Not Fair--I followed Diet--Gained 5 Pounds!

[vhoffman]

I'm not too sure where to post this, but family board seems as good a place as any.

Right now, I'm feeling totally violated! I've been lied to! I did my part--why didn't it work??????????????????????????????????


Ok, now that my little vent is over, well, here's what happened. One of my New Year's resolutions was to lost weight. At 5'4, 160 pounds, well, guess I'm best described as "overweight". I need to lose at least 20 pounds. I keep reading about people who have followed the blah, blah, blah, diet and lost upteem pounds. Well, I decided to keep it simple. I tried the "cereal" diet. You've probably seen it advertised on many cereal boxes--replace two meals a day with cereal, fruit & skim milk, then have a sensible dinner. Average weight loss--10 pounds in 2 weeks, or 2 jean sizes! Well, I decided to follow this due to its simplicity. Really, I stuck with it. Cereal & raisins & skim milk for breakfast and lunch, a sensible dinner, no junk food snacking in between. The first week it actually appeared I had lost 2-3 pounds, although its hard to tell with most bathroom scales--they don't have that fine resolution. I weighed myself the same time everyday, sans clothes and shoes, and was pleased to see some progress. I did ok hunger-wise as well. No real hunger pangs. However, the second week I was hungry almost all the time. I didn't give in to it, I stuck to the diet despite my hunger pangs, which were not easy to tolerate. Imagine my dismay when I went to put on a pair of jeans that had been somewhat loose before the diet. I can't even begin to fasten them! I mean, there's at least 4 inches between the button and button hole! Also, according to the scales, it appears I've gained 5 pounds, although its hard to tell exactly with bathroom scales!

I'm really bummed. I mean, I would have done better if I never even bothered! I had some nice jeans that fit well, now all I can get into are some stretch pants with elastic waist (aka--old lady pants!). Where did I go wrong? I didn't expect miracles, like lose 20 pounds in a week, but to go through all that misery and actually gain weight! Now I have even more to lose! I would have been better off doing nothing. Actually, I maintained a steady weight all through the holidays, with holiday treats, etc., Then I try to cut down, and I gain! Where did I go wrong?

 

[spiceycat]

so sorry!!!

do you drink enough water?

water is very important -you can't lose weight without drinking enough water to get the fat out of your body....

so visit this board for help

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=59

 

[Gagebre]

I was justing talking to my daughter about something similar. I am not on a diet but try to eat sensibly and it seems the more I work out the more weight I gain! I know people always want to say "muscle weighs more than fat" but that may happen when you first start to exercise but I joined Curves over a year ago and everytime I start to really stick with my 3 times a week workout, I actually start to gain weight. I must be doing something wrong so if anyone has any ideas as to why this is happening, please let me in on it!

And to the OP I have a theory, at least in my case. When I start to limit my calories, I really think my body somehow holds on to my fat reserves!

 

[plutolovr]

I would also not eat the raisins. They are very high in calories. Not considered fresh fruit. You would do much better with fresh berries, or canned fruit packed in water or juice. Also, DON'T weigh yourself everyday. Your body weight can fluctuate as much as 2 pounds on a daily basis. Drink water, lots of it. If you're not used to drinking lots of water it will get easier the more you do it. Also, check to make sure you're following the serving size recommended on the box. And make sure you are taking in enough calories for your weight. If you are not getting enough calories, your body will hold on to fat because it thinks you are starving it.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Sorry about the weight gain! I know how frustrating this is. I have lost about 10 lbs since Jan 1 and still need to loose about 70 lbs. I cannot do this cereal diet either. It is too many carbs. Most of my adult life I had been trying to do low fat which ended up meaning to me a lot of carbs and I never lost weight. The cereal I have seen that is the best is Kashi Go Lean. I have seen a lot of people have this cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch (wheat lite bread only!) turkey, lettuce, light mayo etc. and you can still have things like cottage cheese, salads, fruit, veggies during the day and they loose weight. I think that cereal diet doesn't work for a lot of people because it isn't very balanced. I am doing slim-fast and usually I don't have it for lunch but I am following the calorie restrictions, plus my own lower carb restrictions.

Good luck and don't worry those 4 lbs will go off really fast.

