I'm getting really frusrated!!
kmab1985
Posts: 295 Member
Hi All
A bit of background....I hit the gym everyday except weekends (2x running 30mins, GRIT 30 minutes, Bodycombat 2x 30 mins), I eat relatively well in the week, I will either try and stick to my 1200 calories that MFP recommends or I will eat some or all of my exercise calories, I try and limit carbs in the day but up my protein as after months of trying different things, I found lower carbs works better for me, I drink 4-5 litres of water a day. At the weekends I do struggle but not to the point where I binge eat or drink loads, typical breakfast on a weekend would be eggs, bacon, 2x toast, lunch anything from salad to a sandwich and then my tea, I agree that I probably do eat more calories on the weekend but not in excessive amounts!
I weighed myself this morning on the scales and in 2-3 weeks I have gained 4lb! I'm getting really frustrated at this! Its driving me insane :-( What am I doing wrong?? Before I discovered exercise and my eating habits were no where near as good as they are now, I would lose 1-2lbs each week but since I started exercising and eating so much better my weight is just fluctuating between 11st 4lb and 11st 10lb, 11st 10lb is what I am today!!! I'm 5ft 3inches so do still have a lot to lose!
Can anyone help me please?
x
A bit of background....I hit the gym everyday except weekends (2x running 30mins, GRIT 30 minutes, Bodycombat 2x 30 mins), I eat relatively well in the week, I will either try and stick to my 1200 calories that MFP recommends or I will eat some or all of my exercise calories, I try and limit carbs in the day but up my protein as after months of trying different things, I found lower carbs works better for me, I drink 4-5 litres of water a day. At the weekends I do struggle but not to the point where I binge eat or drink loads, typical breakfast on a weekend would be eggs, bacon, 2x toast, lunch anything from salad to a sandwich and then my tea, I agree that I probably do eat more calories on the weekend but not in excessive amounts!
I weighed myself this morning on the scales and in 2-3 weeks I have gained 4lb! I'm getting really frustrated at this! Its driving me insane :-( What am I doing wrong?? Before I discovered exercise and my eating habits were no where near as good as they are now, I would lose 1-2lbs each week but since I started exercising and eating so much better my weight is just fluctuating between 11st 4lb and 11st 10lb, 11st 10lb is what I am today!!! I'm 5ft 3inches so do still have a lot to lose!
Can anyone help me please?
x
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Replies
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Hi All
A bit of background....I hit the gym everyday except weekends (2x running 30mins, GRIT 30 minutes, Bodycombat 2x 30 mins), I eat relatively well in the week, I will either try and stick to my 1200 calories that MFP recommends or I will eat some or all of my exercise calories, I try and limit carbs in the day but up my protein as after months of trying different things, I found lower carbs works better for me, I drink 4-5 litres of water a day. At the weekends I do struggle but not to the point where I binge eat or drink loads, typical breakfast on a weekend would be eggs, bacon, 2x toast, lunch anything from salad to a sandwich and then my tea, I agree that I probably do eat more calories on the weekend but not in excessive amounts!
I weighed myself this morning on the scales and in 2-3 weeks I have gained 4lb! I'm getting really frustrated at this! Its driving me insane :-( What am I doing wrong?? Before I discovered exercise and my eating habits were no where near as good as they are now, I would lose 1-2lbs each week but since I started exercising and eating so much better my weight is just fluctuating between 11st 4lb and 11st 10lb, 11st 10lb is what I am today!!! I'm 5ft 3inches so do still have a lot to lose!
