Causes for Unexplained Weight Gain
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GKoz004
Posts: 87
I whine on here every now and then about my plight, but I am at a complete loss and thought maybe, by chance, someone has a solution or recommendation.
So around April I started to gain weight. I thought it was because in March I had a few binge episodes. In May I went to a dietitian who recommended I increase my intake from 13-1400 to 1700 and pick up a weight lifting program.
I started at 140. Here are my weekly weights in the following weeks (I'm 5'5", 21 y/o) :
143
144
147
147
148
148
149
150 - joined a gym and increased exercise to 30-30mins 5x/week instead of 20 on the elliptical at home.
152
On the week of July 14, I lowered my intake to 1500.
Since then, I have gained and today I am 155.
I do everything right. I went to an endocrinologist and took a test for Cushing's Disease and it came back negative. Thyroid is fine. They said they couldn't help. I try to remain positive but its hard when I continuously gain weight no matter what I do. I eat mostly healthy foods, watch my sodium intake, exercise, drink plenty of water, I don't know what's left.
Ideally, I would like to be back at 130 but even a HALF pound less would make me happy. I work so hard trying to be healthy and lose weight, and I get no results. In fact, I get the complete opposite of results.
If anyone has ANY suggestions or recommendations for any type of doctor to go to or any test to take PLEASE let me know.
So around April I started to gain weight. I thought it was because in March I had a few binge episodes. In May I went to a dietitian who recommended I increase my intake from 13-1400 to 1700 and pick up a weight lifting program.
I started at 140. Here are my weekly weights in the following weeks (I'm 5'5", 21 y/o) :
143
144
147
147
148
148
149
150 - joined a gym and increased exercise to 30-30mins 5x/week instead of 20 on the elliptical at home.
152
On the week of July 14, I lowered my intake to 1500.
Since then, I have gained and today I am 155.
I do everything right. I went to an endocrinologist and took a test for Cushing's Disease and it came back negative. Thyroid is fine. They said they couldn't help. I try to remain positive but its hard when I continuously gain weight no matter what I do. I eat mostly healthy foods, watch my sodium intake, exercise, drink plenty of water, I don't know what's left.
Ideally, I would like to be back at 130 but even a HALF pound less would make me happy. I work so hard trying to be healthy and lose weight, and I get no results. In fact, I get the complete opposite of results.
If anyone has ANY suggestions or recommendations for any type of doctor to go to or any test to take PLEASE let me know.
0
Replies
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OK, so I looked at your diary and I have a few suggestions....I think you're eating pretty good items for sure, plenty of variety and veggies too. Do you weigh and/or measure all of your food? I wonder if you are eating more than you think you are? Secondly, if you are wieighting everything, it does not seem to me as though you are eating ENOUGH, due to the amount of calories you have left at the end of your day, whether or not you exercise. If your body is not satisfied with what you are giving it, it will hold on to everything and you may not be able to lose.0
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That's what my dietitian said in May. I upped my intake and put on 10lbs with no signs of stopping. I usually netted around 14-1500 calories then, which I feel is decent. Since mid July, I'm still netting around 1200.
I do weigh and measure meat, oatmeal, peanut butter, things like that. I don't measure fruits and veggies, though, but I figure that shouldn't make a huge difference.0 -
Your numbers seem like they should be working.
At this point it's possible that there is something happening with your food. I don't see weights listed, just measures. It's highly possible that you are over estimating. When you don't have a lot of weight to lose your deficit is invariably quite small. It is totally possible to blow it all from just estimating vs weighing food. Check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY 0 -
This is simple science...laws of thermodynamics suggest you are not doing everything right...you are underestimating intake and/or overestimating burn. You are at an energy surplus. This is most likely due to estimation error, particularly if you do not weigh your foods.0
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You're gaining over a pound a week on average, so you're definitely underestimating the amount of calories you consume. Even if you had massively overestimated your exercise calories burned, it still wouldn't cover your weight gain. So I'd recommend weighing and measuring everything that enters your mouth for a month. Measure the fruits and veggies. Measure the drinks. Measure everything.
