What is this weight gain?

2

Replies

  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!


    A lot of people are using this site to stay healthy. Not neccessarily to lose pounds. I am glad to see a young girl who doesn't have a weight problem being concerned. She will probably always be thin.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    This isn't fair. Many people here have worked hard to be where they are, even if they didn't start in the 200s or 300s. The OP lost 50+ pounds and is wondering why she is gaining despite trying to eat at maintenance. She isn't complaining or (as someone else put it) freaking out -- she's just asking a question, because she doesn't want her hard work to go down the drain.

    OP, I think your answers to some of these posts have been very gracious. To put in my own two cents, it's possible that your maintenance calories are a little lower than the standard. I have found that my own certainly are. Also, if you know anything about TDEE, you'll know that eating even a small amount of extra calories per day can put you over your goal. Here is a great explanation: http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Perhaps try eating 50 calories less per day and see what happens.

    Best of luck.
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    I would have hated it too when I was bigger so I do know how you feel :-)
  • daddymoofle
    daddymoofle Posts: 12 Member
    I fixed my above posts to actually quote the correct people. Sorry, been using the site for 2 months ... this is literally the first topic I've posted in. :tongue:
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    Insecurities don't go away the minute you lose weight. Any weight. 5lbs, 150lbs ... you're still going to be worried. And I get where this girl is coming from. You work SO HARD to lose the weight and fear gaining it back again. I'd also like to point out that being 150 or 120 doesn't mean that you're healthy. I had pre- diabetes at 160. You'd probably consider that skinny, too.

    Please, please be supportive. This girl has a legitimate question and wants to make sure she's doing what she can to honor her hard work and keep healthy. Have some respect. And if all else fails, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it all.
  • daddymoofle
    daddymoofle Posts: 12 Member
    Spaingirl2011: Please, please be supportive. This girl has a legitimate question and wants to make sure she's doing what she can to honor her hard work and keep healthy. Have some respect. And if all else fails, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it all.

    QFT. There's enough trolling and random hate on the Internet as is it - we come here to feel safe and supported, not to get unabashed hate.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    I tried being nice but the gloves are off now.

    There is NO NEED to come in to a thread and start skinny-bashing. Just because you think 120 is really small does not mean it is for everyone. I am REALLY REALLY short and have 6 pack goals. I should be between 110 and 120 and am 122. So while you think I should be "happy" , I STILL HAVE GOALS I AM TRYING TO REACH, JUST LIKE YOU.

    Height is a big factor in weight goals. To some tall people, 150 and size 8 is ideal. For me, 110 and size 2 is. I would be a whale if I was 150. In fact I didn't even get there with either pregnancy.


    @Cassie: You admitted twice you have no clue. If you don't know what you're talking about, don't give advice. To make a comment like "Testostorone? Where did you pluck that comment up from?", when the statement was INDEED A FACT, shows serious ignorance.
    Try asking questions and reading and absorbing information, instead of telling the educated people they're wrong.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Thanks for posting about this. I don't have any useful information for you beyond what others have said, but since I am closing in on my goal weight, I am really interested in what people respond.

    As for the wet cats in the sack, does anyone know where I can find the popcorn macro? :ohwell:
  • girlie100
    girlie100 Posts: 646 Member
    BeautifulKris: Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    You're mad that people are complaining about meeting their goals and then going off-track?

    Forget the NUMBER, it's irrelevant - she came here asking for help, not *****ing because she's 120 lbs. You've lost 55 lbs. so far - that's awesome. How would you feel if someone that was 300+ came in here and complained because you just *****ed about being 281?

    She worked hard, got down to where she wanted to be, and then gained weight and couldn't figure out why. The point to this thread wasn't "oh noes, I'm 120 lbs., feel bad for me". :sad:

    Read first.

