Weight not coming off

sarahgaskell40
sarahgaskell40 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 5"6 female, got a stone to loose, I'm active I walk roughly 8 miles a day in work 19 on my days off, I've been doing this 2 weeks now and gained almost 3lb, I've had to adjust my eating habits and actually increase my in take ( healthy, high protein) as this app was telling me I'm not actually eating enough. I work out for half hour each night too. Why am I gaining and not loosing ? Any ideas to help ? Thanks

Replies

  • cdover2
    cdover2 Posts: 7 Member
    Perhaps you're gaining muscle with all that walking (WOW). I've recently heard that if you don't eat enough, your body will freak out and try to conserve all the calories you consume.
  • skinnycow1234567
    skinnycow1234567 Posts: 167 Member
    How intense are your workouts? Is your heart rate rising during your workouts? What are you eating?
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cdover2 wrote: »
    Perhaps you're gaining muscle with all that walking (WOW). I've recently heard that if you don't eat enough, your body will freak out and try to conserve all the calories you consume.

    no your body doesnt do that,you would still lose weight in a deficit,if your body worked that way then no one would lose weight,people in 3rd world countries would not be skinny and malnourished... as for muscle if the app is telling her she is not eating enough then no she is not gaining muscle.

    starvation and starvation mode are not the same things. you can truly starve to death,but you arent going to retain fat and everything else. your body will use fat and muscle to try to keep your body running.
  • krsummerlin83
    krsummerlin83 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in the same situation. I am on my second week of 3 liters of water per day, drastically reduced my calorie intake, completely cut out sugary foods and snacks. Started a daily walking/jogging regimen of at least 2 miles 4-5 days a week. I have gained 4 lbs! I have a hard time believing that weight is added muscle. However I did read an article yesterday that said when you begin a workout routine your muscles will retain water to help them heal after they have been stressed. So I am trying to tell myself thats where the added weight is coming from and soon my body will get used to the changes and start to drop the pounds.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2017
    cdover2 wrote: »
    Perhaps you're gaining muscle with all that walking (WOW). I've recently heard that if you don't eat enough, your body will freak out and try to conserve all the calories you consume.

    If only it were that easy - no.

    The best circumstances for gaining lean muscle mass - eating at a surplus, a progressive strength training program, and adequate protein. Even then women gain lean muscle mass slowly. Most people trying to lose weight will add strength training to help KEEP the lean muscle mass they already have.

    OP - a couple of guesses. Water weight fluctuates from higher sodium days, time of month, sore muscles. You could be eating more than you think. Double check your entries, there are lots of wrong entries in the database. Invest in a digital food scale if you don't already own one. Weigh semi-solids & solids. Use a measuring cup for liquids. With 1 stone to lose weight loss will be slow - 1/2 kg a week at most. Weight loss won't be linear as water weight will mess with the scale.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    krsummerlin83 wrote: »
    I'm in the same situation. I am on my second week of 3 liters of water per day, drastically reduced my calorie intake, completely cut out sugary foods and snacks. Started a daily walking/jogging regimen of at least 2 miles 4-5 days a week. I have gained 4 lbs! I have a hard time believing that weight is added muscle. However I did read an article yesterday that said when you begin a workout routine your muscles will retain water to help them heal after they have been stressed. So I am trying to tell myself thats where the added weight is coming from and soon my body will get used to the changes and start to drop the pounds.

    yes,it can be added water weight if you are new to exercise or upping exercise,or from excess sodium,that TOM,etc. or it could be a person is eating more than they think(either by not weighing their food,using bad entries,or a combo of all the above) also those who have cheat days can wipe out their deficit entirely if they just eat whatever and dont log it properly.
  • sarahgaskell40
    sarahgaskell40 Posts: 4 Member
    I also have cut out sugary foods (cakes , sweets etc) I've also introduced breakfast which I never used to have , I'm keeping my carbs low eating plenty of salads, kale, chicken the usual greens and a bit of fruit ( natural sugars) I'm baffled I thought I would have had a bit of weight loss by now never mind a gain
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sarahgaskell40 wrote: »
    I also have cut out sugary foods (cakes , sweets etc) I've also introduced breakfast which I never used to have , I'm keeping my carbs low eating plenty of salads, kale, chicken the usual greens and a bit of fruit ( natural sugars) I'm baffled I thought I would have had a bit of weight loss by now never mind a gain

    How many calories are you eating per day?

