What is this weight gain?

Flissbo

Hey folks :-)

Just after a bit of advice please.

I upped my calories to maintainance or there abouts 2 or 3 months ago and have since gained 5 pounds. In that time I've also been working out more than usual (Jillian Michaels DVD's on top of my usual couple of swims a week)

I know you are supposed to wait a few weeks after making any changes to let you body settle down again but I think I've given it long enough now to start worrying! I have had a few piggy weekends where I've gone up to about 2500 cals a day but usually aim for around 1700/1800. I'm 5'7 and currently 128 pounds. (was 123 previous to upping cals)

I wish I knew what this weight gain was, muscle or fat? My clothes feel the same but I measured myself and am up maybe half an inch or so on my legs and belly. I didn't think I could put on muscle that quickly (though I am getting close to 100g of protein a day.) Also the BF% on the scale seems to be the same as before but I think I look a bit bigger than a few months ago.

I'm going to start NROLFW in the next few weeks. Should I just stick at the same calories for the time being or try and lower them by a hundred or so now in case I am eating over my maintainance?

Could it be that I've messed up my metabolism and it's taking a long time for my body to realise its ok to be eating more? I am scared I am going to keep gaining and undo all my hard work.

Any constructive thoughts most welcome Thank you

CassieReannan

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

robin52077

Is is entirely possible that what you have calculated as maintenance is off by a bit.

Or it could be your muscles retaining water from doing Jillian.

Add to that the "piggy weekends" as you called them, and that could be your gain.

Maybe lower your goal by 100 between now and the time you start New Rules.
Also, give yourself a few days of complete rest before starting it. Your muscles will release the excess water and you can get a more true starting weight.
Just be aware that as soon as you start lifting heavy with New Rules the scale will go back up. A little bit of muscle gain but mostly muscles retaining water for repair. And at that time, if your plan IS to ADD muscle, you will want to raise your calories again.

psuLemon

More than likely its water weight. If you increased the intensity of your workout, you body will retain water. The only way to figure out if your metabolism is slower than the numbers that we estimate is to get metabolic testing. Also if you eat maintenance everyday and then increase on the weekends, then it could be fat. You would have to eat at a deficit during the week and the increase on weekend.

robin52077

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

psuLemon

Btw, do you know your body fat? Sometimes the harris benedict formula for bmr is off (the one i use to estimate calories ). The katch mcardle is more accurate but you need body fat readings. Btw the difference between the two for me is 200 calories.

Flissbo

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

Just don't want to undo all my hard work :-) I binned all my bigger clothes lol!

CassieReannan

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

I would kill to be 120lb, I am sitting here at 230lb and working my butt off to look like you. Its just silly freaking over weight like this. If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

Adsnwfld

Keep an eye on it, Remember that the numbers suggested on this web site are just that suggestions. You may be off by a few that would lead to a weight gain over time. Also your sodium of carbs may have increased enough to cause a significant gain in water weight.
As an example on Father's day I was over by about 700 calories. The next morning I was 4 lbs heavier on the scale... All water, 2 days later under the pre holiday weight.
Try to get yourself back down to the previous weight (I'd try the 1/2 lb a week rate) and see what happens. A lot of things effect our weight. Hang in there and don't get too depressed about it.

robin52077

Btw, do you know your body fat? Sometimes the harris benedict formula for bmr is off (the one i use to estimate calories ). The katch mcardle is more accurate but you need body fat readings. Btw the difference between the two for me is 200 calories.

I agree.
Both calculators can be found here:
http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

Flissbo

Btw, do you know your body fat? Sometimes the harris benedict formula for bmr is off (the one i use to estimate calories ). The katch mcardle is more accurate but you need body fat readings. Btw the difference between the two for me is 200 calories.

The scales I have (which I know should just be used as a guide) say I am anywhere between 20.1 and 20.9 % BF. When I am at the higher end it says my water is down to about 57%. If my water is good (59% usually) then the scales say my bf is towards 20%)

Thanks guys for the replies so far :-)

Was thinking of getting my metabolism tested but not sure where to go for this? Would they do it at the gym maybe?

robin52077

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

I would kill to be 120lb, I am sitting here at 230lb and working my butt off to look like you. Its just silly freaking over weight like this. If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

She's not "freaking out"...she gave it MONTHS. It's not like she woke up one morning bloated and panicked....

