Help I'm getting fat.

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nbrown88ca
nbrown88ca Posts: 33 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Okay so here is my story:

About a year ago I weighed about 135lbs I am 5'11. Not strong at all or fit.

I do hot yoga about 4 times a week and go to the gym 2-3 times a week.

When I am at the gym I do about 15 min of cardio (hate cardio) and an hour of weight lifting.

Since last year I have gotten strong but I currently weigh 150lbs and I have no muscle definition. My legs and abs and arms are getting bigger but the layer of fat on my arms grows with it. So i am getting stronger and fit but I feel like i've gained so much weight and have nothing to show for it (my body sucks)

So next thing. My food... I eat healthy eggs in the morning salads for lunch. nuts and fruit for snacks. Dinner is usually a protein and veggies, I do indulge a few times a week... chocolate chips, bread and I feel the days I eat junk are the days I go to the gym I am sooooo hungry after I'll eat anything.

My meal plan is about 1200-1400 calories a day depending on my exercise. but I feel like nothing is changing....

What can i do to show more toning and definition.

HELP!

Thank you in advance for your advice :)

-Nicole
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Replies

  • itsHealthy
    itsHealthy Posts: 119 Member
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    Hi- One thing that helped me for definition or tone is '30 Day Shred'. You won't lose a lot of weight, I mean you do lose some at a slow pace but it is great for arms, abs and thighs!!

    *Edited for spelling errors
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    i am getting stronger and fit but I feel like i've gained so much weight and have nothing to show for it (my body sucks)

    If you are getting stronger and more fit, then you do have something to show for your weight gain.
    I feel the days I eat junk are the days I go to the gym I am sooooo hungry after I'll eat anything.

    It sounds like you aren't eating nearly enough. 1200-1400 calories would not satisfy an active person of your height. I am a moderately active 5'7" woman in her late 30s (less active than you) and I eat way more than that. You are gorging on junk because your body is telling you to feed it. I have a feeling if you use MFP properly, as in set your activity level, height, and goals, and eat what it says, you will probably feel a lot better.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    I agree with melsinct--it doesn't sound like enough calories to me. I'm 5'4" 135lbs, and I'm eating 1500 (before exercise calories) to lose. I'm assuming you're talking about heavy lifting (70-85% of your max effort), not just 5-lb weights, right? From your profile it I'm guessing you're lifting heavy. It really sounds like you're doing everything right, but as you build muscle, your weight will go up. Just be sure to fuel your body so you can keep on being awesome!
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Do you have a plan when you lift?

    If you've gained 15 lbs in a year and have been working out, you may have gained some muscle but not 15 lbs of muscle unfortunately.

    Are you eyeballing your food? Obviously you're eating more calories than you need to maintain your weight.

    But at 5'11 and EITHER 135 OR 150, why are you trying to lose weight? Maybe your should try recomp-ing. Figure out your maintenance and eat that, then lift.
  • LizL217
    LizL217 Posts: 217 Member
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    If you open your diary and provide more specifics about what your typical weight-lifting workouts look like, we might be able to provide more educated advice.

    While others are saying that you're not eating enough calories, if you've gained 15 pounds in a year then you have been eating at a calorie surplus. No ifs ands or buts about it. You can't gain weight on a calorie deficit except the odd few pound fluctuations here and there from water weight.

    So the problem is one of three things: a) you're eating more than you think, in which case a food scale and liquid measuring cup would be helpful, b) you aren't burning as many calories as you think you are in your workous (MFP and exercise machines often grossly overestimate calorie burns), or c) you have a much slower-than-average metabolism for someone of your stats, in which case you might want to seek a doctor's advice or get tested for thyroid issues or other medical problems that can hinder weight loss. Usually the problem is A and/or B.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    My meal plan is about 1200-1400 calories a day depending on my exercise. but I feel like nothing is changing....

    Unlikely if you're maintaining or gaining.

    Open your diary.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Based on your height, I doubt you can have really much fat to show at this weight. Sounds like your body is trying to settle to a normal weight and you are getting stronger as you say, so you are building muscle. If the goal is to have zero fat, then your perception of how your body should look is probably really off. Have you asked friends or trainers at the gym? I bet you are the only one seeing that you are getting fatter ;) Hoenstly, I think you need to reconsider your meal plan, to be quiet higher every day, so you do not end up starving and have the energy you need to work out.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    It sounds like you aren't eating nearly enough. 1200-1400 calories would not satisfy an active person of your height. I am a moderately active 5'7" woman in her late 30s (less active than you) and I eat way more than that. You are gorging on junk because your body is telling you to feed it. I have a feeling if you use MFP properly, as in set your activity level, height, and goals, and eat what it says, you will probably feel a lot better.

    Uh. If she's "getting fat" the last thing in the world she should do is eat more.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Can you open your diary please?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Open your diary.

