So discouraged
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Awesome. Thanks again
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missmelis1976 wrote: »So for instance if I eat a sandwich at lunch this weekend I would weigh the sandwich beforehand? Just a little confused
I’d weigh the individual ingredients as I was making the sandwich. But now that I think of it, I’ve never weighed bread, always used the NI per slice. But may be checking it at next opportunity.0 -
missmelis1976 wrote: »So for instance if I eat a sandwich at lunch this weekend I would weigh the sandwich beforehand? Just a little confused
I’d weigh the individual ingredients as I was making the sandwich. But now that I think of it, I’ve never weighed bread, always used the NI per slice. But may be checking it at next opportunity.
I never did either until recently, then I thought maybe I'd just see. They're usually either 2-4g within range or right-on, in my experience.0 -
It is possible to burn that much on a walk, especially if you are going uphill and/or walking at a fast pace.
The weight gain could due to be a few things:
1.) Water weight. If you gain more than a pound per week, it's most likely water weight. This could be due to not drinking enough water- make sure you are definitely drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day bare minimum. If you take any medications, try to find out if weight gain is a side effect.
2.) Eating too many calories. The average calorie goal for women's weight loss is roughly 1200-1300 calories per day. To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. So if you're going past that, then that might be the culprit.
3.) With the 2nd point in mind, DO NOT eat your exercise calories back. I made this mistake myself and wondered why I wasn't losing anything. Again, you want a calorie deficit so that your body will burn fat for energy.
4.) Sweet tooth and cravings. Cravings are a sign that the body is missing nutrients it needs to function. Like you, I have a major sweet tooth and that was one of the biggest factors of my weight issue. I would do great all day only to come home late at night after work and binge on sweets because I was starving. Turns out I wasn't getting enough protein- nowhere near my protein goal. So try upping your protein intake if you find yourself craving sweets, especially at night.
5.) Stress. Weight gain can also be due to stress. When I first started this journey two years ago, the first 80 pounds just flew off. Then I moved in with my grandparents to take care of them. Anyone who takes care of another human being - child or elderly adult- knows that it's the hardest, most thankless job on the planet, so you can only imagine how high my stress levels went. Needless to say, despite my best efforts, the weight loss progress slowed tremendously. To combat stress, I did a number of things like doing beginner yoga videos at home on YouTube (I recommend Yoga With Adrienne, she's great for beginners), adult coloring is another fun stress buster, and of course just getting out and doing something fun when you can. Everyone needs a break, especially moms and caregivers. We're not superwoman, and that's okay. We don't need to be.
6.) Exercise. Walking is great exercise of course, but make sure you shake up your workout routine a bit. Your body may have become accustomed to your current routine, so it may no longer be challenging to you or building muscle. Maybe try something different like a dance class, fitness class, I don't know if you go to the gym or not, but if you do, try different machines. Or try short, intermittent jogging intervals during your walks.
7.) Age & health issues. The older us women get, the slower our metabolism gets each year. If you've tried all of the above and still nothing works, then I would go see a doctor to make sure it's not an underlying health issue (usually it isn't, so don't worry. It's probably something to do with your diet/nutrition. That's usually the culprit.) The doctor can pinpoint the cause of possible weight gain, and/or direct you to a nutritionist/dietitian to help you get back on track.
8.) Last but not least, it could be a weight loss plateau. Weight loss plateaus can happen for weeks to months depending on the person and situation. Again, to bust through the plateau, change up your exercise regimen a little to get things going again. Kind of like hitting the restart button on your metabolism.
9.) It could be muscle buildup. Again, that happened to me. Muscle was replacing fat, which is great. Except when I hopped on the scale and didn't see it go down. That was disheartening. But if I'm going to weigh what I weigh, I'd rather it be all muscle than all fat. So that is something to take into consideration. God made us what we are.
