Why am I putting ON weight?

[Daffodilpup]

Can anyone help? I read all this stuff about what you should eat and do and what you shouldn’t and it all mixes up in my head so I decided to go simple.

I did a calorie counter and worked out to lose a pound a week I needed to eat 1700 calories. (I’m 14 stone and 5ft 3)

I did this the first week and lost a pound. Week 2 ,3 and 4 I have regained that oound and another 3!

I have started doing weights too so have heard the theory that while I might be loosing fat I will be gaining muscle but don’t think that’s the case when I’m bigger that when I started? Would understand if I was the same. Also I’m only lifting 2kg and 4kg weights as I’m a beginner.

just getting fed up that I’m eating healthily and in a deficit and exercising (walking too) and I’m bigger than when I started.

Good advice.

Intermittent fasting is amazing for reversing insulin resistance and healing the body

I don't calorie count and have mostly maintained the weight I lost with slimming world. do eat more than you, weigh less but do a lot more exercise, a walk for me is 5k and then I also do 5 exercise classes a week.

For me I would watch the days when you are having bran flakes, bread with soup for lunch and then pasta dinner. In fact I would ditch branflakes and replace with low fat yogurt and fruit or eggs as the protein will fill you up for longer.

I snack on fruit and things like cherry tomatoes, chicken, I will have some home made soup for lunch which I made and is quite filling.

Dinner is anything I would normally have with minus the fat as much as possible. Last night was homemade chilli with 5% beef, my children would have it with rice and sometimes I have a jacket potato although I didn't have anything last night. It will probably be salad tonight but I will add in chicken, lots of greens, maybe a boiled egg etx..

This is where I am now. After some time you just sort of know what you’re eating and can eyeball portions.

I found there are 3 stages to calorie monitoring.

1. Learning- Finding out how many calories are in food, portion sizes, and food choices. Example- I found out that the glass of orange juice I drank every morning had 250+ calories in it. So I made a different choice and could eat those same calories in a good protein or treat.
2. Exploring- This is the period that you’ve got the basics down and now you get to be creative and find new foods. You’re in the groove and are seeing results. It’s starting to become second nature and you’re not having to spend much thought or energy on it. You’ve passed the dreaded period between novelty and habit.
3. Ingrained- At this point you know what a portion size is, you can eyeball that splash of oil used for cooking or that spread you put on your toast. You’re making different choices by habit instead of effort. You don’t even really think about it anymore.

I always thought that MFP should have a ‘blind’ setting for when you are first getting started so that you eat normally for a week or two but it doesn’t show your calories. Then you can see where your problem areas are. Like my OJ example. I mean I like OJ, but not 250 cal worth! I switched for a child size juice box of organic apple juice and like that just as much for 50 cal 😁. 5 years on and that’s my go to still.

@saltinesandcoffeecups juices like that are terrible for spiking your insulin levels though so I would avoid them especially if you were having them first thing in the morning

Ugh last time I weighed myself I'd lost six pounds. I just weighed myself again and I put on two pounds. :(

It's hard. Why is it so hard.

I think it's a mental thing. Because we keep telling ourselves "we can't have this food and this food" and then we snap and give in.

I'm going to listen to some motivational youtubes

It's really tough, OP! Are you sure 1700 is right? I'm a little over 5'6, postpartum and breastfeeding and my calculator has said 1,565. I've started workouts now as well but easing myself back in.

I've realised so much of it is diet and I can get really demoralised by the scale but it is helpful weighing every day because there's natural fluctuations. You might find you're weighing yourself on a heavier day that week and miss the days you were a bit lighter!

I've also realised how many calories are in tiny bits of bready food and how few are in fruit/vegetables! Try and fill up on those with some protein. And let yourself have bits of cravings as well.

So don’t tell yourself you can’t have different foods. I did not deny myself anything I wanted when I was losing. I just ate less of it or I made room for it it with my other food choices.