Can anyone help me please?
x
Open your diary, you are not eating 1200 calories. To maintain this weight you are averaging closer to 2000. Opening your diary can help people figure out where you are miscalculating.0 -
Sorry realised your diary is open, no idea why it was not visible to me before. In any case, it is empty! So how do you know how many calories you are eating?0
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If I don't log on MFP then I will write it all down, I tend to only log Mon-Fri and write down at the weekends, I have my own spreadsheet too, I didn't log yesterday as I didn't have access to my laptop but instead wrote it down. and I definitely don't eat 2000 calories per day!0
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Maybe I'm over estimating my exercise calories from doing that chart above, from now on I will only eat 50% of them and give that a try and see what the result is in a few weeks! I just feel like I am going very wrong somewhere but I cant quite find out where! And I often compare my weightlosses before exercise and better eating habits, before I would lose every week and on WeightWatchers lost around 2st whereas now I exercise and eat so much better yet I struggle to lose!
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Try here: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
I have found this to be accurate in general.
Going by TDEE, you would maintain weight around 1800 calories (total, including your exercise). So, either you are not really eating 1200, or you are overestimating a lot your burns. Or you undo all the work on the weekends?0 -
First, your exercise adds up to only 2.5 hrs/week. Even at a generous 400 cals/hr estimate, that's barely 1000 cals/week or 0.3 lbs, some of which you say you're eating back which essentially cancels your deficit out to almost nothing.
Second, combine that with your eating more on weekends plus the likelihood of calorie under-estimation errors and exercise over-estimation and you easily end up with a flat line or even a gain. One way or other, you're not creating the necessary deficit.
Solution? If your food is adequately filling and you're happy with it, you can keep it the same and just double your exercise to 5 hrs/week or increase intensity or both.0 -
I only exercise in my lunch hour and my gym do 30 minute classes so Mon is combat, Tues I run 4k but trying to increase this, Weds I do GRIT then Combat for 1hr, Thurs Kettlebells and Friday another 4k run, and when I run I try and the last 5-10mins sprinting so my classes are quite high intensity i.e. get my heart rate going!
Maybe I need to stop eating my exercise calories altogether then and see where that gets me!
Thanks all...0 -
Eating "better" doesn't impact weight loss. It's all about calories. If you eat too many "better" calories, you'll gain weight just like if you eat too many of any other kind of calories.Maybe I'm over estimating my exercise calories from doing that chart above, from now on I will only eat 50% of them and give that a try and see what the result is in a few weeks! I just feel like I am going very wrong somewhere but I cant quite find out where! And I often compare my weightlosses before exercise and better eating habits, before I would lose every week and on WeightWatchers lost around 2st whereas now I exercise and eat so much better yet I struggle to lose!
Calories can easily creep in, especially on days where you don't log. Are you weighing your solids and measuring your liquids to get more precise calorie amounts or just doing estimates?If I don't log on MFP then I will write it all down, I tend to only log Mon-Fri and write down at the weekends, I have my own spreadsheet too, I didn't log yesterday as I didn't have access to my laptop but instead wrote it down. and I definitely don't eat 2000 calories per day!
I log food right before I eat it so that I can see exactly how many calories my serving will have and change my mind if I decide that it won't fit with my goals for the day. Some people pre-log entire days so that they can plan more precisely.0 -
I used to be set to 1200, but felt really restricted and over ate fairly often. So I decided to switch to 1500, it's only a pound a week loss, but I'm much more consistent, can have a big eat day and still average 1500. With exercise, if I'm only working out for 30 mins I don't eat any cals, but eat some on longer workouts.
1500 (for me) is high enough to fuel some exercise without undereating, meaning I might lose a little more than a pound one week. And low enough to still lose weight without any exercise, if I'm feeling lazy or am not sure whether my exercise cals are accurate.0 -
Thanks Cattree2002 - how did you determine the 1500 value? I've done some research on various websites and completed various calorie intake calculators and most of them are saying for my lifestyle, height, weight etc I should be on approx. 1500 per day (give or take a few calories) which would include exercise calories and I always select my exercise level as 3-5x times a week workouts at moderate intensity....
I must add though that despite today being the same weight as I was in January 2015, I have dropped a dress size and lost numerous inches!
