Frustrated -- gaining weight on 1200 calories + exercise

RElizabethM

Sugar an alcohol are not the enemy (in moderation)
Your protein level is too low if you are looking to spare lean mass while losing fat.

Try going for 25% or thereabouts if it comes to about 2 - 2.5g per kg of your target BW (100 - 125g).
Carbs and fats you can work out based on how you respond to both. If you keep carbs as is, decrease fats to 30%.
I'd probably go for at least 125g protein per day and keep that fixed.
That's actually a good starting point.

A higher level of protein will also help keep you satisfied and should help curb some of those sugar cravings

Definitely up your kcals as per previous posts. Dieting to lose, try to aim for around 10-15% below your maintenance to start with. Factor in your activity levels in to maintenance.

I am pretty sure the gain is from putting on muscle mass though! Do I really need more protein if I've put on 3 lbs of muscle (or more if I have lost ANY weight from fat) in two weeks? I'll definitely up my calories. I'll try increasing protein too and see what happens...

astrovivi

Sugar an alcohol are not the enemy (in moderation)
Your protein level is too low if you are looking to spare lean mass while losing fat.

Try going for 25% or thereabouts if it comes to about 2 - 2.5g per kg of your target BW (100 - 125g).
Carbs and fats you can work out based on how you respond to both. If you keep carbs as is, decrease fats to 30%.
I'd probably go for at least 125g protein per day and keep that fixed.
That's actually a good starting point.

A higher level of protein will also help keep you satisfied and should help curb some of those sugar cravings

Definitely up your kcals as per previous posts. Dieting to lose, try to aim for around 10-15% below your maintenance to start with. Factor in your activity levels in to maintenance.

I am pretty sure the gain is from putting on muscle mass though! Do I really need more protein if I've put on 3 lbs of muscle (or more if I have lost ANY weight from fat) in two weeks? I'll definitely up my calories. I'll try increasing protein too and see what happens...

3lb of lean mass in 2 weeks. Highly unlikely... no way. I'm sorry. That is just way too fast for it to happen.

ESPECIALLY at the low level of kcals and protein you have been consuming.

Just as a sidebar ... I am gradually increasing my kcals as I try to gain lbm and have a TDEE (my BMR + activity factored in for maintenance) around 1650kcals per day. I am sitting now on 1765kcals per day and increasing this gradually every week.

It took several months to put on just over 1kg (almost 2.5lb) of lean mass through consistent eating and training.
It's a slow process for women in particular.n But I gained minimal fat in that period so lean bulking basically.

you want to lose fat but retain as much of your lean mass as you can while you lose fat (or gain a bit if possible).

savoiaS1

Make sure youre counting properly. You might be off on some of your macros.

RElizabethM

Sugar an alcohol are not the enemy (in moderation)
Your protein level is too low if you are looking to spare lean mass while losing fat.

Try going for 25% or thereabouts if it comes to about 2 - 2.5g per kg of your target BW (100 - 125g).
Carbs and fats you can work out based on how you respond to both. If you keep carbs as is, decrease fats to 30%.
I'd probably go for at least 125g protein per day and keep that fixed.
That's actually a good starting point.

A higher level of protein will also help keep you satisfied and should help curb some of those sugar cravings

Definitely up your kcals as per previous posts. Dieting to lose, try to aim for around 10-15% below your maintenance to start with. Factor in your activity levels in to maintenance.

I am pretty sure the gain is from putting on muscle mass though! Do I really need more protein if I've put on 3 lbs of muscle (or more if I have lost ANY weight from fat) in two weeks? I'll definitely up my calories. I'll try increasing protein too and see what happens...

3lb of lean mass in 2 weeks. Highly unlikely... no way. I'm sorry. That is just way too fast for it to happen.

ESPECIALLY at the low level of kcals and protein you have been consuming.

Just as a sidebar ... I am gradually increasing my kcals as I try to gain lbm and have a TDEE (my BMR + activity factored in for maintenance) around 1650kcals per day. I am sitting now on 1765kcals per day and increasing this gradually every week.

It took several months to put on just over 1kg (almost 2.5lb) of lean mass through consistent eating and training.
It's a slow process for women in particular.n But I gained minimal fat in that period so lean bulking basically.

you want to lose fat but retain as much of your lean mass as you can while you lose fat (or gain a bit if possible).

If it's not muscle, I have no idea what it is

I don't think it's water -- that has come and gone a few times over after intense workouts.

I don't know how I could be gaining fat, I'm eating less than my BMR. I feel stronger, my boyfriend says I look leaner, but I don't see it and the scale keeps going up. This is just... the most confusing

astrovivi

Sugar an alcohol are not the enemy (in moderation)
Your protein level is too low if you are looking to spare lean mass while losing fat.

Try going for 25% or thereabouts if it comes to about 2 - 2.5g per kg of your target BW (100 - 125g).
Carbs and fats you can work out based on how you respond to both. If you keep carbs as is, decrease fats to 30%.
I'd probably go for at least 125g protein per day and keep that fixed.
That's actually a good starting point.

