Metabolism may be a mess, sick of yoyo-ing

Annalee4478
Annalee4478 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I can't seem to find answers no matter where I look so I decided to write a post of my own. Please hear me out, I'd appreciate any sort of advice or help anyone can give :(

I'm 18 & 5'5.
SO last November, I wanted to lose weight and started eating 900 calories. I was sedentary, busy with school so hardly exercised. Yes, this was stupid but the me of back then was just happy seeing the 121 on the scale drop to 117. I reached 117 around Christmas, maybe even 116. I was no longer obsessively checking on my weight since I was happy.
Then, I decided I was too skinny-fat at the start of the year and decided to start running. I knew, I had to raise my calories. Somehow I thought 1200 would suffice and ended up feeling trapped in this. I was frustrated because I stayed at 117, hungry because my body simple couldn't take undereating any longer. I then educated myself a bit and realized that I should probably be eating 1800 calories and after being so frustrated, I dropped exercise all together while eating that much. Rest assured, I enjoyed eating plenty.
10 weeks later, I've gained 5 pounds and am sedentary at 122. I have noticed that I am STILL slowly gaining weight. I panicked, I read that weight gain should stop after a few weeks and that my metabolism should have caught up.
I began eating 1200 calories again and exercising thrice a week. Light exercise got me to 119, although a part of me feels like it was water weight.
My weight wasn't budging again after that, I stayed there and got frustrated (again...). Started eating 1400 a day then panicked when I saw the scale at 121 constantly throughout the week. I'm really lost at how much I should be eating. I started weight lifting yesterday and upped my calories to 1600, now I weigh 125... I really don't know what to do.
I keep yoyoing from restricting, and then eating lots. A lot of calculators say I should be eating more, but I get discouraged everytime I see my weight go up :(

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Stop weighing everyday. Weigh once a week. Mostly pay attention to weight over a period of one month (4 weigh-ins). It is good that you started lifting.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Your weight is yo - yo-ing just like your caloric input and exercise output.

    Pick something and stick to it for a decent amount of time to gauge how your body responds. If after a few weeks you don't like the results, work out what needs to change...
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    If you started weightlifting yesterday, your muscles are possibly retaining fluid which would explain the jump. Other explanations: excess sodium, time of month.

    Do you have a food scale? Are you using correct entries? If you're gaining on ~1400, you're not really eating 1400.
  • Merci4u
    Merci4u Posts: 41 Member
    What do you want to achieve? weight loss or weight gain? I am confused.

    Bodies fluctuate week to week and day to day depending on so many things. You need to be consistent with something for at least 4 weeks to see if it is working or not.

    Eating more and lifting will naturally result in small weight gains due to more food in your digestive system, muscle growth and muscles retaining water to repair themselves after exercise.

    Also, whether you are sedentary not is to do with how active you are through the day - eg an office worker vs a teacher vs a labourer. As a student you are still sedentary but exercise gives you 'bonus calories'. By eating your sedentary amount plus however much exercise calories you ate should result in a stabilisation of weight.

  • Annalee4478
    Annalee4478 Posts: 2 Member
    First of all, thank you for the responses. :) Really appreciate it
    I'll stick to my weight lifting schedule and stay consistent with my 1600 calories. I'll weigh myself again in 4 weeks and then I'll update this thread with my progress. I'm looking to lose fat and gain a little muscle for a "lean" physique. Hopefully I'll have slimmed down a bit, and if not at least I won't be yoyoing anymore.
    barbecuesauce wrote: »
    If you started weightlifting yesterday, your muscles are possibly retaining fluid which would explain the jump. Other explanations: excess sodium, time of month.

    Do you have a food scale? Are you using correct entries? If you're gaining on ~1400, you're not really eating 1400.

    I do use a food scale, I prepare most of my food myself and check calories before cooking but I'll reevaluate my food journal! You have a point, I may have probably miscalculated something. Worth a check.
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