diet and gym but gaining?!

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jazzxdaisy
jazzxdaisy Posts: 49 Member
in Introduce Yourself
so i started at 14 stone 4 pound, doing no exercise at all and eating anything and everything i wanted to. for the last month i have been eating around 1200 calories a day, doing slimfast (which has always worked in the past) eating super healthy and doing at least 30 mins at the gym 6 days a week. but i now weigh 14 stone 6.5!! really disheartened now cause i have been so strict with myself and totally changed my diet and lifestyle. any ideas? xo
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  • dudesears
    dudesears Posts: 8
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    Do you think you may have gained muscle? What are you doing at the gym?
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
    edited January 2015
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    It could be that you're putting on muscle due to the exercise (depending on what you're doing) but if you are doing Slim Fast you're probably not eating enough protein to be doing that so it does seem strange. Bear in mind that Slimfast shakes and bars are very high in sugar so that is not always a good way to try and lose weight.

    Some might say that you are eating too little, though personally I know I can only lose weight if I eat 1000-1200 even with exercise, but then I didn't eat a lot when I was gaining, no more than 1700 calories per day on a bad day but that was without exercising much.

    Maybe try changing what you're eating for your 1200 calories, switch to more fresh foods like lean meat/fish and fresh veggies or try and increase your protein and reduce your carbs.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Hey there,
    Welcome to the MFP community!!
    There could be many reasons for the gain, don't let yourself get disheartened.

    It could be water weight, water weight fluctuates and can make the scales vary when we check them.
    If your diet is right and you are being sure to meet your nutritional requirements it is entirely possible that your gain is in muscle (the best kind of gain, right!!), muscle is denser than fat and can sometimes mask progress. You might not be loosing 'weight' but you may be gaining muscle mass instead, that's a winning situation and pretty common to begin with when you change your lifestyle!

    Wishing you all the best, stick with giving that fantastic dedication and I'm positive you will manage your goals!

    All the best,
    Adam
  • IronPhyllida
    IronPhyllida Posts: 533 Member
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    ^^ Like Jat74 said, but I was going to be more direct and say create more of a calorie deficit, ie burn more calories and eat less calories. I don't have a very high opinion of Meal replacement diets, but that's my view. Just eat healthy (or healthier). There aren't any short cuts if you want to improve things in the long run.
  • lawlifehanna
    lawlifehanna Posts: 90 Member
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    Could you open your diary, so we can see what this super healthy food you're eating is? Also, are you measuring (weighing) your food before you log it or are you eyeballing it?
    Have you taken measurements (waist, hips etc.)? Have they changed?

    These are questions that many will probably ask, and it's because the info is needed to give you accurate advice. You will figure it out (with help) and get through this, don't give up!
  • DianePK
    DianePK Posts: 122 Member
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    I found in the past with shakes, meal replacements etc I didn't get enough nutrients or protein and ended up having a huge dinner to make up for it, so didn't lose weight despite being hungry during the day.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
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    I'd open your diary for more helpful advice.

    Are you eating back exercise calories, and if so, how are you measuring the number of calories burned?
  • jessiemjporter
    jessiemjporter Posts: 174 Member
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    i had this issue, and what i do is i set it to lose 1lb a week, i ate exactly to MFP (after 8 months of gaining) and within 2 weeks i lost 3lbs?! i couldn't believe it... just stick to it and id recommend eating to your 1lb loss (that way its slow and your not deprived) ^.^
  • itsMcKay
    itsMcKay Posts: 131 Member
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    I doubt you're gaining enough muscle for this to be an issue. Are you weighing your foods and counting everything? Just about everything but plain water has calories. Also, are you using the same scale each time you weigh yourself? Are you weighing at the same time of day after using the restroom but before eating? Are you wearing the same or similar clothing and shoes? What is your daily deficit? How tall are you? Age? Weight? Height? Etc.
  • jazzxdaisy
    jazzxdaisy Posts: 49 Member
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    sorry i was on my phone before and didn't realise my diary wasn't public! (i was mega ill over december and got a bit slack recording, but still stuck to everything)

    thank you everyone for your help and advise :)
    i only use the shakes, i use things like smoked salmon, or cucumber as my snacks in between.
    i am quite muscular on my legs, but i don't think i've gained any muscle. i did take measurements of myself and so far i'm exactly the same as when i started.

    at the gym i do at least half an hour cardio (i have very dodgy knees so it's normally on the cross trainer) and a spin class and a kettlebell class both once a week.

    i weigh all my food (much to my mums annoyance) and i have been uping my water intake lately as i know i don't drink enough. i eat quite a bit of fish and quorn as i really don't like meat, i push myself to eat chicken or pork at least once a week though.

    i am 23, weigh 14.6, i'm 5 foot 3 inches. i use the same scales each time i weigh myself, and always in the morning when i'm about to get in the shower.

    i'm so into dedicating myself to getting fitter and healthier. i have ordered a fitbit tracker too.

    thank you again to everyone that has commented! :) xo
  • milkywayward
    milkywayward Posts: 27 Member
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    If she's eating 1200 calories a day I doubt she's building muscle. So, troubleshooting:

