Gained in 1st week???

briteyes
briteyes Posts: 435 Member
edited November 7 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm up over a lb this week from last week, and I've been following the rules!!!! What gives???

I try to eat back my exercise calories, and I try not to go over my calories. I'm drinking my water, I'm eating healthy not junky! One day this week I was 400 under but that is because I burned so many calories, I was so full and could not eat more, so I figure one day isn't going to hurt.

So why am I gaining weight and not losing? This has never happened. Almost always, in the first week of my diet I lose 3 - 5 lbs.... I'm quite bummed right now, but realize that it's not an opportunity to give, but to reassess and figure out what I might be doing wrong...

first off, just have to say that I'm still a couple weeks away from my period, so I doubt that is affecting it....

I was set at 1240 cals a day, but yesterday changed things up and it has me at 1200 a day now. I'm going to make my diary public if you want to check it out and see what I might be doing wrong.

Also, I was very hungry and exhausted this week - so I'm just wondering too if I'm getting enough calories.

I went to another website that was recommended on another thread and it says based on my daily activity levels, I am burning about 2156 cals a day. So if i were to use that as a guideline, subtract 500 a day from it, I should actually be eating 1656 cals a day. I believe that was with me working out 30 mins a day 5 days a week.

Please help :)

Replies

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Try upping your calories. If you're burning calories exercising you need to eat them back. MFP is already giving you a calorie deficit. Also if you're exercising more than usual your muscles may be retaining water while they heal.

    One of the rules is be patient. :) Results will come, but make sure you're eating enough. You should not be hungry or shaky.
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    like i said, i always try to eat back my exercise calories - I love food way too much to not do so...LOL only one day i couldn't this week because i exercised so much, but i allowed myself to go over yesterday because of that, so hopefully it balanced out a bit.

    i am mostly concerned that maybe MFP has me set at too low of net calories. i understand how the system works :) it has worked great for me in the past, so i'm just surprised that this time it's not working the same way.

    i don't know if i should stay at the same net calories for another week, or up them just a bit...
  • swood0114
    swood0114 Posts: 43
    I'm in the same place you are! And its been 2 weeks, so if after another week you have the same results don't get discouraged.

    Something I've been doing just for myself is taking a picture of myself each week and placing them next to each other. Even though the scale says I haven't lost any weight yet, the pictures show otherwise! Whenever I feel discouraged I look at the pictures next to each other and make my goal to look even better the next week! I think the weight will start coming off, and the support I've gotten from other MFP users has helped a lot.
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    I'm in the same place you are! And its been 2 weeks, so if after another week you have the same results don't get discouraged.

    Something I've been doing just for myself is taking a picture of myself each week and placing them next to each other. Even though the scale says I haven't lost any weight yet, the pictures show otherwise! Whenever I feel discouraged I look at the pictures next to each other and make my goal to look even better the next week! I think the weight will start coming off, and the support I've gotten from other MFP users has helped a lot.

    thanks! it seems like there are a lot of us in this boat.... i have been taking my measurements at least. i haven't done pics yet, but i think maybe i should. i know i love seeing other people's pics of success :)
  • KimGardenhire
    KimGardenhire Posts: 4
    I have had this problem and just completed a consultation with a Dietician from our local hospital. Daily calorie intake is 1300. I work out 3 times a week for 11/2 hrs each time. I walk uphill at 3.5mph for 1 hour then lift weights. I acheive a 477 calorie burn just off the treadmill. In the beginning I lost 10 pounds but most recently began gaining weight. The difference is I have started eating back my calories burned. This is a NO NO ! According to dietician to acheive weight loss you DO NOT eat back calories burned. To maintain your current weight is when you may eat back calories burned. She instructed to eat more carbs in morning to fuel your day and work out. Stick with whole grains, fruits, vegs. Avoid simple carbs like 100 calorie pack cookies/snacks, chips. These simple carbs will make you crave them more. For breakfeast she said to eat 2 peices whole wheat toast with smart balance spread and oatmeal, or egg, or yogurt. If you do not eat enough in morning you will drop your glucose and your body will conserve. In other words it thinks it is starving so also very important not to skip meals. This is sometime my problem if I sleep late and skip breakfeast. Anyway, her info has helped me alot I hope it will do the same for you. I trust her more than random advice from MFP. You do not know if if they have suffient education or self proclaimed trainer/nutritionist. Good luck!(Sorry for all mis spelled words. I spend time in gym not in college. lol) Oh one more thing, remember as you increase your muscle and melt fat you may not see change in scale but in your size jeans.
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    I have had this problem and just completed a consultation with a Dietician from our local hospital. Daily calorie intake is 1300. I work out 3 times a week for 11/2 hrs each time. I walk uphill at 3.5mph for 1 hour then lift weights. I acheive a 477 calorie burn just off the treadmill. In the beginning I lost 10 pounds but most recently began gaining weight. The difference is I have started eating back my calories burned. This is a NO NO ! According to dietician to acheive weight loss you DO NOT eat back calories burned. To maintain your current weight is when you may eat back calories burned. She instructed to eat more carbs in morning to fuel your day and work out. Stick with whole grains, fruits, vegs. Avoid simple carbs like 100 calorie pack cookies/snacks, chips. These simple carbs will make you crave them more. For breakfeast she said to eat 2 peices whole wheat toast with smart balance spread and oatmeal, or egg, or yogurt. If you do not eat enough in morning you will drop your glucose and your body will conserve. In other words it thinks it is starving so also very important not to skip meals. This is sometime my problem if I sleep late and skip breakfeast. Anyway, her info has helped me alot I hope it will do the same for you. I trust her more than random advice from MFP. You do not know if if they have suffient education or self proclaimed trainer/nutritionist. Good luck!(Sorry for all mis spelled words. I spend time in gym not in college. lol) Oh one more thing, remember as you increase your muscle and melt fat you may not see change in scale but in your size jeans.

    the not eating back your calories thing just doesn't seem right if you are set at eating only 1300 cals a day and burning almost 500 - that would mean your net is only 800 cals a day. that is not enough. maybe that is for you, but not for me, i know, i would be starving.

    i just figured out that for my weight, height, age, gender and normal daily activity level, not including my exercise, I burn roughly 1900 calories a day (TDEE). If I want to create a calorie deficit, it would put me at 1400 cals a day - either be eating 500 less or exercising 500 burned, or a combination of the two. That would theoretically put me at 1 lb loss a week.

    I then went to another site that tells me to lose the weight I want to lose for my size/age, etc... I should consume 1760 calories a day and do 3 hours of vigorous exercise each week, putting me at a burn of 512 cals a day - this comes out to a net of 1248, which is actually where I have been all week

    From all of this, i think that the lowest NET I should be at is definitely 1200... so I guess I'm doing ok, I just need to be patient.

    I'm going to up my fiber and protein and water, and watch my sodium....
This discussion has been closed.

Categories