I'm in the best shape of my life... so why am I still gaining?

danielledegain

Looking for insight: I work out at a Bootcamp/HIIT style gym 4 or 5 days/week, and I've been doing so for over a year now. I'm in the best shape of my life! I have more stamina, strength, and flexibility at 37 than I had when I was in high school or early twenties. I also enjoy staying active on my "rest" days by hiking, paddle-boarding, walking my dog, etc.

BUT...I'm the heaviest I've ever been at just under 170lbs and I just had to buy a pair of size 14 pants. As for measurements, while my arms and legs have remained roughly the same, I've grown in my midsection (stomach and hips) by 3-4" Honestly, I look like I'm pregnant. I have this big, bloated stomach on an otherwise athletic looking body.

I had bloodwork done to rule out any hormonal or dietary issues, and it came back normal.

What the h????? Why does my midsection keep growing? Is anyone else experiencing this?

Lietchi

Are fibroids a possibility?

ahoy_m8

Awesome job getting into such good shape! Might be stupid question but you didn't mention specifically, have you tracked your calories? What is going on with the "Calories in" part of the equation?

danielledegain

Lietchi wrote: »

Are fibroids a possibility?

I don't think so. My blood work was normal and my cycles are pretty regular/uneventful. I've also had my thyroid tested and it's normal too.

danielledegain

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

Awesome job getting into such good shape! Might be stupid question but you didn't mention specifically, have you tracked your calories? What is going on with the "Calories in" part of the equation?

Great question. I know this must be the culprit... I don't log consistently. I'm just annoyed and bitter that working out so intensely has no impact on my weight! Feels unfair :-/ You are right to ask about my tracking!

AnnPT77

Being fit has remarkably little to do with body weight, IME, though the belief that it's otherwise is quite common. In my late 40s to early 50s, I went from sedentary blob to training hard 6 days most weeks and even competing as an athlete (not always unsuccessfully in age group competitions) . . . and stayed overweight/obese, i.e., no notable weight change. For another decade plus, doing the same. While reaching quite good performance goals (i.e., race pace) for a late starter, good endurance, low resting heart rate, and more.

At 59, I got my calorie intake at the right level, lost weight pretty fast, have been at a healthy weight for 7+ years since . . . most of that at about the same exercise schedule and achieving similar objective fitness measures.

I agree that there could be a health issue, so do consult your doctor. But if there's no issue there . . . I think it's probably the calories.

It only takes around 100 calories daily on average over maintenance needs to add 10 pounds in a year. If not calorie counting, it's pretty easy to eat that much more (or even more than that) without really noticing. Exercise can spike appetite, too. When counting, it's easy to miss that much, even. One hundred calories is like half a serving of peanut butter, a generous smear of butter, a couple tablespoons of cream cheese, a tablespoon of mayo, or similar . . . not all of those, just one. The excess calories could be daily creep, or coming from a weekend splurge, for non-calorie-counters. Effect is about the same, regardless.

I'm not saying this applies to you, but on top of that, quite a few people who don't (have never) calorie counted dramatically underestimate the calories in something like the common fancy coffee drinks or other "incidental" treats.

It's also common for people to over-estimate how many calories exercise burns. Even pretty vigorous exercise, for me, rarely exceeds 400 calories for a solid hour (noting that it matters that I'm non-large, 130 pounds this morning, US size 6). (Calorically, that's about one Starbucks Grande Mocha Latte (370 calories), for comparison purposes.) Exercises with a substantial strength challenge are more likely to be over-estimated by fitness trackers, too. (Heart rate increases for reasons unrelated to oxygen consumption, and it's the oxygen consumption that correlates with calorie burn. Heart rate is a potentially misleading proxy for oxygen consumption.) Calorie estimates from fitness trackers and exercise machines can mislead.

Many women (including me) do find that added weight is likely to show up on hips/thighs/waist, FWIW.

So, if you're not calorie counting, starting that is an option. It needn't be a permanent lifestyle, necessarily, but it can provide insight to do it for a month or so consistently. If you are counting, you should be able to use your weight-results experience to fine-tune your calorie goals. IME, it can work.

If you're not counting, don't want to count, look for obvious cuts you can make in your routine patterns without feeling miserable: Fried foods, baked goods, sweetened beverages, high calorie condiments (like creamy salad dressings, mayo, oils, butter), full-fat dairy choices, fattier cuts of meat, nuts or nut butters if eating in more than modest portions, etc. Many people who do count find that reducing starchy "filler" sides is one of their easier cuts - talking about smaller portions (or lower calorie versions) of bread, rice, pasta, etc. (These are not evil "because carbs" in any profound sense - it's more like they're things that many of us can reduce without feeling deprived.)

Best wishes!

cwolfman13

Being physically fit doesn't really have much to do with your weight as a generality...if your calories in are more than your calories out then you will gain weight. Regular exercise doesn't default to weight loss or weight maintenance...it depends on how much you're eating.

I'm pretty physically fit and exercise daily and right now I'm about 20 Lbs over my maintenance weight because I've been eating (and drinking) too much since 2020 (working on it). One of my cycling buddies is a phenomenal cyclists and can ride circles around me...distance, sprints, hills, you name it and he will destroy me out there...he's class I obese. He loves to eat and he loves beer...anytime we finish a ride, he rides directly to the brewery afterwards for beers and foodtruck food.

ninerbuff

You're eating more than you need to.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition