Scale is going up instead down, what gives?

whodatgrl
whodatgrl Posts: 111
edited September 26 in Motivation and Support
Im highly frustrated almost to the point of high state of pisstivity......got on the scales this morning and freakin thing said...goin up I could hear it laughing seriously:explode: So hear goes, Im an open book (i think) go ahead take a look. I work out 5d/wk with 3d being running 5k loop on the TM and the other days a DVD such as 30ds, cardiomax, dance etc. On the weekends i either play tennis, push mow the yard, etc some type of activity where im active. Im a nurse in a busy clinic, some days I dont get lunch, I take medicine that one of the SE is decreased apetite, have a husband and a 5yr old, and generally Im eating dinner around 930 - 1000 at night and pray im in the bed by 1AM....yeah its really jacked up this I know. It just wasnt like this abt 1 1/2 yrs ago when I lost 40lbs and then i was only doing 30DS, BL Cardiomax and BL Bootcamp alt days, eating abt the same as I am now just not so late.......im really struggling with this my hands are up in the air, so you, yes you reading this now take a gander at this open book then come back and tell me whats your take on my current situation, Im waiting

Replies

  • marsts
    marsts Posts: 85
    I think you should be eating a bit more healthy, instead of the 400 cal mac and cheese, why not have a granola bar or some healthy snacks every couple of hours to boost up that metabolism,
    and ive heard you should eat too late at night, dont skip meals - snack often, etc


    oh and , you may also be gaining muscle on top of that, so check your measurements and see if youve lost any inches at all
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    I would say A, eat all your cals. And B, do the best you can not to eat mostly processed.
  • vcreinert
    vcreinert Posts: 83
    Look at a few things: age, how late you eat, how soon you go to bed after you eat, cardio workout vs muscle builder, not eating lunch lowers metabolism, sodium intake, water intake. I'd go to a doc and have a full metabolic work up.
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
    Just by looking at the last week of your entries. You are not eating enough food at all!! Your body is probably in starvation mode. Make it a point to eat at least 1200 calories a day. I didn't go very far back in your diary (maybe this week was not a great one) My recommendation would be to eat more. I know sounds crazy but its true.
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    I think you should be eating a bit more healthy, instead of the 400 cal mac and cheese, why not have a granola bar or some healthy snacks every couple of hours to boost up that metabolism

    I would 100% agree. Also, add your sodium too your diary so you can see how much sodium you're in-taking. If you're going over your sodium you need to consume more water. I could bet that your sodium is way too high. Try adding more fresh fruit and veg to your new way of eating also. Pizza, mac and cheese, Starbucks, soda...etc...there are a lot more healthier options you could be eating that would probably bring your sodium down a lot. Why is it you start your morning with Hawaiian fruit punch? You need food for breakfast...BREAK fast...to jump start your body. Give it some fuel to help keep the vehicle moving.

    good luck with your journey! stay positive and try your best everyday
  • annastacia10
    annastacia10 Posts: 106
    You might want to start tracking your sugars and sodium. You want your sugar to come from "natural" not processed foods. When you track sodium you will be amazed at the amount you might be consuming and too much can hinder weight loss. You can add the sodium and sugar tabs then check out your old entries in you diary and see how you have been doing up to this point in those categories. If you are consistently way over on both, you need to modify what you are eating.
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    Hi!

    I would do your very best to eat more whole, non-processed foods. I would also make sure that you are eating enough -- you are young and have metabolism on your side (unless there is a underlying thyroid issue). I know the 'not eating enough' sounds counter-intuitive, it really is important. You don't want to slow it down and then have to fight it later.

    Good luck!
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
    Well, for one you aren't eating enough. The typical body goes into starvation mode below 1200 Cal a day and you haven't been over that for the last 3-4 days. You are drinking plenty water so it shouldn't be water weight. I would eat a bit more. You might see the weight increase for a little while before you start losing again since your body is probably hording every last calorie it can keep.
  • cambectyal
    cambectyal Posts: 3 Member
    Well I took this to my personal trainer for advice and he said the late night eating has a lot to do with it but also if you are working out this much you are probably gaining muscle aty this point which the scale will go up before you see it going back down but if you have a lot of weight to loose increase your cardio and less strength . But the best type of excerise is the circuit training excersises. I was going thru the same thing and then my trainer did a body measurement and though the scale said I was still at the same weight my body fat was down by 15% which is alot. So don't get discourged you are on the right track. But try to eat six small meals a day that give you three snacks this will boost your metabolism.Good Luck and just remember if you have a bad day make it up the next day thats what my trainer always says ...
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Right there with you OP. I looked it up already earlier today. Fitness god Tom Venuto says this:

