WHY AM I GAINING?!

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chunkymonkey0223
chunkymonkey0223 Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
I started at 265 and in two years lost 43 lbs. I got down to 222 and in the past month-ish, I have managed to gain about 10 lbs.

The only thing different I started doing was working out. I wasn't working out at all and kept losing. I count calories and right now I am doing what MFP says which is about 1500 calories a day with 4 workouts a week (30 minutes of cardio each time) and I am gaining. I want to toss my scale out the window while driving 65 mph. lol

Any suggestions on what I need to do different?
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Replies

  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
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    I would read this thread first.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Read the link above. But also:

    how often do you weigh?
    how long have you been gaining?
    how are you measuring your calories?
    how are you measuring your exercise calories?
    are you eating back your exercise calories (all/none/some?)
    are you measuring yourself with a measuring tape? If so what has changed and over what period of time?
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    are you eating back the cals you burn ( or at least some of them ) ?? can we see your diary ?
  • Anon1836
    Anon1836 Posts: 2 Member
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    If you are just starting working out, you are building muscle mass.

    Muscle mass will hold more water as well.

    Muscle mass will increase your BMR

    It will be easier to lose non-lean mass now that you are building more dense lean mass.

    Good gains = Good Losses
  • chunkymonkey0223
    chunkymonkey0223 Posts: 22
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    Read the link above. But also:

    how often do you weigh?
    how long have you been gaining?
    how are you measuring your calories?
    how are you measuring your exercise calories?
    are you eating back your exercise calories (all/none/some?)
    are you measuring yourself with a measuring tape? If so what has changed and over what period of time?

    I was weighing every morning but have stopped. I am doing it 1 time a month now.
    I have been gaining for about a month.
    I do measure calories. I have scales and measuring cups I use.
    I do not eat back my calories that I earn.
    I don't measure myself with measuring tape, which I need to do I suppose.
  • chunkymonkey0223
    chunkymonkey0223 Posts: 22
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    If you are just starting working out, you are building muscle mass.

    Muscle mass will hold more water as well.

    Muscle mass will increase your BMR

    It will be easier to lose non-lean mass now that you are building more dense lean mass.

    Good gains = Good Losses

    I have been told this before. I forgot about this. Thanks.
  • chunkymonkey0223
    chunkymonkey0223 Posts: 22
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!

    TMI-But, I did start taking birth control 2 months ago. This past month I had TWO, COUNT EM TWO periods. UGH! The past week I stopped my period and the past 4 ish days I have been sleeping more, headaches, bloating and gaining. I thought that crap happened BEFORE a period?! Maybe, the pills are making me gain, also? :(
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!

    TMI-But, I did start taking birth control 2 months ago. This past month I had TWO, COUNT EM TWO periods. UGH! The past week I stopped my period and the past 4 ish days I have been sleeping more, headaches, bloating and gaining. I thought that crap happened BEFORE a period?! Maybe, the pills are making me gain, also? :(

    You're pregnant!!!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!

    TMI-But, I did start taking birth control 2 months ago. This past month I had TWO, COUNT EM TWO periods. UGH! The past week I stopped my period and the past 4 ish days I have been sleeping more, headaches, bloating and gaining. I thought that crap happened BEFORE a period?! Maybe, the pills are making me gain, also? :(

    Well, this is your answer. BC changes your hormones, but your body adjusts. You'll continue to lose. If you don't, then talk to your doctor. I gained 6 pounds the first month on BC, and 10 the second. Then it worked itself out.
  • beccamh
    beccamh Posts: 85 Member
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    I know its frustrating this happened to me for WEEKS when I started working out... It's probably water retention. Mine went away and then some. Make sure you're drinking enough water, and just keep doing what your doing.
  • Erica_theRedhead
    Erica_theRedhead Posts: 724 Member
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    If the birth control is new, it is a possible source of weight gain. You body will need to adjust, but keep in mind that many BC pills will cause weight gain or prevent weight loss even once you get used to it. I tried 2 different brands, and not only did i NOT lose weight, I developed hypertension while on one of them. Make sure you discuss your goals with your doctor, perhaps you can be switched to another brand that will work for your goals.

    Also, I second to eating more than you think (I'm guilty of this one), also eating the wrong foods. Exercise can cause a transient increase in weight due to retention, but it should resolve within a month.
  • dawn_h_d
    dawn_h_d Posts: 184 Member
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!

