Frustrated and Confused
Jeyradan
Posts: 164 Member
I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or advice for me based on difficulties I'm having with calorie limits and weight loss. Here's the background:
- 5'2", male, very small frame and low metabolism
- desk job, but I do everything (errands, etc.) on foot
- 3x week morning exercise (15 minutes cardio, 15 minutes bodyweight training)
- 3x week evening aikido (2-hour class)
- previously took a brief (15-minute) walk every lunch hour; however:
- for the past three weeks, I've been jogging 5x/week at lunch (following the couch to 5K program), but may not continue
The problem is this:
For a long time, I've eaten at a 1000-calorie limit plus exercise. (Yes, this was checked and approved by a doctor, and I was basically maintaining on that, or losing so slowly it was barely noticeable - which was fine.) Recently, I had about a month during which I couldn't choose my own food or portions. I went from 102 lbs to 110 lbs and wanted to shake a few of the pounds, so I did the following:
- went back to 1000 calories without eating back exercise calories (lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks, much of which was probably water weight; I felt satisfied physically, but was told it affected my mood, so decided to try something different)
- switched to 1000 calories with eating back exercise calories (gained 1 lb in 1 week, so thought I'd try something different again)
- switched to 1200 calories without eating back exercise calories (gained 4 lbs in 1 week - obviously, this isn't all fat or muscle, but it's not exactly encouraging)
- it's not just food in my digestive system or something; I can actually see and feel body fat I didn't have a few weeks ago
What's the deal? Even at my height, weight and activity level, how can I possibly be gaining on 1200 calories a day?
To address the common questions:
- yes, I use food scales for every single thing (I even weigh clear liquids, but use measuring cups for things like almond milk)
- yes, I check every database entry I use for correctness against the packaging (and use USDA and "green checkmark" entries for things like fruit and vegetables)
- yes, my logs are occasionally imperfect, but we're talking about the level of one "taste" of something I'm cooking per day, max; it might add 10 or 20 calories, but not more
- no, I haven't been having any "cheat days" or "cheat meals"
- no, I haven't significantly changed what I eat lately; however, I did add exercise in the form of the half-hour C25K jogs
- I'd prefer not to open my diary to the public, but I'm happy to take screenshots or explain more about what, how and when I'm eating
- please don't post the flowchart; I've seen the flowchart, but I know perfectly well I'm not cheating on logging or anything like that, and although MFP famously overestimates calorie burn, I had this problem even when I wasn't eating back exercise calories
Any thoughts about what might be going on, or suggestions about what I can do other than go back to my original (doctor-permitted) 1000-calorie limit?
- 5'2", male, very small frame and low metabolism
- desk job, but I do everything (errands, etc.) on foot
- 3x week morning exercise (15 minutes cardio, 15 minutes bodyweight training)
- 3x week evening aikido (2-hour class)
- previously took a brief (15-minute) walk every lunch hour; however:
- for the past three weeks, I've been jogging 5x/week at lunch (following the couch to 5K program), but may not continue
The problem is this:
For a long time, I've eaten at a 1000-calorie limit plus exercise. (Yes, this was checked and approved by a doctor, and I was basically maintaining on that, or losing so slowly it was barely noticeable - which was fine.) Recently, I had about a month during which I couldn't choose my own food or portions. I went from 102 lbs to 110 lbs and wanted to shake a few of the pounds, so I did the following:
- went back to 1000 calories without eating back exercise calories (lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks, much of which was probably water weight; I felt satisfied physically, but was told it affected my mood, so decided to try something different)
- switched to 1000 calories with eating back exercise calories (gained 1 lb in 1 week, so thought I'd try something different again)
- switched to 1200 calories without eating back exercise calories (gained 4 lbs in 1 week - obviously, this isn't all fat or muscle, but it's not exactly encouraging)
- it's not just food in my digestive system or something; I can actually see and feel body fat I didn't have a few weeks ago
What's the deal? Even at my height, weight and activity level, how can I possibly be gaining on 1200 calories a day?
To address the common questions:
- yes, I use food scales for every single thing (I even weigh clear liquids, but use measuring cups for things like almond milk)
- yes, I check every database entry I use for correctness against the packaging (and use USDA and "green checkmark" entries for things like fruit and vegetables)
- yes, my logs are occasionally imperfect, but we're talking about the level of one "taste" of something I'm cooking per day, max; it might add 10 or 20 calories, but not more
- no, I haven't been having any "cheat days" or "cheat meals"
- no, I haven't significantly changed what I eat lately; however, I did add exercise in the form of the half-hour C25K jogs
- I'd prefer not to open my diary to the public, but I'm happy to take screenshots or explain more about what, how and when I'm eating
- please don't post the flowchart; I've seen the flowchart, but I know perfectly well I'm not cheating on logging or anything like that, and although MFP famously overestimates calorie burn, I had this problem even when I wasn't eating back exercise calories
Any thoughts about what might be going on, or suggestions about what I can do other than go back to my original (doctor-permitted) 1000-calorie limit?
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Replies
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You say you have low metabolism, has that been checked and diagnosed medically? I suggest you go back to your doctor, not just your doctor's calorie limit. 1000 calorie diets should be monitored by health professionals, not just recommended, especially for males.0
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trying something for a week is not long enough to say it doesn't work. weight fluctuates1
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Why would your doctor allow you to go on a 1000 calorie a day diet when you were already at a healthy weight at 110 pounds? This makes no sense to me.1
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1000 calorie diet? You're already at a healthy weight. I would be just attempting to maintain at this point. Don't mess with it because and will backfire on you.
