What am I doing wrong?

HelloImKelsey
HelloImKelsey Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I started my fitness journey about 3 weeks ago. I've been at or under my calorie deficit everyday, I've been to the gym three-four times a week, and I've been drinking loads of water. In the first week I lost 3 pounds, awesome. In the last two weeks I've gained the three pounds back and can't seem to lose any weight. Is this normal when starting a new diet/fitness routine?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Since most of what you lost that first week was water weight and you can also retain it from starting a new exercise program, yes. However, it could be that you need to take a closer look at your intake. How many calories do you eat? Do you eat back all/some/none of your exercise calories? How do you measure your food?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    It is typical to lose several pounds the first week, but I would've expected you to lose more than three pounds. You probably need to cut your calories more than you have, because it sounds like you may be eating at maintenance.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Since most of what you lost that first week was water weight and you can also retain it from starting a new exercise program, yes. However, it could be that you need to take a closer look at your intake. How many calories do you eat? Do you eat back all/some/none of your exercise calories? How do you measure your food?

    this
  • HelloImKelsey
    HelloImKelsey Posts: 53 Member
    I'm eating 1300 a day and I religiously measure my foods and alway slightly over estimate my calores to be safe. I eat back most of my exercise calories (eat back 500 cals from a 700 cal workout). I'm going in for thyroid testing Monday so that may help.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    HelloImKelsey wrote: »
    I'm eating 1300 a day and I religiously measure my foods and alway slightly over estimate my calores to be safe. I eat back most of my exercise calories (eat back 500 cals from a 700 cal workout). I'm going in for thyroid testing Monday so that may help.

    Make your diary public. You're probably eating more than you think, especially since you measure instead of weigh AND you are eating back a lot of calories. I'd suspect that you are not accurately logging exercise, because I highly doubt you are burning 700 calories. Even when I do 30 minutes of cardio I only get up to like 250 MAX calories on the elliptical, which is clearly inflated.
  • guamchick75
    guamchick75 Posts: 1 Member
    You may be underestimating food calories and overestimating exercise calories.

    MyFitnessPal's exercise calories seem to be inflated, so I use a calorie burn calculator (e.g., http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc). Also, if I take an hour-long class, I enter 50 minutes of actual exercise time. I also make sure my exercise calories aren't double counted (e.g., the calories I calculated for Zumba shouldn't be added to the calories estimated by my FitBit during Zumba).
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    Maybe you eat more calories than you think. And maybe your "burned calories" are too high. I only eat a 1/4 back from my burned calories because of they very reason.

    Difference between measuring your food and weighing your food

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
    edited January 2015
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    Maybe you eat more calories than you think. And maybe your "burned calories" are too high. I only eat a 1/4 back from my burned calories because of they very reason.

    Difference between measuring your food and weighing your food

    VIDEO URL

    Thank you for sharing that, I had no clue.

  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    Maybe you eat more calories than you think. And maybe your "burned calories" are too high. I only eat a 1/4 back from my burned calories because of they very reason.

    Difference between measuring your food and weighing your food

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

    This is so cool.
  • pinksneakers1
    pinksneakers1 Posts: 8 Member
    gotta say - I've been measuring almost all my foods except meat and cheese, which i weighed. think its time to keep the scale on the counter!

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