Lots of Exercising, Healthy Eating, Gaining Weight?!?!

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Replies

  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Your body is no doubt in starvation mode. You have got to eat more than 1000 cals a day! Plus, if you're working out, YOU ARE gaining muscle weight! But please, eat more than that and you'll the pounds come off. DO YOUR TDEE and eat at that level. I swear, I promise you that you will lose weight! You've got to put in to get out! Starving your body like you are is making your body think "Oh hey, I need this fat, she's quit feeding me what I need. I will need this fat later." So it hold on to that fat and stores it away. That is starvation mode. You will be fine at eating more cals and will LOSE more WEIGHT and GAIN more muscle as long as you are exercising. Muscle is leaner, so take your measurements to keep track of how much you lose. Don't go by the scale so much!

    You can't gain muscle on a calorie deficit, and definitely not eating 1000 calories. Either the OP is retaining water from exercise, or she got tired of starving herself and binged on carbs, resulting in retaining water. Or she's not really eating 1000 calories.
  • travelingsurgeon
    travelingsurgeon Posts: 4
    My mom doesn't know I eat that little calories... But thank you all for your suggestions!
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    My mother is a doctor and she said that it was because I'm retaining water and building muscle

    ....your mother needs some CME
    ....and maybe a good malpractice lawyer.

    Most doctors know diddly squat about fitness and nutrition ... Furthermore, not every doctor, knows everything about every part of the body, that's why they have specialties ..

    Well, her mother isn't entirely wrong. She could be gaining muscle from exercising and if she's not drinking enough water, she really could be retaining water weight. ....BUT, your mom should know that if you're eating at 1000 cals a day, you need to bump up the cals. THAT, she should know. Nobody should ever eat below 1200 and eating at 1200 is for basically morbidly obese people. But it's definitely a step up from 1000

    No, no she couldn't. OP isn't eating enough to actually gain mass.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    My mother is a doctor and she said that it was because I'm retaining water and building muscle

    ....your mother needs some CME
    ....and maybe a good malpractice lawyer.

    Most doctors know diddly squat about fitness and nutrition ... Furthermore, not every doctor, knows everything about every part of the body, that's why they have specialties ..

    Well, her mother isn't entirely wrong. She could be gaining muscle from exercising and if she's not drinking enough water, she really could be retaining water weight. ....BUT, your mom should know that if you're eating at 1000 cals a day, you need to bump up the cals. THAT, she should know. Nobody should ever eat below 1200 and eating at 1200 is for basically morbidly obese people. But it's definitely a step up from 1000

    No, no she couldn't. OP isn't eating enough to actually gain mass.
    Agreed
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    My mom doesn't know I eat that little calories... But thank you all for your suggestions!

    Then please get help before this spirals into a health emergency. Eating disorders are not worth it.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    My mom doesn't know I eat that little calories... But thank you all for your suggestions!

    Then please get help before this spirals into a health emergency. Eating disorders are not worth it.
    Absolutely
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    OP, I don't feel that any of us should be helping you try to sort out your metabolism or how to lose weight. At the least, I encourage you to seek guidance from someone qualified in understanding the needs of your body, so they can teach you to understand what your body needs. If there are body image or emotional factors contributing to you eating so little, I hope you see a therapist or a doctor.
  • 2GoAwayPounds
    2GoAwayPounds Posts: 27 Member
    Hi Kristina, I think you are not eating enough...please check out this site..IIFYM...this stands for If It Fits Your Macros...there are calculators on that site...it will show you how many calories a day you should eat factoring in your age, height, weight and all that exercise....if you starve your body it will not release fat it will hold onto every thing you eat....I am not an expert and certainly not a doctor like your mom, but I am certain that you should be eating more than you are...try it for a week or two and see how you do...wishing you all the best
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Hi Kristina, I think you are not eating enough...please check out this site..IIFYM...this stands for If It Fits Your Macros...there are calculators on that site...it will show you how many calories a day you should eat factoring in your age, height, weight and all that exercise....if you starve your body it will not release fat it will hold onto every thing you eat....I am not an expert and certainly not a doctor like your mom, but I am certain that you should be eating more than you are...try it for a week or two and see how you do...wishing you all the best
    She is already at the very low end (BMI is 17 something). She doesn't really need to "release" any fat, imho.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    probably gaining muscles. youre underweight anyway so the gain is probably your body trying to get healthy. at 5'6" you should weight 130
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    probably gaining muscles. youre underweight anyway so the gain is probably your body trying to get healthy. at 5'6" you should weight 130

    How many times does this need to be said.....

    No, the op isn't gaining muscle if she is only taking in 600-1000 calories. We're talking a 6lb weight gain in roughly 4-6 weeks. A professional body building female would be hard pressed to put on a pound of muscle mass in that time, and they're eating to put on the mass.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    probably gaining muscles. youre underweight anyway so the gain is probably your body trying to get healthy. at 5'6" you should weight 130
    No muscle is being gained with that calorie intake.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    You're not eating enough.
    I know it sounds like a weird concept, but a few months ago I was eating 1,000 - 1,200 calories.
    I was stuck at 112 and it would occasionally go up.
    I upped my calorie intake to 1,300 - 1,400 calories, and now Im down at 110 and still dropping.
    Your mother is wrong though, as you cannot build muscle at a deficiet let alone on that low.

