Consuming too few calories and gaining weight, what now?

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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    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: 15,575 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
    Candicutie Posts: 18
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    PrizePopple 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.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Candicutie wrote: »
    PrizePopple 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
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    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: 15,575 Member
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    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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
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    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
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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

    I didn't see it. I was just surprised.

    Yeah OP, you have to fix your logging for real. That's fine if you want to eat KFC and subway but you gotta be more accurate and fit it into your deficit properly.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,624 Member
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    Candicutie wrote: »
    PrizePopple 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.
    Eating clean means nothing for weight loss. You can eat anything to lose weight as long as you are in a caloric deficit. Because of your inaccurate logging (due to the things I mentioned above) you are probably not in a deficit.

    Plenty of people here have lost without using a food scale. It's more accurate but not required. The absolute requirement however IS to log properly. So double check entries, create your own recipes instead of using generic recipes, if you're going to measure then ONLY use entries that are based off of measurements (cups, etc).
  • Candicutie
    Candicutie Posts: 18
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    Well when i say gaining its not a ton of weight it's more like 2 ponds more than the day before and stuff like that. I must say i appreciate the help but do some of you have to be so mean about it geez.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Candicutie wrote: »
    Well when i say gaining its not a ton of weight it's more like 2 ponds more than the day before and stuff like that. I must say i appreciate the help but do some of you have to be so mean about it geez.

    No one is being mean. Just saying facts.

    And now you didn't tell us you were just seeing scale fluctuation. That's normal. If you're not losing but you're seeing two pound fluctuations up and down, you're most liking eating at maintenance.
  • Candicutie
    Candicutie Posts: 18
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    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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...

    I'm pretty sure an off day shouldn't offset an entire month of work.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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

    So... you don't subscribe to the CICO philosophy then? I see Subway on Feb 17 with a net deficit, KFC on Feb 16th with a net deficit, Mcdonalds on the 14th with a deficit, Wendys on the 7th with a deficit.

    All of these things - all of them - are acceptable on a CICO diet with expected weight loss.
  • iamaprincessx
    iamaprincessx Posts: 78 Member
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    we're not being mean...... we're trying to help
    your either in denial of your eating habits or oblivious to portion control/calories. You should listen to what everybody has said and just get scales and weigh every single thing carefully and make sure your eating less than your burning off. Also try to exercise a bit, nothing extreme maybe walk a bit more .. being careful ensures you don't gain 'only two pounds' overnight and start losing instead ;)
  • Candicutie
    Candicutie Posts: 18
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    Zedeff wrote: »
    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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

    So... you don't subscribe to the CICO philosophy then? I see Subway on Feb 17 with a net deficit, KFC on Feb 16th with a net deficit, Mcdonalds on the 14th with a deficit, Wendys on the 7th with a deficit.

    All of these things - all of them - are acceptable on a CICO diet with expected weight loss.

    What is CICO?
  • iamaprincessx
    iamaprincessx Posts: 78 Member
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    Zedeff wrote: »
    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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

    So... you don't subscribe to the CICO philosophy then? I see Subway on Feb 17 with a net deficit, KFC on Feb 16th with a net deficit, Mcdonalds on the 14th with a deficit, Wendys on the 7th with a deficit.

    All of these things - all of them - are acceptable on a CICO diet with expected weight loss.

    It is obviously not actually NET DEFICIT if she would gain two pounds over night. End of.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    Candicutie wrote: »
    Zedeff wrote: »
    iamaprincessx wrote: »
    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

    So... you don't subscribe to the CICO philosophy then? I see Subway on Feb 17 with a net deficit, KFC on Feb 16th with a net deficit, Mcdonalds on the 14th with a deficit, Wendys on the 7th with a deficit.

    All of these things - all of them - are acceptable on a CICO diet with expected weight loss.

    What is CICO?

    Calories in, calories out. The fact that if you burn more calories than you eat (or conversely, eat fewer than you burn), you MUST lose weight. Even if you eat a diet of 100% lard or white sugar, you will lose weight. The poster's criticism of your fast food meals is invalid in the CICO model used by myfitnesspal.
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