Consuming too few calories and gaining weight, what now?

So I've been doing so well counting my calories I've been way under my goal everyday. I realize I'm now gaining weight, i really need some help.
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Replies

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    You're counting calories wrong.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    How long have you been counting calories?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Gaining weight over what time frame?

    Your diary - the homemade entries, are they yours?
    Are you using a food scale?

    Are you entering everything? You don't have any condiments listed. Some of your meals are very, very small and not satiating at all. You ate one pancake for lunch one day. Did you add anything to it? Is that all you ate?

    I'm only asking because this is how I would be but are there things you aren't logging? If I was eating even a day of what you have logged I would end up binging on something or stealing food here and there.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    Looks like you're eating well below 1200 calories every day & sometimes even less than 1000. Up your calories. Eat more. I know it sounds counterproductive, but it's a tried and true method around here. Your body doesn't want to starve itself into weight loss.
  • Read everyones comments thanks for all the info. I don't use condiments i try to keep it simple as much as i can. I do agree though that i am eating way too little. I do think that i've put my body into starvation mode. Its gonna be a challenge but i'm gonna try to consume more and see what happens.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Read everyones comments thanks for all the info. I don't use condiments i try to keep it simple as much as i can. I do agree though that i am eating way too little. I do think that i've put my body into starvation mode. Its gonna be a challenge but i'm gonna try to consume more and see what happens.

    There's not starvation mode here. I think you are confused. Maybe we should start from square one. Have you read the stickies on calorie counting/weighing food on a food scale?
  • I also don't crave anything so i've no desires to binge eat. I'm pretty much made up my mind to kick the weight so it's really just about finding a way to get it done and nothing else.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Read everyones comments thanks for all the info. I don't use condiments i try to keep it simple as much as i can. I do agree though that i am eating way too little. I do think that i've put my body into starvation mode. Its gonna be a challenge but i'm gonna try to consume more and see what happens.

    Doesn't exist. Are you using a scale to weigh your food. Also, how long have you been at this and when is the last time you lost?
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    Eat smaller meals / snacks... every 2.5-3 hrs
    More consistency in meal / snack quality through the day
    Avoid or limit fast foods or processed foods
    Limit carbs, sugars, processed foods (fruits, veggies, ok)
    I would put carbs at 35-40% and eat more protein and good fats.
    MEET your calorie minimum of 1200.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Your issue lies in poor logging. Generic entries and generic database recipes, not weighing (although not required, it will make it far more accurate). You are eating more than you realize. Work on cleaning up your logging and you should see results. And you should be eating to your goal every day, not below it.
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  • I had a dietitian some time ago who told me that i needed to increase what i ate inorder to lose weight and yeah it sounded crazy at first but it worked like a charm. I did some research and starvation mode is probably not the correct term but it exist. I'm way under my calorie count and it's slowing my metabolism down. So i do agree that upping my caloric intake might just do the trick.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    I had a dietitian some time ago who told me that i needed to increase what i ate inorder to lose weight and yeah it sounded crazy at first but it worked like a charm. I did some research and starvation mode is probably not the correct term but it exist. I'm way under my calorie count and it's slowing my metabolism down. So i do agree that upping my caloric intake might just do the trick.

    Agree with...yourself?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    I had a dietitian some time ago who told me that i needed to increase what i ate inorder to lose weight and yeah it sounded crazy at first but it worked like a charm. I did some research and starvation mode is probably not the correct term but it exist. I'm way under my calorie count and it's slowing my metabolism down. So i do agree that upping my caloric intake might just do the trick.

    You should probably focus first on cleaning up your logging because until you clean up your logging you will not have any genuine idea of how much you are eating. Eating as much as you can to lose weight is important, but so is logging accurately.
  • Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Read everyones comments thanks for all the info. I don't use condiments i try to keep it simple as much as i can. I do agree though that i am eating way too little. I do think that i've put my body into starvation mode. Its gonna be a challenge but i'm gonna try to consume more and see what happens.

    Doesn't exist. Are you using a scale to weigh your food. Also, how long have you been at this and when is the last time you lost?

    I lost at in the first few weeks and tried to up my progress by eating less but it clearly back fired. I use measuring cups.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Read everyones comments thanks for all the info. I don't use condiments i try to keep it simple as much as i can. I do agree though that i am eating way too little. I do think that i've put my body into starvation mode. Its gonna be a challenge but i'm gonna try to consume more and see what happens.

    Doesn't exist. Are you using a scale to weigh your food. Also, how long have you been at this and when is the last time you lost?

    I lost at in the first few weeks and tried to up my progress by eating less but it clearly back fired. I use measuring cups.

    You need to use a food scale.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    You logged 300 grams for your homemade tuna pasta bake? How on earth do you know you ate 300 grams of something if you used a measuring cup?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Eat smaller meals / snacks... every 2.5-3 hrs
    More consistency in meal / snack quality through the day
    Avoid or limit fast foods or processed foods
    Limit carbs, sugars, processed foods (fruits, veggies, ok)
    I would put carbs at 35-40%
    and eat more protein and good fats.
    MEET your calorie minimum of 1200.

