Question On Maintenance Weights

Graelwyn75

I am not sure how to word this.
But. I am grappling with the issue of what weight to maintain. I have been relatively comfortable at my current weight but three years ago I was 12 Ibs heavier and a great deal stronger and fitter.

I got a little caught up and obsessed with the scale number again (happens when I am stressed) and am now trying to fully flip the switch away from that. I am currently 127 Ibs at 5'9.5 and still have a lot of muscle from when I did intense training three years ago.

My old trainer wants me back at around 138-140 pounds. I am struggling to adjust my thinking to accepting weight gain even if it will be done slowly and whilst weight training with him.

He says that at my age (42) and with my composition my weight is too low. Is it true that some people are just not built to be at the bottom end of the BMI range and to be healthy ? I have been healthy at this weight before when I was younger and did not train and had not trained. Does building up muscle mass mean that your ideal weight parameters change ?

As a side note my profile picture is when I was at 140 Ibs.

I suppose I am asking how I can adjust my thinking back to where I was then and off the scale number (which I logically know is really not as important as body composition) and whether there are different build types.

Thank you for any advice and please be kind if you can. I am having a hard time lately lol.

ritzvin

Maybe try a slight calorie excess while upping the training and do a cutting stage later if you don't like the way it looks? (The folks who frequent the bulking/weightifting forum might be able to give you some good advice).

anubis609

Maintenance is just that. Able to maintain the weight and/or body composition you are currently at. Being aware of scale fluctuations are okay to track whether you're eating enough, too much, or too little, but don't let it become an obsession. No one is going to be solidly weight stable everyday, unless they're dead. There will be a fluctuation range, so look at it from a 2 - 4 week perspective. If you've bounced back and forth between +/- 3lbs over the next few weeks, you're technically in maintenance. It's the total average amount of calories that determine whether your'e in a weekly deficit or surplus.

From a personal dietary perspective, your body composition is going to be determined by protein intake. I don't know your personal protein intake, but aim for about 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight. The other 2 macros can be however you want from preference. The leaner you are, the more protein you actually need to spare lean body mass loss, more so if you're older (that's a subjective perception, but more protein doesn't hurt). Lifting heavy ensures lbm retention/gain. By mathematical ratio, the more muscle you have, you will have a lower body fat percentage, even if you retained the same amount of fat.

Gaining scale weight from increased protein does not equal fat gain. In fact, it's almost humanly impossible in the real world to gain fat from protein alone. Theoretically, sure, but you'd have to eat more protein than you can handle.

Example: if you weigh 127 now and you're 20% body fat (picked a random lean number), you have about 25.4 lbs of fat, and 101.6 lbs of lean body mass (muscle, organs, tissue, water, etc). If you kept the 25 lbs of fat, but increased lbm to say 110 lbs, then you would be 135, but 25.4 / 135 = 18.8% body fat. So, you can see you've reduced body fat simply by gaining muscle.

Also, being at maintenance means you can essentially ease up on rigid dieting. Assuming you're restricting some foods, you can allow a bit more leniency. The simple heuristic is a 70/30 or 80/20 style of dieting: 70-80% of food is focused on nutrient dense whole food and 20-30% is whatever you want for sanity and happiness.

Graelwyn75

anubis609 wrote: »

Maintenance is just that. Able to maintain the weight and/or body composition you are currently at. Being aware of scale fluctuations are okay to track whether you're eating enough, too much, or too little, but don't let it become an obsession. No one is going to be solidly weight stable everyday, unless they're dead. There will be a fluctuation range, so look at it from a 2 - 4 week perspective. If you've bounced back and forth between +/- 3lbs over the next few weeks, you're technically in maintenance. It's the total average amount of calories that determine whether your'e in a weekly deficit or surplus.

From a personal dietary perspective, your body composition is going to be determined by protein intake. I don't know your personal protein intake, but aim for about 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight. The other 2 macros can be however you want from preference. The leaner you are, the more protein you actually need to spare lean body mass loss, more so if you're older (that's a subjective perception, but more protein doesn't hurt). Lifting heavy ensures lbm retention/gain. By mathematical ratio, the more muscle you have, you will have a lower body fat percentage, even if you retained the same amount of fat.

