15 pound unexpected weight gain help

Ellis1232

I am 5'8, 24 years old, 180, tdee 2230, and I have not used a scale in 2 months, when I used it the other day it said 195 and I was really surprised, I am trying to maintain. I do not know how this did happen but I hope much of it is water? My diet for the past month has been not good, high carbs, very low protein, more salt than needed and probably less water then should be drinking. I have been stressed also with college and more that it is almost the time for end of course exams. I have been doing cardio 20 minutes a day and been drinking well over a gallon of water, and eating a lot of vegetables and fruit plus protein. Is this usual? Do any of you have or had this problem? Could water retention be this much? I am aware that some is fat but I do not know how it was that much as I have been tracking calories for a long time, but I will admit I have been lenient when counting I did not count everything, and I would track calories for the day on previous days so I could have more, kind of calorie cycling, but that screwed me maybe.

Linnaea27

It sounds to me like you have probably been eating a lot more than you thought-- high carbs (college food especially) are easy to underestimate calorie-wise. If you've had a high sodium intake, a few pounds of it could well be water retention, but not all 15.

Drinking well over a gallon of water a day sounds like too much unless you are very active for long periods each day-- do you like/feel good drinking that much water? If it's a chore, then I would say cut down on the water a bit. Sodium plus lots of water does tend to make water retention worse, in my experience. In some cases drinking a lot of water helps get rid of water retention, but I think if you've been having a lot of salt it will tend to make the water stay in your body.

I highly recommend that you read this excellent post on tracking and food quantity: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think#latest

Also, college is soooo stressful-- it can be really hard to stay on top of diet and exercise while in school. It's great that you are exercising 20 minutes a day-- when I was in school that was sometimes more than I could manage. Perhaps it would be better if you were to not worry about your weight and eating until after exams, and get on track with healthier habits during the winter break so you've formed a routine to stick to once spring semester starts.

Hope that helps!

GaleHawkins

Hey you are not the first one to have this happen. As was suggested get back to eating as you did before this last gain and give it two weeks. That should help you learn what is water gain. Upping the carbs in my case will adds to my weight fast as in well beyond what the added calories could add in the way of fat.

williams969

Yeah, you're probably eating more than you think. Sigh, I put on 15 pounds right quick in my first semester back to uni last year. Looking back now, I'm certain I was indeed eating more than I thought I was. When studying, it's easy to mindlessly eat too much, grab snacky stuff to munch on between classes, turn to food for comfort/stress relief, etc.

My advice, put your studies first, focus on making the best food choices you can, and don't beat yourself up over lax food logging. One thing I find helps the study munchies is to take a 10 minute break every hour or two and walk or stretch or meditate, grab a cup of tea or water and relax, instead of a grabbing a bag of munchies (or whatever your vice is).

Ellis1232

Thanks for the reply!!

dopeysmelly

I would suggest increasing your weighing frequency to prevent any more nasty surprises. If you can't manage daily, then weekly at least. It'll also feel really good when you implement your plan and the weight starts going down again!

TavistockToad

havent your clothes been getting tighter? most of mine wouldnt fit if i gained 15lbs!

Ellis1232

My clothes fit about the same really

TavistockToad

Ellis1232 wrote: »

My clothes fit about the same really

I doubt it's fat then.

nxd10

I have two sons and it is really easy for them to pack on that much weight if they aren't careful - and they are both tall very slim guys.

I'm your height and my clothes fit over a 30 pound range. Trust the scale - you're eating too much. Your gut tells you that you are - I would believe it. It is so easy to pack on weight in college (I'm a professor and I see students do it all the time.)

It's also easy at your age to take it off. Use the tools you have and log. Also, lower your calorie dense food by eating more protein and drop box on your carbs - less bread, potatoes, etc. Not low carb, just relatively more protein.

A friend of mine summarized by saying 'avoid white food'. Less potatoes, bread, rice, sugar, flour, etc. etc. etc. Not none. Just less.

Even healthy foods like a big glass of milk can be a few HUNDRED calories. A nice dark beer is 400.

You'll be surprised how small changes add up. I lost 40 pounds just dropping milk, cheese, and bread (okay a few more things, but that was the bulk of it) from my diet.

Good luck!

arditarose

Can I ask a question here...As someone who has not switched into maintenance mode yet, why would you stop weighing yourself? For your sanity or something?

lollitakennedy

Agree you have to get on that scale daily. The weight will creep on quickly. I know. It happened to me. This is the first time since I dropped the weight.