If you're worried about the calories burned as well, you can buy a FitBit or BodyMedia device. It might tell you nothing and be a waste of money, but it might tell you something useful. There's not really a good way to know, but you don't seem too concerned about spending money on something that might not wind up helping in the end.0 -
It might be medical. I'd recommend blood work.0
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I feel like it could be a combination of things...
1) Measure your fruit servings. Not doing this is adding to your calories and daily intakes of sugar. This can be sabotage to a weight loss regimen.
2) If you have been tested for things such as thyroid, please also consider this. You could have one of two things happening and not realize it it. a) you may have a vitamin difficiency (this means your body does not absorb the nutrients it needs and therefore your weight can be affected) or b) you could potentially have an issue with Gluten. Try going gluten free for a couple of weeks and see how you do.
Just a thought from personal experiences...0 -
I wish people would stop victim-blaming. Doctors do this all the time when they either don't want to bother with tests or don't know what to test for. "It must be your fault, you're doing something wrong, stop eating so much" etc.
You *do* seem to be doing everything right. Maybe count your fruit, but nobody gets fat from eating too many veggies (you couldn't eat enough of them, your stomach can only hold so much).
You might be insulin resistant and/or have a vitamin deficiency. Any meds, such as birth control or anti-depressants, are common culprits as well (though sometimes going ON birth control can help with weight loss if you're irregular or have wonky hormones that need some regulation). Make sure you get ALL the tests involved when having your thyroid checked, because there are several. Gluten intolerance is also a possibility. Eating too many "fake" foods, processed foods, diet foods, chemicals, etc. can wreak havoc on your metabolism. All kinds of things can cause issues.
Assuming that a person with this problem must be overeating, or not weighing food correctly, or *must* be snacking, etc. is insulting to those of us who are meticulous and perfectly adept at the weight loss/maintenance game. We try our hardest, and the weight won't come off or keeps creeping on. Calories in/out is not the only factor involved with weight loss.
When I got off birth control and started taking a multivitamin, the 20 lbs that wouldn't budge with all my hard work & precision came off within 4 months. No, we're not always at fault.0 -
If you have the means, I'd suggest having your BMR or RMR tested. It's possible you simply have a slower than average metabolism.0
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I'm almost loath to say this, but...this happened to me too.
It went on for so long until I was no longer subclinical but no-doubt-about-it diagnosed T2D. I didn't know diabetes makes you gain weight rather than the other way around like I had heard on the news & such, that being overweight will ***give**** you diabetes.
I'm 5' tall and even though I was lifting heavy, doing additional gym classes & yoga equalling 5+ times per week at the gym, I still gained at the steady rate of 1-2# weekly until I got to almost 170#'s....I quit for about 6 months at that point and actually lost a bit of weight.
I started counting calories here on MFP still under the assumption that it was user error at the starting weight of 153#'s.
I lost 4 pounds almost immediately and then started to have an odd pain in my upper belly every time I ate.
I went to the doctor with a casual blood sugar of 266 mg/dl.
Long story short, I started a LCHF diet and just like that.....after 15 years of trying to get this excess weight off, it just started falling off. I lost 22#'s in less than 8 weeks. Not by trying, just by doing what I had always been doing....lifting heavy 3 x weekly and adding extra dog walks daily.
I'm not telling you all of this because I think you have a medical problem. I'm telling you this because for a number of years, everyone (including me) blamed me for my weight gain. It turned out to be something completely out of my control.
By the way, since there is so much shame attached to a T2D diagnosis as it seems people think you eat your way to this disease, the one thing that could've tipped me off was the 4 out of 5 paternal siblings that are ALL afflicted with this disease ****never said a word**** until I was diagnosed & started talking to them individually.
I really need an eyeroll smiley here =P
Even here on MFP, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing when I was within my caloric goal (TDEE < 20%) using a fitbit to track activity, had an active job (I'm a dog walker) and was using a HR monitor with a chest strap to further estimate cardio, not to mention the weights 3 x wkly.
Hoping my story will help someone else out.0 -
I wish people would stop victim-blaming. Doctors do this all the time when they either don't want to bother with tests or don't know what to test for. "It must be your fault, you're doing something wrong, stop eating so much" etc.
You *do* seem to be doing everything right. Maybe count your fruit, but nobody gets fat from eating too many veggies (you couldn't eat enough of them, your stomach can only hold so much).