Gaining scale weight from increased protein does not equal fat gain. In fact, it's almost humanly impossible in the real world to gain fat from protein alone. Theoretically, sure, but you'd have to eat more protein than you can handle.

Example: if you weigh 127 now and you're 20% body fat (picked a random lean number), you have about 25.4 lbs of fat, and 101.6 lbs of lean body mass (muscle, organs, tissue, water, etc). If you kept the 25 lbs of fat, but increased lbm to say 110 lbs, then you would be 135, but 25.4 / 135 = 18.8% body fat. So, you can see you've reduced body fat simply by gaining muscle.

Also, being at maintenance means you can essentially ease up on rigid dieting. Assuming you're restricting some foods, you can allow a bit more leniency. The simple heuristic is a 70/30 or 80/20 style of dieting: 70-80% of food is focused on nutrient dense whole food and 20-30% is whatever you want for sanity and happiness.

I have only really had any issue with weight last year when I quit the gym and gained a load of it on a medication I was put on. Before that I had never been over 145 Ibs so I suppose it did shock me to discover that I could get podgy under the right circumstances. After I had just about shifted that and come off the medication, I got into a new relationship and proceeded to drop from 140 to my current 127Ibs over a 6 month period. I just tend to get more obsessed with the scale when in a new relationship. I only weigh once a week, I hasten to add.

I could probably do with a bit more protein. I used to get through at least 120g a day and am averaging 80-90g at the moment. I am quite knowledgeable about the macros after studying these forums for several years but am still working my way up again in terms of protein. I have to ensure I get a decent amount of carbs as I do a fair amount of cardio(for my lung health since I have COPD) as well as the weights.

I have been the same weight now, give or take three Ibs, for the last 4 months. I train 5 days a week and I eat from 2200-2800 calories a day. I seem to lose if I eat much less than that. I certainly do not have a rigid diet. I eat a good amount of nutrient dense food and also have treats. It is more a matter of whether I should be following my trainer's advice and aiming to return to my former weight and overcoming the hurdle of seeing the gain. I must admit, I do not have a great deal of energy compared to previously and my stamina has gone down the toilet which has me questioning whether my body type is just not suited to being the bottom of the weight range for my height.

I was at 12% bodyfat when that picture on my profile was taken. I do not know what I currently am. The attached image is how I currently look.

cwolfman13

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

I am not sure how to word this.
But. I am grappling with the issue of what weight to maintain. I have been relatively comfortable at my current weight but three years ago I was 12 Ibs heavier and a great deal stronger and fitter.

I got a little caught up and obsessed with the scale number again (happens when I am stressed) and am now trying to fully flip the switch away from that. I am currently 127 Ibs at 5'9.5 and still have a lot of muscle from when I did intense training three years ago.

My old trainer wants me back at around 138-140 pounds. I am struggling to adjust my thinking to accepting weight gain even if it will be done slowly and whilst weight training with him.

He says that at my age (42) and with my composition my weight is too low. Is it true that some people are just not built to be at the bottom end of the BMI range and to be healthy ? I have been healthy at this weight before when I was younger and did not train and had not trained. Does building up muscle mass mean that your ideal weight parameters change ?

As a side note my profile picture is when I was at 140 Ibs.

I suppose I am asking how I can adjust my thinking back to where I was then and off the scale number (which I logically know is really not as important as body composition) and whether there are different build types.

Thank you for any advice and please be kind if you can. I am having a hard time lately lol.

IDK how to adjust your thinking...but yes, it is true that not everyone can be at the low end of BMI and be/look healthy. BMI is a range to accommodate various body types/frames/muscle mass, etc...it's not so you can just pick and choose.

I would look like death warmed over at the low end of BMI. I'm actually slightly overweight by BMI but at a perfectly healthy 15% BF. I don't really go by some arbitrary number on the scale...I look at BF and composition more than anything. I've never really understood scale obsession.

Muscle has mass and thus weight...when you build mass, whether that is fat or muscle, it shows on the scale.

You just need to stop thinking of some arbitrary number as the be all and end all...weight does not equal fat...weight is comprised of many things.

Graelwyn75

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

I am not sure how to word this.
But. I am grappling with the issue of what weight to maintain. I have been relatively comfortable at my current weight but three years ago I was 12 Ibs heavier and a great deal stronger and fitter.

