Am I eating too much? Or not enough?

awillson10

Hi everyone!

I am trying to lose a bit of fat/maintain my weight but have been gaining about 3 pounds a month for the last year or so. To give you an idea of my lifestyle:
I'm 25.
5'7
127 pounds (25% body fat and rising!)

I eat anywhere from 1400-1800 calories per day with very little junk food. I exercise 6 days a week alternating between running 5 miles, lifting heavy weights or doing HIIT cardio for about 30-40 minutes.

I cannot for the life of me seem to stop gaining weight, and growing out of my clothes! Any advice would be appreciated

SezxyStef

would help if your diary was open. But it's not just yet so....

Questions:

Do you use a kitchen scale to weigh your food?
Do you use a HRM with a chest strap for cardio?
Do you use TDEE or MFP method?
If MFP do you eat back some of your exercise calories and if so how many?
How do you get your exercise calories?

Weight gain is typically from over estimating burns and/or under estimating intake.

Kristine_7707

You may be consuming more calories than you think or underestimating your calorie burn. Try weighing/measuring and logging everything you put in your mouth

sullus

It is quite probable that you are eating too much. or not enough.

awillson10

I use a kitchen scale and measuring cups to track my calories. Down to the teaspoon! I am very accurate.

I wear a Polar ft7 during my gym workouts which shows that I burn about 300 calories each time. During runs I burn about 400 or 500.

I do not eat back my calories after exercising. For example, I do not eat 1500 calories - 300 from exercise = 1200. I eat about 1500 calories per day. Period!

I am not sure how to open my diary but will look into it now.

Francl27

I have a hard time imagining 25% body fat if you're 5'7" and 127 lbs frankly. How did you get that number?

Personally with such a BMI I wouldn't eat at a deficit, I'd do some weight lifting.

Also get rid of measuring cups and teaspoons, just weigh everything... it's more accurate.

SezxyStef

HRM are only good for cardio at a steady state otherwise they are high.

As long as the cups and spoons are for liquid great otherwise nope.

If you are not eating back exercise calories and are burning 400-500 you are at 1000 calories that is not enough food to sustain your body with the exercise you are doing.

If you don't want to eat back exercise calories try using the TDEE method (various sites around to help you estimate) and you will find your calories do go up...

But that being said I suspect over estimating burns and under estimating intake is the culprit.

Mr_Knight

If you're gaining weight over that long a period of time, then you're eating more than you burn - that part is easy.

The trick is figuring out why, and for that it will be necessary to see the details.

IceCharlie30

127lbs at 5'7" is already at the low end of an ideal/ healthy weight.

and 3lbs per month for a year would be apx 36lbs....so you're saying this time last year you were under 100lbs??

In my honest, non expert opinion, I'd suggest you stop worrying about being at a deficit and concentrate on lifting something heavy, put it down, repeat!

You are at a fine weight and it sounds like you're eating enough. Unless you run and burn 500cal and only eat 1500 cal that day...you're body will 'store' nutrients to include fat. Basically its like VLCD adn then binging. You may need to be consistent and NET closer to 1500 per day!!

awillson10

I got my BF measured during a Body composition test at my gym. They put me on a scale with sensors on the feet.

awillson10

I guess there's some months I don't gain 3 pounds haha but this time last year I was about 112 which is too low. But I didn't intend to gain this weight so quickly and by exercising 6 days a week and eating 1500 calories! What happens when I really fall off the bandwagon?! 6 pounds per month?! haha

samammay

I got my BF measured during a Body composition test at my gym. They put me on a scale with sensors on the feet.

Those are notoriously inaccurate.

awillson10

I got my BF measured during a Body composition test at my gym. They put me on a scale with sensors on the feet.

Those are notoriously inaccurate.

It was a Tanita. It was large and industrial looking so I figured it was accurate! Do you have evidence to think otherwise?

Sheems87

I've used it and its all over the map for me! It makes a difference what gender they put you as and whether you are "athletic" or not. If you really want an accurate reading I would do the H2O test...they do them at some university and college research centres for a pretty reasonable fee, from what I've seen.

Have you been tracking your measurements? If you are lifting you could be putting on muscle. Are your clothes not fitting in the top or bottoms? For women (often) when you put on muscle, shirts get a bit snug since you develop larger shoulders etc.

samammay

I got my BF measured during a Body composition test at my gym. They put me on a scale with sensors on the feet.

Those are notoriously inaccurate.

It was a Tanita. It was large and industrial looking so I figured it was accurate! Do you have evidence to think otherwise?

Just the manner in which they measure body fat.

Mr_Knight

It was a Tanita. It was large and industrial looking so I figured it was accurate! Do you have evidence to think otherwise?

Even DXA scans and BodyPods are +/-5 %, so don't take any BF number as gospel. There are plenty of google-able images of bodies at various BF %ages - are the images of those showing 25% consistent with what you see when you look at yourself in a mirror?

awillson10

I've used it and its all over the map for me! It makes a difference what gender they put you as and weather you are "athletic" or not. If you really want an accurate reading I would do the H2O test...they do them at some university and college research centres for a pretty reasonable fee, from what I've seen.

Have you been tracking your measurements? If you are lifting you could be putting on muscle. Are your clothes not fitting in the top or bottoms? For women (often) when you put on muscle, shirts get a bit snug since you develop larger shoulders etc.

Hmm I'll have to explore other methods. I live in the middle of nowhere so that might be difficult!

I have been very accurate tracking my measurements for the past 2 months and have still gained 3 pounds this month. My clothes are very snug in the bottom! :ohwell:

Sheems87

I've used it and its all over the map for me! It makes a difference what gender they put you as and weather you are "athletic" or not. If you really want an accurate reading I would do the H2O test...they do them at some university and college research centres for a pretty reasonable fee, from what I've seen.

Have you been tracking your measurements? If you are lifting you could be putting on muscle. Are your clothes not fitting in the top or bottoms? For women (often) when you put on muscle, shirts get a bit snug since you develop larger shoulders etc.

Hmm I'll have to explore other methods. I live in the middle of nowhere so that might be difficult!

I have been very accurate tracking my measurements for the past 2 months and have still gained 3 pounds this month. My clothes are very snug in the bottom! :ohwell:

I meant your chest/waist/hip/thigh measurements. Take them once every two weeks with a flexible tape measure. It's the most accurate way of tracking your progress.