Can Someone Tell Me Where I Am Going Wrong?

doubletheloss
doubletheloss Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've been on this healthy eating "journey" for 17 days now and just started a MFP to keep record of everything this week, but I stepped on the scales today and I've put 3lb on. I honestly thought I was doing really well, until now.

Could someone please have a look and see if I'm doing anything wrong?

Thanks in advance
Naomi

Replies

  • doubletheloss
    doubletheloss Posts: 4 Member
    Oh and I need MFP friends to kick my butt into shape so please add away!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member

    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so since you last saw a drop on the scale, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    Definitely buy a food scale to weigh everything in grams and double check that the entries you are using in the food database are correct. Also, if you are using MAP'S estimates for calories burned during exercise only eat 1/3 to a 1/2 of those back because MFP grossly exaggerates your calorie burn. Good luck!
  • doubletheloss
    doubletheloss Posts: 4 Member
    I have both and I use both, this is what I mean - I've been SO good! eating really good weighing everything even my milk etc, but I put 3lb on? :(
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    edited November 2015
    Weight loss isn't linear, so the gain isn't something to necessarily worry about over a week (it could be sodium, it could be hormones, it could be exercise related). However, going by your diary, you have a lot of cups/slices and possibly generic entries from the database. These can lead you to be eating more than you think. A food scale and accurate logging will help you in the long run.

    Read these threads for more tips:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 657 Member
    I wouldn't get too worked up. Keep logging and weighing, and in a few days you will probably notice a nice drop again.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so since you last saw a drop on the scale, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

    This 100%


    Op- sometimes my weight fluctuates by +8 lbs. Its no big deal, its normal. But you haven't been at this long enough yet to even determine if there's an issue.
    Be patient. Get yourself a food scale right now. Don't guess weights, or use generic enteries. Weigh everything and log it accurately. Otherwise your just guessing . these things take time ! Chin up and continue on with your journey !
  • bdeaton29
    bdeaton29 Posts: 6 Member
    Could it be your sodium intake? Maybe take a break from pork. Do grilled chicken instead.

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