Weight gain: How it probably happened to you

ninerbuff

Research shows that most people gain weight subtly over the years and then one day wake up realizing that they are 30, 40, 50 or more over a weight they were say in highschool or college. Here's just a quick synopsis of how it could happen without people even really realizing that they gained much, but didn't pay attention to it because it was so subtle.
So a pound of fat is 3500 calories. The average person gains approximately 5lbs a year. So 5lbs of fat a year is an extra 17,500 calories over what they needed to consume, hence the weight gain. If you break that down that's an average of 1458.33 calories per month over daily calorie needs. That's not even 1/2 of a pound. In a week that's only 208.33 calories over. To break it down even further that's 48.61 calories over daily needs per day!!! How much is 48.61 calories..........well that's a little less than one popsicle a day.
So in other words if you ate one popsicle a day over what your daily caloric needs are, then you'd gain 5lbs in one year. And most of us know that it could be more than just one popsicle a day calories that we are really eating that put on this weight.
Now REMEMBER, it works both ways.....................................Have a great day!!

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

PercivalHackworth

True, it takes even more time supposing there are days when you are in deficit (errands, events of Life such as installing a new furniture and so on)

ninerbuff

Yep, that's why it so subtle for many. And of course it's usually a denial thing till they see a picture comparison.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Which is why its very important to continue tracking down what you eat & be honest about it especially when you had a large meal. I know some fitness experts are against calorie counting but that very same thing works for me & so far I've been on my healthy weight for more than a year.

grinch031

Most of the my anecdotes is that people will be at a stable weight for years, and then suddenly blimp out seemingly out of nowhere. I can't recall anyone who gradually gains weight year after year.

lforner46

That is what I did. Slowly, I gained 5 lbs every 5 years and then never lost it. It probably was a popcicle or glass of wine (or two).

RLDeShazo

Most of the my anecdotes is that people will be at a stable weight for years, and then suddenly blimp out seemingly out of nowhere. I can't recall anyone who gradually gains weight year after year.

I was a gradual weight gainer.

bm99

I'm not going to count calories forever (part of the reason I do it now is to learn how to eat) but when I am in maintenance I am going to weigh myself every single day. The scary thing is that most people just aren't aware, like you said, and they wake up one day 50 pounds overweight.

Now me, personally, I gained all my weight inside a year or so so I don't even know what the creeping weight looks or feels like.

kristinL16

Most of the my anecdotes is that people will be at a stable weight for years, and then suddenly blimp out seemingly out of nowhere. I can't recall anyone who gradually gains weight year after year.

Could be that they had been gaining slowly over time but it wasn't that noticeable. Then when they reached a higher amount of gain people could tell. I could gain 5-10lbs and still wear the same clothes and blame it on being "bloated". But if I got closer to a 20 lbs gain I would need different clothes and it would be noticeable to others. I can see how 20-30lbs could sneak up on you, but anything more than that would need new clothes for sure and I'm not sure how you wouldn't notice that.

superpapa16

That totally makes sense. I've been a gradual weight gainer since middle school. I was aware of it, and was pretty indifferent. Now I'm a gradual fat exterminator!

yuliyax

I just done my calculation, the estimation is I was overeating by 330 every day for 2 years. I am so glad I've decided to change

shel1103

I put on 30 pounds in 6-7 months living with my sister. I don't know anyone who has done that....

sharleengc

I remember being a little chubby in 3rd and 4th grade. It gradually went up a little at a time from there. I know some years I gained more than others but overall 5lbs is probably pretty close to accurate.

When viewed in that perspective, it seems that losing 1 lb a week isn't slow!

twistofcain

I gained 20lbs in a month just from eating fast food 3 times a day...I guess I wanted to test it out myself..lolz.

ninerbuff

I just done my calculation, the estimation is I was overeating by 330 every day for 2 years. I am so glad I've decided to change

And even eating a "healthy" snack of 330 calories (like avocado for example) daily over your calorie limit could fool people. Majority of my clients pretty much just let the calories creep up on them.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

I remember being a little chubby in 3rd and 4th grade. It gradually went up a little at a time from there. I know some years I gained more than others but overall 5lbs is probably pretty close to accurate.

When viewed in that perspective, it seems that losing 1 lb a week isn't slow!

Which was part of my point. Having only a fractional weight gain per month isn't noticeable if you're not trying to lose or really gain any weight but just live day to day.
And losing a pound a week purposely is way more than what the average person is gaining through the years .

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

DebraAukett

Oh wow that's rather hectic! I think I'll track what I'm eating for the rest of my life, I don't want to make the same mistakes again!

