Serious Ques That Sounds "Unbelievable"...

cepark137

... I have read, listened, done trial & error, read some more, (on top of being under the supervision of my primary care doctor)...

If I eat a NET of more than 800-1000 calories, I gain.

I started this journey in July 2011 at 287 pounds. I reached a low in April 2012 of 235. This morning, I was 247. Since then, we have gone on our anniversary vacation (2 weeks in Hawaii in May), we've had 2 birthday parties, and quite a few cookouts with friends. I will openly admit that I didn't do much in the way of "keeping tabs" on my consumption during those times.

When we got back from Hawaii, I was 240. And in between all the parties, I *have* done due diligence in monitoring my intake.

However, I have been stuck in the 235-245 range since the end of February.

I went back to the doctor in June, after struggling to find my "groove" - those initial 40 pounds went away and stayed away - but its been a struggle ever since. I have read that I should increase calories, decrease working out (I do 5 days a week, MOST of the time),/change my workouts (which I've done), and that my program which was NET 750 calories wasn't healthy.

I changed it to NET 1200 (based on some Fat 2 Fit, I believe? calculations I saw posted on this site) and whenever I go OVER 800 calories, no matter what KIND of calories they are, I experience a gain. It absolutely never fails.

So, I apologize for being long winded, but I am hoping that SOMEONE here has experienced this, and can help me understand, which is why I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

ANYone understand this?????

I'm beyond -- I mean REALLLLLLY beyond -- frustrated.

TIA!

AllisonST

what is your physician telling you?

Jesse_Hunter

Have you considered raw foods?


http://www.icallthisliving.com

cepark137

Sorry, I left that part out:

My doctor had me on Phentermine (appetite suppressant) July/Aug/Sept 2011, off in Oct and Nov, on again in Dec. Off in Jan. On in Feb. Then off for good.

When I went back in June, he gave me another prescription for Phentermine (it worked before, right?).

But my issue (and I'll bring this up next time I see him) isn't that I'm eating "too much" - it's that, from what I've read, eating even HALF of what I should (to maintain) shows me gaining.

Before I talk about THAT with him, I was hoping someone HERE had actually EXPERIENCED it, so I can try to better understand it myself, y'know?

Thx!

Raw foods: I haven't considered that at all, it's hard enough doing this with a husband and 2 kids to cook for, shop for, etc... I try to eat what everyone else eats - just less of it, prepared with better ingredients - (after all, I can't eat "my own way" forever -- the point of all this, or so my doctor said, was to be able to eat anything and everything, just as long as it's within the boundaries of maintenance (whatever that happens to be for me when I get to that point)).

Sorry again for being long winded. I hope that helps!

hairsprayhon

Tia, Congrats on the anniversary and the anniversary trip to Hawaii, I am sure it was awesome! I have been and am very close to where you are right now. From past experience losing 100 pounds and then regaining 70 because of broken ankles I know that there are times when nothing seems to make sense. Number one thing is DO NOT GIVE UP!
Our normal response is to eat less and that is not always the answer. Think of your body as a car. If your car is running sluggish, would your response be to give it less gas? It might just need a tune up. And it sounds like your routine needs a tuneup. I think our bodies are programmed to hold on to fat as much as possible because one day we might be starving. And our bodies are so efficient that if they see that we are doing the same things over and over again, they will adjust and figure out how to go back to saving the fat!
Instead of cutting calories, try to figure out how to speed up the metabolism.
Try switching things up, exercise every day but do something different and always include strength training each week. As Jesse said what about raw foods? Calories don't equal nutrition. Less processed foods move through you and make energy more efficiently. Janet

michellekicks

Read this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

... for some insight. I think your problem may be similar.

lauraniwa

Has your doc referred you to a dietician? I was also struggling with weight gain in the face of lowered intake/increased exercise, and she gave me some great tips on macronutrient timing. It also never hurts to get a second opinion of your food log, a new set of eyes to spot something you've missed?
Good luck. Laura.

Roanokejoe2

Are you using a heart rate monitor when you work out?

cepark137

Read this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

... for some insight. I think your problem may be similar.

Hi!

Thanks for the reply!

This is similar to what I had read before. Which is what lead me to that Fat 2 Fit calculator, where I got my BMR, etc.. My calorie goal was 1900. I did that for several weeks, and gained. I dropped it (which was advised by the same calculator) and still gained. It was SLOW gaining, but it was a gain just the same.

Consider, in 8 weeks or so, I'm basically up a pound a week.

