Need help..or confirmation on my thought process...
chasetwins
Posts: 702 Member
Hey everyone!~
I am not new to MFP nor the losing weight world. I have been very successful with my diet plans and exercise regimens until now....:/
I quit smoking just a bout a year ago. I lost the cigarettes the smells and the coughing but gained some nasty poundage! { My fault!! }
I am 43 - 5'4 and currently as of this AM weigh 201.8
I started back on the wagon at the end of Aug beginning of Sept. First few weeks went well then Bam..now I am gaining ! For The past 2 weeks I have gained a pound or more. Period is not into play here as the week I did have my period I actually lost weight lol
Previous to this round- I did very well on an avg of 1500 calories per day. And by well I mean I av 2-3 lbs per week with no problems losing a total of 37 pounds. However I was also exercising minimum 3 days a week sometimes 5! And..smoking lol.
This time for the moment due to an issue with my hip & foot I am not working out as of yet so I am aiming for 1200-1300 per day. When I start exercising I was going to bump up to my 1500.
I weigh my food..even the creamer that goes in my coffee. I have monitored my sodium. I can assure you neither of these are in play here either. In my mind I keep 50-100 cals free for the tasting of dinner while cooking ( not common but happens, pieces of gum I may chew and forget to log, standard errors of numbers on packages or my own etc.
I drink between 60 - 128 ounces of water per day.
Which brings me to: My question and thought process: Even though I am not working out...am I not eating enough?? Do you think I should bump my cals to 1500 even without the exercise?? In my mind it seems wrong considering before I exercised with the 1500, so to me because I am not exercising I need the cals lower.
When counting calories I have never had an issue losing before...this gain is starting to annoy the (beep) out of me!! Which will in turn discourage me creating an epic fail!!
Please help
I am not new to MFP nor the losing weight world. I have been very successful with my diet plans and exercise regimens until now....:/
I quit smoking just a bout a year ago. I lost the cigarettes the smells and the coughing but gained some nasty poundage! { My fault!! }
I am 43 - 5'4 and currently as of this AM weigh 201.8
I started back on the wagon at the end of Aug beginning of Sept. First few weeks went well then Bam..now I am gaining ! For The past 2 weeks I have gained a pound or more. Period is not into play here as the week I did have my period I actually lost weight lol
Previous to this round- I did very well on an avg of 1500 calories per day. And by well I mean I av 2-3 lbs per week with no problems losing a total of 37 pounds. However I was also exercising minimum 3 days a week sometimes 5! And..smoking lol.
This time for the moment due to an issue with my hip & foot I am not working out as of yet so I am aiming for 1200-1300 per day. When I start exercising I was going to bump up to my 1500.
I weigh my food..even the creamer that goes in my coffee. I have monitored my sodium. I can assure you neither of these are in play here either. In my mind I keep 50-100 cals free for the tasting of dinner while cooking ( not common but happens, pieces of gum I may chew and forget to log, standard errors of numbers on packages or my own etc.
I drink between 60 - 128 ounces of water per day.
Which brings me to: My question and thought process: Even though I am not working out...am I not eating enough?? Do you think I should bump my cals to 1500 even without the exercise?? In my mind it seems wrong considering before I exercised with the 1500, so to me because I am not exercising I need the cals lower.
When counting calories I have never had an issue losing before...this gain is starting to annoy the (beep) out of me!! Which will in turn discourage me creating an epic fail!!
Please help
1
Replies
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If you're not losing, eating more is never the answer.
Give it more than 2 weeks. Weight loss isn't linear.6 -
Yeah, if you're sure you are weighing your foods and not forgetting to track them, then no, don't eat more. 1300-1400 should be working for you at your height and weight. Lots of reasons why you would be retaining water. Sleep, stress, carbs, salt, hormones, heat, travel, etc.
I lost most of my weight at 1500-1600, but I'm 5'8".
It's common to have "up" weeks. Stay the course.4 -
chasetwins wrote: »I have monitored my sodium. I can assure you neither of these are in play here either.
