HELP! KEEP GAINING
evergreenlakegirl
Posts: 89 Member
I've been doing so well for the past 2 months since I started. I had lost almost 10 pounds and was almost at my goal weight! Then Friday I weigh myself and I gained 2 lbs!! I've read that this could be excess salt - water weight....so today I weigh myself expecting to see myself back down....NO...I gained another pound!!
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???
1
Replies
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Friday to Monday and "eating a bit more than usual" is your answer - it's too short a time for splurges and extra eating to work itself out on the scale. I'd give it a full week of eating in proper range and then see what the scale said, before I started to be concerned.8
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thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #1
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How did you get to 1200 as your goal? There are very few of us who ever have to get that low to lose. Unless you're very small and already light, odds are you can loosen that number a fair bit. If you're really hungry all the time, you'll just bounce between restriction and giving in to your (natural) hunger and the process can be miserable. What age/height/weight/sex are you?8
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #
try setting a more appropriate calorie goal than 12009 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #
Chances are you ate more calories, sodium and carbs which have attributed to weight gain. Agree with @TavistockToad 1200 is typically not enough for most especially if you are feeling hungry and are prone to binge.4 -
You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.
1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.27 -
You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.
1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.
We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.
Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.13 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.
1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.
We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.
Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.
I'm not recommending anyone to starve; I recommended the opposite: EAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD.7 -
For those calories I'd rather have a mini bagel and something with some fat content.9
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »I've been doing so well for the past 2 months since I started. I had lost almost 10 pounds and was almost at my goal weight! Then Friday I weigh myself and I gained 2 lbs!! I've read that this could be excess salt - water weight....so today I weigh myself expecting to see myself back down....NO...I gained another pound!!
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???
Give it another few days, I often go up and down 3-4lbs within the week depending upon what I've eaten, it's not fat going on in that short time frame it most likely water and hormones.
I would also recommend upping your calories at least a few days a week, particularly if exercising, I too have tried 1200 cals a day and it's not easy to stick to without being hungry and then when you do have something different this short term weight gain happens as your body has to work harder to process it.
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #
Try adding more calories to your daily amount. You're pretty much wiping out your deficit with your weekend splurges, so if you add more to the daily, the odds are pretty good that you'll actually end up eating less, because you won't be in that restriction-binge cycle.
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.
1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.
We don't even know if OP's calorie goal is appropriate yet.
Also, chewing foods for a long time is a good way for me to get bored before I get full. It's not virtuous to starve.
I'm not recommending anyone to starve; I recommended the opposite: EAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD.
Large amounts of low calorie food aren't going to be helpful if someone has set their calorie goal way too low (which may be the case here). It doesn't matter how big the under 200-calorie salad is, if I need more calories to sustain my body, then it's not going to keep me full for hours and hours.6 -
Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream.....
....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today
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Since you have so little to lose set a goal of 0.25-0.5 pounds a week. Should be easier to maintain the deficit this way.3
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collectingblues wrote: »evergreenlakegirl wrote: »thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #
Try adding more calories to your daily amount. You're pretty much wiping out your deficit with your weekend splurges, so if you add more to the daily, the odds are pretty good that you'll actually end up eating less, because you won't be in that restriction-binge cycle.
YES....I think you are right here Melanie
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »For those calories I'd rather have a mini bagel and something with some fat content.
Right? I'd rather have a protein bar - it would hold me a lot longer.2 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today
You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...
Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
Try experimenting to find our what foods help you feel fuller. As long as you stay in your calorie limit, you don't need to eliminate fats and carbs. Either or both might be what helps you to feel fuller for a longer time. Same with that slice of cheese. Weigh it, log it, eat it.
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TavistockToad wrote: »evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today
You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...
Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...
Also consider tracking your weight on Happy Scale or another weight-trending application so that you can see through the fluctuations.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thanks all....for reference....I'm 59 yo.... 5'3" and started at 128.7. My goal weight is 118-120. Last week I weighed in at 121 and felt I would be happy with that. I exercise 3-4 times per week- some cardio, some weights and usually add the estimated calories back in. When I started, I omitted my simple sugars (candy, ice-cream etc.) and kept my carbs and fats low. I eat mostly protein and veggies- but I only eat 2 meals a day- and a few healthy snacks in between. Friday night I caved and ate a restaurant cheeseburger and fries with a glass of wine AND a scoop of ice-cream..... ....it was a lot of food but I didn't eat much of anything else the entire day.
I had also caved in on eating a slice of cheese now and then....and my kryptonite- pizza slice
I suppose I need to go back to tracking....this was just so upsetting that I didn't even go to the gym today
You gained weight after a restaurant meal? So it is just water weight...
Just get back to your deficit, you'll lose the water weight...
