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

lcamero2
lcamero2 Posts: 52
edited September 25 in Motivation and Support
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

  • SassyStef
    SassyStef Posts: 413
    when you start working out there is the possibility to gain weight...I totally did!! Also I wasnt eating enough and I wast eating back my exercise calories.
    I would make sure you are only doing the lose 1lb per week setting and eating back your exercise calories.
    Sounds like you have a great work out program going, keep it up and you will see the results :glasses:
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
    i looked at your diary and the one thing that i see is that you are eating too much bread. also there is bread out there that is whole wheat with 45 calories per slice instead of your 120 calories per slice. and it tastes as good as the 120 calories per slice bread. I would also cut back on the carbs and up the protein & fiber to over your limits. Try that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. other than that your diary looks pretty darn good.

    keep up the good work.

    vicky jo
  • healthyandthin
    healthyandthin Posts: 104 Member
    A number of factors could be causing this:
    1. Did you weight yourself at the same time as last time?
    2. Do you know if your calories burned measurement is accurate?
    3. Try to cut down on sodium in your diet.
  • RacketlonSA
    RacketlonSA Posts: 10
    Please dont give up, it takes time, especially when you start something new. the body is finding ways of adapting, trust me. the weight gain will last a few weeks. keep at it and then you will see the pounds shedding. stay away from those choc almonds and have an pineapple slice instead.
    Also vary your exersise as much as possible, walking, running, elipses, cycling, swimming.
    keep us posted.
  • Lefriedline
    Lefriedline Posts: 61 Member
    I had the same problem... when I started this and was just watching what I ate with very little exercise I was losing like crazy. As soon as I started working out--bootcamp 3 times a week an hour each time and usually burn about 750 calories--I hit a standstill. It is depressing to think you are going to see a huge change, and then you don't see it in the direction it is supposed to go! I finally lost again at my weigh in this morning actually so hang in there! I'm sure you are noticing a change in your body even if the number suggests otherwise. Good luck :)
  • xNightguestx
    xNightguestx Posts: 75 Member
    Are you eating back a lot of your calories that you have earned? The fitness tracker isn't 100% correct so you might be eating back to many. Some people eat all their calories and some don't, I personally do not and loose around 1lb a week...takes time to find out what works for you
  • serabee5
    serabee5 Posts: 89
    i looked at your diary and the one thing that i see is that you are eating too much bread. also there is bread out there that is whole wheat with 45 calories per slice instead of your 120 calories per slice. and it tastes as good as the 120 calories per slice bread. I would also cut back on the carbs and up the protein & fiber to over your limits. Try that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. other than that your diary looks pretty darn good.

    keep up the good work.

    vicky jo

    I agree :)
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat. When you start working out you will be toning your muscles. They will burn more calories even when you are sleeping. Be patient and you will begin to see results. The first signs you might notice are that you are sleeping better, have more energy, your measurements will start changing, and your clothes will start fitting looser.
  • vroyyoung
    vroyyoung Posts: 33
    Are you using a heart rate monitor to make sure you're working out in your target range? An hour on a machine below target will generate fewer calories burned than at target. I'm 5 ft 1 and have a set goal of 1200 calories and weigh 149.8. I never eat more than a couple hundred of my workout calories (I think MFP over estimates). The amount of food that you're eating seems a bit much. If I worked out 1- 1 1/2 hours a day and ate the calories you did, I would also gain. Make sure you drink you 8 glasses of water a day (and that you don't drink calories that you forget to count), lower your daily calories a bit, decrease your carbs a bit, maybe try a salad with tuna or egg on it and a light dressing for lunch -keeping your lunch under 250 calories, and watch out for sodium.
  • b_alanna
    b_alanna Posts: 15
    when you work out. you gain muscle. muscle is obviously heavier then fat which means you are going to gain weight. In that case i wouldn't pay attention to the scale you should put in your measurements and see results that way. Exercise is replacing fat with muscle. There is no way around the weight gain.
  • lorinjer
    lorinjer Posts: 233 Member
    For me I gained at the begining cause I was eating back my exercise calories................went to the doc and had some tests done just to make sure everyhting else was okay. He told me to drop to 1000 calories a day, keep exerciseing for two weeks. Why you ask? I'm over 40 (42) and needed to jump start my metablism. Then he told me not to eat back my exercise calories unless I'm hungry (sometimes I am, sometimes i'm not). After the two weeks I went back up to 1200 and now I lose almost every week. I strted this in early January. I think there has been 2 weeks that I havent lost either weight or inches or both.
  • b_alanna
    b_alanna Posts: 15
    obviously people lose weight from exercising. but that is because they are burning way more fat then they are gaining muscle. That why when you watch heavy and biggest loser they see results on the scale. some people just dont have as much body fat.
  • keschuh79
    keschuh79 Posts: 29
    I hear your frustration. I spent a whole month working my *kitten* off 600-1000 calories every day and was trying to eat all my calories as they all tell you too, but I was seeing zero change on the scale or in measurements. I finally had to take a step back and reevaluate. Apparently that was just what I needed because after two days off from working out, wouldn't ya know... poof!... down five pounds in two days.

    We are creatures of habit and I'm sure you want to maintain your hearty workout routines. but you probably need to slow down and think about how to change it up. Don't be predictable. You body (metabolism) has figured you out and is holding the line. Whether it's changing up the diversity of your workouts or mixing in some low calorie burn days and eating all the calories you have on those days and then some days off and then some high calorie burn days too. Give your body a chance to recover so that when you do have those big burn days, they're more significant because your body isn't as prepared as when you make it a regular occurrence.

