Despite diet & exercise I KEEP GAINING WEIGHT! Please help!
rubypinkbutterfly
Posts: 1 Member
I'm 46, used to be very athletic, toned, and active. I don't eat pasta, bread, wheat. I eat lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats. No added sugar, only 1/2 cup of blueberries ever other day.
Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday. I should be losing a ton of weight, not gaining!
My thyroid is fine per an endocrinologist.
Has anyone seen or experienced such a thing??!! The doctors have been useless and I continue to pack on the fat. I've lost my toned muscles.
Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday. I should be losing a ton of weight, not gaining!
My thyroid is fine per an endocrinologist.
Has anyone seen or experienced such a thing??!! The doctors have been useless and I continue to pack on the fat. I've lost my toned muscles.
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Replies
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I am not a dietician but I have always gained weight because I didn't eat enough. This is what I have been told for numerous years. My metabolism is just slow because when I don't eat enough or at all my body saves what I do eat, even if it's healthy and stores it as fat. This is just my experience though. Also if you are exercising it could be muscle weight which is heavier than fat...4
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rubypinkbutterfly wrote: »I'm 46, used to be very athletic, toned, and active. I don't eat pasta, bread, wheat. I eat lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats. No added sugar, only 1/2 cup of blueberries ever other day.
Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday. I should be losing a ton of weight, not gaining!
My thyroid is fine per an endocrinologist.
Has anyone seen or experienced such a thing??!! The doctors have been useless and I continue to pack on the fat. I've lost my toned muscles.
Do you use a food scale to weigh all solids? Do you pick the right entries from the database?12 -
I am not a dietician but I have always gained weight because I didn't eat enough. This is what I have been told for numerous years. My metabolism is just slow because when I don't eat enough or at all my body saves what I do eat, even if it's healthy and stores it as fat. This is just my experience though. Also if you are exercising it could be muscle weight which is heavier than fat...
Sorry but you cannot gain weight in a deficit, this defies logic! Storing fat comes from eating in excess, science. CICO31 -
That is frightening! Some people have said to only eat back 50% or 25% of the calories fit bit or other trackers say because they aren't always accurate.
If it were me, first I'd get a second opinion and go under close medical supervision. Have some additional screening done to find out the reasons for this unusual gain in weight. Have you taken any medications that could have weight gain as a side effect? This appears to be a dramatic change for you.3 -
Were you perhaps very underweight and are now a healthy weight?9
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Do you use a food scale? It's still easy to go over without eating fatty meat, carbs, sugar etc.
Can you open your diary?
You may very well be logging perfectly, accurate calorie consumption and something is wrong medically, but lets rule out inaccurate CICO first.
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I think @queenliz99 is on the right track here...
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Calories in....calories out. Sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear. There was some Info about fitbits ( and most trackers) nit being accurate, I can't remember where I found it. I would not count any general activity as exercise calories. Weight and measure every bite, sip, taste test....its easy to underestimate calories.
Exercise daily , if it doesnt elevate your heart rate and make you sweat, don't count it as exercise for calorie counts.
Be brutal, write down every morsel that passes your lips.
I second the recommendation on continued follow up from dr, hormone levels, diabetes! Pcos, sleep disorders...
Don't give up.
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Fitbit doesn't sync well with mfp in my experience. Every step, that is usually already accounted for by mfp comes up as exercise calories, it drives me mad, as I then have to manually work out my actual net calories. I've stopped using my fitbit atm.1
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I am not a dietician but I have always gained weight because I didn't eat enough. This is what I have been told for numerous years. My metabolism is just slow because when I don't eat enough or at all my body saves what I do eat, even if it's healthy and stores it as fat. This is just my experience though. Also if you are exercising it could be muscle weight which is heavier than fat...
this is all just sooo wrong! you don't GAIN weight from not eating enough....and you really think she is putting on 5lbs of muscle per week?12 -
Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.11
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What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and do you mind opening your diary so we can get more info?0
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fourtherecord wrote: »Fitbit doesn't sync well with mfp in my experience. Every step, that is usually already accounted for by mfp comes up as exercise calories, it drives me mad, as I then have to manually work out my actual net calories. I've stopped using my fitbit atm.