    Also do you have a food scale? You should be weighing/measuring everything you put in your mouth.

    Correct. I am learning this the hard way.
  • 9171973
    9171973 Posts: 2 Member
    I am 40 AND HAVE BEEN AT THIS FITNESS -health thing, skinny fat, skinny fat A LONG TIME AND I ASSURE YOU YOUR CALORIES ARE ABSORDLY LOW! You need to learn HOW to eat.... what to eat.... and to percieve food as fuel and medIcine! Athletes eat and train....not diet and excersise. I seen this little quote today and it helped me! Good luck sweety...I am not yelling at you just streesing the pouint. believe me i am talking just as much to myself as i am uuuu
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    Hi! I'm Kristina. I'm 18, 5'6'' and currently 117 lbs. (When I started MFP I was 135.5, and my lowest weight was 111, and I was like that from July to November.) I've gained 6 pounds since November, and I don't know why. I've been eating just about the same (healthily, about 600-1000 calories per day), and because I've gained weight I've scared myself into exercising more, so I exercise about 1.5 hours- 2 hours per day. My mother is a doctor and she said that it was because I'm retaining water and building muscle, but I sincerely doubt that one can gain 6 pounds of muscle in a month and a half. Help/suggestions/explanations?

    I'm 5ft 6in, 117.5lbs and eat over 2,250 calories a day. You're not eating enough and you're doing a lot of damage to your body eating that low of calories and working out that intensely at the same time. I don't know what kind of doctor your mom is, but obviously she doesn't have a lot of education in nutrition because her advice is total bunk. I'd suggest getting a referral from your regular doctor and seeing a registered dietician. They can help you get back on track.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    probably gaining muscles. youre underweight anyway so the gain is probably your body trying to get healthy. at 5'6" you should weight 130

    She's not underweight at her current weight- it's at the low end of the healthy range for a bmi at 18.9, but still in the healthy range. I'm 5'6 and my maintenance range is 117.5-121lbs (this morning's weigh in was 117.5lbs). I'm hardly underweight and I eat over 2,250 calories a day.

    And it's impossible for OP to be gaining muscle at that kind of calorie deficit. And really? Her body is 'trying' to get healthy? Seriously :huh:
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    My mom doesn't know I eat that little calories... But thank you all for your suggestions!

    Just saw this-have you had issues with ED's before? You're really messing your body up-please get some help.
  • 50_to_lose
    50_to_lose Posts: 28 Member
    Your body will be retaining fluid because of the exercise and because of the damage caused

    by eating 600-1000 calories, I guarantee you drink a lot to keep hunger at bay.

    Stay out of the gym for a few days and see if your weight goes down, you will probably urinate

    more than usual.

    If your weight stays the same increase your calorie intake to 1200-1400 and decrease your

    fluid intake and start exercising again.

    If your weight does go down then you're taking on to much fluid, increase your calorie intake

    and don't take on so much fluid and continue exercising.

    You can buy scales that will measure your body composition for water and body fat % I would

    suggest you invest a set of these, I had a set when I used to weight train and follow strict diets

    and found them invaluable.

    Finding the right balance for nutrition and exercise at the point your at is complex so it may

    also be a good idea to consult a qualified personal trainer for guidance as they tend to have

    real life experience of the problem you face.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    I've been eating just about the same (healthily, about 600-1000 calories per day),

    This is NOT healthy.

    ETA if your mother knew you were eating so low she would tell you to eat more...not that you're gaining muscle.
    If you really thought you were being healthy, why keep it from your mother?!
  • vagabondgoddess
    vagabondgoddess Posts: 38 Member
    Its obviously muscle and water. Are you gaining fat? you would be able to notice if you gained 6 pounds of fat. Don't look too closely at the scale and what people say you should weight. look at yourself in the mirror. do you thin but fit? or do you look skinny but fat?

    I also agree that you need to eat more. to exercise without eating enough will force your body to eat your muscles to gain the energy you need. So you will then become more fat than muscle.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Its obviously muscle and water. Are you gaining fat? you would be able to notice if you gained 6 pounds of fat. Don't look too closely at the scale and what people say you should weight. look at yourself in the mirror. do you thin but fit? or do you look skinny but fat?

    I also agree that you need to eat more. to exercise without eating enough will force your body to eat your muscles to gain the energy you need. So you will then become more fat than muscle.
    It's NOT muscle. You can't gain substantial muscle while starving yourself.
  • D1m3b4g
    D1m3b4g Posts: 15 Member
    Its obviously muscle and water.

    Its "obviously" not...

    Starvation mode, extremely low metabolism, body screaming for fuel and storing every little last piece of energy it can.
    As er, fat.
  • Vegan_85
    Vegan_85 Posts: 40 Member
    I've been eating just about the same (healthily, about 600-1000 calories per day), and because I've gained weight I've scared myself into exercising more, so I exercise about 1.5 hours- 2 hours per day. My mother is a doctor and she said...
    Help/suggestions/explanations?

    If your mother knows your calorie intake, and says anything other than, "Let's get you to an eating disorder specialist", she should be struck off.

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