Also consider tracking your weight on Happy Scale or another weight-trending application so that you can see through the fluctuations.
Libra for Android0 -
Thanks all for your advice and support-it’s really appreciated! Back on the wagon and hopefully n cut week will look better-
As a side note- with all that weight loss it was all in my belly
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collectingblues wrote: »evergreenlakegirl wrote: »thanks Melanie.....my calorie goal is only 1200 and most times I feel like I'm starving.....I threw in the towel the last few days and just ate a "normal" meal- perhaps a bit more than usual and yes...I did eat more carbs...hopefully it'll go down again because I've worked really hard to get to this #
Try adding more calories to your daily amount. You're pretty much wiping out your deficit with your weekend splurges, so if you add more to the daily, the odds are pretty good that you'll actually end up eating less, because you won't be in that restriction-binge cycle.
Here's a graph that illustrates the above:
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/12 -
Kshama- all I can say is WOW....thank you so much for the link- a real eye opener and truly what I needed to understand weight loss. MFP gave me the 1200 daily calorie #-
But I was so hungry and was even becoming over aware of food in general -would go without eating at times ....all the points the article discussed
My reason for wanting to loose weight is because I realized how much fat I was carrying- and knew I. Was eating too much - eating without thinking about better choices
I can’t tell you how much better I feel -thank you 💕
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Have you considered keto? I'm down to 1500 calories a day and there is no way I could do that without feeling like I was starving if I was eating a lot of carbs. My carbs are now down to 20g/day and I eat between 1500-1700 calories a day and I'm never starving and I lost 8lbs in the last month. I would not be able to do any of this with out tracking, as I would tend to drift upward and start gaining. My progress looks like a saw tooth, but it does ultimately head downward overall. So, I don't like a pop up by a pound or two, as long as, it is followed by a bigger drop. Good luck!14
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a new exercise or working on a new yard work project helps2
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You might considering adding raw veggies and fruits when you're hungry. A large salad rarely gets past 200 calories and absolutely blasts the hunger. Remember, digestion starts in the mouth and chewing foods for a long time is part of the satisfaction.
1/2 head of iceburg
2 handfuls of spinach
1 heart of romaine
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot shredded
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
If you're used to topping your salad with dressing, instead try fruit, nuts, or seeds to give it more flare. Try sliced strawberries or apples, dried cranberries or raisins, slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. These will all add some calories, but they are all good and healthy calories. And, guaranteed, you eat that salad with a couple of these toppings and you'll be full for hours and hours.
I’d add to this salad about 200g of potatoes or roast squash or beets - or 100g beans. Some nice heavy starch will make it a meal and a tiny drizzle of balsamic will make it delicious.1 -
Sounds like this is pretty well resolved but I just wanted to add that it sounds like you've been doing low carb and you decided to eat carbs. That is the issue. It's not fat it's water. When you restrict carbs the first big drop is water. When you add carbs back in your body restores the water lost. I have gained like that in the past when I was doing a low carb diet. It's very common.6
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Alex....I don't think a Keto diet is for me...I love my carbs....it helps me to feel full- so if I have a salad, I like a slice of bread or crackers with it....I've heard many success stories on this diet though- glad it works for you.
jlmonroe- that was how I use to burn so many calories- when I was younger.
lauteun- I do love a salad- I think one of my big issues is having the right foods available in my fridge....so I think I need to consider this when food shopping.
Thank you all!7 -
Thank you Cheryl....I didn't know this and yes, can explain.....I was being very careful with my carbs- and almost eliminating them....I still have the 2 lbs I've gained since Friday- but I've decided not to stress over it. I still feel better and no longer have a fat belly- haha....AND I'm not starvingcheryldumais wrote: »Sounds like this is pretty well resolved but I just wanted to add that it sounds like you've been doing low carb and you decided to eat carbs. That is the issue. It's not fat it's water. When you restrict carbs the first big drop is water. When you add carbs back in your body restores the water lost. I have gained like that in the past when I was doing a low carb diet. It's very common. 2 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »I've been doing so well for the past 2 months since I started. I had lost almost 10 pounds and was almost at my goal weight! Then Friday I weigh myself and I gained 2 lbs!! I've read that this could be excess salt - water weight....so today I weigh myself expecting to see myself back down....NO...I gained another pound!!
I haven't been as good at logging my calories and have been eating a bit more than usual but 3 pounds in a few days????
What is going on???
Do the math...you would have had to eat 10,500 calories over maintenance for that to be fat. If you ate more, you have more inherent waste in your system...if you ate higher carb then you will retain more water...same for higher sodium...never mind that body weight fluctuates naturally all on it's own...I can easily be up or down 2-3 Lbs day to day, even without any real change in my eating.2
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