I gained 10 lbs of fat?! The frustration has me in tears
hereitgoesagain
Posts: 9
Hey guys, I could really use some help here. The frustration has finally brought me to tears.
I'm a 20 year old female, 5'6", currently 150 lbs (1450 BMR), aiming for 135. Over the past year, I went from 168 lbs to 138 through a 1500 calorie diet and running 4 times a week without eating back the calories. When I hit 138 in April, I stopped losing completely, so by the beginning of May, I decided to try to break the plateau.
I picked up a more rigorous exercise program, netting 700-1000 calories a day, but after several weeks, I had gained two pounds, though I'm fairly certain it was muscle since I had begun resistance training. Over the next few months, I tried eating more (I realized I was way too low before), eating less, zigzagging, and eating back exercise calories to net 1500, but I only gained 10 MORE pounds. Not muscle this time (or water weight.) I see the extra fat everywhere, and I feel it as my clothes are getting tighter.
To make matters worse, this more rigorous exercise did a good number on my knees, likely preventing me from ever running again. I had an arthroscopy about a week ago, so I'm several weeks out from being able to exercise even gently again.
I feel awful about myself right now. I'm sitting around with a bum leg, looking at my new 10 pounds, and trying (and often failing) not to eat because I'm bored and miserable. In just two months I've gained back nearly half of what took me a year to lose. Now, I don't cry, but this has actually broken me.
Does anyone know what's going on? How much should I be eating after quitting exercise cold turkey because of the surgery? Any help would be so greatly appreciated! I've been logging since the plateau, but I'm new to the boards... You guys all seem so great and supportive and I really appreciate whatever you have to offer
I'm a 20 year old female, 5'6", currently 150 lbs (1450 BMR), aiming for 135. Over the past year, I went from 168 lbs to 138 through a 1500 calorie diet and running 4 times a week without eating back the calories. When I hit 138 in April, I stopped losing completely, so by the beginning of May, I decided to try to break the plateau.
I picked up a more rigorous exercise program, netting 700-1000 calories a day, but after several weeks, I had gained two pounds, though I'm fairly certain it was muscle since I had begun resistance training. Over the next few months, I tried eating more (I realized I was way too low before), eating less, zigzagging, and eating back exercise calories to net 1500, but I only gained 10 MORE pounds. Not muscle this time (or water weight.) I see the extra fat everywhere, and I feel it as my clothes are getting tighter.
To make matters worse, this more rigorous exercise did a good number on my knees, likely preventing me from ever running again. I had an arthroscopy about a week ago, so I'm several weeks out from being able to exercise even gently again.
I feel awful about myself right now. I'm sitting around with a bum leg, looking at my new 10 pounds, and trying (and often failing) not to eat because I'm bored and miserable. In just two months I've gained back nearly half of what took me a year to lose. Now, I don't cry, but this has actually broken me.
Does anyone know what's going on? How much should I be eating after quitting exercise cold turkey because of the surgery? Any help would be so greatly appreciated! I've been logging since the plateau, but I'm new to the boards... You guys all seem so great and supportive and I really appreciate whatever you have to offer
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Replies
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Hi there and I know its easier said than done but try not to let this get to you so dramatically. Its only weight and you can lose it like you did before. There should be some exercises you can still do to keep you moving so you don't feel like you're not accomplishing your goals. You may also want to open your diary at least for a little while so people can take a look at your foods/sodium etc.
Its going to be okay and you will take off that weight just hang in there and find things to keep you busy and get you moving. As for your calories I think that's a very personal choice but you've very young so please don't restrict so much that your not getting your nourishment.
Take care and best wishes to you.
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Something like this happened to me also 1500 is to high, yet 1000 is abit low, my guess would be to aim for 1150-1210 field of range. There does hit a point where you have to figure out what new calorie number you need to lose more weight.0
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(Note: my boyfriend read this post and handed the computer to me to reply under his account)
I'm a 49 year old woman so my experience my not be the same as yours. I had a lot of issues losing weight, and I knew I was counting my calories and exercising, and nothing was working. I went to a Health Coach and that really changed things around. After trying several things with the Health Coach, each time it gave her more information about me and my body, I tried intermittent fasting. First I tried fasting 2 whole days in 7, but that didn't work well. What worked great was eating 8 hours only out of 24 hours. For example, I eat from 11:00am to 7:00pm. What really capped that and made me feel so much better was adding a green smoothie to my eating routine. For me, it was a combination of both those things, exercise, and eating about 1200 calories each day that has made me feel good, and loose weight. Both intermittent fasting, and green smoothie information is available on the internet for free. I got so into it, that I bought Green for Life to add some more knowledge to the mix. But that is me.