Forgive me if I have this wrong, I've taken a look at your diary and your sodium is over limit most days. Maybe don't dismiss water retention. I had a similar issue and it was an electrolyte imbalance, mine wasn't sodium but potassium. These two along with Magnesium are the main players regulating how much water we retain.
Well done on quitting, I'm about to start my abstinence, again. When I quit (yeah have been a stop and start over the years) I put on 10+ lbs. Many will tell you it's because when a person stops they turn to food. As you are tracking you know this not to be true. Rather the tobacco increases our metabolic rate (higher heart rate).
Regarding exercise, this is where I run foul of many on this site. This is my personal experience, no there is no evidence for me to prove it, but I cannot lose weight unless I do exercise. By this I'm not talking gym workouts, but taking a mile or two walk. I appreciate this is not an option for you. Maybe there is something you are able to do. This isn't so much about burning calories but to get your body functions working. At the weekend I can be extremely sedentary and lets just say the plumbing 'backs up', I gain weight. Monday morning back to my routine, walk 3/4 mile to work and by Tuesday weigh in is considerably less. During Monday I go to the loo (bathroom) many more times than I do any other day of the week. Just an idea YMMV.
All the best in you finding your solution before you throw in the towel, despondent. This is a very bumpy ride, hang in there
1 -
stevephi01 wrote: »chasetwins wrote: »I have monitored my sodium. I can assure you neither of these are in play here either.
Forgive me if I have this wrong, I've taken a look at your diary and your sodium is over limit most days. Maybe don't dismiss water retention. I had a similar issue and it was an electrolyte imbalance, mine wasn't sodium but potassium. These two along with Magnesium are the main players regulating how much water we retain.
Well done on quitting, I'm about to start my abstinence, again. When I quit (yeah have been a stop and start over the years) I put on 10+ lbs. Many will tell you it's because when a person stops they turn to food. As you are tracking you know this not to be true. Rather the tobacco increases our metabolic rate (higher heart rate).
Regarding exercise, this is where I run foul of many on this site. This is my personal experience, no there is no evidence for me to prove it, but I cannot lose weight unless I do exercise. By this I'm not talking gym workouts, but taking a mile or two walk. I appreciate this is not an option for you. Maybe there is something you are able to do. This isn't so much about burning calories but to get your body functions working. At the weekend I can be extremely sedentary and lets just say the plumbing 'backs up', I gain weight. Monday morning back to my routine, walk 3/4 mile to work and by Tuesday weigh in is considerably less. During Monday I go to the loo (bathroom) many more times than I do any other day of the week. Just an idea YMMV.
All the best in you finding your solution before you throw in the towel, despondent. This is a very bumpy ride, hang in there
Hi and thank you for your reply. What I meant by monitoring and knowing that is not the issue is the fact I have all the details in a spreadsheet - my average weekly intake has not changed over the course. I have lost and gained regardless of the average of sodium
I agree on the metabolism vs smoking..hence why I did not even think about a diet until I was totally solid with the quit thing. I needed to focus on that without interruption. I developed a sugar addiction which I had to deal with too lol. Thankfully - that was easy since naturally I am not a sugar fene. Best of luck...it is not easy that is for sure!
As far as exercise - I honestly believe I need to. I want to...but I need my body to heal first. I have a bone spur and plantar faciitis to contend with ( much better these days but still there and very painful!! ) I have some thing going on with my hip which throws out my back...so trying to get stretching in a few times a day. I love my cardio...I am a Zumba queen at heart lol But right now..healing is more important. Sadly i think you are right though..I may need to figure something out.
Thank you for taking your time to reply 1 -
stevephi01 wrote: »
I might look into the magnesium..not sure how I could figure out what I should need but I take a supplement 3 times a day for the bone spur ( high reviews that it helps )...it is high in some nutrients that are supposed to dissolve the spur...plus I take my daily multi. Wondering if that is beginning to throw me off....chasetwins wrote: »These two along with Magnesium are the main players regulating how much water we retain.0 -
My weight bounces all over the place. Even when consistent on diet. Look at the overall trend over a few weeks. That is the best thing to do. Also, make sure you weigh yourself every time at the same time of day wearing the same clothes (i.e. if you wear jeans in the morning, wear the same type of jeans every morning when you weigh.).
