Plateau / Gaining Weight...Any help or advice?

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jp8810
jp8810 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Started off around 225 lbs and got down as low as 160. Did it by running 4 miles a day (well started off running 1.5 and walking 1.5; then added another 1 mile run after the walk, and now just running 4 miles straight). Also made the mistake of severely restricting my calories -- to the tune of about 700-1000 (at most) per day (been that way since January). Now as a 6'2" male, I realize that is too little and some of the damage may have been done already.

I had lost weight at a pretty constant rate up until a couple weeks ago, when I hit 160 and pretty much have stagnated around that point. That's when i went from around 700 to around 1000 calories a day and then I had a realization -- I really had dropped too much, too fast.

So this week I started shooting for a target of around 1,750 calories a day, with the running, and I've put on three pounds since just Sunday. Now, I realize that I'm likely to put on weight until my metabolism adjusts to the increase in calories and I start to put back some of the muscle that has atrophied, but it is still incredibly frustrating to watch what you eat so heavily, put in the effort to exercise, and then put on pounds. I have difficulty believing that it could possibly be fat that I'm putting on as I'm pretty certain I'm running a calorie deficit still.

Anyway, to give an idea, I'm still doing the 4 miles a day run in addition to push-ups/sit-ups/ab workout. For food, I pretty much eat the same thing every day - start out with greek yogurt and granola at 180 calories for breakfast, at 10 am, i'll have 160 calories worth of almonds, i'll break up lunch into 200 calories worth of granola at 1 pm and again at 4 pm, and then for dinner, I'll do a burrito bowl from chipotle with brown rice, veggies, black beans, guac, salsa (they estimate around 700 calories, but with the way they overfill, i wouldn't be shocked if it is a little higher than they claim).

So I guess what I'm asking, is is this weight gain short term, should I eat more, if I should, should I give myself time to adjust to this first?

Any help would greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • rsj206
    rsj206 Posts: 36 Member
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    Hopefully some people with formal nutrition education (aka real credibility) will reply to you, but based on my readings and experience, you are eating WAAAAY too little for sustained healthy weight loss, even after upping your calories. Assuming you burn around 480-500 calories running four miles, your net calories are 1250-1270! That's what a tiny 5'0 woman should be aiming for! No wonder you put on some weight, your body's been starving.

    Again, not formally trained in any way, but I'd recommend upping your calories to closer to 2500, adding in a lot more protein, and cutting back on the running in exchange for resistance training. Throw some fruit in there too.

    Good luck!
  • jp8810
    jp8810 Posts: 5
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    Hopefully some people with formal nutrition education (aka real credibility) will reply to you, but based on my readings and experience, you are eating WAAAAY too little for sustained healthy weight loss, even after upping your calories. Assuming you burn around 480-500 calories running four miles, your net calories are 1250-1270! That's what a tiny 5'0 woman should be aiming for! No wonder you put on some weight, your body's been starving.

    Again, not formally trained in any way, but I'd recommend upping your calories to closer to 2500, adding in a lot more protein, and cutting back on the running in exchange for resistance training. Throw some fruit in there too.

    Good luck!

    Appreciate the advice! I'm thinking that's likely what I need to do as well, but to be honestly, I'm avoiding the shock that will come as a result of hitting the scale after so long with the reduced calories. That's why I'm hoping I can go at it in stages and gradually increase my consumption until I get to that point and not blow up all at once. (Not that it is really a good excuse, but it is what it is).

    I suppose what would be helpful is that I'm about to get my health insurance back (within the next couple days), so I'll have the opportunity to discuss with a doctor here soon. Maybe if I have a few people beat it into my skull I'll be less resistant.
  • Drastiic
    Drastiic Posts: 322 Member
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    I had lost weight at a pretty constant rate up until a couple weeks ago, when I hit 160 and pretty much have stagnated around that point. That's when i went from around 700 to around 1000 calories a day and then I had a realization -- I really had dropped too much, too fast.

    In terms of pounds per week, at what rate were losing?

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/muscle-loss-while-dieting-to-single-digit-body-fat-levels-qa.html
  • jp8810
    jp8810 Posts: 5
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    In terms of pounds per week, at what rate were losing?

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/muscle-loss-while-dieting-to-single-digit-body-fat-levels-qa.html

    About 4 pounds per week.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Go look at fat2fitradio.com.....
    You are starving yourself and messing up your metabolism for life - I'm female, weighs 176lbs, 5'8 and eat between 1800 and 2100 per week....And i have only about 15 lbs to lose...
    Please don't go on this way - it is BAD for you....
    And without trying to be snarky - how much lean muscle do you have left?
  • jplucheck
    jplucheck Posts: 275 Member
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    I would slowly starting adding those calories, your body will adjust over time but most people tend to see the scale go up before back down while stabilizing. Also watch your sodium (the burritos bowls are salty!!!lol)

    Personally I have not lost any lbs for almost 2 months, but my body fat % and clothing sizes keep dropping! Try not to get so worked up over the scale, if those numbers aren't exciting you start measuring!!
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Started off around 225 lbs and got down as low as 160. Did it by running 4 miles a day (well started off running 1.5 and walking 1.5; then added another 1 mile run after the walk, and now just running 4 miles straight). Also made the mistake of severely restricting my calories -- to the tune of about 700-1000 (at most) per day (been that way since January). Now as a 6'2" male, I realize that is too little and some of the damage may have been done already.

    I had lost weight at a pretty constant rate up until a couple weeks ago, when I hit 160 and pretty much have stagnated around that point. That's when i went from around 700 to around 1000 calories a day and then I had a realization -- I really had dropped too much, too fast.

    So this week I started shooting for a target of around 1,750 calories a day, with the running, and I've put on three pounds since just Sunday. Now, I realize that I'm likely to put on weight until my metabolism adjusts to the increase in calories and I start to put back some of the muscle that has atrophied, but it is still incredibly frustrating to watch what you eat so heavily, put in the effort to exercise, and then put on pounds. I have difficulty believing that it could possibly be fat that I'm putting on as I'm pretty certain I'm running a calorie deficit still.

    Anyway, to give an idea, I'm still doing the 4 miles a day run in addition to push-ups/sit-ups/ab workout. For food, I pretty much eat the same thing every day - start out with greek yogurt and granola at 180 calories for breakfast, at 10 am, i'll have 160 calories worth of almonds, i'll break up lunch into 200 calories worth of granola at 1 pm and again at 4 pm, and then for dinner, I'll do a burrito bowl from chipotle with brown rice, veggies, black beans, guac, salsa (they estimate around 700 calories, but with the way they overfill, i wouldn't be shocked if it is a little higher than they claim).

    So I guess what I'm asking, is is this weight gain short term, should I eat more, if I should, should I give myself time to adjust to this first?

    Any help would greatly appreciated!

    The increased weight is water weight as you have replenished your glycogen stores. Just have a little patience and it will come off. It is probably worse as you went up so much in one big jump instead of doing it gradually.

    http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Stick to what you were originally doing. Do not cut your calories. I just got off a 7 week plateau that was maddening but my Dr. told me to stick to plan and it would break and it did. Your body sometimes just needs to stop losing and get used to your new weight. For some people that means an extended plateau for others little to none.

    Here are a few sites that I referenced:
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-move-beyond-a-weight-loss-plateau
    http://www.oprah.com/health/Weight-Loss-Advice-Fitness-Plateau-Dr-Katz

    If you don't do strength training you can try adding that. Muscle will burn more calories than fat so if you add muscle then that will benefit you.

    Don't give up. Stay on plan it will break.

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