Started eating better and exercising, have GAINED? Wtf

[Anonymous]

I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

are you tracking your calories?

how often are you weighting yourself? Weight fluctuations are normal. I weigh 2 lbs more today than i did yesterday, but i know it is not possible to gain 2 lbs of fat overnight. The less frequently you weigh the fewer data points you have. It is best to weigh daily and track the trend over time (at least a month) before determining if something is or is not working.

[Anonymous]

drinking water is great! 3-4 liters
but don't drink after 6PM. so, drink your water before 5

[Anonymous]

What are you eating for dinner?

[Anonymous]

You may be gaining muscle at first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:drinking water is great! 3-4 liters
but don't drink after 6PM. so, drink your water before 5

NP - why before 5?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

First and foremost, you are still very much post partum and your body is adjusting as it needs to repair and recover and you may need extra calories.

But what I found was that even when I SWORE I wasn't eating extra calories and I was eating "healthy" and exercising, I was taking in extra calories here or there in an extra snack, or oversized portions. Also, I thought I could eat freely on the weekends but really to lose the weight I needed to make it 7 days a week and watching everything I ate. I made portions smaller and ate much more intuitively. I logged everything I put in my mouth - and honestly! I used Noom to help me.

Once I got honest with myself, I lost 5 pounds in a month and have kept it off easily witb the mindset shift I learned from Noom.

[Anonymous]

You didn't mention what dinner looks like.

Could be just normal weight fluctuations. Or water retention due to salty foods.

[Anonymous]

You started eating better, and clearly more calories. Those horrible smoothies add up and who knows if you eat a whole chicken for dinner.

[Anonymous]

OP here, and dinner is usually some meat with grain (rice) or starch (potatoes) and green vegetables. Or another salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You started eating better, and clearly more calories. Those horrible smoothies add up and who knows if you eat a whole chicken for dinner.

Are my smoothies horrible? I’m doing them because they’re quick and easy and nutritious: frozen spinach, frozen berries or mango, banana, low-fat plain yogurt and water. (Also a handy way to get older kids to eat veg.)

[Anonymous]

What is “a few” and how often were you weighing?

3 weeks is a short time span. I wouldn’t trust any weight tracking for women that isn’t at least 8 weeks simply because of cycles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is “a few” and how often were you weighing?

3 weeks is a short time span. I wouldn’t trust any weight tracking for women that isn’t at least 8 weeks simply because of cycles.

Three pounds.

I’m not menstruating again yet, but I understand my hormones likely are playing a role here, but it’s still frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

This is probably 100-150g of carbohydrates - basically what should be your daily intake - sipped through a straw. If you are doing additional veggies at lunch and rice/potatoes/starch at dinner, that is another 150g of carbs. You are not going to lose weight that way. Drop the smoothie for hard boiled eggs or replace it with a High Protein recipe. Remove rice potatoes at dinner and replace with cauliflower rice or broccoli.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

This is probably 100-150g of carbohydrates - basically what should be your daily intake - sipped through a straw. If you are doing additional veggies at lunch and rice/potatoes/starch at dinner, that is another 150g of carbs. You are not going to lose weight that way. Drop the smoothie for hard boiled eggs or replace it with a High Protein recipe. Remove rice potatoes at dinner and replace with cauliflower rice or broccoli.

So you think that every other effort made is mitigated by half a banana and a handful of frozen berries or mango? I’m being serious