Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Ugh. I'm getting so frustrated with this endless weight loss and dieting cycle that I've been on for years. I know I have to diet and exercise in order to fight my families genetics (almost everyone in my family is obese) I just feel like I'm constantly fighting a losing battle. I have no idea how many calories I should be eating and how to maintain a happy weight. I want to be fit and slim! I'm strong and can work out for long periods of time, but I hate having all this extra fat hiding my accomplishments!

I started doing p90x 2 weeks ago and the scale just seems to be going up and up! I've gained 5lbs in the 2 weeks since I've started the program. The eating plan says I'm supposed to be eating 2300 calories a day which I feel is way too much. I'm trying to keep it around 1600-1800 with 50% of my calories coming from protein (I only eat fish). I struggle most days to even make it to 1400 calories! I feel like I'm doing this all wrong. Anyone have any thoughts? I feel like I should see a nutritionist or someone who can tell me exactly what I should be eating based on how much I'm exercising. I'm 5'4" and just turned 30. Should I just eat 1200 calories a day since that's what I've lost weight at before? That's less than half of what the diet guide says. Ugh.

Here is my weight loss history:

2006 - Was 155 before having my son. 165 after.

2007 - Started Sparkpeople. 1st diet ever 1200 calories a day and walking 30 minutes a day. Got down to 130 in 5 months.

2008 - Went through a difficult time was not counting calories, went back up to 155.

2009 - Started the C25K program in May and went from 155 back to 135 by eating cleaner aiming for 1200 calories.

2010 - Maintained 135 for most of the year, then started 3 weeks of hcg diet to lose extra weight before the wedding. Got down to 120.

2011 - By May, 130 was my wedding weight, eating 1500 calories a day, cooking a lot of skinny taste recipes. 135 post honeymoon. Started training for 5k/10k races.

2012 - Started training for a half marathon, 140 lbs. Got back up to 155 by the end of the year due to extra carbs. Was not counting calories.

2013- Started eating Paleo, lost 10 lbs right away and was able to maintain 140/145 most of the year without counting calories, just running and doing ballet. Stopped eating Paleo around the holidays and gained 10 lbs back. Was not able to exercise due to an insane work schedule.

2014 - Started at 155 lbs. 2/10 started p90x and increased protein. Trying to eat around 1600 calories a day. Up to 160lbs.

I try to eat clean most of the time. Today I am eating:

Breakfast - Cliff Bar
Mid-Morning Snack - Green Protein smoothie and a banana
Lunch - Salad with packet of salmon and 1 tbsp ceasar dressing, with a cup of Miso Soup
Afternoon Snack - Another Cliff bar and a string cheese
Dinner - Cauliflower shrimp fried "rice"
Snack - Greek yogurt

Help!

Message edited 2/21/2014 11:13:17 AM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

try using my fitness pal app. it tells you how many calories to eat for your weight and how much you want to loss a week. there is also a part that tells you how much protein and vitamins you should have per day.

Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Is it possible that you are eating too few calories??? The only other thing that sticks out to me is that I would ditch the cliff bars. They aren't filling enough, and "real" food is better imo.
What about doing weight watchers? They aren't nutritionists, but they will give you a points guideline (instead of calories), which I think is better, and if you follow the good health guidelines, you will get pretty good nutritional advice.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Thanks for the tips!

I reset my values in MFP and it says if I want to lose 2 lbs per week I should have a net calorie intake of 1200. So that puts me around 1600-1800 depending on how hard I work out that day. I'm hoping that I'm just retaining water since it's still early in the program.

The only reason I'm doing the cliff bars right now is to try to pack in extra protein during the day to meet the p90x protein requirements. As a pescatarian I can only eat so much fish before it makes me ill or I go broke. Beans make me bloated and I try to limit the amount of tofu and dairy I eat. I try to alternate between those and nuts or eggs for protein.

I tried weight watchers before and it never really worked for me in the long run.

Message edited 2/21/2014 1:48:06 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Message edited 2/21/2014 3:24:19 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

A nutritionist might not be a bad idea. I don't see how px90 can really work for someone who doesn't eat meat and limits dairy & soy if it requires so much protein.

The up & down you listed seems to go with when you are on or off a particular plan.

A nutritionist might be able to help you make more subtle but long term changes.

Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

I don't see the connection between the protein and p90. I,m vegetarian and paleo. I do crossfot, teach spin & boot camp, and weight train 2-3 times a week.

I agree with eating all real food instead. Also track the calories you eat for 2-5 days so you have a real average and idea of what you're eating. Then you can make changes.

Lastly measure yourself because muscle is more dense then fat and you may not always drop pounds but you will be smaller.

Message edited 2/22/2014 12:47:19 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Thanks!

The past few days my calories have looked like this:
1456 (44% carbs, 23% protein, 23% fat)
1443 (30% carbs, 49% protein, 21% fat)
1464 (29% carbs, 41% protein, 30% fat)
1184 oops (39% carbs, 26% protein, 35% fat)
1780 (37% carbs, 30% protein, 33% fat)
Today 1659 (35% carbs, 34% protein, 31% fat)

I think I'll try eating in this higher range and maybe bump it up a little more. I feel so full though when I'm eating this much!

