4 months in, gained 11lbs despite calorie control!?

kbmnurse

If you are taking antidepressants that is probably the reason why you have gained weight. They will pack on the lbs.

sarah5string

Two thoughts:

1) You're way off on your approximating. A food scale is necessary when trying to figure out portion sizes.

2) You may weigh more, but it's due to all that spectacular exercise. Since muscle weighs more per volume than fat, as you've gotten healthier your body built muscle and lost fat. And now what seems to be a bad thing (weighing more) is actually a spectacular thing (you're chock full of muscles). It's difficult to grasp, but: How much you weigh doesn't tell you much if you don't know what that weight is comprised of. There are lots of people on MFP who are super-muscular studs who weigh a lot. It's because they're they're so fit. A better way to tell if you getting fit isn't to weigh yourself, but to measure yourself. Have you been doing that? MFP has measurements you can take and input, along with weight.

I hope this helps.

Yea that makes sense, I was surprised to see how much I weight as I don't look bigger, my thighs especially are more muscly than they were. I've always tried not to worry *too* much about the weight as I'd rather be healthier (and I do physically feel healthier, eating things like McDonald's etc now makes me feel awful for the next day or so!) but seeing a sudden jump shocked me a bit!

lemurcat12

I checked to see if you were logging when you saw the gain, and you weren't, and early on there were some higher days even from your logging. Just a guess, but I wonder if when you first really started increasing you activity maybe you started eating more without realizing it. It's possible to do that without obviously feeling like you are eating more, and swimming in particular is notorious for making people feel hungrier, although wonderful exercise, of course. That's why it's nice to both exercise more and count calories if you are trying to lose or just worried about gaining. Feeling better also could cause some to eat more, depending on you.

7 all at once and otherwise stable seems weird though. The scale fluctuates--could you just be catching it on higher and lower days, or are you weighing regularly at the same time and know 160 was a stable weight, etc.?

sarah5string

If you are taking antidepressants that is probably the reason why you have gained weight. They will pack on the lbs.

not sure about that, I've been on antidepressants for a year now and only started gaining weight when I started exercising this year?
I did also have a 3 Week course of zopliclone for insomnia about a month or so ago. Not sure if that effects weight. I'm on Venlafaxine now and have been since oct.

ndj1979

No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.

there you go …you are not estimating correctly and are actually eating in a surplus….


get a food scale
weigh/log/measure ever tying
be consistent with your logging

do this for four weeks and see what happens...

sarah5string

I checked to see if you were logging when you saw the gain, and you weren't, and early on there were some higher days even from your logging. Just a guess, but I wonder if when you first really started increasing you activity maybe you started eating more without realizing it. It's possible to do that without obviously feeling like you are eating more, and swimming in particular is notorious for making people feel hungrier, although wonderful exercise, of course. That's why it's nice to both exercise more and count calories if you are trying to lose or just worried about gaining. Feeling better also could cause some to eat more, depending on you.

7 all at once and otherwise stable seems weird though. The scale fluctuates--could you just be catching it on higher and lower days, or are you weighing regularly at the same time and know 160 was a stable weight, etc.?

True. The whole point of me starting the exercising was to improve my fitness overall as well as the depression. So it may be that my depression is improving and so although I'm eating healthier, I'm eating more of it.

starsandowls

I noticed that you eat a lot of carbohydrates and not a lot of protein. A calorie is a calorie, buuuut you've said you estimate, and the problem there is that you're more likely to underestimate when your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs. You're also more likely to binge if you aren't getting what you need. You might want to think about adjusting the carb/protein ratio in the direction of the .7-1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass, weighing everything, and seeing if that helps. If it doesn't, you might want to talk to your doctor to find out if there's something else going on.

Anniebotnen

What others have said about logging accurately and perhaps lowering your daily calorie target. Also, I noticed that you eat very few vegetables, you are consistently over on your carbs and sugar, and under on your protein. Perhaps try staying at or under your target for carbs, and getting more of them from fresh veggies, which would lower your sugar intake. And make sure you get enough protein! It's very unlikely that the weight gain is muscle, considering the fact that it takes a lot of time and effort to gain a pound of muscle, and your protein intake is pretty low...

Iron_Feline

Well the first bit could be water retention from new exercise...

Stress can lead to water retention as well from cortisol levels on the rise...

But I did look at your diary and it appears you weigh most of your food but that being said you eat on average 1800-1900 calories a day...sometimes going over goal by 300-400 and as much as 1k...and you don't log everyday

Even weighing food if you don't log everyday and if you don't stay in a deficet you wont lose even gain.

My suggestion is to lower your goal to about 1700 a day, stay within goal, don't eat exercise calories back...this is based on scooby indicating that your TDEE is around 2100...which means you goal is currently at TDEE-5%...which you often go over hence why you are gaining...

She said she doesn't weigh anything,

Don't change anything but actually weighting your food. Until you know how much you are actually eating everything else is moot.