Odd. My fitbit is synced as well and MFP subtracts out 1690 every time it syncs to account for base activity settings. The only thing that shows up in my adjustments is the difference. So if fitbit said I burned 2000 and MFP would only add 310 to my daily total7 -
Obviously you are eating more then you think you are. Or you're over estimating your calories burned.
Also just so you know, unless you have a medical condition, saying you don't eat bread or "added sugar" (which is processed internally the same as "natural sugar") really doesn't mean much to your weight loss seeing as you can have sugar and bread and still lose weight.8 -
Are you making sure you get in your water and watching your sodium? Retaining water can be one hell of an issue if you're watching the scale. I drink above the 8 cups since I weigh more and need more to hydrate my body. I'm usually about 10-12 cups. But make sure you're not taking in too much water otherwise you'll cause issues there as well.
Also make sure you're getting in your fiber which can really effect scale readings as well as insure you're system is running efficiently. Also getting in fiber can reduce bloating.
Same as others have said, if you don't have a medical condition eating low carb doesn't mean healthy weight loss. In addition you could be miss evaluating the amount of fat you're taking in. Fats are important for proper hormone function as well as many other positives but they are also high calorie. 9 calories per gram of fat actually which is more than double the amount for carbohydrates and protein. By eating low carb that means more fat so watch your math. Check out iifym.com to get a calculation on your macro readings - I find mfp to be rather low for protein.
If you're unsure if you're logging your calories and macros correctly from the database here you can calculate the macros to calories. I've discovered a lot of wonky numbers from unverified foods. Do the math to make sure your macro amounts add up to your calories. It's possible you're taking in more than you think by accident. 4 calories per gram of protein, 4 per carbs, and 9 per fat. It's basically like doing quality control on what foods you're logging to make sure you're being the most accurate you can be.
For the Fitbit issue I know it depends on which model you picked up. I got the blaze because reviews said it was one of the most accurate. So far I'm happy with it. I eat back slightly less than half of the Fitbit adjustments depending on how I feel. I'm not worried about fast weight loss so if I maintain a weight for a while I'm content as long as I'm healthy.
Maybe step off the scale. Try using a tape measure to evaluate your loss/gains?3 -
Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.16 -
CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.12 -
CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 cubic inch of muscle still equals 1 cubic inch of fat, but the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more.6 -
How about your feet... Have they grown? And has your face changed? Your post reminded me of this article. Everyone told her she was eating more than she thought, too. She went to dr after dr before getting a diagnosis. Certainly this is the rare exception, and most people ARE eating more than they think, but very fast changes merit a closer medical look in addition to greater tracking accuracy. Best of luck!0
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A 5lb a week gain is around 2500 excess calories a day, so 4000 calories a day total. It would be pretty tough to eat that through veg and lean meats.
Something changed in your life. Exercise, job, craving I've cream, alcohol, pregnant.
My girlfriend put on 5lbs when I got a coffee machine with milk frother, she didn't realise a hot chocolate was so calorific.1 -
How about your feet... Have they grown? And has your face changed? Your post reminded me of this article. Everyone told her she was eating more than she thought, too. She went to dr after dr before getting a diagnosis. Certainly this is the rare exception, and most people ARE eating more than they think, but very fast changes merit a closer medical look in addition to greater tracking accuracy. Best of luck!
The link didn't work.
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diannethegeek wrote: »CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 cubic inch of muscle still equals 1 cubic inch of fat, but the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more.
Both are true. By your reckoning we can never, ever say that any one substance is heavier than another, which limits us somewhat.1 -
...edited because I see my question was answered.rubypinkbutterfly wrote: »I'm 46, used to be very athletic, toned, and active. I don't eat pasta, bread, wheat. I eat lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats. No added sugar, only 1/2 cup of blueberries ever other day.
Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday. I should be losing a ton of weight, not gaining!
My thyroid is fine per an endocrinologist.
Has anyone seen or experienced such a thing??!! The doctors have been useless and I continue to pack on the fat. I've lost my toned muscles.0 -
CiaraCatch wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 cubic inch of muscle still equals 1 cubic inch of fat, but the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more.
