Doesn't make sense

Ok, here's my mystery. I am approximately 5' 8'' and 20 years old. When I started my diet about two weeks ago I weighed 155 pounds and my goal was to get down to 125. Everyday I would eat about 1000 calories and work out for 45 mins to an hour on the ellptical. By the end of the two weeks, I weighed myself and I'm up to 163!!! How is this even possible!

HELP!

To be honest there could be a variety of explanations.   I doubt you have gained 8 pounds of fat;  however you want to be careful how many calories you restrict yourself to so that your body does not think it is starving.  Especially if you are working out 45 minutes a day, you may need to take in more calories to lose weight.  Also, when you work out every day, your body will retain more water to help rebuild the muscles you are using.  That and weight normally fluctuates from day to day.

I know it seems disheartening but I would say keep it up.  Don't let the numbers on the scale fool you one way or another.  Two weeks is a good start but the idea is to get into a routine for life.  Perhaps give it another two weeks and see where you are at.  You should also measure inches on yourself as that is a good indicator to see if you are making progress.   As long as you feel good and are happy with your routine, I am sure the results will start to come soon.

Good luck :)

If you gain weight the usual reason is that you're eating rather more than you think.  So the first step is to keep a very accurate food diary, recording precise weights and measures of everything that passes your lips. 

Next thing to do is stop starving.... Crash-dieting (less than 1200 a day) is dangerous and - as you've discovered - can be counterproductive.  And if you have a day where you eat more than normal afterwards, you can find you gain weight alarmingly quickly.   Some people eat nothing all day and have too heavy a supper which can pack on the lbs.  Others eat very little all week but then splurge at the weekend with the same net effect.  Enter your stats into this site aimed at people under 21 and read off the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight .   http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml  You come out as needing 2280 - 2630 per day to maintain.

To lose weight steadily deduct only 500-700 cals from the total.... ie about 1800-1900 per day.   Good luck

your problem has a very simple solution....you are not eating enough...if you are riding the eliptical for that amount of time you are burning almost as much as you are taking in and your body is going into shock and holding everything...to lose weight  you have to take in calories...i think the absolute minimum for a woman is like 1200...refigure your calories and keep working out and that first 8 pounds should come off quick and then you will start to see results...

I would reckon that your problem is due to the fact you are not eating enough. The minimum intake for a sedentary female over 21 is 1200 calories per day. For a sedentary female under 21 or a man over 21 it is 1500 per day, and a sedentary male under 21 1800 per day. And believe it or not, that’s only the sedentary minimum. Unless you are very, very short and small, and/or if you are working out it is very likely you will need even more calories than those minimum guidelines.

If you are 21 or older use CC's tools to work out your BMR so you have a number to work from for your diet: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-bur ned.php. If you are under 21, CC's tools are inaccurate and you should use this calculator instead: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html as you are still growing. Yes, even in the later years - there's more going on inside of you that you simply can't see.

Eating too low a calorie intake, or having a deficit from your BMR greater than 1000 results in something called "survival mode", where your body holds every last thing it can get in expectance of a famine. Water, food, calories. Explained:

• Dieting & Metabolism - This article explains starvation mode and why undereating is counter productive.
• The Body Neglected - This is what happens when you undereat for an extended period of time. 

The physical dangers that come with undereating are numerous. You put yourself at risk of osteoporosis, of loss of fertility if you lose your period, hair loss, electrolyte problems, a weakening of the immune system, low blood pressure, blood disorders such as anemia, heart problems, and even death. The mental woes that come alongside can be just as devestating. Depression is common in undereaters, as well as distorted perceptions and problems like Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Crash dieting will do nothing to help you lose weight as the weight will likely come straight back on, and undereating can easily do more damage than good. Think about it - your health or your vanity? Weight is easily lost if you do it in a healthy and sustainable manner which is what CC is all about. 

I think you ought to read the following link: An Unofficial Calorie Count Guide to a Fad-Free 2009. It not only covers the basics of calorie counting but also the impossibility of your "gaining" that much - more the likelihood that your body is clinging onto what it can. And please remember:

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Original Post by kjk6126:

Ok, here's my mystery. I am approximately 5' 8'' and 20 years old. When I started my diet about two weeks ago I weighed 155 pounds and my goal was to get down to 125. Everyday I would eat about 1000 calories and work out for 45 mins to an hour on the ellptical. By the end of the two weeks, I weighed myself and I'm up to 163!!! How is this even possible!

HELP!

Either one of two things are happening.

1. You are not eating enough calories. Which now your body has gone into starvation mode and is now hording all the energy (calories/fat).

2. Water weight increased. How much water do you drink?

OMGosh!!!  I have had the exact same experience!!!!  I have been working out for 5 weeks, 6 days per week and watching my calorie intake and I too have gained 3 lbs.  I'm soooo discouraged.  Nice to know that someone else out there is having the same problem.

Whenever someone on here says they are eating ~1000 calories and not losing weight, everyone posts that they're starving themselves.  What's far more likely is that you're grossly underestimating your calories.  I've talked to people who insist that they eat 1200-1500 calories per day, but when I ask them to weigh and measure everything they eat, it turns out to be 2000-2500. 

I do weigh and measure everything, It's a part of the diet plan I'm on.