Sorry this response was so long, but I totally get how you feel. Don't worry, and certainly don't lose hope. Everything will be okay! You will start losing again, it's a matter of time. You are doing great, so keep it up. Anytime you think you are not accomplishing anything in your weight loss goals, just remember how far you've come from where you started, the bad habits you changed, and the fact that you're way ahead of those couch potatoes who aren't even trying. A healthy lifestyle is a worthwhile pursuit. Big hugs to you, and don't worry- it will all workout.10 -
You may have to weigh all your food for awhile...... I find when I stop weighing - my portions slowly start to creep up... not awful if your maintaining..... a killer when your trying to loose weight and are getting closer to goal when you don't have a lot of wiggle room.
I only eat back approx 50% of my exercise calories as a buffer.
Absolutely every time I think I'm stalled it's because I become lax in weighing my food.... thinking I can eyeball it....
lol my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. OMG I just channeled my mother.
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cmriverside wrote: »missmelis1976 wrote: »So for instance if I eat a sandwich at lunch this weekend I would weigh the sandwich beforehand? Just a little confused
I’d weigh the individual ingredients as I was making the sandwich. But now that I think of it, I’ve never weighed bread, always used the NI per slice. But may be checking it at next opportunity.
I never did either until recently, then I thought maybe I'd just see. They're usually either 2-4g within range or right-on, in my experience.
Some brands are definitely more consistent than others. I use the Aunt Millie's brand for bread, and they're usually spot on, but I use Joseph's brand for wraps, and while they say a wrap is 56g, most are above 60g, and some I've gotten up to 65g! Almost 20% more right there.0 -
Here's an example of a simple stew:
One can of stewed tomatoes - 350 grams
One can of whole kernel corn - 350 grams
One pound of 93% lean beef - 448 grams
Total weight is total servings = 1148 servings.
Using the old recipe builder you tell it that the recipe makes 1148 servings. Each case is different.
The recipe tool proclaims each serving to be 0 or 1 gram, typically. You get a bowl full of stew and weigh it as 400 grams
Log 400 servings and it will tell you that you have something like 350 calories.
If you save the recipe you can use it again, editing it each time as you change ingredients and weights.0 -
Kimmotion5783 wrote: »It is possible to burn that much on a walk, especially if you are going uphill and/or walking at a fast pace.
The weight gain could due to be a few things:
1.) Water weight. If you gain more than a pound per week, it's most likely water weight. This could be due to not drinking enough water- make sure you are definitely drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day bare minimum. If you take any medications, try to find out if weight gain is a side effect.
2.) Eating too many calories. The average calorie goal for women's weight loss is roughly 1200-1300 calories per day. To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. So if you're going past that, then that might be the culprit.
3.) With the 2nd point in mind, DO NOT eat your exercise calories back. I made this mistake myself and wondered why I wasn't losing anything. Again, you want a calorie deficit so that your body will burn fat for energy.
4.) Sweet tooth and cravings. Cravings are a sign that the body is missing nutrients it needs to function. Like you, I have a major sweet tooth and that was one of the biggest factors of my weight issue. I would do great all day only to come home late at night after work and binge on sweets because I was starving. Turns out I wasn't getting enough protein- nowhere near my protein goal. So try upping your protein intake if you find yourself craving sweets, especially at night.
5.) Stress. Weight gain can also be due to stress. When I first started this journey two years ago, the first 80 pounds just flew off. Then I moved in with my grandparents to take care of them. Anyone who takes care of another human being - child or elderly adult- knows that it's the hardest, most thankless job on the planet, so you can only imagine how high my stress levels went. Needless to say, despite my best efforts, the weight loss progress slowed tremendously. To combat stress, I did a number of things like doing beginner yoga videos at home on YouTube (I recommend Yoga With Adrienne, she's great for beginners), adult coloring is another fun stress buster, and of course just getting out and doing something fun when you can. Everyone needs a break, especially moms and caregivers. We're not superwoman, and that's okay. We don't need to be.
