Is it normal to gain weight at first? :(
Hily93
Posts: 65 Member
I am a 21 year old med student, I have only really committed to lose weight once before and was to young to understand diets so I starved myself and was dancing for hours a day to get result, which I got. But that was 10 years ago and I have since gained a lot of weight since I had to give up dancing since my asthma was misdiagnosed and I was forbidden to do any exercise. I was put on a drug almost 3 years ago, but my doc didn't tell me it would make me gain weight. About 6 months ago I changed doc and she told me that this drug should never be given to any patient that is over weight. I have during those 2 and a half years gained ALOT. And even though I tried several times to lose weight it didn't work and I would after a month or so give up. About 6 months ago I changed my meds but I didn't really believe my new doc when she told me the meds had made me gain, I blamed myself and my coke and chocolate addiction. But somehow I lost 2 kg even though I lived on sugary stuff for 6 months. So I decided to give it a go and try to lose weight since this isn't a healthy lifestyle! I read about the fruit and vegetable diet which is pretty much taking all the sugary stuff and replacing it with fruits and veggies. I told myself that I was aloud to eat chocolate and drink coke if I was really really craving it, since I know if I told myself that it was forbidden I would crave it and eat a lot at once. But I have for over a month been really good. I don't like meat so I live like a vegetarian most of the time, chicken is the only thing I can eat and I eat that maybe once every 6-7 months. I have stopped eating chocolate and just had a small piece during movie nights and stuff like that, and then I don't drink any coke and haven't done so for over a month and I don't eat popcorn och anything else, just a small piece of chocolate. I count calories before with another app but it kept lowering my calories every day and I was hungry all of the time and almost fainted. So I changed app. I walk a lot, I live abroad and study here and getting around to the different hospitals and all of that means a lot of walking and some of it is going really uphill for 20-30 mins. I only drink water and milk with cereals, I read online that if you live as a vegetarian that you will need to get some vitamins that are usually found in meat and the best way for that is ceral. So I eat Cheerios once a day as breakfast, I looked it up and after what I could find here this was the healthiest and best option. I know that I should weigh food and I have ordered a food scale and also a Fitbit charge to see how much I walk and I plan on jogging when the weather gets a it better as well. But even after changing this much I gain weight, is this normal? Or am I doing something wrong? I changed my diet ALOT in very little time and I thought I would see a difference by now 
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Replies
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(1) Your meds didn't cause weight gain. Caloric surplus did. Your meds may have made you hungrier, more frequently, but they can't override the laws that govern the physics of energy. Excess calories are stored as fat. Without excess, you have no additional storage and no weight gain. The meds may have caused you to retain some water, but that wouldn't stack up and continue to gain like adding fat does. If you're still gaining, it ain't water.
(2) For weight loss purposes there are no such things as good or bad foods. You can lose all the weight you want/need on a diet consisting of chocolate and soda. It's all about the calories. Chocolate is not a "bad" food. Designating foods as "forbidden" is both unnecessary and silly.
(3) if you are gaining weight consistently, you are in a caloric surplus. You are simply eating too much for your current energy needs.
(4) It doesn't matter how much you change your diet or what you change it to. You need to convert your caloric surplus to a caloric deficit and you will begin to lose weight .
(5) A caloric deficit is guaranteed to work and it is the only thing that will work.
(6) If you aren't weighing / measuring your food, you have no real idea what your calorie intake is. It is definitely too high if, after a month or more, you are still gaining weight.
Is it normal to gain weight in a calorie surplus? You betcha. It's guaranteed. Every time.0 -
+1SergeantSausage wrote: »(1) Your meds didn't cause weight gain. Caloric surplus did. Your meds may have made you hungrier, more frequently, but they can't override the laws that govern the physics of energy. Excess calories are stored as fat. Without excess, you have no additional storage and no weight gain. The meds may have caused you to retain some water, but that wouldn't stack up and continue to gain like adding fat does. If you're still gaining, it ain't water.
