diet & exercise lead to weight GAIN?!

How is it that I am analysing and counting my intakes (carb, calorie and fiber) as well as exercising at least 5 days a week for 2 weeks straight only to find my scale telling me i GAINED 1.6 pounds? Wonder what it says today because i took to binge eating yesterday to spite myself. For two weeks my calories averaged 1350-1485 daily with my carbs below 200, hardly any fat and only 1/2 the daily recommended protein allowance. on the days i exercised, sometimes i would fast pace walk, jog, slightly run, on the treadmill for 2 hours, sometimes only 1 hour. always over 30 minutes, though.

please reply if anyone sees the reason for my weight gain. btw, there was no "cheating or indulging" even once in 2 weeks. also,  i am not exaggerating, my face is thinner but my clothing are tighter! 

Two weeks is a rather short amount of time to expect anything drastic.  Do not be alarmed if there is an initial weight gain, especially if you went from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one.  One and a half pounds could simply be water weight. 

Also, it is difficult to accurately measure your weight gain or loss with only two points of data.  Body weight for most people fluctuates considerably throughout the day, and from one day to the next.  If you plan on weighing yourself every two weeks, take three measurements.  Say, if your weigh in day is Monday, also weigh yourself on Sunday and Tuesday.  Personally, I weigh myself everyday.  It works for some people, but some dislike it. 

Original Post by socalnancy:

For two weeks my calories averaged 1350-1485 daily with my carbs below 200, hardly any fat and only 1/2 the daily recommended protein allowance. 

If you're cutting carbs, fat, and protein, what exactly are you eating?

Don't cut fat completely - you need it.  Olive oil, nuts, and fish are examples of healthy fats.  Don't cut protein either - the recommended amount is recommended for a reason, and you need it to make sure you're not damaging your muscles.  The rest should be carbs.  There is no fourth category here - you can't cut all three, so when you cut one or two, the third has to increase.

Make sure you have a healthy mix of foods (20-25% fat, 15-25% protein, and 45-60% carbs) and plenty of variety, or you're cheating yourself out of nutrients.

Other than that, what dooshly said.  If you didn't really exercise before, you could have put on muscle - try taking your measurements each week.  Or your body could just be taking a little extra time to adjust.  If it's around time for your period, you could have gained weight from that.  If you're not weighing yourself at the same time each day/week, it makes a difference.

What's your calorie deficit?  If it's too high, you might be slowing down your metabolism.

You might also try getting a food scale and measuring cups to use for a few weeks.  This makes sure your calorie counts are accurate and gets you used to real portion sizes.  If you're not measuring, you may be underestimating your intake.

This could be a lot of things.  Don't freak out - make this an opportunity to go over your diet and make sure it's healthy and balanced, your portions are good, and you're comfortable with your plan.  Make adjustments as you need to, and then give it another two weeks and see what happens.

I'm just wondering how you figure low carb (< 200g), "hardly any fat", and only half your protein allowance.  Something's got to give, if you're eating your suggested calorie amount.  Eat the right mix of carbs/protein/fat (mine is 50/30/20), and try eating 500 calories less than you calculate you burn.  Make sure you measure how much you're eating (food scales and/or measuring cups).  Measure everything you put in your mouth, and log it.

How many calories do you burn in a day?

Clint

Original Post by corellia40:

Original Post by socalnancy:

For two weeks my calories averaged 1350-1485 daily with my carbs below 200, hardly any fat and only 1/2 the daily recommended protein allowance. 

If you're cutting carbs, fat, and protein, what exactly are you eating?

My thoughts exactly...

There are plenty of reasons why your hard work isn't showing up on the scale

• High sodium levels leading to water retention
• PMS and bloating
• Increase in fiber so an increase in food weight in your stomach
• constipation
• Muscles retaining water (this is common when you increase activity)
• Muscle gains (possible with a deficit when you first start working out)
• A deficit that is too high (over 1000 can sometimes stall weight loss)
• Underestimating calories eaten or overestimating your daily burn

Weight fluctuates daily by up to 3lbs or so. Don't pay attention to daily fluctuations and just take note of the long-term trend - that's what counts.

Original Post by corellia40:

If you're cutting carbs, fat, and protein, what exactly are you eating?

Alcohol?

Why on EARTH would you cut your protein intake?? If anything, you should be lowering your carbs and bumping up your protein to spare muscle tissue and create a higher diet-induced rate of thermogenesis.