Have i done too much damage??

smilesalot1969

okay i'll try and keep it brief (ish)
I'm 5ft 10 and 10 years ago i weighed 284lb and lost 116lb with slimming world (no exercise) I slowly gained weight and went back up to 192lbs. over the next 10 years i lost ,gained and relost the same 14lbs fluctuating between 182lb and 192lb. About 5 months ago i decided i was sick of being chubby and went on a diet again and after 2 months joined a gym. Despite weight training 4 days a week and doing cardio (1 hour very fast incline walking) my weight didnt budge so i dropped my calories to 1000-1200 and lost 29lb.
I'm now a healthy bmi and 7lbs away from goal and 10 days ago started learning to run and as a result was suddenly always hungry so i upped my calories to 1500-1700 a week ago. My BMR is 1495 and my TDEE according to fitbit is anywhere from 2200-2800 depending how hard i train.
The problem?? I'm gaining weight...3lbs in the last week and probably more tomorrow.
I dont log food on here i keep a diary but i NEVER eat junk, no red meat, low carbs. Very very clean diet and i weigh and log EVERYTHING so i know exactly how many calories i have. Surely i should be able to eat 1500-1700 calories without gaining weight based on my TDEE or have i screwed my metabolism so bad over the years that im doomed to starve.
ps Gained an inch on my tummy but rest of my measurements stayed the same. I feel bigger its almost like i can feel weight going back on EEEKKK

doubleduofa

Do you think it is water weight? It seems like it is, since it was so quickly. How is your thyroid? Are you feeling tired? ANy other symptoms? What about other hormones? I think it might be time to go to the doctor.

AvsFreak

If you eat more, you will have more food in your body, you will weigh more. Also, if you are eating more carbs than before, you are probably holding more water too.

No worries.

knitterly

Many people find that when they start running or doing some increased form of excercise, their bodies try to hold onto some extra water. The idea is that the body needs to repair stressed muscles that are being used more than is typical. 3lbs of water weight woudjn't surprise me.

smilesalot1969

If you eat more, you will have more food in your body, you will weigh more. Also, if you are eating more carbs than before, you are probably holding more water too.

No worries.

I'm always tired but the doctor said my thyroid function is fine and that im very healthy. i'm not really eating more carbs im tending to eat more protein if anything. i took herbal water tablets too but it made no difference so i doubt its water

jpohoney

I have been told that as we get older we should lift weights and do less cardio. And when doing cardio intervals was more efective. and helped burn for longer after.

nz_deevaa

My suggestion is to keep eating at the higher level for 6wks. After 6wks re-evaluate. I upped my calories recently and it took my body 4-6wks to adjust. You can't tell from only a couple of weeks.

Gallowmere1984

As a previous poster said, chances are good that you are holding water weight, plus the weight from a slightly higher food consumption. I don't think you realize just how much food you would have to consume to put on three pounds of fat in a week, without doing nothing but laying in a bed and stuffing your face. Let me assure you, it's far more than what you are eating, especially with your reported level of activity.

Playingwithfire89

I lost 24 pounds in like 3 months and have the same problem! my weight wont budge now even though i'm only eating 800 calories a day (imagine what it does at 1200!)

AbsoluteNG

It's not water weight. People throw that term around too much without understanding what it means. Water and fat go together. If there's fat, there's always water to keep it soft. If fat was a solid then it would feel like tiny pieces of bricks but it's not. Every time you lose fat, you lose some water. Every time you gain fat, you gain water. If you gained 3 pounds and an inch around your waist, it's more then likely fat. Are you eating your exercise calories back? Cut those out to see if it helps. If not, you can try intermittent fasting to jump start weight loss again.

Kaiukas

It's not water weight. People throw that term around too much without understanding what it means. Water and fat go together. If there's fat, there's always water to keep it soft. If fat was a solid then it would feel like tiny pieces of bricks but it's not. Every time you lose fat, you lose some water. Every time you gain fat, you gain water. If you gained 3 pounds and an inch around your waist, it's more then likely fat. Are you eating your exercise calories back? Cut those out to see if it helps. If not, you can try intermittent fasting to jump start weight loss again.

:-) I agree that some people throw around 'water weight' and 'muscle weighs more than fat' as excuses, but there is such a thing as exercise-induced water retention. Our intuitive conclusion would be that one LOSES water when exercising. But our body is more clever than that! Exercise affects the hormones that regulate water-electrolyte homeostasis.

