Lost 49lbs...gained back 13lbs.....what's going on?

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Ducati58
Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
in Motivation and Support
If anyone can give me some help in this, I would appreciate it!! I am 55, walk 4 miles six days a week, Spin class once a week, trying to keep my carbs under 150 grams....did really great keeping the weight off up until December and have since started gaining...have been taking CLA supplements recently....but not any other big changes....diet is pretty much the same as last year....went through blood tests a couple of months ago and my thyroid is ok....I am thinking maybe it's because I am in menopause and need hormone replacement....I am stumped..... :(
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  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
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    When I was young I could eat anything, or under eat, and I'd spring back to healthy looking with little effort and time. Now i'm 51 and it's different. It's slower progress, but the best progress still happens and I believe i'm in better shape than when I was in my 30's. Maybe even my 20's. You have to eat your exercise calories with the big burn exercises you do. Under eating, or eating crappy undercuts my goals at this age. My body will hang on to every scrap of energy if it can. It only lets go if I'm eating well, and enough. I even have month long stalls, but it always eventually works if I follow the plan.

    You eat well, you exercise a lot, which is good, but you aren't eating enough according to your diary.
  • betzeross
    betzeross Posts: 161 Member
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    I'm sorry, I don't have any advice for you. I don't know the secret to lasting success. But I will support you and encourage you in your :flowerforyou:
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
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    tell me what u are eating and what you are doing to have gained 13!
  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
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    My mom has had great luck with hormone therapy - you're on the right track guessing that hormones are making a difference. She takes troches (spelling? I don't know) and they totally make a difference in how she feels, her energy level, and her whole body, including weight! Ask your doctor. :) Good luck!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I don't know how menopause affects weight loss...but I am in perimenopause (pre-menopause) and have not noticed a difference in that respect.

    Are you sure you are logging everything you eat at the correct amounts (weighing everything)?

    Are you sure your caloire target is correct (based on a deficit from TDEE)?
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
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    I am 59 and I did the same thing. Gained 13 lbs over the holidays, got scared I would gain all my weight back, found this site and logged everything I ate and have lost it. I was overeating healthy stuff, going back and getting apples and stuff but too many calories,had to weigh everything and be vigilant. I was eating a little here and there and had WW mentality to eat all fruit and veg I wanted and I gained weight. I upped my exercise, zumba and ripped, very energetic stuff 4-6 times a week!
  • janfinnegan
    janfinnegan Posts: 17
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    I agree with brenn24179. I think a calorie journal is a good idea. Once you have a few weeks worth of data you can see what's going on for sure. Good luck!
  • jadams1650
    jadams1650 Posts: 139 Member
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    Well, the answer is easy. You are no longer in a calorie deficit. You cannot gain weight (except for temporary water weight) if you expend more calories than you consume. I would suggest you re-evaluate your diet and exercise to insure you are logging all your food, and also entering accurate caloric burns. Something changed...hormonal changes can affect weight but only by slowing metabolism...I bet something else changed...reflect on that and I bet you find it.
  • Dragonleg
    Dragonleg Posts: 4
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    Congratulations on your weight loss!
    Did you reevaluate your caloric needs at your lower weight?
  • Ducati58
    Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
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    I read on someone's MFP blog that you should only eat half of your exercise calories back because it is not always spot on with calories....?? and then someone else wrote "don't eat any of them back"....I am confused.....
  • Ducati58
    Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
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    Yes I did change my calorie changes based on weight changes....
  • Ducati58
    Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
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    I have been going back over my records last year and the thing I noticed is that I was pretty low on calories most days and I don't think I accurately recorded alot of what I put down LAST year....I was putting less calories down for exercise and keeping under that so that is why I have been only eating back half of what I have been putting down this year.....
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
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    I'm thinking it's sugar somewhere in your diet... and/or the consumption of useless carbohydrates! Try google.com for: Top 10 Foods Highest in Carbohydrates (To Limit or Avoid).... You may discover something of value to you. Good luck.:smile:
  • Ducati58
    Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
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    I did my TDEE and it was 2243 so minusing 20%, I should be eating 1795 and not eating back exercise calories....
  • cmcmommy
    cmcmommy Posts: 197 Member
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    Could be hormones / but probably not recording right , weighing everything, Adjusting your goals , You've lost almost 50 lbs be proud of that, and just reevaluate your goals and stay on track.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    MFP works because keeping a food diary helps you realise and be accountable for exactly what you are eating. Record EVERYTHING you eat. Weight and measure all your portions as until you can see what for example 100 g or 1 tablespoon of something looks like it is surprising how far off we can be.

    Also keeping a journal of how you are feeling when you want to eat can help some people. There is a notes section in the food diary on MFP or you can keep a paper diary with you for this. This may help you to associate certain feelings with food and help you identify any triggers that may cause you to excessively eat.

    Regarding exercise calories, it's a difficult question here because everyone will give you a different response. I would recommend calculating your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Be honest in the online form with the amount of exercise do and aim for a maximum 20% deficit. Then eat this amount every day. In this circumstane you do not eat back your exercise calories as you have already counted them in your calculation.

    Recalculate for every 5lbs change in weight.

    Good luck to you.
  • suzanne_oh
    suzanne_oh Posts: 95 Member
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    I read on someone's MFP blog that you should only eat half of your exercise calories back because it is not always spot on with calories....?? and then someone else wrote "don't eat any of them back"....I am confused.....

    I feel your pain, there are various opinions and advice on this forum and it gets confusing. As for me, I've found a comfort zone that is adding up to 1 - 2 lbs lost per week so I'm sticking with it. I do think eating too little can be a problem, so I eat back most, if not all, of my exercise calories. I exercise 4 - 6 times per week as well.

    Good luck to you!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I did my TDEE and it was 2243 so minusing 20%, I should be eating 1795 and not eating back exercise calories....

    You are not doing this now. Your diary is set to @1300. If you are using the TDEE method then you need to go and manually set your calorie goal to 1795. Otherwise you need to eat back exercise calories.
  • Ducati58
    Ducati58 Posts: 20 Member
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    I had been on WW a couple of years ago and it did nothing for me as they did not limit carbs...that is how I lost on MFP....keeping my carbs under 150 carbs....but does not seem to be working right now for some reason......
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    I think you need to ease up on the sodium, some days your sodium in way over. Give the pickles a break, instead of having 4 have one, store bough food is also very high in sodium.

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