Can someone look at my diary and help?

I am on my second week of weight loss. I was 214.2 when I started on October 9th. I got down to 209.8 on October 17th, but am up to 211.3 today.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I am staying in my calorie goals, I started exercising every day this week and I am drinking at least 128 oz of water per day.

I weigh most of my food, including fruit, meat, cheese. The only things I don't weigh are my yogurt, tuna, bread. I use the weight given by the manufacturer.

It's very frustrating to be going backwards on the scale.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Replies

RoxieDawn

Is it your time or the month (week leading up to menses or even time of ovulation)? Weight ALL solids..

The 2 pound weight gain can be simple day to day fluctuations that are well with in normal fluctuations. Again due to female hormones, sodium, carbs intake, hydration or lack there of, muscle repair. glycogen etc..

Be patient, weight loss is not linear and some weeks you will lose and some you will not, and keep in mind weight on the scale will fluctuate daily. If you want to add in taking body measurements to your arsenal of tools to determine fat loss, do this too.

jonsmithkidd

This fluctuation could be for a number of reasons. Make sure you're weighing at the same times with the same circumstances each week...and give it more time. If you're in a consistent calorie deficit, positive change will happen.

micayla75

Thank you both. I am trying to look at the fluctuations as just data, but it is hard. I know I am eating healthier and exercising so those are positive changes I have made no matter what the scale says.

I will start weighing more of the foods as well.

Queenmunchy

If you just started exercising this week, that could be the culprit. You may be retaining water.

Rohman24

Hi, I know the same thing doesn't work for everyone but I am going through the same process at the moment and am a few weeks in. I hear you.i find I am very inpatient but for me scales are defo heading in the right direction. When you talk about cheese, bread...these are foods with lots of fats and carbs. Not saying u should cut them if you're exercising but if you can't say no to those sort of foods then consider the better cheese and better bread like feta or wholemeal. My biggest craving apart from crap food was sugar in tea which I used to have a lot of. I completely cut it out and am now used to it. Keep going and think of the positive changes you have already noticed when you get down about it or have cravings. You know you can do it because you already did! Good luck.

micayla75

I did start a bootcamp this week, so maybe there is some water retention.

I will look into a healthier bread. I only eat one slice per day (I started with 2 and then cut it down to one), but I do know it isn't the best type of bread to choose.

I will look into other types of cheese as well. So far, it has been minimal amounts, but everything adds up!

Thank you both and it's always good to know that others have experienced this as well.

cathipa

micayla75 wrote: »

I am on my second week of weight loss. I was 214.2 when I started on October 9th. I got down to 209.8 on October 17th, but am up to 211.3 today.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I am staying in my calorie goals, I started exercising every day this week and I am drinking at least 128 oz of water per day.

I weigh most of my food, including fruit, meat, cheese. The only things I don't weigh are my yogurt, tuna, bread. I use the weight given by the manufacturer.

It's very frustrating to be going backwards on the scale.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Congrats on the 3 pound loss! Since you have only been doing this for 12 days there can be fluctuations which are typically related to water weight. 1-2 pounds a week is normal.

There is something you mentioned that can disrupt your weight loss. You weigh some of your food but not all. Don't trust the package. Don't use cups or spoons. Weigh everything. Use correct entries when you log (no homemade or generic entries).

Lastly have patience. Stick to your goals and you will lose!

techie30

Like others said, 1-3lb fluctuations are normal. It can be as simple as when you last peed, sodium intake, time of day, etc... give it time and make sure you're weighing and logging everything you put in your mouth.

JeromeBarry1

My weight goes up during the work week even as I stay in a calorie deficit, and my weight falls at the weekend. Work = stress = water retention. This week, for instance, my 'fall' got to a low of 188 lb on Tuesday. Yippee. Each day since my weight has increased by 1 or more lb so now I'm 191.4. Nothing's wrong. I'm doing it right. It's just water.

micayla75

Thank you. :-)

I typically weigh most foods, but I'm not sure how to calculate some foodd even after weighing them. For example, my husband made BBQ in a crock pot with two different types of BBQ sauce. I have no idea how much sauce is on each one I eat or how to determine the exact information when combining different ingredients. This includes the ribs, which did not have its own nutrition information because it was purchased awhile ago, repackaged and frozen in our deep freeze. The only option I could find was a "homemade ribs" and I have no idea if that was close or not.

One more question, do people buy a scale for work? I typically eat a tuna sandwich (now one slice instead of two and I will be looking for a healthier bread) and an apple. I weigh my apple in the morning, but don't really want to buy a scale to weigh my tuna at work. I have been going by the packet information. If it is really imperative that I weigh that as well, I will, but it hardly seems like the tuna will be off by much.

I may have given the impression that I don't weigh a lot of foods, but I truly weigh/measure almost everything.

CattOfTheGarage

You really have to keep telling yourself it's just fluctuations and the overall trend is what matters. I know this is hard but if you stick it out you will eventually get hardened to it. I fluctuate particularly badly, it is normal for me to wake up and find I am as much as 4 or 5lb heavier than the day before (I weigh daily) and for no obvious reason. However, my overall trend, looked at over a couple of weeks, is downwards at about 1lb/week. I'm afraid it's just the way it goes, you are trying to measure a few ounces a day of fat loss when water weight can vary by 6lb or more in one day. Keep the faith.

courtneyfabulous

Be patient and give it time.

