I hate the scale!

tiasommer · July 2017

I started my weight loss journey 3 months ago. I wasn't logging calories but knew I was in a deficit because I could barely drag my body around. I was doing low carb and felt horrible. I knew I was burning because I was constantly moving. Feeling miserable, I came back to MFP added in some carbs (still moderate at 150) and started tracking calories. I started with 1200 but still felt like complete *kittens*. I upped it to 1500 based on my BMR and TDEE and viola! I had more energy. I started exercising daily. 350 cal burns near daily.
My plight? I haven't lost a pound! In fact, as of this morning I've gained 4 lbs in two days! I'm sick of this! How much motivation does that give you? I know my blood sugar and thyroid are fine thanks to recent tests, but I'll be darned if the weight just won't come off!
I'm going to a dietician tomorrow. Maybe she can shed some light on this dilemma.
I can't cut more because I'm cranky, tired, headache and can't muster the energy to take care of my kids, let alone exercise. I'm eating healthy amounts of protein, no refined sugar, loads of veggies some fruit and moderate amounts of fat as recommended. What gives? Why is my body defying me? I'm going to toss my scale out the window. And no, I haven't noticed a major loosening of clothing. Maybe I'm gaining muscle or maybe I'm just screwed. I am so mad! Anyone else have this???

Kollane · July 2017

You're not gaining muscle, with heavy training the max is still at 1-2 lbs per month and you would notice loosening of your clothes.

Since your diary is not visible - how do you measure your food?

DresdenSinn · July 2017

Maybe you ate some high sodium foods over the last couple of days and your retaining water. Sodium sneaks into a lot foods, especially packaged/processed foods, so we need to read our labels

LivingtheLeanDream · July 2017

How are you tracking your intake? using a food scale? choosing correct /verified entries in the food database?
To lose weight takes us being in calorie deficit, its not what we eat but the total calories.
Of course if you have had a high sodium or carby meal then you will be retaining water and that'll make the scales go up for a few days.

kommodevaran · July 2017

It's great that you stopped doing what wasn't working for you - low cal and low carb. Now hold that thought.

Based on BMR/TDEE you set an appropriate calorie intake. Hold that thought too.

Your weight isn't static, it fluctuates normally from day to day, from well, nothing, to a few pounds. Your body is not defying you. What you are looking at when you monitor your weight. is a trend. Is your weight moving upwards, or downwards, or is it stable? You can only tell after several weeks of reliable weigh-ins. Hold on to that.

You can't base your effort on the scale, and certainly not on short term ups and downs. Yo can't give up and then eat too much because you aren't getting instant results on the scale. You have to eat enough, but not too much. To make sure you are doing that, log intake correctly, and hit your calorie goal every day. A healthy diet is important, but don't let yourself be restricted by those random rules. Eat a variety of foods you like, don't cut out anything unless it leads you to overeat.

At this point, you don't need a dietician. There is no dilemma. You just need to calm down, get down to the basics, and be patient. Losing weight is a matter of calorie deficit over time. This is true for everybody. Be sure you know what you are doing, do what you know is working, and then trust the process.

tinkerbellang83 · July 2017

tiasommer wrote: »

I started my weight loss journey 3 months ago. I wasn't logging calories but knew I was in a deficit because I could barely drag my body around. I was doing low carb and felt horrible. I knew I was burning because I was constantly moving. Feeling miserable, I came back to MFP added in some carbs (still moderate at 150) and started tracking calories. I started with 1200 but still felt like complete *kittens*. I upped it to 1500 based on my BMR and TDEE and viola! I had more energy. I started exercising daily. 350 cal burns near daily.
My plight? I haven't lost a pound! In fact, as of this morning I've gained 4 lbs in two days! I'm sick of this! How much motivation does that give you? I know my blood sugar and thyroid are fine thanks to recent tests, but I'll be darned if the weight just won't come off!
I'm going to a dietician tomorrow. Maybe she can shed some light on this dilemma.
I can't cut more because I'm cranky, tired, headache and can't muster the energy to take care of my kids, let alone exercise. I'm eating healthy amounts of protein, no refined sugar, loads of veggies some fruit and moderate amounts of fat as recommended. What gives? Why is my body defying me? I'm going to toss my scale out the window. And no, I haven't noticed a major loosening of clothing. Maybe I'm gaining muscle or maybe I'm just screwed. I am so mad! Anyone else have this???

