Help Me Figure This Out

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I thought I was doing so well on my diet. I have been using the livestrong .com website to keep a food diary. The website helped me figure out how many calories I need each day and I have been doing pretty well. I stepped on the scale yeaterday. I was expecting to lose at least a pound. Not only did I not lose any I actualy gained 2 pounds. I feel so discouraged. Is this normal? Should I cut more calories? I just don't know what to do.
Thanks

 

[ohMom]

how many days inbetween your WI (weigh-in)?

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

how many days inbetween your WI (weigh-in)?

I am weighing in approx every 7 days. Sometimes it is 6 and sometimes it is 8 so I average once a week.

 

[ohMom]

assuming this is your first week of changing your eating habits.....my .02 would be hang in there : i know that's not what you want to hear, but if you are making good choices your body will reward you but it takes time. maybe your metabolism is a little wacked-out and it's trying to regulate again. don't cut calories, that will throw your metabloism into "starvation mode" where the body clings to every calorie ingested in fear of starving. takes us back to the pre-historic days...but our bodies still have that safe-guard. so eating too less calories will make you gain weight too.....

also -- for me, i can fluctuate up to 5 lbs, water retention, salt, blah blah blah all have effect on the number you see on the scale.

BUT -- how do you feel? leaner? more energized?

are you excercising too?

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

assuming this is your first week of changing your eating habits.....my .02 would be hang in there : i know that's not what you want to hear, but if you are making good choices your body will reward you but it takes time. maybe your metabolism is a little wacked-out and it's trying to regulate again. don't cut calories, that will throw your metabloism into "starvation mode" where the body clings to every calorie ingested in fear of starving. takes us back to the pre-historic days...but our bodies still have that safe-guard. so eating too less calories will make you gain weight too.....

also -- for me, i can fluctuate up to 5 lbs, water retention, salt, blah blah blah all have effect on the number you see on the scale.

BUT -- how do you feel? leaner? more energized?

are you excercising too?

Thanks. I guess I should have given you my whole story. I have been working on this for about 4 weeks. The first week I lost 3 pounds. The second week I lost 2 pounds. The third week another 2 pounds. This week I gained 2. I was feeling leaner. I think that my mind is also discouraged because after my weigh in I wasn't feeling that great. Another problem I am having is that I am not getting enough water (I know and I am working on it) plus it has been hot here the last week or so.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Just to add. I messed up on my calorie intake. I entered that I live a sedentary life. I have a moderatly active life (housecleaning and child care plus tons of errands). They gave me the original calrie intake at 1300 calories per day. After I adjusted my activity level it changed to almost 1700 calories per day. I wonder if the 400 calorie differance caused my body to go into starvation mode.

 

[FireDancer]

Hang in there. Keep in mind that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. If you look at it as a permanent change I think it makes it easier to stick to it. After a couple of months it will become more and more of a habit.

Are you increasing your activity along with the dietary changes? If you are doing some more walking, weight training, cycling, ect you may be replacing fat with muscle. Muscle weighs more so you may not see the change on the scale but there is more to health than a number on a scale. As you add lean muscle you will increase your basal metabolic rate and burn more calories a day just maintaining you body.

Good luck.

 

[LAinSEA]

First, it could be that you are retaining water which weighs more than fat in the same amount of space. You need to drink 1/2 your weigh in ounces of water each day (beyond any other beverages) to flush the metabolized fat by-products out of your system.

Second, when we empty fat cells through metabolic process, they will fill with something - water because it's available. Once those cells don't have fat being stored back into them, they will (supposidly) dissolve and become waste out of our bodies. But in the interim, they make water retention all the more prevalent, so refer to drinking 1/2 your weight in oz of water each day.

Laurie