Weight loss happens over time and the scale will go up and down- it's usually mostly water weigt

Try comparing today's weight to your weight 1 month ago, not 1 day ago.

Women fluctuate all over the place because of their cycles. Also increased or new exercise makes muscles swell and retain water at first.

Just keep going.

micayla75

Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate the help and encouragement! :-)

macgurlnet

micayla75 wrote: »

Thank you. :-)

I typically weigh most foods, but I'm not sure how to calculate some foodd even after weighing them. For example, my husband made BBQ in a crock pot with two different types of BBQ sauce. I have no idea how much sauce is on each one I eat or how to determine the exact information when combining different ingredients. This includes the ribs, which did not have its own nutrition information because it was purchased awhile ago, repackaged and frozen in our deep freeze. The only option I could find was a "homemade ribs" and I have no idea if that was close or not.

One more question, do people buy a scale for work? I typically eat a tuna sandwich (now one slice instead of two and I will be looking for a healthier bread) and an apple. I weigh my apple in the morning, but don't really want to buy a scale to weigh my tuna at work. I have been going by the packet information. If it is really imperative that I weigh that as well, I will, but it hardly seems like the tuna will be off by much.

I may have given the impression that I don't weigh a lot of foods, but I truly weigh/measure almost everything.

Some people have a scale at work, others don't.

I suppose it depends on your work environment - do you have a private office and/or do you not care if people see you weigh your food?

If having a scale at work would make you uncomfortable, skip it. I typically pack my lunch at home and assemble everything there so it's all weighed already. I do have a scale in my desk drawer and have used it on occasion. I have a private office space, though, so no one around to ask questions

My suggestion would be to weigh everything when you're at home for a start. Then, if you find your weight loss stalls for 4-6 weeks, get a scale for work

~Lyssa

micayla75

I am a high school teacher, so I eat alone in my room while I work. There are only 5 teachers in my building, so while there is a teacher's lounge, no one is ever in it. Lol

I can definitely have a scale, I just didn't want to spend the money to weigh tuna. It seems a little ridiculous as does opening it, weighing it and putting it in a new container every morning. I can't imagine it is off by more than a few grams.

I like the idea of seeing how it goes before I spend the money because I would prefer to save the money for a heart rate monitor! :-)

cathipa

Watch this video to see the importance of weighing food

https://youtu.be/JVjWPclrWVY

akmomof7

You are doing great. As every one else has commented, our weight goes up and down and it doesn't always have anything to do with what you ate. I have started using an app called Libra which averages out the fluctuations in my weight (mine is a Droid, I think the ios version is Happy Weight? ). I did want to say that there is no reason to switch up your food choices if you like them and they leave you satisfied. Eat the way that you can keep up for the rest of your life! My family is Hispanic and we eat enchiladas, tamales, etc and while they aren't the healthiest options, they are a part of our heritage and family tradition. I am figuring out how to fit them into my diet. Some things that means a switch to the recipe, and others is just portion control. Make your diet fit you, instead of changing everything to lose weight! Great work on your progress so far!

lmew91

You can eat bread, cheese, and whatever else you want. Weighing these items will help you track your calories accurately. I would say it's better to weigh out, log, and eat 20 g of whatever cheese you like, than buy a "healthy" cheese (whatever that may be...) and just eat a hunk of it without knowing how much you are really eating.

cross2bear

At the office, I use the postage meter to weigh my food!

Spliner1969

micayla75 wrote: »

Thank you. :-)

I typically weigh most foods, but I'm not sure how to calculate some foodd even after weighing them. For example, my husband made BBQ in a crock pot with two different types of BBQ sauce. I have no idea how much sauce is on each one I eat or how to determine the exact information when combining different ingredients. This includes the ribs, which did not have its own nutrition information because it was purchased awhile ago, repackaged and frozen in our deep freeze. The only option I could find was a "homemade ribs" and I have no idea if that was close or not.

I eat a LOT of BBQ/Grilled/Smoked foods. It's true you have to estimate the sauce quite often, but what I've found that helps is not adding it until you are ready to eat it. For instance, I used to make pulled pork or BBQ beef in the slow cooker in the winter as well, and would just add bbq sauce and spices until it tasted right. Now, I'll add the beef and seasonings but no sauce. I weigh the beef beforehand and find the correct entry for it in a recipe. Then once it's done I shred it, add onions if I want and weigh those and put it into the recipe, then if I add the sauce I'll measure it out in cups. So one cup = 16 tbsp. If I add anything else that has calories I'll put it into the recipe as well. Since you are weighing things you can pretty much get a weight of the entire pot's worth of BBQ, or you can (and I have done this) take it out and weigh it in a separate bowl, then return it to the crock pot to keep warm. I figure each BBQ Pork/Beef Sandwich is 4oz so I set the recipe up for that many servings (divide total weight by 4oz). Then when you eat it, simply tare out your scale, add 4 oz, and you now know pretty accurately how many calories are in it. Since I saved the recipe I can repeat it easily with the same ingredients another time. My wife can even use it to make it while I'm not there and keep the calorie counts the same.