I got a little caught up and obsessed with the scale number again (happens when I am stressed) and am now trying to fully flip the switch away from that. I am currently 127 Ibs at 5'9.5 and still have a lot of muscle from when I did intense training three years ago.

My old trainer wants me back at around 138-140 pounds. I am struggling to adjust my thinking to accepting weight gain even if it will be done slowly and whilst weight training with him.

He says that at my age (42) and with my composition my weight is too low. Is it true that some people are just not built to be at the bottom end of the BMI range and to be healthy ? I have been healthy at this weight before when I was younger and did not train and had not trained. Does building up muscle mass mean that your ideal weight parameters change ?

As a side note my profile picture is when I was at 140 Ibs.

I suppose I am asking how I can adjust my thinking back to where I was then and off the scale number (which I logically know is really not as important as body composition) and whether there are different build types.

Thank you for any advice and please be kind if you can. I am having a hard time lately lol.

IDK how to adjust your thinking...but yes, it is true that not everyone can be at the low end of BMI and be/look healthy. BMI is a range to accommodate various body types/frames/muscle mass, etc...it's not so you can just pick and choose.

I would look like death warmed over at the low end of BMI. I'm actually slightly overweight by BMI but at a perfectly healthy 15% BF. I don't really go by some arbitrary number on the scale...I look at BF and composition more than anything. I've never really understood scale obsession.

Muscle has mass and thus weight...when you build mass, whether that is fat or muscle, it shows on the scale.

You just need to stop thinking of some arbitrary number as the be all and end all...weight does not equal fat...weight is comprised of many things.

Thanks and yeah, I know. It is really frustrating as when I was on this forum before, I had ditched the scale obsession and did not even bother to check anymore because I knew I was lean and that was my primary focus. I could eat quite a large amount of food and I didn't care because I had the energy to train and it did not go on me as fat. It is funny how something can just flick the switch - I think it is a control issue for me.

Whenever I am at the weight I am at now, people say I look too thin and that my face looks gaunt. My trainer said once that I have an athletic build, whatever on earth that means. I am hoping that getting back with him and getting back to some weights and boxing will kick this mechanical number obsession back to the kerb. With me it is very much a fear of being out of control of what my body is doing and because I gained a lot of weight early last year, for the first time in my life, whilst on a certain anti depressant, I think it has made me more fearful that it will happen again.

anubis609

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

anubis609 wrote: »

Maintenance is just that. Able to maintain the weight and/or body composition you are currently at. Being aware of scale fluctuations are okay to track whether you're eating enough, too much, or too little, but don't let it become an obsession. No one is going to be solidly weight stable everyday, unless they're dead. There will be a fluctuation range, so look at it from a 2 - 4 week perspective. If you've bounced back and forth between +/- 3lbs over the next few weeks, you're technically in maintenance. It's the total average amount of calories that determine whether your'e in a weekly deficit or surplus.

From a personal dietary perspective, your body composition is going to be determined by protein intake. I don't know your personal protein intake, but aim for about 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight. The other 2 macros can be however you want from preference. The leaner you are, the more protein you actually need to spare lean body mass loss, more so if you're older (that's a subjective perception, but more protein doesn't hurt). Lifting heavy ensures lbm retention/gain. By mathematical ratio, the more muscle you have, you will have a lower body fat percentage, even if you retained the same amount of fat.

Gaining scale weight from increased protein does not equal fat gain. In fact, it's almost humanly impossible in the real world to gain fat from protein alone. Theoretically, sure, but you'd have to eat more protein than you can handle.

Example: if you weigh 127 now and you're 20% body fat (picked a random lean number), you have about 25.4 lbs of fat, and 101.6 lbs of lean body mass (muscle, organs, tissue, water, etc). If you kept the 25 lbs of fat, but increased lbm to say 110 lbs, then you would be 135, but 25.4 / 135 = 18.8% body fat. So, you can see you've reduced body fat simply by gaining muscle.

Also, being at maintenance means you can essentially ease up on rigid dieting. Assuming you're restricting some foods, you can allow a bit more leniency. The simple heuristic is a 70/30 or 80/20 style of dieting: 70-80% of food is focused on nutrient dense whole food and 20-30% is whatever you want for sanity and happiness.