    ^^^well said

    The TDEE calcs may be a little off for you as everyone is suggesting, try adjusting 50-100 cals a day for a couple of weeks. You will need your calories when you start lifting heavy :)

    Good luck and well done :)
  • gaiareeves
    gaiareeves Posts: 292 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    People who work to lose weight have every damn right to be worried if they're gaining a few lbs.

    I'm 5'3.5". At 150lbs, I was overweight. And therefore yes, if I somehow ended back up at that weight, I'd damn well be worried about it.

    Be "thankful"? No. I am not thankful for being 128lbs now. Why? Because I wasn't blessed with being naturally small. I worked my *kitten* off to get to this size, and I will continue to work my *kitten* off until I get to my goal, and then I will be damn finicky about maintaining that goal. Being "thankful" implies this was somehow given to me, and it wasn't. I did this all by myself and therefore I have nothing to be thankful for.

    What is the point in losing weight and reaching a size you're happy with, only to think well "It doesn't matter if I gain 5/10/15/20lbs, as long as I'm under x weight"? That is how people end up back at square one all over again, because they reach their goals and then don't successfully maintain.

    Maintenance is a huge part of losing weight. This isn't a quick fix, this is a plan for life. So if she's not got the maintenance balance right then of course she's going to be worried about it. It's easy to say "You shouldn't complain because I'm x amount heavier than you," but how would you like it if someone 400lbs was saying that to you? You'd think "bull****, that doesn't change the fact that I want to lose x amount of lbs and weigh x much."

    At 180lbs, I worried about gaining.
    At 128lbs, I worry about gaining.
    And at my goal, I'll still worry about gaining.

    I have no intention of going straight back to square one the moment I reach my target.
  • girlie100
    girlie100 Posts: 646 Member
    I tried being nice but the gloves are off now.

    There is NO NEED to come in to a thread and start skinny-bashing. Just because you think 120 is really small does not mean it is for everyone. I am REALLY REALLY short and have 6 pack goals. I should be between 110 and 120 and am 122. So while you think I should be "happy" , I STILL HAVE GOALS I AM TRYING TO REACH, JUST LIKE YOU.

    Height is a big factor in weight goals. To some tall people, 150 and size 8 is ideal. For me, 110 and size 2 is. I would be a whale if I was 150. In fact I didn't even get there with either pregnancy.

    Indeed!! last time I checked this site was myFITNESSpal, its for anyone whether they have 300lb or 1lb to loose, stay the same or even gain weight!!! It really annoys me when people start piping up about other peoples weight loss goals!!! grr
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    I know this might not be that helpful, but 123 pounds at 5'8'' is pretty thin. Have you been this weight before? Your body might be telling you something.

    PS: I'm not skinny bashing. I am thin, too, and I know my body doesn't really like to go below a certain weight. I'm just throwing it out there.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    . If you don't know what you're talking about, don't give advice. To make a comment like "Testostorone? Where did you pluck that comment up from?", when the statement was INDEED A FACT, shows serious ignorance.
    Try asking questions and reading and absorbing information, instead of telling the educated people they're wrong.

    This.
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    I so feel you, OP. I've gained somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10-12 lbs, even though my measurements have not changed, and my clothes still fit. It's such a bugger!

    As has been noted, could be water, or sodium, or slightly off numbers. Personally, I've increased my cardio a bit and started lifting weights, and I'm noticing that my tummy is looking flatter, so I guess the scale # doesn't matter too much in that case! I think, since you're maintaining, it may just be a matter of playing around with your numbers and your exercise to see what's going to work best.

    I wish I knew of something solid to suggest, but I really just wanted to sympathize!
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
    I know this might not be that helpful, but 123 pounds at 5'8'' is pretty thin. Have you been this weight before? Your body might be telling you something.

    PS: I'm not skinny bashing. I am thin, too, and I know my body doesn't really like to go below a certain weight. I'm just throwing it out there.

