Some help please

francoaaron89

Ok first off I want to say this app was very helpful. I decided one day to go on a diet, stuck with it and went from 200 pounds to 165 in 3-4 months. I had a question though, hoping someone could help me out with this.

I started working out about a month ago, I'm 24 now I use to lift all the time while in power lifting in high school. Before I started working out I was 164-165 every morning. I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 168. I lift about 2 times a week, I take a ore work out supplement with creatine in it and micronized creatine twice a day. I have a healthy diet, probably around 900-1200 calories a day, salads for lunch.

My question is, could the weight be going up because of working out and the supplement or am I doing something wrong? I been maintaining the same diet.

Please help, getting concerned.

socajam

Ok first off I want to say this app was very helpful. I decided one day to go on a diet, stuck with it and went from 200 pounds to 165 in 3-4 months. I had a question though, hoping someone could help me out with this.

I started working out about a month ago, I'm 24 now I use to lift all the time while in power lifting in high school. Before I started working out I was 164-165 every morning. I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 168. I lift about 2 times a week, I take a ore work out supplement with creatine in it and micronized creatine twice a day. I have a healthy diet, probably around 900-1200 calories a day, salads for lunch.

My question is, could the weight be going up because of working out and the supplement or am I doing something wrong? I been maintaining the same diet.

Please help, getting concerned.

As the saying goes, you need to eat more food.

wilmnoca

Calories are too low. You're gonna get this alot.

francoaaron89

So me not taking in enough calories will cause me to gain weight? It wouldn't be me gaining muscle weight?

stratusphr

We are talking about 3 pounds, right?!!!! I have my comfort zone, 142 - 146. If I get up to 146.5 I know I need to cut back by 100 - 200 calories. In less than a week, I'm back into my comfort zone.

I've never bought the 'up your calories' to lose weight. I yo yo'd for 30 years, upping my calories resulted in one thing, weight gain. I wouldn't worry about 3 lbs, just cut back a little.

Do you weigh daily, if not, start.
Are you logging everything? If not, start!!!

Do you realize how LITTLE 100 calories is? 1 tablespoon of Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter, a bag of just about anything comes in 100 calorie bags. We can cook and taste our way to 100 calories.

One of the most profound things I've ever heard was from a PhD doctor at a support group......100 calories above what you NEED to maintain is over 36,000 calories a year, and that equals about 10 pounds. Yikes!

Just make a couple of adjustments, you'll be back down where you want to be!!!! Good luck!

lannasster

If you're not trying to *lose* weight, why are you only eating 900-1200 calories a day (I wouldn't recommend eating that little for anyone. No matter their goals.)

You are definitely not eating enough. I went through the same thing twice in the past year. I was on a HIIT workout program with a 4 day lifting split and didn't lose any weight. Found out I was under eating by about 600 calories. When I upped my calorie intake, I began to lose weight again.

My trainer explained it to me like this: basically, if you're under eating, your body will start to store whatever calories it gets as fat because it thinks you are starving. Our bodies are made to adapt...if you're consistently under eating, your body is going to go into "survival mode" (store fat.)

francoaaron89

Yes, just 3 pounds. There's times when I may cheat a little but nothing extraordinary. My job consists of me always on the go and sometimes ill snack on a 90 calorie bar or 100 calorie snack. I guess my comfort zone would be 165-170. I just get real self conscious when I see the scale go up a couple of pounds. Maybe I'll cut back a little bit, instead of a 2nd slice of pizza make it one and what not.

Thanks for the help everyone!

wilsoje74

So me not taking in enough calories will cause me to gain weight? It wouldn't be me gaining muscle weight?

You are a male and eating 900 cals? My 11 yr old daughter eats way more. You won't build any muscle eating that little.

wild_wild_life

We are talking about 3 pounds, right?!!!! I have my comfort zone, 142 - 146. If I get up to 146.5 I know I need to cut back by 100 - 200 calories. In less than a week, I'm back into my comfort zone.

I've never bought the 'up your calories' to lose weight. I yo yo'd for 30 years, upping my calories resulted in one thing, weight gain. I wouldn't worry about 3 lbs, just cut back a little.

Do you weigh daily, if not, start.
Are you logging everything? If not, start!!!

Do you realize how LITTLE 100 calories is? 1 tablespoon of Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter, a bag of just about anything comes in 100 calorie bags. We can cook and taste our way to 100 calories.

One of the most profound things I've ever heard was from a PhD doctor at a support group......100 calories above what you NEED to maintain is over 36,000 calories a year, and that equals about 10 pounds. Yikes!

Just make a couple of adjustments, you'll be back down where you want to be!!!! Good luck!

No. A 24 year old 165 lb man is eating 900-1200 cals a day and you're telling him to eat less?

OP, you're not eating enough. The weight gain could have been glycogen, water, muscle swelling, time of day -- it does not mean you're eating too much, because that's not possible.

Are you still trying to lose weight? If not, figure out your TDEE and eat that much -- work up to it slowly, there will be an initial gain but it will even out. If you are, eat at a moderate deficit, say a 20% cut from TDEE. You're not eating nearly enough.

TDEE is total daily energy expenditure aka your maintenance calories. You can estimate it here:

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

kangaroo33

Gotta agree with the rest...yes, not enough calories will make you gain weight because, simply stated, your body goes into starvation mode and produces sugar...which in turn becomes fat, because it doesn't know when it will have enough of an energy source again...so it stores it. More calories, but healthy ones...lean proteins, fruits, veg, high fiber/whole grains. You'll feel better, too. And if you reach your maximum weight, cut back a few days, watch your food choices, or amp up the work out for a days.

mayaocean

Lol'd hard at "PhD Doctor"

Rayman79

If you are eating that little, the one GUARANTEE I can give you is that you are not putting on any muscle - if anything you are losing it.

If you have just started taking creatine, you will put on a couple of lbs through extra water retention (FYI that is the sole reason you take creatine!)

I would suggest you SLOWLY up your calories to get you back to maintenance level. As an example you might increase your average daily intake by 100cals in week 1, add another 100 cals in week 2 etc. Until you are back at maintenance level.

maxieellie

The weight you're gaining is possibly from new muscle weight. Which in the long run is a great thing because it actually helps increase your metabolism and makes it easier to keep weight off. But a problem I noticed with extra protein supplements that 1) you'll gain more muscle if exercising effectively and 2) using too much of the supplement stuff could actually lead to a weight gain.

It's just my opinion, but I do hope everything works out for you and congrats on what you've already accomplished!

mockchoc

The weight you're gaining is possibly from new muscle weight. Which in the long run is a great thing because it actually helps increase your metabolism and makes it easier to keep weight off. But a problem I noticed with extra protein supplements that 1) you'll gain more muscle if exercising effectively and 2) using too much of the supplement stuff could actually lead to a weight gain.

It's just my opinion, but I do hope everything works out for you and congrats on what you've already accomplished!

You can't gain muscle when you aren't eating enough.

DavPul

Is just water weight from the creatine

francoaaron89

Thanks you for all the answers - yes and at times when I weighed myself it was after a workout or what not. I drink about 6-8 bottles of water a day. Thanks for all the answers!

Have a good day everyone

3laine75

as far as i know, creatine encourages the body to store water in the muscle fibres (i could be wrong though) so it could just be that.