Desperate to stop my weight gain.

FlexJackson
FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I need some help. This app has been the best thing the happen to me. Way back in 2016 I got started and I started at 300lbs and I've come all the way down to 236lbs but for the last 2 months I have been experiencing rapid weight gain and I don't know how to stop it.

This is the first time in my life I've looked in the mirror and like what I see looking back at me. I changed all my clothes from 3X to 1X shirts which fit me snug in a good way now when people say I'm husky I actually believe them and I can now after 25 years understand why guys where fitted shirts because it feels great. I lost thw man boobs I had my whole life and actually got proper pecs and this past summer me and my friends went to Miami and for the first time I was confident taking my shirt off and it feels great.

However my new found body is under threat of leaving me and I simply can't go back to 300 pounds after living life at 236 but here I am today at 250lbs. I haven't change my program at all since I started except for cutting Calories as the app instructs me to. Every week I'm under my calories but I step on the scale and I still see I gained weight. I have one cheat day a week which hasn't affected my weight loss as it still came off like clock work.

Week after week of gaining weight after gritting my teeth and going to bed hungry as usual and seeing my weight still go up is killing me. Since I've started I will admit I don't stay under my calories eating clean food but my weight has still always dropped as long as I stay under my calories but now it doesn't seem to be the case.

So I started eating clean and staying under my calories. Tuna and other seafood everyday. Under all my goals and get on the scale and I still gain weight. Nothing I do is working and right now I'm still here ready to cut my calories from 1650 that the app has me at now to 800. I absolutely will not go back to 300 pounds no matter what I have to do but I need some advice as to why I'm gaining. No matter what. I typically eat 3500 calories for my cheat days aside from that the only thing that has changed in my life is I went from a job where I stand for 8 to 12 hours to a job where I'm sitting for 11 hours.

Replies

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    edited January 2018
    1600 cals a day? Man a guy your size should not gain any weight on 1600 cals a day. Get your hormones checked asap! Your bmr should be higher than 1600! Are you weighing and measuring everything? Do you track macros? What do you mean by "clean" food? Are you eating high protein? Need more info, even then, I don't know of I can help.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    If you never considered this info when getting started on MFP, it's time. If you did, it's a great reminder:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • FlexJackson
    FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
    By clean food I mean healthy food like seafood and vegetables. Not everyday have I eaten healthy. Sometimes I havent had time and had to eat a chesse burger from Burger King or something but I wotry2 always make sure I stay under my calories goal and my weight would continue to melt off week by week but now it looks like it doesn't work anymore.

    I understand that try2again but that had worked for me for the past year and the weight has continued to fall off me. In fact I can't do it without having a cheat day or atleast a meal. It works for me as a goal I need to get to week after week and it worked for me until I got to 236 when my weight started skyrocketing out of nowhere. I'm also pretty accurate logging although my daily log might not show it because I've become discouraged, I just came off of a 480 day log streak.

  • FlexJackson
    FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
    I'm creating a Calorie deficit of a little over 7 thousand every week before my cheat day so I have more than enough of a deficit to have my cheat days and still drop weight but for the last 2 months it hasn't been working.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Your job is more sedentary now, that will make a huge difference to the amount of calories you are burning. Have you changed your settings here to reflect that?

    If you have been gaining weight it looks like you are eating more than you think :/ and there's nothing wrong with a 'cheat' meal as long as it doesn't wipe out your weeks calorie deficit.
    Tighten the logging, and monitor your weight for another few weeks to see whats what. Sometimes if we're stressed our bodies holds on to water weight.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My guess is that you're eating more than you think, and/or you're not active enough. How do you measure your food?

    In doubt I'd definitely go to the doctor to make sure that everything is fine.
  • FlexJackson
    FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
    W
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Same thing happened to me, FlexJackson. Changed jobs but everything else stayed the same-- same workouts, same food, same sleep. What had always worked before stopped working. Couldn't figure it out. Bought a $11 food scale and started counting calories as accurately as I could. That's when I realized what changed. Like you, I went from being on my feet, in my case traveling several times a week, to a desk job. That was it. I adjusted my calorie intake to account for lower activity, and, honestly, the math worked exactly as expected thereafter.

    Adjust your activity setting and hence calorie goal. Get a food scale. As you get closer to goal, accuracy matters more. Don't worry about "clean eating." Eat what makes you feel good for your new calorie level.
  • FlexJackson
    FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
    Run I have always had my activity level at the lowest possible level because I never viewed standing as real activity. I know for a fact that I'm not eating "more than I think" because I track my calories very strictly, food scale, cup and teaspoon measurements and all so I know for a fact I'm not missing nothing and I'm not going over 1650 calories. Every week I create a deficit a little over 7k and I know for a fact that I'm not eating 7k in a cheat day as I couldn't do that if I tried.