(2) For weight loss purposes there are no such things as good or bad foods. You can lose all the weight you want/need on a diet consisting of chocolate and soda. It's all about the calories. Chocolate is not a "bad" food. Designating foods as "forbidden" is both unnecessary and silly.
(3) if you are gaining weight consistently, you are in a caloric surplus. You are simply eating too much for your current energy needs.
(4) It doesn't matter how much you change your diet or what you change it to. You need to convert your caloric surplus to a caloric deficit and you will begin to lose weight .
(5) A caloric deficit is guaranteed to work and it is the only thing that will work.
(6) If you aren't weighing / measuring your food, you have no real idea what your calorie intake is. It is definitely too high if, after a month or more, you are still gaining weight.
Is it normal to gain weight in a calorie surplus? You betcha. It's guaranteed. Every time.
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Delilahhhhhh wrote: »
+1SergeantSausage wrote: »(1) Your meds didn't cause weight gain. Caloric surplus did. Your meds may have made you hungrier, more frequently, but they can't override the laws that govern the physics of energy. Excess calories are stored as fat. Without excess, you have no additional storage and no weight gain. The meds may have caused you to retain some water, but that wouldn't stack up and continue to gain like adding fat does. If you're still gaining, it ain't water.
(2) For weight loss purposes there are no such things as good or bad foods. You can lose all the weight you want/need on a diet consisting of chocolate and soda. It's all about the calories. Chocolate is not a "bad" food. Designating foods as "forbidden" is both unnecessary and silly.
(3) if you are gaining weight consistently, you are in a caloric surplus. You are simply eating too much for your current energy needs.
(4) It doesn't matter how much you change your diet or what you change it to. You need to convert your caloric surplus to a caloric deficit and you will begin to lose weight .
(5) A caloric deficit is guaranteed to work and it is the only thing that will work.
(6) If you aren't weighing / measuring your food, you have no real idea what your calorie intake is. It is definitely too high if, after a month or more, you are still gaining weight.
Is it normal to gain weight in a calorie surplus? You betcha. It's guaranteed. Every time.
+20 -
The Vegetarian Resource Group has a website where you can learn more about vegetarian nutrition. The URL is http://www.vrg.org/ . In general, the only real nutritional issue is for strict vegans (no animal products at all, including eggs/dairy), who can lack b12. But using nutritional yeast in cooking or on popcorn will give you B12. So will fortified plant milks, like soymilk. Or multivitamins. I'm pretty sure you're right that Cheerios has it, too. Take the above advice about weighing/measuring and logging calories. I thought I was "dieting" until I really started measuring my servings and logging them on here, but I wasn't losing at all. Now I've been on MFP for 15 days and have lost 5 lbs.0
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SergeantSausage wrote: »(1) Your meds didn't cause weight gain. Caloric surplus did. Your meds may have made you hungrier, more frequently, but they can't override the laws that govern the physics of energy. Excess calories are stored as fat. Without excess, you have no additional storage and no weight gain. The meds may have caused you to retain some water, but that wouldn't stack up and continue to gain like adding fat does. If you're still gaining, it ain't water.
(2) For weight loss purposes there are no such things as good or bad foods. You can lose all the weight you want/need on a diet consisting of chocolate and soda. It's all about the calories. Chocolate is not a "bad" food. Designating foods as "forbidden" is both unnecessary and silly.
(3) if you are gaining weight consistently, you are in a caloric surplus. You are simply eating too much for your current energy needs.
(4) It doesn't matter how much you change your diet or what you change it to. You need to convert your caloric surplus to a caloric deficit and you will begin to lose weight .
(5) A caloric deficit is guaranteed to work and it is the only thing that will work.
(6) If you aren't weighing / measuring your food, you have no real idea what your calorie intake is. It is definitely too high if, after a month or more, you are still gaining weight.
Is it normal to gain weight in a calorie surplus? You betcha. It's guaranteed. Every time.