Both are true. By your reckoning we can never, ever say that any one substance is heavier than another, which limits us somewhat.
Her last sentence reads, "...the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more [than cubic inch of fat]."1 -
"rubypinkbutterfly wrote: »Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday.
Are you saying that you've been gaining 5 pounds a week, every week, for the last 6 months?!! Because if that's true, and you haven't changed your diet/exercise, then you need to see another doctor ASAP. Something is very, very wrong to gain that much weight so quickly.
Or are you saying that you've gained 5 lbs total since you started working out and dieting? Because in that case you're either overestimating what you're eating and not logging accurately, or retaining water in your muscles.
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"rubypinkbutterfly wrote: »Out of nowhere (no major changes to my level of physical exercise or diet) I started gaining 5lbs a week. Within 6 months I gained 36% of my weight. My skin is having a heck of a time trying to contain this mass gain.
Per my food log and fit bit I'm at a deficit of 500-800 calories everyday.
Are you saying that you've been gaining 5 pounds a week, every week, for the last 6 months?!! Because if that's true, and you haven't changed your diet/exercise, then you need to see another doctor ASAP. Something is very, very wrong to gain that much weight so quickly.
Or are you saying that you've gained 5 lbs total since you started working out and dieting? Because in that case you're either overestimating what you're eating and not logging accurately, or retaining water in your muscles.
I agree with this, is it per week or all together?
Gaining 5lb per week, every week, would entail a massive amount of over eating which I'm sure you'd be aware of.. If you calories in/out have remained consistent then a doctors visit is definitely needed.
If you've gained 5lbs over 6mths, then calorie tweaking is all that is necessary.0 -
CiaraCatch wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 cubic inch of muscle still equals 1 cubic inch of fat, but the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more.
Both are true. By your reckoning we can never, ever say that any one substance is heavier than another, which limits us somewhat.
I think you may have missed my point. Both are opposing ways of saying the same thing. Claiming one is inaccurate while lauding the other as true is a pet peeve of mine.7 -
If you are gaining that much that fast you need to see a doctor. That's not normal and it would be impossible to eat that many calories by accident.0
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diannethegeek wrote: »CiaraCatch wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »CiaraCatch wrote: »Mavrick_RN wrote: »Just a reminder: muscle is NOT heavier than fat. That is a fact.
Yes, it is. When we say one substance is heavier than another, the assumption is that we're talking about equal volumes, otherwise it's meaningless. In the same way that lead is heavier than cheese, muscle is heavier than fat.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 pound of muscle still equals 1 pound of fat, but the pound of muscle will take up less space.
No, muscle is more DENSE than fat. 1 cubic inch of muscle still equals 1 cubic inch of fat, but the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more.
Both are true. By your reckoning we can never, ever say that any one substance is heavier than another, which limits us somewhat.
I think you may have missed my point. Both are opposing ways of saying the same thing. Claiming one is inaccurate while lauding the other as true is a pet peeve of mine.
Dianne, I understand what you are explaining in your post. I don't understand what Ciara is objecting to? I wonder if she clicked and quoted the wrong post?0 -
I am not a dietician but I have always gained weight because I didn't eat enough. This is what I have been told for numerous years. My metabolism is just slow because when I don't eat enough or at all my body saves what I do eat, even if it's healthy and stores it as fat. This is just my experience though. Also if you are exercising it could be muscle weight which is heavier than fat...
I'm sorry, but it's impossible to gain weight when you don't eat enough unless you have a serious medical problem that is making you hold on to water. True story: my friend kept gaining weight though she changed nothing about food and exercise. The doctors told her it was probably her thyroid and put her on medication. Didn't work. She kept going back to the doctor, and her husband was talking to a cardiologist friend at the hospital about her being ill. The cardiologist said to bring her in immediately. The day she went to the cardiologist, my friend was admitted to the hospital for a triple bypass. The reason she's been gaining weight was retaining water due to a serious heart condition.
Setting aside any medical conditions, If you don't eat enough, you lose weight; if you eat just about right, you maintain your weight, and; if you eat too much you gain weight.6
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