Advice? still gaining fast despite sticking to targets

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MsAnnThropy
MsAnnThropy Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. I'm a little bit desperate here as around a month ago I started gaining weight fairly rapidly. I started paying extra attention to what I eat and exercising more (and more intensely). I'm a sedentary person but very fit as I've always (for decades by now) done a very intense workout for an hour a day, or two hours walking. Lately Ive been sticking to the crosstrainer as its far more intense in both cardio and muscle building (so 5 - 6 times a week).
According to the planning tool, I should be eating 1200 per day plus whatever I burn in exercise, and I don't go over this unless I go out drinking (once a week) but that hasnt increased either.
So far I've gained 2.5 kg in 3 weeks, and my measurements are all increasing too. I'm very very sensitive about my appearance (it's an ongoing source of great stress for me) and for the first time in my life I'd managed to reach a size where I liked how I looked - admittedly, it was via a trauma experience that made me shed 6kg in a fortnight without trying, but I did manage to keep it off for a year.
Does anyone have any ideas what I might try? I've tried rasperry ketone, but as I eat a low fat diet anyway, it did nothing.

thanks so much for any help or info you can give. I really appreciate it!

Anne

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    your stats (start weight, goal weight, height) and openign your diary may help people give you more ideas.
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
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    Are you calculating exercise calories? If so, are you sure they're correct? Machines can be misleading.
    Are you measuring your food?
    First place to start is making sure you are being accurate and honest with your counting how many calories eaten, and how many burned.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Remember every thing is an estimate. Both your calorie and your exercise make sure you are accurately weighing all your food. Also no matter how you work it out your exercise (be it heart rate or other method) it's still a guess an educated one but still a guess. If your calorie counting looks pretty accurate I would guess your exercise estimates are off. Maybe eat only half back for a while and see if there is any difference.
  • swimswimmerswim
    swimswimmerswim Posts: 8 Member
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    If there is such a thing as "starvation mode", I believe that's where your body is right now; you are working out so hard and eating so little that your body is keeping as much energy as it can as a reserve for coming days.

    Eating whatever you like one day a week (still being responsible of course) might let your body remember there's more to come soon, it can safely use up the calories it need for the moment.

    Also, every dietician I've met say I need fat even when I want to loose weight; currently the equivalent to two tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable margarine every day.

    How about exercising less? A month or two with 45 minutes, mainly cardio, three times a week and you're still an active person. My doctor would certainly be impressed. (But I do a lot more because I enjoy it so much; then again I've been putting on a lot as well and began using this site last week to become focused again).

    Best / swim
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    If you are still gaining fast despite sticking to targets, then maybe you've got the wrong targets. Time to reevaluate. As others pointed out, make sure you are properly weighing and measuring your food. Guesstimating can be WAY off.
  • carolyn0613
    carolyn0613 Posts: 162 Member
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    Hi there

    I use this site to get a good estimate of TDEE
    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    I looked at the other post that you made and put in some of your stats. At your height and weight with, for example, a very sedentary lifestyle you would need to be eating around 1800 cals to maintain. Because you have only a little to lose, cutting that down to 1500-1600 would be about right, if you eat back your exercise cals on top. 1/2 lb a week

    I was in a similar position and was netting 14-1500 kcals and not seeing a loss for 6 weeks. I reduced my cals with no effect - a small loss then a gain... So I upped them and now eat more and have been losing steadily. Crazy but true and is true also for a lot of other people.

    You also need patience to see changes - our bodies fluctuate daily by around 5lbs, and these fluctuations are even more marked for women.
  • MsAnnThropy
    MsAnnThropy Posts: 16 Member
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    Hi All
    Thanks for the replies. I appreciat the time. Most of you suggested I may be miscalculating, but I am very very exact with my food , and always have been (to the point of obsession). Also with calculating the exercise.
    I'm not sure I could be in starvation mode, as I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day depending on how much I exercise. My BMR was guessed as 1200 cos I have a sedentary job (I wok from home at a computer) but I do exercise 5 - 6 times a week.
    As to my stats, I'm currently at 50kg, at 5"6. I was 48 for the last year, and it's the first time I have liked how I look (the charts suggest its underweight, but as I have narrow hips, short legs and a thick waist, plus very broad shoulders, I generally look likea football player at normal weight).
    I'd really appreciate some further advice, as sadly, it isn't just simple miscalculation :( (I wish it was, cos that would be an easy fix!).
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    if you eat 16-1700 cals and then do 'very intense' cardio, you are rpobably netting too low.

    try swapping some cardio for strength training, and ensure you net 1500 cals per day.
  • KT0104
    KT0104 Posts: 33
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    Silly question, but have you had your thyroid checked out? I discovered I was hypothyroid a wee while ago - had gained a load of weight beforehand that I couldn't stop no matter what I tried!
    Nowadays, I can't eat too much wheat without gaining - and it has nothing to do with calorie content (am v.anal about my logging!)
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    1600-1700 is great but when you have very intense workouts it tends to need to be up in the 2000's...I know this sounds high but try this spreadsheet and see what it tell you to eat. It calculates your activity down to the hours.
    Also unless you are 5 foot your BMR is more than 1200. :) Just helpful tips.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE
  • Anime_
    Anime_ Posts: 23 Member
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    You weigh 110lbs. at 5'6". You are already very slim, so any weight loss now will take time, though I'm not sure why you would want to lose weight ^^ Surely toning up would be beneficial but you say you are already fit. Perhaps you are overestimating your calories burned during exercise?
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
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    Hi All
    Thanks for the replies. I appreciat the time. Most of you suggested I may be miscalculating, but I am very very exact with my food , and always have been (to the point of obsession). Also with calculating the exercise.
    I'm not sure I could be in starvation mode, as I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day depending on how much I exercise. My BMR was guessed as 1200 cos I have a sedentary job (I wok from home at a computer) but I do exercise 5 - 6 times a week.
    As to my stats, I'm currently at 50kg, at 5"6. I was 48 for the last year, and it's the first time I have liked how I look (the charts suggest its underweight, but as I have narrow hips, short legs and a thick waist, plus very broad shoulders, I generally look likea football player at normal weight).
    I'd really appreciate some further advice, as sadly, it isn't just simple miscalculation :( (I wish it was, cos that would be an easy fix!).

    What is your bodyfat percentage? It appears that you are very lean already. You may be trying to get "too lean" and your body may be pushing back.
  • MsAnnThropy
    MsAnnThropy Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks again guys. I really appreciate this! KT - funnily enough I wondered about that too, though I did have it tested a few years back. Mwell - I wondered too if the estimate tool wasn't quite right. From what I've read I thought that anything under 1200 sent anyONE into starvation mode! But yeah, I put "sedentary" cos I sit in front of a computer all day and only stop to get on my crosstrainer!
    The things youve all said are realy sensible too - rearding the exercise, I have actually been minusing 100 from what both the crosstrainer and this site say to play it safe. Im not sure what my body fat percentage is, as the sites differ, but range from 14 to 22, which is a bit annoying (partly as I am very thick wasted proportionally to my hips, and if they only ask for certain measurements it skews it). Using callipers (which I am guessing is the most accurate) the charts for it say 20-22%.

    Thanks again for your help and suggestions, I'm still not sure what to do other than ask for a thyroid test, but I do appreciate the help a lot!

    ps: Im not actually trying to LOSE any weight, just maintain. I can live with having put on the 2kg, but only if it stops!

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