Quick recap: exercise triggers the release of antidiuretic hormone (also known as vasopressin) and aldosterone. Aldosterone helps the body maintain proper sodium levels, while antidiuretic hormone helps regulate fluid balance by causing water retention instead of fluid being excreted in urine. Intense exercise in the heat causes aldosterone release that limits the excretion of sodium by the kidneys. The increased sodium retention in the body promotes more water retention. The fluid volume may rise by 10 to 15 percent!!!

When it comes to the OP, I would very much recommend you to consult with a registered nutritionist or such like. You have put your body through a lot through the years and I would be reluctant to recommend any more experimenting. You sound like you are panicking a bit and we never take good long-term decisions in a panic state. Cutting back on calories even more in this state sounds tempting, but it is my understanding that you are not interested in a short-term fix and I am not convinced that cutting back calories would give you the long-term results you are after.

Talk to a professional who can give you advice that is tailored for your specific needs.

TEAJAY002

How far are you running? Running long distances can do funny things to your body. Especially females, hormones etc. I love running if I stop for a while my weight drops and when I start it increases. I suggest you look at some running sites. You'll be suprised at what you might learn. Two years ago I was running for an event and by the time the day came I had gained a little over 8lbs but happily wore a size 8-10 unlike now where I weigh less but am a size 12. Running is a great excercise for both body and soul so don't let a little gain make you give up, once your body gets used to it and you find the right balance of food you require for your runs it should all even out. Remember when you run you use your whole body and you are lifting your own body weight every step you take.

smilesalot1969

It's not water weight. People throw that term around too much without understanding what it means. Water and fat go together. If there's fat, there's always water to keep it soft. If fat was a solid then it would feel like tiny pieces of bricks but it's not. Every time you lose fat, you lose some water. Every time you gain fat, you gain water. If you gained 3 pounds and an inch around your waist, it's more then likely fat. Are you eating your exercise calories back? Cut those out to see if it helps. If not, you can try intermittent fasting to jump start weight loss again.

:-) I agree that some people throw around 'water weight' and 'muscle weighs more than fat' as excuses, but there is such a thing as exercise-induced water retention. Our intuitive conclusion would be that one LOSES water when exercising. But our body is more clever than that! Exercise affects the hormones that regulate water-electrolyte homeostasis.

Quick recap: exercise triggers the release of antidiuretic hormone (also known as vasopressin) and aldosterone. Aldosterone helps the body maintain proper sodium levels, while antidiuretic hormone helps regulate fluid balance by causing water retention instead of fluid being excreted in urine. Intense exercise in the heat causes aldosterone release that limits the excretion of sodium by the kidneys. The increased sodium retention in the body promotes more water retention. The fluid volume may rise by 10 to 15 percent!!!

When it comes to the OP, I would very much recommend you to consult with a registered nutritionist or such like. You have put your body through a lot through the years and I would be reluctant to recommend any more experimenting. You sound like you are panicking a bit and we never take good long-term decisions in a panic state. Cutting back on calories even more in this state sounds tempting, but it is my understanding that you are not interested in a short-term fix and I am not convinced that cutting back calories would give you the long-term results you are after.

Talk to a professional who can give you advice that is tailored for your specific needs.

ohhh no i dont want to cut my calories back i want to increase them more if i can. I should easily be able to eat more than 1500 with an average daily burn of 2500 but my body isn't liking it right now. I've only just started running (i run like a hobbled pit pony) and only clocking up 2-3km and topping this up to 8km with very fast incline walking. I weight train (fairly heavy) at least 4 days a week and hit the gym 6 days a week for 2 hours at a time so im pretty active. My diet is saintly ( unfortunately) the worst thing i ate last week was 1 solitary rich tea biscuit. Low carb, tons of fruit, veg, salad, fish, chicken, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt etc and im a fanatical logger i even log sweetners in coffee!!!
I'm sure i'll get it right im just terrified of putting weight back after being so big and struggling so much to lose it :noway:

smilesalot1969

It's not water weight. People throw that term around too much without understanding what it means. Water and fat go together. If there's fat, there's always water to keep it soft. If fat was a solid then it would feel like tiny pieces of bricks but it's not. Every time you lose fat, you lose some water. Every time you gain fat, you gain water. If you gained 3 pounds and an inch around your waist, it's more then likely fat. Are you eating your exercise calories back? Cut those out to see if it helps. If not, you can try intermittent fasting to jump start weight loss again.

