LONG RANT... but please, i need advice.

2

Replies

  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    "Smothered in pesto". That right there is one of the reasons you need to log. Pesto is pretty much just oil. Delicious yes but a calorie bomb, you can't go to town with it.

    Your exercise means diddly if you don't have your calories in check. If you do lose what you've regained you need a better exit strategy for maintenance because as yet, you haven't got the skills to maintain your losses.

    Just checked pesto sauce and a half cup came in between 460 and 620 calories, depending on the source and recipe.

    That's would be a huge portion of my daily diet and wouldn't leave me much room to eat anything else.

    I can't even imagine using half a cup of pesto at a time. I use an ice-cube's worth (I make my own and freeze it), which comes out to *maybe* a quarter cup, if even that... Half a cup would be drowning it!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Thank you all for the reality check. I have been logging my food since I made this post. Now, lets hope I see results!

    I have carefully read all your comments and will be applying the tips you all gave me!

    Good on you! Looking forward to a positive update a few weeks down the road!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    "Smothered in pesto". That right there is one of the reasons you need to log. Pesto is pretty much just oil. Delicious yes but a calorie bomb, you can't go to town with it.

    Your exercise means diddly if you don't have your calories in check. If you do lose what you've regained you need a better exit strategy for maintenance because as yet, you haven't got the skills to maintain your losses.

    Just checked pesto sauce and a half cup came in between 460 and 620 calories, depending on the source and recipe.

    That's would be a huge portion of my daily diet and wouldn't leave me much room to eat anything else.

    I can't even imagine using half a cup of pesto at a time. I use an ice-cube's worth (I make my own and freeze it), which comes out to *maybe* a quarter cup, if even that... Half a cup would be drowning it!

    I have a recipe that calls for 3/4 cup for a package of pasta...plus veggies and meat...and cheesex4...

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,577 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    "Smothered in pesto". That right there is one of the reasons you need to log. Pesto is pretty much just oil. Delicious yes but a calorie bomb, you can't go to town with it.

    Your exercise means diddly if you don't have your calories in check. If you do lose what you've regained you need a better exit strategy for maintenance because as yet, you haven't got the skills to maintain your losses.

    Just checked pesto sauce and a half cup came in between 460 and 620 calories, depending on the source and recipe.

    That's would be a huge portion of my daily diet and wouldn't leave me much room to eat anything else.

    I can't even imagine using half a cup of pesto at a time. I use an ice-cube's worth (I make my own and freeze it), which comes out to *maybe* a quarter cup, if even that... Half a cup would be drowning it!

    Yes, well, she did use the term "smothered in pesto". That suggests she's drowning it.

  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
    Op , every time I get off the wagon and gain weight it's because I stopped logging. At the time, I swear I am not eating enough to gain weight. I'm so convinced it's something wrong with the scale, or me, medically...lol
    I blame everything except my eating habits. I am active, I work out.... how can I still gain weight?
    I swear, the minute I start to log my food the pounds comes off. I'm not 100% accurate when I log, but I log everything. Even a bite of pizza.

    Please, buy a scale and start doing this. You will be amazed!

    You should definitely weigh every day IMO. The more data the better. If you go weekly, you may weigh on a water retention day. I know a lot of folks don't like weighing but I really don't understand that mentality. Nothing sneaks up on you if you weigh often.
  • Rebirth08
    Rebirth08 Posts: 174 Member
    edited October 2017
    Sounds like the answers you need are in your own post: "I loosened up on my diet'" "Diet is not bad but not great'" "I treat myself a couple of times a week," "Large salad with lots of pesto and cheese."
    Last time I loosened up on my diet, I gained 90#. You are exercising a great deal, but remember, you cannot out train a bad diet. So, perhaps go back to what you did to drop those 30#. Then if you need to (for your sanity), find a way to treat yourself that keeps you in that calorie deficit.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    blambo61 wrote: »
    Op , every time I get off the wagon and gain weight it's because I stopped logging. At the time, I swear I am not eating enough to gain weight. I'm so convinced it's something wrong with the scale, or me, medically...lol
    I blame everything except my eating habits. I am active, I work out.... how can I still gain weight?
    I swear, the minute I start to log my food the pounds comes off. I'm not 100% accurate when I log, but I log everything. Even a bite of pizza.