So to the bolded

1) How long since you switched to 1500 calories and how are you measuring your intake (weighing/guessing/approximate package sizes) and output (MFP Database/Machine Readouts/Fitness Tracker/Fitness Tracker with HR monitor)?

2) Weight fluctuates constantly, this is totally normal. You have not gained 4lb of fat in 2 days (that would require you to eat 14000 calories above your TDEE) it can be caused by hormones (particularly around period/ovulation), sodium intake, alcohol intake, dehydration, changes in macros (you mentioned changing from low carb), changes in exercise routine (you have stated you have started exercising daily) and many other things.

3) 4lb is not muscle gain in 2 days whilst eating in a deficit,

My advice would be track accurately for at least 4 weeks - weighing dry food, measuring wet food/drinks. Eat back 50% of your exercise calories, stick to your calorie allowance and adjust your expectations.

JeromeBarry1 · July 2017

3 Months. I giggle.

3 Months is how long it takes to realize the accreted woo blinding your perception. Just pay attention to log accurately and honestly. Be patient. Be consistent and persistent.

tiasommer · July 2017

Im measuring food in cups and on the scale. I do very limited processed foods. Not soda, no juice. The occasional kind bar if I'm out of fruit and nuts. I cut out alcohol.l, except on occasion (last night was not an occasion). I realize the 4 lbs gain is probably a fluke but it's the over all lack of loss - even when I was low carb and 1200 cals or less. I'm running 3 miles about 4-5 times a week, the other days I'm still active. I'm eating back half my exercise calories or less. My doctor said to be happy with half a pound loss a month, it's still a loss, but it's not fair! I'm 180 lbs (184 this morning!) and 5"5'. I have a realistic goal or 150, but I'd love to be 135ish. If it's calories in , calories out - what gives???
I'm a fit fat person, no health issues, great cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid. I can run 3 miles, slowly, but nonstop. But I want to look fit! Seriously, shouldn't I be rewarded with weight loss at some point? I'm not giving up but I'm obsessing about everything that goes in my mouth, facing hunger at times, exercising a good amount. I'm not making this up - it's just not happening.
Three months ago I did low carb and felt horrible. Lost 6 lbs, but at a tremendous cost. I felt horrible and sick. Like couldn't see, blurry vision, slurring words, headache, nausea, lethargy. I added back carbs (150 or less) and stuck to 1200 cals. No loss. I upped to 1500 and increased exercise from 2 to 5+ days a week. No loss (overnight gain). I weigh the same I did when I ate whatever I wanted and didn't exercise. I like the exercise so that won't change, but geez. Weighing and measuring and logging are a pain if they aren't helping!
Sorry for the rant. Just frustrated.

tinkerbellang83 · July 2017

tiasommer wrote: »

Im measuring food in cups and on the scale. I do very limited processed foods. Not soda, no juice. The occasional kind bar if I'm out of fruit and nuts. I cut out alcohol.l, except on occasion (last night was not an occasion). I realize the 4 lbs gain is probably a fluke but it's the over all lack of loss - even when I was low carb and 1200 cals or less. I'm running 3 miles about 4-5 times a week, the other days I'm still active. I'm eating back half my exercise calories or less. My doctor said to be happy with half a pound loss a month, it's still a loss, but it's not fair! I'm 180 lbs (184 this morning!) and 5"5'. I have a realistic goal or 150, but I'd love to be 135ish. If it's calories in , calories out - what gives???
I'm a fit fat person, no health issues, great cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid. I can run 3 miles, slowly, but nonstop. But I want to look fit! Seriously, shouldn't I be rewarded with weight loss at some point? I'm not giving up but I'm obsessing about everything that goes in my mouth, facing hunger at times, exercising a good amount. I'm not making this up - it's just not happening.
Three months ago I did low carb and felt horrible. Lost 6 lbs, but at a tremendous cost. I felt horrible and sick. Like couldn't see, blurry vision, slurring words, headache, nausea, lethargy. I added back carbs (150 or less) and stuck to 1200 cals. No loss. I upped to 1500 and increased exercise from 2 to 5+ days a week. No loss (overnight gain). I weigh the same I did when I ate whatever I wanted and didn't exercise. I like the exercise so that won't change, but geez. Weighing and measuring and logging are a pain if they aren't helping!
Sorry for the rant. Just frustrated.