But the big takeaway from this is that a health coach could help you find out what works for you.
Hope this helps. I've recommended this approach to others, and watched them be successful too. I wish you luck.0 -
I'm so sorry. It is much harder to keep it off than take it off. But you absolutely can do this.
You lost a lot before. Go back to the same thing.
Lowering your calories to a 500 calorie deficit will help you lose those 10 pounds you've regained. It's new fat. It will come off again.
Exercise will keep you healthy and help you maintain it. Forge the plateau. You were close to your goal and your body knew what it was doing.
There are exercises other than running. Walk. Walk in the pool. Do resistance training and don't use your bum knee. You can do things like tai chi in a chair. Keep your metabolism up.
You did it before. You can do it again. Forget the fads and quick fixes. Log. Measure. Keep going.
Good luck!0 -
I know how frustrating it can be, I myself have, over the past 9ish months, gained 8lbs. It's hard, it's not fun, and just...frustrating.
We keep going though. I'm really in the same boat, so I'm excited to hear some advice as well, but really, you are not alone. :flowerforyou:0 -
Do you measure / weigh your food? If not then perhaps you were underestimating your calorie consumption. You won't gain weight if you are eating at a calorie deficit. If you are certain you had been logging accurately, then perhaps there is a medical reason for the weight gain that you should have checked out.
The good news is, you can still lose weight just by counting calories without exercise. So don't stress. And then when you can get back to exercise, you can gradually add in low impact types.0 -
It sounds to me like you should see your doctor. If you've really been eating right (eating fewer calories than you're burning but enough to fuel your body) and working out and you're gaining fat, there's something else going on. Go to the doctor.0
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How accurate would you say your logging is? Do you use a scale?0
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Are you sure you can never run again? I've read stuff about people getting bilateral hip replacements and running marathons. Hang in there!0
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Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
I just made my diary public, but please don't judge too hard... I had several friends come over with treats after the surgery and felt it was worth it to be polite and eat what they had brought. And on days when I'm way under, it's usually because I didn't have the chance to log everything I had eaten and was mentally keeping track.
In general though, I keep a pretty accurate log. I measure everything I can with my measuring cups and spoons, but I don't have a food scale. That gets trickiest with meats, but I like to think I'm pretty accurate.0 -
I agree with one of the posters that you may want to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about. I know where you are coming from though. I lost 72 lbs. using MyFitnesspal, counting calories and exercising a good bit. After I had gotten myself under 200 lbs., I got lazy and I have gained back about 30 lbs. I'm staying at 232 lbs. pretty well but this is not where I want to be.
I tried getting back at it and exercising a good bit and trying to count my calories as I did before. However, this time it just hasn't worked like I did before. Apparently, my body has gotten use to a routine of working out at least 3 times or more a week and what used to melt away before is not doing so this time. It's frustrating as hell and I know it's discouraging. I'm a little discouraged myself.
I hope you can work out what is going on, but know that your support group is right here. Don't give up and stay strong! Good luck!0 -
I'm a 49 year old woman so my experience my not be the same as yours. I had a lot of issues losing weight, and I knew I was counting my calories and exercising, and nothing was working. I went to a Health Coach and that really changed things around. After trying several things with the Health Coach, each time it gave her more information about me and my body, I tried intermittent fasting. First I tried fasting 2 whole days in 7, but that didn't work well. What worked great was eating 8 hours only out of 24 hours. For example, I eat from 11:00am to 7:00pm. What really capped that and made me feel so much better was adding a green smoothie to my eating routine. For me, it was a combination of both those things, exercise, and eating about 1200 calories each day that has made me feel good, and loose weight. Both intermittent fasting, and green smoothie information is available on the internet for free. I got so into it, that I bought Green for Life to add some more knowledge to the mix. But that is me.
