Gaining 10 lbs a month

Options
akjone02
akjone02 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I've gained 20 lbs in the last 2 months, almost exactly 10 lbs each month. For a couple years I've been tracking calories with "Lose It!" and it just hasn't worked. Last month I gained 10lbs suddenly so I switched to myfitnesspal to shake things up. This program lowered my plan by about 200 calories so I think that's a step in the right direction. However, a month later and I've gained another 10 lbs.

Some info: I'm 29, Male 6'1'' and 225lbs 2 months ago. My job is 8 hours at a desk, extremely sedentary, but I'm an active runner, biker, and swimmer, and I whitewater canoe. During this 2 month period I was training for a canoe race (2 weeks ago) a 15k (the race was a week ago) and I'm currently training for a triathlon (next weekend).

I know I don't have my fitness journal open for viewing. In the past on loseit! people would check out my food journal, scroll back till the last time they saw a slice of pizza, and promptly proclaim "Where there's your problem!" and that would be the end of any advice I could get. My average calories for the last 30 days has been just over 2000 per day. My BMR is listed as 2125 by the calculator on this site. I understand that I probably won't be losing weight with those numbers, but for this last month I was aiming just to maintain. I have a food scale and weigh every oz of food I eat, I'm confident in the accuracy of my calories. I can also guarantee this wasn't 20 lbs of muscle, my clothes no longer fit correctly.

Any ideas as to how I seem to generate energy from nowhere would be appreciated.
«13

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    to gain 10 lbs in a month while keeping an eye on calorie intake is significant, much less 20 in 2 months. That much weight gain is actually hard to do. You would need to be overeating about 8750 calories per week (1250/day). Your BMR is about 2200 calories and your TDEE is around 2600, so you would need to be NETTING 3850 calories per day to gain that kind of weight.

    If you are being honest about your calorie intake and exercise, you might want to see a doctor and have some testing done.
  • akjone02
    akjone02 Posts: 9
    Options
    For calories, I do my best to overestimate whenever I'm not sure about something, but I measure and weigh absolutely everything. I look at it like this: even if I'm somehow off, I can't possibly be off by 1500+ calories a day which is, as you say, what I would need to be gaining this kind of weight.

    On Lose It! I followed my plan religiously and maintained for 2 years without gaining or losing. (In theory their plan had me losing 2 lbs a week... it never happened). The only time I've ever actually lost weight was before that. I dropped 60 lbs in 2 years, but I wasn't tracking calories at the time. I was eating next to nothing and training up to my first marathon (breakfast was a granola bar, lunch was yogurt and apple, etc). When I started tracking calories I realized I was only at like 1200 calories a day net. People keep telling me that's not healthy but it's the only way I ever lost, and now I'm gaining it back :(
  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member
    Options
    I would see your doctor. There are several problems (thyroid for example) that can cause rapid weight gain.
  • akjone02
    akjone02 Posts: 9
    Options
    Thanks for the replies. I went in to see my doctor about the alarming gain. Both he and the nurses replied with "wow" when I told them how much I was up in such a short time. Their scale agreed with mine, although their last weigh-in of me was almost a year ago, the doctor stated that even 20 lbs in a year would be something to watch.

    However he found "nothing medically wrong." He suggested that I speak with a nutritionist about my diet. I told him how I'm tracking my foods, but I could tell he was very skeptical. I don't blame him, or anyone on the forums who doesn't believe my calorie numbers. I wouldn't believe it if someone told me they were at a calorie deficit and still gaining this kind of weight.

    Doing my triathlon tomorrow and feeling pretty darn bloated for it, but not much I can do unfortunately.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Options
    What's your sodium intake and how much water are you drinking? water weight is at least partly the answer as I agree 10 pounds in a month is hard to do.
  • laurazj73
    laurazj73 Posts: 12
    Options
    Are you taking any medications? Some specific medications, especially antidepressants, can cause weight gain.
  • akjone02
    akjone02 Posts: 9
    Options
    I'm not taking any anti depressants, my only medication is a prescription for my heartburn. My prescription/dosage hasn't changed in a couple years.

