Need some help here...

Can anyone tell me how working out and eating 1200 calories (NET) is helping me GAIN weight?! I've been working hard for 2 weeks. And this week I just gained back the three lbs I lost. And it took me WEEKS to lose those. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I'm about to throw the scale out the window.

Can anyone suggest some things that might help me jump start this. I need to lose 20 lbs in 2 months. And it would appear that working out and eating right aren't doing it for me haha.

Replies

  • Shellyyy7928
    Shellyyy7928 Posts: 78 Member
    Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not, then your body may not be getting enough fuel. Mfp works off a calorie deficit so it gives you the amount of calories you would need to eat without exercise to lose weight. So if you exercise you need to eat atleast some of those calories back otherwise your body will hold onto whatever you are feeding it.
  • jigglewiggles
    jigglewiggles Posts: 173 Member
    The same thing is happening to me. I gained a little over 2 lbs back and it won't leave. I don't know how this happened either. I'm also getting extremely frustrated.
  • court617
    court617 Posts: 65
    I make sure to eat those back... that's what I mean by 1200 net. If I am given some calories back from exercise, I usually eat those and yet still stay around 1200 calories a day. If that makes sense.
  • s00kied
    s00kied Posts: 3
    Are you drinking the water? If not, you may be retaining fluid.
  • lisajaneburgess
    lisajaneburgess Posts: 18 Member
    What about sodium intake are you watching that also?
  • tinana_RN
    tinana_RN Posts: 541 Member
    1200 net, with exercise, does not sound like it's enough right now for you. You may need some more. I don't know what you're eating or how much you're exercising, but your body might just need more fuel.
  • _canuckrunner_
    _canuckrunner_ Posts: 364 Member
    A couple of thoughts, if you're working out a lot you could be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat (are you losing inches?) and the other thought is that if you are now eating a higher proportion of carbohydrate in your diet then carbs hang onto water.
  • HelloSweetie4
    HelloSweetie4 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I have been having the same problem. A few people on MFP suggested I up my calorie intake. The eat more, weigh less method.I think I may try it out.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Since your diary is private here's a suggestion or two. Are you tracking sodium and carbs? Eating more means eating more healthy foods, I had to strike a careful balance to get 1200 net and the weight loss to dovetail but it works honest and I was super skeptical. One good question is what your BMR is and your TDEE and are you really somewhere between the two? If you were eating low but your body is still underfunded it will try to store up fuel. So do the match and see if you are striking the perfect balance. There is a spreadsheet that helps a bunch and it was dead on, I started following that a lot better and I started losing 1-2 lbs a week. If you are very close to the ideal weight cut your settings back to .5lbs.

    Oh well, too many suggestions, you have likely looked at all of that but it's the ones I see most often when someone is struggling.
  • I found this great info here on myfitnesspal.com. Hope it helps.

    I often hear people asking why eating your exercise calories is a good thing?
    These people think 'That's extra calories burned, so that will speed up my weight loss.'
    Well, yes and no.

    The thing is, your body needs fuel.
    Your metabolism, typically around between 1200 and 1800 calories, are the calories that your body will burn, during the day, e...very day. Even if you sat around on the sofa, or slept, or were in a coma. You would need this to allow natural processes like hair/nail growth, skin replenishment, organ function, etc to continue.
    That's why it's very dangerous to eat anything under 1200 calories!

    So, lets take the average 1500 calorie metabolism.
    - If you live a sedentary lifestyle (desk job or no exercise), you would probably only burn 300 - 500 calories in a day by moving around. So you need 1800 - 2000 calories to maintain.
    A significant amount of the population leads a sedentary lifestyle, so most doctors recommend 2000 calories a day is good.
    - If you live a lightly active lifestyle (job involving some walking or some exercise (1/2 days) then you'd burn around 500 - 700 by moving around. So you need 2000 - 2200 to maintain.
    - If you are quite active (some manual labour or exercise 3 - 5 days/week) then that's probably 700 - 900. Thus, you need 2200 - 2400 calories to maintain.
    - And if you are very active (manual job or exercise 6 - 7 days/week) then you're burning around 1000. So, you need about 2500 calories to maintain.

    This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (or TDEE)

    MFP will set your deficit at what you want 0.5/1/1.5/2 lbs/week or -250/-500/-750/-1000 calories below your TDEE.

    Simple, right?

    Well, ish. Let's take an average scenario:

    --

    Meet Jane. She weighs 200lbs, and wants to lose 50lbs.
    Jane has a metabolism of 1500. She leads a sedentary lifestyle, so she burns about 2000 calories per day.
    Jane wants to lose 1lbs/week

    MFP calculates Jane's calorie intake and deducts 500 calories. She will require 1500 calories to lose 1lbs/week.

