Please look at my diary and tell me why I have only lost 1lb

racmac
racmac Posts: 81
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I started this 2.5 weeks ago and the first week I lost 2lbs then the 2nd week i put one of those pounds back on. Why?

I have had one bad day (Sunday last week) where i overate and didnt log properly but every other day i have logged everything and have been doing lots of excercise. I have a HRM so get the calorie burn accurate.
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Replies

  • slender_sunshine
    slender_sunshine Posts: 42
    I don't think your diary is open. I can't see it, anyways.
  • melanie_J
    melanie_J Posts: 136 Member
    In my opinion, which doesn't count for a hill of beans to some folks, Is that you're probably gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Just keep doing what you're doing, it'll come off!
  • char63
    char63 Posts: 38 Member
    I have the same problem as you, first week I lost 2lbs, then gained it back, even tho I stuck to calorie goal. Now this week just lost the same 2lbs again. So frustrating. Hope someone here can help.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    We can't see your journal. Go to settings and make it public :)
  • maryannbartiromo
    maryannbartiromo Posts: 11 Member
    mee too, so glad im not the only one
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    Can't see journal either, go in to your profile and make it public.

    But, If you are really working out and dieting, let's say you lose a pound of fat, but you've gained a pound of muscle. The scale's not going to change, it's an even exchange, but, eventually, that muscle build will even out and your fat will be melted and melting off.

    Remember - muscle burns calories, fat does not, increased muscle mass increases your metabolism so you burn more calories, you will be stronger, your endurance will increase, and you will be losing INCHES instead of pounds.

    Stop looking at the scale so much. Use that measuring tape, and keep a going.

    And you MUST eat a minimum of 1200 calories, and eating at least 1/2 of your exercise calories back, or you will suffer from starvation mode where your body will hold onto every calorie you eat because you're not giving it enough, and it will lower your metabolism. As I've said before, you have to eat to lose weight, God's little joke on us all.
  • racmac
    racmac Posts: 81
    Diary is open now - sorry I thought it was already
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
    Doubt you've put on that much in muscle in two and a half weeks!
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Yeah you don't put on muscle that quickly, especially in a caloric deficit.
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    If you just started working out, sometimes your muscles will hold on to water weight, which will increase your poundage. I started doing Insanity, and for two weeks, I "gained", and then it fell off the third week. Keep it up, and don't weigh for a couple of weeks (I know that's hard)
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    I would lower carbs and raise protein. Also, if you're eating most of your exercise calories back, keep in mind that both MFP and the gym machines (especially the gym machines) usually overestimate calories burned.
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    Do you drink water? Lots of water? That might help! I started to lose weight when I stopped eating my exercise calories back and raised my workouts to burn more calories.

    Plus be patient, you have the rest of your life :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    You do not gain a pounds of muscle in a week. Muscle takes months to gain.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    water weight. Just deal with the "range."
    I weigh often and live in a 5 pound range that I can be in in any day. I just deal, lots of people burn there scales.
  • AloyMomNwife
    AloyMomNwife Posts: 146 Member
    I had been working out for 8 months without watching my diet and I stepped on a scale thinking to weigh 20 lbs less than what it registered. That's when I joined mfp and realized I was eating what I'd burned and more. I always try to stick to the original calorie goal and not eat what I burned and so far it has worked. And also, don't weigh yourself weekly; water retention changes a lot in very short periods of time. So, at least every to weeks or 4 if you can handle the wait. Remember to do it in the morning hours, which is when you are lighter and the number will be more accurate. Good luck and keep going!!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    If you've only been doing this for a couple weeks, you really need to give it more time before you can tell if your routine is effective or not. I say give it a couple months before you worry too much about it.

    Also, losing slowly is actually pretty good. If you lose slower, you're more likely to keep it off. The fact that you lost a pound is worth celebrating.
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    water weight. Just deal with the "range."
    I weigh often and live in a 5 pound range that I can be in in any day. I just deal, lots of people burn there scales.
    exactly this

    If I am eating right, even if I'm not exercising, I know at least I won't gain back anything permanent. I also live in "the range" of 5 pounds and it has decreased my anxiety a lot :bigsmile:
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    What is MFP saying your daily calorie deficit is? I eat about 6 200 calorie meals a day... Maybe 1700 calories a day is too high?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    This. I always eat my original calorie goal.

