Gaining weight?!?!?!

imlost119
imlost119 Posts: 6
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
help!! I have been eating right (logging what I actually eat and watching portions) and swimming a mile 5x per week for the last two weeks. My pants admittedly fit better but I am gaining weight on the scale!!! How can I lose weight?? I have about 20 - 30 lbs is like to lose by August.

Replies

  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    What is 'eating right'?
    How much gain?
    Over how long a timeframe?
    Are you weighing and measuring food and fluids accurately using a food scale?

    Can you open your diary?
  • laurafegan180
    laurafegan180 Posts: 17 Member
    If your swimming then your muscles will begin to grow meaning your muscle mass will be bigger which is a good thing and since muscle weighs more than fat it will make it look like you aren't losing weight but realisticly you could be and beging to be healthier but the muscle outweighs the fat in weight. Hope this helped x
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Weight loss isn't linear. I've gained 4 pounds the past two and a half weeks because of a variety of factors, the most important being I've gotten very lax on my logging. If you open up your diary, we can see if that's a factor.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    laurafegan180 wrote: »
    If your swimming then your muscles will begin to grow meaning your muscle mass will be bigger which is a good thing and since muscle weighs more than fat it will make it look like you aren't losing weight but realisticly you could be and beging to be healthier but the muscle outweighs the fat in weight. Hope this helped x

    I'm afraid this is wrong.

    Creating a significant amount of muscle mass that would effect scale weight requires a calorific surplus, and far more resistance training than swimming 5 miles a week for two weeks.

    Also, muscle occupies less space than fat, as it is denser, muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than popcorn. It's a volume issue, not weight.
  • imlost119
    imlost119 Posts: 6
    I eat 1200 calories or less when you add in swimming during the week and about 1500 on the weekend; I count out portions or weigh as needed - my husband is a type 1 diabetic so while I had been ignoring it I am good with measuring portion size. I log everything meticulously. I don't measure fluids though - just water and black coffee - if I have a beer I put it on but its pre measured. I hear people say muscle building but I always feel like that's a cop out. It's about 1-2 lbs over two weeks
  • imlost119
    imlost119 Posts: 6
    Sorry - just checked - 1300 weekday and 1600 weekend. I am losing some size but not weight - a slight gain. I am 5'-6" and 164+/- lbs
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    So do you weigh all you foods on a food scale?

    In my opinion if you are not accurately weighing and measuring everything, food and fluid, you can't be assured of the number of calories you are taking in.

    That being said 1-2lb scale fluctuation, that coincides with a new exercise regime is perfectly normal.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    imlost119 wrote: »
    It's about 1-2 lbs over two weeks

    1 -2 pounds in a two week timeframe is not enough data to say you are gaining weight. You may be doing everything perfectly but with this amount of time it's hard to tell. Weight has variance.
  • imlost119
    imlost119 Posts: 6
    I use the portion size on the nutrition info - I.e. 13 crackers or 1 cup - my husband has to weigh some things like fruits. I can switch to this method for a week and see what it does. I know different foods affect you differently too...ugh.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    You should be weighing everything. Counting a portion of, say, potato chips out can still come to weigh more than the serving size, which means you're eating more.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    To accurately account for calorie intake you need to weigh and measure your intake, this is best achieved by weighing food on a food scale.

    How do you know how many calories you are consuming when using raw produce such and beef, chicken, fish, rice, pasta?

    Cups are not an accurate measuring tool for solids.

    I'd say at present you are not accurately tracking your calorie intake. Can you open your diary?

    Again, that being said, a 1-2lb scale fluctuation is perfectly normal.
  • imlost119
    imlost119 Posts: 6
    What do you mean by open my diary?
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Your diary is set to private, you can open it by going to....

    My Home > Settings > Diary Settings > Change Diary Sharing > Public

    If people can see your diary they can give better advice.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    This may be of some help...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    edited March 2015
    If I am understanding the situation right you started swimming 2 weeks ago, and saw an increase on the scale. Its pretty common for people to see and increase of weight when they start a new exercise routine or change something up in their current routine.

    As cityruss has already been saying, the more accurate your logging the more successful you will be. Try weighing you food for a bit and just see if it makes a difference. Maybe it wont, but its pretty common for people to switch from measuring to weighing and see a big difference, especially if you are looking at calorie dense foods (peanut butter, avacados, nuts)

    If my first paragraph is correct, then I would just keep doing what you are doing (and tighten up your logging as much as possible just because it is good practice) and continue to monitor your weight. Sometimes it takes a couple weeks for the body to adapt and see it on the scale.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    imlost119 wrote: »
    I use the portion size on the nutrition info - I.e. 13 crackers or 1 cup - my husband has to weigh some things like fruits. I can switch to this method for a week and see what it does. I know different foods affect you differently too...ugh.

    You have to weigh in grams or oz. Most nutrition labels that have a cup or half cup serving size will also put grams behind it. Because, what is a cup? Packed down, loose, etc..
  • imlost119
    imlost119 Posts: 6
    Thanks all!! I will weigh for a week and see what that gets me.
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    I see the scale fluctuate 1-2 even as much as 4 pounds depending on the time of day and food/fluid consumed during the day. I work with average weight and have learned through two years of maintenance not to stress with the fluctuation... this is not an easy lesson to learn or for the mind to accept when you feel the disappointment of seeing the scale rise.

    I am a bit obsessed with my weight though! Not everyone is like me or will understand me... going from 194 down to 105 has made me very conscious of my weight so I over-use the scale and monitor my weight regularly.

    All that said, weight fluctuation is normal and this weight you see on the scale could even be a sign of your "monthly cycle".

    Best wishes to you... you will achieve your goal, just stick to it and give it time.
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