1) I don't say that my meds are the reason I am overweight, that is my diet, but last year when I gained a lot I was very active, I lived on the sixth floor with no elevator, and I lived in a 2 storie apartment, I would go up and down those stairs at least 4-5 times a day, I walk a lot and since I am very stressed and don't have a lot of time I have to walk fast to get to places. I did also go to a gym during one month and adjusted my diet, but I still gained weight. And I calculate how many grams my food is by taking the weight of the packet and divide it, like for example bread, and then I know how much each piece weighs.
2) There are "good" food like dark bread and pasta, good in that it keeps you full for a longer period of time. This is how I have changed my diet, I eat less but I eat stuff that keeps me full longer. I count calories and should lose 0,8kg a week, all my snacks are either oranges or pomegranate or some other fruit like apples, all that have very little calories.
6) I have bought a scale but I still haven't got it which is why I can't weigh my food, but as I said before I try to calculate it and then use the barcode to get the right product.
My question was that though I have removed all those unhealthy stuff and lowered my calorie intake, and have been active, is it normal to gain weight at first?
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The Vegetarian Resource Group has a website where you can learn more about vegetarian nutrition. The URL is http://www.vrg.org/ . In general, the only real nutritional issue is for strict vegans (no animal products at all, including eggs/dairy), who can lack b12. But using nutritional yeast in cooking or on popcorn will give you B12. So will fortified plant milks, like soymilk. Or multivitamins. I'm pretty sure you're right that Cheerios has it, too. Take the above advice about weighing/measuring and logging calories. I thought I was "dieting" until I really started measuring my servings and logging them on here, but I wasn't losing at all. Now I've been on MFP for 15 days and have lost 5 lbs.
Thank you for the website, I'll check it out. But I am not vegan, I eat eggs and dairy products just no meat and no fish or anything from the sea. I read that the vegetarian diet would still be lacking a lot. I didn't know that but my sister pointed it out and Cheerios seemed like the best way since I often don't have a lot of time in the morning and just eat while getting dressed. I am counting calories and have been for 2 weeks now, and I have set my goal at 0,8kg a week. I got my scale last Friday and measured and saw that I had 2kg less then I had this summer. It sounds great that you did so good, gives me some hope as well. I really want to change to get a better and more healthy lifestyle.
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1) I don't say that my meds are the reason I am overweight, that is my diet, but last year when I gained a lot I was very active, I lived on the sixth floor with no elevator, and I lived in a 2 storie apartment, I would go up and down those stairs at least 4-5 times a day, I walk a lot and since I am very stressed and don't have a lot of time I have to walk fast to get to places. I did also go to a gym during one month and adjusted my diet, but I still gained weight. And I calculate how many grams my food is by taking the weight of the packet and divide it, like for example bread, and then I know how much each piece weighs.
2) There are "good" food like dark bread and pasta, good in that it keeps you full for a longer period of time. This is how I have changed my diet, I eat less but I eat stuff that keeps me full longer. I count calories and should lose 0,8kg a week, all my snacks are either oranges or pomegranate or some other fruit like apples, all that have very little calories.
6) I have bought a scale but I still haven't got it which is why I can't weigh my food, but as I said before I try to calculate it and then use the barcode to get the right product.
My question was that though I have removed all those unhealthy stuff and lowered my calorie intake, and have been active, is it normal to gain weight at first?
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You said right in there that you can't weigh your food yet. That is fine, but you don't know how much you are actually eating unless you are weighing your food. Even fruit. I have weighed my fruit and found my generic entries to be off by 30-40 calories because I assumed the serving was "medium" versus "large." 30-40 calories isn't a huge deal in itself, but done three times a day and I am now looking at 100-150 calories in fruit more than I anticipated. Since you are not weighing anything else then it is likely/possible that every time you are eating something you are off by some calories. All of that adds up, and if you are overestimating your activity burning as well, then we very easily could be looking at why you are still gaining weight despite changes.