 

[MichelleChell]

I think the answer to all of your problems is Weight Watchers. I do it and love it. It is not just a diet but a lifestyle. I can eat anything I want. I would recomend it to anyone.

 

[LegoMom3]

LOTS of water (and if you bladder is anywhere near as small as mine, the bathroom will be your 2nd home... ) and regular exercise, at least 3x/week for 30 minutes.

Also have to agree with the comment on raisins. I am doing eDiets right now and whenever raisins are in a meal, it's literally only like a tablespoon!

You might look into eDiets if you're interested in a helping hand. You only commit to 3 months (can certainly go longer after that if you want) and it's not expensive at all. You can choose just plain, sensible healty eating, or go low-carb, or low-sodium...Whatever you want or need. You get meals scheduled for a week at a time, and if you don't like something you always have the option of substituting something else on the list. Honestly, I'm on my 4th week now and am never bored with the food options! They offer lots of variety and I'm rarely hungry. Have been losing a pound to pound and a half a week! My goal is 12 lbs. total.

Good luck in your endeavor!

 

[SamIAm21]

My only thought is that this diet seems really high in carbohydrates and it's possible that you don't tolerate those very well. Also, is it possible that maybe your very close to "that time of the month"? That could have caused some bloat that's for sure!

Also, I work out at Curves and I have had the same thing happen to me. Curves is great, but until I stepped up the cardio portion of my exercise routine, I also gained weight, but lost inches. I am now losing weight as well as inches.

 

[vhoffman]

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to increase the water. I read somewhere that your need for water is based on your weight total weight/2 = ounces of water per day, so for me that would mean 80 ounces of water per day.

Here's something else weird that happened while on the cereal diet. I don't know if the diet caused it, or it it just happened concurrently. My hair and skin are more oily. I'm 50 years old and I now have the oil output of a teenager. I used to wash my hair 2x week, now I need to was it at least every other day, best every day, which really messes up my dye and highlights, causing them to fade faster. And my skin is oily--like greasy! Also,well, how can I put this--my deodorant doesn't seem to work? The worse problem, how I can I word this--I seem to have a lot of, well, ummm gas? I followed this stupid diet, now I'm a fat, gray-haired greaseball walking around farting while wearing fat lady pants, emitting socially unacceptable odors! Arrrrgh! I can't even stand myself! Today is Valentine's Day and my children have a party at school. I'm embarassed to go! All that from eating cereal? Maybe it had some weird chemical additive

 

[SaratogaShan]

I LOVE weight watchers too! It is the only thing that works for me!

 

[AllyCatTapia]

if you eat under a certain amount of calories, you're body wil think it is starving and go into stravation mode. i think it's like 1200-1500 calories. PS how much cereal are you eating? do you now that a "bowl" is usually like 1 cup if that? probably not enough calories though!

you also have to MOVE because if you are MOVING your body knows its NOT starving.

 

[grlpwrd]

Cereal & raisins & skim milk for breakfast and lunch, a sensible dinner, no junk food snacking in between.

Is this the Special K diet? The plan is eating Special K cereal with 2/3 cup skim milk and fruit for two meals a day, a sensible dinner, plus snacks. Have you been eating fruits and vegetables as snacks as the plan suggests and water? Here's the website:

http://www.specialk.com/brand/sk_kay/theplan.shtml

I, too, think it's too high carb and it restricts calories too much which is good short term, but I would want permanent weight loss.

GL!

 

[vhoffman]

Its the Grape Nuts diet, which is similar to the Special K diet. I realize they are not a good long term diet, its just recommended to follow them for 2 weeks. I felt if I could just get some weight off, then I could concentrate on keeping it off by long-term dietary modifications, etc. However, I didn't expect to gain weight while on the diet!

maybe I'll try the south Beach diet. I've heard good things about it. My husband followed the Atkins diet, which is a more strict version of the South Beach, and he lost 50 pounds--I eat cereal and gain 5 pounds! What get me the most is those jeans--they fit so nice and were slimming. I actually had people ask me if I'd lost weight when I hadn't--just the style of the jeans. Now the jeans can't possibly fit. Also, why the other problems--the oily hair and skin and gas? Weird!

 

[2tinkersmom]

When you are not eating enough, your body will hold on to all that you are eating as a "defense" mode and not let go of any of it in terms of weight loss. For some people, I suppose the cereal and milk twice a day might shed weight but I don't think for most that is enough.