I have only really had any issue with weight last year when I quit the gym and gained a load of it on a medication I was put on. Before that I had never been over 145 Ibs so I suppose it did shock me to discover that I could get podgy under the right circumstances. After I had just about shifted that and come off the medication, I got into a new relationship and proceeded to drop from 140 to my current 127Ibs over a 6 month period. I just tend to get more obsessed with the scale when in a new relationship. I only weigh once a week, I hasten to add.

I could probably do with a bit more protein. I used to get through at least 120g a day and am averaging 80-90g at the moment. I am quite knowledgeable about the macros after studying these forums for several years but am still working my way up again in terms of protein. I have to ensure I get a decent amount of carbs as I do a fair amount of cardio(for my lung health since I have COPD) as well as the weights.

I have been the same weight now, give or take three Ibs, for the last 4 months. I train 5 days a week and I eat from 2200-2800 calories a day. I seem to lose if I eat much less than that. I certainly do not have a rigid diet. I eat a good amount of nutrient dense food and also have treats. It is more a matter of whether I should be following my trainer's advice and aiming to return to my former weight and overcoming the hurdle of seeing the gain. I must admit, I do not have a great deal of energy compared to previously and my stamina has gone down the toilet which has me questioning whether my body type is just not suited to being the bottom of the weight range for my height.

I was at 12% bodyfat when that picture on my profile was taken. I do not know what I currently am. The attached image is how I currently look.

It's not a stretch to say you're in the low digits of body fat, perhaps you may still be 12%, depending on the method used, but visual estimation would put you around that much. From a body composition perspective, I'm in agreement with your trainer. Your weight loss could have been from lean body mass, considering you've reduced protein a bit and seemingly do a lot of cardio. In perspective, you have the right frame to be an endurance runner, and if that is your goal and/or preferred body composition, then that's all that matters.

My opinion is based on a strength standpoint, not to be confused with powerlifting/bodybuilding, but retaining as much muscle mass to adequately lift heavy objects without causing injury. So, in my opinion, you could stand to actually put on muscle. Intense or endurance heavy cardio doesn't need to be cut out, but it is catabolic for any appreciable muscle gain. Pick a goal and make that your priority. If muscle gain is a priority, focus on strength training and eating to support that. If wanting to make cardio your priority, then focus on retaining the muscle mass you have now since losing more might actually exacerbate your COPD.

Need2Exerc1se

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Graelwyn75

anubis609 wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

anubis609 wrote: »

Maintenance is just that. Able to maintain the weight and/or body composition you are currently at. Being aware of scale fluctuations are okay to track whether you're eating enough, too much, or too little, but don't let it become an obsession. No one is going to be solidly weight stable everyday, unless they're dead. There will be a fluctuation range, so look at it from a 2 - 4 week perspective. If you've bounced back and forth between +/- 3lbs over the next few weeks, you're technically in maintenance. It's the total average amount of calories that determine whether your'e in a weekly deficit or surplus.

From a personal dietary perspective, your body composition is going to be determined by protein intake. I don't know your personal protein intake, but aim for about 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight. The other 2 macros can be however you want from preference. The leaner you are, the more protein you actually need to spare lean body mass loss, more so if you're older (that's a subjective perception, but more protein doesn't hurt). Lifting heavy ensures lbm retention/gain. By mathematical ratio, the more muscle you have, you will have a lower body fat percentage, even if you retained the same amount of fat.

Gaining scale weight from increased protein does not equal fat gain. In fact, it's almost humanly impossible in the real world to gain fat from protein alone. Theoretically, sure, but you'd have to eat more protein than you can handle.

Example: if you weigh 127 now and you're 20% body fat (picked a random lean number), you have about 25.4 lbs of fat, and 101.6 lbs of lean body mass (muscle, organs, tissue, water, etc). If you kept the 25 lbs of fat, but increased lbm to say 110 lbs, then you would be 135, but 25.4 / 135 = 18.8% body fat. So, you can see you've reduced body fat simply by gaining muscle.

Also, being at maintenance means you can essentially ease up on rigid dieting. Assuming you're restricting some foods, you can allow a bit more leniency. The simple heuristic is a 70/30 or 80/20 style of dieting: 70-80% of food is focused on nutrient dense whole food and 20-30% is whatever you want for sanity and happiness.