    TMI-But, I did start taking birth control 2 months ago. This past month I had TWO, COUNT EM TWO periods. UGH! The past week I stopped my period and the past 4 ish days I have been sleeping more, headaches, bloating and gaining. I thought that crap happened BEFORE a period?! Maybe, the pills are making me gain, also? :(

    Some Birth Control can make you gain weight. I would check the side effects, plus if you had 2 in the past month with the new meds, your body may be regulating that as well.
  • kalyrichmond
    kalyrichmond Posts: 18 Member
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    Water retention, I gain 10lbs in one day after a good workout!

    TMI-But, I did start taking birth control 2 months ago. This past month I had TWO, COUNT EM TWO periods. UGH! The past week I stopped my period and the past 4 ish days I have been sleeping more, headaches, bloating and gaining. I thought that crap happened BEFORE a period?! Maybe, the pills are making me gain, also? :(

    Yes the birth control can make you gain weight. And the double period in one month will also show a gain due to water retention. Give the pill you're on another month and see if things get better. If not I would talk to your doctor about trying a different pill. Make sure you let your doctor know what has been happening also.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    If you are just starting working out, you are building muscle mass.

    Muscle mass will hold more water as well.

    Muscle mass will increase your BMR

    It will be easier to lose non-lean mass now that you are building more dense lean mass.

    Good gains = Good Losses

    So much much muscle does one build in a month or so? 10lbs worth?
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Read the link above. But also:

    how often do you weigh?
    how long have you been gaining?
    how are you measuring your calories?
    how are you measuring your exercise calories?
    are you eating back your exercise calories (all/none/some?)
    are you measuring yourself with a measuring tape? If so what has changed and over what period of time?

    I was weighing every morning but have stopped. I am doing it 1 time a month now.
    I have been gaining for about a month.
    I do measure calories. I have scales and measuring cups I use.
    I do not eat back my calories that I earn.
    I don't measure myself with measuring tape, which I need to do I suppose.
    So you've measured yourself once and now you suspect you're gaining? Just FYI I can gain 10lbs in a day after a long hike. It's not fat or muscle, it's just fluids trying to restore my body back to shape. I wouldn't call that a gain. It's more of a help towards a loss.

    I would eat at least some exercise calories. Particularly if hungry.
  • LatashalovelyoneLewis
    LatashalovelyoneLewis Posts: 11 Member
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    Hi, Don't panic! You have done well so far. Sometimes you may have to alter your diet/exercise program a little bit by making subtle change so that your body can't predict what's going to happen. Make sure you stick with cardio since your are trying to trim down versus weights because muscle is heavier. Drink lots of water, push yourself to add a little more time to your exercise program and you might want to step away from the scale and stay diligent. You've come too far now!
  • CaeliGirl11
    CaeliGirl11 Posts: 108 Member
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    I was put on one kind of BC and it made me have crazy periods...so I asked to be switched...and I got completed regulated. It also helped with bloating and the other crazy stuff. Maybe you should talk with your doctor about it...
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    If you are just starting working out, you are building muscle mass.

    Muscle mass will hold more water as well.

    Muscle mass will increase your BMR

    It will be easier to lose non-lean mass now that you are building more dense lean mass.

    Good gains = Good Losses
    Sorry, but you're going to have a hard time trying to convince others that she's gained 10lbs of muscle in a month on an even larger deficit then she was on previously and acheving it via cardio. That's not how the body works. You need a surplus in fuel to grow denser tissue.

    And I have no idea where the muscle mass will hold more water thing is coming from. Not ready to refute it but I sweat a whole lot easier when I was the weight I was now and a higher body fat.
  • chunkymonkey0223
    chunkymonkey0223 Posts: 22
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    #1 I am not pregnant! Lol I am on birth control and also use condoms. So, that's most likely not it. I'm not even worried about one.

    I am assuming its the pills and the double period. I knew when I started taking them that I'd gain but I've been on them for 2 months and forgot about that. I just happened out of nowhere it seems and I freaked.

    I have started drinking more water recently and am going to keep working out 4x a week and doing my 1500 calories and work extra hard to get this 10 lbs off due to pills!

    Thanks for the responses!!!

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