Before, I was down 1-2 a week, which was considered a healthy-loss by my doc.

But that only happened at NET <1000 calories a day (usually 750-800, but sometimes I did hit 1000).

I should only have taken 2 weeks to "readjust" to the new consumption, right?

*sigh*

cepark137

Are you using a heart rate monitor when you work out?

Yes I am, as suggested by my doctor.

cepark137

Has your doc referred you to a dietician? I was also struggling with weight gain in the face of lowered intake/increased exercise, and she gave me some great tips on macronutrient timing. It also never hurts to get a second opinion of your food log, a new set of eyes to spot something you've missed?
Good luck. Laura.

Hi Laura,

My doctor is basically my dietician (he specializes in this sort of thing, even though he's a primary care physician).

He has/had been so pleased (despite me weighing in 4 pounds heavier last visit) with my success, he's not really advised me to do anything different. It's only through this LONG period of struggle that I've tried to fix it myself. Last visit, he told me to stop and go back to what I was doing, and gave me more Phen.

That was in the beginning of June, and it's mid-July, and I've only gained 3 more pounds and can't figure out why, but I just want to cry.

mcarter99

I don't think it's scientifically possible to gain mass at a true caloric deficit. So either your estimate of what you burn is wrong, or of what you intake, or both (most of us it's both). Or water weight is messing with you. But a pound a week of water weight for 8 weeks sounds fishy.

I'm not a believer in "not eating enough to lose weight" because it's not something you see in any studies or in the medical community. You see 3500 calories = 1 pound.

Could it possibly be your tracking? Do you track all days, even holidays? Do you have cheat meals or days that don't get tracked? Can you try a week without exercising or without 'eating back' to remove that estimate from the equation?

michellekicks

I should only have taken 2 weeks to "readjust" to the new consumption, right?

*sigh*

I don't think that's true. I think it can take quite a few more weeks... if you check out the group "Eat More to Weight Less" (click the "groups" heading up above) and read about the metabolic reset, it's suggested you do it for 8 full weeks before resuming a cut.

Just check out the group and read the stickies. It may not be for you, but it may be just what you need. Some weight gain is to be expected during the process though.

vim_n_vigor

How long have tried the increased calories? It can take 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust to the increased calories, and sometimes you just have to suck it up and let your body get used to being fed again.

Sharyn913

Can you make your food diary public so we may see it and offer helpful suggestions?

erickirb

sounds like you beat up your metabolism (usually done from chronic under eating) or you have a thyroid issue).

Other possible issues:
-You may be eating more than you think you are (are you weighing all solids and measuring liquids)?
-You may be burning less than you think you are (what type of HRM and are you only using it for cardio activity, will over estimate other activities, and are you backing out your maintenance cals from the total as you HRM gives you total cals burned, which includes what you would have burned had you not worked out which is included in MFP daily caloric allowance.)
-Are you under a lot of stress?

taso42

Chances are that there are inaccuracies in the way you're measuring food and/or exercise.

ArroganceInStep

Since you reference net calories, what is your average gross intake and what is your average energy expenditure from exercise? What activities do you count towards exercise and is there anything that you leave out (both for food and activity)?

Yanicka1

Wow, this is a hard one. I have seen metabolism reset done that could take up tp 6 months.

Sarauk2sf

How accurately have you been measuring/weighing food?

Has you doctor tested you for thyroid or other medical issues?

LaurenAOK

I'm not a doctor or an expert. That being said my only idea about this is that after netting 750 for a long time, your metabolism got screwed up. Now when you eat a healthy amount of calories, you're gaining. It is fixable but it will definitely take some patience. Read this post:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

kGagnon064

My love, have you ever had your thyroid checked and if so what was your TSH??

Krista Gagnon RPh, Bsc.Phm, CGP

animatorswearbras

can you open your diary to public, there may be some clues in there for some of the experts on here.

AmyLRed

I should only have taken 2 weeks to "readjust" to the new consumption, right?

*sigh*

I don't think that's true. I think it can take quite a few more weeks... if you check out the group "Eat More to Weight Less" (click the "groups" heading up above) and read about the metabolic reset, it's suggested you do it for 8 full weeks before resuming a cut.

Just check out the group and read the stickies. It may not be for you, but it may be just what you need. Some weight gain is to be expected during the process though.

