WEIGHT GAIN

djwife03

I workout regularly, eat well, and am gaining weight! I can't figure this! I used to run, but can't at this time due to plantar fasciitis. I have been doing my stationary bike at least 4 times a week, for 45-60 minutes each time. I also do total gym workouts, leg lunges, weights, etc. It doesn' t seem to matter if I eat healthy or what I put in my mouth, i gain weight. I am wondering if it's muscle? I am too pessimistic to believe that! I don't understand the whole musle to fat ratio or how that works. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but at what point does it start to burn the fat and I lose weight again? I have been riding my bike for about 4 months now. My legs feel firmer, but i just don't know. i haven't been able to find the right combination of foods to lose weight. I am on 1200 cals/day right now. I am just so frustrated. Everyone tells me I look great, but I also know as a women gets older, it's harder for her to lose and maintain weight. I'm 39! last summer I was 158lbs. Now I'm 165(I'm 5'11). and I can't lose it now matter what I do! I will weigh myself it the morning and be 165. then I eat well all day(mind you I do sit all day as I have a desk job), i take the stairs and try to get up often and walk around. I get home, and somehow have gained 2-3lbs! I just don't get it! I drink water all day too. It just seems to me that by now, if this is muscle I'm putting on, that it would be burning the fat?!! My pants do fit differently, but my legs are bigger, and my butt smaller do too riding the bike so much. i just need some advice. Try not to be to hard on me.....i do that enough all on my own! LOL!

thanks
Tricia

babydiego87

You do not weigh the same amount all day. You:

Eat
Drink

and just general fluctuations will affect how much you 'weigh' during the day.

That is why people who are trying to lose weight are told to weigh in once a week, same day, same time. It is physically impossible to gain 3lbs in a day.

1200 also sounds pretty low for someone who is 5'11...Are you eating your exercise calories back?

TavistockToad

you only have 7lbs to lose, so you should be eating more than 1200 cals. set your weight loss goal to lose 0.5lb per week and eat back your exercise cals.

rhall9058

I am on 1200 cals/day right now.

Problem found. As hard as you are claiming to be working out, you should be NETTING 1500 on a bad day. You have to feed your workout! Search forums/websites for info on 1200 or less calories and you'll see why. Just my 2 cents!

Snikkee

You should eat more... no joke. I would up your calories to 1500. Make the extra 300 calories of clean eating, like chicken, you wont get fat from eating chicken. Protein really helps with weight loss.

sweetpea03b

OK - Stop weighing yourself more than once a day. Once per week minimum! I am having this same trouble right now and honestly the only thing it can be is a low calorie intake. This week i'm going to try to up my calorie intake and see if I see a difference next week.

By the scale I gained 2lbs this last week - we'll see if it goes back down next week. Good luck!

wildchild06241

Two things that many others will post. First at your height and weight 1200 calories is not nearly enough. And second muscle and fat weight the same. One pound is one pound. It is possible that you have muscle you could be smaller. Instead of relying on the scales (and are you weighing yourself too often?) rely on measurements. How do your clothes fit? Are they looser? If so you are losing fat. And the key is losing fat not weight.

kimdawnhayden

I used to teach spin classes. Sometimes when I'd teach a hard class my weight would go up. It was just water weight rushing to the muscles to help repair them. Think about the bike. You are really just doing tons and tons of lunges on the bike if you think about how your legs function. Some days my jeans would be tight in the legs from spin. If you were to take a few days off, you'd probably lose water weight. Or you could try upping your water intake to try and flush it out.
I also think you may be eating too low calorie. Try upping your calories to about 1600 for this week and see how you feel and how your body reacts.
You also need to think more about dress size than weight. 150 lbs can look different on a non athletic person vs. a person who lifts and works out.

