Need suggestions and advice

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xprincesszeldax
xprincesszeldax Posts: 13 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well. I need some help and advice. This week i have been working my butt off exercising because i think I've plateaued. I have been going for a swim for approx 2 -2.5 hours and walking for 2 hours a day. According to the calculations it says i burn approximately 1900 calories (600 for an hr of swimming and 350ish for an hour of walking). And i tend to eat about 1400 calories. So how come the scale is going up? What am i doing wrong? Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • Melly045
    Melly045 Posts: 65 Member
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    I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I’m wondering if it could be water weight? If you are keeping in a calorie deficit but at least getting in your minimum calories it sounds like water weight. Whatever you do don’t give up. If you try taking in more Water and it doesn’t help maybe try looking at your food log and changing things up a bit.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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    The weight loss process isn’t always linear; oddly, you could do everything by the book for a few weeks with no scale movement, then boom, one day you show a loss of a few pounds.

    Questions to consider:


    -Do you eat back calories from exercise? If yes, miscalculation of calories burned could be an issue


    -Do you “eyeball” food or snacks, or is it possible that you’re logging something incorrectly?

    -Does your scale require periodic calibration?


    All things to consider, but plateaus are generally a pain in the backside and pass if you stick to the process.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
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    The number one question I would ask is if you are using a food scale?

    Some people only eat back half of their exercise calories, others can eat back all of them. I know comparing RunKeeper and Garmin side by side, RK “gives” me way more calories for the same amount of effort. I have eaten back nearly all of my exercise calories per Garmin and lost at the expected rate, but if I went with RK I would have stalled if not gained long term. I usually get just shy of 100 calories per mile, but it’s with friends and definitely not a power walk.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,467 Member
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    Agree about the food scale.

    But your immediate problem is likely water retention. Newly stressed muscles retain water. Complaints about gains immediately following new or increased exercise are a regular thing on this board. Stay the course.
  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 495 Member
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    I agree with everyone else’s comments. Those would be my initial thoughts:
    1. Accuracy in calorie counting (scale, measurement).
    2. Eating back exercise calories.
    3. Water retention. This one is a biggie for me, especially on days in which I do a long or tough workout. On those days I make sure I drink a bit more than my usual water. And I eat foods that help with water shedding, like cucumbers, ginger and turmeric tea, etc.
    4. Last one, female cycle. Some women retain water during mid-cycle, some during their periods. Something to keep an eye out for you, maybe?

    Don’t get discouraged. If you’re consistent I bet you’ll have a shed day soon. Weight loss is never linear!! Be patient!!
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    What time frame are we talking about? Have you been increasing in weight weekly for 4-6 weeks, or for 1-2? How often do you weigh yourself?

    I am a daily weigher. I reached a new 'for me' low of 141.8 on July 28. I then fluctuated around 142ish for a few days, then spent the first part of August around 144-146! Then it came back down, and Saturday 8-22 a new low of 139. Water weight is annoying but is a part of life. The hormones of TOM/ovulation are a major impact. But you can also retain water for a few days if you eat higher than usual sodium content, eat higher than usual (for you) carb content, start a new or more intense workout routine, get a bad night's sleep, deal with extra stress.

    So if you weigh in daily: over the course of 8-12 weeks you can probably see your body's trend, in terms of when in the month you go up/down based on cycle. And you should see the trend be downward overall.

    If you weigh weekly, it may be a little harder to see the fine details but over 6-8 weeks you should still see a downward trend.

    Keep in mind, this assumes your logging is accurate. Using a food scale for solid food, cups/spoons for liquids only. And keeping the # of meals that require estimation (such as food prepared by a friend, family member or even at a restaurant) to a minimum.

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