4 months in, gained 11lbs despite calorie control!?

sarah5string
sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I'm new to these boards so please be gentle!
Since January I've been on a mission to get fit and well after a long bout if severe depression. I've been going to the gym/cycling/swimming and doing fitness classes/yoga on average twice a week and have also been making an attempt to eat healthier and monitor my calorie intake with mfp. I got a fitbit around a month ago which has helped with motivation and tracking as well.
I started off at 160lb, but have now gone up to 171, the majority if which has been gained over the space of about a month. I gained about 4lb in the first couple of months, plateaued then suddenly jumped up again another 7lb since the start of April.

Not entirely sure what I'm doing wrong? I'm eating healthier than ever and I've definitely gotten fitter in that time and can tell I'm getting more muscle tone, but if don't seem to be shifting the weight/fat. I'm not aiming for massive weight loss as I'm 5ft 9 so don't look overweight per se, but I want to lose the flab that has settled over my stomach, hips and legs since having my children and being leaner.

Any suggestions? I don't think it's attributed to medication as I've been on the same antidepressants since October.
Other than booked an appointment with a doctor to check my thyroid I'm out of ideas!

My diary is public I'd needed. I'm 28 and currently out of work because of my depression but on the whole reasonably active now that I'm making a distinct effort to exercise more.

Thanks in advance!

Sarah
«1

Replies

  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Are you using a food scale to weigh all your food?
  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
    Hi, do you weigh your food?
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.

    That's where you are going wrong.

    You are eating more than you think. Buy a food scale. Weight everything stick to it for 6 weeks.

    If you are still having issue post again. :flowerforyou:
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    In order to lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit.

    In order to know if you're in a calorie deficit, you have to weigh (with a scale)/measure/log your food- every bite/every day.

    Exercise is important to health, but not necessary to lose weight. Find something you enjoy and do it consistently.

    Eat foods you like, make healthy choices along the way, learn portion control/moderation

    Meet your calorie deficit, then work on meeting your macros (protein, fat, carbs)

    Have PATIENCE and don't quit.


    *The first 2 are bolded because this may be where you are going off track.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.

    you're eating more than you think... weigh and measure EVERYTHING
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.

    You are probably eating at least 50% more than you are logging doing it this way. I am afraid you need to be precise and exact to get a real picture of how many calories you are consuming.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    what everyone else has said about weighing.

    or....I'll say it... are you possibly pregnant at all? :D

    nah...just messing with ya... food scales all the way. Unless you weigh stuff you won't know that sometimes a potato isn;t a potato it's a POTATO!
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?
  • KLiburd86
    KLiburd86 Posts: 81 Member
    I was going to leave a suggestion, but the previous ladies have hit the nail on the head! Weigh, weigh, WEIGH!! :smile:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Well the first bit could be water retention from new exercise...

    Stress can lead to water retention as well from cortisol levels on the rise...

    But I did look at your diary and it appears you weigh most of your food but that being said you eat on average 1800-1900 calories a day...sometimes going over goal by 300-400 and as much as 1k...and you don't log everyday

    Even weighing food if you don't log everyday and if you don't stay in a deficet you wont lose even gain.

    My suggestion is to lower your goal to about 1700 a day, stay within goal, don't eat exercise calories back...this is based on scooby indicating that your TDEE is around 2100...which means you goal is currently at TDEE-5%...which you often go over hence why you are gaining...
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?

    Eating healthy doesn't mean that you're not over your calories for the day. Even healthy food can be high in calories. Weigh.
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member

    or....I'll say it... are you possibly pregnant at all? :D
    :noway:
    Still waiting for my period, (I have irregular cycles which average 8/9 weeks!) so water retention could be playing a part too and I'm expecting my next one sometime in the next couple of weeks.
    I've already got two kids, I better not be pregnant! Lol!
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    Two thoughts:

    1) You're way off on your approximating. A food scale is necessary when trying to figure out portion sizes.

