Need Advice - Lost 103 lbs. and Now gaining but still in calorie deficit. What's Happening?

agarner0112

Morning,

Looking for advice here. Even better, if there are others that have lost over 100 lbs. and are experiencing the heavy mind work more than even the pounds lost would be amazing.

Here's my story - in a quick version.
I am 52 - fully through menopause. 5' 3" and weight 170. Started at 270.
March 16, 2020 received had a bad doctor visit and it scared me. I made a decision that day to change. Got on WW and lost 60 lbs. in 15 months. Slow and easy as I didn't want to lose it and gain it back.

I started working out in June of 2020 - slowly with walking and then cardio and a couple of light days of strength. From that point, I have been consistent with moderate daily exercise.

When I started stalling on WW, I switched over to calorie deficit in June 2021 tracking here in MyFitnessPal. I started at 1,550 calories a day. Did an average of 5 calorie calculators and put in moderate exercise. I do not use the fitness calories portion of MyFitnessPal and just incorporate fitness calories into my daily calorie count.

Progress was much slower the last year with calorie deficit, but I am down another 43 lbs. Lowest lost is 103.6. Every month since I have started (back in March 2020), I have seen a lost # of lbs. Now, the last month was the lowest which was only 0.4 lbs. down.

The other piece of this is my measurements. Since beginning, I have lost 79 inches throughout my body. From arms, chest, hips, waist, thighs. And this last month, only losing 0.4 lbs., I did lost another 1 1/2 inches - mostly in my waist, thighs and hip areas.

I have adjusted my calories along the way. Started at 1,550, then moved to 1,650, then to 1,700 and now at 1,800. My BMR is 1,446 and then using 1.5 TDEE - puts me at 2,169 calories. So right now, around a 300 calorie deficit.

The other adjustment that has happened is I got a Peloton. I have been working out on that each morning - 30 minutes and doing walking/run, hiking, etc. It is a heavier workout than I have been doing. I also work out in the afternoons for 30 minutes - light cardio, stretching or strength. Again, fully through menopause so not trying to overdo and don't have the no pain no gain mentality.

So, after all that - here's where I'm looking for help/advice. I seem to be gaining weight the last 7-10 days (I weight myself daily). 167 (2 weeks ago), 169.4, 170.2, 168.6, 171.8, 170.2, 169.4, 170.8, 170.8, 172.0, 171.8 (today). I did have a groin injury this week so stopped running - but have been doing light walking. I hit my calories every day - probably some days under the 1,800 by 100-150. I work out each day - most days 2 times.

Is it the increase of calories?
Is it my metabolism stalled?
Is it the added exercise?
Is it my body adjusting and I need to be patient?
With already losing 100 lbs., does that change things?

My instinct is telling me to go back to when I had success, in January. Lost 3 lbs. that month and was at 1,650 calories only working out one time a day - 30 minutes and going for longer walks on the weekends.

Would love to hear anyone's advice, thoughts, suggestions. I am feeling down and like I'm spiraling out of control trying to fix things here.

Thanks.

musicfan68

Have you refigured your calories since losing the 100lbs? It takes less calories the less you weigh. It looks like you increased calories instead of decreased. Also, if you do actually have a 300 calorie deficit, a few miscalculations of calories or wrong entries can blow that deficit. Your metabolism isn't stalled. That's not the way it works. If you are alive, your metabolism is fine.

I would say refigure your calories with your new weight and go from there. Increasing your calories may have caused the stall, as usually you need to decrease calories as you lose weight.

Lietchi

7 to 10 days is quite short, my weight fluctuations have taught me to look at a longer period to determine if I was truly losing/gaining.
2 lbs is quite minor still.
Your injury could be causing water weight retention. As could your changed exercise routine.

emmamcgarity

I am also a runner, age 55, and about 15 lbs less than your current weight. (I’m only 5’1”) My current gross calories each day are around 1400/1500 to accomplish my deficit. Three years ago I also had an injury that I thought was a groin injury at first. But it was actually a pulled hamstring. It took a LONG time to rehab. I switched my focus at that time from deficit to maintenance. The injury was very painful and I didn’t want to add extra stress to my body while recovering. I ate around 1600-1800 at that time. Only slightly higher than my normal deficit range due to a significant reduction in activity due to the injury. I also focused on boosting my protein while recovering.