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and can I also add that even though my workouts/classes are only 30 minutes long they are "heart racing" workouts...Lets just say, I couldn't hold a conversation when doing them...My gym do the LesMills workouts and the 30 minute ones are more intense than the 45 minute ones i.e. the intervals are much less in a 30 minute class than what they would be in a 45 minute class so its not a 30 min workout where we spend approx 10 minutes of that resting!0
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You probably are not eating enough try your body weight x 10 and adjust from there. Not eating e enough can cause weight gain or stalled weight loss0
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My bodyweight x 10 equals to 1550, I've adjusted my calorie intake to 1500 and I'm going to give this a try for a few weeks! Is worth a try but I wont add my exercise calories in that!
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stephbella24 wrote: »You probably are not eating enough try your body weight x 10 and adjust from there. Not eating e enough can cause weight gain or stalled weight loss
No, not likely. OP, definitely start with not eating back your exercise calories. See where that gets you. If you still need to adjust then I'd do it via your diet. Exercise is great for fitness but you don't want to get to a point where you're relying on long, frequent work out sessions just to maintain your weight. That can get tiring. Track your food intake more closely and I think you'll see where you can make adjustments.0 -
stephbella24 wrote: »You probably are not eating enough try your body weight x 10 and adjust from there. Not eating e enough can cause weight gain or stalled weight loss
No, not likely. OP, definitely start with not eating back your exercise calories. See where that gets you. If you still need to adjust then I'd do it via your diet. Exercise is great for fitness but you don't want to get to a point where you're relying on long, frequent work out sessions just to maintain your weight. That can get tiring. Track your food intake more closely and I think you'll see where you can make adjustments.
Well said. And drink water.0 -
Try green tea. Three times a day. Morning, afternoon (half an hour after lunch, and before bed. In the morning it will hold off hunger for a while and also wakes you up. Afternoon, mainly after lunch, it will help in digesting the food faster. Before bed, it will help your body get rid of the toxins while you're asleep.
Overall, it helps boost your metabolism, and after three months of doing this, switch to Oolong tea. Its twice as effective as green tea. Or just continue green tea.
Lets just say, the bathroom will be your best friend0 -
Yeah I drink loads of water so theres no issue there...I know I can do it....I know I can NOT eat the exercise calories because I've done it today but some days I do feel more hungry than others....0
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stephbella24 wrote: »You probably are not eating enough try your body weight x 10 and adjust from there. Not eating e enough can cause weight gain or stalled weight loss
Yeah, that's why all the WWII Japanese POWs were so roly poly when they were liberated.......kbakhtawar69 wrote: »Try green tea. Three times a day. Morning, afternoon (half an hour after lunch, and before bed. In the morning it will hold off hunger for a while and also wakes you up. Afternoon, mainly after lunch, it will help in digesting the food faster. Before bed, it will help your body get rid of the toxins while you're asleep.
Overall, it helps boost your metabolism, and after three months of doing this, switch to Oolong tea. Its twice as effective as green tea. Or just continue green tea.
Lets just say, the bathroom will be your best friend
Nonsense......
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stephbella24 wrote: »You probably are not eating enough try your body weight x 10 and adjust from there. Not eating e enough can cause weight gain or stalled weight loss
tell that to the people that were held in Nazi camps with out food ...
stop spreading that stupid concept k ? thanks
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You need to log your weekends. Focus on having a 7 day deficit. You do not need to eat more. You are maintaining/gaining because you are eating too many calories.
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I saw a few days of overeating the calories suggested by MFP. and of course the days that are blank. I think it is a maintenance type scenario here..
I say do not eat the exercise calories back and actually eat the recommended calories setup in your MFP plan and try this for at least three weeks... The 7 day deficit may be a good idea since there are days that are several hundred over..0 -
OP is not maintaining, OP said she gained. 4 pounds.
Possible hormones are causing water retention. Are you ovulating, or near TOM?
