Help! Gaining Body Fat while Eating/Living Healthier!

emmoran
emmoran Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

Every year at work we have CVD screenings which are composed of a variety of health tests and I found my results (just did it today!) to be kind of odd.

The bad:
- I've gained 8lbs since last year
- I've gained 2.5% body fat since last year
- My waist/hip ratio has gone up .02

The good:
- Cholesterol (both good and bad) has gone down
- Glucose level has gone down
- Fitness level has gone way up (based on heart rate after 3 minutes of stairs)
- Blood pressure has gone down

How is this possible?? Clearly I've been eating healthier and exercising, and yet I'm gaining weight and body fat?! I eat healthy for the most part (alcohol on the weekends is my weakness...) and I'm in the gym 3-4 days per week (CKO kickboxing), and I horseback ride 5-6 days per week. I've been really focusing on nutrition/working out since about January and have steadily been watching the scale go up.

Any suggestions or ideas? I'm at a loss. I know I don't look as good in my clothes anymore, but I'm not sure what else to do.

Thanks!

Replies

  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    You're really fit and eating well which is great! Ah... I love horse riding so much - and mucking out is just the best calorie burner imaginable. :smile:

    If you want to lose weight it's just a case of tracking your calories, if you don't already, and putting a little deficit in.

    Best of luck.
  • emmoran
    emmoran Posts: 8
    Thanks! It's so true about mucking stalls... I swear I burn more calories doing barn chores than spending 2 hours at the gym!

    I've been guestimating calories lately (I forget to log them, oops!) and I know that I haven't been going over 1200-1300 on a regular basis (especially not on weekdays), which is why I'm so frustrated. I'm going to have to really start disciplining myself and logging so I can find the issues!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Yep. You are eating healthier, but just too much food. If you don't want to track, be deliberate about making slightly smaller portions, but I find tracking to be the best method.

    EDIT: Sorry, after reading your last comment more closely I'd say definitely log everything. Get a scale and weigh portions. You'd be surprised how many calories you're eating. There's a show called "secret eaters" who estimate their calories at 1000-1200/day and they're actually eating like 3000 calories. If you don't write it, you won't know.
  • emmoran
    emmoran Posts: 8
    I guess that's definitely possible! I'll have to start logging tomorrow so I can figure this out!

    Thanks!
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Get a scale and weigh portions. You'd be surprised how many calories you're eating.

    100% this.

    You can take a break at the gym... with horses, you can't. You have to muck out then do the water and hay nets quick before they kick off... take them the field and back... catch the escapees... :bigsmile: It's good because even when you're exhausted you still need to keep working - and do something while you cool down. Then..... second wind!
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Hi Everyone,

    Every year at work we have CVD screenings which are composed of a variety of health tests and I found my results (just did it today!) to be kind of odd.

    The bad:
    - I've gained 8lbs since last year
    - I've gained 2.5% body fat since last year
    - My waist/hip ratio has gone up .02

    The good:
    - Cholesterol (both good and bad) has gone down
    - Glucose level has gone down
    - Fitness level has gone way up (based on heart rate after 3 minutes of stairs)
    - Blood pressure has gone down

    How is this possible?? Clearly I've been eating healthier and exercising, and yet I'm gaining weight and body fat?! I eat healthy for the most part (alcohol on the weekends is my weakness...) and I'm in the gym 3-4 days per week (CKO kickboxing), and I horseback ride 5-6 days per week. I've been really focusing on nutrition/working out since about January and have steadily been watching the scale go up.

    Any suggestions or ideas? I'm at a loss. I know I don't look as good in my clothes anymore, but I'm not sure what else to do.

    Thanks!

    I remember a friend who went vegetarian as a healthy eating exercise, and ate a lot of nuts. She put on huge amounts of weight without really realising.

