Gained weight on a 500cal DEFICIT?!

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ishkur
ishkur Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Somehow I gained 3lbs in 2 weeks and am steadily going up. I have been lifting for 2 years so its not "noob gainz". I started the cut 2 weeks ago, consuming 1600cal. Macros are 120g protein, 160g carbs, 55g fat. I weight train (PHAT) 5 times a week at around 1hr to 1hr 30 minutes. I bike 1hr at a low - medium intensity 3-4 days a week (for fun mostly). I'm totally LAZY the rest of the day as I have no job, stay at home dogmom, pretty much sit at a computer all day. Before starting my cut I was maintaining my weight at around 2100 calories a day, lower on rest days. My diet is exactly the same, I kept protein the same and just lowered carbs and fats. However I did add a new protein with BCAAs and I now take a scoop of Muscle Pharm Amino 1 before training. Everything else is the same besides the fact that I'm eating LESS and now GAINING. :|

Whats going on.
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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Could just be normal fluctuations unless your new additions are calorie dense.
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Could just be normal fluctuations unless your new additions are calorie dense.

    I counted those calories into the 1600cal I eat. I know that BCAAs and Amino 1 has more calories than listed on the nutrition label, but I'm not 100% sure how much. Since they are protein I just count them as 4cal per gram, however I do not count them into my protein macros... if that makes sense.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    It does.

    I'd give it more than two weeks, though. Maybe since you're starting to cut, you're having to work harder to maintain the same lifts on fewer calories and it's causing some water retention. Just a guess. Either way, two weeks still isn't very long. I've gained 2-3 pounds over that time on a much bigger deficit than 500, but it eventually evened out.
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
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    What's your eating like? Any high sodium processed foods?
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    I find it hard on a cut to maintain the same intensity for my workouts. Maybe get a HRM to make sure those bike rides burn the calories they used to?
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    HikeCyclist wrote: »
    What's your eating like? Any high sodium processed foods?

    Vegan.

    Breakfast is a protein shake with soy milk, a cup of coffee and sometimes a home made oatmeal peanutbutter bar.

    lunch is half a block of extra firm tofu with 150g of green beans, about 1/4 tsp of salt added for flavour. OR 2 slices of low sodium ezekiel bread with 1 cup soy yogurt and 2tbsp of peanutbutter.

    pre workout drink of 14g of amino acids with water.

    snack is 1 pita with 28g hummus and sometimes a glass of soy milk.

    dinner is 1/2 block of tofu with green beans, with 1/4 tsp of salt. or a home made lentil carrot stew which has a bit more sodium in it than i would like (around 780mg per serving) with a slice or two of low sodium ezekiel bread.

    late night snack is either a tbsp of peanutbutter or a small handful of almonds (6-10 grams)

    I weigh EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth by gram on a digital scale.





  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    WBB55 wrote: »
    I find it hard on a cut to maintain the same intensity for my workouts. Maybe get a HRM to make sure those bike rides burn the calories they used to?


    I do have a HRM. Polar FT60. I monitor my calories and heart rate while biking so I can hit the goal I'm aiming for. I am terrible at cardio so I always try to stay in the cardio zone HR so I can get better at it. I usually burn around 500 calories each bike ride.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Sounds like evil, hormonal, voodoo weight gain.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    edited July 2015
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    ishkur wrote: »
    HikeCyclist wrote: »
    What's your eating like? Any high sodium processed foods?
    ... soy milk... half a block of extra firm tofu... soy yogurt... soy milk.... 1/2 block of tofu...
    Have you developed a sensitivity to soy, causing bloating/inflamation? I'm TOTALLY not knocking soy or veganism, but maybe switch it up with some different stuff? Like rice milk, almond milk, tempeh, seitan, etc.? Totally just a guess based on the huge amount of soy you list.
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
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    are you drinking enough water? sometimes a hard workout causes me to show a weight gain but then I drink extra water and after a few days I am down.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    What is your RMR and what is your current calorie intake?
    What is your potassium:sodium ratio?
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    I looked at your diary, what are the "quick adds"? Are you actually weighing things like the peanut butter, the california almonds, the hummus, protein powder to the T? Do you stop by the pantry or fridge and grab a peice of this or that and not log it? I know i do but im aware of what those are and know how much more they can actually add to the numbers that actually show in the diary. Just an idea...
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    WBB55 wrote: »
    ishkur wrote: »
    HikeCyclist wrote: »
    What's your eating like? Any high sodium processed foods?
    ... soy milk... half a block of extra firm tofu... soy yogurt... soy milk.... 1/2 block of tofu...
    Have you developed a sensitivity to soy, causing bloating/inflamation? I'm TOTALLY not knocking soy or veganism, but maybe switch it up with some different stuff? Like rice milk, almond milk, tempeh, seitan, etc.? Totally just a guess based on the huge amount of soy you list.

    I eat so much soy just because its high complete protein, low(ish) calories, I love it and its easy to prep hahaha. I do switch back and forth between tofu and seitan a lot, I've never had any issues with soy before. :/ I don't feel icky or bloated... I don't think thats it. My body doesn't really enjoy too much seitan though. :( And I actually do bloat a little with it because it has a LOT more sodium in it than plain tofu. :(

  • sweetteadrinker2
    sweetteadrinker2 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    Sounds like evil, hormonal, voodoo weight gain.

    This. Particularly since you list 2 weeks as the time period. In my case I notice the natural but evil voodoo fluctuations much more if I'm on lower calories. Maybe it makes the fluctuations more pronounced, maybe I'm just watching more closely, but they definitely get more annoying.
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    betuel75 wrote: »
    I looked at your diary, what are the "quick adds"? Are you actually weighing things like the peanut butter, the california almonds, the hummus, protein powder to the T? Do you stop by the pantry or fridge and grab a peice of this or that and not log it? I know i do but im aware of what those are and know how much more they can actually add to the numbers that actually show in the diary. Just an idea...


    No way, my husband gets annoyed at how much I weigh stuff. "Just get 5 almonds" "Just scoop a tbsp of hummus" No, I HAVE to weigh it by gram ahaha, very anal about that.

    The quick add calories was me trying to calculate the BCAAs and Amino Acids in my supplements because the label on the products does not give the true calorie count. I finally made new "food" called "amino acids" for quick entry of everything.
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    paris458 wrote: »
    are you drinking enough water? sometimes a hard workout causes me to show a weight gain but then I drink extra water and after a few days I am down.

    I don't know. I do not drink a gallon a day as suggested. I feel bad about it but its just too much for my stomach to handle, lol. I drink about 2 liters a day, sometimes less if I have a lot of things to get done that day. I will try to drink more though.
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    What is your RMR and what is your current calorie intake?
    What is your potassium:sodium ratio?

    RMR is around 1330

    My weekly average of sodium is 1850mg and potassium is 2300mg.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    ishkur wrote: »
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    What is your RMR and what is your current calorie intake?
    What is your potassium:sodium ratio?

    RMR is around 1330

    My weekly average of sodium is 1850mg and potassium is 2300mg.

    Increase your potassium to sodium ratio to 3:1 for a week and see what happens... drink plenty of water as always during that time.
  • SaffronSunrise
    SaffronSunrise Posts: 182 Member
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    Have you checked your scale for accuracy? Mine gets all sketchy when the battery is starting to die.
  • ishkur
    ishkur Posts: 41 Member
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    SaffronSunrise wrote: »
    Have you checked your scale for accuracy? Mine gets all sketchy when the battery is starting to die.

    No. My husband weighs himself as much as I and he's steadily been the same weight, while I have gone up.

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