Caloric Intake and weight gain... HELP!!

dmcgregor99

I work in an office during the day, but I go to the gym on average about 4-5 times a week - usually before work, and sometimes after work as well. I do mostly cardio - and usually moderate to high intensity cardio (intervals, etc.) for 30-45 minutes a session. I have recently started adding weight machines to my workouts as well

I have to work to consume 1200 GOOD calories a day.....I don't eat much, and haven't for probably a couple of years. I have gotten used to eating foods that are high in content, but low in calories - such as salads with salsa, a lot of vegetables, steel-cut oats, low calorie yogurt, egg white omelettes, etc.....I don't use condiments much, no butter when I cook, I grille any meats I cook, etc. I am sure I could eat well over 1200 calories easily if I let myself eat bagles and pizza and wings, etc.....but I know that would be bad.

The problem is.....my jeans are starting to get tight, and I am HIGHLY aware that I am gaining a little weight - despite the gym, and despite my calorie intake. I HATE how I feel right now, and it makes me want to cut my eating in half and double my workouts......but I know that's not healthy.

I had a trainer tell me that I needed to eat around 1600 calories a day to lose weight.....well.....I'm trying that, and it is HARD to find 1600 GOOD calories a day, but I'm trying it....for a couple of weeks. I'm gaining, and freaking out.....and want to go back down to my 1000 per day again.

So here I am....I think I am stuck in the "starvation mode" cycle, and I am too scared to eat more to get myself out of it....because I know I will gain if I do. The irrational part of me says to stop eating and live at the gym.....how do you guys get past the "gaining weight" part, to get to the "losing weight" part, without hating the weight gain??

Also, I have noticed that I recently have picked up a new habit of NEEDING sugars after my healthy dinners where I have never had that issue before.. any thoughts on what my body may be needing???

So....let's hear it. At this point I am willing to try just about anything to get back to how I want my body to be.....I want my jeans to feel loose again, and to be happy with myself.

metalvegan

I would listen to your trainer. Don't weigh in for at least a week (longer if you can do it - I'm a twice a day weigher myself) and eat 1600 calories. Read your friends' diaries to see how they get 1600. My goal is 1500-1750 a day. Once you get out of that 1200, I promise you'll feel better! And you'll lose weight!

RuthieCass

I work in an office during the day, but I go to the gym on average about 4-5 times a week - usually before work, and sometimes after work as well. I do mostly cardio - and usually moderate to high intensity cardio (intervals, etc.) for 30-45 minutes a session. I have recently started adding weight machines to my workouts as well

I have to work to consume 1200 GOOD calories a day.....I don't eat much, and haven't for probably a couple of years. I have gotten used to eating foods that are high in content, but low in calories - such as salads with salsa, a lot of vegetables, steel-cut oats, low calorie yogurt, egg white omelettes, etc.....I don't use condiments much, no butter when I cook, I grille any meats I cook, etc. I am sure I could eat well over 1200 calories easily if I let myself eat bagles and pizza and wings, etc.....but I know that would be bad.

The problem is.....my jeans are starting to get tight, and I am HIGHLY aware that I am gaining a little weight - despite the gym, and despite my calorie intake. I HATE how I feel right now, and it makes me want to cut my eating in half and double my workouts......but I know that's not healthy.

I had a trainer tell me that I needed to eat around 1600 calories a day to lose weight.....well.....I'm trying that, and it is HARD to find 1600 GOOD calories a day, but I'm trying it....for a couple of weeks. I'm gaining, and freaking out.....and want to go back down to my 1000 per day again.

So here I am....I think I am stuck in the "starvation mode" cycle, and I am too scared to eat more to get myself out of it....because I know I will gain if I do. The irrational part of me says to stop eating and live at the gym.....how do you guys get past the "gaining weight" part, to get to the "losing weight" part, without hating the weight gain??

Also, I have noticed that I recently have picked up a new habit of NEEDING sugars after my healthy dinners where I have never had that issue before.. any thoughts on what my body may be needing???

So....let's hear it. At this point I am willing to try just about anything to get back to how I want my body to be.....I want my jeans to feel loose again, and to be happy with myself.

You sound very stressed and your body is likely to be very stressed (eating very little calories for 2 years +?). Stress causes your hormones to be out of balance and your body to hold on to weight. I'd suggest that you take a full diet break, for more than just a couple weeks. Try 1-2 months. It doesn't look like you have a lot of weight to lose, so a full break will do you good. I'd also suggest that you cut back on the exercise, especially cardio, while you take a break. If you want to do something, do some low-intensity, calming walking instead. Maybe do some yoga/meditation as well and RELAX. Once you have given your body enough time to de-stress, your body will be ready to let go of weight once you start cutting calories again. I'd also suggest that you don't pay much attention to the scale during this time-- you will likely see your weight jump up a bit, but it'll mostly be water weight. That's nothing to be alarmed about.

Also, you seem to think that fats are not "GOOD" calories. But fats, except maybe trans fats, are perfectly healthy in moderation. E.g., I take a fish oil supplement nearly every day. I think the most important thing you need to work on right now is fixing your relationship with food and calories instead of worrying about how much to cut/what exercise to do. Good luck.

kdiamond

I agree. If you're 100% sure you are counting calories correctly, it sounds like you need a diet break. 1-2 weeks of eating at maintenance, or in other words, not worrying too much about your intake. I'd still keep to the healthier foods, just less stressing about calories in/out. It is probably time to up your calories to 1600 as your trainer says, but I would wait a week or two to do so. You didn't say how long you've been at 1200 calories a day...but assuming it has been a while your metabolism could very well have slowed down to a crawl.