The scale :worst enemy. HELP!

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I don't get it. I've been staying under my calorie count and working out at lease once a week 1 to 2 hours .. (Stationary bike , walking on the track and weight lifting) but I gained 2 pounds instead of loss...... I know muscle weighs more than fat but somethings got to give.
Here is some background information for those willing to help:
I'm a 5'6 woman and currently overweight
My starting weight was 180 lb.
I'm currently at 182 lb.
My goal weight is 130 lb.
Weight loss goal:50 lb.
I follow the calorie suggestions on MFP since I work behind a desk I barely get time to move/ burn calories.
However, once a week I devote time to the gym and get a good 1-2 hour work out in. With a combination of cardio and strength training .. But I seem to be gaining weight faster than ever! From May 2 to June 2 I gained 10 pounds. What is going on? Help me please!!?!!
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Are you logging everything you eat/drink? How do you determine how much you're eating? Do you eat back your exercise calories, and if so how much? How do you determine how much you're burning?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Can you open your diary?
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    You can't out-exercise your diet. Working out is for fitness. Start by reading the first post in this thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Assuming you've been medically cleared, the answer to "I'm not losing!" is: eat less, exercise more.
  • AndrewWood97
    AndrewWood97 Posts: 22 Member
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    Muscle does not weight more than fat. 1 LB of Muscle is the same thing as 1 LB of Fat. Make sure you're measuring/weighing everything. Also, make sure your settings under goals are at "sedentary". I would also try to hit the gym more than once per week.. Aim for 3 times a week.
  • ibnfaqir
    ibnfaqir Posts: 139 Member
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    eat less move more
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    You say you have gained 10 pounds in one month.

    Sounds like your rating quiet a bit over maintenance each day.

    Weighing your foods?
    How's your sodium?

    I would recheck mfp settings, height weight activity level goal weightloss.
  • adnerbharley
    adnerbharley Posts: 3 Member
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    check out dr. eric berg on youtube he helped me understand that their is often more going on than meets the eye ei... thyroid, adrenals, etc... good luck I get why you would be frustrated, also I watched the Elle Ip documentary on youtube and it helped understand the patience end of things.
  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Are you logging everything you eat/drink? How do you determine how much you're eating? Do you eat back your exercise calories, and if so how much? How do you determine how much you're burning?

    I am using a wet measuring cups for all liquids and dry measuring cup for all solids. I often weigh my meals to scale. I opened my diary to view my logs. I am logging everything.I only mainly drink water or freshly brewed unsweetened loose teas.
  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Can you open your diary?
    I opened all logs to public.
  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Assuming you've been medically cleared, the answer to "I'm not losing!" is: eat less, exercise more.
    I'm making healthier choices in what I eat and I'm moving way more than in march -April ( I was on the couch/ bed if not at work) and now I try to do more . wayyy more

  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    Muscle does not weight more than fat. 1 LB of Muscle is the same thing as 1 LB of Fat. Make sure you're measuring/weighing everything. Also, make sure your settings under goals are at "sedentary". I would also try to hit the gym more than once per week.. Aim for 3 times a week.

    My settings are set to sedentary and I'm currently making it a small goal to increase my workout days. I know in order to reach the big goal of 50pounds I need to conquer the smaller goals. My weekly goal for this week is to walk a mile one day this week.
  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    Merkavar wrote: »
    You say you have gained 10 pounds in one month.

    Sounds like your rating quiet a bit over maintenance each day.

    Weighing your foods?
    How's your sodium?

    I would recheck mfp settings, height weight activity level goal weightloss.
    I've made my logs public
    I've noticed that processed or canned foods have more sodium so if it is canned I'll try to make homemade instead to reduce my sodium. I am weighing / measuring my foods

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,215 Member
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    I don't get it. I've been staying under my calorie count and working out at lease once a week 1 to 2 hours .. (Stationary bike , walking on the track and weight lifting) but I gained 2 pounds instead of loss...... I know muscle weighs more than fat but somethings got to give.
    Here is some background information for those willing to help:
    I'm a 5'6 woman and currently overweight
    My starting weight was 180 lb.
    I'm currently at 182 lb.
    My goal weight is 130 lb.
    Weight loss goal:50 lb.
    I follow the calorie suggestions on MFP since I work behind a desk I barely get time to move/ burn calories.
    However, once a week I devote time to the gym and get a good 1-2 hour work out in. With a combination of cardio and strength training .. But I seem to be gaining weight faster than ever! From May 2 to June 2 I gained 10 pounds. What is going on? Help me please!!?!!


