What is going on???

bnmoyler

"I've gained a pound in the past six weeks.... I'm not stressed because weight always fluctuates a bit- but that also means I haven't lost anything. Not good. I've been eating more- but burning more at the same time. There a few factors I could blame this nonsense on. 1. I'm still bloated a day after my cycle has resided. 2. I've been really slack on drinking water here lately which causes retention. 3. I've plateaued. I plateaued about a month ago with my routine and had to switch it up so why not plateau with weightloss??? 4. I've gained some muscle. I was doing some pretty intense routines with my trainer who really focused on toning. What do you guys think?"

AJ_G

1. Wait a couple days and weigh yourself again so that's not a variable.
2. Same thing drink plenty of water of the next couple days and then re-weigh yourself to get rid of that as a variable.
3. If you find that you're still up in weight after your re-weigh it's possible that you're overestimating your calorie burns from cardio or that you're underestimating your calorie intake so there's an accuracy problem. Are you weighing and measuring everything you put in your mouth? If you don't own a food scale I recommend that you buy one. They're pretty cheap and make a world of difference.
4. You won't gain muscle on a calorie deficit, so you're probably not actually in a calorie deficit if you're actually up in weight. People like to think that they're not losing weight because they're gaining muscle and losing fat while in a calorie deficit. That's not the case, they're just not being accurate with calorie intake/burn. There is an energy cost associated with building muscle so your body will only build appreciable muscle in a calorie surplus that has you gaining weight, or it will build a small amount of muscle in maintenance when your weight is holding.

bnmoyler

Well, I highly doubt I'm eating enough to gain. I've been sticking to 1200 calories per day or 8400 per week. Even if I was over or under estimating, it can't possibly be enough to start putting on weight since my maintenance is around 2200 per day or 15400 per week. I really don't come close to that- even if I do overeat in a week. That's why I'm so confused.

Kevvboy

If your maintenance is 2200 and you are only eating 1200 calories a day, my guess is that your body thinks it is starving and is holding on to every calorie in the form of weight. I would try upping calories to maybe 1600-1800 for a few weeks and I bet you'll lose weight again. Good luck.

malibu927

You only have three pounds left to lose, which is the hardest part.

Do you use a food scale?

AJ_G

Kevvboy wrote: »

If your maintenance is 2200 and you are only eating 1200 calories a day, my guess is that your body thinks it is starving and is holding on to every calorie in the form of weight.

bnmoyler

Kevvboy wrote: »

If your maintenance is 2200 and you are only eating 1200 calories a day, my guess is that your body thinks it is starving and is holding on to every calorie in the form of weight. I would try upping calories to maybe 1600-1800 for a few weeks and I bet you'll lose weight again. Good luck.

I thought about that too. I've upped my workouts so I may really just need more calories. Other than that, nothing really has changed. Eating habits are the same as always.