I really like the 8 hours idea! I've struggled with self control, but that seems like a really great idea. Maybe I'll set up a little reward for every week I can do it... too often I've given in to snacking at night.0 -
What does the MFP calculation tell you that you should be eating if you set your goal to lose 1lb/ week? That is where I suggest that you should start. It is possible that you were netting some pretty low calories before (1500 minus all the running is probably fairly low) and your body may be sort of rebounding now that you have tried to return to a more normal calorie intake. You may just have to ride out the weight gain for a bit and wait for your body to stabilize before you are able to start losing weight again. It's also possible that you have just gotten more relaxed with tracking than you realize (it is incredibly easy for this to happen) and you just have to get back to basics of weighing, measuring, honestly tracking every single thing. And please try to calm down and not be so stressed -- try some deep breathing exercises or meditation to help calm your system down. The stress of worrying about weight can actually make it even harder for us to lose weight (unfair I know, but true). Also, have you talked to your doctor or considered talking to a nutritionist? They may have some insight or advice for you as well.
As for exercise, maybe you can do some light weights for the upper body while you are in a sitting position? That would at least get some movement in and activate some muscle. Hang in there and don't be so hard on yourself. As long as you are truly eating at a deficit (which the MFP software will tell you), you will start losing again when your body is ready. I would advise you not to push yourself super hard though -- it can just make everything worse.0 -
Are you sure you can never run again? I've read stuff about people getting bilateral hip replacements and running marathons. Hang in there!
I'm hanging on to some hope! Trust me, I'm prepared to argue when I have that follow-up appointment with the doctor when he tells me to stop the running. He told me that as I was coming out of the anesthesia, but I wasn't really "with-it" enough to say anything back.
If anyone's curious though, they found that the cartilage in my knee is soft and wrinkled, not nice and solid and protective like it should be. This creates a sharp pain when I run that means I'm damaging more cartilage, and eventually the bone. They surgeon said he'd never seen cartilage like that in patients less than 70 years old, and it looks like I've severe arthritis for longer than I've been alive... so that's fun
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Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
I just made my diary public, but please don't judge too hard... I had several friends come over with treats after the surgery and felt it was worth it to be polite and eat what they had brought. And on days when I'm way under, it's usually because I didn't have the chance to log everything I had eaten and was mentally keeping track.
In general though, I keep a pretty accurate log. I measure everything I can with my measuring cups and spoons, but I don't have a food scale. That gets trickiest with meats, but I like to think I'm pretty accurate.
Please watch this video...you may need to rethink that statement:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJVjWPclrWVY 0 -
What does the MFP calculation tell you that you should be eating if you set your goal to lose 1lb/ week? That is where I suggest that you should start.
With my activity level set to sedentary, 1320. I'll try that for a few weeks and see what happens0 -
Looking at your diary, and totally understanding that you're in a low spot right now, it appears that you don't eat a lot of Food. You eat a lot of snacky type stuff. I think you need to eat some solid meals of real food.
Eat some veggies, protein, and complex carbs. You do eat cucumbers which is great! Now add some lean meat, chicken, fish to that, along with some brown rice or a sweet potato.
You aren't giving your body enough fuel so when it does get some scant amount, it's grabbing on to it and saving it. Once your body gets used to having regular nutrition, it will start burning it up instead tucking it away.
Maybe let MyFitnessPal suggest some meals for you so you can get ideas and back in the swing of things?0 -
Maybe it's not so much how much you eat, but what you eat. You seem to live of processed flour, very little quality protein ( and btw: 5 or six large shrimp are much more than 37 calories )not much fruit or veggies apart from the occasional cucumber with your tuna, skipped meals and quick add calories.....and I don't think it has to do with your friend's visit alone.
Also, if you don't move much you need to adjust your calorie intake and eat even healthier ( especially more high quality protein ) than ever to make sure that your tissue heals fast.
I walked with a walker and a cane until March of this year and just a little while came back from walking 65 minutes unassisted at a " brisk pace ".......I blame a healthy diet for my relatively fast recovery. It allowed me to push myself just a little bit each day........not eating healthful food and skipping meals I think would not have done the same.
Good Luck and a speedy recovery to you !