I'm 5'2 and can lose on 1800 a day - op is significantly taller than me. Telling someone to drop their calorie goal when they don't even know what they are eating is just bad advice.

ndj1979

OP - ignore all of this nonsense about carbs and sugar….if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight, period..

if you want to adjust your macro setting, I would suggest changing your macro % to 40 protein 30 carb and 30 fat…

but you can eat things like ice cream and pizza and lose weight….

Iron_Feline

I had a snoop on your food diary and your daily sugar intake is really high so maybe try lowering that? (I had the same problem)

No

Sugar has nothing to do with it - all excess calories become fat. She needs to weight her food.

Iron_Feline

OP - ignore all of this nonsense about carbs and sugar….if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight, period..

if you want to adjust your macro setting, I would suggest changing your macro % to 40 protein 30 carb and 30 fat…

but you can eat things like ice cream and pizza and lose weight….

Beat me too it :flowerforyou:

Iron_Feline

Hi

I have just looked on at your diary and it is saying your goal is 2000 cals a day... I would suggest that would be to maintain weight...

I would go on to your goal setting and set how much you would like to loose a week e.g 1 pound, your calories intake should go down... Iam on 1200 cals aday to loose weight on mine....

Emma
xx

Terrible first post. :noway:

Read this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

agent99oz

Hi there,

I agree weigh and measure food, drink more water, maybe lower the sodium content of foods you consume. Also take body measurements. I am not losing weigh my have lost 9cms off my waist in 6 week despite the scale staying the same. I would also next time you are at the Drs get them to check your thyroid just to be sure thats still functioning how it should be. Try setting a a fitness goal instead like being able to run or walk quicker, or lift heavier set of weights etc. Sometimes we focus the love on the scale and this can leave us discouraged when nothing changes despite best efforts to change. Hang in there

leodru

Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?

When i was 35 i lost 24 pounds in 12 weeks no problem. At 45 it takes forever to lose a couple pounds. Life changes, your metabolism changes. The older you get the more access you have to worse foods. Just aging factors. Track everyday and be honest and record everything. It helps. I did by weight watchers serving spoons that are a cup, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. I find having those in the house helps a lot because you know what your getting when you put it on your plate. Good luck!

angieroo2

If you are taking antidepressants that is probably the reason why you have gained weight. They will pack on the lbs.

not sure about that, I've been on antidepressants for a year now and only started gaining weight when I started exercising this year?
I did also have a 3 Week course of zopliclone for insomnia about a month or so ago. Not sure if that effects weight. I'm on Venlafaxine now and have been since oct.

Venlafaxine definitely causes weight gain, I believe it's a listed side effect. However I think you would have seen the effects by now so maybe not for you. Zopiclone shouldn't cause a weight gain, but everyone is different.

Iron_Feline

Two thoughts:

1) You're way off on your approximating. A food scale is necessary when trying to figure out portion sizes.

2) You may weigh more, but it's due to all that spectacular exercise. Since muscle weighs more per volume than fat, as you've gotten healthier your body built muscle and lost fat. And now what seems to be a bad thing (weighing more) is actually a spectacular thing (you're chock full of muscles). It's difficult to grasp, but: How much you weigh doesn't tell you much if you don't know what that weight is comprised of. There are lots of people on MFP who are super-muscular studs who weigh a lot. It's because they're they're so fit. A better way to tell if you getting fit isn't to weigh yourself, but to measure yourself. Have you been doing that? MFP has measurements you can take and input, along with weight.

I hope this helps.

Yea that makes sense, I was surprised to see how much I weight as I don't look bigger, my thighs especially are more muscly than they were. I've always tried not to worry *too* much about the weight as I'd rather be healthier (and I do physically feel healthier, eating things like McDonald's etc now makes me feel awful for the next day or so!) but seeing a sudden jump shocked me a bit!

Sorry but no

It's very hard for a woman to build muscle - while you "may" have put on a little as you are probably eating at a surplus that will be very little in relation to the weight gain. Building muscle needs a progressive weight overload and calories surplus - I suspect you only have one of these thing happening.

Sorry but you need to weigh your food.

Iron_Feline

Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?

When i was 35 i lost 24 pounds in 12 weeks no problem. At 45 it takes forever to lose a couple pounds. Life changes, your metabolism changes. The older you get the more access you have to worse foods. Just aging factors. Track everyday and be honest and record everything. It helps. I did by weight watchers serving spoons that are a cup, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. I find having those in the house helps a lot because you know what your getting when you put it on your plate. Good luck!

A food scale is far more accurate than cups. Though in an emergency they will do.

edit: can't spell :frown:

geebusuk

In order to know if you're in a calorie deficit, you have to weigh (with a scale)/measure/log your food- every bite/every day.

Not really, I'd say.
In order to know if you are in a calorie deficit you need to weigh yourself.

If your averaged weight is going down consistently over time, you are in a deficit.

We can see the OP is in a surplus because her weight is going up.

As others have discussed, likely eating more calories than thought. Also, the fitbit isn't an amazing tool as far as judging calories burnt, so this could be causing more problems.