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Why do I keep gaining weight???

steelaxitute2127

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

Replies

Graelwyn75

The only reasons I can think of are that

A - you are not weighing and measuring your food properly and/or are logging inaccurately.
B - you are overestimating your exercise calories.
C - you are being too aggressive in your deficit although this one seems unlikely as it is usually one of the former options and hard to gain weight on 1200 calories unless one has an underlying condition such as hypothyroidism.

Old_Cat_Lady

Open your diary. How often do you weigh yourself? Did you have high sodium pizza last night? TOM? Beer night last night?

Ironandwine69

What's wrong with going above ten pounds?

vismal

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

The only reasons I can think of are that

A - you are not weighing and measuring your food properly and/or are logging inaccurately.
B - you are overestimating your exercise calories.
C - you are being too aggressive in your deficit although this one seems unlikely as it is usually one of the former options and hard to gain weight on 1200 calories unless one has an underlying condition such as hypothyroidism.

This is your answer. This is always the answer. People who aren't losing or are gaining in the long run (weeks-months, not day to day) not in a calorie deficit. 1200 calories for your height and weight absolutely should create a deficit even if you are sedentary which it sounds like you aren't. Give this guide a read and report back with how confident you are that you are indeed eating 1200 calories every single day: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101

How long have you been gaining/not losing? If it's only been a few days then ignore it and keep doing what you are doing. Weight fluctuates naturally for a million different reasons. Better yet, weigh your daily and log the result at trendweight.com or some other site that calculates a rolling average. That way you won't get caught up in the day to day fluctuations and you can look at the trend over time which is what really matters. To give an example, if you lose 2 lbs each week for 3 weeks then gain 2 lbs on the 4th week, you've still lost 6 lbs in a month and your trend is still going down. The 2 lbs gained could be water being retained, excess food in your stomach, stress, your natural menstrual cycle, or a million other things. The important thing is you are still trending downward in weight. Now on the other hand if your gain 1 lb a week for 6 weeks you are trending up. This happens for the reasons Graelwyn noted.

quiksylver296

Read through this chart. It should have your answer(s).

stanmann571

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

What's wrong with going above ten pounds?

Nothing. Except some female infomercial trainers tell women that they'll get suppah bulky if they use heavy weights... Ignoring the fact that a gallon of milk weighs more than 10 lbs.

Muscleflex79

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

why are you "trying not to go above 10 pounds" ??????

quiksylver296

Lift all the weight, @steelaxitute2127. It's fun.

Ready2Rock206

Your purse probably weighs 10 lbs - don't be afraid to go heavier.

Are you using a food scale and being very accurate with your logging? In the beginning it can be easy to lose with less accuracy but the closer you get to goal the more accurate you need to be. Good luck with the Army! One suggestion I have is to look at all their requirements for boot camp and start working on those. Be sure you can do everything before you go in. My son is in a different branch and I'm in a Mom's group - you'd be shocked at how many go in without being able to do the fitness requirements and don't get there during training. Plus with all the running so many end up with injuries because they didn't run at all before leaving. Don't be that person - work on what needs to be done now.

KimiyaKiwi

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

lorrpb

How much have you lost? Over what period of time?
How much have you gained? Over what period of time?

HDBKLM

My guess would be she specified the thing about not going over 10 pounds just in order to stave off one of those 'muscle weighs more than fat' comments.

cerise_noir

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

why are you "trying not to go above 10 pounds" ??????

I'd like to know as well.

Don't be afraid to lift heavy as hell.

cerise_noir

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

Not necessary. Too many rules.

All that is required for weight loss, for everybody, is a calorie deficit.

No need to cut out foods that you love.

stanmann571

HDBKLM wrote: »

My guess would be she specified the thing about not going over 10 pounds just in order to stave off one of those 'muscle weighs more than fat' comments.

