Fast weight gain when trying to lose

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emsy27
emsy27 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am very alarmed. In April 2012 I weighed 82kg. By June 2012 I was 87kg and stayed there for a year.
I wanted to get back down to 82kg as I felt bad about myself so I started working out and going to the pool 6 days a week, without tracking calories I stayed at 87.5kg at a height of 178cm. This was between March and June.
I then moved to the country away from the gym so I started walking and tracking calories at 1200 calories a day and eating back the exercise calories, to be about 1500-1600 a day. In this time I was on antibiotics for 20 days and saw my weight go up 2kg over the period of about a month.
Up to date - in the past week I have been running 30-50 minutes a day on a treadmill, my calories are 1500 a day plus eating about 200-300 of my exercise calories. and I have once again, some time in the past 2 weeks, put on 0.8kg.
I am now at 90.3kg and feel very lost. The more I try to stay on track, exercise and watch what I eat, the more I put on.
I cannot figure out what is going on. I have always lost weight really easily at the rate of about 0.5kg-1kg when I have tried in the past. I started out in 2007 at 112kg and feel like I have been yo-yoing ever since. I don't want to put on any more, I can't figure out what to do about it though. Please, any help is appreciated. If you need more information please ask! Thank you

Replies

  • lincs_lass
    lincs_lass Posts: 18 Member
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    Can't see your diary to know what you are eating but if you are eating healthily you could be adding muscle, the other reason could be an underactive thyroid?
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    If you open you diary to the public that will help people give you advice specifit to your logging.

    Your numbers sounds pretty good as long as you are logging accurately and acutally sticking to them. It might be worth talking to someone at a gym about your workout routine, it sounds like you do alot of cardio so maybe you could benifit form some strength training as well and make sure you are working out in a way to maximize your cardio routine. If you just started exercising again your increase might be due to water, that what usually happens to me, I guzzle alot after exercise and go up briefly.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Yep, open up your diary.

    Also, keep your macro ratios in check.....

    Could be that doing your cardio and exercise you mentioned, you could be eating foods that are higher in fat and carbs while lacking in protein. Which you are giving what your body is asking for.......but you need to make sure you give your body what it needs in order to hit your goals....not just what is asking for.
    So by the end of day, your caloric intake is primarily from fats and carbs, while protein is lacking.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    You just started to exercise. It's water weight.
  • emsy27
    emsy27 Posts: 4 Member
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    Sorry guys, it's on public now. I am actually tracking on Calorie King as I had heard it was slightly more accurate, but I have transfered sunday through to today to show a brief insight.
    I have always been moderately active. But yes, I only first joined the gym in March and only started running a week ago.
  • jadedhippo
    jadedhippo Posts: 95 Member
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    I'm sorta the same. Im 85kg at 180cm and I desperately want to get to 75, but I've been going between 84 and 86 for the past few weeks. I've been exercising and trying to eat better.. so I'm hoping it's water weight... or I need to eat even healthier.
    It's very frustrating to feel like you're doing all the right things and to not see the results you're expecting.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Just looking at daily calorie totals
    I like 9/10 and 9/11 entries.

    The problem I see for 9/8 and 9/9 is that your macros favor carbs and fats while protein takes a hit.
    Take 9/9/2013:
    Totals 1,739 209 72 61 2,341 91
    Your carb total is 836 cal == 48%
    Your fat total is 648 cal == 37%
    Your protein total is 244 cal == 14%

    This is what I was thinking when I first read your post.....your carbs and fats are getting the bulk of your calories.
    While your protein is suffering.

    Try to alter your macros.
    Try to get protein equal to 1 gr per pound of bodyweight.
    On days you workout, your carbs can go up, protein should always be high.
    On days you rest, your carbs go low, fats (good/healthy) can go up a bit, protein should always be high.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    Honestly, I think you are freaking out a little bit much at this point. 0.8 kg is really only what 1-1.5 lbs, you can vary alot throughout the day depending on when you ate, drank, used the restroom. Just keep logging and working out and relax. I take about a week to 2 weeks before I see results when I start as my body has to catch on to whats going on. Just keep going you are off to a good start.
  • bgmomof3boys
    bgmomof3boys Posts: 42
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    I had a similar problem last year my doctor ran lots of different tests as we suspected thyroid however we found out I am insulin resistant (this was a three hour test where they took my blood every half hour) I actually needed medication as well as a dietitian to teach me about making sure I get a certain number of carbs... not to many and not to little. lol my problem was some meals I didn't have enough carbs and other meals I had to many (even though I was eating healthy foods) I would discuss with your doctor your concern for the slow steady weight gain and what it means for your overall health and have him run some diagnostic tests. good luck to you!
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Yeah, 1kg is not that bad.....