    Good point! I am just shy of 5'7 and am within the healthy bmi range (not that that means anything really!) I've not been this thin before but then I have never eaten so well before and I also used to drink lots of alcohol (none now or very rarely), so I don't really know what my body wants to do now I've improved my diet. As a kid I was always tall and thin but then at secondary school and uni I used to eat far too much of the wrong things. I guess now I look more like I did before I started being so greedy lol!
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
    I so feel you, OP. I've gained somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10-12 lbs, even though my measurements have not changed, and my clothes still fit. It's such a bugger!

    As has been noted, could be water, or sodium, or slightly off numbers. Personally, I've increased my cardio a bit and started lifting weights, and I'm noticing that my tummy is looking flatter, so I guess the scale # doesn't matter too much in that case! I think, since you're maintaining, it may just be a matter of playing around with your numbers and your exercise to see what's going to work best.

    I wish I knew of something solid to suggest, but I really just wanted to sympathize!

    Thank you :flowerforyou: I feel your pain lol! Sooooo annoying isn't it!!
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    Thank you :flowerforyou: I feel your pain lol! Sooooo annoying isn't it!!


    Annoying is right! Good luck with your maintenace :)
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
    Thank you :flowerforyou: I feel your pain lol! Sooooo annoying isn't it!!


    Annoying is right! Good luck with your maintenace :)

    you too! God I'm starving! TIme for (healthy) lunch!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Hmmm... Eating at maintenance, and over eating on the weekends. This sounds pretty obvious to me.

    Once you're back at maintenance there's no such thing as a "cheat day." Eating over maintenance = weight gain.
  • RawrWolfie
    RawrWolfie Posts: 64 Member
    yeah i freak out when i gain 2-3 pounds too hehe, nothing to worry about just normal body fluctuations..what ir eally find helps OP is to stepping off the scale and not use it only use it once a week ya know?
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
    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 can understand the freak out. If someone weighs 123, as the OP was prior to her 5 lbs weight gain, she gained about 0.04, or 4% of her weight back.

    If you weigh 230 and you gain 4% of your weight, it would be about 9 lbs.

    For me, I weigh 242 right now and if I gained 4% of my weight, I would be gaining 9.7 lbs. YIKES! That'd freak me out too. :noway: Shoot, who am I kidding? I freak out even when I see a 1lb gain, lol.
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!

    Hope this helps add some perspective for you. See my previous comment on the OP weight gain of 4%. Now to do the math for you:

    You are at 281 right now. If you gained 4% of your weight, it would equate to about 11 lbs. I'm pretty sure if you gained 11 pounds, you would be a little worried as well. :wink:
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member

    Once you're back at maintenance there's no such thing as a "cheat day." Eating over maintenance = weight gain.

    hmmm, I never thought of it like that though as you say it's pretty obvious!! Thanks for posting :)
  • RawrWolfie
    RawrWolfie Posts: 64 Member
    Flissbo, you need to stop stepping on the scale every 5 mins. The human body can fluctuate 5 pounds give or take (water, sodium, bacon) you will fluctuate. If you stepping on it once a week u may see more consistant result?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Old habits die hard. The one key to remember about maintenance, and this makes it easier for me, aim for a weekly goal instead of daily. This is where intermittent fasting can be a great thing, especially Eat Stop Eat. You can Google it for all the info, but the basic premise of Eat Stop Eat is to mix in one or two fasting days into your schedule, based on need, desire, or convenience. And a fasting day just means skip breakfast and lunch.

    So what that allows me to do, in say an extreme example, let's say I know I'm going out with friends on the weekend, and I know I'm gonna eat 3000 calories over maintenance because of it (beer, food, dessert, not unthinkable.) I might incorporate 2 fasting days during the week, and only eat a 500 calorie dinner those 2 days. Using a base of 2000 calories for maintenance, that means I've created a 3000 calorie deficit. 3000 under during the week plus 3000 over on the weekend evens out to normal maintenance.