The bolded makes zero difference to losing weight. You still didn't answer when you made the changes to your calorie intake and macros? You've made several changes that can cause water retention, it's not a fluke it's normal. You need to have patience. This is what a 6 month weight chart looked like for me, there have been times when I have lost nothing at all for 3-4 weeks and have gained as much as 5lb overnight despite having an accurate tracker and logging meticulously. It is the overall trend that matters - a trend app like Libra or Happy Scale can help you see past the fluctuations. If the scale is stressing you too much, check your progress in other ways such as measurements, clothes fitting and progress pictures.

Old_Cat_Lady · July 2017

I ate pizza and drank a quart of beer 2 days ago. I know I will weigh more for 3 days. High sodium and alcohol make me bloat and gain. I learned this by weighing myself every day. A monthly visitor can also cause weight changes.
Open your diary and ask people to judge your diet. Go to settings.

kcn2bluesky · July 2017

tiasommer wrote: »

Im measuring food in cups and on the scale.

Regarding the statement above....which is it that you are doing? Measuring your food in cups or are you actually weighing it on a food scale and logging precisely what you are consuming. There is a huge difference between the two. If you make your food diary public (even if only for a short while), you'll be able to get more assistance with identifying problem areas.

For everything else, it's fantastic that you have worked up to 3 miles running! You have done a great job in improving your fitness level!

I think you'll start seeing some loss on the scale when you get accurate with what you are eating. A side bonus is that once you know exactly what you are consuming, you can play around with your macros and fine-tune things to suit you best. It will go a long way toward helping you feel your best, fuel your runs, and continue on with your lifestyle change.

Best of luck to you!

beledi_belle · July 2017

I am in a very similar boat. I've been jogging about 12-15 miles a week and doing strength training for roughly 5 weeks. I have actually gained a pound. I am also frustrated. I go to see a doctor in a week to check my thyroid - prior to having my 3rd child, I was able to lose about 15 lbs doing pretty much what I do now.
I appreciate all of the responses to this post - especially the flow chart. I found that very helpful! I also recognize that I need to be more vigilant in weighing my food on my scale. I am going to take these tips and apply them and, hopefully, I will see some changes!

tiasommer · July 2017

I'm measuring fluid in ounces (measuring cups) and food on a scale. It's an old food scale - like 15 years old. Maybe time I get a new one? Guess it could be off.
I'm not wearing the same clothes I was a month ago. I'm a teacher and and I'm not wearing dress clothes anymore and weekends have always been stretchy pants so who knows, but I feel like my stomach is less bloated. My upper chest does look smaller. I think I will skip the scale and measure for a while.
I did one month low carb (hell), I did one month 1200 cals (near hell) and now one month 1500 cals base but major increases in exercise. I feel hungry at times, but not like *kittens* anymore.
I appreciate all the responses. I am going to the dietician as I said and she may be able to give me some more tips. It's covered by my insurance so, why not?
I'll post what she says.
Honestly, I know my hormones are probably playing a role. My doctor said I was peri-menopausal and my periods are 2 weeks apart to 6 weeks apart at times. I'll have PMS symptoms for 2 weeks sometimes. Trouble sleeping, sore breasts, cramps, etc. I knew this but still thought calories in and calories out would override that. I may need some blood work beyond TSH. I tried bioidentical hormones (progesterone only) for a couple months a while back, but felt the side effects were worse. I'm only 38, but my Doc says it can happen this early. I was hesitant to go into this much detail, but hey - it is what it is.
Any peri-menopausal women out there?

tinkerbellang83 · July 2017

@tiasommer chances are with all the hormonal issues you are having this is why you are not seeing the results you want on the scale. Definitely try and stick at it, it may be slow progress but if you stick at it you will see loss.