    Cutting out sugary foods or eating breakfast or keeping carbohydrates low will only result in weight loss if you're in a deficit.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    How are you calculating your miles walked?

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    sarahgaskell40 wrote: »
    I also have cut out sugary foods (cakes , sweets etc) I've also introduced breakfast which I never used to have , I'm keeping my carbs low eating plenty of salads, kale, chicken the usual greens and a bit of fruit ( natural sugars) I'm baffled I thought I would have had a bit of weight loss by now never mind a gain

    It's not what you eat......it's how many calories.

    You don't have to eliminate foods you love. You just need to control portions. Whole foods are a good choice because they are typically more filling and nutritious. But you could lose weight eating nothing but junk if the calories you ate were less than the calories you burned throughout the day. Calories in vs. calories out.
  • sarahgaskell40
    sarahgaskell40 Posts: 4 Member
    I have a fit bit for work and I've measured my walking on days off in my car. My calorie consumption for today was 1345. I physically couldn't eat the amount of calories i gain by extra exercise. Is it essential to eat these extra calories?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sarahgaskell40 wrote: »
    I have a fit bit for work and I've measured my walking on days off in my car. My calorie consumption for today was 1345. I physically couldn't eat the amount of calories i gain by extra exercise. Is it essential to eat these extra calories?

    If you're gaining weight, it could be that you are accidentally eating more than you think you are (there are some common errors in logging that cause this, I can't see your diary to determine if you might be making one of them).

    It's also possible that this is temporary water weight gain associated with your cycle. Some women gain extra water weight when they're ovulating or right before their period starts. Could this be the case?
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    Are you weighing your food to insure that the amounts your are ingesting are correctly being logged? Are you eating back exercise calories? MFP grossly over exaggerates calories burned. Also as others have mentioned water retention - I myself have weighed myself and it seems over night I lose 3 lbs (you can't lose 3 actual pounds overnight LOL). Keep pushing through
  • sarahgaskell40
    sarahgaskell40 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you
  • Premed100
    Premed100 Posts: 14 Member

    sarahgaskell40 wrote: »
    Why am I gaining and not loosing ? Any ideas to help ?

    So back to basics ...

    If you were in calorie deficit you would not put on weight. This app subtracts calories from exercise that you input
    from the calories of the food you input to calculate what you should eat. If either you or the MFP are overestimating your exercise calorie and / or under estimating the calories you eat then you may have a problem. A common mistake also is describing oneself as very active when in fact you may be just active or even sedentary.

    By exercising a lot of course you will feel hungrier & require more calories just to maintain.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    sarahgaskell40 wrote: »
    I have a fit bit for work and I've measured my walking on days off in my car. My calorie consumption for today was 1345. I physically couldn't eat the amount of calories i gain by extra exercise. Is it essential to eat these extra calories?

    Depends. Sometimes the calories are inflated. If you aren't losing weight now, adding more calories isn't the answer.

    Calories in - the food you take in is an estimate. We all do the best we can. A digital food scale, double checking entries chosen and logging every single bite, taste, lick ....everything.

    Calories out - the calories you burn during the day are an estimate. FitBit has taken your height, weight, age and made some assumptions (used averages). Men burn more, ladies burn less....that kind of thing. Then FitBit counts steps & compares against stated activity level. Your stride length may need adjusting. Some types of activity are not accounted for well......example: driving a car might result in added steps for certain FitBit models. Most FitBit models are meant to be worn 24/7........if you aren't wearing yours 24/7 that could be a key difference.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • SadDolt
    SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
    do you have a food scale
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,320 Member
    Two things, you could be eating far more calories than you think you are. Second, you could be retaining water. I am guessing the first.

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