Oh and I checked my measurements against what I was a few weeks ago when I ordered my dance costume and looks like I lost 1/2 inch on my waist. That's cool!

Message edited 2/21/2014 4:10:52 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Lose those Clif bars. I used to live on them and they really are crap. High carbs, high sugar, and unless you are eating the builders bars, the protein is negligible. The builders have high protein but so much sugar in each one it's insane.

Occasionally for a bat I'll have the kind bars that are 4-5 grams of sugar.

Monitor how much sugar you eat in a day. When I was eating "healthy" I was still eating 60-100 grams of sugar a day!!!!! Trying to keep it under 35 is a huge challenge hit your body will thank you. And not just appearance wise!

Message edited 2/21/2014 4:25:29 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

check out WW, honestly, it's an easier plan to follow than sitting and counting each calorie. Also, something to keep in mind, I know you are active to start with, but with p90x you might honestly be building MORE muscles than you ever had, and sometimes that comes with an initial weight gain. (I know it almost always does for me, which tends to derail my weight loss progress, even though I look and feel better).

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Muscle does NOT weigh more then fat-- muscle is more dense but a pound is a pound. To gain five pounds of muscle is a lot if work and is not going to happen doing p90x for two weeks. You could be retaining more water but it is nearly impossible that you gained that much muscle in two weeks. I would try to increase your water intake and eliminate processed foods. My fitness pal is a good way to track your calories but it does not give accurate recommendations on dietary guidelines since it is a generic calculator that has no information on your metabolism other then age, height and weight. If you really want to know what your metabolic needs are your doctor can do a test to determine this.
It sounds like you have tried many different diets but could use some support. Working with a nutritionist or joining weight watchers could provide this support for you.
I would eliminate the cliff bars completely. Instead I would have a snack that has both protein and carbohydrates like almonds or an apple
With peanut butter. I have found varying the amount of carbohydrates consumed daily can often help- it is also a good way to allow a high carbohydrate day without making a habit of it. Vegetables and whole grains are a good way to get carbohydrates. You may want replace your smoothie with whole veggies since you with get more fiber that way. Packaged soups and salad dressings (ceased dressing and miso soup) are often highly processed so you may want to consider alternatives that are lower in calories and sodium.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

So, I did something right yesterday! I lost almost a full pound overnight. Yesterday was my rest day so I'm thinking I might be hanging on to a lot of water.

We were out most of yesterday helping a friend move, so the 2nd half of the day did not leave me with too many choices..

Breakfast: Green Protein smoothie (homemade, lots of spinach, little fruit)
Snack: Hummus and gluten free pretzels
Lunch: (out) Salad with black beans, shrimp, guac, salsa and a few of my husband's nachos.
Dinner: we were at the movies so I just munched on some popcorn
Snack: Greek yogurt and "Two Moms in the Raw" cranberry granola bar.

This came to 1684 calories: 46% carbs, 37% fat, 17% protein. Which is closer to what I was eating when paleo and I wonder if my body was happy with that.

Now I'm thinking I may be way undereating on my workout days if I ate that much food on a rest day (well besides lifting heavy furniture) and lost weight.

I feel like I'm a science experiment!

Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Honestly I think you're not eating enough. It seems as you may be eating too few calories. I gain so much when I do that. Eat frequently!

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

Message edited 2/23/2014 7:07:51 PM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

I just learned about the muscle and fat weight. I was so bummed about not seeing a change on the scale but visually I noticed a difference and every time I would get my weight checked at the doctor every nurse said wow you don't look this weight. I thought they were just being nice but now I understand how the fat and muscle works on the body. I googled images of fat vs muscle and saw after pictures of people weighing more than their before but they visually looked leaner and toned then their before. So Im avoiding the scale from now on.

Message edited 2/24/2014 7:47:05 AM.

Re: Frustrated. Endless weight loss/gain loop.

I agree with the girls that said you probably aren't eating enough. My Fitness Pal is notorious for providing inaccurate, low macronutrient/calorie ranges.

There is an app called "My Net Diary" that is much better, in my opinion. Also, I have found in the past that tracking my macros rather than calories helped. There is a decent macro calculator if you go to the site : www.iifym.com (If it fits your macros.)

Also, losing/gaining weight is not a linear process so weighing yourself every single day and thinking you did something "Wrong" if you gain or "right" if you lose overnight is definitely not going to help you and really is false.

I just started seeing a nutritionist recently because I was having trouble figuring out how many calories to be eating. I had a baby this past spring and am nursing and have been struggling. I tried paleo and tracking macros but was very unclear as to how much I should be having and saw no changes. Sounds like you have too many different diet ideas in your ears right now to think clearly. I definitely recommend more food and a registered dietician to get you started!

Hope this helps!