Gaining weight RAPIDLY!!!!

jplucheck

I have been trying to lose weight for some time now. At age 27 I am the heaviest I have ever been weighting at 167lbs. I am desperate to take it off. My goal seems to be reasonable just want to drop down to at least 135lbs, which is not bad for my heigth but not sure what I am doing wrong.

Is it possible to eat right and exericse regularly and still pack on the pounds RAPIDLY. I am up to 2 lbs gain a week easy!!!! How is that possible? Open for suggestions, ANYTHING is worth trying.

I found my fitness pal online and started tracking my calorie count just a few days ago, I am hoping that this will give me the answers and support I am looking for.

Good luck to all of you!

rudegyal_b

have you had your thyroid checked? also you may be eating "right" but not eating the right amount of calories, so its a good thing you found mfp

PBmaria

Could you be pregnant?:blushing:

cameralinds

When starting a new diet and exercise regimen, people typically tend to gain weight. What's your sodium and sugar intake like? Those sometimes play large parts on weight fluctuations. You have only been tracking for a week, right? Give it more time. It took me three weeks to see any consistent loss. (I gained and lost the same 2 pounds during that time). Just be patient and persistent.

Good luck!

SaundraU

A couple things:

as you gain muscle you may gain some weight as this weighs more than fat

stop eating your exercise calories - I know some on here say you should however when I say a nutritionist she said you can consume some of them but by eating them all you are defeating part of the purpose

Also you need to eat healthy not just watch the calories - need to get those 5 basic food groups in

See a nutritionist in addition to using my fitness pal they can look at your specific needs and what you are currently doing and streamline it to you specifically

it maybe slow going at time but stick to it - it will work

sc1572

Hmmm...either something is wrong with your diet and you might want to talk to a doctor, OR it could be water or muscle if you're doing strength training. Plus me, the scale is evil. I was on crutches 2 weeks and no workouts...lost 3 lbs. I got back into working out...gained 3 lbs. Hold your head up!

SeasideOasis

It is hard to tell with only a few days logging, but here are my suggestions.

1.) You're sodium must be through the roof. Things like KFC will bloat you with sodium making you retain water.
2.) Watch your starchy carbs. Move over to whole wheat chips, pastas, brown rice, etc
3.) Eat more lead protein like grilled chicken and turkey breast.

Technically, you can eat right and exercise and still maintain or gain weight (not usually 2 lbs a week though). I hardly budge in any direction on the scale and I've had to move to progress pictures in order to keep myself moving along. The scale literally lies. Go take some measurements, snap a few photos, and you'll probably be happier in the end. Heaven knows I was...

erinkeely4

One thing about logging all of your foods is that you learn how many calories different foods REALLY have in them! I was in for some surprises, for sure.

You also keep yourself accountable, and have to be honest with yourself with what you're doing. I have the tendency to justify certain things that I know are unhealthy. Now I am more honest, even if that doesn't always stop me from doing things that are unhealthy, it definitely influences me to minimize those instances as best as I can, and do more things that ARE healthy.

CaptainMFP

Are you monitoring your water and sodium closely? Not to make light of the above suggestions, because there could be a legitimate medical issue (like hypothyroidism) at play...but large and apparently inexplicable swings in weight can be the result of water retention. The exact mechanism takes a lot of time to explain (and is frankly not understood by many people here, in my experience), but the bottom line is taking in too much sodium and/or insufficient water can cause your kidneys to retain excess water in your body. This water accumulates in tissue spaces and increases body weight. For example, I spend two days at a local rib cook-off this weekend and did not log (didn't see the point). I can guarantee you that I didn't add much if any fat in two days, but my weight was up 5 lbs. from Friday to Sunday. I've already shed most of it by really keeping my water high (within reason) and my sodium low. Even if you have not been tracking these things, I would take a hard look at them before calling the doctor. If you see your sodium intake is well above 2000 mg every day and your water intake is well under 8 cups of pure water (not other beverages), this may be the culprit. If your numbers all seem reasonable, then a call to the doctor may be warranted. Conditions like hypothyroidism can prevent a person from losing weight through simple diet management and exercise.

servilia

I looked at your food diary. You seem to have been eating out a lot - KFC with Dr. Pepper, vietnamese soup and spring rolls (I'm sure it's full of sodium!)..

also you MUST have the wrong kind of protein shake because it has 30g carbs and only 9g of protein!!! That's a carb shake, not a protein shake. One scoop of my whey protein has 1g carbs and 27g of protein. Look for something like that.
I try not to have too many starchy carbs in one sitting - for example, I wouldn't have potatoes and tortilla (whatever it's called) in the same sitting. This works for me.

StevLL

When starting a new diet and exercise regimen, people typically tend to gain weight. What's your sodium and sugar intake like? Those sometimes play large parts on weight fluctuations. You have only been tracking for a week, right? Give it more time. It took me three weeks to see any consistent loss. (I gained and lost the same 2 pounds during that time). Just be patient and persistent.

Good luck!

Camera summed it very well.
What I would say. The nutrient content in food will become more apparent as you gain time and start to reconcile your weight with the nutrient intake, not just the cals. Healthy calories with boat loads of sodium can cause huge weight gain and not enough water intake can keep you from flushing toxins and waste which cause inflamation and that causes water weight gain.
Good luck, keep at it. I just came through a three week plateau and going down again, just hang in there. :-)

AdAstra47

Sounds like me, for 20 years, until my metabolic problem was finally diagnosed. Couple of suggestions:

Check your sodium levels. Too much salt is one of the more common things that can lead to you retaining water, which makes the scale say you're gaining weight when you're really not. Other things that can make you retain water: atmospheric humidity, hormone levels, sore muscles, not getting enough sleep.