sixtyinchesoffury

aw don't feel bad! I've been there too. I can't see your diary so I can't comment on your nutrition but I would say keep on with the fitness because even if you aren't losing you must have some side effects that are enjoyable....stress relief, increased circulation, feeling of accomplishment. I would definitely say if you are 5'11'' you most definitely need to be eating way more than 1200 calories a day. your body is holding onto everything because it's starving. have you searched for the topic inplace of a road map? it's an excellent post which really sheds some light on our bodies and the use of fuel to propel them into reshaping your body. just for an example i'm 5'0 and I can maintain on 2000 a day (i'm 37) so as you can see 1200 a day is probably far too low.

good luck! I know it's frustrating but keep going. you are doing great things for your body, mind and spirit even if the scale wont budge. feel free to friend me if you'd like a buddy :drinker:

heyyoudontgiveup

So what you're saying is that you wake up, are one weight, eat, drink ALL day, and then come home and weigh more? That's how physics work! If you weigh more at the beginning of the day every day then you have a problem.

djwife03

Thank you all for your input!!! I really appreciate it. NO, I am not eating back my calories. I have calories left over everyday. Today for breakfast was special K, skim milk and some cantaloupe. lunch will be a 100 cal pocket thin pita with 2 slices of turkey breast, a slice of swiss, and light mayo, and a greek yogurt. snack is a fiber one protein bar and some red grapes. Not sure about dinner yet. Last night I had whole wheat spaghetti, diced chicken, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms....like a stir fry, and cottage cheese. my workout usually takes an hour and a half. that's bike, then leg workouts using the total gym and the exercises I found online using that, some arm strengthening, and then different kinds of ab workouts. I tend to push myself and probably over due. All I know is I'm spend afterwards, and sweating buckets. Yesterday I did 60 minutes on my bike, doing a plateau program, and burned 568 cals then did crunches....different kinds to try to get all areas. I know I need to just put the scale away for a while.

It's really nice to come on here and be able to discuss things and get so many responses and support!
THANKS!!!

kimdawnhayden

Thank you all for your input!!! I really appreciate it. NO, I am not eating back my calories. I have calories left over everyday. Today for breakfast was special K, skim milk and some cantaloupe. lunch will be a 100 cal pocket thin pita with 2 slices of turkey breast, a slice of swiss, and light mayo, and a greek yogurt. snack is a fiber one protein bar and some red grapes. Not sure about dinner yet. Last night I had whole wheat spaghetti, diced chicken, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms....like a stir fry, and cottage cheese. my workout usually takes an hour and a half. that's bike, then leg workouts using the total gym and the exercises I found online using that, some arm strengthening, and then different kinds of ab workouts. I tend to push myself and probably over due. All I know is I'm spend afterwards, and sweating buckets. Yesterday I did 60 minutes on my bike, doing a plateau program, and burned 568 cals then did crunches....different kinds to try to get all areas. I know I need to just put the scale away for a while.

It's really nice to come on here and be able to discuss things and get so many responses and support!
THANKS!!!

So if you are doing that much work you may need to be eating more towards the 1800 range. You are going to have to play around with it to get it right. 1200 is way too low for your needs.

djwife03

i am the point of being afraid to eat more, because it messed with head and I'm afraid i'll gain even more!
Who knew that working out and eating right would cause weight GAIN?!!!!

watchhillgirl

You need to eat more. I know it sounds crazy. I had the same problem. Was eating 1200 calories, and working out. I would run 5-7 miles a day, plus weights. And the scale wouldn't move. I upped my calories, and now it is coming off so easily. It is really amazing. I am losing 1.5 to 2 lbs a week.

djwife03

I know. just paranoid and scared! I know I'm not eating enough because I'm always hungry! by the time dinner rolls around, i'm starving, then I don't eat enough there, and so it's not good!

twinsmom7602

I was stuck at the same weight for weeks. I did the 1200 calorie MFP suggestion. As soon as I upped the calories to 1460, the weight started coming off. Good Luck. Keep on truckin'

djwife03

I'm not about to quit exercising! it's a part of my life now! just so frustrating! i changed my calories to 1400 using MFP. I sit all day at a desk and so it said my lifestyle was sedentary, and it upped my cals to 1400. Unless that still too low?

