Gained a pound in a month... while eating below TDEE?

janejellyroll

stargirlhorse wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

stargirlhorse wrote: »

Hmm, yeah. It might be stress since I'm preparing to go away to college soon.

I don't have a weight trending app because I hate stepping on the scale, I'm always afraid I'm going to gain another pound. I assume it was water since yesterday I was back to 121. But on the downside, I haven't lost any weight in a month.

I have also ruled out that it's muscle. My body looks the same from the side (~very~ scientific, I know) but also, my waist hasn't shrunk. However, I've been doing ab exercises- at least 30 crunches, a 1-minute plank, and 20 leg lifts each day. I've expanded into doing that AND MadFit's senorita ab work out (so basically a 3 min ab workout). My thighs are still jiggly as hell and my arms look like bat wings when I put them straight out. I've also been doing 5 knee push-ups because that's all I can do (and get up from).

I know it may sound a bit ironic, but the weight-trending app can actually make you feel better about stepping on the scale because it shows you how normal those fluctuations are. As others have mentioned, the one-pound-freakout is a bit concerning.

While you can’t spot reduce, ab exercises can help build muscle over time, which losing fat can help reveal. But your body may not lose fat around your mid-section initially. And I don’t think that’s enough intense exercise to build muscle or burn fat just yet. And any exercise is better than none. Keep at it, and you’ll build on your current strength and stamina.

I look like a pregnant teenager and that is NOT a look I want for college because everyone will think I’m a hoe.

The world is full of women (and non-women) with bellies that protrude to various degrees. I promise you that anybody who thinks someone with a visible belly is a "hoe" is both an exception and extremely not worth your time.

You can't live your life trying to avoid random losers thinking baseless negative things about you. Put that energy into accomplishing stuff that is meaningful to you (which can include fitness goals).

Hanibanani2020

I feel like you are dealing with issues that have very little to do with your actual body but rather your self-perception. Perhaps focusing on your mental health right now during this transition is more important than worrying about your physical appearance which seems to be quite skewed at the moment. Just be well and know that people really don’t really look at you the way you look at you and your self-perception is very rarely the perception other people have of you.

kshama2001

stargirlhorse wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

(cut)
You're very close to your goal so it's going to require patience and consistency. There are probably going to be times when the scale goes up and you can't get thrown by that.

How much going up is normal?

and

meharmahshahid wrote: »

Same girl, Im also 18,5'5, Asian (Pakistan) and my goal is 120, and right now I'm at 138lb. It honestly kills me when the weight goes up even by half a pound. A veryyyyy small side of me knows it is probably because of too much salt the day before or water retention, but it still KILLS me, no joke. I know i have a very toxic mindset but the mind does what it does. How did you achieve your goal?

Welcome to the club haha. Do you happen to know how much water our bodies retain?

I retain a few pounds when I ovulate and premenstrually, and after having Chinese-American food.

kshama2001

Psychgrrl wrote: »

stargirlhorse wrote: »

Hmm, yeah. It might be stress since I'm preparing to go away to college soon.

I don't have a weight trending app because I hate stepping on the scale, I'm always afraid I'm going to gain another pound. I assume it was water since yesterday I was back to 121. But on the downside, I haven't lost any weight in a month.

I have also ruled out that it's muscle. My body looks the same from the side (~very~ scientific, I know) but also, my waist hasn't shrunk. However, I've been doing ab exercises- at least 30 crunches, a 1-minute plank, and 20 leg lifts each day. I've expanded into doing that AND MadFit's senorita ab work out (so basically a 3 min ab workout). My thighs are still jiggly as hell and my arms look like bat wings when I put them straight out. I've also been doing 5 knee push-ups because that's all I can do (and get up from).

I know it may sound a bit ironic, but the weight-trending app can actually make you feel better about stepping on the scale because it shows you how normal those fluctuations are. As others have mentioned, the one-pound-freakout is a bit concerning.

While you can’t spot reduce, ab exercises can help build muscle over time, which losing fat can help reveal. But your body may not lose fat around your mid-section initially. And I don’t think that’s enough intense exercise to build muscle or burn fat just yet. And any exercise is better than none. Keep at it, and you’ll build on your current strength and stamina.

Yes, I use the Happy Scale app and don't obsess about the actual number - I just concern myself with if my chart is green (losing), blue (maintaining), or red (gaining.)

Redordeadhead

I agree with the previous posters, I think you have two problems, neither if which are actually your body, as compared to a large percentage of the population, you are quite thin.

It sounds like the biggest issue is your self esteem and I encourage you to work on that. I also urge you to try to think about the way you view others differently and be less judgemental: people at college who are pregnant are not "hoes", any (Asian) person larger than you is not automatically fat or somehow unattractive (and I'm sorry, I don't believe that you've "never" seen anyone of your background whose bigger than you or has a belly). Try to be more open minded, it will stand you in better stead in the real world.

yirara

I just had a look at the video the TO posted. The girl who complains about her tummy has quite a lot of pelvic tilt, which makes her tummy stick out. If she were to stand upright, as other people have already mentioned (will likely require stretching and strengthening the appropriate muscles) she'd look completely different. She's totally sticking out her belly, accidentally or to score cheap video likes.

janejellyroll

Redordeadhead wrote: »

I agree with the previous posters, I think you have two problems, neither if which are actually your body, as compared to a large percentage of the population, you are quite thin.

It sounds like the biggest issue is your self esteem and I encourage you to work on that. I also urge you to try to think about the way you view others differently and be less judgemental: people at college who are pregnant are not "hoes", any (Asian) person larger than you is not automatically fat or somehow unattractive (and I'm sorry, I don't believe that you've "never" seen anyone of your background whose bigger than you or has a belly). Try to be more open minded, it will stand you in better stead in the real world.

The thing that makes me sad for OP here is that you can never ever ever be thin enough to keep *anyone* from thinking negative things about your body. Look at the internet, even the most beautiful and amazingly fit women will have *someone* critiquing their body. You just can't construct a reality where nobody will ever have those kind of negative thoughts about you. The thing is: that is their problem!

(This doesn't mean we can't decide on fitness goals for ourselves that are worthwhile, I'm just saying that having goals with the aim of controlling how others respond to us is a pointless endeavor because no female body is above critique in our society [and probably no male body either, although I'm not as knowledgable about how unreasonable body standards impact men and I need to learn more]).

You are never going to construct a body that won't be viewed as a legitimate target of sexist insults *by someone*. This is not your fault and it isn't because something is wrong with your body.