Should I use a mass gainer? Only doing Cardio

rach__b
rach__b Posts: 34 Member
edited November 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,

I’m struggling to eat enough calories at present.

I workout 5-6 times a week and burn about 500 calories during a workout. My workouts are all cardio.

After tracking my calorie intake, I’m averaging about 1400, but minus 500 for each workout and my net total is only 900 calories!

My weight lost has stalled over the past 3 weeks. So far I’ve lost 1 1/2 stone and I’m currently 10 stone. I’m female and I’m 5 foot 6.5 inches.

I thought mass gainers were for those lifting weights so that’s what my basic questioning is since I only do cardio.

Thanks guys :)

Replies

  • rach__b
    rach__b Posts: 34 Member
    I’d like to be 9 stone. But I’ve not lost a single pound over the past few weeks and reading about in the forums I figured maybe I’m not eating enough. I’m finding it difficult to eat more as it makes me feel so sick and full! I weigh everything out religiously, hence how I managed to lose a stone and a half before by being diligent with tracking/weighing food.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    You are trying to lose weight? You are 5'6.5 and 140 pounds?

    What is your goal weight?

    Are you using a food scale and logging everything that passes your lips, no skipping, cheating or forgetting?

  • rach__b
    rach__b Posts: 34 Member
    I guess I could go for full fat milk and Greek yoghurt 🙈 but I can’t imagine that adding a lot more to the intake. Everything else I eat is meat, veggies and whole grain carbs.
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    A mass gainer is probably better than nothing, but real food would be better than mass gainers. Any reason you can't add in a bit more food or swap out some low calorie food for higher calorie options? More than likely, real food will give you added nutrients that you wouldn't be getting with the mass gainer.

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    rach__b wrote: »
    I guess I could go for full fat milk and Greek yoghurt 🙈 but I can’t imagine that adding a lot more to the intake. Everything else I eat is meat, veggies and whole grain carbs.
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    A mass gainer is probably better than nothing, but real food would be better than mass gainers. Any reason you can't add in a bit more food or swap out some low calorie food for higher calorie options? More than likely, real food will give you added nutrients that you wouldn't be getting with the mass gainer.

    You can make your own gainer.. protein, nut butter, fruit, juice, full fat dairy. I can get mine up to 1K cals.
  • rach__b
    rach__b Posts: 34 Member
    This is what I thought too 🙈 until this weight loss stall. It’s been 1 month. Urgh so frustrating. I weigh myself once every 2 weeks. I’ve never heard of Libra or happy scale

    [/quote]

    No one stops losing weight because they are not eating enough. It's not scientifically possible.

    How long has it been since you lost any weight?

    How often do you weigh yourself?

    Do you use a weight trending app like Libra or Happy Scale?

    Sorry for all the questions, trying to dig down to the possible answer. ;) [/quote]

  • jflongo
    jflongo Posts: 289 Member
    No need to buy mass gainer make it yourself with Protein Powder. Add in some peanut butter or another nut butter, 1/2 banana, whatever else you want. You can always make a 400 - 600 protein shake pretty easy.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    You didn't get to 11 and a half stone because you couldn't eat enough... Just eat some of the foods you have cut out to lose weight.

    That being said, if you were actually only eating net 900 cals the weight would be falling off you.

    Do you weigh your food?

    What she said.
  • rach__b
    rach__b Posts: 34 Member
    I guess I don’t have the same fatty mindset I had before :’) my relationship with food has changed, and I feel my ability to eat as much as I used to is impossible because my stomach won’t stretch as much haha!

    I do weigh my food. I genuinely don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not but as soon as I started on iron tablets that’s when I lost the weight. I’ll try and open up my food diary when I figure it out.

    I’m just concerned going below 1200 isn’t good. There’s so much conflicting information it’s difficult to know what’s truth or just myth.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    We are very similar. I am also 5'6.5" and do extended cardio at least 5 says a week. My current weight ranges between 133 and 136. The weight loss definitely slows once you are within a normal weight range. It paused for several loonnnggggg weeks and then whoosh 2 unexpected pounds lost.

    If you are weighing every 2 weeks then you might be catching the scale at the low or high range of your normal. Our weights vary, it is a range not an exact number. Your range may be lowering, you just don't know it since you have very few data points.

    Be patient and trust the process. If nothing else, you are at a healthy weight right where you are.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    rach__b wrote: »
    I do weigh my food. I genuinely don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not but as soon as I started on iron tablets that’s when I lost the weight. I’ll try and open up my food diary when I figure it out.

    If you weight/log everything, and you're confident in your numbers, then the next step would be weigh in more often. This should give you a more reliable (larger, more consistent) data set for evaluation.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    rach__b wrote: »
    I guess I could go for full fat milk and Greek yoghurt 🙈 but I can’t imagine that adding a lot more to the intake. Everything else I eat is meat, veggies and whole grain carbs.
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    A mass gainer is probably better than nothing, but real food would be better than mass gainers. Any reason you can't add in a bit more food or swap out some low calorie food for higher calorie options? More than likely, real food will give you added nutrients that you wouldn't be getting with the mass gainer.

    You can make your own gainer.. protein, nut butter, fruit, juice, full fat dairy. I can get mine up to 1K cals.

    I like your style. Fats and carbs op. Mix them together.... bam! Lol... or you could just eat some cake.... humble suggestion.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rach__b wrote: »
    I guess I don’t have the same fatty mindset I had before :’) my relationship with food has changed, and I feel my ability to eat as much as I used to is impossible because my stomach won’t stretch as much haha!

    I do weigh my food. I genuinely don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not but as soon as I started on iron tablets that’s when I lost the weight. I’ll try and open up my food diary when I figure it out.

    I’m just concerned going below 1200 isn’t good. There’s so much conflicting information it’s difficult to know what’s truth or just myth.

    Change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rach__b wrote: »
    This is what I thought too 🙈 until this weight loss stall. It’s been 1 month. Urgh so frustrating. I weigh myself once every 2 weeks. I’ve never heard of Libra or happy scale

    Another vote for weighing more often. After starting to weigh daily, I learned that I retain water at ovulation as well as premenstrually.

    The apps have trend lines which smooth out the normal fluctuations, and it is better to give them more data.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    rach__b wrote: »
    I’d like to be 9 stone. But I’ve not lost a single pound over the past few weeks and reading about in the forums I figured maybe I’m not eating enough. I’m finding it difficult to eat more as it makes me feel so sick and full! I weigh everything out religiously, hence how I managed to lose a stone and a half before by being diligent with tracking/weighing food.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    You are trying to lose weight? You are 5'6.5 and 140 pounds?

    What is your goal weight?

    Are you using a food scale and logging everything that passes your lips, no skipping, cheating or forgetting?

    Can't have been MFP forums. This thing you mention is frowned upon here because it is untrue.

    Get a weight trending app and and start weighting every day.

    I have no problem eating enough. I love food. Don't you?
  • rach__b
    rach__b Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for everyone’s messages. The community on here is so great and really helpful. I weighed myself this morning and I’ve actually lost 3 pounds. Nice surprise. I’ll take the advice on board and start weighing regularly. Thanks everyone. Really appreciate it :)
This discussion has been closed.

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