Not losing, not gaining, looking chubbier?

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lamertume
lamertume Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'5", 123 lbs, and I want to get below 120. MFP has me down to 1200 calories a day, and I'm not always under, but even when I eat up to 300 calories over my projected weight loss is within my goal. Still, I feel like I look chubbier than I did before I started MFP, even though I haven't gained. Is there a possible explanation for this? What do I do? I already exercise pretty rigorously 3 times a week, though it's hard to measure how many calories I burn because I get my exercise from rugby practice.

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  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Take measurements and BMI in addition to weight. Could just be in your head. I don't notice much of a difference in the mirror but my clothes say otherwise.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited November 2014
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    At 5ft 5 and 123lbs you are nothing close to chubby looking...
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    To get a 1200 net calorie per day recommendation requires setting MFP at one pound per week or more which is an overly aggressive goal to start with. Then you "feel" chubbier ... not exactly an empirical method of assessment.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Step away from the mirrors! There is no way with your height and weight, that you're chubby.
  • ivy_h_c
    ivy_h_c Posts: 12
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    You may have lost muscle. If you exercise a lot but don't eat enough, your body will burn muscle, which could cause you to look chubbier even if you didn't gain any weight. I would suggest eating a little more, especially more protein and carbs. :D
  • lamertume
    lamertume Posts: 3 Member
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    ivy_h_c wrote: »
    You may have lost muscle. If you exercise a lot but don't eat enough, your body will burn muscle, which could cause you to look chubbier even if you didn't gain any weight. I would suggest eating a little more, especially more protein and carbs. :D

    Hey thanks! I actually feel like I have lost muscle tone so I might give that a try! I didn't know burning muscle was something that could happen :smile:
  • v_woolf
    v_woolf Posts: 33 Member
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    my guess is that you don't have enough muscle! Try upping your calories, increasing your protein, and lifting heavy weights.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    lamertume wrote: »
    ivy_h_c wrote: »
    You may have lost muscle. If you exercise a lot but don't eat enough, your body will burn muscle, which could cause you to look chubbier even if you didn't gain any weight. I would suggest eating a little more, especially more protein and carbs. :D

    Hey thanks! I actually feel like I have lost muscle tone so I might give that a try! I didn't know burning muscle was something that could happen :smile:

    It is possible to lose muscle. It takes a specific set of circumstances including improperly fueling your body, placing some pretty high demands on yourself ... but it can happen. There is a difference in muscle losing its "tone" and actually burning off muscle tissue.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    You are not eating at a calorie deficit.
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
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    If you lose 15 lbs., you will be leaning toward underweight. With that in mind, getting down a few lbs. can be done, but since you're lean already, it might take a bit longer. Perhaps you could consider setting your weight loss to .5 lbs. a week, eating healthy food (1,250+ cals. a day depending on calories burned), and adding toning exercises (handweights, pushups, situps, etc.) each week? Also, be sure to enter in your rugby time as exercise, in whatever format you think is appropriate, and eat back at least some of those exercise calories. Give a new routine 2-3 weeks to find out how your body will adjust.

    Also, you may wish to check out the Maintenance discussion forum (rather than Weight Loss) since you're so close to goal.

    Just some ideas! Good luck, and stay healthy! :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmi-calculator

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

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