What the freakin eff?!

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happyhubbard
happyhubbard Posts: 171
in Health and Weight Loss
OK guys, I have been trying really hard here. I took all sorts of advice over the past 3 months here and altogether, I have GAINED 8 pounds! :( I was doing 1200 calories/day with exercise and didn't lose anything in an entire month(although I did maintain my weight). So I took others' advice to up my calorie intake to 1400 and I gained over 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks! I am so depressed!! What the heck do I need to do to succeed?!

-Sad, frustrated, at a loss:cry:
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  • happyhubbard
    happyhubbard Posts: 171
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    OK guys, I have been trying really hard here. I took all sorts of advice over the past 3 months here and altogether, I have GAINED 8 pounds! :( I was doing 1200 calories/day with exercise and didn't lose anything in an entire month(although I did maintain my weight). So I took others' advice to up my calorie intake to 1400 and I gained over 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks! I am so depressed!! What the heck do I need to do to succeed?!

    -Sad, frustrated, at a loss:cry:
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    I was just looking at your profile ... and how tall are you exactly?
  • kallio
    kallio Posts: 70
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    I totally understand your frustration!!! It is true that your body will hold onto calories if it is not getting enough. If you have been trying to go too low with your calories your metabolism could be messed up. It happened to me when I started losing weight. I dropped my calories way too low and was working out daily. I couldn't drop a pound to save my life! I finally just started eating healthy and most importantly-watching my portions! That seemed to do the trick after a little while. It could be water weight too.

    I was told to up my calories too- the problem with that is you DO have to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. Work out for 30 -45 minutes a day and keep your calories to around 1200-1400. I think if you give it some time you will get results.

    Good luck and keep with it! It WILL happen!
    :bigsmile: :wink:
  • stillkristi
    stillkristi Posts: 1,135 Member
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    How are your clothes fitting? And, yeah, how tall are you?
  • Frost
    Frost Posts: 312 Member
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    I actually have experienced weight gain when attempting to go to maintenance just for a couple days. And I mean like almost a pound in one day. I'm afraid I'll be eating 1260 calories a day just to maintain once I reach my weight. I can totally relate!
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
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    You should see a doctor to find out what your basal metabolic rate is. There are disorders which cause a person to need far fewer calories than most folks require.
  • happyhubbard
    happyhubbard Posts: 171
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    I was just looking at your profile ... and how tall are you exactly?

    I'm 5'2"
  • happyhubbard
    happyhubbard Posts: 171
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    How are your clothes fitting? And, yeah, how tall are you?

    My clothes are fitting tighter since I've been using this site(gained 8 pounds), and I have lost NOTHING- no pounds or inches or anything.
  • happyhubbard
    happyhubbard Posts: 171
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    You should see a doctor to find out what your basal metabolic rate is. There are disorders which cause a person to need far fewer calories than most folks require.

    Is there a certain kind of doctor I need to see? My regular doctor acts like being on the heavier side isn't a big deal. I hate that she seems to wave me away when I come to her about my weight! Other doctors have taken one look at me and told me that they could tell (just from looking at me) that I need to lose 20% of my body weight- OUCH! That would bring me from 136 to 109. I am trying to get between 110-115.
  • happyhubbard
    happyhubbard Posts: 171
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    To be honest with all of you, I lost about 20 pounds a few years back and this is how I did it:

    -ate about 900 calories per day
    -worked out 45 mins 6 times per week(religiously!)
    -didn't eat in the evenings(after 4:00pm)
    -I ended up losing 1 pound per week over 5 months

    Everyone says its unhealthy to drop below 1200 calories, but that was the only way that worked for me. I am thinking that maybe it is what I need to do again. They say slow and steady wins the race- and 1 pound a week seems to fit that. Also, I didn't feel bad eating only 900 calories per day- I wasn't sick, I didn't feel tired or hungry or anything! Do you think this is just how my body functions and my needs are WAY different than the "average" person?
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    At 5'2, 136 lbs puts you on the high end of healthy but not overweight. If you are gaining weight at 1400 calories, your metabolism is fighting you for one reason or another and the last thing you should think of is slowing it down by reducing to 900 calories, especially if you're still thinking of starting a family.

    I think you should focus on restoring your metabolism. But I'll leave the "how" to the more experienced members here. My first thought is zig-zagging your calories but I haven't been here for very long.

    I can tell you that when I had my boys, I often lost an average of 10 lbs during the first trimester before I started gaining baby weight (morning sickness). And even with a c-section both times (leaving me unable to exercise for weeks after the surgery), I was able to reach my pre-pregnancy weight by just breastfeeding. I probably could have lost more if I were into exercise back then but hindsight is always 20/20.

