Can't figure out what's going on: scale goes up despite meticulous counting + exercise!

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting here. This might be a fairly long post, but I'd really appreciate some feedback and advice! Some background: I'm a male, 25 years old, and 5'8". In March of 2017, I started attempting to lose weight for the first time. I started at 210, and by July 2017 I was at 160. I was aiming for 150, but never made it. However, 50 pounds lost, yay! I did that by just watching what I was eating (not counting calories or measuring) and weight lifting 3-4 times per week. Life got complicated, and in the last two years I gained back up to 184. The weight gain was a slow, up-and-down process. I would gain a few, lose a few, hit the gym regularly for a month and lose a lot, then binge the next month and gain it back + some. Some more relevant background: I've always been fairly 'stout' or 'dense,' so to speak. Even at my heaviest (210 pounds), I was at 22% body fat. Right now I'm sitting at about 18% body fat (according to the caliper method, which I did about a month ago). I attribute this relatively thicc body composition to weight lifting on and off since I was about 14.

Starting a few weeks ago, I decided to try to get back on the wagon. I'm following the CICO advice now. Since I started, I lost from 184 down to 173.6. However, in the past couple of weeks I've gained back up to 176.8. This is despite extremely meticulous calorie counting (by weight) and starting to hit the gym again.

In the two weeks since I gained those 3.2 pounds back, this is exactly how I've been living without any hiccups or slips or cheat days:

Breakfast:

• 75 grams Kashi Go Lean cereal (original flavor): 234 calories.
• 8oz whole milk: 150 calories
• Tea: 0 calories
• 1 tsp sugar: 15 calories

Lunch:

• 19 grams shelled pistachios: 110 calories
• 170 grams whole milk yogurt: 160 calories
• 12 grams chia seeds: 60 calories
• 1 medium apple: 95 calories (according to Myfitnesspal)

Dinner:

• 1 medium sized bell pepper: 25 calories (according to Myfitness pal)
• 86 grams boiled black beans: 110 calories
• 123 grams cooked long-grain white rice: 160 calories
• 1 Tbsp olive oil: 120 calories

Snacks:

• Black coffee
• 15 grams Naked Nutrition pea protein mixed with water and a calorie free magnesium supplement: 60 calories.

So, for my daily counts, my diet has been exactly this:

• Calories: 1300-1310
• Fat: 48 grams
• Carbs: 170 grams (including 37 grams fiber, 57 grams sugar)
• Protein: 70 grams

Here's my weekly exercise schedule:

*Monday and Thursday: Weightlifting *Tuesday and Friday: Bodyweight exercises *Wednesday and Saturday: 1 hr cardio (elliptical or cycling; I have bad knees and a bad back so running/repetitive high impact stuff is out).

I've weight lifted on and off for ~10 years. When I started back a couple weeks ago, it was only after a 2 month break. So it's not like I'm a complete newbie with respect to lifting. This has made me skeptical of the idea that the weight gain is attributable to post-lifting water retention for muscle repair because (a) my body is fairly conditioned to lifting, (b) I've waited over two weeks, which seems to be as long as people say post-starting-a-new-exercise-regime water retention should last before your body gets used to the new routine, and (c) I take magnesium to help offset potential water retention + mitigate the effects of lifting-induced heightened cortisol levels, which could play a part in stymying weight loss.

So, all of this is to say, I'm completely stumped why I've gained over three pounds in two weeks of eating 1300 calories diligently and exercising diligently. What on earth am I doing wrong, and what can I do to change? I selected 1300 calories per day precisely because that deficit + my exercise regime should have, I thought, amounted to a loss of 3 pounds per week. Instead, I've gained three pounds in two :(

submitted by /u/bluuurb11
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2Kc8TpC