You might be insulin resistant and/or have a vitamin deficiency. Any meds, such as birth control or anti-depressants, are common culprits as well (though sometimes going ON birth control can help with weight loss if you're irregular or have wonky hormones that need some regulation). Make sure you get ALL the tests involved when having your thyroid checked, because there are several. Gluten intolerance is also a possibility. Eating too many "fake" foods, processed foods, diet foods, chemicals, etc. can wreak havoc on your metabolism. All kinds of things can cause issues.
Assuming that a person with this problem must be overeating, or not weighing food correctly, or *must* be snacking, etc. is insulting to those of us who are meticulous and perfectly adept at the weight loss/maintenance game. We try our hardest, and the weight won't come off or keeps creeping on. Calories in/out is not the only factor involved with weight loss.
When I got off birth control and started taking a multivitamin, the 20 lbs that wouldn't budge with all my hard work & precision came off within 4 months. No, we're not always at fault.
Yes, victim blaming. Happens here on MFP all the time. I forgot to add to my last post that I weighed all my food to the gram (Virgos can be crazy like that) and still no loss. With my current diet of LCHF, I don't count calories anymore because such a small amount keeps me satisfied, every now & then I check to make sure I'm still in the realm of 3 oz chicken, 1 oz cheese, etc.
ETA: it's not always 'user error' due to over estimating caloric burn & under estimating caloric intake.0 -
If someone has something they can do that is fairly easy and likely to work, I'm going to tell them to try that before scaring someone into thinking they have an incredibly rare medical problem. If you want to call that victim blaming, have at it.
The OP is obviously doing a lot right. She's been working out and keeping to a diet fairly well for months and months, even when facing a scale moving in the wrong direction. But trying to say she's doing everything right is irresponsible. She said she doesn't weigh some foods, so we know she can do something better that may reveal where the mystery calories are. At worst, she finds out she's been fairly accurate even without weighing everything and comes back asking for other possibilities. Just like if a doctor treats you for a cold and you don't get better, you go back and ask for other options.
I think it's also safe to rule out Depo-Provera or other obvious medical issues as the source of weight gain. Weight gain occurs in 25% of women taking Depo-Provera. Doctors aren't going to test for thyroid problems and Cushing's trying to explain weight gain if you're on Depo-Provera. If the OP wants, she can see another doctor to get a second opinion. But considering she's already seen specialists, she's already got at least 2 different doctors that looked at her situation.0 -
If someone has something they can do that is fairly easy and likely to work, I'm going to tell them to try that before scaring someone into thinking they have an incredibly rare medical problem. If you want to call that victim blaming, have at it.
Victim blaming...troubleshooting...whatever.....
When I troubleshoot circuits I don't start by ripping out wires and parts, I check to make sure the power is turned on.
True, it may not always be user error, but most of the time, it's the best place to start.0 -
Just to clarify, Depo, the shot, is only one form of BC. Pills, patches, rings, anything hormonal can cause weight issues.
Also, PCOS is a common problem that can be a factor in unexplained weight gain.
None of those things mentioned are "incredibly rare" medical problems. All are quite common and quite treatable. The fact that she is seeing a doctor is a responsible, proactive thing to do.
And...15 pounds is a heck of a lot of mystery calories.0 -
Glad to hear you're losing now! I've had a mountain of blood work done, and I'm not diabetic
I've heard good things and bad things about LCHF diets. If it works for you, that's great! I might give it a shot.I'm almost loath to say this, but...this happened to me too.
It went on for so long until I was no longer subclinical but no-doubt-about-it diagnosed T2D. I didn't know diabetes makes you gain weight rather than the other way around like I had heard on the news & such, that being overweight will ***give**** you diabetes.
I'm 5' tall and even though I was lifting heavy, doing additional gym classes & yoga equalling 5+ times per week at the gym, I still gained at the steady rate of 1-2# weekly until I got to almost 170#'s....I quit for about 6 months at that point and actually lost a bit of weight.
I started counting calories here on MFP still under the assumption that it was user error at the starting weight of 153#'s.
I lost 4 pounds almost immediately and then started to have an odd pain in my upper belly every time I ate.
I went to the doctor with a casual blood sugar of 266 mg/dl.