    Objectively speaking, do you like what you see in the mirror??

    Weighing yourself is only one (limited) aspect of progress.....don't hang up on that so much, if what you are seeing in the mirror is fine....and you know your diet is in check.

    I personally weigh myself at most, once a week.
  • emsy27
    emsy27 Posts: 4 Member
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    Honestly I think the biggest worry is that it is contributing to my mental state. I had a plan and a goal and I'm moving in the opposite direction. As a result I find my self confidence is completely shot. I have seen less and less of my friends and I have skipped half my university classes this week coming straight off a mid semester break. When I'm losing weight I feel in control and I have never had my body do this to me before, so I feel extremely frightened and concerned I have no control over what is happening. I have basically steadily put on 0.5kg a week for two months. Being in the 90's, I find it very hard to get dressed in the morning, I feel there's little point as nothing looks any good. I also look at photo's of me 3 months ago when I got to 85kg and think, 'why did I hate myself then?! I'd give anything to be back there!'
  • jorpa99
    jorpa99 Posts: 49
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    Thanks, ur post helped me put things in perspective. I have been eating high fat and carbs but still staying under 1500-1800 calories a day. I have not really lost any weight and now I know why. I will take your advice seriously and hopefully see some good results soon :)
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Sounds to me like you need to get the mental aspect of this under control first.

    Then you can work on the physical.

    Positive attitudes can go a long way in any thing you do........

    I have been in the same boat....and I kept going, knew I was doing right (for the most part).....but I also looked around, and looked at other concepts....
    Perhaps I was missing something.....maybe I was being to restrictive on one aspect of my diet and focusing too much on another.....

    I came across Intermittent Fasting and have been doing that now......and I think I was way too restrictive on carbs for too long.....I didn't realize the benefit it played in helping achieve what I wanted.....
    So I have tweaked my diet/eating, and I feel like I am moving in the right direction again.....
    The other night before my window closed I had a big bowl of rice......something like 700 calories....just about all carbs.
    This morning I get up and look in the mirror, I like what I see......

    Maybe just take a couple days to clear your head. Don't obsess on your foods (not saying eat junk, still eat the right foods).....and maybe for exercise, just take a walk outside for 20 min or so.....go to a park.
    Get some perspective back in place.
  • jorpa99
    jorpa99 Posts: 49
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    Also Attitude is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we handle it. It does sound like you are really hard on yourself. I understand that trust me. I obsess and drive my husband crazy. I weigh myself 20 times a day and freak if the number is above a certain amount. But recently I have been changing my mind set. I do not want to panic over the scale I base it on how I feel not how I look or how much I weigh. I know when I eat junk I am going to feel like junk so I try to make better choices. Being an addict doesn't help but I know that if I surrender my will, accept that I have a problem and let Gods will be first in my life that I can over come anything. So just try to remember Surrender, Accept, Let Go!

    PS I would get your thyriod checked as weel
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I weigh myself 20 times a day and freak if the number is above a certain amount.


    Take the scale and put in the trash.

    Use the scale at your gym, ONCE A WEEK

    Save your sanity.....and your husbands.
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
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    This may be a little far-fetched, but I'm wondering if the tendency toward weight gain could have something to do with the antibiotics affect on your GI tract (reducing variety if nothing else, possibly conserving "bugs" that produce volatile fatty acids and other byproducts that tend to be used to increase body mass). This is based on some things I know about cattle nutrition and rumen nutrition is obviously different from human nutrition, but I HAVE been reading about studies correlating differences in GI "flora" with tendencies to gain weight or stay "lean". If you continue to eat healthy (I'd increase "greens" and "fibrous" vegetables, but otherwise nothing that strikes me as "bad"), your bugs should recover - might not hurt to take a really good probiotic supplement for a while to speed things along.
  • jorpa99
    jorpa99 Posts: 49
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    [/quote]


    Take the scale and put in the trash.

    Use the scale at your gym, ONCE A WEEK

    Save your sanity.....and your husbands.
    [/quote]

    LOL My hubby goes crazy with me :) He threatened to throw it away just last night!
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    LOL My hubby goes crazy with me :) He threatened to throw it away just last night!

    He should
  • emsy27
    emsy27 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for the input guys.
    I have been to the doctors and have made an appointment with a dietitian.
    I've had blood tests and will be on a BP monitor tomorrow as well.
    Without the tests my doctor didn't speculate too much, she leaned towards it being due to genetic depression but was also concerned my blood pressure has been elevated for some time. But I think it's best I act on it in a team rather than continuing on my own as I have been for the past 3 years. I have put myself through a lot in the bid to decrease my size and maybe I need a bit of a reset.
    Thanks again

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