Unsure why I'm gaining weight

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chelseaparton
chelseaparton Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I've been trying to lose weight for a while now. I started using MFP after a friend suggested I was in starvation mode. I realised I was netting around 600-1000 calories per day. I upped this to 1100-1250 (going over on occasional days) for a week with no exercise and lost 4lb. Then I began exercising, burning around 300 calories per day, about 3-5 days a week. I ate the majority of them back, still netting 1100-1250. I gained a pound. Now I know a pound isn't a lot, but when you're putting all your effort into it, it is. I don't get how I'm supposed to have had an extra "3500" calories when I'm netting around 1200 (as MyFitnessPal tells me to - 1240, sedentary, aiming to lose 1lb per week).
I'm female, 18, 5'5", 135lbs, aiming for 119lbs. My BMR is 1458. My TDEE is 2258. My RMR is 1440.
I considered upping my calorie intake to 1350, as I do climb a lot of stairs and stand for long periods of time at college, but with a BMR of 1458, that would mean I was only 100 calories less a day, right?

I'm unsure on what to do. Should I go back to eating around 1200 with no exercise or up my calories? I just don't understand where the weight is coming from, and I don't feel as if I am toning up, so I doubt it's muscle.

All help appreciated.
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Replies

  • SenseiCole
    SenseiCole Posts: 429 Member
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    have you found your body his changed shape? if so, you have gained muscle, which isn't a bad thing, more muscle more cals are burnt

    I'd up your cals

    and don't eat the same foods day in day out

    and i'd change up your exercise too

    some medium pace and some fast pace cardo and i'd do weigh training too



    anyone can add me
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
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    I am in same boat. I had been maintaining great for 9 months and all of a sudden, my weight is creeping up. A lb every now and then but... it does not come off when I really try. I am going to change my eating. It is summer (slowly getting warmer) now so I will be able to get outside and change my exercise. Hope this helps.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Ok so I've been trying to lose weight for a while now. I started using MFP after a friend suggested I was in starvation mode. I realised I was netting around 600-1000 calories per day. I upped this to 1100-1250 (going over on occasional days) for a week with no exercise and lost 4lb. Then I began exercising, burning around 300 calories per day, about 3-5 days a week. I ate the majority of them back, still netting 1100-1250. I gained a pound. Now I know a pound isn't a lot, but when you're putting all your effort into it, it is. I don't get how I'm supposed to have had an extra "3500" calories when I'm netting around 1200 (as MyFitnessPal tells me to - 1240, sedentary, aiming to lose 1lb per week).
    I'm female, 18, 5'5", 135lbs, aiming for 119lbs. My BMR is 1458. My TDEE is 2258. My RMR is 1440.
    I considered upping my calorie intake to 1350, as I do climb a lot of stairs and stand for long periods of time at college, but with a BMR of 1458, that would mean I was only 100 calories less a day, right?

    I'm unsure on what to do. Should I go back to eating around 1200 with no exercise or up my calories? I just don't understand where the weight is coming from, and I don't feel as if I am toning up, so I doubt it's muscle.

    All help appreciated.

    as crude as this sounds... i gain a pound if i haven't had a good poop.
    seeing a one pound increase on the scale does not mean you have put on fat. it probably means maybe you ate something salty yesterday, or you need to go to the bathroom, or the stars are aligned differently lol.
    this is why I weight once a week. If you feel the need to weight more often, pick one day a week and log your weight on that day. use the other days just to understand your body and the natural fluctuations.
    (also, gaining a pound or two or a few isn't unheard of when people up their calories, until their body settles in to the new routine)

    ETA: you should NOT be eating under your BMR. you should be eating somewhere between your BMR and your TDEE.
  • Brownie_Slayer
    Brownie_Slayer Posts: 16
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
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    Sometimes when you start a new exercise routine, your muscles retain water. Keep at it! The benefits of adding in an exercise routine far outweigh any water weight you put on in the beginning. Give it a few weeks to a month and the weight will come off.

    *Edited for spelling.
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
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    Ladies, to gain muscle you need to strength train (hard), eat excess calories (so above your TDEE) and have a high intake of protein. As females you need to do all these things, often and stick to a dedicated body building plan to gain muscle. You will NOT gain muscle eating at 1200 calories a day, no way no how.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.

    no it takes a LOT of work for women to put on muscle weight, and certainly not if we are eating at a deficit.
  • chelseaparton
    chelseaparton Posts: 18 Member
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    My body seems to still be the same.

    I'm a really fussy eater, and live off carbs. I don't really have much time to plan and prepare meals due to being so busy with college and work, so I usually have to eat what my family give me (or whatever is at the college canteen)

    I do find that I sometimes have to force myself to eat, as I find it difficult to get around 1200 net calories when I exercise, so I'm a bit unsure on increasing my exercise. But I'll definitely vary it more.
  • Brownie_Slayer
    Brownie_Slayer Posts: 16
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    *edit*
  • Brownie_Slayer
    Brownie_Slayer Posts: 16
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.

    no it takes a LOT of work for women to put on muscle weight, and certainly not if we are eating at a deficit.

    That makes sense. I agree with your post about how small that one pound is in the gand scheme of things. Esecially if you are weighing in every day. Or if you just started the new diet.

