What am I doing wrong?

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ohmygod45
ohmygod45 Posts: 21 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi. I am hoping someone can help. I have been avidly logging good and have exercised 6 days last week. Have been to my weight loss class today and am devastated to have gained a pound. I am 5 feet 4 and 17 stone so I have a lot to lose. I have been checked by doctor and have no thyroid issues. I exercise 5 times a week so it must be my diet. My diary is open for all to see and comment on. I have just turned 50 and am aiming to lose 50lb in a year. I have struggled with my weight all my life and need to crack it once and for all. All help much appreciated!! Thanks. Tracy x

Replies

  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Don't worry:-). You're exercising a lot at the moment! My suggestion to you is to focus on your fitness rather than your weight. Sometimes weight takes forever to shift, and it can be disheartening (FWIW your muscles may be retaining water with all that exercise, and that's possibly why the extra weight). I haven't looked at your food diary... but I have been where you are (and I am again for a 2nd time). Make sure you keep your hydration up, and be patient:-).
  • getupforchange
    getupforchange Posts: 86 Member
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    Had a quick look at your diary and was just curious to know how you measure your food? Do you use a digital food scale? How do you identify your burn from your workouts? If there are estimates there that could really throw you off so that you're either eating more than you think or you didn't burn as much as you thought.

    Noticed there was a dinner there with mince, sauce and cheese? Was that all you ate or was there pasta or anything to go along with it? Even forgetting to log something like that can obviously throw you over your calories. Also I wouldn't rely on the cals on here for things like "Candy King pick'n'mix" because it's just an estimate. Those calories looked low to me but obviously depends on what was in the bag.
  • Tom_2017
    Tom_2017 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello, from your diary it looks like you get a bit to much Energy from Carbs: Ratio is like 5-6/1/1.5. You might try to adjust your meals to achieve a ratio of 3-4(Carbs)/1(Lipid)/1.5 (Protein), and also to have only water or protein drinks after gym. The food list tool here helps nicely to adjust meals.
  • cesser1
    cesser1 Posts: 63 Member
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    First of all congratulations on getting to the exercise! Three things that I noticed:
    1) Do you make your porridge with water or milk?
    2) What do you use to fry your sausages in? You need to log everything, every dash of oil, every spray from the oil spray if you use it. You have already done that with the ketchup for example, but you will be surprised how much certain things put on. Also, I notice a lack of fresh vegetables. Is this a weightwatcher kind of thing, where vegetables weren't counted for a while? If yes, do count every gram of fruit and veg as well. If not, then it might be worthwhile looking at food balance. That was the most amazing adventure for me when I started, what food does what to my body. Your gym might have a nutritionist. An talk with one with your food diaries might be really interesting.
    3) What do you drink all day? Did you know that coffee has calories, and that orange juice has similar calories to a full sugar coke (is healthier, though)?

    Finally, the previous poster's suggestion of digital scales is really good. Also get yourself measuring units for cups and teaspoons, and remember that those spoons shouldn't be heaped. This is a journey of discovery. And things will go up and down, literally. You are doing exactly the right thing to deal with that. Ask for opinions, be open. Good luck with it all, and congratulations on the start.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,491 Member
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    If you aren't losing, you're eating too much. All this gadgetry has given us the idea that if we do enough calculations, we can run our bodies like machines. There always seems to be a tendency to overestimate exercise and underestimate intake.

    I think the only real mistake you've made is being devastated at your weigh in. Even weighing and measuring everything, your life will put you places where you have to make estimates. Doesn't matter if you count calories, points or macros, it's always both art and science. So the scale is the only real test of your counting skills.

    Now you have new information, make some adjustments. Keep adjusting until you are on a downward trend over time. One week is a single point. Think long term. Good luck.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    ohmygod45 wrote: »
    Hi. I am hoping someone can help. I have been avidly logging good and have exercised 6 days last week. Have been to my weight loss class today and am devastated to have gained a pound. I am 5 feet 4 and 17 stone so I have a lot to lose. I have been checked by doctor and have no thyroid issues. I exercise 5 times a week so it must be my diet. My diary is open for all to see and comment on. I have just turned 50 and am aiming to lose 50lb in a year. I have struggled with my weight all my life and need to crack it once and for all. All help much appreciated!! Thanks. Tracy x

    weigh your food. use the recipe builder instead of generic database entries for stuff like your roast diner.
  • ohmygod45
    ohmygod45 Posts: 21 Member
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    Thank you everyone. I do my porriporridge with water and do have digital scales. I have not always counted veg but will start. I use a fit bit to work out calories burned. I feel much less devastated Thanks!
  • Peach1948
    Peach1948 Posts: 2,473 Member
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    I am 5'2" and like most short people only get 1200 calories. Maybe you are overestimating you calorie needs. Like others said, measure everything you eat.

    Good Luck!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,195 Member
    edited May 2017
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    ohmygod45 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone. I do my porriporridge with water and do have digital scales. I have not always counted veg but will start. I use a fit bit to work out calories burned. I feel much less devastated Thanks!

    What are you doing to burn 500 calories and 900 calories etc.?

    Also, I'm 5'6" and my maintenance amount is 1500 calories.
  • ohmygod45
    ohmygod45 Posts: 21 Member
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    I have my fit bit synced with mfp so all steps are converted to exercise. I do complete an exercise class 5 days a week either circuit swimming or Pilates. I am not going to eat back my exercise this week and will see what happens.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,195 Member
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    ohmygod45 wrote: »
    I have my fit bit synced with mfp so all steps are converted to exercise. I do complete an exercise class 5 days a week either circuit swimming or Pilates. I am not going to eat back my exercise this week and will see what happens.

    Many here advise eating maybe only half your exercise calories back.

    I know when I was actively losing weight, I only counted intentional exercise, I estimated my calories burned low and recorded less time than I actually did the exercise, and ate half my exercise calories back. That worked for me. :)

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