Eating More Not Losing" BUT GAINING"!!!

I started the "Eat More Weigh Less" forum on June 1st. I figured what have I got to lose but weight. Did not think I would gain anything but knowledge instead I've gained 4 pounds. I went from 134 pounds to 138 pounds. First week was 136, second week 138.

I take the volumetric approach to eating. High volume low calories. Lot's and Lot's of fruit and Vegetables (Fresh). When I was 134 pounds and don't yell at me I was eating 900-1200 calories a day. Scale was not moving.

I have a strict workout regiment, I work in the health a wellness industry Yes, we too can have weight issues. I stand at 5'3 and am a size 2/4 depending on the clothes item. I want to be at 125 pounds.

My workout consist of:

Monday: I teach Turbokick 55 minutes. No Weights

Tuesdays: Dead man work out 60-70 min (This workout consist of weights free weights and some machine weights, lunges, squats, dead lifts..... you name it. In between sets I do intense cardio drills supper set push ups 3 sets of 12, then lift weights, go back to a cardio drill and do something like mountain climbers or sumo burpees) Dead man workout is focusing on weight training with a little bit of cardio drills in there. Big calorie burn. I know with with weight training your body still burns calories a few hours after your workout. I call it a Dead Man workout because that is how I feel "Dead"! You are completely drained afterwards.

Wednesday: I teach Turbokick 55 minutes. No weights

Thursday: Dead man workout 60-70 minutes/ Teach a class right after. (Note I do not get a big workout during this class I teach because it is a Senior class) To all my Seniors out there please do not be offended. Sometimes I just walk around and monitor their position or performance when I have them do a circuit.

Friday: Some type of cardio for 45 minutes. Usually treadmill, stair climber,or Turbokick. If I use a machine I do High intensity low speed. (Other words... I don't have the machine moving at a fast pace but I am using lots of leg muscle to move the body)

Saturday/Sunday: I pick on of these days to rest and the other to do a Dead Man Work out.

So this all equates to 3 days cardio/3 days weights with little cardio.

Age 41
Height 5'3
current weight 138

Base of my BMR Calculator I need 1353 calories just to live. I know I was eating below that for awhile.
Base on my TEE with (moderate exercise....This is what I put in when I calculated my TEE) I need 2096 calories.

Know if I eat below my TEE-15%= 1781.6 calories
TEE- 20%= 1676.8 calories
TEE-25%= 1572 calories (The 25% is based on 1.5/ 2 pounds weight lose each week)


MFP has me on 1200 calories a day. When I calculate my workouts in MFP buts me at a higher number depending on the day.

Know I yo-yo my calories on MFP to keep my metabolism guessing.

Here are my calorie numbers: first number is what I ate second number is what MFP says when it counts my workouts in.

June 1st .... 1392/1542 (As you can see I ate back some of my exercise calories, because I ate more than 1200 calories)

June 2nd..... 1077/1626

June 3rd...... 1381/1763

June 4th...... 1546/1659

June 5th...... 1371/1763

June 6th...... 1462/1659

June 7th..... 1378/1763

June 8th..... 1397/1659

June 9th..... No log in (My internet was acting up and couldn't even get wi-fi)

June 10..... 1113/1763

June 11..... 1446/1742

As you can see out of the 10 days I logged in 7 of them I ate above the 1200 calories MPF as me on. So I ate back some not all of my exercise calories.

So with me omitting June 9th I have 10 days worth of calories to look at. I ate 13,563 calories. My BMR is 1353, when i take that number and multiply it by 10 days (not counting June 9th) I get 13,530. As you can see I ate very closely to my BMR. another words it all leveled out in a 10 day period. If I am eating at my BMR I should not be putting on 1.5 pounds a week.

I have been reading the message boards and some people are saying it can take up to 6 week for your body to adjust. But I remember back in 1993 When I did Jenny Craig (That is when I initially lost all my weight.... I was 180 pounds size 16). They put me on 1500 calories and it did not take 2/6 weeks for my body to adjust. The first week I dropped weight and kept dropping.
Week after week. When they moved me down to 1200 calories after a few weeks I plateaued. I was a size 6 then. I have more muscle mass now than I did back then so know I'm a 2/4.

