Cannot lose weight

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bkuc12
bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have been using MFP for over a week now and am gaining weight. Prior to that I was eating less than usual, just not recording the calorie intake, but know it was less than the amount I should be eating. I had just suffered an acid reflux attack or IBS attack, so was eating light for the past two weeks. Was afraid of another attack. I am ready to just give up. In the past whenever I have started a diet, I lost weight the first few weeks rather rapidly (water weight) then it slowed down. But this time I am gaining it. I am staying below my suggested calorie intake, so not over eating. I am using body cues and only eating when I am actually hungry. I am only drinking water, except for one 8 oz serving of 100% juice a day. I add in everything I am eating including if I use any black pepper, salt, cinnamon and so on. I am walking about 20-45 mins a day. I don't eat for 4-5 hours before I go to bed. I am not eating any sweets at all. I am a vegetarian, so not even eating red meats. No pasta, which was why I gained all this weight when I became a vegetarian. I am adding vegetables and fruits to every meal. In all honesty, I am eating healthier than I have ever before. What could I be doing wrong? Yesterday was the first day I had reached my suggested calorie intake and scale showed I gain 2.2 pounds over night. For the past few days every time I weigh myself, the scale is going up. It is really killing me. Thanks for any suggestions. Also if I did this post wrong, I am sorry, This is my first post here,

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It's only been a week, and likely if you were undereating then increasing your intake has replenished your glycogen stores and increased water weight. Since weight loss isn't linear, this is one of just multiple reasons that you're seeing an increase on the scale. Give yourself a few more weeks and if you don't lose by then, you will want to tighten up your logging.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you for your post malibu927. That helps.
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
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    You mentioned IBS. I have issues with that as well, so I have to ask: are your bowel movements regular? If you are eating the amount MFP tells you to (and measuring your food!), and adding in a lot of fruits and veggies like you said, it sounds like you are eating quite a lot of bulk, and the bulk has to come out at some point. If it doesn’t, it will of course seem like weight gain. You measure out your food and know how many grams of this and that you ate, those same grams of food will be inside you until they are absorbed or, well, come out the other end.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    hipari-thank you for your post. My doctor is not 100% sure if it is IBS yet or not. She is thinking it may be. I have had two attacks in the past two months. The first time was in the end of March and I was down for five days. I could not eat anything at all for four days. Had no appetite at all. Then my second attack was the end of April. But, was only down for two days as was more aware. The first time I just thought I was very gassy. I used to only drink soda. Nothing else, just soda. Diet soda, but nonetheless, it was carbonated water. I have given up soda completely, and have not had any since end of March. I am regular, it is just that I get major stomach issues-sounds like water dripping, feeling something moving around in my stomach and end up throwing up a lot and I get diarrhea. I can't remember a time that I was ever constipated. I think it might be a dairy issue too. I can eat one yogurt a day without it bothering me, but my main food source was macaroni and cheese with either peas or broccoli mixed in with it. That is what got me sick this past time. The last time it was sauce and pasta. I do not get heartburn which is why my doctor is thinking possibly IBS. I have given up pasta as well as sauce, ketchup (I lived for ketchup). I hope this all makes sense? Thanks for your post.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    scarla67-thanks for your post. I am not a fan of regular garlic or cabbage, but am thinking I was eating too much broccoli. I am basically only drinking water now, which I never did before, unless there was nothing else, and I was thirsty. I am reading around about IBS, just in case that is what I am diagnosed with and seeing what FODMAP is. Thanks so much for your suggestion.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
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    It takes time for a body to shift from fat storing to fat burning. Give it more time; keep doing the very best you can to meet your nutritional needs and keep logging whatever you eat or drink.

    I've gained 5 pounds overnight on seemingly nothing on more than one occasion. The body works in mysterious ways sometimes.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you 2snakeswoman.
  • lisa0527
    lisa0527 Posts: 49 Member
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    Yup...the body does some interesting things at times. Don’t worry....with consistency the weight will come off. My only piece of advice is to not panic and respond with further calorie restriction at this point (since it’s only been a week and it sounds like you’re already eating below the recommended most days), and to try to eat regularly to avoid hunger. Once you’re hungry some pretty basic biological mechanisms kick in to try to retain weight and increase intake. So a couple of snacks a day may help prevent that. Otherwise it sounds like you’re doing a lot of things right that will help you reach your goal. Just make sure to keep weighing, measuring and logging everything, especially during these early days of your journey.
  • kimberly1534mfp
    kimberly1534mfp Posts: 5 Member
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    Any one can do it! i was there once too!
  • kobun37
    kobun37 Posts: 5 Member
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    You don't mention of you are male or female, but I can tell you from experience of you are female your monthly cycle also has a lot to do with water retention and thus the number on the scale.

