I am gaining and would like some opinions

I was just wondering who else has had this happen (if anyone has!)


I was increasing my calories up to maintenance.  It has been tough because all of the calculators I use say I burn 2300-2800 calories..but I just can't believe that!  I get from 1800-2300 calories a day and would have trouble getting much more than that.


Here's my deal though...I used to be on a very restrictive diet (less than 800 a day and that was a LONG time ago!) and I was very active during that time too.  Many people told me I was in starvation mode and needed to increase my calories.  I did.. up to 1700-1800 a day and I actually lost a couple pounds.  I have made another jump up to 2000-2200 a day, for the most part, and have gained 5 lbs.  NORMALLY I don't let this get to me, but these 5 lbs have not gone away!  I've had them for days now and from my past experiences, if those pounds were not real they would have dropped off by now.  Plus, I can see it and feel it in my face (that's where it stores generally...I have ALWAYS had a chubby face =P) and my belly.



So I guess I was just wondering, is it possible that my body was STILL in starvation mode even at the 1700-1800 a day?  Or is it that my real maintenance is 1700-1800?

I'm 17 (18 in 2 months!) 5'4", and 118 lbs.  I know it's a healthy weight, I'm not too worried about that.  I'm just wondering WHY I would be gaining when I'm supposedly still eating less than maintenance.  I workout 5-6 days a week doing anywhere from 1-2 hours and burning anywhere from 300-600 calories.  I think I'm fairly muscular so I would think my metabolism would be a little faster too.  And I know I didn't put on 5 lbs of muscle in a couple days too.


Sorry about the length of this but you gotta be thorough ;P

Thank you much!

If you want a safe & accurate opinion I would suggest seeing a registered dietitian.

My Doctor refered me to one and to help maintain my weight (I am currently 118-120lbs, 5'7" and 27yrs old) and with going to the gym for 1-2 hours daily, she recommended I eat around 1400 cals per day. 1500-1600 on days when I exercise 2 hours or more. You are also younger and probably require more so keep that in mind.

Also Keeping in mind -this is with a balanced meal and regular exercise.

Please remeber women are to eat NO LESS than 1200 cals a day. I was also eating 800-900 daily and was told that is dangerous and you can damage your body beyond repair.

Men should eat no less than 1500 cals a day.

Also remember that regular exercise is a must if you want to loose or even maintain weight.

Also very important-your body will vary in weight daily so don't rely too much on your scale, go by how your clothes fit!!!!!! I gainned 5 lbs in one day and 2 days later I lost 6, it was water retention or something and it happends so never depend on any scale for an accurate reading. Any Dr or dietitian will tell you that. Always go by how your clothes fit.

Its also important to remember to watch what types of food your eating, just because your keeping cals down you may be eating too many carbs or fats, etc.

This is why I say seeing a dietian is best, they can tell you exactly what you should be eating and how much to be healthy.

You are also growing right now too so remember your body is maturing and you WILL gain weight!! Adults bodys get bigger, you cant stop it and by 22-23 yrs old you will never weigh the same as you did when you were 15-16 yrs old. You can't change this, it is how the human body works.

And if you are working out you will also weigh more but as you said that is muscle and doesnt count as pounds, and if your working out lots you may gain weight that quickly. As I said, DO NOT go by your scale!! Go by how your clothes fit. If you are working out and still find your pants are still getting tighter then it could be a tyhroid thing and Doctors have medications for this so you would just see your Doctor. My friend gainned 50lbs because her tyhroid wasnt working properly and since going on medication she is back to her normal health weight. A Doctor must diagnose this condition.

Hope that helps!

Hi thanks for your response.  I have had my thryoid checked so I don't think that's it..but then again I had it checked over a year ago.  How fast can you develop a thyroid condition?

Also, how did the dietitian determine your calorie intake?  At your age, weight, height, and activity level, 1400 cals seems very low...

I've also been thinking..is it possible it is water retention?  Or at least most of it?  I know my muscles have been sore and I've been lifting weights lately and haven't had my protein shakes after so my muscles probably haven't been recovering fast/properly...just a thought!  But again, I would have thought it would have dropped off by now if it were.

Original Post by deflepfan16:

Also, how did the dietitian determine your calorie intake?  At your age, weight, height, and activity level, 1400 cals seems very low...

 

i hope someone can help you out deflepfan but i must agree with you - 1400 for mjay is extremely low! women should need around 1800-2000 AT LEAST - more if more active..!?

I would love to know what kind of excercising you can do for 2 hours and only burn 100-600 calories.  I'm used to seeing 800-1200 per hour.  If I run 13.1 miles in two hours, that's 1900-2100 calories.

 

It's weights and circuit training and such.  It gets your heart rate up but not too much.  If I do cardio-kickboxing I can burn about 300 per hour...so yeah I guess that still falls in with burning about 600 every 2 hours haha

I wear a Polar HRM but I don't know how well it works..the strap is a little too big but they didn't give me a choice of a size.

But still I'm gaining and it still hasn't gone away.  It's real weight gain, I'm afraid =(

Deflepfan, sorry I have no advice about the weight thing but it sounds like a normal fluctuation. Could be sodium, stress, PMS, water, or just your body developing. You can get a small chest strap from Polar (or Polar retail dealers) for about $50. Another option is to fold the strap over on itself and sew it to make it an inch or two shorter.

daddyjaxx, calorie burn is proportional to size. A 300 lb person will burn a lot more calories walking an hour than a 125 lb woman walking an hour at the same speed.

Plus, I can see it and feel it in my face (that's where it stores generally...I have ALWAYS had a chubby face =P) and my belly.

 

You'll probably lose the weight in your face as you get older. I had a chubby face all through high school (I'm 23 now) even though I was a healthy weight. By the start of my junior year in college, my face had completely thinned out. (My belly, on the other hand, is a different story.)

Just wanted to throw that out there!

Thanks guys..

Sadly the weight STILL hasn't dropped...it's gone up more. 

Stress can really cause weight gain even if you don't eat too many calories?  Or does it cause something else that makes you gain weight that isn't real fat gain?  I have been SO stressed at work lately...so that could be it. It has also screwed up my eating patterns even more because they have me work long shifts and I never get my break (can you say ILLEGAL?! haha) and so when I come home I definitely overeat.  I'm going to try and change that today but I'll see how it goes.

Yesterday I ate a ton of sodium but, again, I have been like this for a week or so now (if not more) so that's not it.  And it's not that time of the month...but this is one of those rare cases I almost wish it was! haha