Still eating right and exercising but gained it all back!

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

Ok after months of losing my mind trying to find out what is going on I've decided to ask others if they may have had this issue.

Last April I decided it was time to eat better. I've always ate good but had that problem with eating things here and there I shouldn't. I started eating clean at all times and tracking my intake. I've also always been active but stepped it up a notch.

Within less than a year I was down to 135 and happy with it, but I had heard too many horror stories about people gaining it all back and then some, so I promised myself to maintain eating right and exercising. I got through the holidays turning my nose up at all the sugary treats and even ran in the freezing cold because I was completely and utterly devoted.

Then suddenly almost a year later and in a rapid time I gained it all back! Still eating healthy and exercising in the manner I did to lose it. I was worried I had a thyroid issue or some other medical issue because everyone kept saying the same thing as o why o gained it back...yo-yo dieting...but I didn't yo-yo my diet or exercise. All my blood work showed I was healthy and the doctor had no explaination. I've search low and high for answers for months and continue to gain. I'm exhausted at this point, but still continue to press forward with exercise and eating healthy for fear I may gain faster if I stop.

If anyone out there has experienced this and found the problem please help!

TavistockToad · September 2017

OK, what are your stats?

How much were you eating to lose, and how much to maintain?

Have you logged while maintaining?

toxikon · September 2017

Welcome!

Weight comes down to calories. You don't need to "eat clean" or avoid desserts or sugar, you just need to stick to a calorie deficit to lose weight. You could eat junk food all day and lose weight as long as you were at a deficit.

You'll find that most people here rely heavily on digital food scales and daily calorie tracking to reach their goals. Without a food scale, you're just guessing at your calorie intake and your guess could be way off.

You can calculate what your deficit should be with a TDEE calculator, or you can use MFP, because it has one built-in.

http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

Your TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure. That's how many calories your body burns in a regular day. It's highly dependent on your activity level. If you work a desk job, your TDEE will be lower than someone who is on their feet all day.

Let's say you calculate your TDEE and it comes up as 2000. That's how many calories you could eat in a day to maintain your current weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat under 2000 calories per day. If you want to lose about a pound a week, you'd eat 1500 calories a day (aka a 500 calorie deficit).

As I mentioned above, the best way to make sure you are actually eating 1500 calories a day is to use a food scale and log each and every bite in MFP as accurately as you can.

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

I started off on a low calorie 1200 diet but adjusted it throughout my weight loss period to make up for the weight loss i had. Even when adjusting it I still continued to lose. Eventually having a 1450 calorie diet in the end when I started gaining it back. I've pretty much been stuck there and I admit I'm not teaching my calorie intake st this point because I'm depressed about the weight and find myself not hungry.

I have continued logging my meals even when I started gaining it all back, trying to balance my fats, carbs, and protein. I've always had an issue with not getting enough protein due to not eating red meats or porks.

TavistockToad · September 2017

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

I started off on a low calorie 1200 diet but adjusted it throughout my weight loss period to make up for the weight loss i had. Even when adjusting it I still continued to lose. Eventually having a 1450 calorie diet in the end when I started gaining it back. I've pretty much been stuck there and I admit I'm not teaching my calorie intake st this point because I'm depressed about the weight and find myself not hungry.

I have continued logging my meals even when I started gaining it all back, trying to balance my fats, carbs, and protein. I've always had an issue with not getting enough protein due to not eating red meats or porks.

1450? What are your stats?

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

I'm 5'5 currently weighing at 150 but like I said I continue to gain, but worse my waist is getting larger in size. I've went up two pants size. I'm not at home to look at my last measurements.

TavistockToad · September 2017

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

I'm 5'5 currently weighing at 150 but like I said I continue to gain, but worse my waist is getting larger in size. I've went up two pants size. I'm not at home to look at my last measurements.

There is no way youre gaining fat on 1450 cals given your stats. Do you weigh your food with scales? Can you open your diary?

In what timeframe have you gained 2 sizes?

musicfan68 · September 2017

I think you're eating more calories than you think. Are you weighing your portions to get accurate calories? I'm 5'0" and can eat a little over 1500 and lose weight.

HeatherScottTN · September 2017

WEIGH your Food and don't forget to log everything you put in your mouth. It ADDS up! I also don't think it totally does down to calories... Our bodies are smarter than that... Anything that RAISES you insulin is helping you get FAT. CONSIDER Intermittent fasting (not a diet but more of a pattern of eating)... many people fine success and satisfaction eating all of their calories within their "window" of time. Maybe 18 hours of fasting and 6 hours of eating. This allows more time that your body does not have anything driving insulin and it can do what it does, burn some of your fat for energy in that fasting window. make sense? Good luck!

