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azirongrl
azirongrl Posts: 3
in Motivation and Support
Hello all - I'm not an unrealistic person. I know my limits, and I've been in the diet-and-nutrition game for a looong time, so I know what my body is capable of.

My problem right now is that my body is NOT responding like I thought it would, and not like it has been recently.

In the past few months, I've lost about 20 pounds, starting at my heaviest weight EVER. All I did was change my diet and start running more often. I'm feeling good, and getting my energy back (so nice!). However, over the last couple weeks, I started to plateau - I've been hovering in a 5-pound range for about 2 weeks. So, knowing that this is normal, I joined a gym. I went to the gym 5 times this past week and worked out harder than I have in a very long time, with a mix of high-intensity cardio and weight lifting. I burned around 500-700 calories each day. I also increased (nearly doubled) my protein, reduced my calories (still a reasonable amount of course), and have been drinking water like mad.

And have gained 2 pounds.

I KNOW it's not that "muscle weighs more than fat", because one week of workouts won't make me gain 2 pounds of muscle - people take weeks to do that when they're TRYING to.

Please help!! I know it's all about how you feel and I am feeling better and I have more energy, but I would like to see SOME kind of reward on that damn scale...

Replies

  • Precious_Nissa
    Precious_Nissa Posts: 416
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    you know what....i stopped looking at my loss and just focused on feeling better and living healthier....YES i'd love to lose all my weight in a timely fashion but I also know that i love being healthier, living healthier and eating healthier......

    Good luck on your mission though...

    what i would recommend is to change up your work out routine, maybe add or decrease something, and change up your foods.....
  • thebugsmama
    thebugsmama Posts: 3 Member
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    Muscle that is recovering can retain water. Since you were lifting weights, and I assume sore, maybe this could be the reason behind the "gain."
  • stephqj
    stephqj Posts: 20
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    You could be having all kinds of metabolic and hormonal weirdness going on, keeping you from dropping what you think you should. Take a day off. Don't go nuts but let your body think it has to play catch up. And remember that it really is that much harder for women. Hormones wreak havoc on weight loss!
  • azirongrl
    azirongrl Posts: 3
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    You're so right about the hormones thing... I've always had hormonal imbalances - in fact, haven't had my period since late July (sorry to any men that might be reading this...). Also, should have probably mentioned that I used to have an eating disorder (anorexia), and my metabolism is SHOT.

    I'm sure that has something to do with it... right?
  • Chipperoo23
    Chipperoo23 Posts: 42
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    Sometimes even though we think we are eating enough we really aren't. So you might really want to check up on your calories. Just because you weigh less now, doesn't mean the muscle you built isn't consuming even more calories. You might try a different kind of switch up though, I know of something that can really help bust plateaus, but MFP has a bunch of rules about promoting stuff on the boards. So you have to message me for details. :) I hope I can help you!
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
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    As strange as it sounds, I hit 30 pounds lost and stopped dead. I changed up my exercise routine but it didn't work. I added 300 calories more to my diet a day, that is right, ADDED, and started losing weight again. Now I am at 41 lost and still going. :laugh: Sometimes you have to do the unexpected!
  • funnygirl0940
    funnygirl0940 Posts: 260
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    I agree with Aeriel,
    If your body thinks it's starving, which you used to do, it will go into reserve mode and will try and hold on for dear life. Having overcome an eating disorder and counseled women w/them, I think you're going at it too hard. Don't doubt for one second that your metabolism is shot. Girl you still need to learn how to listen to your body. You build muscle, you gain metabolism. Your not having a period for 3 months is a big indicator that you are starving yourself again. Message me if you need someone to talk to.

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