I have only really had any issue with weight last year when I quit the gym and gained a load of it on a medication I was put on. Before that I had never been over 145 Ibs so I suppose it did shock me to discover that I could get podgy under the right circumstances. After I had just about shifted that and come off the medication, I got into a new relationship and proceeded to drop from 140 to my current 127Ibs over a 6 month period. I just tend to get more obsessed with the scale when in a new relationship. I only weigh once a week, I hasten to add.

I could probably do with a bit more protein. I used to get through at least 120g a day and am averaging 80-90g at the moment. I am quite knowledgeable about the macros after studying these forums for several years but am still working my way up again in terms of protein. I have to ensure I get a decent amount of carbs as I do a fair amount of cardio(for my lung health since I have COPD) as well as the weights.

I have been the same weight now, give or take three Ibs, for the last 4 months. I train 5 days a week and I eat from 2200-2800 calories a day. I seem to lose if I eat much less than that. I certainly do not have a rigid diet. I eat a good amount of nutrient dense food and also have treats. It is more a matter of whether I should be following my trainer's advice and aiming to return to my former weight and overcoming the hurdle of seeing the gain. I must admit, I do not have a great deal of energy compared to previously and my stamina has gone down the toilet which has me questioning whether my body type is just not suited to being the bottom of the weight range for my height.

I was at 12% bodyfat when that picture on my profile was taken. I do not know what I currently am. The attached image is how I currently look.

It's not a stretch to say you're in the low digits of body fat, perhaps you may still be 12%, depending on the method used, but visual estimation would put you around that much. From a body composition perspective, I'm in agreement with your trainer. Your weight loss could have been from lean body mass, considering you've reduced protein a bit and seemingly do a lot of cardio. In perspective, you have the right frame to be an endurance runner, and if that is your goal and/or preferred body composition, then that's all that matters.

My opinion is based on a strength standpoint, not to be confused with powerlifting/bodybuilding, but retaining as much muscle mass to adequately lift heavy objects without causing injury. So, in my opinion, you could stand to actually put on muscle. Intense or endurance heavy cardio doesn't need to be cut out, but it is catabolic for any appreciable muscle gain. Pick a goal and make that your priority. If muscle gain is a priority, focus on strength training and eating to support that. If wanting to make cardio your priority, then focus on retaining the muscle mass you have now since losing more might actually exacerbate your COPD.

In truth, sadly, due to my COPD I could never be an endurance runner. The most I did, at peak fitness back 3 years ago, was a 5k and I did come back as the first female in that. I do love running, and sometimes I could pull off an hour of running, but it took a lot of boxing and strength work to get there. I Love being able to be very active as it used to improve my mood and perspective a great deal. Currently, since losing the weight, I am finding it can actually make my mood worse and I am not sure if this is as a result of having lost the weight and not having the reserves to sustain the sort of effort I used to ... I am a very all in sort of person. When I train, I train hard. Since getting back to the gym and cycling, I am finding that I am getting very irritable if I push too hard. Before, pushing hard invigorated me.

I liked having visible muscle back then - it made me feel empowered to have been able to get to that point, in spite of my lung condition. The situation was different back then, however, because I actually started off at around 140Ibs having fallen off the healthy eating wagon and gained some weight. At the time, I thought, oh well, after all that fear of getting to this weight, I am at this weight so I might as well do something useful with it and take up weight training. And the result was, I suppose, a body recomposition. Somehow, I just seemed to get everything right for that to happen without even planning it.

So, given the facts, I know that I cannot realistically maintain this weight AND train in the way I used to. It just doesn't seem to be working for me. It is just overcoming this fear of eating even more and putting the weight back on that is a hurdle. I am so very aware, since dropping weight, of my size and any fluctuation in it, such as bloating and swelling that it is very challenging to shift my focus onto something else again. I dont know if the fact I am on the Autistic Spectrum makes it harder for me to shift my focus and contributes to this hyper awareness of any physical change, but yeah. It is frustrating when you logically know that something is not working for you.

Graelwyn75

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I think logically you know the answer. You should gain weight.

But there appears to be a little illogical part of your brain that is making you doubt yourself. You just have to work on ignoring it. The more you ignore it the easier it will be to ignore.

