Never losing and starting to gain

Travis3232
Travis3232 Posts: 3
in Getting Started
Well, I have a bit of an enigma. I've spent from October to 2013 to March 2014 eating around 2500 calories a day and exercising between 500 and 1000 calories a day (according to the treadmills and ellipticals at the gym based on age and body weight).

At my lowest point I lost 7 pounds... I had a knee injury (looks like I have a golf ball sticking out of the side of my knee.) So, I have since reduced my cardio to biking, walking, and forward motion only. I quit the elliptical alltogether. At the time just prior to the knee injury I was planning to do a combination of weights and elliptical. to start building some muscle to reduce some of my body fat.

With that said, now i'm limiting myself to biking (outside), walking, mowing the lawn, things like that for my cardio, and doing weight around 4 days a week (upper body).

It's going on around a month now on the weights. I have an MRI scheduled for my knee on Monday, and may have to have Knee surgery.

Since doing this regimen, I've noticed I'm stronger, can continuously increase the amount of weight I lift, however, I've gained between 8 and 10 lbs in the last 4 weeks. Just in the last 3-4 days I gained 2 lbs. I'm averaging a weight gain of 2 lbs a week with lifting weights.


I expected a small gain then the increased metabolism and the burning of fat to increase and my body weight would equalize to what it was before and maybe then some.

However, I'm at the largest weight I've been since losing a total of 75 lbs 3 years ago. My low point was 207. I'm now officially at 235.5. I swore I'd never let myself get over 220 again and here I am almost 240.

I also had blood work done and my thyroid antibodies were 30% above the acceptable range and one of the reverse T3 hormones was also above the acceptable range. I don't know if I'm battling a medical condition or if this is to be expected?

It's very frustrating to be putting 1-2 hours a day 4-5 days a week of exercise in, eating less and eating healthier. To have a gain of almost 10 lbs.

Replies

  • pinktoesjb
    pinktoesjb Posts: 302 Member
    stop weighing and take measurements instead. And see a dr about the thyroid thing/
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    How are you tracking your food?

    Can you open your diary?
  • akolacz
    akolacz Posts: 13
    Are you eating GOOD 2,500 calories? That could really make a difference.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I don't know anything about how to eat for a hormone/thyroid issue, but one thing I can tell you, don't go by the calorie burns on the machines. I wouldn't eat more than 50-75% of that back, unless you're doing TDEE and not eating back your calories burned. Is your logging accurate? Weighing and measuring your food? Drinking enough water? A heart rate monitor with a chest strap will give you a better estimate of what you're burning.

    I would definitely talk to your doctor about the possibility of your thyroid affecting your weight. I can't tell when you started lifting, but if you're eating at a surplus, you'll be gaining more muscle than at a deficit. If you're eating at a deficit, you'll stop building muscle at some point, but will still be able to make strength gains. Water retention will happen to repair the muscles. Hopefully someone else will have better answers.
  • clones32
    clones32 Posts: 3
    i've been through the same thing. I increased cardio and got off the heavy weights. if i lift, i do less weight and more reps (and move quickly to keep the heart rate up). when i get to a weight i feel comfortable, i can go back to lifting what i want.
  • melaniedsm
    melaniedsm Posts: 55
    Check your BMI/Fat %, weight isn't always a good indicator. You may be putting on Muscle and loosing fat. Gaining weight isn't always bad. I have a withings scale that calculates that or those hand held things are pretty reasonable as well.
  • Travis3232
    Travis3232 Posts: 3
    I agree. I haven't updated my MFP in the last 3 months, I was pretty religious about keeping it updated. I'll open it up so others can look. Since I stopped tracking with MFP, I've reduced things like pasta and rice to almost nothing. Maybe once or twice a month.

    I've also significantly increased protein intake 90% lean beef, chicken, and the like.

    I can't say I'm 100% good with what I eat, but, I lost 75 pounds and was able to keep it off for 2 years and stayed the same weight for those 2 years. So, I feel that I've made watching what I eat a pretty strong habbit.

    That may not be good enough, I may need to continue to decrease when I eat. I think my biggest struggle is I crave something in the evening. And I used to do bad carbs like cereal, now I've switched to higher protein items like baked chicken wings for a snack, things like that and just 3 or 4, not like a dozen.

    I'll keep this in mind on the lifting weights. I don't view building muscle as a bad thing. My understanding is with the newly added muscle comes more calories burned per hour throughout the day. If that's true, then, Eventually one could have enough muscle to burn an equal amount of calories as being on an elliptical for a half hour. At least that's my understanding.

    I could be wrong.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I think you can burn something like 50 calories more a day per pound of muscle. Also, unless you have a medical reason for cutting out carbs, there's really no need to. This is a really good guide for filling out your diary and still making room for treats. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity Really you should do what makes you feel best, and what you can stick with. If you feel better not eating a lot of carbs, then don't. If you feel like you perform better with more carbs, then eat more.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    Well, I have a bit of an enigma. I've spent from October to 2013 to March 2014 eating around 2500 calories a day and exercising between 500 and 1000 calories a day (according to the treadmills and ellipticals at the gym based on age and body weight).

    Enigma starts and stops there. Gym equipment (and MFP) calorie estimates are terrible. You are eating more than you should based on your workout. Losing at +75 pounds does not translate to the same body/effort levels/metabolism as what your weight is now. You can't do the same guessing and succeed.
  • MzFyreKitty
    MzFyreKitty Posts: 93
    It would depend on what your thyroid disorder does to your secretion of hormone (hypo/hyper), if you have thyroid disease of some type. You will have to get a diagnosis. Some forms of thyroid disease can cause weight gain and others can cause weight loss. Go to your Doctors and get a diagnosis. It COULD well be what is causing your difficulty in weight loss but you won't know until your Doctor actually diagnoses you. GL to you.

    PS: My husband and Niece had thyroid cancer so it is really a good idea to not let these things go. Most forms of thyroid cancer are treatable if caught early (not saying you have this but why take the chance?)

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