Gain 15lbs in like a month! I met my goals daily 99% time!

I have been using this site for a couple of weeks. I picked up a lot of good advice from this thread. Thanks for all the information.

One lesson I have learned since joining MFP is that while for some people, it doesn't seem to matter where their calories come from, for me, it matters. If I stay at or below my calories but all I ate was junk/processed/fried/fast food then I will not lose weight. But, when I try to eat better, I not only feel better but there is a loss on the scale. I think for some people it's more than just tracking calories, it's about what you are putting in your body as well. Good luck.

It works the same way for me. If I eat junk but still stay under/meet my calories, not only do I feel like crap, but I gain weight. Everyone's body responds differently. Some people can eat nothing but junk and lose/maintain their weight, but they're not actually healthy and are most likely malnourished.Pay attention to what you're putting in your body. Weight is only 1 part of health.

Sounds like a whole lot of excuses, I'm afraid. Your diary reflects very well the mistakes that you are making, and people are taking the time to try and help you - help that you asked for - and you are essentially throwing it back in their faces because it's not what you want to hear.

You are logging food wrong. You are eating foods that aren't good for you. It's that simple. You can justify it all you want, but that's what it comes down to. If you want to believe you have some weird weight gain problem that has nothing to do with the crap you've been eating then fine, I'll leave it up to your GP to tell you to eat right, you probably won't listen to that either.

You have to decide if you really want to lose weight. Because you say you do, but your diary does not reflect that. You make excuses rather then doing it properly. That's the problem here, nothing else.

Exactly what she said. Take the advice you were given, or leave it. Start losing weight or continue as you are now. You're only wasting your own time.

Agree. Being healthy isn't staying under a calorie goal. You have to look at what you are putting in your body. I would work on swapping out foods that are premade, and incorporate more whole grains and natural foods. Try doing more brown rice, quinoa, barley, and lentils. They can be very filling and are nutritionally satisfying. I find when I eat more foods that are nutritionally satisfying then I am not as hungry. I would also minimize/eliminate sugar - but I make that recommendation to pretty much everyone.

Also, if you are going to continue a sedentary lifestyle, if you want to lose weight I would drop it down to 1600. If you are not regularly burning calories, you should not set your goal so close to a number meant for maintenance(1800-2000).

Didn't scan all the replies, but these above echo my thoughts when I read OP. Then I read your food/exercise diary (thank you for opening it). Based on what I've learned in the 11 months since I've started (average weight loss is 1lb/week) I offer the following more specific observations:

1. Exercise calories burned seem high. I've learned most calculators/estimators of calorie burned tend to be between 20% and even 40% too high. Even the activity based calculator here on MFP routinely is higher than what I've learned through experience. Don't know your weight, but burning 300+ calories in 30 minutes is hard with casual, light exercise unless you are very heavy. Until I started using a heart rate monitor, I learned to deduct 25% of my exercise calories from either the MFP or exercise machine total. That gave me a buffer for overestimation errors. Now I used one of the formulas I found at www.shapesense.com. and plug in my heart rate and other factors (weight, gender, age, time) into the formula that I store on an Excel worksheet. Whatever the calorie burn is, I round down.

2. Exercise choices: I note you don't log strength training. Strongly encourage you incorporate. You don't have to lift weights, you can use body weight resistance if you cant access machines/free weights.

3. Cardiovascular - related to #1 above. Make sure you are getting and sustaining an elevated heart rate - research online for target zones (recovery, aerobic, anaerobic), then make sure you are working out at an intensity level that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for 30 minutes at MINIMUM. Sorry, but a leisurely bike ride while enjoyable, is not a good cardio session. If you don't want to monitor your heart rate, use the huff/puff test. You should be working hard enough that you can only get a few words out if you want to talk.

3. Food: you are eating a lot of processed foods. Your sodium is high (should never be as high as MFP's default setting of 2500; rather target 1200 and settle for up to 1800. Sodium is hidden in all processed foods. You can change the target sodium level in the goal setting page of MFP - instead of accepting "guided/recommended" goals, click on the option to set your own. You can set macro nutrients (carbs, fat, etc), sodium and other minerals. I also adjusted my calcium goal to be higher than standard since I have osteoporosis.

4. Food: Measure relentlessly. Measure by weight as much as possible. Make sure your have a good quality, digital scale that switches between metric/English standards since MFP food data base is all over the place with both units.

5. Double check database data. I've run into entries for things like 'banana, 6 to 7-inch' that had calories, but zero macro-nutrients. Someone obviously entered just the calories, not the carb, sugar, etc.

6. Food: related to #3, pay attention to the quality of the food you eat. I did see other posters give more time to this point. Calories aren't everything. Your macronutrient distribution is important. Research, learn what you should be. Monitor, tweak as you learn what your body responds best.

7. Water: keep logging it. Drink more than the 8 cups standard - especially since your sodium is so high.

8. Bottom line: Thermodynamics. Energy consumed must be consistently less than energy expended in order to lose weight. Your food consumption is too high relative to the exercise you do. If you gained weight it's because your equation is the opposite of what it should be. Only some of the weight gain is water, certainly nowhere close to the 15lbs.