Graelwyn75

BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »

I think logically you know the answer. You should gain weight.

But there appears to be a little illogical part of your brain that is making you doubt yourself. You just have to work on ignoring it. The more you ignore it the easier it will be to ignore.

Yeah, it kind of sucks that this battle is going on between old control/stress mechanisms and the knowledge I have acquired over the years. I know one thing for sure... I am miserable in comparison to how I felt 3 years ago. Being obsessed with clothing sizes and scale numbers gets boring.

Need2Exerc1se

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

Graelwyn75

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

To be honest, I would not even know what to set my intake to since I have already set it at a 2k base as opposed to the 1830 that Mfp suggested for my height and weight. I am not sure how much of a difference my body composition makes to my maintenance calories. But it is difficult because I worked so hard to get down to this weight... it seems nuts to now be regaining some of it back. Especially as my mind has not really accepted that yet. I have kind of got used to being able to get into my size 0 pajamas lol and the idea of going up a size kind of unnerves me.

Need2Exerc1se

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

To be honest, I would not even know what to set my intake to since I have already set it at a 2k base as opposed to the 1830 that Mfp suggested for my height and weight. I am not sure how much of a difference my body composition makes to my maintenance calories. But it is difficult because I worked so hard to get down to this weight... it seems nuts to now be regaining some of it back. Especially as my mind has not really accepted that yet. I have kind of got used to being able to get into my size 0 pajamas lol and the idea of going up a size kind of unnerves me.

MFP set mine low too. It goes by averages I assume.

If you are happy at your current weight and it's not causing any medical issues why are you trying to increase it? I realize your trainer has advised it but is there a real need to gain?

Graelwyn75

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

To be honest, I would not even know what to set my intake to since I have already set it at a 2k base as opposed to the 1830 that Mfp suggested for my height and weight. I am not sure how much of a difference my body composition makes to my maintenance calories. But it is difficult because I worked so hard to get down to this weight... it seems nuts to now be regaining some of it back. Especially as my mind has not really accepted that yet. I have kind of got used to being able to get into my size 0 pajamas lol and the idea of going up a size kind of unnerves me.

MFP set mine low too. It goes by averages I assume.

If you are happy at your current weight and it's not causing any medical issues why are you trying to increase it? I realize your trainer has advised it but is there a real need to gain?

I am not sure. I think it is because I train so hard to be honest. I also don't seem to have the energy that I used to when at a higher weight. I am always tired and after training and if I do 3 days in a row, I hit a point where I become tearful and overwhelmed by everything. I also get cold a lot.

I suppose I view a gain as inevitable with the workouts I am doing currently. It was very comfortable maintaining this weight whilst just walking and keeping my calories in check but it has become harder and harder since I got back into cycling and gym sessions. A large reason I have returned to more intense training is because with lower fitness levels, my COPD tends to get worse. I feel the choices I have are to stick to just walking and restricting my intake and keep my weight lower, or to return to my harder training and eating more and consequently, weighing more.

deannalfisher

you may find even with increasing food you may maintain or only gain limited amounts - especially with the amount of working out you do, but have more energy

I talk about the RD's I work with - but basically, they have slowly increased my calories over the last 9 months (I was at about 2000 a day then) and now up to an avg of 2700 - but my weight dropped (I was 158 and dropped to 148) and has now held steady for the last 3 months (had about a 1lb weight gain over a month when they gave me like an additional 150cal a day) - but that has since flattened out

I'm always happy to talk about my experiences with them because its has made me a better athlete overall (but they also have folks who are completely sedentary, as well as with health issues like PCOS, T2D etc)

Need2Exerc1se

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

To be honest, I would not even know what to set my intake to since I have already set it at a 2k base as opposed to the 1830 that Mfp suggested for my height and weight. I am not sure how much of a difference my body composition makes to my maintenance calories. But it is difficult because I worked so hard to get down to this weight... it seems nuts to now be regaining some of it back. Especially as my mind has not really accepted that yet. I have kind of got used to being able to get into my size 0 pajamas lol and the idea of going up a size kind of unnerves me.

MFP set mine low too. It goes by averages I assume.

