I've gained 25 lbs while in a caloric deficit...what gives?

Cobwellac

Um, the OP said she had a borderline eating disorder; the last thing she needs to be asking for is advice about how to get her weight back down.

OP, you may be having an inflammatory response where your body is holding onto water weight. If you were in starvation mode, I doubt you'd pile on 25 pounds. Also, what was your TSH reading? A lot of endocrinologists are very old-fashioned with numbers and won't treat you if you're not over 3 or 4, when in reality, the best level should be between 1 and 2.

bigdgeek

Stop running/doing cardio, unless it's HIIT.

http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/5343/why-women-should-not-run/

ETA: link.

Hmm...that is an interesting article. But what should I do instead of steady state cardio?

bigdgeek

Um, the OP said she had a borderline eating disorder; the last thing she needs to be asking for is advice about how to get her weight back down.

OP, you may be having an inflammatory response where your body is holding onto water weight. If you were in starvation mode, I doubt you'd pile on 25 pounds. Also, what was your TSH reading? A lot of endocrinologists are very old-fashioned with numbers and won't treat you if you're not over 3 or 4, when in reality, the best level should be between 1 and 2.

I honestly don't remember; they gave me the results but I can no longer access the online site to get to them and I don't remember what my TSH number was.

concordancia

sub 20% for a female is pretty lean

But that's what I want. :-) I want my six pack back!

That wasn't a six pack, that was your organs.

Your body just figured out how to stabilize itself, despite your efforts to be extreme.

You mention logging, but are you also weighing and measuring your food? Using a HRM for your exercise?

You should calculate maintenance for your current weight and activity level and try eating that for a couple of months. Engage in some kind of strength training program at the same time.

bigdgeek

That wasn't a six pack, that was your organs.

Your body just figured out how to stabilize itself, despite your efforts to be extreme.

You mention logging, but are you also weighing and measuring your food? Using a HRM for your exercise?

You should calculate maintenance for your current weight and activity level and try eating that for a couple of months. Engage in some kind of strength training program at the same time.

I weigh and measure; I don't trust a "1 cup of" measurement. I look at the equivalent weight on the package and go for that. Measuring anything but liquids by volume to me is just setting myself up for incorrect measurements.

I don't have a HRM; I use the ones on the machines.

Right now I'm wary of any calculations I used in the past since clearly what I'm doing isn't working. Do you have a calculator you can recommend? Or a site that will give me good ideas on a strength training program?

airen123

Try eating more for 3 days (keep your workout routine the usual). Take in 1800-2400 for those 3 days and resume what you were doing. Do this every 2 weeks-it helps reset your body's expectations of what it's taking in and expounding.

effrontery

Not to be alarmist, but if you haven't been to the gyn, I would also go get your yearly. I started gaining belly weight rapidly and couldn't figure out what was going on, and it turned out I had uterine fibroids. It's pretty common in women late 30s-early 40s, and can be one source for unexplained weight gain. Just one person's experience!

bigdgeek

Try eating more for 3 days (keep your workout routine the usual). Take in 1800-2400 for those 3 days and resume what you were doing. Do this every 2 weeks-it helps reset your body's expectations of what it's taking in and expounding.

Kind of like 'shocking' your metabolism? I've heard of other people doing this but haven't tried it myself.

bigdgeek

Not to be alarmist, but if you haven't been to the gyn, I would also go get your yearly. I started gaining belly weight rapidly and couldn't figure out what was going on, and it turned out I had uterine fibroids. It's pretty common in women late 30s-early 40s, and can be one source for unexplained weight gain. Just one person's experience!

I don't have any symptoms of uterine fibroids; are they usually asymptomatic? It's been a couple of years since my last smear but I've never had an abnormal smear and am not sexually active, so my GYN has told me I don't have to have a smear every year. I guess regardless I'm due for an every other year smear. :-|

bigdgeek

By the way has anyone here used one of those fitbit or body bugg things? Do you recommend them? If so is there a specific make/model that you recommend? I have an iPhone so I could use one of the ones that talks to your phone via bluetooth. :-)

Today at home I am going to do HIIT with kettlebells followed by some (for me) heavy lifting.

