I'm into my 5th week of eating healthier and exercising, but now I'm starting to gain it back. I don't know why, and it's beyond frustrating. I've been exercising 200 minutes a week, and I'm slowly trying to increase that number as I build endurance. Actually my thighs still burn today after running up and down football stadium steps for 30mins on Saturday. I'm on WW Flex and I always come in under my daily points. I've been eating a lot of protein, fruits, veggies, and fiber. I've also been drinking half my body weight in water each day. I'm doing everything I can think to do, but the weight is still creeping back on. I thought for sure I'd be down at least 5 pounds with the high intensity of cardio I've been doing. I am so frustrated. Has anyone experienced this? What do you think I should do differently to get these pounds off?

First off, to 3FC!

Your daily target is the minimum you should be eating every day. When you eat less than that, you lower your metabolism. You body thinks that since not much is coming in, it shouldn't be getting rid of much. Try to at least meet your daily target. Your flex points are also there if you would like to use them.

If you are exercising a lot and you "feel the burn", your body is probably storing extra water as it tries to heal your muscles. A lot of people experience water retention as a result of exercise. In addition, if you are exercising that much then you might want to think of eating some of those flex points as well. Think of your body as a car... if you don't put enough gas in the tank, it won't run!

You might not be eating enough. You shouldn't be coming in under your daily points - you should be eating at least that much, and using as many of your flex points as you feel comfortable with. If you are exercising that heavily, your body might not be getting all the energy it needs and therefore might be holding onto the weight because it is in a sort of starvation mode. If you don't usually eat your flex points, you should try - eating more actually took my Aunt off a three month plateau. Also, you might be building muscle, which will take up less space than fat so you could be exchanging a pound of fat for a pound of muscle. Have you noticed other changes in your body? Do you take your measurements? That might help you to determine if you are losing or not better than the numbers on the scale will.

Sounds like you are certainly making a diligent effort!! I'm sure it will start coming back off in no time. Good luck!

I'm going to try and up my calories this week. Maybe I'll start drinking carrot juice after a workout. Usually I'll have a Laughing Cow Cheese wedge before I exercise and a handful of almonds after the fact. I thought this would help keep my metabolism going until dinner time.

I thought it might be muscle gain too, but I'm just not convinced muscle could cause consistent weight gain. I figured weighing over 300lbs that as I gained muscle, the fat would drop off and it would at least equalize itself for a week or two. As of today I'm going to start measuring myself. I feel like I've lost weight in my face, but that's about it.

For the next couple of weeks I'm not going to weigh myself. I think I'm too obsessed with the numbers on the scale, and they're making me discouraged.

Thanks for the advice! I'm off to try your suggestions!

A laughing cow cheese wedge and a handful of almonds are good choices, but they simply aren't enough to help you recover. What about adding a carb, like fruit or a piece of toast or some whole grain crackers? You need to be eating your daily points, and you should seriously consider gradually adding in flex points. They are there for a reason! Are you eating any activity points you are earning?

Water might be the reason you're seeing a gain... who knows. If your muscles are still actively sore they're still repairing themselves, a process which necessitates the holding of water. It could be a million other things just as entirely out of your control too, you can never judge long-term progress from week-to-week weights.

Remember, this isn't about deprivation. You don't have to eat as little as possible in order to lose weight. Be patient. Keep doing good things for your body - this includes giving it adequate fuel. It sounds like you've got the determination, and with just a few tweaks you should be well on your way to a sustainable lifestyle change!

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I haven't been using my activity points, but maybe one day a week I will dip into my flex points. I'm only using on average 5 flex points a week though. Right now my daily point value is 36. I don't feel like I am depriving my body. My stomach always feels satisfied, but I am having a really hard time eating 36 points a day. It's just too many points! Can anyone recommend a food that has a high point value but is still healthy?

Try eating the regular-fat versions of foods instead of low-fat or fat-free versions. How about 1oz of cheese instead of Laughing Cow? That will be 3 points instead of 1. Also, whole or 2% milk instead of skim or 1%, etc.

Nuts (which you already mentioned) are also a good source of healthy fats. For almonds, peanuts, and most other nuts 1oz = 4 points.

Don't forget to get your 2 servings of oil in every day as well, which will get you 2 points every day.

2 fat2jump; The same thing happen to me too, and these girl's gave me the same advice, And guess what my scale is starting to move, (it's been a little slow). But that's ok because i know i'm building muscle and i have lost 2 inches off my waist. I have to admit at first i was scared to use all my fp's, Not only do i use them all but some day's i even use some of my ap's.