Help! I am gaining, what am I doing wrong?

Open the diary

It's difficult to help without being able to view your food diary.

Hi,

I don't claim to be an expert however I know that protein intake may have an affect. Protein builds muscle mass when working out. I would suggest looking up the minimal daily consumption of protein. Hope this helps. Don't get discouraged, your doing great!

Joe

This is incorrect. You cannot build muscle mass on a calorie deficit, regardless of how much protein you eat. Eating less protein will lead to muscle loss, which will cause you to look less toned as you reach your goal weight.

Slimfast is not a diet. Get off that stuff and eat some real food.

Do some research on "slimfast" and its specific artificial sweetners(google will get you to the studies). many studies have shown that consuming fake sugars while trying to lose weight can have the opposite desired effect. while it works for some it dosent for others. The artifical sugar can cause your body to be tricked into thinking its getting the sugar and when it doesnt it will end up in fat storing mode. not to mention the other things that they do to you. i did the "slimfast" before and I had many problems with it. try a healthy proteine smoothy or just a fruit smoothie with yogurt, it is much better for you and you will feel better too. take a look at your settings, are you eating enough? when you finish your day do you get the message that you are eating too few calories? if it does you might want to reevaluate what you are doing/eating/goals.

I do end up eating some fake sugars from time to time, but I learned my lesson the hard way, every day? no way!!

I agree....stop the slimfast and start eating regular food! I have tried slimfast in the past and i will still have a shake here and there if i am running behind and am eating on the go. But real food will help i bet!!!!

Slimfast is not a diet. Get off that stuff and eat some real food.

this all the way

If you eat too few calories per day, your metabolism will start to slow down so it can be more efficient with what you give it. Realistically 1500 kcals per day plus your exercise would be a better idea. Also, if your exercise involves strength training, it's possible you're burning fat but also building muscle. Muscle is more dense than fat, so you can stay the same size but still gain weight, or stay the same weight but lose inches. Don't just watch the scale, go by how your clothes feel, too. It isn't just weight, it's also body composition that matters.

I've tried things like Slim "Slow" we called it in the past. I really is not a great way to get off the weight because you learn so little about how to really eat in the "real" world. Slim Fast shake here and there as a meal replacement might be okay say if you are traveling and can't get to a real meal, but trust me - someone who has spent a lot of time test driving these things - they aren't good long-term solutions.

I've found success in eating 5 balanced meals a day. It takes planning - but it is not impossible. I travel Monday through Friday and have no access to a kitchen - yet I eat "real" food without issue. And it is yummy.

5 balanced meals are in my world inclusive of protien, slow carb and fast carb - at each meal. Snacks too. Special K Protien bars are a good snack with a piece of small fruit for me. I'm large so you have to scale. I avoid peanuts due to calories and fat, but some other nuts work as snacks.

I sat down with a pen and paper and looked at each meal and what seemed to be feasible in my schedule, budget, taste, and calorie/balance. Then I pack my entire day in one insulated bag and bring it to work - I include dinner because sometimes I work late.

I don't know if this is helpful but by keeping my blood sugar steady all day - I hardly have to work out and the weight is pouring off. I feel like I am eating all the time and I"m never hungry.

Plateaus happen - push through and keep up the hydration. Water, eating, working out and attitude are tough to keep up all at the same time but I think just switching away from a diet of Slim Fast might give you the boost you need to get more weight off.

Hope this helps...

If your BMR is just shy of 1500 you should NOT be eating only 1200

Thanks for opening your diary. It seems you are definitely interested in learning how to be healthier, which is great. You definitely need to get off the slim fast and start putting whole, healthy, wonderfully delicious foods in your body for fuel to burn! Find yourself soon good friends on here to help you along, give you tips, encouragement and not afraid of calling you out when your calories are too low and help you celebrate when you see things start moving along with the changes you make! You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it can be!

Your BMR is how much your body needs to carry out all it's basic functions if you were doing nothing at all. Like in a coma.

You need to work out how much you need to maintain your weight, and eat somewhere in the middle of that and your BMR. 1200 may work for some people but not everyone, and when you eat too little your body can start holding onto weight.

I'd also advise not to carry on the slim fast, it's not real food and you'd be better off eating proper satisfying meals. Slim fast doesn't teach you about what to eat, how big portions should be etc so when you come off it (which you will at some point) most people still don't know how to eat properly and gain all the weight back.

What you recently said about 5 small balanced meals a day sounds great. Good luck!

I know part of my problem is the types of food I am Eatting. My plan is to find the right number of calories and then start changing the types of things I eat. If I switch too fast I know I won't stick to it. How do I figure out how many calories I need to eat? I know Slim Fast can work for me, I used it a few years ago and lost over 40 pounds.

Slim Fast didn't work for you if you need to lose it again. the good thing about MFP is you learn how to eat to make it a life long plan for yourself.