What am I doing wrong?

Without enough information, all anyone can do is guess.

First off, are you trying to lose weight/inches? If so, how long have you been at it? Have you been eating at or around the recommended daily calories? Are you constipated or gassy? Did you eat a lot of sodium recently? Is it close to 'that time' of the month?

I know personally that if I eat too much sodium or if its around shark week, certain pants just don't fit right and it can be frustrating (especially when hormones come into play). But I've been at this a long time and I've learned to not base my success or failiure on a bad day or two and to concentrate on the trend. If you are just starting out, it can be frustrating when it's not miraculously easy or when you have setbacks or bloated days but it is worth it to stick to it in the long run.

What do you mean by "keeping my calories in check"? Are you logging, are you weighing? Are you sure you are at a deficit? How long have you been at it?

It could be any number of things. It's hard to really pin point even a small number of those things without more info from you though. It could be bloating (from gas), it could be water retention (large amounts of water will reduce water retention, however super high sodium could still cause the retention), it could be (really note the *could*) muscle growth due to increased exercise (extra walking etc), and lastly it could be fat gain. - I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's a possibility of course. Note that weight fluctuation will happen daily, that said it can show on the scale and in clothing. Be sure to accurately keep calories consumed in check -weigh what you eat. Measure what you drink. Don't leave out anything at all, even low calorie condiments like ketchup or mustard. Also make sure your exercises are accurately logged. Choose the correct entry. Example: don't pick fast walking speeds, if it was a stroll. Don't pick high impact whatever it wasn't truly high impact. Don't round up times- if you worked out for 13 minutes and 36 seconds don't log 14 minutes.

In short, log everything as accurately as possible. Stay in a healthy deficit. Don't be discouraged at times like these, keep on trucking. Weight will come off, clothes will fit better. All in time.

Good luck!

danacorl wrote: »

@maroonmango211 - haha shark week! It is in fact Shark Week. I've been counting calories for a long time (6 years with MFP) but I've recently had increased frustration trying to get weight off that I gained last year when my company went under. Perhaps this could be hormonal bloating?

Definitely, especially if you've been a little extra stressed to begin with all those hormones can really do a number on your body (and on the number on the scale). If you're still logging accurately and still staying in a deficit through the cravings and stress though it should all go back to normal in a few days. Drinking lots of water and staying away from super salty foods can help too.

Being a woman, it could be a number of things. I personally gain a few pounds (water weight) before my period starts and it doesn't go away until after. That being said, I stay bloated and some of my clothes just do not fit as well. Also, it could be a sign of pregnancy; that was the first sign in my first pregnancy. I had bought new clothes that didn't fit the next week.

Also, have you tried altering your workout some? Sometimes your body just gets used to your exercise and doesn't burn calories like it used to. This really helps when you get to a plateau in your weight loss.