It's a struggle. It's not easy, but if it was easy we'd all be thin. Don't let the wall take you down.1 -
@chasetwins, I started just trying this or that but it wasn't exactly the best idea I had. If it is at all possible have blood tests, include the 3 electrolytes and anything else your practitioner recommends (I hope they don't try and oversell).
It was from my blood tests I could establish my sodium and magnesium were fine. I've had these tests done annually for years but never got to see the results - was just told it's fine, till next year. Earlier this year I was given access to my records and found my low potassium level has existed for years. If it hadn't been for MFP and me eventually going through the reports screen, I'd never had suspected I wasn't taking enough. Even supplementing heavily, the level didn't go up in the blood test, so the supplements are doing nothing for me. Rather get the real levels in your body and work from there.
Are you taking pain killers, prescription medication, possibly a steroid based product? These can cause havoc too, even the seemingly innocent tabs you buy in the grocery store. If it is pain management medication causing it, maybe you'll have to wait it out till you are better - sorry I know it's more work, but hopefully will be far easier.1 -
chasetwins wrote: »Hey everyone!~
I am not new to MFP nor the losing weight world. I have been very successful with my diet plans and exercise regimens until now....:/
I quit smoking just a bout a year ago. I lost the cigarettes the smells and the coughing but gained some nasty poundage! { My fault!! }
I am 43 - 5'4 and currently as of this AM weigh 201.8
I started back on the wagon at the end of Aug beginning of Sept. First few weeks went well then Bam..now I am gaining ! For The past 2 weeks I have gained a pound or more. Period is not into play here as the week I did have my period I actually lost weight lol
Previous to this round- I did very well on an avg of 1500 calories per day. And by well I mean I av 2-3 lbs per week with no problems losing a total of 37 pounds. However I was also exercising minimum 3 days a week sometimes 5! And..smoking lol.
This time for the moment due to an issue with my hip & foot I am not working out as of yet so I am aiming for 1200-1300 per day. When I start exercising I was going to bump up to my 1500.
I weigh my food..even the creamer that goes in my coffee. I have monitored my sodium. I can assure you neither of these are in play here either. In my mind I keep 50-100 cals free for the tasting of dinner while cooking ( not common but happens, pieces of gum I may chew and forget to log, standard errors of numbers on packages or my own etc.
I drink between 60 - 128 ounces of water per day.
Which brings me to: My question and thought process: Even though I am not working out...am I not eating enough?? Do you think I should bump my cals to 1500 even without the exercise?? In my mind it seems wrong considering before I exercised with the 1500, so to me because I am not exercising I need the cals lower.
When counting calories I have never had an issue losing before...this gain is starting to annoy the (beep) out of me!! Which will in turn discourage me creating an epic fail!!
Please help
There are all sorts of perfectly normal reasons why you might gain a lb or two for a week or two. Nothing that has to be corrected, just your body doing what it needs to do.
Not eating enough will not make you gain weight. If you under-eat for an extended period of time, your body may adapt by reducing your BMR, but we are talking about over months and months, and you would see a pattern of weight loss slowing and then stopping, you wouldn't start suddenly gaining weight.
A brief stall is always a great time to do a gut check and make sure you are logging honestly, weighing portions accurately, and carefully choosing database entries. But if those things are in line, you just need to be patient. Perhaps you didn't deal with stalls on your first go round because your exercise patterns/calories naturally evened things out. Hang in there
3 -
stevephi01 wrote: »@chasetwins, I started just trying this or that but it wasn't exactly the best idea I had. If it is at all possible have blood tests, include the 3 electrolytes and anything else your practitioner recommends (I hope they don't try and oversell).
It was from my blood tests I could establish my sodium and magnesium were fine. I've had these tests done annually for years but never got to see the results - was just told it's fine, till next year. Earlier this year I was given access to my records and found my low potassium level has existed for years. If it hadn't been for MFP and me eventually going through the reports screen, I'd never had suspected I wasn't taking enough. Even supplementing heavily, the level didn't go up in the blood test, so the supplements are doing nothing for me. Rather get the real levels in your body and work from there.
