Despite diet & exercise I KEEP GAINING WEIGHT! Please help!

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rubypinkbutterfly
rubypinkbutterfly Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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.
«1345

Replies

  • JaPark78
    JaPark78 Posts: 3 Member
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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...
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited June 2016
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    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.
  • NutritionalResponsibility
    NutritionalResponsibility Posts: 10 Member
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    I think @queenliz99 is on the right track here...
  • fourtherecord
    fourtherecord Posts: 103 Member
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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.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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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?
  • TehLaughingDog
    TehLaughingDog Posts: 200 Member
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    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?
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    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!
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
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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.

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