As far as grilled meats other than crock pot recipes, I'll simply weigh the meat beforehand, and if I'm eating sauce cooked on it I simply add 2 tbsp to my diary (because I like a good coating of sauce). If I add any extra sauce beyond what was cooked onto it, I'll add another serving of the sauce. It works pretty consistently for me. It just takes some attention to the recipe the first time around, but once you get the hang of it there's no issues staying pretty close on calorie estimates for that sort of stuff.

One of my favorite things to do is make a 'Shiner Bock' sauce. I take 1 Shiner Bock Beer, and measure out 1/3 of it (4 oz) and put it in a bowl. Then I add 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (whichever variety you want), 1 cup of a different BBQ sauce (I use a spicy one usually), then 1/4 cup brown sugar. Put that in a recipe, so it goes like this:

4 oz of shiner bock beer (yup it's in the database, just select .333 of a 12 oz beer) for 47 cals = 4 tbsp
1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce for 560 calories = 16 tbsp
1 cup of Heinz Memphis Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce for 400 calories = 16 tbsp
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar for 180 calories = 4 tbsp

That ends up at 40 tbsp of the sauce recipe at 1187 calories. Figure 2 tbsp per serving or 20 servings @ 60 cals per serving.

That's a really simple sauce recipe I use often, man is it good on chicken and pork! If you can't find Shiner Bock Beer, substitute what you want, dark beers work best, just change up the recipe. I'll put that in my recipe list, and when I make it up I store it in a Tupperware container in the fridge for a week or more (it's made out of ingredients that are already stable so it won't hurt you if you keep it covered and in the fridge), then use it 2 tbsp at a time when grilling/cooking chicken or pork.

Now we just cook the meat without sauce and generally heat a little bit of that sauce up and add it 2 tbsp at a time to our cooked meats.

I am a BBQ addict, I have this down to a science. Let's just not discuss sodium.

Aaron_K123

I am on my second week of weight loss...
I am not sure what I am doing wrong

Honestly what you are doing wrong is trying to evaluate your progress on only two weeks worth of data. Pick a plan, stick with it consistantly and then evaluate after 6-8 weeks. Two weeks is not enough to be able to see a trend of fat loss through the random fluctuations in weight you are going to get from water retention. Until you've done that you can't know if what your doing is working or not so there isn't much point in evaulating and second guessing.

cerise_noir

Rohman24 wrote: »

Hi, I know the same thing doesn't work for everyone but I am going through the same process at the moment and am a few weeks in. I hear you.i find I am very inpatient but for me scales are defo heading in the right direction. When you talk about cheese, bread...these are foods with lots of fats and carbs. Not saying u should cut them if you're exercising but if you can't say no to those sort of foods then consider the better cheese and better bread like feta or wholemeal. My biggest craving apart from crap food was sugar in tea which I used to have a lot of. I completely cut it out and am now used to it. Keep going and think of the positive changes you have already noticed when you get down about it or have cravings. You know you can do it because you already did! Good luck.

It's not about the type of food, it's about calories. No need to give up on favourites. I'd be a sad panda if I could never eat chocolate.

Also, OP hadn't given this hardly enough time and increased/started exercising this week. Excess sodium can make losses.

OP, I gain 5+lbs before TOM and at ovulation.

alyangel123

I almost always gain up to 5lbs when i start a different workout plan or add heavier weights. It took a month for my weight to head down wards once i added weights for the first time but i lost inches. Its frustrating at first but totally normal for me if that helps to hear. Bootcamps can be intensive and do this, some weeks my weight suddenly plummets others it suddenly raises with crazy 5lb swings for the above reasons.

Cbestinme

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

I am on my second week of weight loss...
I am not sure what I am doing wrong

Honestly what you are doing wrong is trying to evaluate your progress on only two weeks worth of data. Pick a plan, stick with it consistently and then evaluate after 6-8 weeks. Two weeks is not enough to be able to see a trend of fat loss through the random fluctuations in weight you are going to get from water retention.

I would agree with above. I also experienced random fluctuation and was frustrated and really discouraged. After more time passed the scale was friendly again (showing lower numbers). I'm learning the scale can show different things for many reasons. Once you have a few more weeks you could see where to start making changes if needed. Good luck!! This could be fun several weeks ahead

micayla75

Thank you so much for all of the responses! It has really helped me put some things in perspective. I know I have to trust the process and give it more time. I appreciate everyone helping me through my frustration. :-)

brandiwyliemoore

micayla75 wrote: »

I am a high school teacher, so I eat alone in my room while I work. There are only 5 teachers in my building, so while there is a teacher's lounge, no one is ever in it. Lol

I can definitely have a scale, I just didn't want to spend the money to weigh tuna. It seems a little ridiculous as does opening it, weighing it and putting it in a new container every morning. I can't imagine it is off by more than a few grams.

I like the idea of seeing how it goes before I spend the money because I would prefer to save the money for a heart rate monitor! :-)

Swipe a scale from the science dept (jk)