Started weight loss journey in January...but only gained weight? Help please??

rachaelzel

I am a 19 y/o female, 5'5, and currently 127 lbs. For the past 3 years, I had maintained my weight at around 110 lbs, but college made me gain weight. I hit 120 this January (gained 10 lbs in the span of 4 months) and simply wanted to lose that last 10 pounds.

From January to the end of February I started eating at 1200 calories hoping that would do the trick. I even added some body weight resistance training (The first time in years I actually took up an exercise routine). After those two months, I was at 129 lbs.

From March to April I completely cut out all junk food and drank only water and clean, organic food. I started exercising 1-2 hours a day, every day (mainly body weight resistance training). I also only ate one meal a day for these two months. (23 hour fasting every day). The scale dropped to 120, but my period was extremely late and my weight loss began to stall.

From April through May I started increasing my calories by eating two meals a day in hopes to regulate my period, and maybe start up my weight loss again. I exercised the same (about 1-2 hours a day) and only ate clean food and drank water. I still used intermittent fasting, but now 16:8 instead of a 23 hour fast. I got my period back, but the scale went back to 125.

Throughout June and July the only idea I had left was to change up my exercise routine. I started jogging every single morning (anywhere from 2-4 miles). My diet stayed the same, but I shot up to 129 pounds. I still fast every day.

Does anyone know what i'm doing wrong? I've never been so frustrated in my life. I've even been debating just stopping eating and going on a water fast for a few days as my body won't respond to anything I have been doing.

cmriverside

129 at 5'5" is a 21.5 BMI

You're right in the middle of a healthy weight range. Are you logging all your food and exercise? Using a food scale? You sound frustrated, but I think you're probably just not used to a woman's body. I know when I was your age I felt like there was fat everywhere. I look back on those days in pictures and I was skin and bones. Don't go down the eating disorders path just because your body now looks like a woman.


You could focus on Recomp now to get the "look" you want without your obsession with the scale.

Here's a great thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

rachaelzel

Thank you for the advice. I'm not really looking to recomp right now though, last time I tried I went up a few dress sizes because the muscle grew without getting rid of any fat (even though I was dieting and hitting correct macros in hopes of getting rid of the fat) so I just looked bigger overall. I'm trying to fit in some smaller clothes, so if possible I would like to get rid of fat and then start building muscle once I'm lean.

nanastaci2020

Many adults eventually need to come to terms with a simple fact that the weight you maintained in your early teens is not safe for their adult self.

Irregular period is an indication that what you were doing was not right for your body.

Dogmom1978

rachaelzel wrote: »

Thank you for the advice. I'm not really looking to recomp right now though, last time I tried I went up a few dress sizes because the muscle grew without getting rid of any fat (even though I was dieting and hitting correct macros in hopes of getting rid of the fat) so I just looked bigger overall. I'm trying to fit in some smaller clothes, so if possible I would like to get rid of fat and then start building muscle once I'm lean.

I don’t think you were gaining so much muscle and maintaining so much fat that that is what made you “bigger”. You are already within a healthy weight range. Your expectations here might just be unrealistic. Attempting to maintain your pre-teen or teenage weight isn’t healthy and never will be.

Mouse_Potato

You got some good advice in your other thread. Why don't you try it?

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10804037/5-months-in-no-weight-loss

Strudders67

I agree with all of the above. The fact that you're only 19 means your body hasn't yet settled to it's 'adult' weight as opposed to your adolescence weight. Pediatric charts measure you as a child up to the age of 20, so you really are still in transition. What you're seeing is perfectly normal although a BMI of 21.5 is towards the lower end of the 'Normal' scale.

It's highly highly unlikely that you're actually fat, so I'd also recommend recomp to tone up your muscles.

cmriverside

rachaelzel wrote: »

Thank you for the advice. I'm not really looking to recomp right now though, last time I tried I went up a few dress sizes because the muscle grew without getting rid of any fat (even though I was dieting and hitting correct macros in hopes of getting rid of the fat) so I just looked bigger overall. I'm trying to fit in some smaller clothes, so if possible I would like to get rid of fat and then start building muscle once I'm lean.

Are you logging all your food and exercise?

Since you just joined this site on July 17, and your food diary is not open for us to view, then I'd guess that your food logging is off if you have not lost weight on 1200.

At your age and height you should easily lose 1/2 to 1 pound per week at something around 1500-1600 (plus calories "earned" by exercise.)

Set your goals to "Lose 1/2 pound per week." Do not choose "Sedentary" for your activity level if you go to school or have ANY type of job or take care of a house or kids. Choose "Lightly Active." When you do purposeful exercise, log that in the "Exercise" tab. Eat all your calories.

Here's the thread on how to log food. It's the most important part. Every day, every bite.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

PAV8888

Based on the OP and your previous posts and the increasing severity of your methods these past few months, while at a normal weight AND exhibiting signs of concern (irregular period) as to the absolute value of the weight you are trying to achieve, you are rapidly approaching the point where you should consider reviewing your diet, methods, weight and general health goals with your GP and/or OB GYN.

What you describe doing to yourself during the past eight months is worse for your health than any 10lbs you gained during your semester.

Also, i don't know the relevance of your weight at 16 and 17 to comparing it to 19.

You are CURRENTLY, at 127lbs, less heavy that the 50th percentile for your age: https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l024.pdf

You are, arguably, at a perfect weight level for your age, which would NOT be the case at 110lbs:
https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/result.html?unit=1&hf=5&hi=5&wl=127&us=1&ua=19&ue=0&gl=

Of course graphs of the general population may not represent the specific YOU.

But that's where your GP or OB GYN, especially if they know you, get to come in and provide perspective.

kshama2001

rachaelzel wrote: »

Thank you for the advice. I'm not really looking to recomp right now though, last time I tried I went up a few dress sizes because the muscle grew without getting rid of any fat (even though I was dieting and hitting correct macros in hopes of getting rid of the fat) so I just looked bigger overall. I'm trying to fit in some smaller clothes, so if possible I would like to get rid of fat and then start building muscle once I'm lean.

My ex got 8" taller during college. It wouldn't have made sense for him to fit into his pre-college clothes, now would it?

The same might be true for you - you could be at an adult weight now and your goals are unrealistic.

Ask someone objective who sees you undressed, like your doctor or GYN, if you actually need to lose weight, and if so, how much.

janejellyroll

Per your other thread, you're putting your body through an intense amount of stress to chase a weight goal that has no significance to your health, your fitness goals, or even how you look. It's simply what you weighed before you were done growing. I would recommend picking a REASONABLE plan, sticking to it for more than a month, accept that what fit and healthy looks like for you as an adult may be different what it looked like at 15-16, and then get some new clothes.

Deciding your weight is wrong just because you don't fit into some clothes is so arbitrary! Many women (fit, healthy, attractive women) don't fit into their teenage clothes. You're in good company!

You're putting yourself through a ringer. It's messing with your cycle. It's clearly making you unhappy. What if you created a whole different set of goals?

nadarathecat

I think that when you are about 19/20, your body goes through hormonal changes that impact the shape of your body. I know that when I was your age (and many of my friends at the same period of time) experienced widening of the hips, filling out of the chest, etc... Your body is most likely going from a youthful shape to its young adult shape. It is nothing to be ashamed of! You are at a healthy weight and putting your body through extreme measures to look like you did as a young teenager could have lasting effects on your physical and mental health. Please learn healthy habits now when your body can bounce back!