Discouraged...

purplepixie247

So I'm 5'10 and currently weigh 138 pounds. For this last year of college I weighed 133 pounds and was happy. I came home for the summer and gained those 5 pounds while eating between 1400 and 1650 calories per day. What gives??? I just am feeling super discouraged and could use some input from you guys!!

lcyama

is it possible that over the summer you weren't as active? walking to classes every day burns more calories than you would expect.

you are still at a healthy weight for your height. you can work off those five pounds by just adding a little more movement. you can do it!

5stringjeff

Instead of aiming for a particular weight, aim to keep your weight within a particular range. Everyone's weight will naturally fluctuate a few pounds; a woman's weight will also fluctuate with her menstrual cycle. A 5-pound weight range is pretty common. And. like @lcvrablik said, your weight is healthy (thought still towards the lower end of the "healthy" BMI range), so you really don't have much to worry about. Pick a weight range and eat to maintain that range.

MobyCarp

Life happens. I gained a few pounds in the summer, in spite of running like I was training for a marathon. I ended up having to cut back my calories to the level I used in taper toward the Buffalo Marathon, just to maintain over the summer. Later, the weight started coming off and I had to bump the calories back up again.

Maintenance is not steady state. Sometimes you need to adjust the calories up or down to stay in the same place. There are times when why you need an adjustment is obvious (e.g., a stress fracture took me from running 30 miles per week to not even getting 10K steps per day, overnight) and sometimes it's obscure (like the most recent case). Don't take it personally, just deal with it.

Sherbog

It's a math game to me. Count calories, exercise to eat more and be honest with your intake portions.

I started at 212 in 2011 and have kept off 50 pounds since then. My goal is to be 145.

nxd10

I am 5'10" and weighed 130 until I graduated college. When I got off campus I immediately gained weight. You walk to class. You run up and down steps. You don't snack. Think about getting a pedometer and see what your exercise is. Most dining services have good calorie counts for logging and you can count your servicing sizes. You'll lose it again if you want. Don't be discouraged.

BTW, even 138 is very thin for your height. It's really nice seeing a slim college student. Too many of my students weigh way more than I do - and I'm 58 (and 150 pounds).