If you are happy at your current weight and it's not causing any medical issues why are you trying to increase it? I realize your trainer has advised it but is there a real need to gain?

I am not sure. I think it is because I train so hard to be honest. I also don't seem to have the energy that I used to when at a higher weight. I am always tired and after training and if I do 3 days in a row, I hit a point where I become tearful and overwhelmed by everything. I also get cold a lot.

I suppose I view a gain as inevitable with the workouts I am doing currently. It was very comfortable maintaining this weight whilst just walking and keeping my calories in check but it has become harder and harder since I got back into cycling and gym sessions. A large reason I have returned to more intense training is because with lower fitness levels, my COPD tends to get worse. I feel the choices I have are to stick to just walking and restricting my intake and keep my weight lower, or to return to my harder training and eating more and consequently, weighing more.

OIC I don't know much about COPD but it does sounds like you'd benefit from gaining a little. Or at least from eating more, which if you are currently maintaining would mean gaining.

skymningen

If the number on the scale and the idea of being at the bottom end of the BMI makes it hard for you, try using another measure to determine a healthy body weight. Maybe the Devine equation? For me that results in a "middle of healthy BMI" goal weight. It still has this feel of "scientifically valid goal weight". Maybe that could help you overcome the urge to stay at the lower BMI range?

Graelwyn75

skymningen wrote: »

If the number on the scale and the idea of being at the bottom end of the BMI makes it hard for you, try using another measure to determine a healthy body weight. Maybe the Devine equation? For me that results in a "middle of healthy BMI" goal weight. It still has this feel of "scientifically valid goal weight". Maybe that could help you overcome the urge to stay at the lower BMI range?

My natural set point weight was always 140 Ibs or thereabouts. It has always been where my body tended to settle if I was active and eating 'normally'. Not sure where that puts me. I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that I have a natural set point weight that I only went over if I was overeating a lot or was on a specific medication. One site I checked earlier, someone here posted a link to a different BMI calculator suggested 135 Ibs. I think, in some ways, I tend to resent the fact that I have a larger build...well, athletic rather than petite. I have quite broad shoulder and hip bones. I suppose I cannot spend the rest of my life trying to squeeze my frame into a smaller size.

sijomial

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The healthy BF% for older women is higher than for younger for a reason. I think the charts go up at age 50 which is the average age for menopause, which is the reason for difference. And since it's also important for women of this age group to preserve or build muscle, it is usually healthier to be a bit heavier after a certain point in life for women. And further down the road when we are elderly, extra weight can be a godsend when illness strikes.

Yeah, I mean, admittedly, I never set out to get to any specific bodyfat % back then and have not got one in mind at the moment. It is something that simply happened as a result of what I was doing and what I was eating at the time. I still got my periods back then which is somewhat surprising.

I am guessing my trainer is very aware of my age (as he is actually the same age as me) and he tells me that I cannot expect to be the same weight as someone twenty years younger than myself. He said, basically, that I am currently just bone and muscle and wants me up at 62Kg, which I am guessing is close to 140 Ibs ? It is just that I have never intentionally set out to gain weight. I have accidentally gained weight through binge eating, but I have never planned for it and that is totally new territory for me, plus I am already eating well over 2k calories most days. I am not sure why I am able to eat such a large amount, given my weight, and not gain.

I think I would have a hard time with the mindset of purposely gaining weight too. After a lifetime of watching what I ate to keep my weight down it would be a big learning curve for sure.

To be honest, I would not even know what to set my intake to since I have already set it at a 2k base as opposed to the 1830 that Mfp suggested for my height and weight. I am not sure how much of a difference my body composition makes to my maintenance calories. But it is difficult because I worked so hard to get down to this weight... it seems nuts to now be regaining some of it back. Especially as my mind has not really accepted that yet. I have kind of got used to being able to get into my size 0 pajamas lol and the idea of going up a size kind of unnerves me.

MFP set mine low too. It goes by averages I assume.

If you are happy at your current weight and it's not causing any medical issues why are you trying to increase it? I realize your trainer has advised it but is there a real need to gain?

I am not sure. I think it is because I train so hard to be honest. I also don't seem to have the energy that I used to when at a higher weight. I am always tired and after training and if I do 3 days in a row, I hit a point where I become tearful and overwhelmed by everything. I also get cold a lot.