I think once you get a taste of skinny nothing else tastes better. You have to get their first. If you are in craving mode you will watch the scale climb but it will get scary and depressing and you will do something about it before it gets too far.

Some how I put on 10 lbs. Each binge gets worse and worse. My new plan is no sugar, no salt and no fat. I gave up the sugar awhile ago so that part is easy I dont eat sugar. The salt and fat is a new challenge. Going well.

If you are sitting and studying you will gain wait on very little calories. The 20 min work out is great but if you dont cut the food the exercise will not do anything for the weight 90%diet and 10% exercise to get the job done.

Get the veggies cut in the fridg to eat when you are craving.
Good luck
Get it off now

GaleHawkins

I agree I need to forever weight at least weekly but in 2011 I got down to 220 from 250 then when back to 250 and now back to 225. I did not weight and I did not loose it the right way because I just cut calories but did not change what I ate so I could eat all I wanted and not gain weight.

tulips_and_tea

lollitakennedy wrote: »

Agree you have to get on that scale daily. The weight will creep on quickly. I know. It happened to me. This is the first time since I dropped the weight.

I think once you get a taste of skinny nothing else tastes better. You have to get their first. If you are in craving mode you will watch the scale climb but it will get scary and depressing and you will do something about it before it gets too far.

Some how I put on 10 lbs. Each binge gets worse and worse. My new plan is no sugar, no salt and no fat. I gave up the sugar awhile ago so that part is easy I dont eat sugar. The salt and fat is a new challenge. Going well.

If you are sitting and studying you will gain wait on very little calories. The 20 min work out is great but if you dont cut the food the exercise will not do anything for the weight 90%diet and 10% exercise to get the job done.

Get the veggies cut in the fridg to eat when you are craving.
Good luck
Get it off now

Not to be preachy, but please do not give up fat! Your body needs it. Just make sure that the majority of the time it is healthy fat: olive oil, avocados, etc.

LivingtheLeanDream

Your clothes had to have been feeling really tight with a 15lb gain? even staying off the scales I know when I go up a few pounds as my waist band on my smallest jeans gets tight. Unless you wear stretchy clothes all the time?
I feel its a good idea to weigh in once a week/fortnight, I know its what keeps me on track, if I see it edging up a few pounds I know I have to cut back a little.

redfox43

I gained 10 lbs after small changes - more cream in my coffee, an extra beer, etc. I really didn't notice I had changed my diet until my pants were getting tighter and I weighed myself. Now I am tracking more closely again and weighing more frequently. One suggestion, a cheap scale with a body fat measure will help clear up if the change in weight is water retention or fat composition.

47Jacqueline

If your clothes still fit you could be adding muscle which lets your body take up less room for more weight. But if you aren't logging regularly, you're probably not paying attention to what you're really eating. And it could be water weight for part of it, but not 15 pounds.

I weigh myself once a month. I've gained about 5 pounds from water in the last 6 weeks due to inactivity from a broken leg and some pain killers at the beginning. This week I started back doing workouts and feel a lot better.

I was doing stuff in my apartment 3x a week so I sort of maintained my fitness level and definitely didn't change my clothing size or fit.

spoiledpuppies

I'm an advocate of daily weighing. I know that some people feel they get too obsessed with "the number," but for me, it's just good information to have. I also feels like it sets me up to be more mindful for the whole day. I don't get freaked out by anything within a 3-4 pound range. I've also seen that on the National Weight Loss Registry that successful maintainers weigh-in frequently; and I always wonder why "experts" say not to do it, but the people who are maintaining--the real experts in my mind--dO it.

For reference, I lost about 50 pounds 11 years ago. I kept it off with daily weighing. The scale started creeping up a few pounds (and I wasn't as fit as I had been) in the last few years (and I happened to stop daily weighing just because I didn't have a convenient place for a scale), so I decided to take action again in July 2013. I ended up losing more than planned this go around, and I'm about 80-85 total down from my high in 2002. I've been maintaining this since February. I do weigh every day, and still weigh/track my food for the most part.

skullshank

congrats OP! triplets!




if youre not tracking, youre likely eating more than you think.
if youre at a deficit and only doing cardio, it aint muscle, so pay no attention to this - "If your clothes still fit you could be adding muscle which lets your body take up less room for more weight."

weigh/measure everything and eat at maintenance.

brenn24179

this reminds me to weigh and be accountable. 15 lbs cant be water weight. It is so easy to snack more and not notice if we don't weigh. I always slack off when I weigh, like I said it makes you face the music.

ndj1979

diagnosis - you ate too much
solution = eat less

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