    "The most common cause of a plateau in fat loss is not training-related, however. The most common reason for hitting a wall in fat loss is that your calories are too low and your body has entered starvation mode. Once you start to go into starvation mode, no amount of increased training will help. The only thing that can get you out of starvation mode is eating more. If your calories have been very low and you suspect the starvation response is the culprit, the best thing you can do is keep your food quality "clean" (don’t eat a lot of junk), but raise your calories for a while. You can prevent this type of plateau from occurring again by using the "Zig - Zag" or "High - Low" method of dieting: that is, eat a few days of higher calories and higher carbs followed by a few days of lower calories and lower carbs. On the low calorie/low carb days, you lose body fat rapidly, and before your body can adapt, you raise the calories back up, which increases your metabolic rate and keeps you out of starvation mode." - Tom Venuto

    http://www.femalemuscle.com/q_a/question31.htm

    EAT MORE...I'm trying it out myself.
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    Well I took this to my personal trainer for advice and he said the late night eating has a lot to do with it

    The whole eating late a night thing is different for every person. I eat every night when I get home from class at about 10:30pm. I lost 4.4lbs this week. I've had a steady weight loss since really dedicating myself to this as have other people. A lot of people have differing opinions on what time you should stop eating.. nothing after 5pm, nothing after 7pm.
  • whodatgrl
    whodatgrl Posts: 111
    I think you should be eating a bit more healthy, instead of the 400 cal mac and cheese, why not have a granola bar or some healthy snacks every couple of hours to boost up that metabolism,
    and ive heard you should eat too late at night, dont skip meals - snack often, etc


    oh and , you may also be gaining muscle on top of that, so check your measurements and see if youve lost any inches at all

    thats what i ate when i came home cause i was ravashing today havent been to the groc store is not really typicall how i eat, i mean do i eat junk sometime, yeah but for the most part I think I make pretty good choices. Well actually this week weve had 2 deaths, our truck stolen then our usual activities so its been more crazier and hectic than norm. When you look at another MFP diary I dont know how far you can go back and look or if its just at todays. About eating late at night yeah ive heard its not good either but the ive heard if you got the calories go for it, but generally i dont like eating 2hrs before going to bed.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,324 Member
    You have to 1) Start eating real food. Sugar free Hawaiian Punch is not a breakfast at all. Have a couple of eggs or a bowl of high fiber cereal. You need a good sized, even large protein rich breakfast. 2) Eat all your calories. You have a bunch of days that I looked at that you did not get to your calorie goal or even close. You need to eat all 1200 and the exercise calories. At this point your body is crying out for the nutrition needs to burn fat, and you are giving it Hawaiian Punch and not even close to the calories it needs.

    As for your weird schedule, your body does not care when you eat, as long as it gets enough calories and nutrients for the day. Yours is not right now, so first of all change that. Eat healthy and all your calories.
  • whodatgrl
    whodatgrl Posts: 111
    Well I took this to my personal trainer for advice and he said the late night eating has a lot to do with it but also if you are working out this much you are probably gaining muscle aty this point which the scale will go up before you see it going back down but if you have a lot of weight to loose increase your cardio and less strength . But the best type of excerise is the circuit training excersises. I was going thru the same thing and then my trainer did a body measurement and though the scale said I was still at the same weight my body fat was down by 15% which is alot. So don't get discourged you are on the right track. But try to eat six small meals a day that give you three snacks this will boost your metabolism.Good Luck and just remember if you have a bad day make it up the next day thats what my trainer always says ...

    I have less than 20lbs to lose think that's got anything to do with it, and i really try my best to not eat after 8 or 9pm. thanks to you and your PT for the advice
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    I think you should be eating a bit more healthy, instead of the 400 cal mac and cheese, why not have a granola bar or some healthy snacks every couple of hours to boost up that metabolism,
    and ive heard you should eat too late at night, dont skip meals - snack often, etc


    oh and , you may also be gaining muscle on top of that, so check your measurements and see if youve lost any inches at all

    thats what i ate when i came home cause i was ravashing today havent been to the groc store is not really typicall how i eat, i mean do i eat junk sometime, yeah but for the most part I think I make pretty good choices. Well actually this week weve had 2 deaths, our truck stolen then our usual activities so its been more crazier and hectic than norm. When you look at another MFP diary I dont know how far you can go back and look or if its just at todays. About eating late at night yeah ive heard its not good either but the ive heard if you got the calories go for it, but generally i dont like eating 2hrs before going to bed.

    It goes back to when you started. I didn't go back that far I just went to late march. It seems pretty consistent with how you're eating now though
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    Eat breakfast.
  • whodatgrl
    whodatgrl Posts: 111
    Thanks everyone for the response,
  • whodatgrl
    whodatgrl Posts: 111
    You have to 1) Start eating real food. Sugar free Hawaiian Punch is not a breakfast at all. Have a couple of eggs or a bowl of high fiber cereal. You need a good sized, even large protein rich breakfast. 2) Eat all your calories. You have a bunch of days that I looked at that you did not get to your calorie goal or even close. You need to eat all 1200 and the exercise calories. At this point your body is crying out for the nutrition needs to burn fat, and you are giving it Hawaiian Punch and not even close to the calories it needs.

