Gaining instead of losing! What??

I started logging at the beginning of the month (after successfully logging my way down 50 lbs a few years ago) and I have gained 3 lbs this month. Following all the rules ! So if you come across anything helpful let me know!

Weight fluctuation is normal. Have you introduced a new exercise program, TOM or ovulation??

Yup, every month I gain a few lbs at ovulation and it sticks around until TOM when it disappears along with the extra weight that I've actually worked off in that time. Also gain whenever I increase exercise intensity. Both suck, but are completely normal.

16lbs in 10 days (guessing since you started 20 days ago with a 10 day stall) is a LOT, even when you have a lot to lose. So not surprised to see it stall. Be patient and keep logging, it'll go down eventually if your log and goals are correct.

Be sure to measure your body if you haven't you can track weight loss that way as well. Don't give up! just keep sticking to it and wait another week or 2 before you think you may really need to change something.

christinev297 wrote: »

How does everyone know when their ovulating?? Is it 2 weeks before TOM??

Um...I track it. It's a little different for everyone but usually within the week 14 days after your cycle starts I believe. I can feel when I'm ovulating and there are other physical signs.

I don't get any different feelings. However I don't suffer from pms either. Us women just cop it from all angles!!

Sorry OP. Don't want to derail your post.

christinev297 wrote: »

How does everyone know when their ovulating?? Is it 2 weeks before TOM??

about 12-14 days before my TOM I feel a little bloated and crampy. I use an app to track my cycle and it usually coincides with when the app says I should be ovulating.

Muscle weighs more than fat. How do your clothes feel on you? That is a good indicator.

emilyrigh wrote: »

One thing I've seen on my feed and in forums "I'm logging everything and counting all my calories but still no results!!" First piece of advice, don't trust MFP calories burned calculations. They're usually horribly inflated. #2 don't log when you clean your house or play with your dog. If you told MFP you're "moderately active or highly active" those calories are already calculated into your daily goal with a deficient. #3 You could just be gaining muscle/water weight. Cut down the sodium and drink more water. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Last but not least, never get discouraged. Losing weight/gaining muscle in small increments over a stretch of time is a lot healthier than dropping everything in a month.

P.S. There's nothing wrong with hot sauce and boiled egg whites. I eat that as a snack a few times a week. Protein is good!

Everything here is fine except for the gaining muscle part. You're not gaining muscle weight at a calorie deficit. You can hold on to it by lifting and eating protein, but you should still see the scale drop as you lose fat. It is not going to go up from muscle weight unless you are in a surplus and truly training to gain muscle.

sharimenard wrote: »

Muscle weighs more than fat. How do your clothes feel on you? That is a good indicator.

Muscle is denser than fat. They weigh the same.

1) 2lbs of weight change over 10 days is not real weight gain. Think about what it takes to add on 2lbs of fat: 7,000 surplus cals. Do you think you have eaten 700 calories more than you burnt each of the last 10 days? Which in your case would mean you had to have eaten something like 2,800-3,000cals a day.

2) If it ain't fat, then most likely it is water. How is your sodium intake been? Put salt all over that hard boiled egg? My wife bought a ham 2 weeks ago, and the family spent a weekend eating ham sandwiches, ham during breakfast, ham and bean soup...by Tues I'd gained 3lbs that all went away by Fri. Nothing but water retention.

3) You can add lean body mass on a deficit, but pretty much only when you start off being pretty far out of shape....but at a deficit you are talking more like 0.5-1lbs/month for the first 3-6 months of pushing yourself hard, not 2lbs in 10 days, even more so as at the same time you will be losing more body fat than you add on in lean body mass. You need to be using one of those really good body mass systems (pods/water displacement) to even detect it.