I know some of you may be like "What is she complaining about"? She is a 2/4! It's the scale for me people I want to be at 125. This is a personal goal for me. I want to look leaner and I know at 125 I would look that way. So yes, 13 pounds is a big deal to me. I said I was a 2/4 and at 125 I probably would be more like a 2. For some people it's about the clothes but I'm sorry for me it is about the scale. I work in an were industry that looks matter. I rather not say what I do but trust me looks set the example.

So if anyone wants to tell me what I'm doing wrong then please advise? I'm looking for help not to be judged or yelled at. I can tell you I'm thinking about eating just 1200 calories a day, even though all those internet calculators (and I've tried all of them) say my BMR is 1353.

One more thing I drink a gallon of water a day. I have a Milk carton I fill up and drink that each day. Sometimes I drink a little more than that. But I alway drink the gallon. I don't consume soda, coffee of any kind, tea, or any sugar free drinks. I don't consume alcohol either.

My motto is: " Eating Right is not a Diet it's a Lifestyle"? and "Personal Training is not just about Reshaping your Body it's about Reshaping your Life"! I tell my clients this each week...

Thank you, to all who read and I wish each of you great success on your weight loss journey as you move forward in creating a healthier lifestyle for yourself.

Blessings;
RA

Replies

  • BluthLover
    BluthLover Posts: 301 Member
    Bump for answer! You sound like me!
  • Mjsturg1
    Mjsturg1 Posts: 16 Member
    Have you thought about getting your RMR tested?? I too was using the tools on the internet to figure mine except mine came in at 1150 not the 1400-1500 it should be according to the trainer who tested me. I had mine done at a hospital,laying down,20 min test the whole nine yards for $100. Well worth it for me because at least now I know why nothing was working. She told me to eat around 1400-1500 to lose weight :(
  • CariS001
    CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
    I'm confused... do you mean the FIRST number is what MFP says you ate (after accounting for exercise)? i.e. your net? and the second number is what you actually ate?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So reading through the posts you'll notice most do gain weight. The exact same water weight that was initially lost when a diet was started. Same water weight gain that would have happened had you been able to reach goal. Same water weight loss that will occur after you stop a reset and diet again.

    But even if you didn't go up to TDEE yet, really proves how depleted you are keeping your glucose stores that you had that much to refill, which stores with water. 500 cal worth is 1 lb total. Required and desired water, it increases your LBM and your metabolism - so a good thing.

    In addition to that, for some period of time with a suppressed metabolism from eating so little and doing so much, you will be eating in excess of your TDEE. If you had no loss of measurements or weight - you were eating at maintenance, and now you are eating above maintenance. A very suppressed maintain by your previous choices. At least with exercise, the excess is being put to great use for body improvements, like storing more glucose for those massive cardio workouts you do, which is asking the body to do just that.

    So any diet is a stress on the body.
    Frequent intense exercise is a stress on the body.
    Lack of sleep is, wrong foods can be, other life stresses like worrying over weight.
    Guess what is going to fight fat and weight loss - stress.

    I'd strongly recommend you mentally accept the fact that for weight loss and hopefully just fat loss - more exercise is NOT better, and in fact will be counter-productive. Too many stresses on the body, and that means removing another stress, like eating enough to cause less of a deficit, which means less weight loss than possibly could be had.

    So you are doing so much at the upper aerobic or lower anaerobic end, your request of your body is to store more carbs for those almost total carb burning workouts. More carbs, more water weight.
    That means you also will have potential of great weight fluctuations, so to minimize that, you should ONLY weigh on valid days.
    Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last lifting workout.