    I'd say that it's great that you're exercising, and you are probably much healthier - and if you wish to lose weight perhas a gentle decrease in the calories. Just a slow decrease. Are you using the food planning function of this website? I find it's incredibly helpful because if you don't know how many calories you are consuming, how can you possibly limit them? It's been working for me very well this time around. :)
  • emmoran
    emmoran Posts: 8
    Thanks everyone! I really appreciate it. You've given me the push to really remember to log my calories. I'm doing a mud run on Saturday, so I'm thinking tomorrow will be a carb-heavy day to prep for that, but starting Sunday I will be logging religiously! My birthday is next week though, so I may indulge a little :wink: but I will be as close to on track as possilble! The important thing is to get in the habit of logging accurately!

    Again, thank you all so much!!!
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Thanks! It's so true about mucking stalls... I swear I burn more calories doing barn chores than spending 2 hours at the gym!

    I've been guestimating calories lately (I forget to log them, oops!) and I know that I haven't been going over 1200-1300 on a regular basis (especially not on weekdays), which is why I'm so frustrated. I'm going to have to really start disciplining myself and logging so I can find the issues!

    How tall are you? 1200-1300 seems way too low for your activity level, unless you're like 4 feet tall. It may actually be that you're eating too little food, and your body is adjusting accordingly (but there's no real way to tell until you buckle down on logging again).

    Also, how is your body fat checked? The bioelectric impedance tools tend to run high for people who work out regularly, due to storing more water, among other things. It's entirely possible that your increase in weight is not entirely body fat, and that your BF% reading isn't really accurate.
  • emmoran
    emmoran Posts: 8
    Thanks! It's so true about mucking stalls... I swear I burn more calories doing barn chores than spending 2 hours at the gym!

    I've been guestimating calories lately (I forget to log them, oops!) and I know that I haven't been going over 1200-1300 on a regular basis (especially not on weekdays), which is why I'm so frustrated. I'm going to have to really start disciplining myself and logging so I can find the issues!

    How tall are you? 1200-1300 seems way too low for your activity level, unless you're like 4 feet tall. It may actually be that you're eating too little food, and your body is adjusting accordingly (but there's no real way to tell until you buckle down on logging again).

    Also, how is your body fat checked? The bioelectric impedance tools tend to run high for people who work out regularly, due to storing more water, among other things. It's entirely possible that your increase in weight is not entirely body fat, and that your BF% reading isn't really accurate.

    I'm 5'4"; I really need to buckle down on logging! Would eating too little lead to my metabolism slowing? Leading to weight gain from days where I ate about the same as my BMR?

    They did the body fat check by standing on a Tanita body composition analyzer. They had mine set for standard, I later learned (after my turn, of course) that there is an option for "athletic," which may have provided a more accurate reading. A girl in my office has a similar work out routine to mine and her body fat dropped 4% when they switched from standard to athletic.
  • emmaedwards7528610
    emmaedwards7528610 Posts: 38
    This happened to me two years ago when I quit smoking. I went for an all round health kick, but ended up putting on 12lb!! A lot of that was muscle from starting training, but I think a lot of it was from the fact that I thought healthy eating meant low-fat high carb. Because I was running and training I was eating more carbs.

    I got a lot fitter and healthier but also bulkier.

    A year ago I switched from "training" to moderate exercise with lots of dynamic ashtanga yoga (better for long lean muscles and keeps Cortisol levels down - cortisol will add belly fat), walking and cycling. And I slimmed down a little.

    I then changed my diet 6 weeks ago to a wheat-free, low-carb diet and the last 10lb has just fallen off and is continuing to do so.
  • RevolutionLifestyles
    RevolutionLifestyles Posts: 8
    Can I just say that a healthy diet is not necessarily a fat loss diet and vice versa.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    The only way to preserve lean body mass (muscle) and lose fat is to do heavy lifting 3 times a week and eat a high protein diet. I've actually added 4 pounds of lean body mass while losing fat so my 25 pound loss really means that I lost 29 pounds of fat. This is measured by my physician, not me.

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