There's a thread here that might be helpful to you http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/39920414#Comment_39920414

tiasommer · July 2017

Thanks for the link - they sound like me for sure! Wow, it's good news and bad news. I'm not crazy and I am doing the work - my body just isn't responding the way it used to. Well, more to discuss with the dietician and probably my ob.
I'm not giving up being active and eating healthy. I just might have to change my expectations.

Christine_72 · July 2017

tiasommer wrote: »

I'm measuring fluid in ounces (measuring cups) and food on a scale. It's an old food scale - like 15 years old. Maybe time I get a new one? Guess it could be off.
I'm not wearing the same clothes I was a month ago. I'm a teacher and and I'm not wearing dress clothes anymore and weekends have always been stretchy pants so who knows, but I feel like my stomach is less bloated. My upper chest does look smaller. I think I will skip the scale and measure for a while.
I did one month low carb (hell), I did one month 1200 cals (near hell) and now one month 1500 cals base but major increases in exercise. I feel hungry at times, but not like *kittens* anymore.
I appreciate all the responses. I am going to the dietician as I said and she may be able to give me some more tips. It's covered by my insurance so, why not?
I'll post what she says.
Honestly, I know my hormones are probably playing a role. My doctor said I was peri-menopausal and my periods are 2 weeks apart to 6 weeks apart at times. I'll have PMS symptoms for 2 weeks sometimes. Trouble sleeping, sore breasts, cramps, etc. I knew this but still thought calories in and calories out would override that. I may need some blood work beyond TSH. I tried bioidentical hormones (progesterone only) for a couple months a while back, but felt the side effects were worse. I'm only 38, but my Doc says it can happen this early. I was hesitant to go into this much detail, but hey - it is what it is.
Any peri-menopausal women out there?

Are you positive you're in perimenopause? I'm 45 and have have no signs of approaching menopause... yet.

I asked my doctor to run some tests to find out where i am in this regard, and he said there is no such thing/test to find out if I'm in peri.

ravengirl2014 · July 2017

I agree there are no tests for perimenopause but her symptoms do sound a lot like mine and I am 47 and definitely having issues... My periods do about the same type of thing but the pain finally forced me to see my GYN...she put me on the minipill...progesterone only... I was worried about gain since I still have a bunch of weight to lose...but so far I am still losing...slowly but it is coming...and the help with the pain makes it possible to workout most of the time. I started working out in November and was doing my own thing food wise...my Trainer had given me an introductory workout...I lost 12 pounds and got stuck...and frustrated...so I ended up back in my Trainer's office willing to listen to the rest of his advice... Here it is...doing Intermittent Fasting...I basically eat only from 10am-6pm...it is just an 8 hour window...you pick your own time... I upped my water drastically...and I mean drastically... He gave me a new workout...4 days of split body parts and 3 days of High Intensity Interval Training.... I keep my macros at roughly 148 carb, 80-90 (grams) protein, and 40 ish grams of fat... Roughly 1300 calories/day... No simple carbs or added sugar except on Sunday which is my "relax" day. I feel like my body is retaining water from the new routine right now and my periods come about 3 weeks apart so part of the time my weightloss doesn't show anyway and then I get a whoosh...(which is nice!!!) I am talking like .5/pd per week... You have to get out of your head and trust the process...in my case I trust my Trainer...he hasn't been wrong one single time so far...so I just ignore the scale if I know that I am doing everything he told me... I am not sure why you aren't losing but here is my story... I hope you figure yours out!

I hate the scale!

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