Are you taking pain killers, prescription medication, possibly a steroid based product? These can cause havoc too, even the seemingly innocent tabs you buy in the grocery store. If it is pain management medication causing it, maybe you'll have to wait it out till you are better - sorry I know it's more work, but hopefully will be far easier.
Yes IB800 or naprosin (sp ?) almost daily ( not both daily lol but I alternate each day a different kind to keep the swelling down )
Just an FYI I added a tab on my sheet - and all though my basic calorie burn over the weeks has not altered much...the steps per day has!! I went from hitting almost 10,000 or over steps per day to barely hitting 6,000 on most days. So I am going to start there. Trying to get more steps in little by little as to not aggravate the medical issues. Thanks for pointing that out - I just looked at the calorie burns and you may be on to something!!! 1 -
I concur with some others that you need something physical in the mix while you are still healing from the bone spur and plantar faciitis. Are there upper body exercises you can do or are able to do? Could you pedal a bike without irritating things? I remember when recovering from a severely irritated nerve in the ball of my foot, I could not do treadmill/elliptical/cross trainer but I was able to pedal the recumbent bike because I could control where my feet were on the pedals. I was also able to do some HIIT exercises on the rowing machine too. Heck, my mom is in a wheelchair from a stroke and can shuffle her feet and move only one arm and she does wheelchair zumba! Where there is a will, there is a way to exercise!2
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rhtexasgal wrote: »I concur with some others that you need something physical in the mix while you are still healing from the bone spur and plantar faciitis. Are there upper body exercises you can do or are able to do? Could you pedal a bike without irritating things? I remember when recovering from a severely irritated nerve in the ball of my foot, I could not do treadmill/elliptical/cross trainer but I was able to pedal the recumbent bike because I could control where my feet were on the pedals. I was also able to do some HIIT exercises on the rowing machine too. Heck, my mom is in a wheelchair from a stroke and can shuffle her feet and move only one arm and she does wheelchair zumba! Where there is a will, there is a way to exercise!
Oh I am sure I can get creative. I was just trying to not irritate anything because I am one of those who has to go all out or not at all unfortunately. I do not seem to know how to go slow lol After seeing my spreadsheet with steps included, I know now I MUST do something.
I can do the bike and in fact in March when the pain first started I used the bike quite a bit but found it boring as heck lol Boring = not faithful
Kudos to you mom that is dedication to live a happy healthy life!!
I am going to try and figure out a good plan that will help get my steps in but also not irritate my foot or hip 0 -
Hi. I’m new here and have been lurking, so hope I’m not committing any faux pas already. But I had plantar fasciitis something terrible. Could barely walk without tears first thing in the morning or upon getting up from a chair. Go to Amazon and buy one of the better rated plantar fasciitis socks (sock, not splint). I went through the podiatrist/expensive insert thing and they did nothing. Tried orthotic type shoes and massage. No relief. But someone told me about the compression socks and within a few days all the pain was gone and it never came back. If it feels tweaky I just wear the sock for a day or two. They are a godsend. Made my husband wear one when it started bothering him and now he’s a believer too. Something about compressing the whole foot just works the PF out. Hope this helps!0
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Congratulations on giving up the cigarettes. That’s the most difficult part.2
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Could you maybe try exercise that doesn’t require stress on your joints, such as swimming? The bone spurs and plantar fasciitis wouldn’t be aggravated that way.
With regards to the daily number of calories, some people recommend doing modified fasting to jump start a sluggish metabolism. Maybe skip breakfast and lunch one or two days a week (substitute a protein shake) and eat a light dinner.
And hang in there. You can do this.1 -
also in regards to plantar fasciitis. when things were very bad for me - i was wearing heal cups in shoes in the house and at work all the time. they were very inexpensive and i bought them at a sports med supply store. i've not heard of the amazon fasciitis socks though. my physio showed me how to tape my feet with athletic tape and that helped immensely too. hope you can get back on track to being active again!