SLLeask · September 2017

Could you be pregnant...?

mitch16 · September 2017

If you have ruled out health issues, then it comes down to consuming more calories than your body needs. Are you weighing/logging everything? If not, then you are probably eating more than you were when you were actively losing. Complacency in maintenance is not a good thing.

SibylDiane · September 2017

If you are a woman and experiencing unexplained weight gain, abdominal bloating, and possibly other symptoms (fatigue, lack of appetite) go to your doctor or ob-gyn and explain your symptoms. There are a lot of issues that could be going on here that you would want to get checked out, not just possible pregnancy but ovarian problems and things of that nature. I am not a medical professional but I know people who have had these issues and their doctors were able to help them. Not saying you have anything terrible going on but medical issues (not just thyroid/blood work) are things that at the least you could rule out as causing this unexplained weight gain and abdominal bloating.

aeloine · September 2017

SLLeask wrote: »

Could you be pregnant...?

Ditto. Especially since your WAIST is getting bigger.

GemstoneofHeart · September 2017

It doesn't just suddenly come back. It came back because you ate at a calorie surplus. It doesn't matter that you were "eating clean" if you were eating an excess of calories.

A lot of people have to continue tracking calories even in maintenance. I know I will or I will gain it back because I am very bad at estimating my intake.

Need2Exerc1se · September 2017

SibylDiane wrote: »

If you are a woman and experiencing unexplained weight gain, abdominal bloating, and possibly other symptoms (fatigue, lack of appetite) go to your doctor or ob-gyn and explain your symptoms. There are a lot of issues that could be going on here that you would want to get checked out, not just possible pregnancy but ovarian problems and things of that nature. I am not a medical professional but I know people who have had these issues and their doctors were able to help them. Not saying you have anything terrible going on but medical issues (not just thyroid/blood work) are things that at the least you could rule out as causing this unexplained weight gain and abdominal bloating.

THIS!!!

If you are experiencing unexplained weight gain you need to go back to the doctor. It is not normal for your TDEE to suddenly change that drastically if you are eating the same with same activity level.

kshama2001 · September 2017

"Eating right," "eating healthy", and "eating well" are not the same as eating at maintenance.

While pregnancy or fibroids could explain your expanding waist, it is more likely you are eating more than you think.

Please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

TavistockToad wrote: »

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

I'm 5'5 currently weighing at 150 but like I said I continue to gain, but worse my waist is getting larger in size. I've went up two pants size. I'm not at home to look at my last measurements.

There is no way youre gaining fat on 1450 cals given your stats. Do you weigh your food with scales? Can you open your diary?

In what timeframe have you gained 2 sizes?

Well I measure my vegetables I don't weigh them. I do not eat much meat but a chicken breast and maybe a salmon filet. I do not weigh those.

As I said the weight gain started in April. I have my waist measurements as 30 1/2 inches then. Now I am 36 inches. My biceps are 12 from 11. Thighs 24 from 22. My primary weight gain seems to be my waist and no I am not pregnant to those who ask.

I did find out in July I had a gluten intolerance so I have to avoid a lot of foods now. I thought that might be the issue but I've gained about 4 pounds since then. I'm just highly frustrated.

My doctor even ordered abdominal x-rays to make sure there was nothing wrong and everything is good, so he just tells me it's probably my metabolism.

Francl27 · September 2017

Guess? Your portions have become bigger and you haven't realized it because you're not weighing your food.

kshama2001 · September 2017

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

I'm 5'5 currently weighing at 150 but like I said I continue to gain, but worse my waist is getting larger in size. I've went up two pants size. I'm not at home to look at my last measurements.

There is no way youre gaining fat on 1450 cals given your stats. Do you weigh your food with scales? Can you open your diary?

In what timeframe have you gained 2 sizes?

Well I measure my vegetables I don't weigh them. I do not eat much meat but a chicken breast and maybe a salmon filet. I do not weigh those.

As I said the weight gain started in April. I have my waist measurements as 30 1/2 inches then. Now I am 36 inches. My biceps are 12 from 11. Thighs 24 from 22. My primary weight gain seems to be my waist and no I am not pregnant to those who ask.

I did find out in July I had a gluten intolerance so I have to avoid a lot of foods now. I thought that might be the issue but I've gained about 4 pounds since then. I'm just highly frustrated.

My doctor even ordered abdominal x-rays to make sure there was nothing wrong and everything is good, so he just tells me it's probably my metabolism.

I bet you made a change to accommodate being gluten free that is higher in calories than how you were eating before.

cmriverside · September 2017

Yeah, if you don't weigh meat, it's possible you're eating a lot more than you think. Salmon isn't exactly low-cal, either. What about oils, salad dressings, butter, cheese, dairy, nuts, avocado, potatoes, fruit, eggs? Do you eat them? Do you weigh them?