    My settings are set to sedentary and I'm currently making it a small goal to increase my workout days. I know in order to reach the big goal of 50pounds I need to conquer the smaller goals. My weekly goal for this week is to walk a mile one day this week.

    This doesn't add up ...

    In the first post you said you work out at least once a week 1-2 hours.
    In the next post you said you've got a goal to walk 1 mile on 1 day this week ... which would take you what, less than half an hour?

    Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss, but ...

    1) You're not doing enough to gain muscle, even if muscle did weigh more than fat.

    2) I would encourage you to increase the frequency of your activity level. In other words, walk 1 mile on 3 days this week. Then 1 mile on 4 days the next week. Then 1 mile on 5 days the next week. Then maybe consider walking longer on 1 of those days. Gradually build up.

    3) I don't know how you're logging your exercise but a 1 mile walk is only about 60 calories burned. I don't know if you're doing this or not, but if it were me, I wouldn't eat that amount back.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,215 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I just had a look at your diary, and for July 7, it says that you earned 480 cal from exercise. What did you do?

    In order to earn 480 cal from walking, you would have had to walk at least 2.5 hours yesterday.

    In order to earn 480 cal from riding the stationary bike, you would have had to ride about 1.5 hours.

    But in the posts I quoted above, you're telling us you don't workout that much??


    Just a few other general comments ...

    -- Dinner on July 6 was just apple juice? Is that all? There are few entries which seem incomplete. I don't know of course, maybe that was all you had ... ?

    -- You seem to be logging things based on cup measures quite frequently. Do you have a scale and weigh all your food?

  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
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    You're more sedentary than you think and you're below MFP's sedentary setting.

    So am I.

    You're also probably over-counting exercise and under-counting food. I think your exercise burns are much lower than you think.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    Looking at your diary, I can say with absolute certainty you eat more than you think you do. Get a scale and weight everything. No more 'one egg' or 'four slices' or cups: measure in grams. I think you'll be shocked at what you are taking in. Good luck!
  • chicalatina4eva3
    chicalatina4eva3 Posts: 43 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    I don't get it. I've been staying under my calorie count and working out at lease once a week 1 to 2 hours .. (Stationary bike , walking on the track and weight lifting) but I gained 2 pounds instead of loss...... I know muscle weighs more than fat but somethings got to give.
    Here is some background information for those willing to help:
    I'm a 5'6 woman and currently overweight
    My starting weight was 180 lb.
    I'm currently at 182 lb.
    My goal weight is 130 lb.
    Weight loss goal:50 lb.
    I follow the calorie suggestions on MFP since I work behind a desk I barely get time to move/ burn calories.
    However, once a week I devote time to the gym and get a good 1-2 hour work out in. With a combination of cardio and strength training .. But I seem to be gaining weight faster than ever! From May 2 to June 2 I gained 10 pounds. What is going on? Help me please!!?!!


    My settings are set to sedentary and I'm currently making it a small goal to increase my workout days. I know in order to reach the big goal of 50pounds I need to conquer the smaller goals. My weekly goal for this week is to walk a mile one day this week.

    This doesn't add up ...

    In the first post you said you work out at least once a week 1-2 hours.
    In the next post you said you've got a goal to walk 1 mile on 1 day this week ... which would take you what, less than half an hour?

    Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss, but ...

    1) You're not doing enough to gain muscle, even if muscle did weigh more than fat.

    2) I would encourage you to increase the frequency of your activity level. In other words, walk 1 mile on 3 days this week. Then 1 mile on 4 days the next week. Then 1 mile on 5 days the next week. Then maybe consider walking longer on 1 of those days. Gradually build up.

    3) I don't know how you're logging your exercise but a 1 mile walk is only about 60 calories burned. I don't know if you're doing this or not, but if it were me, I wouldn't eat that amount back.
    The mile is in addition to stationary bike for 30 min. And a nustep w/arms 1000 steps in 10 min. Here is my strength training
    Chest press 5 sets of 10 at 50lb
    Leg press 5 sets of 20 at 100lb
    Ab curls ( not really sure what they are called )10 sets of 10 at 50 lb)
    Russians 8 lb for 10 min.
    Planks for 1 min.
    Thigh extension ( I think ) 3 sets of 10 at 40 lb