6.) Exercise. Walking is great exercise of course, but make sure you shake up your workout routine a bit. Your body may have become accustomed to your current routine, so it may no longer be challenging to you or building muscle. Maybe try something different like a dance class, fitness class, I don't know if you go to the gym or not, but if you do, try different machines. Or try short, intermittent jogging intervals during your walks.
7.) Age & health issues. The older us women get, the slower our metabolism gets each year. If you've tried all of the above and still nothing works, then I would go see a doctor to make sure it's not an underlying health issue (usually it isn't, so don't worry. It's probably something to do with your diet/nutrition. That's usually the culprit.) The doctor can pinpoint the cause of possible weight gain, and/or direct you to a nutritionist/dietitian to help you get back on track.
8.) Last but not least, it could be a weight loss plateau. Weight loss plateaus can happen for weeks to months depending on the person and situation. Again, to bust through the plateau, change up your exercise regimen a little to get things going again. Kind of like hitting the restart button on your metabolism.
9.) It could be muscle buildup. Again, that happened to me. Muscle was replacing fat, which is great. Except when I hopped on the scale and didn't see it go down. That was disheartening. But if I'm going to weigh what I weigh, I'd rather it be all muscle than all fat. So that is something to take into consideration. God made us what we are.
Sorry this response was so long, but I totally get how you feel. Don't worry, and certainly don't lose hope. Everything will be okay! You will start losing again, it's a matter of time. You are doing great, so keep it up. Anytime you think you are not accomplishing anything in your weight loss goals, just remember how fear you've come from where you started, the bad habits you changed, and the fact that you're way ahead of those couch potatoes who aren't even trying. A healthy lifestyle is a worthwhile pursuit. Big hugs to you, and don't worry- it will all workout.
There is so much questionable about this advice. @Kimmotion5783 please feel free to further explain the items I highlighted.3 -
Could it be PMS? I gain 8-10 lbs of water weight and stay painfully swollen for a whole week. May also account for the sweet tooth.
I think you need more water, too, in addition to what people are saying about the food scale. We need way more than the recommended 8, 8oz glasses a day, and even more if you're active.
Might be TMI but I lost 6lbs of literal crap drinking 128oz of water daily for the last 3 days. Im using Hydro Coach to track because it gives reminders in my phone's notifications. Could just be you haven't yet fully expelled your meals.0 -
Also, if you've been eating salty foods or adding salt, you're probably experiencing water retention. Some 'healthy' food, like those VeggieStraws, have tons of sodium.
And it would be really hard to gain 3lbs of fat in one week. (From what I understand its 3lbs from last week, right? Not 3lbs over the course of 3 months?) You'd have to be eating A TON to gain that much actual fat in a week, much much more than your maintenance number. Therefore it's not likely you're overeating tremendously without the food scale.
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Kimmotion5783 wrote: »It is possible to burn that much on a walk, especially if you are going uphill and/or walking at a fast pace.
The weight gain could due to be a few things:
1.) Water weight. If you gain more than a pound per week, it's most likely water weight. This could be due to not drinking enough water- make sure you are definitely drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day bare minimum. If you take any medications, try to find out if weight gain is a side effect.
2.) Eating too many calories. The average calorie goal for women's weight loss is roughly 1200-1300 calories per day. To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. So if you're going past that, then that might be the culprit.
3.) With the 2nd point in mind, DO NOT eat your exercise calories back. I made this mistake myself and wondered why I wasn't losing anything. Again, you want a calorie deficit so that your body will burn fat for energy.
4.) Sweet tooth and cravings. Cravings are a sign that the body is missing nutrients it needs to function. Like you, I have a major sweet tooth and that was one of the biggest factors of my weight issue. I would do great all day only to come home late at night after work and binge on sweets because I was starving. Turns out I wasn't getting enough protein- nowhere near my protein goal. So try upping your protein intake if you find yourself craving sweets, especially at night.
