Gaining weight in spite of counting calories!!

juliamittler46
juliamittler46 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I've been on a diet for two weeks now. I've been eating very carefully. I'm consuming about 1200 cal a day. Only on Saturday I went out with my friends and we had sushi at night. I'm having a protein shake every night and eat eggs to maintain my muscles. I do yoga daily and running once or twice a week. Why am I not losing weight? Yesterday I had more weight than when I started two weeks ago :(
«1

Replies

  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    Are you weighing your food with a scale? You can eat all the right things, however you do need a deficit to lose. Two weeks is too short of a time for some to lose anything. Also if your exercising you could be retaining water.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Are you using a food scale to weigh all of your food?
    Are you honestly and accurately logging everything you eat and drink?

    If you have stalled or put on weight than the most likely reason is that you're eating more than you think.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Also, weight loss isn't linear. The scales go up, down and around and around for me everyday. I can put on 2kgs overnight, which will then disappear a couple days later.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Give it more time

    Double check your food and exercise logging for accuracy

    Give it more time
  • It could be many things and not necessarily you doing something wrong. Read the article diannethegeek posted. Are you extra stressed about something? Is it around that time of the month? Are you not being as diligent about weighing and logging? Are you drinking or retaining more water recently from exercise? Weight can be a very fickle thing.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    yu07yxq6y7mk.jpg

    for our visual learners:) Don't give up OP, just make sure your logging is tight and this will result in weight loss.............over time.
  • SunnyPacheco
    SunnyPacheco Posts: 142 Member
    Also, just to note, yoga doesn't burn many calories and running only once or twice a week wouldn't cause a high enough deficit to mitigate any overeating or cheat meals.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited November 2015
    You know I started at 176, logged (poorly) for near two months before I saw any real losses (because logging is easy to do, but hard to do WELL) 9-1-15 to 10-15-15 I lost all of 2 lbs, which I attribute to water weight. As soon as I tightened up my logging, BOOM. Real, calculable loss. I know it's hard to keep going at first when you feel like you're doing all this work and not getting anywhere, but if you give it time, and get good at logging, you will for sure see losses (barring one of the few and RARE medical conditions that might inhibit someone, you almost certainly are not in this group, RARE.)
  • juliamittler46
    juliamittler46 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated

    If you want your yoga efforts calculated, consider getting a fitbit or similar device. It can help estimate caloric burn (yes, yoga burns calories) for activities not listed in the database, or non-cardio activities.
  • Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated

    If you want your yoga efforts calculated, consider getting a fitbit or similar device. It can help estimate caloric burn (yes, yoga burns calories) for activities not listed in the database, or non-cardio activities.

    A fitbit will not help calculate the calories burnt during yoga. The movement is too smooth, and counts a yoga movement as a step, which it is not.
    In my opinion, the fitbit is just a glorified pedometer. I had one, and returned it after a few weeks because my phone did a better job than the Fitbit did.
    Since then, I've bought a heart-rate monitor, which will accurately count the calories burnt during exercise. However, remember, not all burnt calories are equal.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated

    If you want your yoga efforts calculated, consider getting a fitbit or similar device. It can help estimate caloric burn (yes, yoga burns calories) for activities not listed in the database, or non-cardio activities.

    A fitbit will not help calculate the calories burnt during yoga. The movement is too smooth, and counts a yoga movement as a step, which it is not.
    In my opinion, the fitbit is just a glorified pedometer. I had one, and returned it after a few weeks because my phone did a better job than the Fitbit did.
    Since then, I've bought a heart-rate monitor, which will accurately count the calories burnt during exercise. However, remember, not all burnt calories are equal.

    If you log in the app or the website, you can add it as an activity for time, and it will indeed, spit out a calorie burn for that time based on an algorithm. Whether it's accurate, who can say... but it will track yoga as well as many other non step-based activities this way.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I've found my FitBit to be very accurate when compared to long term results and tracking. Including yoga.
  • xKoalaBearx
    xKoalaBearx Posts: 181 Member
    Was your sushi night the night before you weighed yourself? And how much did you eat at that meal? I find that my weight will often jump up temporarily the day or two after a splurge meal. Which is why I like to weigh myself everyday. Who knows? Maybe the day before your sushi meal, you were down two pounds or more?
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
    I love sushi, but dang, the rice is really a killer on calories. *sigh*
  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 649 Member
    I don't think the Fitbit does a very good job at calculating Yoga calories. I wear a Fitbit surge which has a Heart rate monitor. Even the most intense yoga doesn't do much to increase my heart rate.