    As to your workout, a way to calm it down.
    Those deadman workouts. You even try NOT doing the cardio mix with lifting, and see how much more and harder you can lift? There is a difference between reaching failure because you are lifting a heavy load, and just plain tired. And the response of the body to that load is different too. You are emphasizing cardio with a strength component.
    Until you can compare, I'll bet you'd never even realize how much you are impacting having a good lifting routine, with the ability to have fresh muscles really lifting a heavy load.
    Maybe that doesn't matter, and that's what you want and you want some improved strength, but not as much as true lifting could provide.
    But if you are thinking that is good for weight loss because you are burning a ton of calories, you are not looking at the total picture of calorie burn through the whole day - you are looking at pretty much just the workout.
    For instance, a true lifting workout, given proper rest and recovery the next day, will burn more calories for 24-36 hrs after the workout, not just a few hrs.
    But you must rest, or at least not add more load to kill the repair your body is attempting to do.

    Exercise tears down, rest and recovery and repair is actually what builds back up and stronger. And while in a deficit, that window is even smaller for getting it.

    So I'm not sure how in the world you could state you have 3 cardio days and 3 lifting days (really not true lifting though) and call that moderately active for 3-5 hrs weekly.

    Your BMR is what your body would like to burn if you could sleep all day.

    The whole keep metabolism guessing is a myth by calorie cycling. The fact is your metabolism, if you mean BMR by that, is left with different amount of calories every day anyway. As calories required to just move you mechanically changes, you could eat the exact same amount everyday, and different amounts will be left for your body to apply to BMR functions, repair functions, ect.

    I would suggest you calm down the deadman days with NO cardio between the lifts. Let the body recovery, and really lift heavy. You have no idea what you are missing.
    Make sure any workout the next day is NOT so intense as to kill the repair process your body would like to do - that is unneeded stress. Keeping HR is Active Recovery HR zone is way to tell usually, which is also badly called the fat-burning zone, but that's it's purpose.
    Make sure any workout the day before lifting is not so intense as to make you tired the next day. You probably don't know what you could really lift on fresh muscles.
    Again, you probably do indeed lift to failure, because muscles are already tired, not because the load was heavy.

    And then with that modified routine, use this to get bodyfat %, best estimate of BMR, better activity calc for your varied activity, and better deficit amount based on amount to lose and your workout type. And macros based on your LBM.
    Log your progress in inches lost, and reach goal faster.
    Then eating at true maintenance, you'll be able to do more better. Though there is still something to be said for hard days able to be really hard and making great improvement, followed by easy days to actually allow recovery and improving. That doesn't change for the pro's.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker

    Now, since you are so cardio fit, your RMR is likely to be suppressed anyway, but I wouldn't get tested until you have been eating more, because no needing trying to base your math on suppressed metabolism because of current undereating level.
    Wait 3-6 months after eating more if nothing happens.
    But with your routine, even modified as I suggested, will likely take your body a while to feel unstressed enough for metabolism to go up well and completely.
    So increase calories by about 200 a day for a week or two, then another 200, ect. Go up above your deficit amount, perhaps even to TDEE as suggested here, you'll need it likely with that stress on your body from exercise.

    As to the scale being the end-all and be-all. Really? You have to wear your scale weight on your body? Or merely your body needs to look a certain way?
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Hi Carisoo1, The first Number is my total (what I am eating), The second number is what MFP says is my Daily Goal. When I do my diest profile MFP as me at 1200 calories even though my RMR (BMR) is 1353. So I am not eating at the MFP daily Goal. As it is I'm gaining so I am afraid to eat anymore especially the MFP daily Goal.
  • CariS001
    CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
    Yikes! Well that might explain it. Your calories are way way way too low. So what ends up happening (I have this issue all the time if my numbers fall) is your body starts hoarding things. So, even though you should be losing weight based on the numbers, you gain because your body is preparing for the long term famine!!!! This will happen even worse if you are eating carbs (I find, anyway, as they store quite readily and your body will attach water like crazy to them).

    I would say start a reset pretty quick, and work to get those numbers up for a few weeks. Then, you'll find you can start the deficits and actually see losses.

    Good luck! I know how hard it is to bump the numbers when you are seeing gains so low!!! It's my constant struggle!!!!
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Yikes! Well that might explain it. Your calories are way way way too low. So what ends up happening (I have this issue all the time if my numbers fall) is your body starts hoarding things. So, even though you should be losing weight based on the numbers, you gain because your body is preparing for the long term famine!!!! This will happen even worse if you are eating carbs (I find, anyway, as they store quite readily and your body will attach water like crazy to them).