    2) You may weigh more, but it's due to all that spectacular exercise. Since muscle weighs more per volume than fat, as you've gotten healthier your body built muscle and lost fat. And now what seems to be a bad thing (weighing more) is actually a spectacular thing (you're chock full of muscles). It's difficult to grasp, but: How much you weigh doesn't tell you much if you don't know what that weight is comprised of. There are lots of people on MFP who are super-muscular studs who weigh a lot. It's because they're they're so fit. A better way to tell if you getting fit isn't to weigh yourself, but to measure yourself. Have you been doing that? MFP has measurements you can take and input, along with weight.

    I hope this helps.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?

    It makes a lot of sense if you look at it this way...when you were not calorie counting you were over eating a bit each day and gradually gained weight over time. But you ate what you wanted and stopped when feeling full. When you first start to calorie count you fixate on eating every damn calorie MFP says you can...and if you are underestimating the calories in your food by over half (easy enough to do when you eyeball instead of weigh) then you are waaaaay over eating and bam! Hello thighs.
  • 95Tashey95
    95Tashey95 Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks, I'll try that. I find it so odd though, I've never had issues with gaining/losing weight before now. Despite what I have eaten in the past my weight has always remained stable (and I used to eat a lot of crap!) but now I'm eating healthier my weight is going up? That doesn't make sense to me?

    Could it also be the eating healthily combined with not actually weighing. For example nuts and seeds are very healthy but without weighing them it is very easy to underestimate what you are eating. They are high in good fat but fat is still fat and calories. So they will be a much healthier choice for you than eating a mars bar or something but still needs to be carefully monitored

    just a thought

    xx
  • crystalcastles9
    crystalcastles9 Posts: 38 Member
    I had a snoop on your food diary and your daily sugar intake is really high so maybe try lowering that? (I had the same problem)
  • emskyesky
    emskyesky Posts: 1
    Hi

    I have just looked on at your diary and it is saying your goal is 2000 cals a day... I would suggest that would be to maintain weight...

    I would go on to your goal setting and set how much you would like to loose a week e.g 1 pound, your calories intake should go down... Iam on 1200 cals aday to loose weight on mine....

    Emma
    xx
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    I suppose drinking extra water from exercising could be making a difference too? I'm more aware of making sure I drink enough since using the fitbit app
  • lisab64mfp
    lisab64mfp Posts: 89 Member
    I'm w/the others on weighing your food -- it's alot more accurate than measuring. Another suggestion is to start tracking your fiber and shoot for a minimum of 25 grams/day. I only looked at one day (yesterday - Tuesday) but it looks like you are eating alot of processed foods and it's really hard to get in adequate fiber levels eating that way. I average in the high 30s and at (almost) 50 have as flat of a stomach (if you don't count the excess skin) as I did in my teens - also weigh (slightly) less than when I was in high school.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    If you are taking antidepressants that is probably the reason why you have gained weight. They will pack on the lbs.
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    Two thoughts:

    1) You're way off on your approximating. A food scale is necessary when trying to figure out portion sizes.

    2) You may weigh more, but it's due to all that spectacular exercise. Since muscle weighs more per volume than fat, as you've gotten healthier your body built muscle and lost fat. And now what seems to be a bad thing (weighing more) is actually a spectacular thing (you're chock full of muscles). It's difficult to grasp, but: How much you weigh doesn't tell you much if you don't know what that weight is comprised of. There are lots of people on MFP who are super-muscular studs who weigh a lot. It's because they're they're so fit. A better way to tell if you getting fit isn't to weigh yourself, but to measure yourself. Have you been doing that? MFP has measurements you can take and input, along with weight.

