Gaining rather than losing. HELP!

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desaree01
desaree01 Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm so conflicted right now. This is not my first rodeo when it comes to weight loss. I've had two children. Gained around 80lbs with each pregnancy and through use of calorie counting with MFP and regular exercise I successfully lost the pregnancy weight with no problem (no tricks or gimmicks, simple calories counting and exercise). I had a MC back in April and my tubes tied in June and since then I have gained roughly 40lbs. So I started the normal calorie counting and exercise routines that I used before to get rid of the weight; however, this time it’s not going anywhere. I initially lost 10lbs and have slowly gained three back over the past week. WTF is going on?? I'm so confused.
I have a 600 calorie deficit and I make sure to burn at least 700-1000 calories a day through cardio and weights. What's different this time? Why am I gaining rather than losing when I'm cutting the calories and exercising daily. And before any of you can ask I am TRULY counting every single calorie. If I cook dinner for my kids and taste a spoonful of the mashed potatoes, I log it. If I eat a cough drop, it’s logged. I track my burned calories through use of a heart rate monitor and I only log the workouts, I don't even count calories from my regular day to day activity, and I switch up my workout routines. So I'm beyond confused right now. Is anyone else having a similar issue? Could the MC and tubal be playing a significant part that I'm not aware of? I'm feeling real discouraged right now. HELP!

Replies

  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    it's 3lb in a week.. normal life fluctuation... keep tracking and move forward. You will constantly need to tweak what you are doing... if the 3lb is bothering you that bad, cut out another 100 calories for next week.
  • Canwehugnow
    Canwehugnow Posts: 218 Member
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    How long have you been at it? I say just keep counting calories and working out, eventually it'll straighten out.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    One week is not enough time to panic. Normal body fluctuations such as stress, exercise, water retention from sodium or new exercise, bowels, TOM, etc. will affect the rate at which your body burns fat from week to week. It will not be the same each week for most people. Since you have loss weight prior to this week then continue as you were and give your body the time it needs to do its job.
  • ketorach
    ketorach Posts: 430 Member
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    I don't think 3lbs is too much to worry about. Give it a little time. If you still don't see any loss, you may need to tweak your calories.
  • desaree01
    desaree01 Posts: 33 Member
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    I am about 6 weeks in. I know the body flucuates and I'm used to seeing a half a pound to a pound here and there, but I've never seen a 3lb increase in one week. Yes it is truly bothering me.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    You have been through all of this before so you probably know that it takes 3500 calories to equal one pound of fat gain or loss. So, unless you overate by about 10,000 calories last week, it's not fat, it's water retention. Simple as that.

    What kinds of things make you gain water? Muscle repair, your monthly cycle, too much sodium. I can lose and gain 3-5 pounds in a day in water. Run 6 miles, lose 2 pounds of water. Eat too much sodium the day before, gain 3 pounds of water. Run a half marathon, lose 3 pounds of water that day but be up an extra pound the next day because my leg muscles are sore.

    TL;DR - It's water. Don't worry about it. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll see the scale start to move down again.
  • astrose00
    astrose00 Posts: 754 Member
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    Two weeks ago, my scales dropped like 5lbs in one week (I was under my calorie goal on a few days due to running around and not eating enough) and then the next week it went back up 3lbs when I started eating normally. I don't believe either of those numbers. I probably lost a few pounds (based on my goals) but realize the jumping around was mainly due to water. Now the scale has been stuck for more than a week. No movement at all. I, like you, meticulously count/weigh/measure and never exceed my allotment. And I exercise 4-5 times a week (cardio and weights). So I know that scale will move eventually. It's frustrating but since I know I am doing everything right, it has to move down eventually. Add to that I feel more bloated than normal. I've OD'd on shrimp the past week so I'm sure my sodium was high even if my calories weren't.

    What exercising are you doing? That seems high. Are you eating back any of those calories?
  • NorthernArcher
    NorthernArcher Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm having the same problem. I started nearly 3 months ago and have lost 10 lbs. I just returned to work from 3 weeks off due to our Christmas break and during that time, I worked out every other day and my workouts consisted of 1-1.5 hours of cardio and about an hour of weights. I have been keeping under my daily calorie goals and its driving me nuts that the scale hasn't moved at all. Then I happen to notice things like more muscle definition in my arms and legs, so something is happening but I'm not sure what.
  • pink00007
    pink00007 Posts: 50 Member
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    Silly question, but are you using the same scale?
    I used my scale this morning twice and got 2 different weights both times... it was 3lb difference.

    Clearly I need a new scale but maybe yours is little weird too?
  • QueenMother14
    QueenMother14 Posts: 438 Member
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    I would think it could be hormone related but am not really qualified to speak on why it is happening. I can say though that I am also having a real hard time losing weight and finally this morning I saw a loss. This still doesn't put me to where I was 3 months ago but it is a start. Keep at it.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    pink00007 wrote: »
    Silly question, but are you using the same scale?
    I used my scale this morning twice and got 2 different weights both times... it was 3lb difference.

    Clearly I need a new scale but maybe yours is little weird too?

    Foot positioning can matter on a bathroom scale. I can "gain" 2 lbs by putting both feet closer to the center of the scale.

    I have tape marks on mine for my heels and big toes, to make sure I've eliminated that variable

  • desaree01
    desaree01 Posts: 33 Member
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    astrose00 wrote: »
    I've OD'd on shrimp the past week so I'm sure my sodium was high even if my calories weren't.

    What exercising are you doing? That seems high. Are you eating back any of those calories?

    I was on a shrimp fest last week myself. I didn't think about that. But I do a mix of BodyPump, Hip Hop Abs, joogging, and Step. I don't eat back my calories. I feel eating back the calories defeats the purpose.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    desaree01 wrote: »
    astrose00 wrote: »
    I've OD'd on shrimp the past week so I'm sure my sodium was high even if my calories weren't.

    What exercising are you doing? That seems high. Are you eating back any of those calories?

    I was on a shrimp fest last week myself. I didn't think about that. But I do a mix of BodyPump, Hip Hop Abs, joogging, and Step. I don't eat back my calories. I feel eating back the calories defeats the purpose.

    If you don't eat back exercise calories, and if you log accurately, and if you are at a 600 cal/day deficit, then you haven't gained any weight, it's just water.
  • desaree01
    desaree01 Posts: 33 Member
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    pink00007 wrote: »
    Silly question, but are you using the same scale?
    I used my scale this morning twice and got 2 different weights both times... it was 3lb difference.

    Clearly I need a new scale but maybe yours is little weird too?

    Yes it's the same scale. Its digital; however, the scale is probably 7 years old (about as old as my first child). Ummm, I wonder how often we should replace our scales.
  • rachelamber_x
    rachelamber_x Posts: 104 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Regarding the scale thing, my mum has some old scales at home and I bought myself some new ones last Christmas. I can weigh myself on both, and on my new ones I am consistently 7lb heavier, even if I literally step off one scale onto the other!

    Obviously the old scales are no longer accurate. (My new ones match the ones at the doctors so I know they are more likely to be the correct ones)
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    desaree01 wrote: »
    I am about 6 weeks in. I know the body flucuates and I'm used to seeing a half a pound to a pound here and there, but I've never seen a 3lb increase in one week. Yes it is truly bothering me.

    My normal is 4 to 6 pounds up or down ... sometimes in a single day. Sometimes in a few hours on a Marathon Race day.

    Don't sweat it.

    Normal fluctuations.

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