    I would say start a reset pretty quick, and work to get those numbers up for a few weeks. Then, you'll find you can start the deficits and actually see losses.

    Good luck! I know how hard it is to bump the numbers when you are seeing gains so low!!! It's my constant struggle!!!!

    Thank you Carisoo1; After reading your post along with some post from calorie count, I notice I wasn't even netting my daily goal MFP had set for me which is 1200. I do watch Carbs. I always go over on protein when I log my food into MFP. I stay away from box carbs. I work at a health club. So my job puts demands of me. With my work schedule I just can't show up at work and tell my boss I need a day to recover sorry. I just recently got my personal trainer certification and I have clients losing weight but me "NO"!

    I will say with the "Dead Man" work out I have gained strength . I have been able to up my sets and my load. Not only that but my endurance has sky rocket. When I teach Turbokick or any type of Crossfit it seems so easy.

    I just have clients that eat way above their calorie means so I assume the same rule applies to me reduce-reduce, in my cas bump up-bump up. Thanks again.
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Hi Heybales: You Asked the following 2 questions "As to the scale being the end-all and be-all. Really? You have to wear your scale weight on your body? Or merely your body needs to look a certain way?


    The answer to both is "Yes"! If you're competing in bodybuilding "Yes"! "Really"! Weight determines your division. You do your weigh in when you check in. As for glucose storing in the muscle I get all that. You have to be careful with this if you're weighing in. Believe it or not most bodybuilders are at their weakest on competition day because you have depleted water from your muscle so they don't look swollen when on stage. You, want to see the muscle not the swelling. Judges can tell the difference. When it comes to bodybuilding I take the advice of my fellow co-workers two whom have been on the cover of Fitness magazine and Bodybuilders. They support the "Dead Man" workout.

    As for the Dead Man Workout. I've been doing this workout dating back to 1993. It's a staple in my life. Not change what works. I did it through 3 pregnancy . My Doctor said don't change what works.

    I merely asking about MPF in regards to calories. I've figured I need to up my calories base on the positive replies have have received. Thank you for yours I'm sure it took great thought when you wrote it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Very understandable reason why weight matters then, I was guessing along those lines.

    And the type of bodybuilding isn't muscle mass size, so that workout is just fine.

    The problem is still when eating at a deficit, you need less deficit then, or as you have found, too much stress leads to too much difficulty.

    If you do the spreadsheet to get better estimates, I'd not log that lifting as lifting though - that line is for calorie estimate, based on reduced burned because of the rests. But with no rests, that doesn't apply.
    So your lifting is high cardio as far as calorie burn.
    Actually, all your time is high calorie.
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Very understandable reason why weight matters then, I was guessing along those lines.

    And the type of bodybuilding isn't muscle mass size, so that workout is just fine.

    The problem is still when eating at a deficit, you need less deficit then, or as you have found, too much stress leads to too much difficulty.

    If you do the spreadsheet to get better estimates, I'd not log that lifting as lifting though - that line is for calorie estimate, based on reduced burned because of the rests. But with no rests, that doesn't apply.
    So your lifting is high cardio as far as calorie burn.
    Actually, all your time is high calorie.

    Thank your for information. It's just hard when you want to lose a few pounds any you find out in the process you've damaged your metabolism, like I have. I feel like that 180 pound girl starting all over again. Only time will tell. Thanks again
  • CariS001
    CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
    Thank you Carisoo1; After reading your post along with some post from calorie count, I notice I wasn't even netting my daily goal MFP had set for me which is 1200. I do watch Carbs. I always go over on protein when I log my food into MFP. I stay away from box carbs. I work at a health club. So my job puts demands of me. With my work schedule I just can't show up at work and tell my boss I need a day to recover sorry. I just recently got my personal trainer certification and I have clients losing weight but me "NO"!

    I will say with the "Dead Man" work out I have gained strength . I have been able to up my sets and my load. Not only that but my endurance has sky rocket. When I teach Turbokick or any type of Crossfit it seems so easy.

    I just have clients that eat way above their calorie means so I assume the same rule applies to me reduce-reduce, in my cas bump up-bump up. Thanks again.