CaoimheAine

:sick:

DyanCB

Yep, that's why it so subtle for many. And of course it's usually a denial thing till they see a picture comparison.

And, unfortunately, this works the same way when you are losing the weight. I did not think I was making any progress at all until I compared my starting photo with a very recent photo. Studies have proven that even seeing our own image in the mirror does not tell us the truth - but the camera does not lie!

ishtar13

Most of the my anecdotes is that people will be at a stable weight for years, and then suddenly blimp out seemingly out of nowhere. I can't recall anyone who gradually gains weight year after year.

Could be that they had been gaining slowly over time but it wasn't that noticeable. Then when they reached a higher amount of gain people could tell. I could gain 5-10lbs and still wear the same clothes and blame it on being "bloated". But if I got closer to a 20 lbs gain I would need different clothes and it would be noticeable to others. I can see how 20-30lbs could sneak up on you, but anything more than that would need new clothes for sure and I'm not sure how you wouldn't notice that.

"Gosh, these days they're cutting the clothes differently than they used to, making me look like I'm a bigger size!"

"Oh, in my usual brand I'm a 12, I must be a 14 in these because they're a different brand."

Or you just have a bunch of clothes of different sizes in the closet.

I've either done or heard the above things.

Karalopolous

Denial is a huge part of the problem. Gradual weight gain, you cantrick yourself into thinking it's just bloating and then you get used to those 5 lbs, and then those extra 5, and then......
I know I thought I was the same size/trying to fool myself into believing I was at 200 as I was at 170, lol.

_Tristan_

Nope, tore my Achilles and went from very active to not active at all for almost 2 years. Back to being very active now though and this site is helping. This explains must of my friends though so I'm going to "borrow" it to help explain. Thanks!

bathsheba_c

That's what happened to me. I gained about half a pound a month for about 3 years, so about 40 calories each day. Heck, that's less than half of a cup of 1% milk.

ninerbuff

That's what happened to me. I gained about half a pound a month for about 3 years, so about 40 calories each day. Heck, that's less than half of a cup of 1% milk.

Crazy huh? How so little can add up to so much in the long run?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Awkward30

Interesting, sir.

Out of curiosity, I used a BMR calculator and played around with it.

I'm 25 and about 140 lb right now. BMR around 1443. If I put on 5 lb in 5 years, my BMR would be around 1441 even though I'm heavier, because of age. Then, in another 5 years and another 5 lb later, my BMR would be 1417. I don't even need a Popsicle, I could put on weight just getting older.

I think that is why exercise is such a good indicator of whether someone will be able to maintain their weight. Because BMR just keeps going down... Sedentary people are in trouble!

ETA: Whoops, my reading comprehension apparently sucks, I thought it was 5 lb in 5 years, not 5 lb in one year. My slower BMR theory can definitely not keep up with 5 lb a year lol.

I was around 3 lb a year, from a not skinny, but not fat starting point. Yeesh, only 30 calories a day! crazy. Although I was completely sedentary, to the point where I would skip meals because I didn't want to get up from my video game... lol How could I have been so silly?!

lizzybethclaire

Well...I got fat because I tried to solve all my problems by eating. It didn't work.

bashiera

I sat around playing WoW for 7 hours a day drinking 4-5 cans of soda, pasta with cream sauce, taco bell, and late night binges to deal with emotional problems. It crept up on me throughout high school until I saw pictures of me at a New Year's party and my weight was 195 pounds that it was a real problem.

Romans624

This is why I need to never stop weighing/measuring/wearing same size clothes once I get to goal. I read there needs to be a "danger weight" that you can't get above again, like 10 pounds over what you are very happy with. Or keep it smaller to 5 pounds (but i can gain temporarily 5 pounds in one meal)

MelissaGraham7

Bad food habits and little exercise and I gained probably about 5 pounds a year - and 20 years later found myself almost 100 pounds overweight. A pound a month even seems hardly anything...nothing to worry about. But the minute you find yourself buying a large size of clothing you should say WAIT A MINUTE!!! For me, I probably justified - oh this clothing manufacturer is smaller....etc. I had a range of about 5 sizes in my closet and lots of elastic. When you start wanting to wear elastic, again, say WAIT A MINUTE. What the HECK am I doing to myself???!!!

Yes, now I weigh every single day and I work hard at maintenance (since my body has steadfastly refused to lose anymore after 83 pounds) and refuse to ever buy a larger size and gave all the flat clothes to Goodwill.

omma_to_3

Or you have PCOS and the minute you hit puberty you start gaining weight at a very rapid pace.

dlwyatt82

It was a lot more than a popsicle for me. :laugh: But I guess that's to be expected, as my gain was a lot more than 50 pounds in 10 years.