5.) Stress. Weight gain can also be due to stress. When I first started this journey two years ago, the first 80 pounds just flew off. Then I moved in with my grandparents to take care of them. Anyone who takes care of another human being - child or elderly adult- knows that it's the hardest, most thankless job on the planet, so you can only imagine how high my stress levels went. Needless to say, despite my best efforts, the weight loss progress slowed tremendously. To combat stress, I did a number of things like doing beginner yoga videos at home on YouTube (I recommend Yoga With Adrienne, she's great for beginners), adult coloring is another fun stress buster, and of course just getting out and doing something fun when you can. Everyone needs a break, especially moms and caregivers. We're not superwoman, and that's okay. We don't need to be.
6.) Exercise. Walking is great exercise of course, but make sure you shake up your workout routine a bit. Your body may have become accustomed to your current routine, so it may no longer be challenging to you or building muscle. Maybe try something different like a dance class, fitness class, I don't know if you go to the gym or not, but if you do, try different machines. Or try short, intermittent jogging intervals during your walks.
7.) Age & health issues. The older us women get, the slower our metabolism gets each year. If you've tried all of the above and still nothing works, then I would go see a doctor to make sure it's not an underlying health issue (usually it isn't, so don't worry. It's probably something to do with your diet/nutrition. That's usually the culprit.) The doctor can pinpoint the cause of possible weight gain, and/or direct you to a nutritionist/dietitian to help you get back on track.
8.) Last but not least, it could be a weight loss plateau. Weight loss plateaus can happen for weeks to months depending on the person and situation. Again, to bust through the plateau, change up your exercise regimen a little to get things going again. Kind of like hitting the restart button on your metabolism.
9.) It could be muscle buildup. Again, that happened to me. Muscle was replacing fat, which is great. Except when I hopped on the scale and didn't see it go down. That was disheartening. But if I'm going to weigh what I weigh, I'd rather it be all muscle than all fat. So that is something to take into consideration. God made us what we are.
Sorry this response was so long, but I totally get how you feel. Don't worry, and certainly don't lose hope. Everything will be okay! You will start losing again, it's a matter of time. You are doing great, so keep it up. Anytime you think you are not accomplishing anything in your weight loss goals, just remember how fear you've come from where you started, the bad habits you changed, and the fact that you're way ahead of those couch potatoes who aren't even trying. A healthy lifestyle is a worthwhile pursuit. Big hugs to you, and don't worry- it will all workout.
There is so much questionable about this advice. @Kimmotion5783 please feel free to further explain the items I highlighted.
A lot of this is actually sound advice. It's just lengthy, worded weirdly, references personal experiences, and lacks specific research. But it's pretty easy to verify with quick searches ourselves.4 -
sounds like you think you're eating at a deficit. but you are not.. and you are eating chocolate too. chances are you need to learn how to log better. and learn how .. (not lie to yourself). (we all have done that).
But when you eat healthy..cut out the crap ..sugar, bread.. fried foods.. and you move..weigh..measure.. you then lose.5 -
elisa123gal wrote: »sounds like you think you're eating at a deficit. but you are not.. and you are eating chocolate too. chances are you need to learn how to log better. and learn how .. (not lie to yourself). (we all have done that).
But when you eat healthy..cut out the crap ..sugar, bread.. fried foods.. and you move..weigh..measure.. you then lose.
What a load of nonsense OP can eat chocolate if they want! Im down from 130 to 115lbs over the last few months (requiring meticulous tracking at such low weight already) and i eat chocolate nearly ever single day. As long as you can fit a treat into your calories its fine.
Same goes for bread, personally i dont eat bread but theres no reason for people to cut things out if they dont want to! Portion control is the first and most important step0 -
Most likely water retention. Have you eaten 1500 calories over your maintenance every single day for a week? No? So, logically you shouldn't expect a real gain of 3 lbs in a week I wouldn't worry too much. Just wait it out. Being accurate with your logging is good practice, regardless if you gained this week or not, so take that advice on board too.2
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