    Please, buy a scale and start doing this. You will be amazed!

    You should definitely weigh every day IMO. The more data the better. If you go weekly, you may weigh on a water retention day. I know a lot of folks don't like weighing but I really don't understand that mentality. Nothing sneaks up on you if you weigh often.

    and imo I don't think weighing everyday is a good idea if it is going to cause stress.

    and if you log accurately and consistently using a food scale and correct entries weight doesn't sneak up on you.

    I weigh myself maybe 1x a month if that...and I consistently maintain when I want or lose when I want.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    blambo61 wrote: »
    matti422 wrote: »
    Get a kitchen scale an weigh food for accurate recording. And do some weight training in addition to the cardio. But also consider investing in a scale that measures muscle mass, body fat, and estimated base metabolic rate. I was gaining weight on 1200 calories a day, and started losing when I upped my intake to 1800 after getting a BMR test that indicated I had a base rate or 2200 calories.

    Im so confused. How did you gain weight on 1200 calories ?? I will never get this. I thought you only gained weight by eating more than you burned...:(

    Some people will trash there metabolism by eating very little and then their BMR goes way low and then if they are not very active, they will have a very low TDEE.
    e

    THEIR metabolism isn't trashed unless it's an ongoing situation that has lasted a fairly long time...such as and ED.

    and no gaining on 1200 isn't going to happen even with a child.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    I am late but I agree with whats been said. Please update us if you found you were eating more than you thought etc and if you find success :). I always like to see people figure out what was going on.
  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
    smothered being, I dip a kitchen brush in the pesto 2-3 times and I cover my chicken breast in it, you can very much see the chicken, it's not super thick, but safe to say, every inch of that breast has been brushed with pesto LOL.

    Then I top it with low fat mozz. cheese.


    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    "Smothered in pesto". That right there is one of the reasons you need to log. Pesto is pretty much just oil. Delicious yes but a calorie bomb, you can't go to town with it.

    Your exercise means diddly if you don't have your calories in check. If you do lose what you've regained you need a better exit strategy for maintenance because as yet, you haven't got the skills to maintain your losses.

    Just checked pesto sauce and a half cup came in between 460 and 620 calories, depending on the source and recipe.

    That's would be a huge portion of my daily diet and wouldn't leave me much room to eat anything else.

    I can't even imagine using half a cup of pesto at a time. I use an ice-cube's worth (I make my own and freeze it), which comes out to *maybe* a quarter cup, if even that... Half a cup would be drowning it!

    Yes, well, she did use the term "smothered in pesto". That suggests she's drowning it.

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    MizMareedy wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    I'm curious if you're measuring yourself too. You're very active and I'd be willing to bet that gain is due to some muscle replacing fat. I'm not an expert though, just my two cents.

    no muscle does not replace fat with jsut 1600 calories and no significant weight lifting...esp for a woman.

    OP are you using a food scale? as well understand that exercising does not guarantee weight loss ever if you aren't logging accurately.

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    MizMareedy wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    I'm curious if you're measuring yourself too. You're very active and I'd be willing to bet that gain is due to some muscle replacing fat. I'm not an expert though, just my two cents.

    Possibly some but not 15lbs worth. The OP was obviously eating in a surplus and doing weight training so some is possible. Under optimum condition, ideal program, ideal diet, rest, adequate protein, a woman without benefit of testosterone can gain between .5 and 1lb per month. Highly doubtful all the OPs conditions were ideal, so maybe 3 to 6 lbs tops?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    Had you been working out as often prior? Muscle repair = water retention.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    That is what the smart money would bet on!
  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    Had you been working out as often prior? Muscle repair = water retention.

    Yes, prior to logging, i was working out 4-5 times per week. (30 to 45 minutes of elliptical machine and 45 minutes of weights) i have been doing this over over 2 years.
  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
    MizMareedy wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    I'm curious if you're measuring yourself too. You're very active and I'd be willing to bet that gain is due to some muscle replacing fat. I'm not an expert though, just my two cents.

    I haven't measures myself since i started logging, 5 days ago. I plan to measuring this weekend after i get 2-3 additional workouts in. I just weighed myself this morning for kicks, just to see if there are improvements in my overall weight. I understand that the scale may take a bit more time to budge ;)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    MizMareedy wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    I'm curious if you're measuring yourself too. You're very active and I'd be willing to bet that gain is due to some muscle replacing fat. I'm not an expert though, just my two cents.