0 -
springlering62 wrote: »Hi. I’m new here and have been lurking, so hope I’m not committing any faux pas already. But I had plantar fasciitis something terrible. Could barely walk without tears first thing in the morning or upon getting up from a chair. Go to Amazon and buy one of the better rated plantar fasciitis socks (sock, not splint). I went through the podiatrist/expensive insert thing and they did nothing. Tried orthotic type shoes and massage. No relief. But someone told me about the compression socks and within a few days all the pain was gone and it never came back. If it feels tweaky I just wear the sock for a day or two. They are a godsend. Made my husband wear one when it started bothering him and now he’s a believer too. Something about compressing the whole foot just works the PF out. Hope this helps!
Hi there ,
I have tried 3 of those lol, the boot ( two of those ), massage - both the bumpy ball and bought a pricey heated bumpy thing..7 different inserts ( one I use still as I found it to have the most relief help ) and 3 pairs of New balance at $135+ each... and daily stretching which I think was making it worse so I stopped. UGH not only is this a major pain in reality..it is a major pain to my bank account!!
Running shoes from NB with the insert I found most comforting..mixed with the supplement ..is how I have found the best relief to date. It is however NOT gone yet and I am battling the spur as a result of it as well.
I am glad the socks worked for you. I was hopeful with every purchase.
Lililomo2 - I tried the tape I am apparently allergic to something in it ( new to me! ) it burned the {beep} out of my foot. Just the top which I guess is more sensitive.
I continued running on the treadmill through the pain at first and I believe I made matters worse. The foot issue is quite possibly what caused the hip problem which in reality is what ceased the workouts. My hip feels intensely bruised and without proper care spreads to my spine. So that is what I am nursing at the moment. Proper stretching to loosen up the hip and back. The foot pain is there, not as intense unless I am on my feet more than usual.
I will prevail..I will figure this out lol But I appreciate everyone's input as that is what helps people like me..keep on trucking!! 0 -
chasetwins wrote: »stevephi01 wrote: »@chasetwins, I started just trying this or that but it wasn't exactly the best idea I had. If it is at all possible have blood tests, include the 3 electrolytes and anything else your practitioner recommends (I hope they don't try and oversell).
It was from my blood tests I could establish my sodium and magnesium were fine. I've had these tests done annually for years but never got to see the results - was just told it's fine, till next year. Earlier this year I was given access to my records and found my low potassium level has existed for years. If it hadn't been for MFP and me eventually going through the reports screen, I'd never had suspected I wasn't taking enough. Even supplementing heavily, the level didn't go up in the blood test, so the supplements are doing nothing for me. Rather get the real levels in your body and work from there.
Are you taking pain killers, prescription medication, possibly a steroid based product? These can cause havoc too, even the seemingly innocent tabs you buy in the grocery store. If it is pain management medication causing it, maybe you'll have to wait it out till you are better - sorry I know it's more work, but hopefully will be far easier.
Yes IB800 or naprosin (sp ?) almost daily ( not both daily lol but I alternate each day a different kind to keep the swelling down )
Just an FYI I added a tab on my sheet - and all though my basic calorie burn over the weeks has not altered much...the steps per day has!! I went from hitting almost 10,000 or over steps per day to barely hitting 6,000 on most days. So I am going to start there. Trying to get more steps in little by little as to not aggravate the medical issues. Thanks for pointing that out - I just looked at the calorie burns and you may be on to something!!!
Naproxen sodium, aka Aleve, causes water retention. When I had to take it for my knee I gained 1 lb a day for five days.2 -
Naproxen sodium, aka Aleve, causes water retention. When I had to take it for my knee I gained 1 lb a day for five days.[/quote]
Oh wonderful!!! Thank you!! Glad I alternate..it could be worse 0 -
chasetwins wrote: »
Naproxen sodium, aka Aleve, causes water retention. When I had to take it for my knee I gained 1 lb a day for five days.
Oh wonderful!!! Thank you!! Glad I alternate..it could be worse [/quote]
They are both NSAIDs though. Hard on kidneys, hard on the stomach. Follow up with your doctor if you are needing to take them for any length of time (I believe the package says 5 days). Available over the counter does not mean without risks.2
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