And btw: even though I walk only 4-5 times a week I lost 31 pounds since April 10th ( that includes not having a thyroid and taking cortisone......and being really " old " ).....0 -
Eat a good breakfast, protein, be honest and accurate with logging what you eat and looking at portion control. Try not to eat in the 3 hour before you go to bed. Do not under eat in order to lose weight faster, the whole not eating back your calories probably sent your body in to starve mode, it learnt to do more (running) with less (food) so when you stoped the exercise and ate those sweet treats it stored them all up. I have tried the odd fast day, but I eat at least 500 calories. I also have the odd splurge, keeps my body guessing. I don't worry a heap about over/under eating on a daily basis, its enough to drive you nuts, but I do try to even it out by the end of the week. And if I need to make up calories, I use good food, not sugary sweets and snacks. I learnt my lesson at the cinema the other day, I had a little pick and mix treat and then worked it out to about 800 cal, half my days allowance. Now if I crave "bad" foods I log them first. When I see the calories come off my daily allowance, I have second thoughts :-)0
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You guys have some good observations on the diary! Looking at it myself, I have been slipping away from my healthier diet. Snacks I've tried so hard to avoid for the past year have crept back in my daily eating.
Maybe I should've mentioned this earlier, but I came home from my first year of college in May. At school, I kept only breakfast bars, oatmeal, and tea in my dorm room, forcing me to stick pretty tightly to only eating at mealtimes in the dining hall (eating with my boyfriend, who's very into fitness and has lost a good deal of weight, helped me make good choices all year.) During my second semester, I started taking some almonds and Kashi cereal with me for a snacks between meals, but I accounted for that at mealtimes.
At home, I'm surrounded by my family's not-so-great eating habits. While I try to avoid their pizza, sugary cereal, candy, and peanut butter, I certainly don't always overcome the temptation. I know I eat way too much peanut butter...
I hadn't fully realized how much my family's food has crept into my diet until now. Yikes. I do my own grocery shopping when I can, but my mom gets mad when I take up too much space in the fridge.0 -
Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
I just made my diary public, but please don't judge too hard... I had several friends come over with treats after the surgery and felt it was worth it to be polite and eat what they had brought. And on days when I'm way under, it's usually because I didn't have the chance to log everything I had eaten and was mentally keeping track.
In general though, I keep a pretty accurate log. I measure everything I can with my measuring cups and spoons, but I don't have a food scale. That gets trickiest with meats, but I like to think I'm pretty accurate.
There is a HUGE part of the problem.. WEIGHING. You cannot accurately measure everything. Not just meats need to be weighed. How do you measure apples &other foods that cannot be pressed into a measuring cup or spoon?
GET a scale. A digital scale. They are $9.99 at CVS if you have that store. Other places have them, but thats the cheapest i have found.
Also, are you using a heart rate monitor to count your exercise calories? MFP and other sites EXTREMELY exagerate exercise calories!! Do not trust these sites! Chances are, you might be burning HALF the calories you think you are.. which means you could be over eating! (and if you arent weighing your food.. well, there you go!)
Also make SURE you are drinking enough water. Get your blood checked to make sure you are absorbing the vitamins from your foods properly. Its going to take your body a while to bounce back from eating so negatively (netting below 1000 a day) and also zig-zagging all over the place, like you described. SLOW DOWN! Stick to one thing, for more than just a few months and let your body get used to one thing. Let it calm down & THEN you can regulate & see how your body is. Are you finally starting to lose? gain? STOP. Dont change ANYTHING. See how you do for a solid MONTH without changing anything... does your body keep gaining? losing? do you maintain? NOW -- what changes do you need to make? Unless you slow down & let your body tell you what you need to be doing.. you will NEVER learn!
Good luck & remember, your body is what you need to listen to!
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It is a journey, so if you are having trouble, it's not about giving up, it's about changing things up. Do sit ups, upper arm weight exercises, swim when you are ready, use the elliptical and bike ride when you are better instead of running. As far as the food and weight is concerned, you have to put the work back in. 1500 calories a day with exercise is the way to go. I always try to do more to up my metabolism by walking the dog, taking the stairs, etc. When you stop being conscious of those little changes, it also affects your metabolism. Maybe it's the smaller changes that you didn't realize you were not paying attention to? All you can do is get back to it. There are no quick fixes, but stick to the plan and trust it and you will see results (is what I keep telling myself and it's working lol)0
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You wrecked your metabolism. Netting 700 calories a day is a recipe for disaster, and you've been blasted with the consequences. The good news is by eating more, you started repairing the damage. The weight gain you've experienced was inevitable. This is why we generally argue against eating so low. Give your body time to normalize. Net the calorie goal MFP has given you, and have patience.
