo disappointed today to see that I have gained 1.5 lbs! What the hell!
It is the end of my TOM (but I do not usually gain much weight at this time) and I only started working out a week and a half ago so I am praying that my muscles are just retaining water (I drink 8 cups + a day and watch my sodium) and that I will start dropping weight soon so I am giving my scale 1 more week start going the right way.

This is soooo FRUSTRATING.. I have been working myself sooo hard this week and I have bad results. Grrrrr where are the chocolate covered almonds when I need them :(

Replies

  • xafricanqueen07x
    xafricanqueen07x Posts: 98 Member
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    I wouldn't stress to much about it, its just water weight..after week two you'll probably see a drastic change..just make sure you eat NOTHING after 8..thats a good way to see that scale move and drink lots and lots of water..it will come off..it just takes some time for your body to figure things out :)
  • ohletmebeskinny
    ohletmebeskinny Posts: 16
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    Hey dont be disouraged by what the scales say, it doesnt mean that because youve gained 1.5lbs then you're "fatter" it might only mean that you're gaining muscle weight through your excercises which is a good thing actually :)
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
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    I doubt its muscle either.. I measured myself and there is not even a cm lost let alone an inch :(
  • tiffanygetch
    tiffanygetch Posts: 9
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    I know how you feel, but try to not get too frustrated! As you build muscle from your cardio and other activities, the number on the scale will seem deceiving. Muscle weighs more than fat, so that could be a reason you're not seeing the results you want. I've switched to one of those scales that measures your body fat percentage, and base my progress on that. Be careful with those, though, because depending on how hydrated you are will affect the number that shows up. I typically weigh myself twice, and average out the two to get a better idea. But, nothing is going to tell you how you're doing better than the way your clothes are fitting! Maybe think about taking measurements instead to get an idea of where fat is leaving and muscle is building?

    Stay positive, and keep working! You WILL see results as long as you stick to your goals!!!
  • shellgib
    shellgib Posts: 196 Member
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    The only thing I might consider with just a quick peek at your diary (including your exercises) is that the given calories burned on the database can be a little high. You may not be actually burning that many calories. You may want to try to keep your total calories to 1300-1400 not taking in extra for exercise. Does that make sense? Or you will need to look into getting a HRM w/chest strap to get your actual calories. Also, if you have your profile set to sedentary then I would include cleaning as exercise, but if you have it set for lightly active or above that, then things like cleaning are usually part of your total calorie estimate already.

    Good luck and keep going...you will figure it out!

    (and good luck with nursing and med school! ...I'm a nurse too :flowerforyou: )
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I don't weigh myself, but if I did I would only count the results from once a month at the same point in your cycle (I'll probably find out you are a man now and feel like a muppet). I can fluctuate by 8 lbs depending on time of day and time of month, with water retention. You can't weigh yourself one week and then a week later and expect there to be significant loss. That way madness lies.
  • amybear27
    amybear27 Posts: 10 Member
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    The only thing I might consider with just a quick peek at your diary (including your exercises) is that the given calories burned on the database can be a little high. You may not be actually burning that many calories. You may want to try to keep your total calories to 1300-1400 not taking in extra for exercise. Does that make sense? Or you will need to look into getting a HRM w/chest strap to get your actual calories. Also, if you have your profile set to sedentary then I would include cleaning as exercise, but if you have it set for lightly active or above that, then things like cleaning are usually part of your total calorie estimate already.

    Good luck and keep going...you will figure it out!

    (and good luck with nursing and med school! ...I'm a nurse too :flowerforyou: )

    I agree with the calorie over-estimation of calorie burn. I just started using a Polar FT7 and my eliptical was grossly over-estimating my calorie burn. I have an expensive Octane Eliptical that has me enter my weight and age so I thought it was pretty reliable and after 18 months of trusting it, I found out it was off by almost 50%! I had hit a plateau and nothing I tried worked until I got my HRM.
  • ninpiggy
    ninpiggy Posts: 228 Member
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    My advice: increase your water intake, decrease any caffeinated beverages. Our bodies hold on to extra fluids when it doesn't have enough. It has really helped me a lot, honestly.
  • Ral263
    Ral263 Posts: 318 Member
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    I agree with the HRM...... but also, looking at your diary:

    You eat a lot of processed foods and "empty" carbs, and barely any vegetables!!
    Try to trade in all that ham for a leaner meat like turkey or chicken breast, and really aim to get at LEAST 5-6 servings of veggies per day.

    Avoid white breads and cereals in favor for oatmeal, steel cut oats, quinoa, etc. Try to cut out all the processed foods-- all the sodium will make you retain water (ie...weight!)
  • BettyandVeronica
    BettyandVeronica Posts: 333 Member
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    Ok, check out my food and exercise diary if you want to see what I am eating, but for the past week and a half I have been working out everyday (1 day off) taking my dog for a walk for 2 hours (10k) and going on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes (burning 650 calories) and normally my total calories burned from exercise a day are 1100-1200.

    Today was the last day of my goal not to weigh myself for a whole week and I did it! But I was sooooo disappointed today to see that I have gained 1.5 lbs! What the hell!
    It is the end of my TOM (but I do not usually gain much weight at this time) and I only started working out a week and a half ago so I am praying that my muscles are just retaining water (I drink 8 cups + a day and watch my sodium) and that I will start dropping weight soon so I am giving my scale 1 more week start going the right way.

    This is soooo FRUSTRATING.. I have been working myself sooo hard this week and I have bad results. Grrrrr where are the chocolate covered almonds when I need them :(

    Dont give up you are quite obviously motivated and determined to do this. Stick with it. If anything you are doing yur body well by being active,even if the scales arent moving in the right direction.

    I want some of your motivation and drive !!!!!!
  • LG61820
    LG61820 Posts: 372 Member
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    I wonder if you are overestimating your exercise calories. Have you measured the distance of your walks to make sure you are walking at a 3 mph pace? Many have said that MFP's calorie-burned data base errs on the high side. I have a HRM and find that I can do the same activity for the same length of time two different days and have two different calorie burns!
  • LittleMissVintage
    LittleMissVintage Posts: 142
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    Don't stress yourself out. Just relax. I know when I relax I'm less hard on myself and then I can actually see progress. Push yourself but don't push too hard.
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
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    I walk my dog which involves me walking briskly and the lake I walk around is 5km long and takes an hour to walk. I have averaged the calories burned on this walk between 4 or 5 different calorie estimators and they all say the same. Also, at the gym I rotate between different elliptical machines and brands when i go and they all fall within 10 calories of each other, and an article I read somewhere said that they are pretty accurate but can be 10% off.. so even if I am only burning say 550 instead of 650 on the elliptical should I still be seeing some progress.. or I would even be happy if I had maintained my weight.. but gaining weight after all the work I am putting into this.. its depressing.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    I wonder if you are overestimating your exercise calories.

    I'm not sure that this is the problem because it doesn't appear you are eating back most of your exercise calories anyway. Maybe you should try to increase your intake a bit to make sure you are actually getting a minimum NET of 1200 per day. If your body doesn't feel fueled (not full) you may not see a good loss.

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