    100% baloney, and pretty much not at all required to lose weight.

    only thing needed for weight loss is CICO, and to ensure CICO is happening one needs to log accurately.
  • Well actually i don't, the measurements i inow are sometimes incorrect but i use larger measurements just to be on the safe side. I'd usually rather under eat than overeat.
  • I'll look into the scale, your right. I have been eyeballing stuff like that.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Well actually i don't, the measurements i inow are sometimes incorrect but i use larger measurements just to be on the safe side. I'd usually rather under eat than overeat.

    Yeah, No.
    Invest in a food scale, they're under $20
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    I'll look into the scale, your right. I have been eyeballing stuff like that.

    If you're serious about this, don't just look into getting a scale. Get one. As soon as possible. If you're not losing weight you are eating too much/more than you think. Once you fix your logging you can decide if the calorie setting MFP gave you is still appropriate. Until then, you have have no idea.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    measuring cups are for liquids and a food scale is for solids.I learned the hard way that you can end up eating way more if you dont weigh food. Even a lot of the food packaging is off. 2 apples are not going to weigh the same no matter if they look to be the same size, the same with meat,or just about anything else. very rarely is a package accurate.A lot of MFP entries are inaccurate as well (dont have the proper calories,fat content,etc). a serving of chips can be say 14 chips or for example 55 grams(just an example). now if you weigh those 14 chips they can weigh more or less which would vary the amount of calories and other nutritional info stated on the package/MFP entries. Very rarely will the weight be accurate which is why its important to weigh all food,
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Well actually i don't, the measurements i inow are sometimes incorrect but i use larger measurements just to be on the safe side. I'd usually rather under eat than overeat.

    Get a scale. Cut what you think is a serving of block cheese, or an eyeballed serving of cereal or pasta... and then prepare to be horrified. With cheese I easily have 3 servings when I eyeball, cereal is around 1.5 servings, and pasta is about 2 servings.

    That's 226 extra calories of cheese.
    55 extra calories of Honey Nut Cheerios (our go to breakfast cereal).
    And 200 extra calories of spaghetti noodles.

    That's 481 extra calories from my eyeballing mistakes on foods that have a set serving size (as opposed to homemade stuff that can vary wildly). That can really kill a deficit, and that's just with 3 food items for the day. It adds up, and does so quickly.
  • shannonbun
    shannonbun Posts: 168 Member
    If you can't afford a food scale (not all of us have even $15 or whatever for non-essentials), just try your best with your measuring cups. I'm at college, so I use them to keep track of what I'm eating and even if I'm a bit off, it's far better than eyeballing it.
  • Candicutie wrote: »
    Well actually i don't, the measurements i inow are sometimes incorrect but i use larger measurements just to be on the safe side. I'd usually rather under eat than overeat.

    Get a scale. Cut what you think is a serving of block cheese, or an eyeballed serving of cereal or pasta... and then prepare to be horrified. With cheese I easily have 3 servings when I eyeball, cereal is around 1.5 servings, and pasta is about 2 servings.

    That's 226 extra calories of cheese.
    55 extra calories of Honey Nut Cheerios (our go to breakfast cereal).
    And 200 extra calories of spaghetti noodles.

    That's 481 extra calories from my eyeballing mistakes on foods that have a set serving size (as opposed to homemade stuff that can vary wildly). That can really kill a deficit, and that's just with 3 food items for the day. It adds up, and does so quickly.

    I cut bread, cheese, soda and a few other things. I'm an island girl so my stuff is almost always homemade. I'm not used to weighing meals so that's why i don't own a food scale. I eat lots of roots, what we call provision, trying to eat clean.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Candicutie wrote: »
    Well actually i don't, the measurements i inow are sometimes incorrect but i use larger measurements just to be on the safe side. I'd usually rather under eat than overeat.

    Get a scale. Cut what you think is a serving of block cheese, or an eyeballed serving of cereal or pasta... and then prepare to be horrified. With cheese I easily have 3 servings when I eyeball, cereal is around 1.5 servings, and pasta is about 2 servings.

    That's 226 extra calories of cheese.
    55 extra calories of Honey Nut Cheerios (our go to breakfast cereal).
    And 200 extra calories of spaghetti noodles.

    That's 481 extra calories from my eyeballing mistakes on foods that have a set serving size (as opposed to homemade stuff that can vary wildly). That can really kill a deficit, and that's just with 3 food items for the day. It adds up, and does so quickly.

    I cut bread, cheese, soda and a few other things. I'm an island girl so my stuff is almost always homemade. I'm not used to weighing meals so that's why i don't own a food scale. I eat lots of roots, what we call provision, trying to eat clean.

    She's giving you an example. You can insert any of the foods you do eat into the equation.
  • iamaprincessx
    iamaprincessx Posts: 78 Member
    Are you sure your dieting? Eating KFC or having 2 6 inch Subways within a few hours is definitely not putting you in 'starvation mode' i'm afraid. Also what ingredients are in you homemade pasta bake? ? The calculations must be pretty far off what your logging if your gaining...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Are you sure your dieting? Eating KFC or having 2 6 inch Subways within a few hours is definitely not putting you in 'starvation mode' i'm afraid. Also what ingredients are in you homemade pasta bake? ? The calculations must be pretty far off what your logging if your gaining...

    What? Did you get that from her diary? I saw no mention of eating KFC or subway "within a few hours" anywhere.
  • iamaprincessx
    iamaprincessx Posts: 78 Member
    Yes of course i did where else. One day she had KFC then the next 6inch subway for breakfast then another for lunch. Just facing facts
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