Sounds like this may be more than that. People will tell you it's a simple matter of eating fewer calories than you burn. This is true for many people, but not everyone. Try it for a couple of weeks and see.

I would also make sure it's not a medical problem. Don't let lazy doctors get away with doing one thyroid test and telling you you're "fine." If you know you're eating right and exercising, and you're still gaining weight, don't let them get away with dismissing you like that. Have them test for diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, PCOS and other issues that can affect the way your body metabolizes and stores energy. And BTW, the current one-time test for Type II diabetes will miss the condition 25% of the time, so make sure they do the full three-hour blood sugar test.

If that comes up negative, sometimes you have to pay attention to the KINDS of calories you eat, not just the number. Biochemically, different kinds of calories are processed by your body in very different ways. A sugar or carbohydrate calorie turns into energy. So does a fat calorie or a protein calorie. But the chemical reactions that convert them are very different. And some people's bodies are more efficient at processing one kind of calorie than another. Many people who have been unable to lose weight just by "eating more healthy" find success when they try eating fewer carbs and more protein. Personally, on my doctor's orders, I have my levels adjusted to 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein and it has worked wonders. Everyone's body is diffferent. You just have to figure out what your particular body needs.

Good luck!

jplucheck

You're right for the first two days of my logging I had been eating out, but this is not the norm for me I was just traveling for a few days without any other options. Usually it’s all homemade organic stuff and I have been watching my weight since June where I started at 153 with the goal of reaching 135 but gaining and now I am at 167? As far as the protein shake goes I had entered my recipe and had to comprise with the protein as I use all natural RAW protein which the calculator did not recognize. Thank for you advice, I agree maybe watching my sodium level wld be a good idea.

jplucheck

I looked at your food diary. You seem to have been eating out a lot - KFC with Dr. Pepper, vietnamese soup and spring rolls (I'm sure it's full of sodium!)..

also you MUST have the wrong kind of protein shake because it has 30g carbs and only 9g of protein!!! That's a carb shake, not a protein shake. One scoop of my whey protein has 1g carbs and 27g of protein. Look for something like that.
I try not to have too many starchy carbs in one sitting - for example, I wouldn't have potatoes and tortilla (whatever it's called) in the same sitting. This works for me.

You're right for the first two days of my logging I had been eating out, but this is not the norm for me I was just traveling for a few days without any other options. Usually it’s all homemade organic stuff and I have been watching my weight since June where I started at 153 with the goal of reaching 135 but gaining and now I am at 167? As far as the protein shake goes I had entered my recipe and had to comprise with the protein as I use all natural RAW protein which the calculator did not recognize. Thank for your advice, I agree maybe watching my sodium level wld be a good idea.

holly_v

i would suggest not eating anything from a can, pre-made, drinks with calories or eating out for a week or so and see how that works for you. also make sure you are drinking tons of water.

servilia

I looked at your food diary. You seem to have been eating out a lot - KFC with Dr. Pepper, vietnamese soup and spring rolls (I'm sure it's full of sodium!)..

also you MUST have the wrong kind of protein shake because it has 30g carbs and only 9g of protein!!! That's a carb shake, not a protein shake. One scoop of my whey protein has 1g carbs and 27g of protein. Look for something like that.
I try not to have too many starchy carbs in one sitting - for example, I wouldn't have potatoes and tortilla (whatever it's called) in the same sitting. This works for me.

You're right for the first two days of my logging I had been eating out, but this is not the norm for me I was just traveling for a few days without any other options. Usually it’s all homemade organic stuff and I have been watching my weight since June where I started at 153 with the goal of reaching 135 but gaining and now I am at 167? As far as the protein shake goes I had entered my recipe and had to comprise with the protein as I use all natural RAW protein which the calculator did not recognize. Thank for your advice, I agree maybe watching my sodium level wld be a good idea.

Ok I see, yeah a couple of days isn't always representative. I took another look at your food diary, specifically at the carb-fat-protein settings and I think you might benefit if you set carbs a little lower and protein higher. Consider whether you can cut out some starchy carbs here and there.

sandyw1482000

Agree that its better to go with direct measurements rather than what the scales are telling you. I am in almost the same situation where I found that, rather than lose the weight, the scales were saying that I gained. Frustrated me to no end. My friend here ( Gary44) lost 62 pounds just by watching what he ate each day and not exceeding the calorie intake. Working out is a bonus, but should not be a reason to consume more calories.
I am still very new to this forum and learning a lot from paying closer attention to what food contains. Accountability is a real winner. In the end, think of the goal, not just for the weight loss but for a healthier stronger you in the years to come. While working out yesterday there was this young man doing his fitness boxing next to me, he had music in his ear but every so now and again would speak out. He said... " No pain, no gain.." " I will not give up" These simple words helped me onward. Bet he didn't even know what he was doing for me. Bless his heart wherever he is.
Best of luck kiddo.

Pangea250

as you gain muscle you may gain some weight as this weighs more than fat

Not that fast. In fact, muscle is put on very slowly. Body builders work incredibly hard and eat crazy amounts of protein add muscle. They may only put on a lb of muscle a week when working superhard toward that goal. So while muscle does weigh more than fat by volume, it is NOT an excuse for 99% of MFPers who gain weight.