I suppose I view a gain as inevitable with the workouts I am doing currently. It was very comfortable maintaining this weight whilst just walking and keeping my calories in check but it has become harder and harder since I got back into cycling and gym sessions. A large reason I have returned to more intense training is because with lower fitness levels, my COPD tends to get worse. I feel the choices I have are to stick to just walking and restricting my intake and keep my weight lower, or to return to my harder training and eating more and consequently, weighing more.

The bolded comments could be signs you are unconsciously down regulating your NEAT - there's a good chance if that's the case your potential maintenance levels are higher than you are currently eating.

Really think you need to at least experiment with bumping your calories up for at least a few weeks to see what happens to your energy levels and your weight.

Maxxitt

So you have outlined some priorities: you want to maintain a high level of fitness, which among other things keeps your COPD better in check, and you want to have enough energy and stamina to maintain the training. And you want to feel good in general. Right now, you are noticing that you feel exhausted, tearful and overwhelmed following a few days of intense training which are symptoms of acute physical stress. Three days of hard training in a row doesn't give your body space to recover! You haven't said how much sleep you are getting, so if it's fitful and short, that would be another indication of stress. You could try some different strategies, keeping in mind your goals of fitness and stamina. If alternating intense workout days with active rest doesn't appeal, then listening to your body's requests for more fuel makes a ton of sense. Your athletically-built body is requesting help to adhere to the athletic demands you are making on it A number on a scale doesn't reflect ANY of that, right? Eat to fuel your body!

Try an experiment, as suggested above. The purpose is to gather data and evaluate results. If you are a numbers person you can rate on a scale of 1-100 your perceived training exertion on days you train, and daily stamina levels, general wellness levels, and whatever other benchmark makes sense. Then bump up calories - I'd suggest 150-250 with the higher amount on training days and the lower amount on active recovery days. If you can maintain this experimental condition for 30 days (takes you through a menstrual cycle, if you are menstruating) you can assess results and decide how to proceed.

Graelwyn75

Maxxitt wrote: »

So you have outlined some priorities: you want to maintain a high level of fitness, which among other things keeps your COPD better in check, and you want to have enough energy and stamina to maintain the training. And you want to feel good in general. Right now, you are noticing that you feel exhausted, tearful and overwhelmed following a few days of intense training which are symptoms of acute physical stress. Three days of hard training in a row doesn't give your body space to recover! You haven't said how much sleep you are getting, so if it's fitful and short, that would be another indication of stress. You could try some different strategies, keeping in mind your goals of fitness and stamina. If alternating intense workout days with active rest doesn't appeal, then listening to your body's requests for more fuel makes a ton of sense. Your athletically-built body is requesting help to adhere to the athletic demands you are making on it A number on a scale doesn't reflect ANY of that, right? Eat to fuel your body!

Try an experiment, as suggested above. The purpose is to gather data and evaluate results. If you are a numbers person you can rate on a scale of 1-100 your perceived training exertion on days you train, and daily stamina levels, general wellness levels, and whatever other benchmark makes sense. Then bump up calories - I'd suggest 150-250 with the higher amount on training days and the lower amount on active recovery days. If you can maintain this experimental condition for 30 days (takes you through a menstrual cycle, if you are menstruating) you can assess results and decide how to proceed.

Thanks for your insightful response. I must admit, I do not sleep that well. I currently take a sleeping pill to sleep and whether that is affecting things, I do not know (the medication - zopiclone). When I train I tend to generally train in the 85-95% max heart rate zone unless doing weights, when it is lower. I am taking 2 rest days a week now as per my trainer's suggestion, although admittedly, I still get in 8k steps or so on those days as I am no good at just sitting around.

My intake seems to vary. Sometimes I am over by hundreds and others I am under by hundreds. I must admit, this week it has become harder to stay under and I am finding myself craving sugar. But I am never below 2200 calories unless it is a rest day. Today mfp has given me 2800 to eat. I will try adding in some extra calories and see if I feel better as I am getting fed up of feeling like rubbish. I did not have this issue 3 years ago and am simply assuming it is because of my lower weight. I had a load of energy back then. I still get my periods although the last few have been getting closer and closer together for some reason. Thanks again for your input, it is nice to see another perspective.