And btw, not to be negative, bit there is no way you gained 2 pounds of muscle netting 700 calories a day. Physically and biologically impossible. The 12 pound total gain is likely a combination of fat and water. Again, the good news is that by eating sensibly and not drastically killing your calorie intake to anorexic starvation levels, your body will fix itself, and you will get that weight back off.
Also, I doubt it was the exercise that hurt your knee. Netting so low calories left your body without the proper equipment to repair itself. A major purpose of the food we eat, besides providing raw energy, is to provide the building blocks for our bodies to constantly build up and repair itself. Muscle, tendons, ligaments, bones, organs, they all suffer stress and wear down, and constantly need repair and maintenance. When you ate so little, your body didn't have the ability to repair itself. By eating more, and having patience, there's a good chance your knee will be able to repair itself. You're young, take care of your body as it's still remarkably resilient.
TL:DR version. Eating too little messed up your body. Eating more will fix it. Weight gain is a part of fixing it. Loss will happen with time and patience.0 -
Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
I just made my diary public, but please don't judge too hard... I had several friends come over with treats after the surgery and felt it was worth it to be polite and eat what they had brought. And on days when I'm way under, it's usually because I didn't have the chance to log everything I had eaten and was mentally keeping track.
In general though, I keep a pretty accurate log. I measure everything I can with my measuring cups and spoons, but I don't have a food scale. That gets trickiest with meats, but I like to think I'm pretty accurate.
Please watch this video...you may need to rethink that statement:http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJVjWPclrWVY
I think this is really important to watch. Also give this a read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think?hl=you're+probably+eating+more0 -
Please watch this video...you may need to rethink that statement:http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJVjWPclrWVY
Thanks for that link. I do use a scale, but it was only when I started using one that I saw how easy it is to be over and how being consistently over, even by a little, adds up in a day.0 -
Hang in there. I am currently 14lbs down aiming for 23 more. Now I have a damn hernia and it's going to be a good sized cut because of the good sized cut I had from my gallbladder surgery years ago. It's up high and right by my diaphragm so I won't be doing anything for 6 weeks according to the surgeon. Seems like every time I start to lose and get fit, I get sick or need surgery or SOMETHING happens to cause me to slide back. But I WILL get back on the horse this time as soon as the doc gives me the ok. You're not alone hun. Just keep trying. Also, maybe go and get checked out to make sure you don't have a medical condition like hypothyroid or something that is causing this problem. Good luck!0
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Just a glance and looks as you are snacking a lot.....can't replace meals they are important!! Also no water was recorded - I hope you drink lots of water to carry fats and toxins OUT of the body!! No time to cook ...Bagged salad with some protein, great! Keep it up focus on eating cleaner and enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies. :drinker: :flowerforyou:0
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Sorry I don't know which diary I read but I read somebodys:blushing:0
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Oh, I totally understand your frustration. But perhaps the most important thing for you to do is to take care of yourself. Your body needs to heal from your surgery, so you'll need good, nutritious food to get you there, and sleep, too. If you have severe arthritis, it sounds like there is inflammation in your body. Have you ever been checked for food allergies, or tried an elimination diet for food intolerance?
I ask because I had an autoimmune illness that attacked my thyroid, and I was just about at the point where I would need to take thyroid medication. As a "what the heck, why not try it" last ditch effort, I tried a gluten free diet for 3 months, then had my doc re-check my thyroid levels. I went from totally hypo, for the last 3 tests, to totally normal. Turns out I had wheat intolerance. It sounds like your immune system is attacking your knees, and cartilidge generally. The most important thing for you right now is probably to get a handle on your health, rather than lose 10 lbs. Granted, you wouldn't want to gain weight, so tracking makes sense. But perhaps consider following an anti-inflammatory diet (try the book Practical Paleo for a sample diet) or an elimination diet to see how you feel.
But take care of yourself, and feed yourself healthy food. Your worth and value are not defined by 10 lbs! You are so much more than this!0 -
First off, how are you so sure it's 10 pounds of fat? Did you get your bf% tested with a caliper before and after (those bf scales don't count)? Unless this is the case, you can't worry needlessly without accounting for simple water weight and fluctuations.0
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