TavistockToad

I'm not about to quit exercising! it's a part of my life now! just so frustrating! i changed my calories to 1400 using MFP. I sit all day at a desk and so it said my lifestyle was sedentary, and it upped my cals to 1400. Unless that still too low?

Probably still too low. Change it to lose 0.5lb per week, see what that gives you.

djwife03

1650! HOLY CRAP! But will i have exercise everyday? or can I keep my current schedule?

TavistockToad

1650! HOLY CRAP! But will i have exercise everyday? or can I keep my current schedule?

Sound better. Just make sure you are netting that figure when you exercise.

And yes, you can keep your current schedule, you don't have to exercise every day.

meeper123

ok so let me tell you a little tale I was eating about 1200 a day and burning 1000 or more a day. I was going no where though I would gain and lose the same 5 pounds. I decided enough was enough after 3 months at this bs. I started to eat my cals back and put my weight loss to the 1 pound a week thing and I lost again. Also mother nature might be making you gain a bit as well water weight or in my case period weight is nothing to worry about it usually leaves ina few days of lower sodium and more water. I know its annoying but it helps

djwife03

that's where I get confused? what does "netting that figure" mean? like make sure I'm not under my calories all the time?

TavistockToad

that's where I get confused? what does "netting that figure" mean? like make sure I'm not under my calories all the time?

It means if you eat 1600 cals, but burn 600 in the gym, you only net 1000 (1600-600) so you need to eat 2200 cals so that you net 1600 (2200- 600 = 1600)

StantonLeFort

djwife ... the reason everyone is telling you to eat more, or net-out a healthy amount of calories, is that if you get too few net calories, it will trigger your body's natural starvation defences and your metabolism will slow, thus burning less calories.

As so many have suggested ... pick a reasonable calorie deficit from your TDEE (myfitnesspal helps you do that) and you should start to see better results.

RGv2

i am the point of being afraid to eat more, because it messed with head and I'm afraid i'll gain even more!
Who knew that working out and eating right would cause weight GAIN?!!!!

I would argue the "eating right" line, but that's just me.

djwife03

Well, I do eat right. Do i have my off days, YES! but, for the most part, i eat well. I'm a work in progress.

FlorenceG88

If you structurally don't eat enough calories, your body will train itself into getting better at converting food into fat. It's preparing for starvation. Also, throughout the day make sure you get your ratios correct. Lots of low fat foods can mess up you digestion. Your stomach needs fat to process the proteine.

Source: my cousin is a sports dietician for professional athletes

djwife03

yes, I do need to pay more attention to my ratios! thank you!! not sure what ratios I need. Obviously protein, but......

RGv2

Well, I do eat right. Do i have my off days, YES! but, for the most part, i eat well. I'm a work in progress.

You work out for an hour and a half and, by your own admission, take in less than 1200 calories. I stand by my statement.

Akimajuktuq

I know. just paranoid and scared! I know I'm not eating enough because I'm always hungry! by the time dinner rolls around, i'm starving, then I don't eat enough there, and so it's not good!

You are purposefully choosing to undereat and struggle with hunger? How is that sustainable? Now you at least know that it doesn't work for weight loss. Is it all about weight, or are you concerned with health? Improving health = weight loss.

You need more food and according to what you mentioned that you eat in another post, you desperately need healthy FAT in your diet. Please! The fat phobia is bad for health. Really. I know we live in a society that tells us refined grains/sugary food (ex Special K) is good and fat is bad, but it's a great big lie.

Also, did you mention that you are 5'11 and 158 pounds? That just may be a healthy, sustainable weight for you and might explain some of your body's resistance to losing more.

djwife03

No, I did weigh 158, but now I'm 165. I hope upping my Cals works! How long before I start seeing a difference?