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

SibylDiane wrote: »

If you are a woman and experiencing unexplained weight gain, abdominal bloating, and possibly other symptoms (fatigue, lack of appetite) go to your doctor or ob-gyn and explain your symptoms. There are a lot of issues that could be going on here that you would want to get checked out, not just possible pregnancy but ovarian problems and things of that nature. I am not a medical professional but I know people who have had these issues and their doctors were able to help them. Not saying you have anything terrible going on but medical issues (not just thyroid/blood work) are things that at the least you could rule out as causing this unexplained weight gain and abdominal bloating.

Yes this was my first thought. As I said I did have a full blood work up done and abdominal x-rays. I have been told by other women about the symptoms of ovarian cysts and that I might want to get an ultrasound done.

I've just concluded I don't have the answers. I do log everything I eat. I actually figure my daily meals out first thing in the morning. I try to stay on my calorie target but sometimes I'm actually under. I also try to make sure my fats, carbs and proteins balance but sometimes that's hard to do so I end up with too little proteins and more fats or carbs.

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

GemstoneofHeart wrote: »

It doesn't just suddenly come back. It came back because you ate at a calorie surplus. It doesn't matter that you were "eating clean" if you were eating an excess of calories.

A lot of people have to continue tracking calories even in maintenance. I know I will or I will gain it back because I am very bad at estimating my intake.

I did not eat calories at a surplus. I actually don't meet my calorie goal of 1450 very often. I've never stopped tracking my food intake. I've logged at tracked everything for over 500 days. That's why I thought this was a medical issue but with my doctor saying my blood work is good and nothing abdominally I have became depressed.

I seriously honestly record everything I eat and I use to put 5 miles in a day, but have found it too hard now to do it since I've gained weight but I still do 3 miles. But when I started gaining I was still doing the 5 miles.

I'm so frustrated at this point is why I've reached out to the community.

wenrob · September 2017

.

wenrob · September 2017

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

SibylDiane wrote: »

If you are a woman and experiencing unexplained weight gain, abdominal bloating, and possibly other symptoms (fatigue, lack of appetite) go to your doctor or ob-gyn and explain your symptoms. There are a lot of issues that could be going on here that you would want to get checked out, not just possible pregnancy but ovarian problems and things of that nature. I am not a medical professional but I know people who have had these issues and their doctors were able to help them. Not saying you have anything terrible going on but medical issues (not just thyroid/blood work) are things that at the least you could rule out as causing this unexplained weight gain and abdominal bloating.

Yes this was my first thought. As I said I did have a full blood work up done and abdominal x-rays. I have been told by other women about the symptoms of ovarian cysts and that I might want to get an ultrasound done.

I've just concluded I don't have the answers. I do log everything I eat. I actually figure my daily meals out first thing in the morning. I try to stay on my calorie target but sometimes I'm actually under. I also try to make sure my fats, carbs and proteins balance but sometimes that's hard to do so I end up with too little proteins and more fats or carbs.

Logging your food intake is not the same as weighing and measuring your food intake. Just logging it is guessing. I agree with the PP that you are probably overcompensating for the food you’re no longer eating.

kshama2001 · September 2017

Please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

ss4vegeta48 · September 2017

cmriverside wrote: »

Yeah, if you don't weigh meat, it's possible you're eating a lot more than you think. Salmon isn't exactly low-cal, either. What about oils, salad dressings, butter, cheese, dairy, nuts, avocado, potatoes, fruit, eggs? Do you eat them? Do you weigh them?

Well the reason I don't weigh my chicken breast is because it's the same kind I was eating when I was losing. As I said I do not eat red meats or porks. Salmon is a once in awhile meal. It's baked not fried and I do not bread anything especially now due to the gluten issue. I measure dressings by teaspoons and it's vinaigrettes only. I do not eat much dairy. I find it makes me bloat so I use almond milk. When I cook with olive oil I do record it in my baked chicken meal. I do not weigh an egg. I scanned the brand and record it as one egg ate. I'll be honest about the almonds. The labels says about 15 equals this amount of Calories so I count them out. I do not weigh a potato other then when I buy them for price lol.

Hope that helps.

Nony_Mouse · September 2017

ss4vegeta48 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

Yeah, if you don't weigh meat, it's possible you're eating a lot more than you think. Salmon isn't exactly low-cal, either. What about oils, salad dressings, butter, cheese, dairy, nuts, avocado, potatoes, fruit, eggs? Do you eat them? Do you weigh them?