    But Jane decides she will start running.
    Jane burns 400 calories when she runs for 30 minutes.
    She does not eat back those 400 calories.

    Jane is now NETTING 1100 calories.

    *NET = Calories Consumed - Calories Burned from Exercise
    You're NET should equal your CALORIE GOAL to achieve weightloss.

    Because of the extra activity, 400/1500 of the calories consumed have been burnt by Jane. That means the body must function on only 1100 calories per day to allow natural processes like hair/nail growth, skin replenishment, organ function to continue.

    THUS, Jane's metabolism drops* to meet her NET calories (1100).
    NB* This may take several weeks and will not respond to occasionally high deficits.
    Over the same period of time, Jane's body will respond to the huge caloric defecit and try to preserve the body, by burning Jane's muscle rather than her fat. The number on the scale drops, but Jane does not seem to get any skinnier.

    Now she burns 1600 calories on sedentary days, and 2000 calories on exercise days.

    When Jane has lost 50lbs and returns to normal eating, she can only eat 1600 calories on sedentary days or she will gain weight again.

    HOWEVER. If Jane decides to eat back the 400 calories:

    She continues to lose 1lbs/week
    Her metabolism will increase because (a) she is exercising (which increases the metabolism) and (b) because she is eating 1900 calories (the more calories she eats, the more her metabolism is raised.)
    However, her NET calories remain at 1500, so she achieves ideal weightloss.
    When Jane reaches her goal of 150lbs, her metabolism will be faster so she is able to eat more than 2000 calories to maintain her weight.

    --

    Do you see? But eating back her exercise calories, Jane is able to continue her weightloss without damaging her metabolism for the future.

    Exercising and then eating back your calories is just about the best thing you could do for your weightloss. It raises your metabolism, allows you to eat more, and helps to tone/build muscle rather than burn it so you don't get that flabby look of loose skin.

    I really hope this helps someone.
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
    Since your diary is private here's a suggestion or two. Are you tracking sodium and carbs? Eating more means eating more healthy foods, I had to strike a careful balance to get 1200 net and the weight loss to dovetail but it works honest and I was super skeptical. One good question is what your BMR is and your TDEE and are you really somewhere between the two? If you were eating low but your body is still underfunded it will try to store up fuel. So do the match and see if you are striking the perfect balance. There is a spreadsheet that helps a bunch and it was dead on, I started following that a lot better and I started losing 1-2 lbs a week. If you are very close to the ideal weight cut your settings back to .5lbs.

    Oh well, too many suggestions, you have likely looked at all of that but it's the ones I see most often when someone is struggling.

    I'm curious bout this spreadsheet of which you're speaking......
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    Your body is doing 2 things.
    1) Losing fat.
    2) Building muscle

    Muscle weighs more than fat. It is not uncommon for the scale to go up when you first start(esp when you are working out hard). Start going by inches lost. At a certain point things will level out.

    Keep going!:flowerforyou:
  • Shellyyy7928
    Shellyyy7928 Posts: 78 Member
    If you open your diary people might be able to help more. And maybe give your numbers?(height, weight, bmr, tdee, ect)

    Do you feel full at those 1200net? If not you could try and up them a bit. And Maybe track your sodium, it could be water retention.

    Oh and if you are pretty close to your goal weight, and you have it set to lose 2lbs a week (not sure if you do) you might want to change it to like 0.5 a week. The closer you are to your goal the harder it is for it to come off.

    Ps. Not to be creepy but does the 617 stand for the Boston area code? Lol
  • Emv79
    Emv79 Posts: 245 Member
    There can be multiple reasons why (I've been there):
    1. If you are working out more than before, weight gain can be muscle (which is not a bad thing as muscle allows you to burn more calories even when you rest), as muscle weighs more than fat.
    2. If you're not eating back the calories you burn off in your workouts or eating less than suggested, you are setting yourself up to fail (you'll see pounds coming off quickly at first and then come back with a vengeance, even if you do everything the same)
    3. We're women, if you're anywhere close to getting your period or have it, then water retention happens (it goes away, but yes, it can be frustrating).
    4. You're not getting enough water (your body retains what it can). You should try to drink 6 glasses of water (about 8 cups) a day and if you workout, more. Try to have them throughout the day (not chugging it all at once :) )
    5. Sodium. If you log your food, pay special attention to sodium. You always want to be at or bellow the suggested mg and like water, have your sodium spread out in the day. A good way to do this is to eat 6 times a day (3 meals, 3 snacks....and make sure not to skip breakfast).

    I know it's frustrating, I've been there...but stick with it!
  • vsay215
    vsay215 Posts: 44 Member
    I am new at this also and can not get it right either.
  • court617
    court617 Posts: 65
    Keep the suggestions coming! I'm listening to all of them!