    I haven't measures myself since i started logging, 5 days ago. I plan to measuring this weekend after i get 2-3 additional workouts in. I just weighed myself this morning for kicks, just to see if there are improvements in my overall weight. I understand that the scale may take a bit more time to budge ;)

    again how are you measuring your intake? are you using a food scale? choosing the correct entries?

  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
    i measure yes. and i scan most of my food by the bar code so the correct entry is used.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    i measure yes. and i scan most of my food by the bar code so the correct entry is used.

    measure how? cups/spoons? if so it's not accurate

    neither are the scans..sorry.

    I've scanned in things like bread and it came up as mountain dew...no joke.

    correct entries are those from USDA or those that you know match the nutrition on the package per gram and even then the package can be off by 20%
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    i measure yes. and i scan most of my food by the bar code so the correct entry is used.

    measure how? cups/spoons? if so it's not accurate

    neither are the scans..sorry.

    I've scanned in things like bread and it came up as mountain dew...no joke.

    correct entries are those from USDA or those that you know match the nutrition on the package per gram and even then the package can be off by 20%

    To add to this, there are some entries in the MFP database that are off by crazy amounts. For a time, they listed a clove of garlic at 16,000 calories. So I usually compare the USDA listing to the MFP and, if it's something I use often, I'll just save it as one of my foods so I know it's correct.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    zbmiller4 wrote: »
    Stop worrying about weight and worry about body fat. People can lose up to 20 pounds in 3 days with water manipulation.

    seriously?

    do you really think the OP is manipulating their water to complain?

    Even if it is water retention understanding why/how is important as water weight can make people puffy and appear bigger....even feel bigger.

    losing weight means losing weight which includes water/fat/muscle...scale weight is important to a lot of people and telling them not to worry about it doesn't work...
  • sarahshinks2233
    sarahshinks2233 Posts: 55 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I have been logging since I made this post on sunday. I upped my cals to a little over 1600 just to start off, so far so good. Didn't go over my cals, not even once!!! so, 5 days ago.

    I had a rest day and I exercised 3 times. 1 hot yoga class and 2 workouts at the gym ( 45 min of elliptical and 45 min of weights).

    I climbed on the scale this morning right after i go up , I gained 1.5 pounds???? It's still early, I will keep at it for another couples of weeks, see what happens!

    Im thinking i have water retention... i significantly upped my water intake.

    That is what the smart money would bet on!

    I always weigh 0.5 to 1lb heavier the morning after a workout, too. I couldn't tell if you were weighing in after one or not, but that could also be it.
  • NotGuiltylawyer
    NotGuiltylawyer Posts: 39 Member
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    i measure yes. and i scan most of my food by the bar code so the correct entry is used.

    measure how? cups/spoons? if so it's not accurate

    neither are the scans..sorry.

    I've scanned in things like bread and it came up as mountain dew...no joke.

    correct entries are those from USDA or those that you know match the nutrition on the package per gram and even then the package can be off by 20%

    To add to this, there are some entries in the MFP database that are off by crazy amounts. For a time, they listed a clove of garlic at 16,000 calories. So I usually compare the USDA listing to the MFP and, if it's something I use often, I'll just save it as one of my foods so I know it's correct.

    I do that too. Most of the food i eat is repetition so it's nice to gave the info handy when it comes to logging.

    If i eat say, a cup of corn flake i scan the box, look at the result in MFT and if it's the same as what it says on the box, im good to go.

    I have logged food for a long time, i am aware that sometimes it's off. I believe i am logging correctly. I will keep doing what im doing and see what the scale says in a couples of week, if i don't see improvements i will either, check with my doctor, add more cardio, take my measurements or..... buy a new scale!! hahaha.
  • BootyfulBikerZX10r
    BootyfulBikerZX10r Posts: 72 Member
    Yes continue logging, it keeps us accountable. Also, Im not sure how old you are but as we get older especially as women we start to lose muscle which is a major natural fat burner. Hormones are also a factor. I don't know how old you are but Im early 30's and have noticed a huge difference in my bodies abilities to drop weight easily. So the older I get I find I have to be even more mindful of portions/foods etc.