    - How accurate are your logs? If you're doing Slimfast (ugh) are you weighing out the recommended serving size for the shakes/whatever or "winging it" and are you weighing/measuring your other meals and snacks? Are you doing this consistently or have you had cheat days and are you logging your "cheat" calories?
    - Are you eating back exercise calories? If yes, how are you figuring the number of calories burned at the gym?
    - How are you weighing yourself? From personal experience my margin of error with the scale is ±6lbs due to factors like water weight, food waste, etc. It could be that your "true" weight is lower than the weight you registered with the scale but masked by other factors. The best thing to do is to weigh yourself in your underwear first thing in the morning after you've used the bathroom and before you've eaten and even then bear in mind that there's still some fluctuation/variation.
  • stuart160
    stuart160 Posts: 1,628 Member
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    Back to basics http://www.eattoperform.com/2013/03/26/tdee-bmr-calculator-explained/
  • alexwatson33
    alexwatson33 Posts: 3
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    How many calories are in your shake you use? Some are deceptively calorie dense.
  • jazzxdaisy
    jazzxdaisy Posts: 49 Member
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    alexwatson33 wrote: »
    How many calories are in your shake you use? Some are deceptively calorie dense.

    the two scoops of powder are 139 and the 250ml of soya milk is 68 calories xo
  • jazzxdaisy
    jazzxdaisy Posts: 49 Member
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    milkywayward wrote: »
    If she's eating 1200 calories a day I doubt she's building muscle. So, troubleshooting:

    - How accurate are your logs? If you're doing Slimfast (ugh) are you weighing out the recommended serving size for the shakes/whatever or "winging it" and are you weighing/measuring your other meals and snacks? Are you doing this consistently or have you had cheat days and are you logging your "cheat" calories?
    - Are you eating back exercise calories? If yes, how are you figuring the number of calories burned at the gym?
    - How are you weighing yourself? From personal experience my margin of error with the scale is ±6lbs due to factors like water weight, food waste, etc. It could be that your "true" weight is lower than the weight you registered with the scale but masked by other factors. The best thing to do is to weigh yourself in your underwear first thing in the morning after you've used the bathroom and before you've eaten and even then bear in mind that there's still some fluctuation/variation.

    i am only using slimfast for that first initial kick. i used it before and lost a stone from it then carried on losing weight normally without it.

    i'd like to think i'm as accurate as i can be. i measure out the milk and scoops exactly as it says to do. i also weigh and measure out all my other meals and snacks. i do this consistantly, i haven't had cheat days as i don't see the point, if i fancy a little ice cream i allow myself it, and log it down. otherwise i know if i deprived myself of everything i would end up binging.

    i don't believe i am eating back burnt calories, i stick to eating around 1200 calories regardless of what i do at the gym. xo


  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    I agree with Adam, could be water weight from starting to go to the gym or from the foods that you are eating. Foods that are higher in sodium may cause you to hold on to a little bit of water. Are you weighing and measuring everything? If not- invest in a food scale.
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
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    Hi there,
    I know it sounds mental, but i notice from your diary that a lot of your logging has no sodium in it, as in when you have scanned ( or added ) the item it is not showing up as having anything, for example a fajita meal, i know for a fact there will be sodium in that, and more than likely in your smoked fish, sodium can be a real nightmare, so if you are getting over what you should and not drinking enough water to flush it out, then this could be where your gain has come from.... i didnt believe it myself, i went away for the weekend came back and had gained 7lbs, not possible to be fat as i hadnt over eaten calorie wise,but i hadnt drunk enough water and my sodium was through the roof. Cant say this is exactly what is the problem but might be a factor, maybe buy some electric kitchen scales to weigh your food too. Good luck and hopefully you will start seeing some results. x
  • heartpie
    heartpie Posts: 24 Member
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    What is your daily diet routine now?
  • firebloom
    firebloom Posts: 109 Member
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    Just to clarify for sure, are you counting the calories in the slimfast or are you sticking to 1200 and then having the slimfast as well?
  • jazzxdaisy
    jazzxdaisy Posts: 49 Member
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    Troutsy wrote: »
    I agree with Adam, could be water weight from starting to go to the gym or from the foods that you are eating. Foods that are higher in sodium may cause you to hold on to a little bit of water. Are you weighing and measuring everything? If not- invest in a food scale.

    i do weigh and measure everything, i'm beginning to think it could be the water thing as pinkiezoom as explained.
    pinkiezoom wrote: »
    Hi there,
    I know it sounds mental, but i notice from your diary that a lot of your logging has no sodium in it, as in when you have scanned ( or added ) the item it is not showing up as having anything, for example a fajita meal, i know for a fact there will be sodium in that, and more than likely in your smoked fish, sodium can be a real nightmare, so if you are getting over what you should and not drinking enough water to flush it out, then this could be where your gain has come from.... i didnt believe it myself, i went away for the weekend came back and had gained 7lbs, not possible to be fat as i hadnt over eaten calorie wise,but i hadnt drunk enough water and my sodium was through the roof. Cant say this is exactly what is the problem but might be a factor, maybe buy some electric kitchen scales to weigh your food too. Good luck and hopefully you will start seeing some results. x

    that does sound really plausible! i know i don't drink enough, and for the last couple of days i've been making a real effort to drink a lot more water. thank you!
    seandaniken wrote: »
    What is your daily diet routine now?

    from this, as i'm now back at work, i have a cup of tea first thing in the morning, a slimfast shake around nine, another shake at around one, a snack around three/four of cucumber or fish etc, then go to the gym when i finish work at five, then have dinner around seven :)
    firebloom wrote: »
    Just to clarify for sure, are you counting the calories in the slimfast or are you sticking to 1200 and then having the slimfast as well?

    i count the slimfast in with my 1200 calories xo

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