    I had been working out for 8 months without watching my diet and I stepped on a scale thinking to weigh 20 lbs less than what it registered. That's when I joined mfp and realized I was eating what I'd burned and more. I always try to stick to the original calorie goal and not eat what I burned and so far it has worked. And also, don't weigh yourself weekly; water retention changes a lot in very short periods of time. So, at least every to weeks or 4 if you can handle the wait. Remember to do it in the morning hours, which is when you are lighter and the number will be more accurate. Good luck and keep going!!
  • kimcat73
    kimcat73 Posts: 687 Member
    Definitely check your sodium. It's the usual culprit in these situations. Some of the items on your diary that would normally contain sodium don't show an amount in the one you've selected. Unfortunately, some of the calculations put in my MFP members aren't always accurate. Be sure you check the data with your actual item to make sure it's right. Also, Quick Add Calories only adds calories so keep that in mind. I guarantee if you start watching sodium, the weight will drop right off. Sodium causes water weight retention.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    If you are eating well, your goals are reasonable and you are still not losing, generally one or more of the following are the reason why:

    1 ) You don't have the proper activity level selected. If you are sedentary and you choose active, your calories will be too high. If you are active and choose sedentary, you are eating too few calories. Be as accurate as possible in your selection.

    2 ) You are not logging your food accurately. Do you weigh and measure everything? Do you double check labels and do you log every bite, even snacks while cooking or leftovers off the kid's plates? Don't guess or estimate, at least in the beginning. Studies have shown that people's estimates of their portion sizes was off by something like 20%. That could obliterate your deficit right there.

    3) You aren't being accurate about your calorie burn during exercise. If you think you are strenuously exercising while holding a chat with the person on the next machine, chances are you're wrong.Use a heart rate monitor or be conservative in your logging, and even then, only eat 1/2 to 3/4 of them, leave a cushion for error. And if you are eating 1200 calories, and burning 1000, but NOT eating your exercise calories...your body is in panic mode. Eat...fuel...don't deprive yourself of it's necessary nutrients and food.

    And lastly, be patient. My body doesn't show results of my dietary/exercise regimen for 10 days to 2 weeks. It's always been that way for me, maybe you are too.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • shannon_stallone
    shannon_stallone Posts: 136
    Your diary is amazing....Lots of clean eating and staying on track with calories...You might be building muscle if you're lifting a lot of weights...I think you're right on track though
  • sschoolfield
    sschoolfield Posts: 94
    I don't eat back my exercise caloies and have increased my water intake. It amazed me how quickly the weight started coming off after I increased my water intake. Hang in there, it will happen.
  • snailrunner
    snailrunner Posts: 215 Member
    Sounds a lot like me...started two weeks ago, lost 1.4kg by last Saturday, spent last Sat night away in a hotel so big dinner and buffet breakfast. Fair enough, I regained a little, lost a little, it crept up and down until finally this morning I'm down by 1.4kg again and weigh the same as I did last Saturday! I figure it will sort itself out, at least the overall trend is downwards.
  • snailrunner
    snailrunner Posts: 215 Member
    PS...re your diary, the thing that struck me was the lack of veggies!
  • tlp8rb
    tlp8rb Posts: 556 Member
    Where are you getting your calorie counts? Yesterday you logged a 10 oz. filet (beef??) at 250 calories! Lean beef regardless of cut runs about 67-70 calories an ounce. A 10 ounce filet would be 670-700 calories, not 250. If the rest of your calorie counts are as inaccurate, it is no wonder you are not loosing weight.

    Don't just go by what someone else has entered into MFP's database. There are MANY inaccurate nutrition entries. Use an independent source and double check.

    Try http://caloriecount.about.com/
  • racmac
    racmac Posts: 81
    Thanks everyone

    I use a HRM so I know that the exercise calories are accurate.

    I dont weigh everything - most things but not everything - I think i will take my calorie allowance down by 100.

    I do drink lots of water but I dont log it.

    I have dieted before and lost weight really quickly so I was expecting it to happen the same but I guess since I last dieted I have done a lot of working out and using weights so maybe it is muscle and i dont want to lose that anyway.
  • racmac
    racmac Posts: 81
    PS...re your diary, the thing that struck me was the lack of veggies!

    Do you think? I thought i ate quite a lot of veggies ! I do eat quite bit fruit - banana for bfast, apple for snack and then have veg or salad for dinner
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Are you measuring and weighing everything? It looks like you are just guessing on portion sizes. 10 grams of nuts? That's about 3 or 4 nuts. 10 grams of peanut butter seems very low also, a tablespoon of peanut butter is usually about double that, and most peanut butter serving sizes are 2 tablespoons. Add that with a 10 oz steak for 250 calories (seriously underestimated, actual calories are about 2 to 3 times that,) and it seems that your diary may not be that accurate.
  • racmac
    racmac Posts: 81
    No Im not weighing everything, I have just eaten half of an 8oz steak and was going to change it - but it still comes up as 200 calories.
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