More likely she's been fed some woo about "lifting heavy" and using pink dumbells to tone up

Iamnotasenior

Are you eating back all of your exercise calories? MFB is notorious for way over-estimating calories burned by exercise. Make sure you are logging every single thing you are eating or drinking and then only eat back about half of your exercise calories. I am almost completely sedentary, am eating 1,200 calories a day and am averaging a weight loss of a pound a week. I guarantee you, you are not in a calorie deficit either because you are not logging accurately or you are eating more than your body is burning. Oh, and go ahead and lift the heavy weights. You will need the extra upper body strength when you are in basic training.

ltkasmala

When I was in my mid 20's (so about 30 years ago!) I did some bodybuilding for about a year and a half. No, I did not get bulky but I had some serious shoulder action going on that some might not like. I deliberately worked out with guys because I knew they trained more intensely so I was lifting some fairly heavy weight. I am 5'7" with a medium-large frame and weighed about 135 and wore a size 5 or 7! So do not be afraid of heavy weight. Most women do not have the proper hormones to build big muscles!

vismal

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Graelwyn75

ltkasmala wrote: »

When I was in my mid 20's (so about 30 years ago!) I did some bodybuilding for about a year and a half. No, I did not get bulky but I had some serious shoulder action going on that some might not like. I deliberately worked out with guys because I knew they trained more intensely so I was lifting some fairly heavy weight. I am 5'7" with a medium-large frame and weighed about 135 and wore a size 5 or 7! So do not be afraid of heavy weight. Most women do not have the proper hormones to build big muscles!

Hah. I relate. When I was lifting I started having issues with the shoulders/upper arms of coats but the rest of me got smaller lol. It might be because I was also doing boxing a lot however. I will say that lifting did not make me bulky. I was not much larger than I am now yet I was 12-14 Ibs heavier.

KimiyaKiwi

vismal wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Completely true and proven with simple Science. We're not talking about body building. They're helpful tips to help people lose weight that can and do work and if people read up about it, they'd see how many people have lost weight successfully by making simple swaps and being careful about what goes into their food. It's not an opinion, it's fact. Simple calorie deficits are not enough if you're eating the wrong things. There's no need to cut out things you love, but it's all about balance.

MommaGem2017

TayaAzizi wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Completely true and proven with simple Science. We're not talking about body building. They're helpful tips to help people lose weight that can and do work and if people read up about it, they'd see how many people have lost weight successfully by making simple swaps and being careful about what goes into their food. It's not an opinion, it's fact. Simple calorie deficits are not enough if you're eating the wrong things. There's no need to cut out things you love, but it's all about balance.

It IS truly CICO. I eat real, full fat ice cream... every day. I'm losing weight. I eat potato chips, carbonated diet soda, cookies, and I'm losing weight. The key is that it is all worked within my calorie goal and I'm creating a deficit. And since I include foods I love, I don't feel deprived, I don't binge, and keep losing weight.

KimiyaKiwi

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Completely true and proven with simple Science. We're not talking about body building. They're helpful tips to help people lose weight that can and do work and if people read up about it, they'd see how many people have lost weight successfully by making simple swaps and being careful about what goes into their food. It's not an opinion, it's fact. Simple calorie deficits are not enough if you're eating the wrong things. There's no need to cut out things you love, but it's all about balance.

It IS truly CICO. I eat real, full fat ice cream... every day. I'm losing weight. I eat potato chips, carbonated diet soda, cookies, and I'm losing weight. The key is that it is all worked within my calorie goal and I'm creating a deficit. And since I include foods I love, I don't feel deprived, I don't binge, and keep losing weight.

Absolutely, but it's about balance. I never said treats were off the cards, I have treats too but manage to lose every week. But someone is saying they have a calorie deficit (1200 a day) and is gaining. Simply saying she's calculating things wrong isn't particularly helpful as it's obvious she knows that, hence asking for advice. I don't think the treat foods here are the issue, it's everything around that and it would be constructive to work on that with a few simple things that could literally transform how successful her weight loss is. For example, people who eat 1200 calories a day but eat only treat foods in that time, will struggle at some point to lose weight. But each to their own. Offering advice from my own experience and that is evidence based. And no fad diets, it's a lifestyle change that is sustainable.

MommaGem2017

TayaAzizi wrote: »

But someone is saying they have a calorie deficit (1200 a day) and is gaining. Simply saying she's calculating things wrong isn't particularly helpful as it's obvious she knows that, hence asking for advice.

I've checked the thread twice and I don't see where it is obvious she know she may be calculating things wrong. The vast majority of people who claim they are eating 1200 calories and are gaining weight are actually consuming more than they think they are. The most effective way to resolve this is to ensure she is weighing and tracking food exactly, not by swapping out foods. Because she could easily start consuming more of those than she intends and will be back posting another thread about how she's eating so healthy and still gaining weight.

