Under calories and still gaining?

Questions:
- Is your target goal realistic with the amount of muscle you have?
- Did you have a really high sodium day or so lately?
- Did you start a new workout regimen?
- Are you being really accurate in your logging with food and drinks? You don't have too much to lose, so you should be getting better about how honest you are logging.

All of the above could result in weight gain (except the first). The realistic target is important because unless you starve yourself (way unhealthy), your target may not be what your body wants to be at.

Everything wkwebby says is true. Especially logging everything - everything - accurately and by weight/volume.

I also cannot maintain my weight if my carbs are over 50% no matter how low my calories are. With carbs at 35% I can go over calories and maintain. It has to do with insulin spikes and how your body stores fat. This is especially problematic for peopel who are insulin resistant - which is most people to some extant who have been overweight.

35% is NOT low carb.

gowarner843 wrote: »

Good questions, thanks. I suspect it's the sodium and water retention because the extra lbs can dissapear the next day. Since our bodies are 60% water, I wish the app did a better job of tracking water intake.

How would you recommend MFP track water intake because that sounds impossible to be accurate?

SezxyStef wrote: »

gowarner843 wrote: »

On many days I consume 200-400 less calories than my target goal ... And yet I gain a pound or even 2.

why are you weighing yourself more than once a day? I don't even get daily weigh ins but more than once a day seems a bit much.

gowarner843 wrote: »

Good questions, thanks. I suspect it's the sodium and water retention because the extra lbs can dissapear the next day. Since our bodies are 60% water, I wish the app did a better job of tracking water intake.

This app is only as good as the data input by the users...

I totally understand weighing in more than once per day. It provides early feedback that you have eaten too much or too little or just right. If I'm 1 or 2 pounds more than my my AM weight in the PM I know I've eaten just right to realize a small healthy loss the next day(Typically .1 to .2 pounds). Conversely if it's more than that I know I've eaten too much and I still have a chance to correct before I eat dinner. This works for me at least and understand weighing in multiple times per day.

gowarner843 wrote: »

On many days I consume 200-400 less calories than my target goal ... And yet I gain a pound or even 2.

Time to learn that your body weight isn't a constant and a temporary fluctuation is totally irrelevant.
It's normal to vary from weight of food in your system, sodium, hydration levels etc. etc. etc....
Just drinking a pint of water adds a pound after all.

I can gain up to 4lbs pounds the day after a long cycle ride despite sometimes having a 1000+ cal deficit. It's not fat clearly - it simply can't be.

My range will be 165-169

firmwareengineer wrote: »

SezxyStef wrote: »

gowarner843 wrote: »

On many days I consume 200-400 less calories than my target goal ... And yet I gain a pound or even 2.

why are you weighing yourself more than once a day? I don't even get daily weigh ins but more than once a day seems a bit much.

gowarner843 wrote: »

Good questions, thanks. I suspect it's the sodium and water retention because the extra lbs can dissapear the next day. Since our bodies are 60% water, I wish the app did a better job of tracking water intake.

This app is only as good as the data input by the users...

I totally understand weighing in more than once per day. It provides early feedback that you have eaten too much or too little or just right. If I'm 1 or 2 pounds more than my my AM weight in the PM I know I've eaten just right to realize a small healthy loss the next day(Typically .1 to .2 pounds). Conversely if it's more than that I know I've eaten too much and I still have a chance to correct before I eat dinner. This works for me at least and understand weighing in multiple times per day.

Trying to how much you've eaten/should eat by the difference between AM and PM weighing sounds like a terrible idea. The 0.1-0.3lbs you'll really lose in a day are completely swamped by daily fluctuations in your weight. Even your spread of 1 or 2 pounds between AM and PM is an order of magnitude larger than the amount you're looking to lose.