    I have been under alot of stress for the pass 3 months because I've been in a training program for a job that's only paying me 450 dollars training pay when I'm use to 700 so it has been very very stressful surviving but I still make sure I stick to my plan no matter what. Even with the stress I'm under I don't see any reason for the skyrocket in my weight because I'm still continuing to eat 1650 calories a day.

    I appreciate the advice psychod but I've been trying to lose weight all my life and this Calorie counting method is the only thing that has worked for me because it gives me one number to stay under and its easy for me to count it.

    The next 2 weeks I won't have a cheat meal. If my weight still goes up im cutting my calories to 1000 a day. I really don't care how unhealthy that would be because under know circumstances will I go back to my old body. I worked to hard to make it to 236 and finally look in the mirror and say to myself, I look good and finally for the first time in my life be happy in my own skin, I won't have it taken away from me.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    FlexJackson wrote: »
    The next 2 weeks I won't have a cheat meal. If my weight still goes up im cutting my calories to 1000 a day. I really don't care how unhealthy that would be because under know circumstances will I go back to my old body. I worked to hard to make it to 236 and finally look in the mirror and say to myself, I look good and finally for the first time in my life be happy in my own skin, I won't have it taken away from me.

    If you eliminate your cheat meal and don't lose for 2 weeks, please check in with your doctor before doing anything drastic. The minimum requirement for a man to get adequate nutrition is 1500 calories. You may not want to go back to your old body, but you wouldn't want the one you'd end up with on 1000 calories either.

    OP, how tall are you? Define "pretty accurate logging"- does it involve measuring cups or eyeballing? If so, I guarantee you it's not accurate. Many people can lose a substantial amount of weight with these techniques, but as a previous poster mentioned, as your weight goes down (and as your activity level goes down), you have a lot less room for error. Did you watch the video in the link I posted about the difference between estimating portions and weighing them? Don't discount the stress, either.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    I would suggest you add back some activity. You might even consider lifting to build some muscle. I have lost 105 pounds and my maintenance calories are about 1350. I should be around 1550. I think the reason why is I lost some muscle when I lost the weight. I walk daily but have not had any other physical activity as my job is sedentary too. I have to start lifting to build muscle.

    Don't go to 800 calories because you will eventually give up and then the regain will be out of control. You have lots of time now to get things back down. Changing your activity level is huge. The other thing is you must weigh and measure and log absolutely everything. Believe me it really makes a difference. Quit the cheat day. If you must have a day at maintenance once every couple of weeks.

    Good luck.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    cheryldumais wrote: »
    I would suggest you add back some activity. You might even consider lifting to build some muscle. I have lost 105 pounds and my maintenance calories are about 1350. I should be around 1550. I think the reason why is I lost some muscle when I lost the weight. I walk daily but have not had any other physical activity as my job is sedentary too. I have to start lifting to build muscle.

    Don't go to 800 calories because you will eventually give up and then the regain will be out of control. You have lots of time now to get things back down. Changing your activity level is huge. The other thing is you must weigh and measure and log absolutely everything. Believe me it really makes a difference. Quit the cheat day. If you must have a day at maintenance once every couple of weeks.

    Good luck.

    Remember, metabolic adaptation does happen. About a 100 to 150 cal difference from some one always your size.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    edited January 2018
    Everyone is different, but usually when I feel hungrier than usual, I switch to eating more volume-friendly foods like vegetables which can fill you up, but are not calorically dense at all. This lets me keep my calories in check while still feeling full. When i'm no longer feeling quite so hungry, I go back to more typical eating patterns.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Well, going from an armed security guard to a truck driver is a huge change in activity level! Don't be drastic about lowering calories and just keep logging accurately and give your body and mind time to adjust.

    At first, weight drops quickly, but as you reach a lower weight it's a much slower process. You have to adjust your calorie intake as your weight drops, but you do NOT need to go as low as you keep mentioning.

    Do you use an actual food scale? I know you mentioned cups and spoons. Is your food diary open for us to look at?

    Also, there have been other truck drivers on this site that I recall, so maybe try a search and see if you can get help and suggestions from those who have been on the road and trying to lose or maintain weight.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Being on the road a lot is really tough for logging food accurately, even when you're as faithful about your logging as you possibly can be. Are you having to eat in restaurants more often than you used to? Restaurant food is really tough to log accurately, no matter how hard we try. They often add more oil, butter, sugar, etc. than we would at home, and we just don't have a good way to know how many calories are really in that food. Restaurant food may also have more salt than we use at home, which can cause water weight fluctuation if it's different from how you usually eat.

    And, if you're no longer exercising as much as you used to, then your body will likely replenish glycogen stores that were depleted from frequent exercise--which will lead to a little upward movement on the scale.