    I'll add sodium to the diary to see if that might be part of the problem. I drink a good amount of water every day... probably around 80 oz or so daily, so I don't think it's lack of water.

    I'm going to start over today, we'll see if this week I can make a few changes and see if anything changes. I have also been thinking about lifting, gaining more muscle. I realize that will keep the scale where it is but I'd feel better I think. As lame as it sounds too, I'm wondering if I should get a different scale too. There's something fishy about this one. I like digital ones, but the fact that it changes so much depending on where it's placed isn't helping. Not to mention the fact that I can step on it and be one weight and try again 2 seconds later and be a few lbs different. I'm almost convinced that giving up on a scale is the right thing for a while too... like I should be more worried about how I FEEL than numbers.

    I'm just frustrated because I'm 165lbs now and was 140 lbs last summer. I'm 5'6" and I feel so badly. I'm trying to get back to where I was last year and it's not happening at all. I just can't figure out why. Normally when I start a weight loss program I lose a few lbs the first week but that's not how it's happening. It's taking a long time to lose and then it doesn't stay off! I'm not going to get anywhere at this rate and it's really affecting me mentally. Not to be a whiner... haha
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    What is your BMR? For many eating below their BMR affects weight loss.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map?
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Since your diary is private here's a suggestion or two. Are you tracking sodium and carbs? Eating more means eating more healthy foods, I had to strike a careful balance to get 1200 net and the weight loss to dovetail but it works honest and I was super skeptical. One good question is what your BMR is and your TDEE and are you really somewhere between the two? If you were eating low but your body is still underfunded it will try to store up fuel. So do the match and see if you are striking the perfect balance. There is a spreadsheet that helps a bunch and it was dead on, I started following that a lot better and I started losing 1-2 lbs a week. If you are very close to the ideal weight cut your settings back to .5lbs.

    Oh well, too many suggestions, you have likely looked at all of that but it's the ones I see most often when someone is struggling.

    I'm curious bout this spreadsheet of which you're speaking......

    It could be this one, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510980-my-gift-excel-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-cut-build-and-ma?

    Or the one by hey bales in the eating for future you group.
  • lornathewizzard
    lornathewizzard Posts: 165 Member
    I think the key thing here first of all is not to lose heart. At the end of the day, you didn't put those unwanted lbs on in a week, you need to give them time to come off.
    If you think about it, in order to have put on 1lb of 'actual' fat in a week, you'd need to have eaten 3500 calories over maintenance calories for that week. Now I know you haven't done that without having to even see your diary. Water is the most likely culprit, so keep the good water intake up and like others have said, keep an eye on the sodium, as this will make you retain fluid.
    Personally, if you've only got 20lbs to lose, I would suggest upping the calorie intake. Change your goals to lose 0.5 or 1lb a week, which will up your goal calories. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but trust me, eating more does work. You need to fuel your body, not only for you to use with all that exercise and recovery from exercise, but there is absolutely no use in eating hardly anything and feeling miserable.
    And unfortunately, the long haul way is the best way. More time to develop new habits and change old ones, means more chance of sticking to them. :)

    And sometimes - just ignore those bloody scales, they are evil!
  • Emv79
    Emv79 Posts: 245 Member
    I'll add sodium to the diary to see if that might be part of the problem. I drink a good amount of water every day... probably around 80 oz or so daily, so I don't think it's lack of water.

    I'm going to start over today, we'll see if this week I can make a few changes and see if anything changes. I have also been thinking about lifting, gaining more muscle. I realize that will keep the scale where it is but I'd feel better I think. As lame as it sounds too, I'm wondering if I should get a different scale too. There's something fishy about this one. I like digital ones, but the fact that it changes so much depending on where it's placed isn't helping. Not to mention the fact that I can step on it and be one weight and try again 2 seconds later and be a few lbs different. I'm almost convinced that giving up on a scale is the right thing for a while too... like I should be more worried about how I FEEL than numbers.


    Sodium may not be the culprit, but you should always track it. Many low cal/low fat foods are really high in sodium (that's how they get it to taste like something decent! lol).

    As for the scale, I totally get you: got a new one about 4 months ago as I kept getting different readings. Best thing is to have it level, and then weigh yourself 3 times at 2-3min intervals. If it varies by more than .5lbs, GET A NEW ONE! :) I used the scale at first (I'm 5'10'' and I was 195lbs at my heaviest) at it proved good motivation. However, I drilled myself to only weigh-in once a week (this prevented me from the "panic" mood from normal fluctuations). I noticed that every month, I'd have at least 1 week per month where the weight would either stay the same or go up, but it would go back to normal (going down) the week after. When I got down to 170lbs and started integrating weights to my workouts, I stopped using the scale and used a pair of jeans as my measurement tool (suggestion I had found on-line). I did that for 3 months as I did not want again, to get depressed by seeing the numbers on a scale go up from this healthy transition. When I checked (recently), I only lost 10lbs in 4 months, but I was literally floating in the jeans! Fact is, numbers are not everything. I'm going back to checking weight now as part of my new training program, but also measurements, endurance, muscle mass, etc.