I understand you are working hard to achieve what others already have, and that is GREAT. You WILL get there if you keep at it.
But once you do get there, you will find out that it is a WHOLE different ball game. Losing the last ten or staying at maintenance is NOT simple. At that point it is NOT calories in vs calories out, or "just eat less". It is a tricky balance of numbers and tweaking macros and it is VERY frustrating.

BeautyFromPain

If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

This is bs. It takes a girl around about a month to gain ONE pound of muscle (at the most!). This, combined with perfect nutrition. We don't have the testostorone to gain muscle like you think we do.

CassieReannan

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

I would kill to be 120lb, I am sitting here at 230lb and working my butt off to look like you. Its just silly freaking over weight like this. If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

She's not "freaking out"...she gave it MONTHS. It's not like she woke up one morning bloated and panicked....

I understand you are working hard to achieve what others already have, and that is GREAT. You WILL get there if you keep at it.
But once you do get there, you will find out that it is a WHOLE different ball game. Losing the last ten or staying at maintenance is NOT simple. At that point it is NOT calories in vs calories out, or "just eat less". It is a tricky balance of numbers and tweaking macros and it is VERY frustrating.

Well as I am not there yet and I am relatively new to all this, I cannot give a appropriate answer.

Flissbo

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

I would kill to be 120lb, I am sitting here at 230lb and working my butt off to look like you. Its just silly freaking over weight like this. If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

I think 120 would be too small on me (I'm 128 at the mo) I was 52 pounds heavier before so I think I'll always worry about it :sad: Would be nice to be able to relax one day. Sounds like you are doing great - keep up the good work :flowerforyou:

CassieReannan

This is bs. It takes a girl around about a month to gain ONE pound of muscle (at the most!). This, combined with perfect nutrition. We don't have the testostorone to gain muscle like you think we do.

What? Testostorone? Where did you pluck that comment up from?

kpnuts23

I would love to be around your weight.. Im also 5 7'... maybe reduce the cals by 100-200 for the day.. might help?

ElizabethRoad

Well as I am not there yet and I am relatively new to all this, I cannot give a appropriate answer.

Not to be rude, but then maybe you should not try to answer. Telling someone that they shouldn't worry about gaining weight because they aren't as heavy as you is not helpful.

CassieReannan

You are 120lb, I don't really understand how you are worried about 5lb of weight gain...
You body flucuates a lot and its probably because of water, exercise and protein. If you are worried go back to your BMR calorie rate to work off the 5lb.

I'm 120 and I worry about 2 pounds...
Protein doesn't make your weight fluctuate, you must be thinking sodium and water retention.
Eating at BMR is far too little for someone who lifts weights and swims.

I would kill to be 120lb, I am sitting here at 230lb and working my butt off to look like you. Its just silly freaking over weight like this. If shes lifting, shes gaining muscle.. eat 100 - 200 calories under maintenance a day. Problem solved.

I think 120 would be too small on me (I'm 128 at the mo) I was 52 pounds heavier before so I think I'll always worry about it :sad: Would be nice to be able to relax one day. Sounds like you are doing great - keep up the good work :flowerforyou:

Congrats on your big loss and maintaining, I wish you luck.

BeautyFromPain

This is bs. It takes a girl around about a month to gain ONE pound of muscle (at the most!). This, combined with perfect nutrition. We don't have the testostorone to gain muscle like you think we do.

What? Testostorone? Where did you pluck that comment up from?

Are you kidding me?
let's see...
#1. the truth, i've been lifting for over a year and you need testorone to bulk up and its VERY hard to build up muscle on a woman, as you can tell via me
#2. my TEACHERS AT MY PERSONAL TRAINING SCHOOL?

CassieReannan

Well as I am not there yet and I am relatively new to all this, I cannot give a appropriate answer.

Not to be rude, but then maybe you should not try to answer. Telling someone that they shouldn't worry about gaining weight because they aren't as heavy as you is not helpful.
[/quote]

Freedom of speech. Suggesting something to her at least, contributing my opinion. If she has been maintaining she would not have put on fat and the only answer is muscle or water, or the maintenance number is wrong.