A higher level of protein will also help keep you satisfied and should help curb some of those sugar cravings

Definitely up your kcals as per previous posts. Dieting to lose, try to aim for around 10-15% below your maintenance to start with. Factor in your activity levels in to maintenance.

I am pretty sure the gain is from putting on muscle mass though! Do I really need more protein if I've put on 3 lbs of muscle (or more if I have lost ANY weight from fat) in two weeks? I'll definitely up my calories. I'll try increasing protein too and see what happens...

3lb of lean mass in 2 weeks. Highly unlikely... no way. I'm sorry. That is just way too fast for it to happen.

ESPECIALLY at the low level of kcals and protein you have been consuming.

Just as a sidebar ... I am gradually increasing my kcals as I try to gain lbm and have a TDEE (my BMR + activity factored in for maintenance) around 1650kcals per day. I am sitting now on 1765kcals per day and increasing this gradually every week.

It took several months to put on just over 1kg (almost 2.5lb) of lean mass through consistent eating and training.
It's a slow process for women in particular.n But I gained minimal fat in that period so lean bulking basically.

you want to lose fat but retain as much of your lean mass as you can while you lose fat (or gain a bit if possible).

If it's not muscle, I have no idea what it is

I don't think it's water -- that has come and gone a few times over after intense workouts.

I don't know how I could be gaining fat, I'm eating less than my BMR. I feel stronger, my boyfriend says I look leaner, but I don't see it and the scale keeps going up. This is just... the most confusing

Eating less than your BMR is a BAD thing.

Stop worrying about it. STop putting all your energy into watching the scales. Take your measurements and look in the mirror.
Eat well, and don't starve yourself on less than BMR, that is a recipe for long term disaster. I know from bitter experience.

Seriously, start off more or less where i pointed you to and see how you go over a few weeks then adjust accordingly.
You are in the early stages yet so stressing over it now is a bit pointless.
If you are tracking here then keep doing it and all that data will be your guide.

If you are tracking, make sure you are not guessing amounts but actually weighing them.

Good luck

Fozzi43

You're not putting on muscle after just one month in a deficit. Believe me.
More than likely you're not eating enough, your body is hanging on to water to repair your muscles after strenuous exercise. You need to eat well when working out..you wouldn't run your car on virtually no gas would you?

MattChurchill

A good PT will help you with your diet. Like alot of people on here you are making your weight loss the primary target, but over time getting lean and changing your body shape will be much more beneficial

WhaddoWino

I lifted this from a past MFP post and it's worth restating here... and YES, one month is "starting" a workout plan.
__________________________________

Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan

By Chalene Johnson

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

JaimeO1980

Hi Hi,

Firsty, You need to understand that 1200 calories is the absolute minimum a woman should take on in a day. This is already creating a large calorie deficit and you should lose weight without any exercise. When you exercise you burn even more calories so you should eat more. If you don't you are putting your body in starvation mode and it will hang on to as much of it's fat stores for as long as possible and you will be increasing your muscle mass because of the training (hence the weight gain). If you eat only 1200 calories and then exercise for 1 hour and burn 450/500 calories you are forcing your body to survive on 750-800 calories a day. It is not enough!!!

The best way to monitor calories earned by exercise is to use a heart rate monitor. You program in your current weight, age and height and most of them monitor calories burned. When you earn these calories you should try and eat them if you are focusing on 1200 calories on a normal day without exercise. I am not saying eat rubbish but fuel your body for the exercise. You will still oose weight and you will get more from your exercise because you will have enough energy to give more.

Trust me I have been there and it is soul destroying when you eat so little, exercise and the scales do not move. The only thing you will succeed in is demotivating yourself thinking that no matter what you do nothing works and then you run the risk of falling back into old bad habits.

General rule of thumb for safe health weight lost is to create a calorie deficit of aroung 500/600 calories a day.

Keep your chin up and enjoy the extra food that you earned.

J
-x-

pinkraynedropjacki

I know that muscle weighs more than fat

Nope. Muscle is more DENSE than fat but does not weigh more.

RElizabethM

Revisiting this, sorry to bring it up again.

I started aiming for 1500 calories a day, not eating exercise calories back. I'm still working out with a trainer twice a week, plus running or hiking two days a week. My appetite is going nuts so I end up eating more like 1700 calories a day, I think my maintenance is supposed to be 1850-ish per day. I am still gaining weight, I'm up five pounds from my starting weight, it is NOT WATER. Or, not all water. You can't add five pounds of water to someone my size without it showing, but I am not any bigger. My clothes fit about the same, maybe a tiny bit looser. I'm much stronger and I can see and feel muscle that I didn't have before, so at least some has to be muscle, but it still makes no sense that I'm eating less, working out more, and gaining weight. I am beyond frustrated, what should I do?

RElizabethM

Calculate your calories right...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975707-fat-loss-tactics-guide

That's what I used to set my calories at 1500! I recalculated based on my new weight and now it says my maintenance caloric intake should be 2086, so that means I should be eating 1669 calories a day, which is pretty close to what I have been doing.

Also thanks for coming to my defense about the "muscle weighs more than fat" thing, I haven't yet come up with a polite way to say "duh" to those comments.