Well, I did the ugly deed today and finally weighed myself and actually LOOKED at my weight (I usually get my coworker to look and track for me, I just can't look!). I was utterly HORRIFIED to find that I now weigh 174 lb. On October 23 I was 165 lb, and so it was with total shock that I saw that 174 lb today.

I don't understand what happened. In fact, I have been exercising MORE! I really haven't been eating anything different than what I usually do. The only thing different I have done is cut out cow's milk totally (now drink rice/soy milk once daily).

Anyway, needless to say I am devastated. Especially because it puts me 9 lb further from my goal. I just want to cry.

~CGH~

EDIT: Actually, I realize that for the past month at least I haven't been doing the usual 40 min cardio twice weekly, I have only been doing the speed walking twice weekly. So instead of doing 4 days of exercise I have only been doing 2. But, 9 lb???? Really???

has your body shape changged? inches lost? maybe you gained muscle

the only thing that has changed is that I've gotten fatter! no inches lost. no muscle gained.

Yow.

So what this shows is that maybe you need to journal your food for awhile and see exactly what you are eating--not to change it, just to record it and see what's what.

Because exercise alone will not lead to weight loss. The food intake has to change. At least, that's been my own experience.

So maybe try that?

Also, I was told by a trainer that exercise needs to be 4 to 6 times a week to support weight loss. Any less would not be enough.

Jay

Give it a few days to see where it settles. It might be half water.

I was thinking (read HOPING) that, because I am about to get my period on Sunday and I have been known to gain up to 5 lb in period weight.

But yeah, I agree about weight loss being more than just exercise - I have been eating what I usually eat, just exercising two days less.

I have already started back to journaling and REALLY watching my points (I'm doing Weight Watchers).

SOMETHING has gone horribly wrong. Geez, it looks like I sat around all day eating chips and drinking pop and shoving food into my mouth. I wish!

I would be thrilled to be at 174.....SO BE PROUD OF YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE IN the 100's still.
The problem Sounds like calorie intake...Just eat smaller portions.Since you cut out a little of the exerscise cut out a few calories.(Like 200 to 300 a day~Not much )I went to caloriescount.com Click on the calorie counter And it will help you figure out the amount of calories to lose weight Or maintain your current weight.(I started my diet last month After a 25 lb gain in 1 month! So it could have been worse So do not let it get ya Down!SMILE AND START FRESH 2morrow.HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!GOOD LUCK!

I put back on about 6ish lbs in the last 6 weeks or so, just by being sloppy. The day I weighed myself for my ticker, was 3 days after Thanksgiving and not only did I have those extra 6lbs, I had another 4lbs of water weight from all the salt and stuff I'd eaten over Thanksgiving.

It's possible ... and it sucks!! I know.

But you know what - what's done is done. All you can do is move forward from here. It'll come back off and you'll know better for the next time. And thank God you caught it now .. instead of 20 lbs from now.

.

I KNOW - thank god I caught it now. I guess I have to be brutally honest and take a good look at what I am eating and how that compares to what I am SUPPOSED to be eating when trying to lose weight. I was doing the "one free day a week" thing and not being 100% on Saturday and Sunday - and I knew it was wrong, but my boyfriend kept convincing me that it was okay and I was just eating less than what people normally eat.

Maybe he's responding from his own agenda, maybe he's trying to convince HIMSELF that that is true.

anyway, I guess I just know intuitively it's not right, so I'm just going to do what gives me results. But the weird thing is, I had foot surgery last year and couldn't weightbear at all (let alone exercise) and I even had pizza every Friday night and didn't even gain anything!!

ok to gain 9lbs of fat, that's an extra 31, 500 cals you ate that you didnt burn. thats an 5250 a week and 750 eaten a day more than you burned. Do you know about what you burn if you didn't move at all for 24hour? You would need to burn 500 more a day than you eat and never eat less than your minimum(or your body holds on to it all) to lose 1 lb of fat in week

Well there you go. One "free" day a week and then off program on two other days--yeah, that will do it, especially if you are only exercising 2X per week.

So your boyfriend is a dietitian? He knows what "normal" eating is?

Some of that gain is water weight, but that doesn't mean it will simply go away. Keep drinking enough water and stick with your program. Don't give yourself weekends off plus a "free" day. Get back to your exercise. You can do this!

Jay

I was actually in the SAME boat as you last month before Thanksgiving. I couldn't believe that with exercising 2X a week and sorta kinda (ok, not really) controlling my food I wasn't losing weight and I had gained an extra 5 lbs bringing me to my heaviest. Then I came back to this forum and joined a challenge: 21-day challenge over in Support Groups. It put me on track for exercising. I told myself for 21 days I would exercise everyday (for me, it was walking 2-4 miles). Guess what? I'm on day 20 and I've lost 5 lbs from my heaviest. It's slow but I'm on my way. I suggest you take a similar challenge - join us over in the thread - we'd love to have you!

Oh those "free" days. They're never really free, are they? In fact, they're quite costly. .

Whether we're writing in down or not, the calorie meter is always tick, tick, ticking away. Regardless of what your well intentioned BF says.

As far as what people normally eat. Which people would that be? The ones that hang out at fast food joints and buy all the processed foods and eat this and that without giving it much thought? Or the health-minded ones? Who are aware and mindful of what they eat - always? If the first group are the "normal" ones and the second group is the "not so normal" group - heck, I'd rather be not so normal. I've got no problem with that label.

I think it's great that you were honest with yourself and delved into where the weight gain came from. Now you know where it came from and how to get rid of it. You most certainly CAN do this.

I operate on the principle of free MEAL a week, not free day, maybe that will work better for you. Strict zone-esque meals from M-F under 1600 calories, then Friday night we have a Christmas dinner, so breakfast and lunch will be under 400 calories each and then dinner - will be whatever I feel like (burger, diet coke, and a couple of rum's to follow!) The next morning, back to square one.

It gives you something to look forward to but still keeps you on track so you don't rationalize anything else that contributes to gaining again. I also find it much easier to make sure DINNER is the treat - so you don't think "oh, well I blew lunch, might as well..."

I recommend you give that a try next week and see how that goes for you.