I was almost the same as you height/weight wise...last April I was 168 and 5'5" and started a program called Healthy Inspirations which is a nationwide program however not a huge chain like Weight Watchers so it may be harder to find. Its a very disciplined program as far as eating and my days of weight loss eating looked like this - two fruits for breakfast (1/2 a banana is one fruit serving) plus a piece of 40 calorie toast, program snack bar mid-morning, lunch had to have a protein like tuna with a vegetable and a fruit and a starch (again limited choices like wasa crackers, very low calories), another program snack bar mid-afternoon and then only a protein like chicken and two vegetables for dinner.

The program also has its own exercise circuit very similar to Curves, just pre-set machines that take you about a 1/2 hour to go through. And you have to do those three times a week.

It was a very tough thing to follow but I did it and lost 25 pounds. My body has totally changed on this program. I lost almost as many inches as I did pounds through the exercise.

But one thing that they told me partway through was that you have to give your body all the food required for your day. I was not a big fruit or veggie eater so that was tough but when I didn't get it all in, I didn't lose the right way. I also tried exercising more thinking that would help me lose even faster but then my body really shut down and didn't drop a pound for several weeks.

So I hope you don't get frustrated about losing, its such a mind game unfortunately for us!! But I would recommend approaching it in a more balanced way, adding the whole fruits to the cereal and even adding some protein snacks in between like an ounce of cheese or some cold chicken as a snack.

Good luck!

 

[beckmrk04]

I also recommend weight watchers-no fads, no gimmicks. Just helps you learn portion control and healthy choices. I tried atkins. For a day. I was sick and miserable, and honestly, I don't WANT to give up my bread or pasta, but I am willing to eat less of them. Plus, I like that I can literally eat whatever I want on weight watchers, as long as I stay within my points- this makes going out with friends or to parties a lot easier because you can identify point-friendly foods and portions.

 

[Tink215]

Hi Just read your post , You and I are alot alike, I too am 5"4 and 160 pounds....want to lose 20 pounds also..I am doing Slimfast and have lost about 4 pounds in 3 weeks, I too got discouraged but remember we retain alot of water and the scale will be different some times during the month......Are you getting excersise??? I walk 3 times a week for 45 min....and I do 30 min of Yoga every morning....I have been bad this week but am jumping on my horse again because I am determined to do this for myself.....I put myself on a 1300 calorie intake I went over to the slimfast site and checked it out I was pleased with it and have found good ideas for meal time as well.....I would love to do weight watchers but I cant for Financial and babysitting reasons......But dont give up, Keep up the good work, walk, keep your self motivated, Lots of water is very important and stay away from the junk!!!! Good Luck!!!!!

 

[wvjovifan]

I, too, feel your pain! I'm another Weight Watcher checking in! I can't lose without it. I tried them all and this program of sensible eating and portion control really works! If you make good choices and drink your water (6 8oz glasses a day) you will not be hungry and you will lose weight. No more fads for me! Many people combine WW with Curves and really lose fast!! Good luck...you have support here!!!!

 

[wrldpossibility]

I agree with some of the other posters that these cereal diets seem way too high in carbs. I'm not an expert, but I do know where you're coming from. I am 5'4" too, and just recently lost 40 pounds. I'm now 135, was 185, so I had more to lose than you. I did Nutrisystem, but I think the main thing that helped me was LOTS of water and LOTS of exercise. And, like others said, you have to give it more than 2 weeks, given the way our bodies fluctuate. Don't give up!

 

[michelle9343]

"I followed this stupid diet, now I'm a fat, gray-haired greaseball walking around farting while wearing fat lady pants, emitting socially unacceptable odors! Arrrrgh! I can't even stand myself!"
I hate to say I know what you mean. Sometimes the harder we try the harder it gets. I really agree with increasing your water intake and maybe it was way too many carbs for you. It can be extemely But keep trying.

 

[tw1nsmom]

It really sounds like you're retaining water. I would try the first two weeks of the South Beach diet. If it's water weight, it will just come right off.

I really need to get back on South Beach. It isn't really a fad, just lots of healthy vegetables, lean meat, whole grains and fruit. My high fat, high carbs, high sugar, high calorie, no exercise diet doesn't seem to be working. I wonder why?