    On to the OP's question. Take a look at look at your overall activity level. Doing chores, walking, shopping, working, dog walking, cooking. You may be very sedentry and burning little more than 1200 calories a day.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Logging accuracy will help. Along with using a food scale you have to make sure that you are using the correct food entries in the database. A lot of them are user entered and may be inaccurate or outdated. Reading the Logging Accurately thread will help you learn which entries to use and which ones to avoid.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • juliamittler46
    juliamittler46 Posts: 8 Member
    The app actually offers yoga in the cardio section so I added it. Well, I had two rolls of sushi and two beers that night - that's what Germans do when they go out;)! So it was Saturday night that we went out and this morning I had the weight gain. However after one hour I had 0,4 kilos less although I had had coffee by then. Very weird.
  • soapsandropes
    soapsandropes Posts: 269 Member
    Depending on your soy sauce or other salt intake during your dinner it is most likely all water retention.
  • FGTisme
    FGTisme Posts: 87 Member
    Do not trust the calorie burns that MFP calculates. They are very high. Most people have found success only using 50-70% of what MFP says. If you are eating back the calorie burns posted in your profile, I would guess that is part of the problem.

    Also, if the weight gain was minimal, after eating out, it could have been from eating a meal with increased sodium.

    Plus...it's only been two weeks, right? Be accurate and consistent with your logging and the weight will come off.
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated

    If you want your yoga efforts calculated, consider getting a fitbit or similar device. It can help estimate caloric burn (yes, yoga burns calories) for activities not listed in the database, or non-cardio activities.

    A fitbit will not help calculate the calories burnt during yoga. The movement is too smooth, and counts a yoga movement as a step, which it is not.
    In my opinion, the fitbit is just a glorified pedometer. I had one, and returned it after a few weeks because my phone did a better job than the Fitbit did.
    Since then, I've bought a heart-rate monitor, which will accurately count the calories burnt during exercise. However, remember, not all burnt calories are equal.

    Not true. My fibit calculates yoga, it has a heart rate monitor. Fibit is NOT a glorified pedometer.
  • juliamittler46
    juliamittler46 Posts: 8 Member
    edited November 2015
    I don't eat more than 1200 calories. I do not eat more because the app still gives me green light. I also felt that the calorie burns were calculated largely here. Two weeks feels a lot of time and I absolutely do need some motivation! So hopefully I will see some results soon.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    Thank you all so much !! This absolutely helped to give me more motivation! I'm very strictly logging but I do drink much more than I used to. Also it is true that yoga is not a sport to burn calories - but it definitely builds muscles..... I can feel the pain while doing it and after ;) ! Thanks again and I'll keep you updated

    If you want your yoga efforts calculated, consider getting a fitbit or similar device. It can help estimate caloric burn (yes, yoga burns calories) for activities not listed in the database, or non-cardio activities.

    A fitbit will not help calculate the calories burnt during yoga. The movement is too smooth, and counts a yoga movement as a step, which it is not.
    In my opinion, the fitbit is just a glorified pedometer. I had one, and returned it after a few weeks because my phone did a better job than the Fitbit did.
    Since then, I've bought a heart-rate monitor, which will accurately count the calories burnt during exercise. However, remember, not all burnt calories are equal.

    I should clarify. I meant the HRM ones. Obviously a pedometer isn't doing much in a stationary position, which is why I said a fitbit/other activity tracker. I should have clarified the hr or surge.
  • bkastens
    bkastens Posts: 3 Member
    edited November 2015
    I don't eat more than 1200 calories. I do not eat more because the app still gives me green light. I also felt that the calorie burns were calculated largely here. Two weeks feels a lot of time and I absolutely do need some motivation! So hopefully I will see some results soon.

    Beer has a ton of calories, just FYI. 2 beers (assuming pints) would be at least 400-500 calories and a lot of carbs. You can't log just food, you have to log anything that has calories (wine, beer, liquor, although liquor is a lot better to drink as there are no carbs).
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    I don't eat more than 1200 calories. I do not eat more because the app still gives me green light. I also felt that the calorie burns were calculated largely here. Two weeks feels a lot of time and I absolutely do need some motivation! So hopefully I will see some results soon.

    Are you using a food scale?
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    If you indeed have only 15 pounds to lose, eating 1200 calories seems unnecessarily restrictive.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    You know, I'm still gonna defend the non-HR FitBits. Believe it or not, when you're doing yoga, you're registering more movement than when you're sitting on the couch. I have the One. Even if you believe you're standing perfectly still, you're not (ask someone who's had ankle issues/surgery if healthy people recognize the slight amount of sway you do do while just standing). It's registering movement.

    My experience only, I know. Your mileage may vary.

    But good activity estimates are still only half of the story. Accurate entry regarding intake is also needed (usually via weighing and logging all your intake).
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Yoga is not an activity that lends itself to accurate tracking by any currently available commercial device. Using laboratory equipment, the caloric burn is comparable to walking.
  • juliamittler46
    juliamittler46 Posts: 8 Member
    I do use a scale so I'm logging just what I should and I also logged the two beers that night. As for yoga it depends on which style you practice - having a flowing vinyasa practice will consume more than a slow hatha practice. I'm taking this under consideration and adjust the numbers accordingly but it's nothing accurate for sure. It's better than nothing.
    I'm 5'6 with 147.5 pounds. I want to come down to 130.