9. Bottom line Part II: Be rigorous with logging. That means be accurate, do it daily, set realistic goals and know that it took you a long time, if not your whole life, to get your body to the point it is now that you want to lose weight/get more fit. It will take a long time to change. This must be a lifestyle change in order for it work short or long term.

Good luck.

Get yourself a food scale and a good set of measuring spoons/cups and then use them!...To be honest...your numbers look suspect...ie you could be eating more than you think that you are. example proscuito/ only 15 calories?....weigh your slices/portions!.... Your sodium is high and your water is low (reverse these two)....eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Maybe a trip to see your doc is in order. Might be a thyroid issue. Make an appointment to have some tests run. I know gaining while limiting calories and moving is frustrating so there has to be something more. Good luck. please do not give up.

Yes, I'd talk to a doctor and they can help with your nutrition as well.

the problem is high sodium poor food choices (processed) and incorrect calorie counting! Fix those things-problem solved.

Sounds like a whole lot of excuses, I'm afraid. Your diary reflects very well the mistakes that you are making, and people are taking the time to try and help you - help that you asked for - and you are essentially throwing it back in their faces because it's not what you want to hear.

You are logging food wrong. You are eating foods that aren't good for you. It's that simple. You can justify it all you want, but that's what it comes down to. If you want to believe you have some weird weight gain problem that has nothing to do with the crap you've been eating then fine, I'll leave it up to your GP to tell you to eat right, you probably won't listen to that either.

You have to decide if you really want to lose weight. Because you say you do, but your diary does not reflect that. You make excuses rather then doing it properly. That's the problem here, nothing else.

Exactly what she said. Take the advice you were given, or leave it. Start losing weight or continue as you are now. You're only wasting your own time.

Agree. Being healthy isn't staying under a calorie goal. You have to look at what you are putting in your body. I would work on swapping out foods that are premade, and incorporate more whole grains and natural foods. Try doing more brown rice, quinoa, barley, and lentils. They can be very filling and are nutritionally satisfying. I find when I eat more foods that are nutritionally satisfying then I am not as hungry. I would also minimize/eliminate sugar - but I make that recommendation to pretty much everyone.

Also, if you are going to continue a sedentary lifestyle, if you want to lose weight I would drop it down to 1600. If you are not regularly burning calories, you should not set your goal so close to a number meant for maintenance(1800-2000).

I'm going to have to agree that there are lots of excuses here. Sounds like you want solutions but don't want to have to actually DO anything. And, if you're "not a scale person" and you feel like this tracking your calories is like "prison" then why are you even here? Think about it. Life is all about choice and you can either choose to take control and change your life or not. Totally your choice. But you can't have it both ways. Good luck to you!

Lots of processed food in that diary...make healthier choices and see a doctor

Seems like alot of carbs as well....I also noticed that your calorie count is a bit off....maybe i'm wrong and its just the brand your using but white bread in my house has 170 calories for 2 slices, you only have 129....and vegetable fried rice for only 80 calories for a half cup?? Seems kinda low...maybe its just me though idk. If they are wrong in your diary stuff like that will add up quick.

Weigh and measure every single thing you put in your mouth. I can almost guarantee you are eating WAY more than you think.

1750 sounds like a lot of calories for a sedentary lifestyle. I know there are several aspects to figuring your calorie recommendation, but I have a sedentary lifestyle and my calorie recommendation is set to 1520. Maybe you should double-check the info you entered. Also, if you are eating back exercise calories, maybe you are over estimating calories actually burned. I believe the MFP exercise database calories are based on balls-to-the-wall performance. I always use about 50% from the database, based on my capabilities. And, you should probably weigh at least once a week so you can avoid a crisis like this one in the future. Good luck.

I've looked at your diary & reread the OP, I'm very confused. :frown: Your base calories a day are set at 1300 at sedentary, where's the 1750 coming from?? You have been consistantly eating anywhere up to 500 extra calories a day without exercise & are constantly in the red. As far as I can tell, this is not meeting your daily goal?????????????

Again...with some of the FOODS...I only typed in "generic" database food...as I felt it wasnt important to log every item that I used to cook!

So something like Egg Fried Rice...I would use Frozen Veggies mixed....Rice...1 Egg...and 1tsp oil.....So I estimated the calories and choose database item close that calorie count.

I have CHANGED MY goals...I still have a sedentary lifestyle...but I added 2lbs a week LOSS! Also, my WEIGHT Increased and I have started at a random weigh in from yesterday of 111.7 kg / 246lbs.

That is a lot of weight....

Also, I have added tracking SODIUM.

You have to add everything to your diary. What is the point of using this site if you are just going to skip ingredients and guess calories!? I am really confused as to why you are here. I know it sounds rude but I just don't understand. If you aren't going to use the tools provided and just make stuff up out of thin air there's no point using the system. You are meant to limit your food around your goals not limit your goals around your food.

Looks like you are taking on board all the advice good for you.

now just give it rime to work - it may take a month before you find a good pattern but you will get there.