Noooooo i hardly ever eat my exercise calories back i'd be clocking almost 2000 calories if i did. I'm struggling to maintain my weight on 1500-1700 right now. I did try intermittent fasting a while back but i was soooo tired and cranky that i switched back

witchy_wife

Oh how frustrating for you! I think you should give it a little longer, sometimes our bodies are weird and don't do what we expect them to! It sounds like you are doing everything right and hopefully your body will catch on soon.

mulderpf

People see the term "water-weight" as an excuse for putting on weight, but 3lbs in a week is more than likely mostly water. (Is there any possibility that you were somewhat dehydrated when you weighed yourself first?).

To pick up 3lbs worth of fat in a week, you'd have to consume an extra 10,500 calories (over and above what your body needs), so unless you ate/drank 1500 extra calories every day for the last week (so at least 3000+ each day), it is most likely just your body retaining some water (or have returned to a more natural state).

This explains it very well: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/signalnoise.html

eilishlawlee

Well done on reaching where you are. I would advise you to seek professional help from someone who is an expert in this field and can have a good look at your diary. A qualified dietician from a hospital with an interest in sports science is the way to go. Everyone is different and as a result looking at past written material is a valuable tool in assessing anyone. What you really need to focus on is having enough energy to sustain you in your current training programme and in the future as you improve and to also help with healing and repair of cells.

emsheen

The one thing using myfitnesspal has thought me is that no matter how healthy we think we're eating we're still eating calories. Start a food diary for 1 week and see how you go. Honestly its helped me lose 19lbs in 8 weeks as well as exercising.

Kaiukas

The one thing using myfitnesspal has thought me is that no matter how healthy we think we're eating we're still eating calories. Start a food diary for 1 week and see how you go. Honestly its helped me lose 19lbs in 8 weeks as well as exercising.

I could not agree more. I have always eaten very healthily and maintained a very good/stable weight throughout my adult life, but recently I had put on a couple pounds and I simply couldn't understand where they were coming from, I explained it with getting a bit older. But since coming to MFP and logging every single thing, I have realised that one can put on a few unwanted pounds even on the healthiest food simply if you consume too much of it. For example, to eat 2 lb of oranges or other fruit in a very short space of time (I am talking less than an hour) was nothing for me and I used to do this every day and not even think anything of it.

MFP has been a wonderful tool for me and it has given me the kick in the butt I needed to up the ante on the exercise front as well. In fact, I have to bite my tongue in order to not try to convert everyone around me to become an MFPer

hughtwalker

What country do you live in? The answer might affect availability of advice without megabucks expense.

Myfitnesspal is mostly useful as a tool for monitoring quantity and timing of calories and nutrient content to a lesser extent.
Keeping a manual diary whilst ignoring the facility may be more accurate (some of the database entries are way off) but is unnecessarily burdensome.

other factors could be (shhhh!) somewhat personal - going to the loo BEFORE weighing can be enormously satisfying at "the (dreaded) weigh in".

So-called "water weight" - it is our comfort blanket much of the time.

As for the opening premise- I doubt very much that you have ANY damage. If you had substituted varieties of "shakes", pills or other drinks for meals then you might have screwed up your digestion when you tried to eat "normal" food again but even that would recover in time (I only spent a year living on Bisodol after living on a proprietary herbal mixture and a lettuce leaf - after which year I was back to the weight I started at - I am a serial dieter, mislayng weight is simple, I've done it all my life)).

smilesalot1969

The one thing using myfitnesspal has thought me is that no matter how healthy we think we're eating we're still eating calories. Start a food diary for 1 week and see how you go. Honestly its helped me lose 19lbs in 8 weeks as well as exercising.

I could not agree more. I have always eaten very healthily and maintained a very good/stable weight throughout my adult life, but recently I had put on a couple pounds and I simply couldn't understand where they were coming from, I explained it with getting a bit older. But since coming to MFP and logging every single thing, I have realised that one can put on a few unwanted pounds even on the healthiest food simply if you consume too much of it. For example, to eat 2 lb of oranges or other fruit in a very short space of time (I am talking less than an hour) was nothing for me and I used to do this every day and not even think anything of it.

MFP has been a wonderful tool for me and it has given me the kick in the butt I needed to up the ante on the exercise front as well. In fact, I have to bite my tongue in order to not try to convert everyone around me to become an MFPer

I do keep a food diary i have for a while now and im a real fanatic about logging. I weigh everything on digital scales and never eat or drink a single thing without logging it first. I know to the exact calorie how much i eat per day and i never EVER go over my calorie allowance. Its just frustrating as i hoped i'd be able to eat more with all the exercise i do. So far no drop in weight but i didnt gain any more yet