    I will say that 20lbs in 2 months is allot. I encourage you whatever you chose, but for something to stick, you should not be exceeding 1.5, max 2lbs per week. Think about it: it took you longer than 2months to gain the 20lbs, it's normal that it takes longer than 2months to lose it (and keep it off!).
  • Along with keeping your weight registered (spreadsheet or MFP) I would suggest you measure up every 8 or 15 days. I have been doing this since the beginning and it's my main motivator... I measure around the arm, under the belly button, one leg (at the top) and around my hips. I also take pictures at milestones (5, 10, 15% weight loss).

    As for the scale giving you random numbers in a few seconds... Does it do this even when you DON'T move it? I have a digital scale that does all the whatnots (weight, water, muscle, fat) and it DOES give me different results IF I move it 2cm to the left/right/up/down but it doesn't give me different results if I get on and off several times without moving it.

    Also, my weight fluctuates ALOT: TOM, Sodium, sleep, going to the toilet etc all make it a mess. That's why I only check-in twice a month. I'd say keep going and don't stress out, it'll "fall into place". Just make sure you are eating enough and being healthy in general, your body will follow suit.
  • liftingheavy
    liftingheavy Posts: 551 Member
    If you are netting 1200 calories and are not losing weight maybe that calorie amount is wrong for your body. Is that where you started, or did you recently reduce to 1200 net?
  • BrionyTallis
    BrionyTallis Posts: 90 Member
    Thank you it helped me very much it is the best explanation I have read. I read others and knew it to be true but truly did not understand why.
  • court617
    court617 Posts: 65
    I have tried so many different websites to try to find out exact numbers that I should be paying attention to. The one I just used now is saying:

    Estimated Base BMR: 1402 Calories.
    Estimated TDEE: 1928 Calories.
    Estimated Daily Caloric Need For Weight Loss: 1428 Calories.

    Is it possible to enter these numbers exactly into MFP? I feel like I'm eating better in general. 1200 calories was OK for me, but I'm thinking that does mean I was eating too much sodium since I'm getting a lot of low fat/nonfat food and frozen food... those are usually high in sodium.

    Even if I just got down to 150 before my vacation at the end of June I'd feel better. It's frustrating because I'm a runner so I know I'm burning calories, now it just makes me nervous that I'm burning too much/not eating enough... it seems too complicated. If I run and burn calories weight should just come off... end of story! I'm not great at balancing the eating and the working out and the numbers. I guess I just need to figure out how to deal with everything at the same time.

    I really appreciate everyone's help!
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I have tried so many different websites to try to find out exact numbers that I should be paying attention to. The one I just used now is saying:

    Estimated Base BMR: 1402 Calories.
    Estimated TDEE: 1928 Calories.
    Estimated Daily Caloric Need For Weight Loss: 1428 Calories.

    Is it possible to enter these numbers exactly into MFP? I feel like I'm eating better in general. 1200 calories was OK for me, but I'm thinking that does mean I was eating too much sodium since I'm getting a lot of low fat/nonfat food and frozen food... those are usually high in sodium.

    Even if I just got down to 150 before my vacation at the end of June I'd feel better. It's frustrating because I'm a runner so I know I'm burning calories, now it just makes me nervous that I'm burning too much/not eating enough... it seems too complicated. If I run and burn calories weight should just come off... end of story! I'm not great at balancing the eating and the working out and the numbers. I guess I just need to figure out how to deal with everything at the same time.

    I really appreciate everyone's help!

    Go to goals - Change goals - custom.

    you can change your calories and your % of protein/fat/carbs.
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    I don't think I can give any suggestions other than what's already here, but I feel where you're coming from. I started at a gym four weeks ago, I lost 4 lbs the first week (pretty sure it was ALL water) went up 3 the second week, refused to weigh in the third week, got on a scale today and back up where I started a month ago.
    I reminded myself that I am gaining muscle so that may be part of it. Another thought I had was that I was miscalculating the calories I am burning so I ordered a heart monitor watch with a calorie calculator that will calculate the number of calories I am burning (it apparently will calculate the calories I consume as well, so we'll see.) And I'm going to double check the calories I'm consuming on my food tracker to see if I can't get a better handle on it.
    Best of luck to you!!!