    I hope this helps.
    Yea that makes sense, I was surprised to see how much I weight as I don't look bigger, my thighs especially are more muscly than they were. I've always tried not to worry *too* much about the weight as I'd rather be healthier (and I do physically feel healthier, eating things like McDonald's etc now makes me feel awful for the next day or so!) but seeing a sudden jump shocked me a bit!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I checked to see if you were logging when you saw the gain, and you weren't, and early on there were some higher days even from your logging. Just a guess, but I wonder if when you first really started increasing you activity maybe you started eating more without realizing it. It's possible to do that without obviously feeling like you are eating more, and swimming in particular is notorious for making people feel hungrier, although wonderful exercise, of course. That's why it's nice to both exercise more and count calories if you are trying to lose or just worried about gaining. Feeling better also could cause some to eat more, depending on you.

    7 all at once and otherwise stable seems weird though. The scale fluctuates--could you just be catching it on higher and lower days, or are you weighing regularly at the same time and know 160 was a stable weight, etc.?
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    If you are taking antidepressants that is probably the reason why you have gained weight. They will pack on the lbs.
    not sure about that, I've been on antidepressants for a year now and only started gaining weight when I started exercising this year?
    I did also have a 3 Week course of zopliclone for insomnia about a month or so ago. Not sure if that effects weight. I'm on Venlafaxine now and have been since oct.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    No, I estimate and pick the closest one on mfp.

    there you go …you are not estimating correctly and are actually eating in a surplus….


    get a food scale
    weigh/log/measure ever tying
    be consistent with your logging

    do this for four weeks and see what happens...
  • sarah5string
    sarah5string Posts: 9 Member
    I checked to see if you were logging when you saw the gain, and you weren't, and early on there were some higher days even from your logging. Just a guess, but I wonder if when you first really started increasing you activity maybe you started eating more without realizing it. It's possible to do that without obviously feeling like you are eating more, and swimming in particular is notorious for making people feel hungrier, although wonderful exercise, of course. That's why it's nice to both exercise more and count calories if you are trying to lose or just worried about gaining. Feeling better also could cause some to eat more, depending on you.

    7 all at once and otherwise stable seems weird though. The scale fluctuates--could you just be catching it on higher and lower days, or are you weighing regularly at the same time and know 160 was a stable weight, etc.?
    True. The whole point of me starting the exercising was to improve my fitness overall as well as the depression. So it may be that my depression is improving and so although I'm eating healthier, I'm eating more of it.
  • starsandowls
    starsandowls Posts: 55 Member
    I noticed that you eat a lot of carbohydrates and not a lot of protein. A calorie is a calorie, buuuut you've said you estimate, and the problem there is that you're more likely to underestimate when your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs. You're also more likely to binge if you aren't getting what you need. You might want to think about adjusting the carb/protein ratio in the direction of the .7-1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass, weighing everything, and seeing if that helps. If it doesn't, you might want to talk to your doctor to find out if there's something else going on.
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    What others have said about logging accurately and perhaps lowering your daily calorie target. Also, I noticed that you eat very few vegetables, you are consistently over on your carbs and sugar, and under on your protein. Perhaps try staying at or under your target for carbs, and getting more of them from fresh veggies, which would lower your sugar intake. And make sure you get enough protein! It's very unlikely that the weight gain is muscle, considering the fact that it takes a lot of time and effort to gain a pound of muscle, and your protein intake is pretty low...
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Well the first bit could be water retention from new exercise...

    Stress can lead to water retention as well from cortisol levels on the rise...

    But I did look at your diary and it appears you weigh most of your food but that being said you eat on average 1800-1900 calories a day...sometimes going over goal by 300-400 and as much as 1k...and you don't log everyday

    Even weighing food if you don't log everyday and if you don't stay in a deficet you wont lose even gain.

    My suggestion is to lower your goal to about 1700 a day, stay within goal, don't eat exercise calories back...this is based on scooby indicating that your TDEE is around 2100...which means you goal is currently at TDEE-5%...which you often go over hence why you are gaining...

    She said she doesn't weigh anything,

    Don't change anything but actually weighting your food. Until you know how much you are actually eating everything else is moot.

    I'm 5'2 and can lose on 1800 a day - op is significantly taller than me. Telling someone to drop their calorie goal when they don't even know what they are eating is just bad advice.

Categories