Need a diet/exercise critique ... come on out experts!

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kaetmarie
kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So one of my new year's resolutions is to focus less on the scale and more on good, healthy choices. It's been going great (I'm working out more, eating better, feeling better) ... until I weighed in today. It's been a little over two weeks since I last weighed in and I'm up 5 pounds! Ack!! During that time some things have changed ...

1) I started the "New Rules of Lifting for Women" program -- and did 3 of those workouts last week in addition to some cardio and yoga on off days
2) Per the book's recommendation, I increased my calories from about 1,400 on average to about 1,600 on average
3) My macros have changed to a 1-1 carb/protein ratio after meeting with a GF nutritionist <--I have a gluten allergy

My question is -- what is going on? Should I freak out and drop my calories again? ....HELP!!!
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Replies

  • kaetmarie
    kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
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    bump
  • GibsonDarlin
    GibsonDarlin Posts: 202 Member
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    bump.... sorry I cant help...but would like to read what folks have to say!
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.
  • DarkAngellEyes
    DarkAngellEyes Posts: 335 Member
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    Im in a very similar situation and interested in the responses...
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

    This exactly!
  • montrealfitness
    montrealfitness Posts: 6
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    I would say, just give it another 2 weeks...we don't give enough time to our bodies to adjust, we're not machines! Continue your lifting and cardio and keep the same amount of calories. Your ratio for protein and carbs is 1:1 but what about your fats? And from what food are your macros coming from? Make sure you eat healthy fats and watch your sugar intake (dairy, fruits...).
    But really, relax, and give it time! :)
  • kaetmarie
    kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
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    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

    This exactly!

    Okay, I get the part about eating exercise calories back ... I need to do better with that, but I don't trust that I've actually burned what MFP says. Also -- how can I IMPROVE my food choices? I get they're poor ... what should I do differently?
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.



    ^^^^No reason for me to take the time to type it when he did it.

    I would also suggest actually cooking meals from fresh ingredients instead of the pre packaged meals you seem to be eating.
  • AliKK
    AliKK Posts: 11
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    I would say no don't freak out (but I'm no expert! lol)... from the sounds of it your gaining muscle which weighs more! Give it time and that muscle will eat away at the fat and you'll see the numbers go down on the scale. As for your calories I'm not sure...
  • montrealfitness
    montrealfitness Posts: 6
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    Fresh veggies! please!!
  • montrealfitness
    montrealfitness Posts: 6
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    Very unlikely that she gained muscle weight in 2 weeks...
  • kaetmarie
    kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
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    Also, anytime it says "Katie's" anything...that's a recipe entered in MFP -- veggies, I definitely need to work on.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    I took a peek at your diary also, need to take a real look at that if you are lifting, light of fruits and veggies, most of the weight lifters seem to recommend the 40C /30 P/ and 30F for lifters so you might want to research that. You need lots of different nutrients, and it's a life change switch so you have to find foods you like, balance your macros (Protein, carbs, fats, etc) if you have the app on your phone go to the nutrients page, it will show you super fast where your weaknesses are. Lifting is a high stress exercise for your body and can cause a lot of water retention at first as your body mends the micro damage to your muscles after the workouts so some of it might be water. I would say you have a bit of research to do on yourself. Have you calculated your BMR, BMI and your lean body mass, the protein levels you need are based on 0.7 * lean body mass not total weight. You might want to get all that done then make some decisions about your nutrients.
    Anyway, there's some ideas.
  • annrum
    annrum Posts: 144
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    I took a quick look through your diary. I'm no expert, but if I were you I'd look to increase veggies & fruit - I don't think I saw any veggies/fruit, although you might have had some included in your recipes.

    Also, make sure you're getting a decent breakfast - I know I snack way more if I haven't had a good breakfast. If you don't have much time in the morning you could maybe do fritatta's/tortilla's the night before & reheat/eat cold. Alternatively, home-made smoothies are good & would get you some of those veggies :)

    Are you getting enough water as well?

    Lastly, you said you've just started working on the weights routine - I suspect that you haven't put on that much muscle yet, but you may well be retaining water while the muscles stretch & grow. Have you taken measurements as well - sometimes when weight doesn't shift, it's good to do the measurements & see inches go instead.
  • Pennapenguin
    Pennapenguin Posts: 33 Member
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    I agree with the water retention. If you just started a new routine with the lifting, the muscles are holding onto the water. Keep doing it and give it a week or two for your body to adjust!
  • Shaneekwa
    Shaneekwa Posts: 130 Member
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    [/quote]

    Okay, I get the part about eating exercise calories back ... I need to do better with that, but I don't trust that I've actually burned what MFP says. Also -- how can I IMPROVE my food choices? I get they're poor ... what should I do differently?
    [/quote]

    If you're not trusting what MFP says you burned, look into purchasing a HRM that also let's you know how many calories your burned accurately. Try to avoid processed and frozen foods. Fresh is best.
  • roslynds9
    roslynds9 Posts: 139 Member
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    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

    I'd agree with this and to answer your question about improving your diet I'd agree with the others and say stay away from prepackaged processed foods. They're convenient in a pinch but the majority of the time try to stick to fresh fruit and veg and things made from scratch from fresh ingredients. I usually cook extra at dinner so I can take some to work for lunch the next day. Or at the weekend cook a big batch of something and then freeze portions so that on the nights you can't be bothered cooking you have a healthy "ready-meal" =) good luck!
  • kaetmarie
    kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
    Options
    I took a quick look through your diary. I'm no expert, but if I were you I'd look to increase veggies & fruit - I don't think I saw any veggies/fruit, although you might have had some included in your recipes.

    Also, make sure you're getting a decent breakfast - I know I snack way more if I haven't had a good breakfast. If you don't have much time in the morning you could maybe do fritatta's/tortilla's the night before & reheat/eat cold. Alternatively, home-made smoothies are good & would get you some of those veggies :)

    Are you getting enough water as well?

    Lastly, you said you've just started working on the weights routine - I suspect that you haven't put on that much muscle yet, but you may well be retaining water while the muscles stretch & grow. Have you taken measurements as well - sometimes when weight doesn't shift, it's good to do the measurements & see inches go instead.

    Thank you for this. Fruits and veggies are absolutely something I need to work on. I drink a ton of water and I have taken measurements, and I've lost several inches since my last measurement...so that's good! Thanks for your suggestions!
  • fitness_science
    fitness_science Posts: 9 Member
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    I haven't read everyone's reply but I would suggest checking and measuring your body composition and adding circumference measurements to your weigh-ins. Weight is only part of the story and I think you should gather as much information about how your body is responding to your training and nutritional program before you decide what course of action to take.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    Options
    Your food choices are poor, and your calories are too low most days.
    Eat back your exercise calories or your metabolism will stifle.

    MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
    And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
    Why?
    Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
    Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
    In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
    Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
    Be smart.
    Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
    The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

    This exactly!

    Okay, I get the part about eating exercise calories back ... I need to do better with that, but I don't trust that I've actually burned what MFP says. Also -- how can I IMPROVE my food choices? I get they're poor ... what should I do differently?
    Here is what I did, because I was in the same boat. Still am some days - :drinker:

    Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
    Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
    NO MORE!
    And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
    Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
    And as you know, try to eat back those exercise calories; however, if MFP numbers are too high, tweak them to fit your own needs. I sure had to. They had me eating way to many exercise calories.
    I WISH I COULD EAT THAT MUCH!
    No, I had to make some adjustments to find my zone.
    I hope this helps; good Luck!

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