What am I doing wrong?

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cpaullATX
cpaullATX Posts: 2 Member
in Motivation and Support
I became a victim of the "pandemic pounds", almost immediately. I've put on 20 lbs (size 8) and I'm honestly 30 lbs over my "happy weight" where I feel really good and not too skinny (size 2/4). According to BMI, I could actually be 55 lbs smaller and still be considered within the healthy range, which I think is crazy (I'd be a size negative 000).

Strangely though, my eating habits are much healthier, especially in the last 3 months. I eat way more vegetables, I cut out all dessert foods, I stopped drinking except rarely, I cook at home 6 of 7 days, I cut out sodas and only drink sparkling water with meals, I've stopped drinking milk for the last month. A lot of this just happened by virtue of staying home and socially distancing.

Initially, when my gym closed, my working out went to nearly zero at the start of the pandemic and I was very stressed with increased workload, which is why I gained 20 lbs. I was used to working out for 30 minutes to an hour 3-4 times a week, 2 of those times with a personal trainer. So, moderately active. Then in late April, I started walking 1-2 times a day due to a walking challenge at work. Then in mid-June, I went to varied working out at a beginner level and picked back up with my personal trainer over Facetime 3 times a week in July. I've been working out on average 32 minutes a day with moderate-to-high-intensity. I've mixed it with intermediate hikes on the weekend. I probably work out closer to 5 - 6 times a week on my more active weeks (when my kids are with their dad) and 3 - 4 times on the less active weeks (when my kids are with me). My workload has calmed down and generally, I am more emotionally healthy and balanced.

And yet, I am either staying the same weight or even gaining a pound or two. What am I doing wrong? I feel like I need to work out 4 hours a day just to make headway.

Replies

  • reginabfly
    reginabfly Posts: 13 Member
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    I agree with Jane that we would need to know your calorie intake too. 80% of weight loss is your diet and 20 is working out. If you are eating too much food then you will gain weight whether it is healthy or not. I know I eat one ingredient foods and I am also struggling with that. Do you input what you eat into this app. It is really eye opening to see how quickly the calories add up. Also a size 8 is really a healthy size. I am on the lower end of my BMI and it is hard to maintain or loose. I am also almost 40 so my body is starting to hold onto fat more. Over exercising can stress your body but it sounds like you are doing a good amount of it a day.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    People gain weight on healthy foods all the time. As others are saying, weigh your foods and track your calories.
  • cryslei647
    cryslei647 Posts: 2 Member
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    Smaller portions, lots of protein and water! I do meal prep on sundays for the whole week.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,277 Member
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    :Another thing I didn't see you explicitly/clearly mention was how much your daily activity level (outside of exercise) changed during the pandemic. Many people get less steps during lockdown vs. normal times, and maybe less movement/exertion of other types (that burns calories) besides. Differences in daily life activity can be multiple hundreds of calories, and it's a thing that sometimes people don't recognize or consider. (There's been research that suggested that fidgety people may burn low hundreds of calories more daily than otherwise similar people who are more placid/still - just from fidgetiness!)

    Could that be a contributor?

    There's a thread with ideas for increasing daily life activity, without it necessarily taking more time in your day:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    The thread started pre-pandemic, so some ideas may not work when isolating at home, but others for sure will.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    How much are you eating? Are you tracking your calories consumed, and if so - how accurately?

    Exercise is great for the body, fitness, etc. But your weight will change (or not) based on how much you consume. Changing the way you eat does not automatically mean your calorie count changes.
  • cpaullATX
    cpaullATX Posts: 2 Member
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    In response to all the comments asking about my caloric intake, I've only begun counting the calories I take in in the last couple of weeks but given that my meals have been pretty consistently similar for the last few months, I would say I'm taking in 1500 to 1700 calories, based on what my food diary is currently saying. This is why I am at my wits' end.

    My boyfriend is a former chef and cooks or helps me to cook balanced healthy meals with a protein (chicken, pork, beef, etc.), lots of vegetables, and a healthy carb. So I'm eating well and healthy.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    cpaullATX wrote: »
    In response to all the comments asking about my caloric intake, I've only begun counting the calories I take in in the last couple of weeks but given that my meals have been pretty consistently similar for the last few months, I would say I'm taking in 1500 to 1700 calories, based on what my food diary is currently saying. This is why I am at my wits' end.

    My boyfriend is a former chef and cooks or helps me to cook balanced healthy meals with a protein (chicken, pork, beef, etc.), lots of vegetables, and a healthy carb. So I'm eating well and healthy.

    Are you weighing these foods?
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    cpaullATX wrote: »
    In response to all the comments asking about my caloric intake, I've only begun counting the calories I take in in the last couple of weeks but given that my meals have been pretty consistently similar for the last few months, I would say I'm taking in 1500 to 1700 calories, based on what my food diary is currently saying. This is why I am at my wits' end.

    My boyfriend is a former chef and cooks or helps me to cook balanced healthy meals with a protein (chicken, pork, beef, etc.), lots of vegetables, and a healthy carb. So I'm eating well and healthy.

    Are you weighing these foods on a food scale?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    If your boyfriend is cooking - are you involved enough to be able to take weights of the solid food that goes into the dish, to then be able to calculate how much of the meal goes onto your plate? If not weighing foods/ingredients with a food scale, then your logging is an approximation at best. A "balanced and healthy" meal could be 500 calories or could be 900. Hard to know really.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,277 Member
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    nanastaci2020 wrote: »
    If your boyfriend is cooking - are you involved enough to be able to take weights of the solid food that goes into the dish, to then be able to calculate how much of the meal goes onto your plate? If not weighing foods/ingredients with a food scale, then your logging is an approximation at best. A "balanced and healthy" meal could be 500 calories or could be 900. Hard to know really.

    Especially true if healthy oils like olive oil, nut oils, etc. are involved in the cooking process.
  • seder538
    seder538 Posts: 10 Member
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    First congrats on getting back to your fitness routine. While nutrition is important and always an area for improvement I would focus on balance and consistency. Meaning look at what you are taking in versus the energy you are exerting and the consistency by which you do it. Be honest with yourself and success will follow.

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