    My youngest is 3 so the weight I'm trying to lose right now is definitely not baby weight.
  • Delaina1
    Delaina1 Posts: 168 Member
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    I was just looking at your profile ... and how tall are you exactly?

    I'm 5'2"

    I was looking at your profile too and I think 110 is a little low for 5'2". I'm 5" even and I would look sickly if I were to go that low! 125 puts me in a size 4 which is pretty healthy and muscular.



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  • adopt4
    adopt4 Posts: 970 Member
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    It takes 3500 cals over what your body uses to gain a pound of fat. Eating that extra 200 cals per day for a week would only put you at the potential of gaining 1/2 pound of fat, and so the numbers don't add up - you didn't gain fat. Maybe water, most likely water. Also, you were in the zone where your body was in starvation mode and yes, when you get out of that you will gain weight for awhile. But then it should drop down as your body gets used to it. You're not overweight, really. To me (not seeing you) it sounds like you are more "non toned" than fat. Which is what would happen if you aren't eating enough... And you need to realize your body doesn't think you are overweight and it will fight you tooth and nail.

    It is possible you have a medical issue, see an endocrinologist among other things. Don't listen to a regular doctor, or a physical therapist, be see someone who is a specialist. Have your thyroid checked, your adrenaline system, etc. See if there is a reason.

    It's also possible you need to TONE rather than cardio. Work on those muscle groups, see what happens.

    What's your sodium? Are you eating enough fruits/veggies/protein?

    It's POSSIBLE that you are small and have a metabolism that could put you a bit below 1200, but not 900. Yes you can lose weight on a starvation diet. You also lose muscle mass and put yourself at high risk for lots of medical issues.

    Is your body image off? Do you see yourself as bigger than you really are? Or is there a particular area of your body you're not happy with?
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and my end goal is 110.

    Ok, here's the thing (and I'll get eaten alive for this): if you know what works for you, do it. But just because something 'works' to lose weight does not mean that it is working for a healthier lifestyle.

    CAUTION: you might actually be allergic to something or have something that is preventing weight loss or actually causing the gain. My sister had a bad case of candida (bacteria that feeds on sugar) and she had to cut all sugar (all, as in even fruit and many vegetables) before she could start losing the 90lbs that just started accumulating on her body. Another friend of mine developed an allergy to gluten which prevented her from digesting fat properly and that caused her to gain weight. I have another friend who had a thyroid problem which manifested itself when she was a young adult and she had to go through a dramatic diet change.

    If you don't have the time, money, or patience for doctors and their too-often-wrong advice, I was say try cutting certain flag-foods from your diet every 2 weeks to see how you do. For instance: keep your cals at 1200 (making sure to eat at least half of the exercise cals back) and religiously eliminate gluten from your diet. If in two weeks there's no change, try lactose; sugar; meat; etc.

    I have never been through what you are going through right now, but I have several friends who have dealt with similar symptoms. Getting blood-work done might be the easiest way to figure this out, but sometimes trial and error is the only solution.

    Don't despair. We 5'2" ladies have to stick to our 110lbs goal!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Don't despair. We 5'2" ladies have to stick to our 110lbs goal!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    I dunno... I don't think that sounds too terribly low.
    I'm 5'4" and my goal weight is 138.... but at 138 I look like 120.
    And 2'' make a huge difference on short women.

    I don't have any good advice, I just wanted to say that.
  • AshBear
    AshBear Posts: 63
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    I'm 5'2 and my goal weight is 115 lbs which is what I was a few years ago. I didn't look too skinny or anything and feel it was a healthy weight for me. I think it depends on your frame, age, and where you carry your weight.
  • Marla64
    Marla64 Posts: 23,120 Member
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    So, what? Am I the only Amazon woman on this site? Sheesh-- I'm 5'8" and my target is 160.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    *raises hand*

    5'7". My goal is 150...I think, anyway. It may be 155. I'm just gonna see what I look like when I get a little closer to that weight.
  • keiko
    keiko Posts: 2,919 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and weigh about 120 (depends on the day, sometimes more) I look thinner now because I am more toned than when I got down to 115. I have pants that fit better now than when I was 115.
    So don't get to hooked onto a number on the scale. Scale weight is only a guide.

    And if any of you taller people want to give me a few inches I'll take them. I'm tired of shortening everything:laugh:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,042 Member
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    So, what? Am I the only Amazon woman on this site? Sheesh-- I'm 5'8" and my target is 160.

    Marla, I'm 5'9" and I am at 162 - I got to 158 last May but I had to cut off my left ......maybe that's TMI.
    :wink:

    Seriously, I probably could get to 155 - but really, I look good at 160, so I gave up. But I've started running, like you have, so we'll see what happens.

    Good luck!

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