Exercising More, Eating Less, Gaining Weight!?

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GCA9139
GCA9139 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
So to start off, I've always been a very active person and I've never had a problem with weight. I'm a 23 year old female and about a year ago I had knee surgery that took me out of commission for a while. Over the last year I gained a little bit of weight, nothing dramatic, about 10lbs, which doesn't bother me much except that I lost most of my muscle definition/tone and that extra weight seems to be flabby fat.

I'm a big runner and when I'm not actively trying to lose weight I'll run between 3-5 miles per day, 6-7x week with some pilates/barre classes thrown in there as well and I'll eat anywhere from 1400-1600 calories per day.

I should specify here that I am VERY careful counting my calories. Every little thing that goes in my mouth gets counted. Even if I'm at a party and I take a couple of small bites of someone else's food, it gets counted so I know how much I'm eating and the calorie counting is definitely not my problem.

I'm currently training for a marathon, have been for the last 2 months, and I'm more than halfway there. I have my training plan, minimum I'm running is 4 miles, my max so far has been 15 miles. I'm eating about 1200-1500 calories depending on the day (again, those are counted very carefully).

Now here's the problem....in the last couple months I've not only not lost a single pound but I've GAINED a couple pounds!! At first I thought it could be hormones, or just a little bloat, but I've stayed consistently at that weight for a few weeks now!

My GP doc, an endocrinologist, and a GI doc have done a massive amount of blood tests after listening to my complaints and they've all come back completely normal!!! It's not safe for me to eat any less than I'm already eating because slipping below 1200 calories while running as much as I run is fairly inadvisable but does anyone have ANY tips on why I might be so stagnant in my weight???

I'm a 23 year old female, 5'2"ish and fluctuating between soft/untoned at 138-140 when I used to be toned and fit at about 128.

(Btw I drink at least 96oz of water/day and occasionally I'll have a coffee/tea but not daily and I count those calories into my consumption)

SORRY FOR RAMBLING AND THANKS IN ADVANCE EVERYONE :)
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Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    either your calories are too low, you're not logging/tracking/weighing/measuring food properly and are eating above your maintenance, or your caloric restriction is actually not big enough (which, aside from people grossly mis-logging, probably doesn't happen with very many people on 1200-cals-a-day MFP)

    I'm guessing it's either the too-low cals (especially if you're training for a marathon) or that plus logging incorrectly. Unless you measure and/or weigh your food, you're probably logging incorrectly unless seeing losses.

    Assuming you exercise only 3-5 hours a week, one estimate puts your average daily caloric needs at a 20% deficit as being 1700 calories. Assuming you workout 6-7 hours a week, new caloric deficit is closer to 1850.

    So, my first recommendation would be to up your calories by 50-100 calories a week until you reach 17-1900 calories, and then monitor your weight. If you lose, then keep doing what you're doing. If you don't lose but also don't gain, then I recommend buying a food scale and logging that way, still staying at 17-1900 calories. If you aren't losing after a few more weeks, then lower the cals by 50-100 and monitor. Or possibly calculate your TDEE yourself on a website like scooysworkshop or health-calc.com and start from there (subtracting 20% max).

    Althoug since you have about 10lbs only to lose, a 10 or 15% deficit would work just fine, which would put your calories even higher (1770-1970)
  • freedomwriter88
    freedomwriter88 Posts: 38 Member
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    I don't know how long you have been at it, but is it also possible that some of it is from muscle gain? That you are losing fat, but gaining muscle.
  • GCA9139
    GCA9139 Posts: 8
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    Well I'm definitely not counting calories incorrectly, I've been doing it for a while and worked with a nutritionist...I do weigh and measure all my food with a little food scale because I'm really particular about what goes in my body.

    I also work out WAAAAY more than 3-5 hours per week....I do at least an hour a day but usually closer to 2 hours and on Sundays is when I run my long run so I'm running for almost 2.5-3 hours.

    Interesting about adding more food though, I never would have guessed that would be the solution
  • GCA9139
    GCA9139 Posts: 8
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    That was my hope originally but I was a lot more toned and muscular when I was at a lower weight. This also doesn't feel like muscle gain because the areas where I would gain muscle don't look or feel any different which is what's getting to me so much
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I don't know how long you have been at it, but is it also possible that some of it is from muscle gain? That you are losing fat, but gaining muscle.

    OP is not losing fat and gaining muscle. Besides basically being independent of each other (you're not going to do both at the same time), OP isn't eating nearly enough calories to warrant a gain, nor did they state any lifting regimen at all.

    OP. Please tell me you're eating back exercise calories....please.

    If not and you're counting is as spot on as you say, you're severely under eating. You're TDEE is over 2000 calories, probably closer to 2500. If you were truly eating 1200 calories and performing this exercise, you'd be losing pretty decent amounts of weight (probably not the good way either).
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
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    I don't know how long you have been at it, but is it also possible that some of it is from muscle gain? That you are losing fat, but gaining muscle.

