why am I not losing weight?!

I have been pushing harder than normal for about a week (working out and counting calories), and I have had more than a 1000 kcal deficit daily, but I have actually gained weight (about 3 lbs (since last Friday)). I don't understand why there isn't at least a decimal difference in my favor... I am VERY careful about my portions and caloric intake. I am about a week or so out from my period, can that mess things up this much?

Please help me I am SO frustrated. The week I start the competition my body decides to freak out on me and go backwards... does anyone else seem to have luck like mine? lol

Thanks in advance,

Anne

Original Post by 10dondr:

I have been pushing harder than normal for about a week (working out and counting calories), and I have had more than a 1000 kcal deficit daily, but I have actually gained weight (about 3 lbs (since last Friday)). I don't understand why there isn't at least a decimal difference in my favor... I am VERY careful about my portions and caloric intake. I am about a week or so out from my period, can that mess things up this much?

Please help me I am SO frustrated. The week I start the competition my body decides to freak out on me and go backwards... does anyone else seem to have luck like mine? lol

 

Thanks in advance,

Anne

 That's probably your problem right there.  too large of a deficit can actually hinder weight loss.  slow and steady wins the race.

don't have a deficit larger than 1000 and eat at least 1200 everyday

Between the harder workouts, which can cause temporary water retention, and eating too few calories, I'm not surprised you've gained weight.  Your deficit should NOT be more than 1000 calories, and 500 is better, because your body panics and begins to hold onto fat so you can survive the "famine".  Also known as the "starvation effect".

I am eating 1300ish cals per day give or take a few... I just can't see gaining so much so fast even if my deficit is larger than 1000. It was much larger in the Army, and I was signigicantly dropping in size then. My body fat percentage is consistantly less...

It may simply be water retention due to added/harder workouts. I find it hard to believe that it is a 'true' 3lbs gain.

Also, the fact that you've had large or larger deficits before doesn't mean that it's healthy.. your body may be reacting different this time around due to a number of reasons! do the healthy thing and keep your deficits below 1000 per day. Pushing yourself this hard without fueling your body properly may set you up for failure..

Best of luck to you!

Yo will plateau - I stayed i9n one place for 2 weeks. If you are exercising - switch it up. Your body can actually memorize your routine and say well I just dont need to give up that many calories.

IE: If you walk 30 minutes at the same place everday using the same path - it will remember that and you won't burn as much - change it up.

You also need to get in your heart rate zone for 30 minutes - get a heart monitor - they are not that expensive and will make certain your heart rate is inthe right zone - if you need help with that I can give you a formula

Look at the salt content in your foods. You should get 1200 miligrams a day. If you are eating Lean Quisines and such they will kill you as the salt content per meal is so high. Try and eat natural foods - eat nothing that says "natural flavorings" - no diet soda (poison) or any other sodas - water tea

Finally you are woman - when you loose weight your hormone structure changes and this will adjust

If you need any help just let me know as I am in the same boat.

Kent

Some good advice above.  Bottom line is that you did not gain any fat - and it is all likely water or possibly some muscle weight too if you were working out or muscles retaining some water as you exercise them. 

Everytime this happens I remind myself to do the math.  To make 1 pound of fat I would have to eat 3500 calories on top of my maintenance calories.  If you've been faithfully logging your intake then you know that its not fat weight.  So have patience, if you follow the advice offered, it will all sort itself out over time.

Edit:  Also try searching these forums for this topic - you'll find lots of input and ideas.

Oh, honey, I went through that about two or three months ago.  I was miserable.  I was averaging 1000-1500 kcal deficit, and GAINING.  So I came on here disgusted, and people were like, "Eat more, exercise less," or, "Maybe you're too stupid to count calories," (which was phrased like, "Well, maybe you're eating more than you think."--How hard is it to count, really?!).  So I tried it--to no avail.  After several weeks of that, I got disgusted and quit counting calories all together for a while.  Well, last week I got back on the scale, was horrified, and am now back to counting calories.  And I'm starting a new running program.  So far I'm down 1.2 lbs. 

There are WAY too many variables in my story to even start to guess what's working (and really, I don't know that it's working at all, yet).  My best advice is that even though I gained less when I stopped counting than I did during the time I was gaining while exercising, I've never been less happy with myself or my body then when I was eating whatever and doing nothing.  I could FEEL things turning back into fat... I don't think that was really happening, but our perception is everything in the moment.  

Good luck to you, and don't give up. 

I am absolutely in the same boat and I feel for you. I am 6'0" and 265 or so and have been absolutely working my ass off. I am eating 2000 calories daily and doing a really hard hour in the gym 6 days a week. I do 30 minutes of full body weights and then 30 minutes of hiit cardio. Ive been doing this for a solid week and the scale is jumping all over the place. I weigh myself the same time every single day but it is always different. I have literrally gained 3 pounds in one day. I have faith though, you need to also. If you do everything youre supposed to do, the weight WILL come off. I have no doubt that I will lose 2-2.5 pounds a week as planned, and that I have to understand that it is an average. Weight will jump around from day to day and week to week. Just be patient, keep working and it will happen.

I'd say water retention, especially b/c your period is coming up.

If you've been working out/dieting for awhile now it could just be a normal plateau

ME TOO. I was wondering what the heck was going on. First 15lbs were mega easy to loose. This week I was eating bout 800 cal and 2-3hrs exercise a day and I went up 2lbs. What the heck!! As of today, my goal is 1500cal again and at least 2hrs exercise. Hope weight starts going down again. 

I was on a plateau for over three weeks.  Then I increased my caloric intake by 300-400 calories and I lost two pounds in two days!  Check out this thread.  Someone should make THIS ONE "sticky"! It WORKS!!!

http://caloriecount.about.com/cheating-diet-i ncrease-fat-loss-ft7139