To be really pissed off that I've been on a massive diet and I've actually GAINED weight instead of lost it?

[Babysharkdoodoodoodoodoo]

Probably about 2-3 stone overweight and need to shift the pounds. I have reduced to 1400 calories per day, and I am doing CouchTo5K. I've been on the diet a week and a half and I've gained 3 pounds!!!

I've been really careful to count the calories right, include calories from drinks and sauces etc. I've even been going on walks on my 'rest day' between each run.
AIBU to be annoyed, pissed off and wonder what I'm doing wrong?

Have you found the exercise very painful? I'm suffering with my legs and feet a lot since starting proper exercising (am also trying to shed the pounds) and I have terrible water retention in my lower legs/feet, apparently it is because of microtears and the muscles being unaccustomed to use. Has to be worth a few pounds.

What kind of foods are you eating? And have you weighed at the same time of day/same clothing?

It's doubtful you've put 3lbs of fat on in 10 days. Sometimes I weigh a little more if I need a good poo and had a salty meal or two. (Water weight).

Stick to eating healthy, whole foods with a balance of carb/protein/fat and lots of nutrition rather than Kcal counting.

And keep going with c25K! Join your local Parkrun

Water weight is a killer if scale watching. This last week I stopped taking Nurofen Plus after quite a while, and lost five pounds in five days as the codeine left my system. Look at meds and alcohol if doing everything else right.

@Greensleeves I'm finding it managable but not easy iyswim? I also have water retention which doesn't help, so it could be that?

@TrembleTremble I always weigh in the morning before I get dressed so I don't think that's the problem, I'm trying to eat healthy non processed foods but have been tempted once or twice with chocolates and sausage roll (I ate less at dinner to make up for it)

Really want to try parkrun, will have to look into it! Thanks

It's the running. It's quite common to retain water when you start out. Unless you're hugely underestimating your intake, which is unlikely to the tune of 10,000 calories, it's probably water retention caused by your new fitness regime. Do you ache the day after you run?

What's a typical day's food like?

Also, exercise isn't really that great for weight loss - it's much more about diet.

And if you've got water retention, then you need to drink more water. Seems counter-intuitive, I know!

Definitely ditch the empty calories of the sausage rolls and chocolate - avoid snacking at all and stick to three healthy, filling meals a day. Porridge or eggs for breakfast, salad and falafel for lunch, chicken or fish with roast veg for dinner, for example.

Drink lots of water, especially as you're increasing your exercise. That'll really help. Avoid any drinks with calories and any food with sugar. Don't eat too much fruit, either - if you do love fruit stick to apples and blueberries rather than bananas.

Keep going with avoiding processed foods, cook from scratch as much as you can.

It really is a learning curve knowing what works for you, I hope you don't feel too demoralised. Keep chipping away. Every meal, every good choice, every run, every walk - I promise it all adds up.

I've been there - you can do it :)

You've only been going a week and a half, give it a bit of time yet. Weight can fluctuate by several lbs day to day due to water retention, time of day you weigh yourself etc

A week and a half is way too soon. Keep,up the routine a dm don’t weigh yourself for a month.

Running won’t necessarily help with weight loss (I get terrible runger) but you will be fitter and feel so much better about yourself

Drink plenty of water

Good luck with the diet. I’m sure you’ll reach your goal if you’re determined enough and stick to a healthy lifestyle.

It’s not unusual to gain a couple of pounds initially when adjusting to a new dieting regime - I don’t know the scientific details, but it is something to do with metabolism adjustment and other things.

There are diets out there that buck this trend - but they’re not healthy IMO and the weight will pile back on eventually if lifestyle is not addressed.

Don’t give up hope; and don’t assume it’s not working. Just keep away from chocolate and sausage rolls (or understand that a smaller dinner portion does not necessarily equal it out).

I speak as someone who 10 years ago could barely fit through a door. But can now share a stool in a bar with someone (doing it right now). Your post reminds me of how far I’ve come - I sometimes need reminding. If I can do it so can you (notwithstanding medical things obviously)

@BIWI huh??? Do you mean exercise creates muscle and therefore isn't good for weight loss because it weighs more? Because changing diet alone isn't enough it's the exercise that makes all the difference....

Don't go just by weight. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you've gained a bit of muscle, you could still be more trim!

@BetweenTheMoon - no! The thing about exercise is that you have to do a lot of it to burn a significant amount of calories. And then there's the added problem that the exercise makes you feel hungry, so it's tempting to eat more (even if you don't realise it). Plus, the psychological side of things, which is hard to ignore - the whole 'I've been good and gone to the gym/gone for a run/gone swimming, so I deserve a biscuit/piece of cake/Mars Bar"!

Exercise is very good for you, of course - and it definitely helps to tone the body, so making you look better. But on its own it's more difficult to lose weight through exercise than it is through changing your diet.

Hence the expression 'you can't outrun your fork'!

@KilledByHerOwnCardigan a pound of fat weighs just the same as a pound of muscle - a pound!

But muscle is a different density:

A pound is a pound is a pound-unless you're defying the laws of physics. No substance weighs more then another one unless it actually weighs more. Simply put: One pound of fat weighs the same as one pound of muscle. "The difference is that fat is bulkier than muscle tissue and takes up more space under the skin," Greenspan says. In fact, one pound of fat is roughly the size of a small grapefruit; one pound of muscle is about the size of a tangerine.

From shape.com

I would gain weight if I ate 1400 calories a day. I need to be below 1300 to lose.

Sorry but you may need to cut back more

I lost weight purely by doing loads of exercise and barely by changing my diet. It can be done.

Michael Mosley did a programme about dieting and exercise and the people that exercised actually ate less than those who didn't.

If you've got shit willpower you'll fail whether you exercise or not (as in, I've exercised so can eat more).

@BIWI thanks for explaining.

I'd say just changing diet, especially just cutting calories not thinking about type of calories, is just as problematic as it just isn't sustainable. That's the problem with diets, most are not long term solutions most of the time.

With all things in life it's about balance for me. You need to be mindful of what you eat AND exercise IMO. Having said that, for my wedding I lost nearly a stone just through exercise but I eat relatively healthy anyway!

Good luck OP!

I'd say just changing diet, especially just cutting calories not thinking about type of calories, is just as problematic

Yes, absolutely! A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. Which is why I asked the OP what she's eating.

The difference is mostly fluid retention, you have to massively overeat to gain 3 lbs of body mass in 10 days. The weight changes when starting a new diet should be ignored for a couple of weeks while the body settles into a new consistent routine.

TOTM can make a big difference - could this be a factor?

Have you thought about Weight Watchers? It worked for me.

It's water weight.

Also, it takes months to build muscle. A body builder can expect to put on about 1lb of muscle per fortnight so couch to 5k won't add 3lbs of muscle in a week and a half.

There is a guy on Facebook called
Richie howie who advocates weighing daily and then doing an average over the week. Makes sense as the daily fluctuations mean you could have just been caught out weighing on an off day?

physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/ Take a look at this site, you didn't put the weight on in a week and you won't get it off in a week. Track everything that goes into your mouth, yes even that lick of ice cream and that chip from your child's plate.

Ditch the scales and continue exercising, go by body shape rather than sacles.