    Are you using a food scale, entering your own recipes, and choosing the usda entries from the database (the ones with no asterisk)?
  • tech_kitten
    tech_kitten Posts: 221 Member
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    If you're not eating enough protein or enough calories period, your body is cannibalizing itself to try to keep you alive. Your recovery periods are probably pretty lengthy, and you may be doing more damage than good if your body doesn't have the nutrients it needs to rebuild.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Also can you tell us more about your lifting program? Your second most recent post was a month ago, at which point you said you hadn't been working out for the past month.
  • chaparra71
    chaparra71 Posts: 44 Member
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    It sounds like you aren't eating nearly enough. 1200-1400 calories would not satisfy an active person of your height. I am a moderately active 5'7" woman in her late 30s (less active than you) and I eat way more than that. You are gorging on junk because your body is telling you to feed it. I have a feeling if you use MFP properly, as in set your activity level, height, and goals, and eat what it says, you will probably feel a lot better.

    Uh. If she's "getting fat" the last thing in the world she should do is eat more.

    I *think* the implication by the person saying she isn't eating enough calories was that she is NOT fat, but she sees herself as fat.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    You need to eat more than that with all that exercise.
  • nbrown88ca
    nbrown88ca Posts: 33 Member
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    Sorry I dont know how to open my diary I will figure it out.

    I think I might be eating too many calories. On a normal healthy eating day I eat 1200-1400 but I often turn to junk when I am starving which probably brings me over 2000 calories.

    I think getting a scale for food will help a lot. I think I need to plan my meals out more and make sure I have a healthy post work out snack.

    Also I agree I am not at my recommended weight for my height! 5'11 I believe I should be around 160 or more.

    I have been thin all my life, not being active for many years I dont have large muscles. I agree I might "see" myself as fat but I dont mean I am fat as in overweight I guess I would just like to be toned and see the muscles that I have been working on for so long.

    I really hope the solution isnt to eat more because I might gain more weight lol
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Sorry I dont know how to open my diary I will figure it out.

    I think I might be eating too many calories. On a normal healthy eating day I eat 1200-1400 but I often turn to junk when I am starving which probably brings me over 2000 calories.

    I think getting a scale for food will help a lot. I think I need to plan my meals out more and make sure I have a healthy post work out snack.

    Also I agree I am not at my recommended weight for my height! 5'11 I believe I should be around 160 or more.

    I have been thin all my life, not being active for many years I dont have large muscles. I agree I might "see" myself as fat but I dont mean I am fat as in overweight I guess I would just like to be toned and see the muscles that I have been working on for so long.

    I really hope the solution isnt to eat more because I might gain more weight lol

    Food -> Settings -> Scroll to the bottom and hit Public.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Also can you tell us more about your lifting program? Your second most recent post was a month ago, at which point you said you hadn't been working out for the past month.

    Quoting myself in case you missed it.

    If you want to build muscle then let us give you some input on your programming.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Today is your third day of logging. Way too early to draw any conclusions about weight change.

    That said, you definitely need to measure your portions more accurately. Weigh your food. A "half cup" of pasta could be anything. Not sure how you got "0.85 ounces" of trail mix without a scale.

    You should also increase your protein goal since lean mass is important to you. MFP's protein goal is way too low. You should aim for at minimum 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

    I also suggest you quit tracking sugar, because it's irrelevant.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Sorry I dont know how to open my diary I will figure it out.

    I think I might be eating too many calories. On a normal healthy eating day I eat 1200-1400 but I often turn to junk when I am starving which probably brings me over 2000 calories.

    I think getting a scale for food will help a lot. I think I need to plan my meals out more and make sure I have a healthy post work out snack.

    Also I agree I am not at my recommended weight for my height! 5'11 I believe I should be around 160 or more.

    I have been thin all my life, not being active for many years I dont have large muscles. I agree I might "see" myself as fat but I dont mean I am fat as in overweight I guess I would just like to be toned and see the muscles that I have been working on for so long.

    I really hope the solution isnt to eat more because I might gain more weight lol

    If you don't have a scale then that's your answer. You're guestimating your food and eating more than you think.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    You only have 2.5 days logged. So yes, I'm guessing you've been eating a lot more than you think. You're also sorely lacking in protein.

    My advice is to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass (or .8 grams per pound of body weight if you don't know your body fat %) and .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight. Make sure you're doing a progressive loading strength training program consistently. Either eat at maintenance or a very small deficit (set MFP to lose .5 lbs per week at most) and eat back your exercise calories.

    You're at a healthy weight for your height. 135 is very nearly underweight for you.

    eta: and get a scale. You've got foods logged in grams and you've got no way to know how many grams. 50 grams of yogurt, for example, is about a third of a container.

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