THIS!!! ^^^^
It will take more than 2 weeks, especially since you have been eating so low for so long. You will likely see an initial gain, then maintenance, then start losing again. Check out the group as the previous poster mentioned. In that group they advise giving it a full 6 weeks before you change the plan or give up. It really can make a huge difference. Hang in there!

tansygreen

It does sound like maybe a thyroid problem. A friend of mine has had the same trouble, but once she was put on medication for her underactive thyroid, a few weeks later she started watching her calories again and the weight just started dropping off. She was so amazed as she had been struggling with this for years.

If not, then like others have said it could well be the measurements of food or calories burned. I don't know what you're doing about measuring calories burned and eating them back, but they can be really overestimated. I totally believe in eating back exercise calories, I just don't trust the estimates of how many are burned during certain activities.

Good luck, definitely check out the thyroid thing your doctor can test for this really easily.

Helloitsdan

... I have read, listened, done trial & error, read some more, (on top of being under the supervision of my primary care doctor)...

If I eat a NET of more than 800-1000 calories, I gain.

I started this journey in July 2011 at 287 pounds. I reached a low in April 2012 of 235. This morning, I was 247. Since then, we have gone on our anniversary vacation (2 weeks in Hawaii in May), we've had 2 birthday parties, and quite a few cookouts with friends. I will openly admit that I didn't do much in the way of "keeping tabs" on my consumption during those times.

When we got back from Hawaii, I was 240. And in between all the parties, I *have* done due diligence in monitoring my intake.

However, I have been stuck in the 235-245 range since the end of February.

I went back to the doctor in June, after struggling to find my "groove" - those initial 40 pounds went away and stayed away - but its been a struggle ever since. I have read that I should increase calories, decrease working out (I do 5 days a week, MOST of the time),/change my workouts (which I've done), and that my program which was NET 750 calories wasn't healthy.

I changed it to NET 1200 (based on some Fat 2 Fit, I believe? calculations I saw posted on this site) and whenever I go OVER 800 calories, no matter what KIND of calories they are, I experience a gain. It absolutely never fails.

So, I apologize for being long winded, but I am hoping that SOMEONE here has experienced this, and can help me understand, which is why I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

ANYone understand this?????

I'm beyond -- I mean REALLLLLLY beyond -- frustrated.

TIA!

You dont know what you are doing.

Fire your doctor and hire me.

Read this:http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This will start you out on the right foot.

People who gain on more than 1000cals a day are people with gastric bypass and people who are 2 foot tall.

usmcmp

I don't think it's scientifically possible to gain mass at a true caloric deficit. So either your estimate of what you burn is wrong, or of what you intake, or both (most of us it's both). Or water weight is messing with you. But a pound a week of water weight for 8 weeks sounds fishy.

Could it possibly be your tracking? Do you track all days, even holidays? Do you have cheat meals or days that don't get tracked? Can you try a week without exercising or without 'eating back' to remove that estimate from the equation?

I have to agree. Unfortunately 99.99% of people who say they are gaining on a deficit aren't logging 100%. A nibble here and there add up. There have been studies that show people who say they gain on 1000 calories actually lose when they are locked up and fed exactly that many.

richiefixo

babe! i totally get where you are at..i have been there too... but thankfully i figured it out quickly. YOU NEED TO NET AT 1400 - 1500 for a looooooooooooooooong time!.....the initial gain you experience is not fat rather its water. the more carbs you take in the more water your body holds. 1g of glycogen holds about 4 grams of water....so the extra calories that consists of carbs will hold (the extra) X 4g of water weight. you have to be consistent at your new net and allow your body enough time to adjust to the new caloric intake and work itself around it. any lower is dangerous and you risk regain once you "take a break". Keep working out.....shuffle your intensity. so one day gooo very hard the other day light and stretching,....medium etc....shock your body back into weight loss mode and dont forget to lift weights! you will not gain bulky muscles i promise you....

I hope i have been able to help....feel free to contact me for more info. iv been through it all! (I think) hehe.

Stay beautiful

Richard

DoOrDoNotThereIsNoTry1

Have you seen an endocrinologist? This may be more than calories in calories out. I would have your thyroid checked as well as your resistance to insulin.
Are you also drinking enough water?
I personally think 700-800 calories is way to low...couple that with appetite pills, I think your body is just plain confused.
I would get your hormones tested and speak to a nutritionist. Your primary care physician has had maybe 2 hours of education in form of nutrition. Good luck.

mcarter99

Even with thyroid issues, it's calories in vs. out, it's just that the 'calories out' is lower than the calculators predict. But definitely see a doctor.

NoAdditives

Definitely give yourself more time at a higher caloric intake.