My gut says that your weight fluctuations are water weight related to the injury.

Have you taken any planned maintenance breaks on this journey? Now might be a good time while you recover from injury.

FWIW my maintenance meals don’t look much different than when I am at a deficit. It basically just gives me the freedom to have a slightly bigger portion size or add in an extra cookie each day. I loosely follow a DASH model for my nutritional goals.

springlering62

97 ok?

Several things strike me.

Groin injury may = water weight

How new is the Peleton to your rotation? Again, new exercise may = water weight

7-10 days, agree with @lietchi that’s too short a span

Post menopausal….. in my personal experience, I hadn’t had a period in two or three years. My daughter’s wedding day, well hello old friend. Sure didn’t expect to see you again. Sometimes they just sneak up on us even when we’re certain it’s over and done with, even if it’s just that icky tired bloated feeling.

My own weight is up about 7-8 from my lowest. I am thinner, clothes fit looser, muscles are clearly larger. I’m happier at this weight.

When we’ve champed our way like a boss through large loss like we have, our minds take over and say some crazy , negative *kitten* to us. We have expectations that it will continue. Push the thoughts back and carry on another couple weeks.

And another thing. Long flight yesterday. For the hell of it, I weighed myself immediately after breakfast and again 90 minutes later. No potty break, just a hot mat class in between. 4.8 pounds lower. That’s an extreme example, but shows how much your body can mess with your head. There’s stuff going on in there we just can’t fathom.

You’ve done fabulously well. Don’t let the trees take over the forest. 😘

springlering62

Ps: odd suggestion, but how are your rings fitting? I could clearly tell I had water weight while visiting the kids for a couple weeks. Rings that slide off loosely now were pinching and tight. That would tell you if it’s water?

My hands, shoe fit, and inner elbows (wrinkles change) are where I clearly see both water weight and dehydration.

sarabushby

Were you stable at 167 for a long time prior or was that number actually the blip (due to dehydration of whatever) as your numbers seem pretty stable around 170.5 otherwise.

agarner0112

Thank you for all the replies.

I have reconfigured my calories about every 20-30 lbs. I was in a 500 calorie deficit, and shifted to more of a 300 deficit.

The timing of the Peloton (change in exercise) and injury - seem to be where things started to happen.

I have not done any maintenance since starting to lose weight - always been in a 500+ deficit or more when I was on WW.

I'm going to take it easy and go on walks, do stretching for the next week and recalculate my calories again just to make sure.

Appreciate everyone's insight.

springlering62

@agarner0112 I sincerely hope you’ll check back and let us know how things go.

You’ve got so much to be proud of, ma’am.

PAV8888

Harder exercise could account for a partial weight increase that lasts for as long as you do that exercise. More importantly, injury is quite likely to be messing with your brain.

Your projected/estimated deficits that you are aiming for. Are they based on your own numbers of what your deficits have been looking like? Or are they based off "averages from estimators"?

Pre-injury you should be able to take your estimated deficit based on estimators (mind you BMR X 1.5 sounds a bit lower than your described activity level) and compare to your weight trend change over time and see how close your logged deficits have been tracking to weight changes PRE-peloton.

Post peloton I would do it again because that is a major change in the type of exercise you do based on what you say. But I think the injury is too much of a complication right now. So the numbers won't be meaningful till after you've recovered.

THAT SAID.

I wouldn't change a thing anyway UNLESS (and even then) I were to discover that based on the comparison of expected vs evidenced deficit PRE peloton the 300 Cal deficit you're dialed in for is actually above previously evidenced maintenance. Unless that's the case, I would keep on doing what you're doing.

I mean... what are the options?

Eat less and slow down healing during an injury? vs... essentially taking what you could think off as an extended diet break while you heal... and possibly given that your size is still changing experience a nice woosh in a few days...

jsc331

Your instincts are correct; (My instinct is telling me to go back to when I had success, in January. Lost 3 lbs. that month and was at 1,650 calories only working out one time a day - 30 minutes and going for longer walks on the weekends.)

Personally I would go back on WW too, it was one of the 3 times I lost over 150# and is a good regimen for people.

One of the times I gained all my weight back was when I came off a heavy work out program which was simply too much effort to maintain, my body looked good alright, but I simply could not keep doing it forever. I won't be doing that this time.

Remember... slow and steady wins the race !!

allother94

If you are going weight, you are not in a deficit.