Well the reason I don't weigh my chicken breast is because it's the same kind I was eating when I was losing. As I said I do not eat red meats or porks. Salmon is a once in awhile meal. It's baked not fried and I do not bread anything especially now due to the gluten issue. I measure dressings by teaspoons and it's vinaigrettes only. I do not eat much dairy. I find it makes me bloat so I use almond milk. When I cook with olive oil I do record it in my baked chicken meal. I do not weigh an egg. I scanned the brand and record it as one egg ate. I'll be honest about the almonds. The labels says about 15 equals this amount of Calories so I count them out. I do not weigh a potato other then when I buy them for price lol.

Hope that helps.

Weigh everything solid and measure everything liquid. Everything. Make sure you're using accurate database entries. Your chicken breasts are not all going to be the same weight, likewise your potatoes, and everything else. Eat only 50-75% of any exercise calories. Do that for 4-6 weeks, if you're still not losing weight with accurate logging then you need to look further at possible medical causes.

sympha01 · September 2017

1. Once again agreeing with what many people have said: eating "right" is not nearly as important as eating LESS. Measure and control your portions, particularly of calorie-dense things like meat, starchy foods, and many condiments (e.g. sour cream, salad dressing, peanut butter). You have no idea of whether you are hitting a calorie surplus or deficit if you are measuring your portions using your eyeballs. Logging is not the same as tracking if you don't measure your portions. You lost weight tracking: great. Many people (including me) have to continue tracking AND DILIGENTLY MEASURING in order to maintain weight loss. It is very normal to like eating more food than you need. It is very easy to trick yourself about portion size if you are not measuring diligently. Some unicorns can pull it off. Don't assume you're one of them. Evidence is pointing to the contrary here. If you're not losing weight -- or you're gaining -- you just DON'T GET TO SAY you know you're hitting a specific calorie target when you're not measuring. If you're really sure your portions are right, you won't mind measuring for a few weeks to confirm the results.

2. Your doctor has ruled out common medical problems via bloodwork, and that's good. FWIW, it's better to listen to doctors than us randos on the internet, IN GENERAL, but you should also be aware that to get a medical degree and a medical license requires next to no knowledge of weight loss or weight control. My doctor was very up front with me about what I should and could rely on him for on this topic: he told me that he only had to take like half a credit course in med school, and he doesn't have any continuing education credits needed on the topic. His point was that doctors are as likely to pass around annecdotal diet nonsense like we are, but the extra danger is the sense of complacency it can give patients about "metabolism" (eyeroll), not to mention some particularly bad advice some doctors give regarding rather dangerous VLC diets they are trained to prescribe for patients who need "emergency" fast weight loss prior to surgery. Get a referral from your doctor to a registered dietitian for meaningful advice.

Bottom line: I see soooooo many people who are desperate to hear a solution to weight control that doesn't require them to be accountable for eating an appropriate amount of food. It's got to be their metabolism or else it's got to be that they're eating the "wrong" foods or that they haven't tried the latest miracle food that will "burn" their fat for them. BS. To control your weight, you just have to be accountable for how much you eat. It may be simple, but it's not easy, and that's why you don't want to do it.

kimny72 · September 2017

OP, if you want to figure out what's going on you need accurate data to work with. Doesn't matter if you are eating the same stuff you always have.

Commit to 4 weeks of putting every solid and semisolid food you possibly can on the food scale and log by the weight. Double check the entries you are using in the database to make sure they are accurate.

This will give you good data and two possibilities.

1. You have been eating more than you think and now you will know where you are missing cals so it will be easy to fix.
2. You will know you were in fact eating 1450 cals and the issue MUST be medical. If so, I second the suggestion to see an OB/gyn, several gyn issues can cause bloating and I have found generally ob/gyns are more open minded about symptoms women deal with, just my 2 cents.

Good luck!

rickiimarieee · September 2017

This could be maybe an insight? I don't know your scenario but are you stressed out? I read and heard that stress increases weight gain.

sympha01 · September 2017

FWIW when I buy chicken breasts, I measure them and they range WILDLY in size, from raw weight=3oz (102 calories) to 20oz monsters (680 calories). In general they tend to mostly be between 8 and 12 oz (272 - 408 calories), but I do see wider variation. I buy them from the same place all the time, but they vary a lot is my point.

Surely you can see that those types of errors can add up to significant overage from a 1400 cal / day target.

Honesly, I can't disagree with you about eggs -- I weigh mine and they vary but not that much and it seems to average over time. Almonds -- hmm well I would weigh those to be sure. I eat a lot of nuts myself and have found count :: weight provided on packages to be pretty inaccurate, and since nuts are so calorie dense it makes a big difference. It's frighteningly easy to accidently eat an extra 150 calories from nuts and feel like it's NOTHING. Oh, that was hardly even worth CHEWING so it can't have f'ed up my log, wait, no, crap it DID send me over.

Still eating right and exercising but gained it all back!

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