Long story short, I started a LCHF diet and just like that.....after 15 years of trying to get this excess weight off, it just started falling off. I lost 22#'s in less than 8 weeks. Not by trying, just by doing what I had always been doing....lifting heavy 3 x weekly and adding extra dog walks daily.
I'm not telling you all of this because I think you have a medical problem. I'm telling you this because for a number of years, everyone (including me) blamed me for my weight gain. It turned out to be something completely out of my control.
By the way, since there is so much shame attached to a T2D diagnosis as it seems people think you eat your way to this disease, the one thing that could've tipped me off was the 4 out of 5 paternal siblings that are ALL afflicted with this disease ****never said a word**** until I was diagnosed & started talking to them individually.
I really need an eyeroll smiley here =P
Even here on MFP, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing when I was within my caloric goal (TDEE < 20%) using a fitbit to track activity, had an active job (I'm a dog walker) and was using a HR monitor with a chest strap to further estimate cardio, not to mention the weights 3 x wkly.
Hoping my story will help someone else out.0 -
I have started birth control, last week in fact. I haven't had a period since 2011, and I've been to gynos on and off. I went to an infertility specialist recently and she prescribed BC to help regulate my cycle. Hopefully, that might help. I also have an upcoming MRI to see if I have something going on with my pituitary gland that could be screwing my hormones up.I wish people would stop victim-blaming. Doctors do this all the time when they either don't want to bother with tests or don't know what to test for. "It must be your fault, you're doing something wrong, stop eating so much" etc.
You *do* seem to be doing everything right. Maybe count your fruit, but nobody gets fat from eating too many veggies (you couldn't eat enough of them, your stomach can only hold so much).
You might be insulin resistant and/or have a vitamin deficiency. Any meds, such as birth control or anti-depressants, are common culprits as well (though sometimes going ON birth control can help with weight loss if you're irregular or have wonky hormones that need some regulation). Make sure you get ALL the tests involved when having your thyroid checked, because there are several. Gluten intolerance is also a possibility. Eating too many "fake" foods, processed foods, diet foods, chemicals, etc. can wreak havoc on your metabolism. All kinds of things can cause issues.
Assuming that a person with this problem must be overeating, or not weighing food correctly, or *must* be snacking, etc. is insulting to those of us who are meticulous and perfectly adept at the weight loss/maintenance game. We try our hardest, and the weight won't come off or keeps creeping on. Calories in/out is not the only factor involved with weight loss.
When I got off birth control and started taking a multivitamin, the 20 lbs that wouldn't budge with all my hard work & precision came off within 4 months. No, we're not always at fault.
The fertility doc also prescribed calcium and vitamin D supplements. I'll have to investigate other types of deficiencies. Thanks for being so helpful and understanding. I feel like even if I was off slightly with my measurements, it wouldn't account for a 15lb gain 0 -
I know I'm not overestimating the calorie burn, I wear a Polar FT4 when I work out and usually average around 250-300 cals burned per session. I guess it's possible I may not be measuring my food to the gram, but I don't think it accounts for that many calories. I'm usually on the move, so I would like to think I should be able to burn off what little extra I might be eating.This is simple science...laws of thermodynamics suggest you are not doing everything right...you are underestimating intake and/or overestimating burn. You are at an energy surplus. This is most likely due to estimation error, particularly if you do not weigh your foods.
I do have a food scale I use to measure meat, so I suppose I can put it to good use and measure everything else.0 -
I wish people would stop victim-blaming. Doctors do this all the time when they either don't want to bother with tests or don't know what to test for. "It must be your fault, you're doing something wrong, stop eating so much" etc.
You *do* seem to be doing everything right. Maybe count your fruit, but nobody gets fat from eating too many veggies (you couldn't eat enough of them, your stomach can only hold so much).
You might be insulin resistant and/or have a vitamin deficiency. Any meds, such as birth control or anti-depressants, are common culprits as well (though sometimes going ON birth control can help with weight loss if you're irregular or have wonky hormones that need some regulation). Make sure you get ALL the tests involved when having your thyroid checked, because there are several. Gluten intolerance is also a possibility. Eating too many "fake" foods, processed foods, diet foods, chemicals, etc. can wreak havoc on your metabolism. All kinds of things can cause issues.