KimiyaKiwi

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

But someone is saying they have a calorie deficit (1200 a day) and is gaining. Simply saying she's calculating things wrong isn't particularly helpful as it's obvious she knows that, hence asking for advice.

I've checked the thread twice and I don't see where it is obvious she know she may be calculating things wrong. The vast majority of people who claim they are eating 1200 calories and are gaining weight are actually consuming more than they think they are. The most effective way to resolve this is to ensure she is weighing and tracking food exactly, not by swapping out foods. Because she could easily start consuming more of those than she intends and will be back posting another thread about how she's eating so healthy and still gaining weight.

I've not said that if you do that you can eat as much as you want - I actually specifically said to measure things (cheese etc, whatever). Nothing I have suggested will make her post another thread about how she's gaining but I can see how someone with a calorie deficit only eating treat foods is much more likely to come back with that problem (and many do!)

I think suggesting sensible swaps and prioritizing food with filling power, and having things in measured moderation was a pretty decent evidence based suggestion. Also FOOD DIARIES. You'd be surprised how many calories a bit of butter or cheese has. Don't miss anything out of your food diary, leaving things out won't give you an accurate representation of what you're actually consuming. To the original poster, I wish you the best of luck!

HarlemNY17

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

Maybe you're gaining muscle?? When you gain muscle the scale goes up . See your doctor for muscle mass and body measurements

mburgess458

HarlemNY17 wrote: »

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

Maybe you're gaining muscle?? When you gain muscle the scale goes up . See your doctor for muscle mass and body measurements

It took longer than I expected for someone to say this.... you think a woman eating 1,200 calories a day is gaining muscle with weights no heavier than 10 lbs? Uh, no. Just no.

Muscleflex79

HarlemNY17 wrote: »

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

Maybe you're gaining muscle?? When you gain muscle the scale goes up . See your doctor for muscle mass and body measurements

really?? are you kidding?? as mburgess said, not happening on 1200 calories using less than 10 lbs weights..!!

Blitzia

TayaAzizi wrote: »

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Completely true and proven with simple Science. We're not talking about body building. They're helpful tips to help people lose weight that can and do work and if people read up about it, they'd see how many people have lost weight successfully by making simple swaps and being careful about what goes into their food. It's not an opinion, it's fact. Simple calorie deficits are not enough if you're eating the wrong things. There's no need to cut out things you love, but it's all about balance.

It IS truly CICO. I eat real, full fat ice cream... every day. I'm losing weight. I eat potato chips, carbonated diet soda, cookies, and I'm losing weight. The key is that it is all worked within my calorie goal and I'm creating a deficit. And since I include foods I love, I don't feel deprived, I don't binge, and keep losing weight.

Absolutely, but it's about balance. I never said treats were off the cards, I have treats too but manage to lose every week. But someone is saying they have a calorie deficit (1200 a day) and is gaining. Simply saying she's calculating things wrong isn't particularly helpful as it's obvious she knows that, hence asking for advice. I don't think the treat foods here are the issue, it's everything around that and it would be constructive to work on that with a few simple things that could literally transform how successful her weight loss is. For example, people who eat 1200 calories a day but eat only treat foods in that time, will struggle at some point to lose weight. But each to their own. Offering advice from my own experience and that is evidence based. And no fad diets, it's a lifestyle change that is sustainable.

TayaAzizi wrote: »

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

TayaAzizi wrote: »

I can guarantee you are not measuring your intake properly. Even with zero exercise, someone having 1200 calories a day would not be gaining. The answer is in your eating and your balance of macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) in relation to your actual calorie intake.

Are you making the right swaps in food to facilitate your weight loss too? ie: swap yoghurts for plain fat free yoghurts, sugar for sweetener, fizzy drinks for water, having skimmed or almond milk. Also a lot of people think juicing helps, which yes it can if you are careful with what you put in, but having fruit as juice reduces its filling power and makes it too easy to have a huge amount of calories and sugar so be careful with things like that too. Also watch for things that say they're fat free such as flavoured yoghurts, which compensate in flavour for other things your body should try to avoid.