Do you have a record of what your weight has been every day for the past 4-6 weeks? What is the trend? Right before you 'gained' 4 pounds did you 'lose' 6 or 7?0 -
So much misinformation here. I can't even...I tend to only log Mon-Fri and write down at the weekends
Your problem is simple: inconsistency. It's quite clear that you're doing a lot of estimating and your logging likely isn't all that accurate. Another issue is that you're focusing way too much on your exercise. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Eating back some exercise calories is fine as long as you maintain a deficit, but guessing at calories consumed and calories burned is a recipe for disaster.
You're either:
1. Eating more than you think.
2. Not burning as much as you think.
3. Both.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it's #3. You need to tighten down and be more accurate and consistent. Weigh out all of your food using a food scale. Log every single day, every single bite. It may seem like a pain, but it becomes a habit quickly. You probably saw better results on Weight Watchers because they take all of the leg work out of it. You don't have to have any accountability because their point system does it for you. That might sound really great and definitely more convenient, but programs like WW teach you NOTHING about controlling your own intake/diet/weight. Put in the work and you'll see results.
Finally, let's talk about this:I eat relatively well in the week
What does that mean? What is eating "well"? Simple fact: If you eat 2500 calories (just a random number) worth of carrots and celery, you'll see the exact same numbers on the scale as if you ate 2500 calories of donuts and pizza (minus water weight). Making nutritionally dense food choices is great, but it's not really relevant when we're just talking about fat loss. Eating "well" is for your health - if you want to lose fat, it's calories in vs. calories out. Simply eating "healthy" ain't gonna cut it if you're not in a deficit.0 -
OP, it sounds like you are focusing too much on exercise and not enough on your diet.
If you don't have a food scale, get one. Use it and log EVERYTHING for a month, including weekends. You need to have an accurate idea of your calories in, before any other advice is needed.
Exercise is great for health & fitness and to buy you a few extra calories, but getting your "calories in" in line is your best bet. It is way easier to eat an extra 200 calories without noticing than it is to exercise off 200 calories.
You can do this, just don't go out of your way to make it too complicated. Good luck!0 -
It also takes time. Be patient!0
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I do an intensive workout 25 min a day 6 days a week. My shirt is drenched, my HR is great, and I can't hold a conversation. I put in 98 calories a day as my workouts are different each day. My HR monitor has a hard time with the weights and abs. I put in sedentary for MFP and a half pound a week. I get to eat 1200 cal per day plus the 98.
I'm losing 0.5# a week. I weigh and log everything. I do that because I was gaining and didn't know why. Now I might not lose 0.5# one week but seem to lose 2# a month regardless. If I were you I would not eat more!
There has been great advice posted. Just tighten up your logging and estimate under on the exercise. You'll start losing again.0 -
Thanks everyone...I think my probem is definately over estimating my calorie burn and of course eating them back which means over eating...Im going to stick to my 1270 for the next few weeks and see if that helps and try not to eat back my exercise calories as its clear I am well over estimating..0
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Thanks everyone...I think my probem is definately over estimating my calorie burn and of course eating them back which means over eating...Im going to stick to my 1270 for the next few weeks and see if that helps and try not to eat back my exercise calories as its clear I am well over estimating..
Tighten up your logging and you will be fine. Also you are doing well dropping a dress size and losing inches0 -
kbakhtawar69 wrote: »Try green tea. Three times a day. Morning, afternoon (half an hour after lunch, and before bed. In the morning it will hold off hunger for a while and also wakes you up. Afternoon, mainly after lunch, it will help in digesting the food faster. Before bed, it will help your body get rid of the toxins while you're asleep.
Overall, it helps boost your metabolism, and after three months of doing this, switch to Oolong tea. Its twice as effective as green tea. Or just continue green tea.
Lets just say, the bathroom will be your best friend
I love tea, especially oolong. But.... NO0
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