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I think you need to see a dietician.0
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How is your protein intake? Have you tried weight lifting? Sounds like you do a lot of cardio yet eat low calorie and still putting on weight/feel flabby at this weight leads me to think perhaps you have low muscle mass? Might be good to try to increase muscle, then lower body fat.
Probably want to get a body composition measuring scale to track your body fat percentage & lean muscle mass, that was an eye opener to me. It helps you see if your weight gains or losses are fat, muscle, or water.
Also want to check if you are within your proper macros in the "nutrition" section of your daily food diary- the percent of protein, carbs & fat that you eat is important too, not just the calories.
Quality of food matters too- try to eat a high percentage of "real" food like veggies, greens, meats, complex carbs, fruits, etc- and not a lot of soda, bread, fast food, chips, cookies, etc.
Also how is your stress level and sleeping? High stress or too little sleep can cause fat gain.
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CurlyCockney wrote: »You say you have low metabolism, has that been checked and diagnosed medically? I suggest you go back to your doctor, not just your doctor's calorie limit. 1000 calorie diets should be monitored by health professionals, not just recommended, especially for males.
Yep - and I've been back to my doctor several times; in fact, I think they're getting annoyed at the fact that I keep coming in to verify that I'm doing the right things. I do get fairly balanced nutrition, although I know I need to work a bit harder on protein (and I'm a fairly atypical male at my size and metabolism, in fairness).0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »trying something for a week is not long enough to say it doesn't work. weight fluctuates
This is true! I should probably try to be less anxious about it. However, it has been a steady weight gain over the past several weeks with only slight modifications to what I'm doing, so I'm hesitant to keep going for much longer given that it's not going up and down - only up...0 -
Arapacana1 wrote: »Why would your doctor allow you to go on a 1000 calorie a day diet when you were already at a healthy weight at 110 pounds? This makes no sense to me.1000 calorie diet? You're already at a healthy weight. I would be just attempting to maintain at this point. Don't mess with it because and will backfire on you.
Well, the issue is really that 1000 calories seems to be my maintenance. Going up to 1200 results in steady weight gain, so it's not so much that I'm trying to lose (although on my frame and with my amount of muscle, 110 lbs is a little more body fat than I need). It's that I don't want to gain and any modification or increase seems to add pounds.0 -
YvetteK2015 wrote: »I think you need to see a dietician.
I wish! Unfortunately, I live in the UK. You can't see a dietitian on the NHS (i.e., for free) unless you're obese or have a medical disorder, and I can't afford the cost of a private consultation.0 -
YvetteK2015 wrote: »I think you need to see a dietician.
I wish! Unfortunately, I live in the UK. You can't see a dietitian on the NHS (i.e., for free) unless you're obese or have a medical disorder, and I can't afford the cost of a private consultation.
Some GPs have a dietician in the medical centre, and you can make an appointment with them same as if you wanted to see the doctor or nurse. If yours doesn't, maybe you can get a referral due to your low metabolism?1 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »How is your protein intake? Have you tried weight lifting? Sounds like you do a lot of cardio yet eat low calorie and still putting on weight/feel flabby at this weight leads me to think perhaps you have low muscle mass? Might be good to try to increase muscle, then lower body fat.
I do have pretty low muscle mass, and I'm hypotonic as well. I don't lift weights (don't own any and can't afford a gym), but I do bodyweight training and aikido, both of which should contribute to muscle development. I suppose I could try cutting out the morning cardio and replacing it with more strength/bodyweight training, though!Probably want to get a body composition measuring scale to track your body fat percentage & lean muscle mass, that was an eye opener to me. It helps you see if your weight gains or losses are fat, muscle, or water.
The scale I have does measure body fat percentage (and weight, BMI, and hydration), but everything I've heard about those scales seems to indicate that they're usually wildly inaccurate, so I haven't been paying attention to anything but the weight number. I can start tracking the body fat and see how that changes - good idea; thank you!Also want to check if you are within your proper macros in the "nutrition" section of your daily food diary- the percent of protein, carbs & fat that you eat is important too, not just the calories.
Quality of food matters too- try to eat a high percentage of "real" food like veggies, greens, meats, complex carbs, fruits, etc- and not a lot of soda, bread, fast food, chips, cookies, etc.
I'm usually pretty good with macros, though sometimes exceed on carbs or drop the ball a bit on protein. Thanks for mentioning it, though; I can think of easy ways to replace some carbs with more proteins (most notably replacing wholegrain wheat cereal with eggs or some lean meat), so I think I'll do that from now on.
I eat mostly "real food," because there's not a lot of space for junk and fast food on 1000 calories! I have been making room for the occasional baked treat (like a bagel thin, for instance), but they're not technically necessary, so I can cut them out. I drink the occasional soda, but always the "zero" type, so I imagine its effect is minimal.Also how is your stress level and sleeping? High stress or too little sleep can cause fat gain.
My sleep habits haven't changed lately (5-6 hours most nights, perhaps a bit more on weekends, for years) - but stress has increased lately. Hopefully, that'll pass soon - and getting this nutrition stuff under control should help alleviate one of the major sources!0 -
CurlyCockney wrote: »Some GPs have a dietician in the medical centre, and you can make an appointment with them same as if you wanted to see the doctor or nurse. If yours doesn't, maybe you can get a referral due to your low metabolism?
Thanks! My centre hasn't got one (just GPs and nurses), but I've booked an appointment with a GP to ask about thyroid testing (suggested by a nutritionist friend-of-a-friend), so I can ask about a referral to a dietitian based on metabolism and my seemingly weird calorie needs. Fingers crossed!0 -
Best of luck!1
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