    OP is not losing fat and gaining muscle. Besides basically being independent of each other (you're not going to do both at the same time), OP isn't eating nearly enough calories to warrant a gain, nor did they state any lifting regimen at all.

    OP. Please tell me you're eating back exercise calories....please.

    If not and you're counting is as spot on as you say, you're severely under eating. You're TDEE is over 2000 calories, probably closer to 2500. If you were truly eating 1200 calories and performing this exercise, you'd be losing pretty decent amounts of weight (probably not the good way either).

    Agree, you're not eating enough!!!! Your body isn't going to be able to train for a marathon on so little calories. You need to be eating back all your exercises calories. Im surprised you're not hungry, like all the time?!?
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
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    Something is very definitely off here. Remember that woman who caused so much controversy on The Biggest Loser by turning near-anorexic going from 260 to 105 ? She said she was working out 5-6 hours a day and eating 1500 calories and she turned into skin and bone, so you eating 1200 and working out 2 hours per day is about equivalent to that and you should be dropping weight like mad.
    If you are telling the truth about everything here, then it must be something medically related not diagnosed yet.
    If you want more help, perhaps you can open your diary so we can see what your day is like.
  • GCA9139
    GCA9139 Posts: 8
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    I mean I'm definitely hungry all the time but I seem to be a bottomless pit when it comes to food....even when I eat the right foods (good protein, veggies, etc.) I'm still hungry! I just thought that was a part of my body
  • GCA9139
    GCA9139 Posts: 8
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    Something is very definitely off here. Remember that woman who caused so much controversy on The Biggest Loser by turning near-anorexic going from 260 to 105 ? She said she was working out 5-6 hours a day and eating 1500 calories and she turned into skin and bone, so you eating 1200 and working out 2 hours per day is about equivalent to that and you should be dropping weight like mad.
    If you are telling the truth about everything here, then it must be something medically related not diagnosed yet.
    If you want more help, perhaps you can open your diary so we can see what your day is like.

    I'm new to this app, used a few others before but now I just write everything down by hand in my planner so I don't really have a diary for you to look at. I've never seen the biggest loser but I understand what you're saying. I've thought there was something medically wrong with me for a very very long time so I've seen tons of doctors for it (I work in a hospital) and all of them take blood tests, tell me I'm fine, then basically send me on my way!
  • GCA9139
    GCA9139 Posts: 8
    Options
    I don't know how long you have been at it, but is it also possible that some of it is from muscle gain? That you are losing fat, but gaining muscle.

    OP is not losing fat and gaining muscle. Besides basically being independent of each other (you're not going to do both at the same time), OP isn't eating nearly enough calories to warrant a gain, nor did they state any lifting regimen at all.

    OP. Please tell me you're eating back exercise calories....please.

    If not and you're counting is as spot on as you say, you're severely under eating. You're TDEE is over 2000 calories, probably closer to 2500. If you were truly eating 1200 calories and performing this exercise, you'd be losing pretty decent amounts of weight (probably not the good way either).

    I haven't checked my body fat % throughout all this but yeah I'm pretty sure I'm NOT gaining any muscle here. I don't know if this is actual fat or if it's water weight...perhaps I've added more salt into my diet recently when I season my chicken or something but I don't think it's that either. I'm very careful about how much I eat and I have been more towards 1500 per day (as opposed to the aforementioned 1200) but still I would assume that with how much I work out that I would lose weight with 1500, hence my frustration
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
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    our bodies aren't programmed to lose weight and keep losing weight. At some point, it'll stop. Your body is trying to hold onto fat to enable it to get through your marathon training. I would set your goal weight to maintenance and eat those calories, so your only deficit is your exercise. And I guarantee you'll lose weight.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    You may need to eat more and exercise less. Get the book, The Calorie Myth. When people restrict calories (a very old fashioned, non-workable thing to do) this often happens. People need food. Good high quality fats and proteins that fill them up. And they need short bursts of exercise a couple times a week. When you cut calories, your body thinks it is starving. It holds on to fat and makes more.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    You may need to eat more and exercise less. Get the book, The Calorie Myth. When people restrict calories (a very old fashioned, non-workable thing to do) this often happens. People need food. Good high quality fats and proteins that fill them up. And they need short bursts of exercise a couple times a week. When you cut calories, your body thinks it is starving. It holds on to fat and makes more.
    How is that possible? At a calorie deficit, how can the body "make more" fat from nothing?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Well I'm definitely not counting calories incorrectly, I've been doing it for a while and worked with a nutritionist...I do weigh and measure all my food with a little food scale because I'm really particular about what goes in my body.

    I also work out WAAAAY more than 3-5 hours per week....I do at least an hour a day but usually closer to 2 hours and on Sundays is when I run my long run so I'm running for almost 2.5-3 hours.