    Obviously those numbers are extremes, just for example, but the same concepts can apply no matter what the actual numbers are. Weekly planning is infinitely less stressful and easier to manage than a daily goal.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Flissbo, you need to stop stepping on the scale every 5 mins. The human body can fluctuate 5 pounds give or take (water, sodium, bacon) you will fluctuate. If you stepping on it once a week u may see more consistant result?
    She's talking about a 5 pound gain over 3 months, that's not just a water fluctuation.
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Just gonna say this. I honestly HATE it when people complain when they are 120 pounds, lower or even higher then that upto 150.. . You gotta be thankful that you are that slim! It shouldn't matter if you gain weight or not. Come on.. You won't look it. Believe me.. And I don't care about the bashers but geeze! Live a little. You only live once!! For god sakes I am 281!! Try being that heavy!!!
    And that's what I told myself...20lbs ago :wink:
    It takes work to manage your weight regardless of your size. I've successfully lost weight several times in my life, but have yet to be successful at long term maintenance.
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
    Flissbo, you need to stop stepping on the scale every 5 mins. The human body can fluctuate 5 pounds give or take (water, sodium, bacon) you will fluctuate. If you stepping on it once a week u may see more consistant result?
    She's talking about a 5 pound gain over 3 months, that's not just a water fluctuation.

    Yeah I don't think it's water cos I've just had a week off from exercise (apart from lots of walking on holiday) and the weight was still there when I got back. I was hoping it would be gone lol! Think maybe the days where I've gone over maintainance have done it. Either that or it's taking my body a long time to adjust?
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
    Old habits die hard. The one key to remember about maintenance, and this makes it easier for me, aim for a weekly goal instead of daily. This is where intermittent fasting can be a great thing, especially Eat Stop Eat. You can Google it for all the info, but the basic premise of Eat Stop Eat is to mix in one or two fasting days into your schedule, based on need, desire, or convenience. And a fasting day just means skip breakfast and lunch.

    So what that allows me to do, in say an extreme example, let's say I know I'm going out with friends on the weekend, and I know I'm gonna eat 3000 calories over maintenance because of it (beer, food, dessert, not unthinkable.) I might incorporate 2 fasting days during the week, and only eat a 500 calorie dinner those 2 days. Using a base of 2000 calories for maintenance, that means I've created a 3000 calorie deficit. 3000 under during the week plus 3000 over on the weekend evens out to normal maintenance.

    Obviously those numbers are extremes, just for example, but the same concepts can apply no matter what the actual numbers are. Weekly planning is infinitely less stressful and easier to manage than a daily goal.

    I see the concept here indeed, I do not follow exactly above, but do zigzagging to allow for beer,treats weekend. I have maintained about a year. It is much harder then losing! And i am 117 and weigh in monthly, I never worry within 5ibs . I also did NRULES and increased cals. Check out the new rules group to get more info. Good luck, I know it can be frustrating:-)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Flissbo, you need to stop stepping on the scale every 5 mins. The human body can fluctuate 5 pounds give or take (water, sodium, bacon) you will fluctuate. If you stepping on it once a week u may see more consistant result?
    She's talking about a 5 pound gain over 3 months, that's not just a water fluctuation.

    Yeah I don't think it's water cos I've just had a week off from exercise (apart from lots of walking on holiday) and the weight was still there when I got back. I was hoping it would be gone lol! Think maybe the days where I've gone over maintainance have done it. Either that or it's taking my body a long time to adjust?
    Again, it's not day to day, you have to think weekly. So yes, if you're eating at maintenance 5 days a week, and then eating more than that 2 days a week, then for the week you are over maintenance and will gain weight. Same if you eat at maintenance 5 days a week, then eat under 2 days a week, you will lose weight.

    It's different when you are in a calorie deficit every day, so even when you go over on the weekend, you will still be in a deficit for the week, but once you hit maintenance, any overages will be just that, over.