Thanks!

dedicated2014

Go to another endocrinologist. You have to be persistent to get what you need/want. They cannot read your mind and most likely won't diagnose you with hypothyroidism or prescribe Synthroid unless they're certain that it is affecting you in a negative way. Write down EVERYTHING that you feel, and anything else that you might be experiencing (even if you think it's not related). Keep telling him/her how tired you feel and how frustrated you are that the problem has not been fixed.

If that endocrinologist doesn't prescribe anything, go to another one. You will eventually run into the right one that will see your thyroid issue for what it is and prescribe you the right medication. My endo pulled blood tests 3-4 months ago, realized I was still on "the lower end of normal" and upped my dosage by 25 mcg. A good endo will want you well within the normal range, if not a little above.

However, I do agree with the OPs. Your thought process in regards to your weight and weight loss seems disordered. There is no shame in taking part in therapy/counseling sessions. If cost is an issue, look around for free clinics. If you're in college, most schools offer free counseling services.

bigdgeek

Go to another endocrinologist. You have to be persistent to get what you need/want. They cannot read your mind and most likely won't diagnose you with hypothyroidism or prescribe Synthroid unless they're certain that it is affecting you in a negative way. Write down EVERYTHING that you feel, and anything else that you might be experiencing (even if you think it's not related). Keep telling him/her how tired you feel and how frustrated you are that the problem has not been fixed.

If that endocrinologist doesn't prescribe anything, go to another one. You will eventually run into the right one that will see your thyroid issue for what it is and prescribe you the right medication. My endo pulled blood tests 3-4 months ago, realized I was still on "the lower end of normal" and upped my dosage by 25 mcg. A good endo will want you well within the normal range, if not a little above.

However, I do agree with the OPs. Your thought process in regards to your weight and weight loss seems disordered. There is no shame in taking part in therapy/counseling sessions. If cost is an issue, look around for free clinics. If you're in college, most schools offer free counseling services.

I'll take counseling into consideration, but as previously stated I cannot find an endocrinologist in Dallas who will see me unless I have been diagnosed with an actual endocrine/metabolic disorder first.

If anyone's in Dallas and knows of an endo who will see me without a diagnosis, I'd love a name or two.

oddyogi

Stop running/doing cardio, unless it's HIIT.

http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/5343/why-women-should-not-run/

ETA: link.

Hmm...that is an interesting article. But what should I do instead of steady state cardio?

Do High Intensity Interval Training.

bigdgeek

Do High Intensity Interval Training.

Every day? For how many minutes? And should I add strength training to it every day?

PapillonKisses

Don't believe the calories that the machines at the gym spit out. Or MFP for that matter. I have a HRM, and the results for me are very similar to those listed on this site: http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/tools/calculators/caloriecounter.asp
Especially when I average the two (distance and speed). But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

In saying that, I have found MFP to be fairly accurate -- again, for me -- when calculating calories burnt while strength training. MFP actually comes out a bit less, but I do super sets, keeping my heart rate up, so that is not surprising.

I wouldn't be surprised if my level of conditioning has something to do with it. If you are good at a particular exercise then your heart rate will be lower while doing it. If your heart rate is lower, you'll burn less calories over a given length of time. You have been training consistently for a long time, so perhaps this is what has happened. I'm just guessing though.

HIIT sessions seem to melt fat off my body. I only do one session per week as it is only one part of my training regime as a long distance runner and I am concerned about overtraining, which can lead to jnjury and burn out. See this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/913330-why-can-t-we-target-fat-loss where I have gone into more detail. Go as fast as you can for 10-12 reps while keeping your pace constant. If you have anything left in your tank/legs after that, then you have not worked hard enough during each rep or have not allowed yourself sufficient recovery between reps (in time and/or effort). If you can't go for 10-12 reps or you need to slow down, then you have gone out too fast.