    Unfortunately I haven't been tracking my water or sodium intake. My sodium is kind-of tracked with the foods I put in, but I'm not 100% accurate with the 'brand' of my entries. For example, if I make homemade leek soup, I add generic leek soup of the appropriate calorie amount in MFP. If I make lasagna, I figure out how many calories per corner it is then add "Lasagna-homemade" to track the calories. I've never had problems with high blood pressure, etc so I've never closely tracked my salt.
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    Options
    For things you make at home you can make your own recipe in the tracker and add the calories to your diary that way to ensure it is the most accurate it can be. Always try to find the exact item that you are eating as the calories and nutritional information in the database is wrong a lot of the time (at least for the things I'm looking for).

    Are you sure your scale is correct? Maybe you gained less than what you think even though clothing is a touch tighter? Sodium could be the cause of the gain.... Possibly an intolerance of some sort that is making you bloat?
  • akjone02
    akjone02 Posts: 9
    Options
    In the 2 weeks since i last checked this topic ive stopped 'eating back' my calories from exercising. For example, this last weekend i averaged 800 calories under my program each day ( which is itself about 1000 calories per day under my maintenence). This change has slowed the weight gain from 5 lbs to 3, but ive still gained 3 more lbs.

    Im about at the end of my rope. Yesterday i couldnt finish an easy 6 mile run i was just so tired, and the doctor says im fine medically, but i cant stop gaining weight. I appreciate the replies people are posting here, but honestly, will tweaking my sodium or carbs possibly compensate for 23 lbs in a month and a half when im already sooo far under my calorie limits?
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    no, you don't have 23 lbs of water weight. I would go get a 2nd opinion and print out your food and exercise logs for the past month to show the doctors. I would also insist on bloodwork.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    by the way, what is your average calorie intake for the last couple of weeks? You can run a report to see quickly.

    And you might want to open your diary so we can see your log.
  • youcandooeet
    youcandooeet Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    This has to be something medical. I agree, get a second opinion.

    Did the doctor even do any testing?
  • ZipperJJ
    ZipperJJ Posts: 209 Member
    Options
    What does your doctor mean by "medically fine"? Did he do any tests or just talk to you? Any blood work?

    I agree with the above poster who says you need to put your own recipes in to MFP and track that way.
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    This might seem like a stupid question, but are you sure that you've gained that much weight and it's not just a faulty scale? Are your clothes fitting tighter or do you look physically bigger?
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Options
    Have you ever had your heart checked? Heart disease causes massive water retention and causes weight gain because of it. I realize that you are very active and watch what you eat, but young athletes die suddenly because they were unaware of a heart problem.

    I highly recommend that you get in to see a cardiologist right away. With your rapid weight gain, heart burn and fatigue, there is definitely something wrong. I'm no doctor, but I have several family members with heart disease, and these are the warning signs of heart attack. Have you been tested for sleep apnea as well? Also can be a contributing factor to heart failure.

    Go to a Cardiologist ASAP!
  • grandlakegirl
    grandlakegirl Posts: 1
    Options
    you are probably adding muscle mass since you are training
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    you are probably adding muscle mass since you are training

    ???

    Do you know how hard it is to gain 23 lb of muscle? Much less in 2 months? This is something else.
  • Marianeyda
    Marianeyda Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    you are probably adding muscle mass since you are training

    she would be able to see the diffrence in her inches!
  • ElviraCross
    ElviraCross Posts: 331 Member
    Options
    he*
  • grannygethealthy1111
    grannygethealthy1111 Posts: 422
    Options
    First, open your diary so we can see what you are eating and how much you are exercising. If you are measuring and weighing all of your food and recording it daily and you are gaining weight on 1200 calories, you need to seek a 2nd opinion from another doctor.

    Are you on any medications? Steroids for asthma or arthritis, beta-blockers, antidepressants, or diabetic medications? All can cause weight gain. Your doctor needs to check you for hypothyroidism and for Cushing's syndrome ... both can cause this kind of weight gain and give you a complete physical. So can lack of sleep. So can extreme stress. So can recently quitting smoking. So can heart failure.

    You are a young man, so whatever is going on will probably be something that is easy to fix. Go get a 2nd opinion and good luck!

Categories