    It's what's working best for me right now. After going nowhere on the scale for over a month (I even ran a 8k in that month), I decided to stop working out so much and add some really low key workout days in there where I just focus on eating less... and it's made all the difference for me. I've lost 5-8lbs in two weeks. Now mind you a lot of that was water weight that my body had been holding onto during that... but I'll take it anyway!

    I know it can be difficult to maintain momentum when you're constantly changing routines, but if you've got the strength and the motivation to work out as much as you do, I think you've got the mental strength to back off and change it up.

    Just my 0.02
  • theresabell67
    theresabell67 Posts: 97 Member
    I viewed your diary and noticed no veggies, and alot of carbs. I would cut back on the carbs, increase your protein, veggies, fruit, and stick with the exercising!! It takes time, but it WILL HAPPEN and you will start losing the weight!!! Keep positive thoughts, when the body is stressed it releases increase amounts of cortisol which can cause the weight gain also. You might ask yourself, do i feel better? have more energy? sleeping better? all of these are positive effects of eating right and exercising.
  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    I viewed your diary and noticed no veggies, and alot of carbs. I would cut back on the carbs, increase your protein, veggies, fruit, and stick with the exercising!! It takes time, but it WILL HAPPEN and you will start losing the weight!!! Keep positive thoughts, when the body is stressed it releases increase amounts of cortisol which can cause the weight gain also. You might ask yourself, do i feel better? have more energy? sleeping better? all of these are positive effects of eating right and exercising.

    I agree with this...plus you are giving yourself a massive calorie deficit..and as you don't have a lot to lose you will find it harder to shift the weight..the bigger the deficit the more your body will hold onto the weight. You need to be looking at converting your body fat to lean muscle...and I'm afraid you can't do that (despite other posters hopefully saying your weight gain is muscle increase) on a calorie deficit & without lots of protein. Maybe you should look at getting a protein mix supplement to drink after your workouts, this will bump your calories and help your muscles revover.
  • ocsurfmama
    ocsurfmama Posts: 127
    Looking at your food and exercise diary, several things jumped out. You are eating a lot of bread every single day. That is a lot of carbs and your body stores them so much longer. You may want to try cutting the bread out or down to one slice a week. Bad sugars are also stored longer so make sure you read cereal and boxed food ingredients. Switching up your diet, instead of eating pretty much the same routine will help also. Someone mentioned that your diet is lacking in veggies, and fruits. Basically, it is lacking in the fresh from the garden or orchard foods. Those are the foods that have nutrients that actually helps your body work to burn.

    Here is a very good site you may want to check out. www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_net.php
    It is an excellent source and a wealth of information. I have also found that the earned calories guidelines given here can be too high. Half of your earned calories are through cleaning or walking the dog. Your body has to really sweat and your heart rate up to lose the lbs. Maybe only count your cardio and hard work out calories?

    I also saw no strength training or aerobics which takes your body from warm up, to higher heart rate with a sweat and burn, stretching, and then a cool down. If you mix it up then your body doesn't know what to expect and it won't store as much fat. Strength training works and firms the muscles which burns more fat.

    I hope that you take the time to check out that link I gave you because it has a TON of specific information, explains so much and can be incorporated into this program.

    When I added strengthening and aerobics to my weekly exercise, I saw major changes. Lost 6 inches of total body measurement in the course of three weeks. There was a while that the scale didn't move but I was wearing a size smaller pants and two size smaller shirts. A week after that the scale started moving again.

    Remember that eating less doesn't always mean eating better. Better integration of veggies and fruits will actually give you more food for your daily calorie goal. I use almonds as my go to snack when I feel I'm still wanting something. I bet if you challenge yourself to not eat bread and cut back carbs you will see a change also. I also have found that I do better when I only eat half of the "earned" calories because there are so many variables to how many calories you actually do burn.

    I hope you will update us after you implement some of the great suggestions folks here have made. :)
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
    See heres the thing, before starting mfp I hated carbs, I was terrified of them and I kept them down at 20-40 g a day.. and I avoided bread, but then on here it tells me I need to start eating more carbs so I did. The bread I eat is 100% whole grain with 12 different grains so I figured hey.. its a bit high calorie, but I am always low on the calories and its healthy. And I starting eating more carbs because I was told thats what you needed to do to lose weight when you are working out a lot: That you need them for energy. Maybe this week I will go back to eating 20-30 g a day and keep working out and see what happens. Thanks guys.

    Other note: MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! I am sorry but this really bugs me when people say this (even though I know you are trying to help), but a pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat.... they BOTH weigh a POUND!.... the difference is is that a pound of muscle is more condensed and smaller than a loose pound of fat..! :) Just a friendly correction.
  • kje2011
    kje2011 Posts: 502 Member
    bump :)
  • eveunderground
    eveunderground Posts: 236 Member
    I've read that your body retains up to 4lbs of water when you go from being sedentary to starting an aggressive exercise plan. Couple that with daily fluctuations from sodium intake, bathroom schedule, time of month, etc and it could explain what you're seeing. I know it's tough but try to be patient. If you are doing all the right things the results will eventually have to show up. :)
  • only1kjewell
    only1kjewell Posts: 5 Member
    I viewed your food diary try eating less carbs and a lot more protein, eat less apples, bananas, grapes and more melons, berries. Also very important you need to eat your earned calories(exercise calories)! You shouldnt have more than 200 left over for the day.
    Hope this helps..
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