    Interesting about adding more food though, I never would have guessed that would be the solution

    you could still be logging incorectly. Wrong entries (e.g. using raw meat entry if you weighed it cooked), or not weighing small things like cooking oil. But if you are certain you have all of this down right, then I would suggest upping cals a bit. Possibly more than 1900 even if you are working out a LOT. Runners often eat a lot of food.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    our bodies aren't programmed to lose weight and keep losing weight. At some point, it'll stop. Your body is trying to hold onto fat to enable it to get through your marathon training. I would set your goal weight to maintenance and eat those calories, so your only deficit is your exercise. And I guarantee you'll lose weight.

    If she sets her maintenance to sedentary needs and eats back exercise calories, then she is still creating a deficit, and it doesn't matter if the deficit is created through exercise or diet. Both methods result in consuming less food than the body exerts. I personally calculate my deficit based on activity that includes exercise, so my intake is pretty much the same as if I were to be eating back exercise calories.. I'm simply making it far more consistent every day.

    But it is true that our bodies want to hold onto fat, and long-term calorie restriction (however minimal) is not ideal. So having a day once a week or a few times a month, or even a whole week every few months, eating at maintenance is a good idea. ETA meaning if you eat by TDEE-20% then you eat your whole TDEE, if you do MFP net method then you change your goal to maintain and eat everything including exercise calories logged.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Options
    I don't know how long you have been at it, but is it also possible that some of it is from muscle gain? That you are losing fat, but gaining muscle.

    OP is not losing fat and gaining muscle. Besides basically being independent of each other (you're not going to do both at the same time), OP isn't eating nearly enough calories to warrant a gain, nor did they state any lifting regimen at all.

    OP. Please tell me you're eating back exercise calories....please.

    If not and you're counting is as spot on as you say, you're severely under eating. You're TDEE is over 2000 calories, probably closer to 2500. If you were truly eating 1200 calories and performing this exercise, you'd be losing pretty decent amounts of weight (probably not the good way either).

    I haven't checked my body fat % throughout all this but yeah I'm pretty sure I'm NOT gaining any muscle here. I don't know if this is actual fat or if it's water weight...perhaps I've added more salt into my diet recently when I season my chicken or something but I don't think it's that either. I'm very careful about how much I eat and I have been more towards 1500 per day (as opposed to the aforementioned 1200) but still I would assume that with how much I work out that I would lose weight with 1500, hence my frustration

    At your ht/wt/age you would probably lose at over 2000 calories if you're doing the work to prep for a maration. That's why many of us think there's something off here, especially if you say that you're eating a GROSS of 1500 calories. After 3-4 miles you're probably netting in the 1100 range. We really need your diary to help any further. If your logging numbers were correct, you'd be dropping like mad because you're under eating so much.

    EDIT: By your admissions to ht/wt/age and exercise, your TDEE is over 2700 calories and by what you say you eat you'd be running a 1700 calorie deficit...per day...after net.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    Something is very definitely off here. Remember that woman who caused so much controversy on The Biggest Loser by turning near-anorexic going from 260 to 105 ? She said she was working out 5-6 hours a day and eating 1500 calories and she turned into skin and bone, so you eating 1200 and working out 2 hours per day is about equivalent to that and you should be dropping weight like mad.
    If you are telling the truth about everything here, then it must be something medically related not diagnosed yet.
    If you want more help, perhaps you can open your diary so we can see what your day is like.

    I'm new to this app, used a few others before but now I just write everything down by hand in my planner so I don't really have a diary for you to look at. I've never seen the biggest loser but I understand what you're saying. I've thought there was something medically wrong with me for a very very long time so I've seen tons of doctors for it (I work in a hospital) and all of them take blood tests, tell me I'm fine, then basically send me on my way!

    How do you know your caloric consumption then? Or your macro breakdown? Do you have a spreadsheet for all of your most-consumed foods with cals/g or cals/100g and their macros, and then you do the math to figure out cals/macros for your portion?

    Otherwise, simply writing down "1 salad, 1 chicken breast" tells you nothing about your consumption. I can have a 150cal chicken breast or a 260cal one depending on the size. And don't even get me started on recipes.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    You may need to eat more and exercise less. Get the book, The Calorie Myth. When people restrict calories (a very old fashioned, non-workable thing to do) this often happens. People need food. Good high quality fats and proteins that fill them up. And they need short bursts of exercise a couple times a week. When you cut calories, your body thinks it is starving. It holds on to fat and makes more.
    Sorry but that's just nonsense.

    If I put you in a locked room for 3 weeks and gave you nothing but water every day but your logic you would leave that room heavier. It's just absurd. Yes in the hypothetical you would lose some muscle but your body would most definitely not hold onto your body fat.

    OP, you didn't consider eating more because it's not the right solution. Believe it or not you are not logging something accurately. You can accept reality or continue to make no progress.

    although if she does happen to be logging correctly, somehow, and is within a normal margin of error for her consumption, then she obviously needs to eat more. Eating at more than a 20, maybe 25% deficit if very heavy, is not healthy over the long run. And if she's eating 1200, even if she's actually eating 1500 or 1600, that's still well below her TDEE.

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