Remember too, you said you switched to "good" food, keep in mind that even the more nutritionally sound options won't necessarily be lower calorie. A homemade serving of a dinner could be higher in calories than one made in a restaurant, etc. (Example, more nutritious cereals like Kashi usually have more calories than fruity pebbles, by almost 100cal more a serving).
At the end of the day I agree with others, you are taking in more than you are giving off.0 -
Medication does not make you gain weight. Eating too much does.0
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You've asked if it's normal to gain weight while in a calorie deficit.
The answer is no, unless you eat a ton of salt resulting in water retention.
I weigh everything because even though there's a calorie count on the package, it's not accurate if your slice of bread weighs more than what the serving size says.
Once you get your scale and start measuring everything, you will see that you WILL begin to lose!
Best Wishes!0 -
Actually, medication can affect the way your body metabolizes fat and lower your BMR. Just sayin.0
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1) I don't say that my meds are the reason I am overweight, that is my diet, but last year when I gained a lot I was very active, I lived on the sixth floor with no elevator, and I lived in a 2 storie apartment, I would go up and down those stairs at least 4-5 times a day, I walk a lot and since I am very stressed and don't have a lot of time I have to walk fast to get to places. I did also go to a gym during one month and adjusted my diet, but I still gained weight. And I calculate how many grams my food is by taking the weight of the packet and divide it, like for example bread, and then I know how much each piece weighs.
2) There are "good" food like dark bread and pasta, good in that it keeps you full for a longer period of time. This is how I have changed my diet, I eat less but I eat stuff that keeps me full longer. I count calories and should lose 0,8kg a week, all my snacks are either oranges or pomegranate or some other fruit like apples, all that have very little calories.
6) I have bought a scale but I still haven't got it which is why I can't weigh my food, but as I said before I try to calculate it and then use the barcode to get the right product.
My question was that though I have removed all those unhealthy stuff and lowered my calorie intake, and have been active, is it normal to gain weight at first?
You said right in there that you can't weigh your food yet. That is fine, but you don't know how much you are actually eating unless you are weighing your food. Even fruit. I have weighed my fruit and found my generic entries to be off by 30-40 calories because I assumed the serving was "medium" versus "large." 30-40 calories isn't a huge deal in itself, but done three times a day and I am now looking at 100-150 calories in fruit more than I anticipated. Since you are not weighing anything else then it is likely/possible that every time you are eating something you are off by some calories. All of that adds up, and if you are overestimating your activity burning as well, then we very easily could be looking at why you are still gaining weight despite changes.
Remember too, you said you switched to "good" food, keep in mind that even the more nutritionally sound options won't necessarily be lower calorie. A homemade serving of a dinner could be higher in calories than one made in a restaurant, etc. (Example, more nutritious cereals like Kashi usually have more calories than fruity pebbles, by almost 100cal more a serving).
At the end of the day I agree with others, you are taking in more than you are giving off. [/quote]
That is true, I do eat alot of fruit as snacks. But I always come under my calorie goal by atleast 200-300 so the calories I miss like that should be covered.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Medication does not make you gain weight. Eating too much does.
This isn't my word, it's my doctors and I am a med student, and medicines can make you gain weight. This is what I study, and I used to think like you as well, but I know that it can.0 -
healthygreek wrote: »You've asked if it's normal to gain weight while in a calorie deficit.
The answer is no, unless you eat a ton of salt resulting in water retention.
I weigh everything because even though there's a calorie count on the package, it's not accurate if your slice of bread weighs more than what the serving size says.
Once you get your scale and start measuring everything, you will see that you WILL begin to lose!
Best Wishes!
I didn't think of that, once I get my scale I'll have that covered
thanks! 
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laurelobrien wrote: »Actually, medication can affect the way your body metabolizes fat and lower your BMR. Just sayin.
True, meds can mess those stuff up, and the meds I am on have alot of side effects. My old doc just never told me about the ones my old meds had. My new doc is really good with that and we disscuss the side effects of the drug etc. etc.0
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