    As for your weird schedule, your body does not care when you eat, as long as it gets enough calories and nutrients for the day. Yours is not right now, so first of all change that. Eat healthy and all your calories.

    I get the calorie defecit i mean thats obvious, the medicine I am prescribed seriously decreases my appetite and yes we have tried other meds but they didnt control my symptoms as my current meication does, I even stopped taking it all together but had to restart because my symptoms were interfering with my job. Ive tried eating just snacking for that fact when im not hungry I physically get sick to my stomach and when you have a 40+ patient load clinic day makes it hard to see patients when your in the BR vomiting. Ive never been a breakfast eater and plain water in the morning is just gross so i add a mix to my first bottle and after that i can drink all the water i can handle, ive yet to figure this one out. when it comes to fresh fruit and veggies is worse, I have a brutal inspection test. I know some will read and say "excuses makin excuses" honestly Im not, This is me posting for help, heres the true crazy me that can drink plain water all day long just not first think in the morning, I have to take my medicine or will lose my job because i cannot function, and can debone a whole chicken and 1/4 - 1/2 meat given to the dog for not passing my crazy inspection. IDK maybe Im too far out in left field to be helped with this, LOL
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,324 Member
    The medication causes difficulties here, but you will need more food, that is the reality of the situation. If you don't eat more you will continue to struggle to lose weight, and when it eventually comes off it will be more muscle percentage wise causing a further slow down of your metabolism causing further trouble losing weight, and so on.

    Are their healthy higher calorie density foods you like. At this point the only thing that comes to my mind is nuts, but perhaps avoid the low cal diet foods and seek to eat normal foods.

    When it comes down to it, I am not sure how to help because of your crazy schedule, suppressed appetite, and all the rest. The best I can suggest, since you eat more like snacking, is find healthy high calorie density snacks. That is the opposite of what most of us need, but my best guess is you are losing muscle because of the large calorie deficit and that along with your bodies natural defenses to prolonged extreme low calories of slowing down your metabolism as much as it can have done a number on you so you are gaining weight on those low calories.

    Just a thought that popped into my mind, is one of the side effects of the medication to cause water retention or something else that would result in weight gain? I know changing the medication is out, but that might give you an answer.

    When it comes down to it I think you need someone local who understands the medical stuff you are facing to give answers. Sadly, most doctors are not particularly useful in this since they usually have little or no training in this area. I am at a loss as to who to suggest though. It just seems this is beyond what is possible for us lay people to help with especially over the Internet.
  • 145Karen
    145Karen Posts: 80 Member
    For me its always water retention and it is so hard to be positive when the scale won't budge or goes up. I am staying off the scale for a while and thats hard for me. lots of water and If you are exercising and your muscles are sore I had a trainer tell me that its that your muscles hold water causing you to not loose or gain but its not fat! thank goodness. I just wish it was more simple the weight loss thing can make you loose your mind ha ha. but enjoy the journey as much as you can My new lifestyle is gonna be amazing still trying to claim the healthy lifestyle as my own. 3 steps forward 2 steps back...:wink:
  • whodatgrl
    whodatgrl Posts: 111
    The medication causes difficulties here, but you will need more food, that is the reality of the situation. If you don't eat more you will continue to struggle to lose weight, and when it eventually comes off it will be more muscle percentage wise causing a further slow down of your metabolism causing further trouble losing weight, and so on.

    Are their healthy higher calorie density foods you like. At this point the only thing that comes to my mind is nuts, but perhaps avoid the low cal diet foods and seek to eat normal foods.

    When it comes down to it, I am not sure how to help because of your crazy schedule, suppressed appetite, and all the rest. The best I can suggest, since you eat more like snacking, is find healthy high calorie density snacks. That is the opposite of what most of us need, but my best guess is you are losing muscle because of the large calorie deficit and that along with your bodies natural defenses to prolonged extreme low calories of slowing down your metabolism as much as it can have done a number on you so you are gaining weight on those low calories.

    Just a thought that popped into my mind, is one of the side effects of the medication to cause water retention or something else that would result in weight gain? I know changing the medication is out, but that might give you an answer.

    When it comes down to it I think you need someone local who understands the medical stuff you are facing to give answers. Sadly, most doctors are not particularly useful in this since they usually have little or no training in this area. I am at a loss as to who to suggest though. It just seems this is beyond what is possible for us lay people to help with especially over the Internet.

    I honestly think my MAJOR prob is calorie intake is the culprit and that like ive said before my mental block on nutrition, I absolutely HATED in nursing school, have no clue why though. Im thinking about setting up an apt with a nutritionist and see if she/he can break this mental block I have and get me going in the right direction.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,324 Member
    The nutritionist sounds like a very good idea.
This discussion has been closed.

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