Good luck!

PS: Have you heard of set point theory? According to it, everyone has a set weight range that their body fights to maintain and it where they are the most healthy. Perhaps the weight / body fat percentage you were at was not healthy for you. If this weight gain has caused you to overshoot your usual range, your body should drift down again provided that you keep feeding it appropriately. After a period of starvation (see for example the Minnesota Starvation Study), bodies preferentially lay down fat and a bit of excess weight, drifting down gradually as it becomes clear that the famine is over.

PPS: You haven't started any new medication, have you? Certain medications have in the past caused rapid, uncontrollable and otherwise inexplicable weight gain for me. If it had not happened to me personally, I would not have believed it.

Edit: I can't get the first link to show up correctly. Or at least it isn't displaying correctly on my phone. The end part of it should be caloriecounter.asp

bigdgeek

Don't believe the calories that the machines at the gym spit out. Or MFP for that matter. I have a HRM, and the results for me are very similar to those listed on this site: http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/tools/calculators/caloriecounter.asp
Especially when I average the two (distance and speed). But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

In saying that, I have found MFP to be fairly accurate -- again, for me -- when calculating calories burnt while strength training. MFP actually comes out a bit less, but I do super sets, keeping my heart rate up, so that is not surprising.

I wouldn't be surprised if my level of conditioning has something to do with it. If you are good at a particular exercise then your heart rate will be lower while doing it. If your heart rate is lower, you'll burn less calories over a given length of time. You have been training consistently for a long time, so perhaps this is what has happened. I'm just guessing though.

HIIT sessions seem to melt fat off my body. I only do one session per week as it is only one part of my training regime as a long distance runner and I am concerned about overtraining, which can lead to jnjury and burn out. See this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/913330-why-can-t-we-target-fat-loss where I have gone into more detail. Go as fast as you can for 10-12 reps while keeping your pace constant. If you have anything left in your tank/legs after that, then you have not worked hard enough during each rep or have not allowed yourself sufficient recovery between reps (in time and/or effort). If you can't go for 10-12 reps or you need to slow down, then you have gone out too fast.

Good luck!

I didn't see anything in that thread that would help me design my own HIIT workout. I googled it, found one to watch on my iPad, did it, and am 2 lbs up on the scale this morning.

PPS: You haven't started any new medication, have you? Certain medications have in the past caused rapid, uncontrollable and otherwise inexplicable weight gain for me. If it had not happened to me personally, I would not have believed it.

I don't take any medications of any kind aside from a daily multivitamin.

bigdgeek

Booked an appointment for RMR testing at the Cooper Clinic at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. Going in on Monday morning.

effrontery

>I don't have any symptoms of uterine fibroids; are they usually asymptomatic? It's been a couple of years since my last smear but >I've never had an abnormal smear and am not sexually active, so my GYN has told me I don't have to have a smear every year. I >guess regardless I'm due for an every other year smear. :-|

Weight gain, feeling of fullness in the belly, usually heavier periods. People often live with them for years and don't even realize, but they can cause weight gain. (They're not cancerous.) They don't come up on a pap, but if you think there's a possibility, it might be worth checking in with your gyn. just a thought!

bigdgeek

RMR came in a smidge faster than 'predicted normal', which means my metabolism is 'normal' for a woman my age, height, and weight.

Makes NO sense.

benflando

You weren't in a deficit. It's science. I'm not saying you're lying, but c'mon theres gotta be a missing piece to this problem.

bigdgeek

Well benflando, I've been as honest and thorough as possible.

pauldoolan52

your weight is not too bad, you should train your whole body meaning hit every muscle group hard and fast every second day, dont do legs one day then upper body the next, just hit it all, give it a go, and work to failure.