    I started MFP about a month ago and weigh myself weekly. Even though I stuck to my suggested calorie intake my first progress check weigh was just before my period started and I was up 4 pounds. A week later I was down 2 pounds (2 over my starting weight), then the week after I was 3 pounds under my starting weight. During that time my clothes were fitting better and I had more energy (I try to do 40 minutes of spinning on an exercise bike daily) so I knew the number on the scale didn't tell the whole story.

    Some people immediately drop a lot of water weight, but that didn't happen for me thanks to hormones. So don't sweat it if you don't see an immediate short-term drop.
  • floppybackend
    floppybackend Posts: 52 Member
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    Im taking Digestive Enzymes (health food shop or net) also called HCI must have Betaine, I take after evening meal with protein finding amazing results with IBS. I also have Mastic gum tablets and DGL before bed. Also with IBS I believe you need to cut your fibre if you have tried fibre increasing makes it worse. ie wholegrains and pulses make it worse. Don't drink cold drinks. I also eat organic.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    May I suggest you look into Histamine Intolerance, this is increasingly being linked to IBS. There is a very long list of other possible health complications attached to unresolved histamine, its partly the hay fever thing but so much more because histamine has an active role in our general health too. Having good nutrition for you, elimination of excess histamine can require vit c and vit b6 to create natural DAO enzyme, the other enzyme, name escapes me, is more complicated to produce naturally.

    I use HCI and Pepsin with meals this helps to improve stomach acidity. I also use digestive microbes, (some companies make blends designed not to increase histamine). The digestive microbes we need to digest our food are put under great strain by our using antibiotics and pain relief products and more, which reduce their numbers and can put the most beneficial ones on the critical list.

    Simple things which might help are avoiding cold cuts and left overs. For those effected it can be a very extensive thing. It can include food eliminations, though balancing foods like histamine releasing ones with low or no histamine ones is very effective. Calming IBS is a person specific thing. What works for others is worth looking into but what matters is, what works for yourself no one else. I suggest you read into histamine intolerance and give it some consideration. All the very best.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    There are a couple of areas where you could be having issues. First of all as others have said a week is not enough time but I get that you are working hard and GAINING! That's really annoying. You said you drink 8 ounces of 100% juice daily. Are you counting those calories? Juice is incredibly high in sugar if it's fruit juice. Before I lost weight I used to make fresh orange juice and it took 6 oranges to make one 8 ounce glass. I would never have eaten 6 oranges.

    The other thing I wondered about is when you set up your account did you use active? If so are you then using your steps etc. for extra calories? If you are then you may be going over what you should. For example I get 10,000 plus steps a day but I am set up as sedentary (I have a desk job) because I have my Garmin connected to MFP and I get exercise calories for that so I don't want to list myself as active then count the activity again.

    You didn't say how many calories you are eating or set at so I may be totally off the mark here and please forgive me if I am. Just trying to think of what could be the issue. IBS is something I know little about but I know when my system is sluggish I can gain weight so if your bowels aren't working right you could see some spikes up and down as they work and don't work if you catch my meaning.

    Hang in there kiddo. I know how hard it is at the beginning when you don't trust the process yet but I promise you it works.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you cheryldumais. Yes, I am counting the juice calories as well. The exercise I put in just before I go to bed, so that they don't "free up" those calories. Thank you so much for your informative reply. I really appreciate it.
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you for your reply fuzzipeg. I am a vegetarian, so it just might be something with that. I have never had this happen before. Generally the first few weeks I lose like crazy and then it slows down. I appreciate your information. I am making another appt with my doctor. In the past when dieting I have always drank diet soda, and this time I am not. Maybe something in diet soda helped with beginning weight loss. I have eliminated all soda, and did that about four weeks prior to starting this. I just gave up all soda at once rather than just lowering the amount I drank. I will have to take some of the information you shared to my doctor and see if that might help. Thanks so much!
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you floppybackend. I will definitely look into that information. I am new to all of this and still waiting to find out if it is IBS, gastritis, acid reflux and all. Thanks so much!!
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks kobun37. I am female. I just ordered a new scale. I was using the wii board, so maybe it is just the scale. Your post definitely makes sense. Thanks so much!
  • bkuc12
    bkuc12 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks so much lisa0527. I will try that. Maybe it is all just waiting too long to eat. I just read tonight somewhere to use a food scale rather than spoons and measuring cups, so ordered a food scale from Amazon. Thanks so much for your help.

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