    By reset, I meant more in terms of calories. Moving up to TDEE for a few weeks, then bringing it back down. You can do that without stopping your workouts (though many people will say to recover from any metabolic damage, easing up workouts is important). My somewhat "revised" view of that is that you do what you can... if that's just increasing to TDEE with calories, so be it. Better than nothing!

    Metabolic/adrenal damage is HUGE with bodybuilders. Have you seen Danny J's vlog about this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IirSqtulw08)?? It probably speaks a lot to what you are going through.

    She has a regimen she suggests... in terms of food intake, supplements and workouts. I haven't researched the supplements, but have been meaning to.

    ETA: At the VERY least, you should always NET above your BMR (that's calorie intake MINUS your exercise activity should be above BMR, which is likely 1300-1400)
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
    WATER WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • amanda_gent
    amanda_gent Posts: 174 Member
    Hi there,

    Just wanted to give you my support - I am at a size (5'3", 114 lbs.) where anyone would say "why do you want to lose weight?" but my goal is 111 and I maintain that I can get there eventually. I can't imagine how hard it must be to work in your industry and not look the way everyone "expects" you to look. Plus your job is so physically demanding. Literally - I don't know how you do it!


    One thought though. You are far from unusual in your situation and you could use your metabolism reset as a teaching tool for your clients. This has happened to so many (woman, mostly) and you could show how its done. It's going to take a tough mental mindset and a full understanding of what's going on. Are you familiar with Layne Norton's take on metabolic damage? Check out his videos on YouTube.

    I don't think you really have an alternative. You must eat to fuel your activity or face injury/sickness from consistent under-eating. Lots of people have recovered their metabolisms, so you are not a lost cause!


    Very understandable reason why weight matters then, I was guessing along those lines.

    And the type of bodybuilding isn't muscle mass size, so that workout is just fine.

    The problem is still when eating at a deficit, you need less deficit then, or as you have found, too much stress leads to too much difficulty.

    If you do the spreadsheet to get better estimates, I'd not log that lifting as lifting though - that line is for calorie estimate, based on reduced burned because of the rests. But with no rests, that doesn't apply.
    So your lifting is high cardio as far as calorie burn.
    Actually, all your time is high calorie.

    Thank your for information. It's just hard when you want to lose a few pounds any you find out in the process you've damaged your metabolism, like I have. I feel like that 180 pound girl starting all over again. Only time will tell. Thanks again
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Hi there,

    Just wanted to give you my support - I am at a size (5'3", 114 lbs.) where anyone would say "why do you want to lose weight?" but my goal is 111 and I maintain that I can get there eventually. I can't imagine how hard it must be to work in your industry and not look the way everyone "expects" you to look. Plus your job is so physically demanding. Literally - I don't know how you do it!


    One thought though. You are far from unusual in your situation and you could use your metabolism reset as a teaching tool for your clients. This has happened to so many (woman, mostly) and you could show how its done. It's going to take a tough mental mindset and a full understanding of what's going on. Are you familiar with Layne Norton's take on metabolic damage? Check out his videos on YouTube.

    I don't think you really have an alternative. You must eat to fuel your activity or face injury/sickness from consistent under-eating. Lots of people have recovered their metabolisms, so you are not a lost cause!


    Thank you Amanda great post. I want to be 125 because it's a personal goal I want to achieve. Yes, my schedule at the gym is crazy. FItness Instructors are always teaching, then we need to find the time for our own workouts. Same with personal training. I do work in an industry where looks matter, as does weight, and appearance. I know I have damaged my metabolism and I'm working to correct that. Yes, I have spoken to one client already about eating too little. And, I'm using myself as the example.

    In the last two day's I have jumped my calories to 1500-1600. I'm still not at my daily goal though!
  • wffolkes
    wffolkes Posts: 186 Member
    Some very good information in this Vlog

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk
  • thisgirlsonfire
    thisgirlsonfire Posts: 34 Member
    Some very good information in this Vlog

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Great Volg. I'm familiar with BioLayne however, not sure how I missed this video.

    Thank you;
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    bump...