Not Losing

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katiemcm1125
katiemcm1125 Posts: 26 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi ya'll! I have been counting calories, measuring food, and doing 30-45 minutes of cardio on most days, and doing some resistance training... and I have gained 5 lbs! My brother says that I'm probably gaining muscle and also I'm about to start my period, but it's so discouraging. Any thoughts? Please don't ask if I am measuring my food because I am and I'm overestimating my calories if I am not 100% sure of them. Also I am using my watch to calculate my fitness. I am about 250 lbs right now and started at around 245. Ugh!

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  • katiemcm1125
    katiemcm1125 Posts: 26 Member
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    I do moderate to intense indoor cycling for 30-45 minutes and active calories show between 300-540 calories depending on time and intensity. For example, moderate to high intensity I burn about 350 active calories in 30 minutes. MFP overestimates so I change it to match what my watch says. Thanks for your help.
  • katiemcm1125
    katiemcm1125 Posts: 26 Member
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    Also thanks for the article. It was really helpful.
  • katiemcm1125
    katiemcm1125 Posts: 26 Member
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    Oh another thing, I don’t eat all my fitness calories. Sometimes I eat half and then sometimes I don’t eat them at all.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
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    Are you measuring or weighing your food? And is that for everything, even prepackaged or “per piece” items?
  • katiemcm1125
    katiemcm1125 Posts: 26 Member
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    In my post I said I am measuring and don’t ask me that lol
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    Opening your diary might be helpful. We might be able to spot some mistakes in your logging that way. Even if you are gaining strength/and or muscle, being in a calorie deficit would still mean that you lose weight. How many calories are you eating daily?
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
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    katiemcm1125 wrote: »
    In my post I said I am measuring and don’t ask me that lol

    I would recommend a food scale, weighing is much more accurate than measuring for anything solid (so almost all your food). You may be eating more calories than you think. It's possible your watch is also over estimating the calories burned.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,109 Member
    edited December 2020
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    I think we need to return to the basics:
    - the question you didn't answer: how long have you been counting calories? If you've gained 5lbs over one week, our answer will not be the same as when you tell us you've gained 5 lbs gradually over a longer period of time.
    - you weigh 250lbs, how tall are you?
    - what activity level and weight loss rate did you select on MFP?

    Even though you don't want us asking about it, accurate food logging is one of the first things to look at when we aren't losing weight as intended. And accurate food logging means weighing, but also making sure you use accurate food entries.
  • elizabethherberger
    elizabethherberger Posts: 23 Member
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    I would say wait to re-weigh yourself until the Wednesday after your period. A woman’s cycle can definitely cause 5 pounds in water retention. And Wednesdays are usually the most accurate day to weigh in according to some research.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/health.clevelandclinic.org/when-is-the-best-time-to-weigh-yourself/amp/

    https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19995542/weight-gain-during-period/

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