Assuming that a person with this problem must be overeating, or not weighing food correctly, or *must* be snacking, etc. is insulting to those of us who are meticulous and perfectly adept at the weight loss/maintenance game. We try our hardest, and the weight won't come off or keeps creeping on. Calories in/out is not the only factor involved with weight loss.
When I got off birth control and started taking a multivitamin, the 20 lbs that wouldn't budge with all my hard work & precision came off within 4 months. No, we're not always at fault.
Yes, victim blaming. Happens here on MFP all the time. I forgot to add to my last post that I weighed all my food to the gram (Virgos can be crazy like that) and still no loss. With my current diet of LCHF, I don't count calories anymore because such a small amount keeps me satisfied, every now & then I check to make sure I'm still in the realm of 3 oz chicken, 1 oz cheese, etc.
ETA: it's not always 'user error' due to over estimating caloric burn & under estimating caloric intake.
9 times out of 10 it is user error...just sayin'
If it's not, there is obviously a medical issue and I think that was established earlier...but medical issues are far more rare...yes...you should get checked and have blood work done if you are having issues...but still, most of the time it is user error. This is not victim blaming as you call it...this is just being real. When I have an issue, I generally like to look for the most obvious solution to said issue...not jump to some conclusion that I have some rare disease.
I'm coming at this from personal experience...I once thought I was a special snowflake too...turns out, once I got my scale...those couple Tbsp of peanut butter that I was measuring out was quite different than the couple of Tbsp that got weighed out to 30 grams; my "handful" of nuts was not 28 grams of nuts...it was more like 70 grams of nuts...1/2 of an avocado is a completely meaningless measurement and resulted in my eating a good bit of calories more than I thought on a daily basis. All in all, before I started weighing my food I was underestimating my consumption by a good 500 calories per day...completely eliminating my weight loss deficit...even though I was eating "healthy" and "doing everything right."
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. Once these avenues have been exhausted, then it's time to see the doc.0 -
I know I'm not overestimating the calorie burn, I wear a Polar FT4 when I work out and usually average around 250-300 cals burned per session. I guess it's possible I may not be measuring my food to the gram, but I don't think it accounts for that many calories. I'm usually on the move, so I would like to think I should be able to burn off what little extra I might be eating.This is simple science...laws of thermodynamics suggest you are not doing everything right...you are underestimating intake and/or overestimating burn. You are at an energy surplus. This is most likely due to estimation error, particularly if you do not weigh your foods.
I do have a food scale I use to measure meat, so I suppose I can put it to good use and measure everything else.
Definitely try weighing all your food. Fruits can be higher in sugar and carbs which will add up. I took a peak at your food diary and notice you tend to eat eggs/egg whites, but unless I've missed it I don't see any type of oil or butter. Do you use anything extra when preparing your food? Things like Olive oil or even the zero calorie cooking sprays can add up since the serving size is so small.
Fingers crossed for your RMR test. Good luck!0 -
I don't usually use oil or cooking spray, but I'm def gonna try weighing all of my food, at least for a while, to see if I'm really underestimating. I always thought it was kinda funny that the spray oils are "1/4 second spray", like "hold on, let me get my stopwatch out" haha
I know I'm not overestimating the calorie burn, I wear a Polar FT4 when I work out and usually average around 250-300 cals burned per session. I guess it's possible I may not be measuring my food to the gram, but I don't think it accounts for that many calories. I'm usually on the move, so I would like to think I should be able to burn off what little extra I might be eating.This is simple science...laws of thermodynamics suggest you are not doing everything right...you are underestimating intake and/or overestimating burn. You are at an energy surplus. This is most likely due to estimation error, particularly if you do not weigh your foods.
I do have a food scale I use to measure meat, so I suppose I can put it to good use and measure everything else.
Definitely try weighing all your food. Fruits can be higher in sugar and carbs which will add up. I took a peak at your food diary and notice you tend to eat eggs/egg whites, but unless I've missed it I don't see any type of oil or butter. Do you use anything extra when preparing your food? Things like Olive oil or even the zero calorie cooking sprays can add up since the serving size is so small.
Fingers crossed for your RMR test. Good luck!0
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