    Guess I didn't realize how much different it is for women to gain muscle.
  • TwelveSticks
    TwelveSticks Posts: 288 Member
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    Be patient. A week is nothing - everyone experiences unexplained fluctuations in weight, particularly when changing routines. Women probably more than men. So much can be down to salt levels / water retention or as others have said, even how 'regular' you've been in recent days etc.

    I'd suggest you're doing fine. If anything, you're probably still eating a little too few calories, but you're probably not starving yourself anymore on the levels you're on now. Give it another week or two. Only get weighed once a week (if you can stand the wait) and let time help you on your way...
  • spekkio12345
    spekkio12345 Posts: 18 Member
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    If you stick to the 1200 honestly and keep up the moderate exercise you will lose over time. Don't put a single thing in your mouth you don't count, not a sip of caloric drink, a tablespoon of dressing, a chip.....nada. And talking about carbs, a small pasta dish from a college cafeteria can easily have over 1200 calories by itself.
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
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    If you stick to the 1200 honestly and keep up the moderate exercise you will lose over time. Don't put a single thing in your mouth you don't count, not a sip of caloric drink, a tablespoon of dressing, a chip.....nada. And talking about carbs, a small pasta dish from a college cafeteria can easily have over 1200 calories by itself.

    Do you think 1200 is an adequate calorie allocation for a 5ft 5, 135lb girl who is exercising moderately then?
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    My body seems to still be the same.

    I'm a really fussy eater, and live off carbs. I don't really have much time to plan and prepare meals due to being so busy with college and work, so I usually have to eat what my family give me (or whatever is at the college canteen)

    I do find that I sometimes have to force myself to eat, as I find it difficult to get around 1200 net calories when I exercise, so I'm a bit unsure on increasing my exercise. But I'll definitely vary it more.

    some will say that overdoing the carbs, even on a deficit can slow down loss.
    regarding being busy, if you have a few hours, one day a week, that's all you need to prepare and freeze some meals; cut up lots of veggies so you can grab some when your time is limited; and prepare some good for you snacks. nuts are easy and fast and nutritious. fruit is easy too. hard boiled eggs are convenient (and really, most of us do have at least a few hours a week we can set aside, even though we might prefer to spend it doing something else... priorities)
    if you find it difficult to get up to your 1200... have a spoonful of peanut butter, or a banana (or both together mmmm) or some cashews or if you really want those carbs, there are lots of yummy whole grain snacks (i just LOVE Kind and Purely Elizabeth granolas!)
  • chelseaparton
    chelseaparton Posts: 18 Member
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    If you stick to the 1200 honestly and keep up the moderate exercise you will lose over time. Don't put a single thing in your mouth you don't count, not a sip of caloric drink, a tablespoon of dressing, a chip.....nada. And talking about carbs, a small pasta dish from a college cafeteria can easily have over 1200 calories by itself.

    Do you think 1200 is an adequate calorie allocation for a 5ft 5, 135lb girl who is exercising moderately then?


    Baring in mind that's NET calories. I eat around 1400-1500 on the days that I exercise.
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
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    If you stick to the 1200 honestly and keep up the moderate exercise you will lose over time. Don't put a single thing in your mouth you don't count, not a sip of caloric drink, a tablespoon of dressing, a chip.....nada. And talking about carbs, a small pasta dish from a college cafeteria can easily have over 1200 calories by itself.

    Do you think 1200 is an adequate calorie allocation for a 5ft 5, 135lb girl who is exercising moderately then?


    Baring in mind that's NET calories. I eat around 1400-1500 on the days that I exercise.

    Still quite a low intake for someone so young with your stats.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.

    no it takes a LOT of work for women to put on muscle weight, and certainly not if we are eating at a deficit.

    i've read this before, yet i'm losing weight and developing muscle while eating at a deficit...and the muscle wasn't there (well it was but like 2 years in the past...and i built it then while eating at a deficit)
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.

    no it takes a LOT of work for women to put on muscle weight, and certainly not if we are eating at a deficit.


    I agree. It does take time to put on muscle weight. It doesn't happen overnight.
  • chelseaparton
    chelseaparton Posts: 18 Member
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    If you stick to the 1200 honestly and keep up the moderate exercise you will lose over time. Don't put a single thing in your mouth you don't count, not a sip of caloric drink, a tablespoon of dressing, a chip.....nada. And talking about carbs, a small pasta dish from a college cafeteria can easily have over 1200 calories by itself.

    Do you think 1200 is an adequate calorie allocation for a 5ft 5, 135lb girl who is exercising moderately then?


    Baring in mind that's NET calories. I eat around 1400-1500 on the days that I exercise.

    Still quite a low intake for someone so young with your stats.

    So what do you recommend I increase it to? I do not wish to gain muscle, just lose weight, for now.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Sounds like you gained a pound of muscle. That's a good thing.

    no it takes a LOT of work for women to put on muscle weight, and certainly not if we are eating at a deficit.

    i've read this before, yet i'm losing weight and developing muscle while eating at a deficit...and the muscle wasn't there (well it was but like 2 years in the past...and i built it then while eating at a deficit)

    the muscle wasn't there? or it wasn't as visible and toned as it is now? for example... i have great upper arm muscles, they are only now beginning to reveal themselves as I shed the overlying fat. It's not from exercise, I don't lift (i know i know i should). Even women who ARE working hard and eating at a surplus, it takes a lot of time time to build up muscle, we are so different from men in this way.

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