Make your food as clean as possible by fuelling your body with what you NEED. Meat and fish or suitable alternatives if you are a vegetarian. If you want to lose weight faster, prioritise foods that have a low energy density for their weight which give them extra slimming power. This includes most fruit and vegetables but NOT ALL; bananas, cherries, pineapple, potatoes and sweetcorn being the more commonly eaten examples. These things are still fine to eat but if it's more rapid weight loss you're after, prioritise salads, meat, fish and plain fat free yoghurt with fruit prepared at home.

Don't buy things from elsewhere, no matter how healthy they appear, I guarantee you, they're not. A salad from a shop will be full of crap that you can't even see. Prep food at home to take to work or when you're out for the day. One day a week won't affect you, but a habit of trying to be healthy whilst eating salads, yoghurts or sandwiches out is compromising your diet more than you realise.

Finally, seemingly little things will make a huge difference. Careful of what butter and oils you cook with, check how much that salad dressing actually has in it and what cereals are you eating? A lot of cereals are bad for you and even the good ones, you should try and measure to no more than 40g. A bit of cheese here and there is fine but if it's over 30g in a day and not in balance with everything else, you are making it harder for yourself. Are you doing this?

I've lost half a stone in less than a month by doing just this and no changes to my exercise regime.

If you stopped posting after the very first sentence you'd be spot on. Everything after that ranges from not necessarily true, to completely wrong.

Completely true and proven with simple Science. We're not talking about body building. They're helpful tips to help people lose weight that can and do work and if people read up about it, they'd see how many people have lost weight successfully by making simple swaps and being careful about what goes into their food. It's not an opinion, it's fact. Simple calorie deficits are not enough if you're eating the wrong things. There's no need to cut out things you love, but it's all about balance.

It IS truly CICO. I eat real, full fat ice cream... every day. I'm losing weight. I eat potato chips, carbonated diet soda, cookies, and I'm losing weight. The key is that it is all worked within my calorie goal and I'm creating a deficit. And since I include foods I love, I don't feel deprived, I don't binge, and keep losing weight.

Absolutely, but it's about balance. I never said treats were off the cards, I have treats too but manage to lose every week. But someone is saying they have a calorie deficit (1200 a day) and is gaining. Simply saying she's calculating things wrong isn't particularly helpful as it's obvious she knows that, hence asking for advice. I don't think the treat foods here are the issue, it's everything around that and it would be constructive to work on that with a few simple things that could literally transform how successful her weight loss is. For example, people who eat 1200 calories a day but eat only treat foods in that time, will struggle at some point to lose weight. But each to their own. Offering advice from my own experience and that is evidence based. And no fad diets, it's a lifestyle change that is sustainable.

I actually agree that some of the swaps you mentioned are helpful tips: avoiding liquid calories, using less butter and oil, etc. I think the issue though is just that those are just tips to *actually* eat 1200 calories. So the bold part is not really true. I mean, I've been eating 1200 for about 9 months, I've lost ~52 pounds and my diet is like 75% treats. For example, today I had half a pint of enlightened ice cream, a blue bunny salted caramel dessert, and somewhere between 3 to 4 times the amount of cheese you said to avoid. Again, I agree that some of the swaps you said can be helpful for someone trying to shave off calories, but I think someone who does the opposite can be every bit as successful losing weight.

VeronicaA76

stanmann571 wrote: »

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

What's wrong with going above ten pounds?

Nothing. Except some female infomercial trainers tell women that they'll get suppah bulky if they use heavy weights... Ignoring the fact that a gallon of milk weighs more than 10 lbs.

Because it's super easy to pack on 10lbs of muscle, just ask any man that lifts (complete sarcasm)....

Ready2Rock206

HarlemNY17 wrote: »

steelaxitute2127 wrote: »

Hi! I'm currently 170.6 pounds (according to my weigh-in this morning) and have a 36% body fat. I'm trying to get into the Army and need to either be at 147 or 32% body fat before I can start my testing. I was doing pretty well with losing about two pounds a week, but now I'm gaining those pounds back. I workout twice a day with one session as cardio and the other as a HIIT workout involving kickboxing at 9Round. I also try to keep me calorie intake around 1200. Why am I still gaining weight? If I use weights, I try not to go above 10 pounds. Please help!

Maybe you're gaining muscle?? When you gain muscle the scale goes up . See your doctor for muscle mass and body measurements

With her little weights that weigh less than my purse? Not likely!