    If none of the advice folks have given you seems to fit your situation, then definitely make an appointment with your doctor. Rapid weight gain when you have every reason to believe you're in a caloric deficit is worth talking to a medical professional about. Please don't drop below 1500 calories; you'll put yourself at risk of becoming malnourished, and you may lose muscle mass, which is probably not the result you want.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    I just wanted to mention one more thought on the topic of logging. Sometimes we *account* for everything, but there are a lot of bogus database entries on MFP. I once saw a KFC fried chicken breast listed as 150 calories (hint- not even close ;) ). Also, if a person has lasagna that was made at home, you can't just log "homemade lasagna" and use whatever comes up- it has to be based on the specific ingredients/quantities you used, which involves using the recipe builder and calculating portion sizes. So especially now, if you are on the road and eating out a lot, this could be a factor. Just to be clear- no one's accusing you of dishonesty or anything like that. Accuracy is an ongoing challenge for everyone. :) Please keep us updated on your progress.
  • FlexJackson
    FlexJackson Posts: 19 Member
    BZH10 - Its not like I've just started this. I've been doing it for a year and change and following the app ice been dropping weight like clocks work and as I've dropped more and more weight the app as cut my calories accordingly. Right now I'm at the calories intake for the lowest level of activity which is 1650 and I have been hitting that goal everyday so my body shouldn't be holding on to weight adjusting for nothing when I'm at a 7 thousand calorie deficit at the end of the week and yes I use a food scale and my diary is on whatever the default is, I haven't made it closed to the public so it should be open.

    Apullum - No I don't go to restaurants alot I only go on Saturdays. During the week I have a my fridge fully stocked with healthy food for the week and again I stay under my calorie goal. If I run out of food before I can go home and restock at a Walmart I often eat the tuna sandwich out of subway, if one of those are not around I might have to eat something out a Mc Donalds either way no matter what at the end of the day I'm under my calorie goal no matter what. There plenty of healthy options for use truck drivers on the road, those who says there isn't are just making excuses.

  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    You also said that you are currently under a lot of stress. That makes a difference in being able to lose weight. You may be sleeping less, which can also affect weight loss. Increasing your exercise will help both your stress levels and sleeping, plus you'll burn calories and build muscle. When you take a driving break, go for a brisk walk. Even 10-15 minutes can help.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    You mention a food scale, but use also cups and spoons a lot.

    Have you seen this? Just posting it in case you haven't, and for the lurkers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY


    Also, have you adjusted your current weight in your MFP goals section since losing weight?

    Now that you're thinner, your daily calorie limit should be smaller than when you began. You should readjust that setting every 10-20 lbs you lose.

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    No advice, just wanted to say that I'm rooting for you. You're determined and you are going to win this one, even if there are some bumps along the way!

    Well, maybe a little advice - I think your idea of doing a short routine every time you go for a stop is a good one. Frequent short sessions of high intensity exercise will get your heart rate up and might help combat your more sedentary job.
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    These are such great suggestions and perfect timing for me so thanks everyone!
  • alicebhsia
    alicebhsia Posts: 178 Member
    are you eating a lot of salt? it could possibly be water retention/bloating. in any case have you had your yearly physical yet? if not might be a good time to get it.
  • chelliz88
    chelliz88 Posts: 62 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Your job is more sedentary now, that will make a huge difference to the amount of calories you are burning. Have you changed your settings here to reflect that?

    If you have been gaining weight it looks like you are eating more than you think :/ and there's nothing wrong with a 'cheat' meal as long as it doesn't wipe out your weeks calorie deficit.
    Tighten the logging, and monitor your weight for another few weeks to see whats what. Sometimes if we're stressed our bodies holds on to water weight.

    That's exactly what I was going to ask.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    beaglebrandon wrote: »
    FlexJackson wrote: »
    If I run out of food before I can go home and restock at a Walmart I often eat the tuna sandwich out of subway, if one of those are not around I might have to eat something out a Mc Donalds either way no matter what at the end of the day I'm under my calorie goal no matter what.

    Make sure you're reading the fast food menu calorie counts correctly.

    For example, Subway's Tuna sandwich is 470 calories for a 6" sandwich. That's on their lowest calorie bread, without cheese or any condiments. Simply put it on a wheat roll, add cheese and mayonnaise, you're up to 630 calories. Maybe they put a little too much mayonnaise on (or tuna w/mayonnaise), you could be almost 800 calories.

    Make sure you know what the calorie counts actually mean when they write them up there. We have an ice cream restaurant around us that shows calorie counts for ice cream, shakes, etc. - but the calorie counts are like '120 calories' for a cone. This is the baby 5 oz. cone only. This is not listed on the ordering menu, only on the printed menu in small print. The other cones start at 12oz.

    So, the cones you'd buy are actually 300-800 calories depending on small/medium/large. I see many people seeing the '120 calories', assume that means small, and large would maybe be twice as much. They think a large is like 250 calories when it's really 800.

    I always try and give myself a 15-20% overage when eating out, even with listed calories!

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