Gaining Weight
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xiamjackie
Posts: 611 Member
I feel like I post on here all the time, so I'm sorry if you guys are tired of seeing my name pop up! I just had a few questions.
I've only been doing the low-carb thing for a little over a week where my carbs are under 50 and the last 3 days they have been around 30. Today I'm aiming for 20, but by the end of the day we will see where that number actually is. I am on the Insanity program so I am working out extremely hard 6 days a week, but still keeping my carbs low and consuming them mostly by vegetables and sometimes peanut butter. I hadn't weighed myself in two weeks but when I did this morning, I realized I gained three pounds. Now, I know three pounds are nothing to go get all crazy about, but I keep hearing these stories of how people lose 7-8 pounds in the first week and I gained three. I'm not giving up or anything, just wanted to see what others thought. I think it may be because for the first time in a long time I am eating 1400 calories which may seem low to most of you but I was netting only around 600 a day for a month or two recently (I don't want to get patronized for this... I was very ignorant on how to eat correctly but I'm trying to fix it now). Any ideas of what could be stalling my progress?
I've only been doing the low-carb thing for a little over a week where my carbs are under 50 and the last 3 days they have been around 30. Today I'm aiming for 20, but by the end of the day we will see where that number actually is. I am on the Insanity program so I am working out extremely hard 6 days a week, but still keeping my carbs low and consuming them mostly by vegetables and sometimes peanut butter. I hadn't weighed myself in two weeks but when I did this morning, I realized I gained three pounds. Now, I know three pounds are nothing to go get all crazy about, but I keep hearing these stories of how people lose 7-8 pounds in the first week and I gained three. I'm not giving up or anything, just wanted to see what others thought. I think it may be because for the first time in a long time I am eating 1400 calories which may seem low to most of you but I was netting only around 600 a day for a month or two recently (I don't want to get patronized for this... I was very ignorant on how to eat correctly but I'm trying to fix it now). Any ideas of what could be stalling my progress?
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Not tired of seeing your name at all
You could be improving your body composition (especially with exercise 6 days a week), one thing I wish I had done was to take measurements and no rely on the E@$% scale
So maybe you have more muscle?
Do you feel good? Energy OK? Clothes looser?
I don't want to be down on exercise but working out 'extremely hard' 6 times a week could just be too much ... I have seen good progress personally from dialling the exercise way back (non-existent for the last few weeks actually ..). Exercise is a stressor, stress raises cortisol, cortisol inhibits fat loss.
Look at it from the body's point of view ... I'm getting worked harder and getting less fuel, I'd like to survive, I think I may hang onto some fat ...
If you have been very low calorie in the recent past (and I understand why you would do it, believe me, no judgement here) then this would have a magnifying effect as your body has been used to less and is trying to conserve fat for survival.
My completely un-medical, un-scientific, just a bloke on a sofa advice would be to concentrate on eating whole, natural food first, do not go hungry, ever and dial way back on the exercise for a bit ... Let the body know that the food supply is good, reliable and keep the stress minimal.0 -
So do you think that my body will adapt to the high fat- low carb lifestyle and eating 1400 calories eventually? Or did I do too much damage by eating too few calories for a while.0
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They say that your muscles hold onto water when they are worked very hard, so it could be that. Have your been doing Insanity for awhile--or just started, or upped your intensity. You don't say how tall you are, but at your weight and doing Insanity you could be toning instead of losing scale weight. I would start to take measurements and look at body fat %. Even on Atkins (considered a very low carb lifestyle) the suggested calorie goal is 1500-1600 for women (total--not MFP net). Are you getting close to that?
I'm alot older than you (63) and just do a little jogging, hill climbing and lifting and I found that for me 20g of carbs didn't give me the energy I needed as I upped my distances and weights...so fine your sweet spot with good food and keep up the good job.0 -
They say that your muscles hold onto water when they are worked very hard, so it could be that. Have your been doing Insanity for awhile--or just started, or upped your intensity. You don't say how tall you are, but at your weight and doing Insanity you could be toning instead of losing scale weight. I would start to take measurements and look at body fat %. Even on Atkins (considered a very low carb lifestyle) the suggested calorie goal is 1500-1600 for women (total--not MFP net). Are you getting close to that?
I'm alot older than you (63) and just do a little jogging, hill climbing and lifting and I found that for me 20g of carbs didn't give me the energy I needed as I upped my distances and weights...so fine your sweet spot with good food and keep up the good job.
I am only 5'0 and I would like to get down to 110. I know that I shouldn't always focus on the number, but I have to start with a goal somewhere. I am ending month 1 of Insanity today and then starting Month two in a week, which is a lot harder. I have a recovery week in between with one particular workout from Insanity that involves core workouts. I really struggle to get my calories up to 1600. It took me about a week to get my calories up to 1400. I am just not that hungry and then I can't find enough foods to eat to up calories but keep my carbs low. It's been a little bit of a struggle in the beginning. I am trying to get the hang of it now. I know I should have taken measurements before I started, but I guess it's never too late for that. So I will do that this weekend and track progress that way instead of the scale all the time. Thanks for the input about the working out though. 0 -
If you are having trouble with your calories just up the fat... more oil on your salad... more butter with your egg... coconut oil in your coffee.... etc...just add more fat.......and you should easily hit your calories...
Hell my breakfast of ham/egg/cheese/spinach cooked in butter equals 500 calories roughly and then I have a coffee with some cream and coconut oil and I am easily up to 700......0 -
I've returned to Atkins after being on a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) and I am seeing massive changes in my muscles on a daily basis. If you're not eating enough, your body will burn up muscle, this gets worse if you're doing heavy exercise. If you're feeling weak or your muscles don't feel right, you may be burning up your muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat and actively burns fuel to be maintained, even while you sleep (fat is just lazy and burns nothing).
Don't just up the protein, up the fat too, as it helps protect your new muscle. Work on the nutrition as well, lots of vitamins, amino acids, minerals. Fat helps you absorb nutrients better too. Most of the low calorie diets are very poor nutritionally. Avocado, Peppers and greens will help.0
