AIBU to wonder why I gained the weight?

[Nicebucket]

I struggled with weight issues in my teens and early twenties- never obese, but I was around a size twelve and looked chubby.

Then I started losing the puppy fat- I also started to clean up my diet and became more active. Lost loads of weight and was down to a size 6.

Thinnest I'd ever been and I was thrilled!

But in the last year, the weight has slowly been creeping back on... I've gained around 5-7 kilos and I'm a size 8-10.

I'm still eating healthy. I'm still as active. I've literally changed nothing!

Why has the weight come back [weight] I could blame some fluid retention on the pill, but I'd begun gaining weight before I started the pill.

Any idea what on earth it could be if I haven't changed diet or exercise regime?

OP not eating when you're hungry and being irritable sounds completely miserable.
Your actual size and weight are a red herring, I think you have bigger issues. Why not see your doc?

True lacerbiatta but also people perception of what is "overweight" is becoming very badly warped!

I have been a size 6. I'm 5, 1 i weighed 7 stone 2. I was not healthly. I has no meat just bones. Stick legs and arms. A size 8-10 is prefectly healthly. Sometimes naturally we fall at a certain weight especially as we get older, have kids and so forth. It sounds like you have issues from being a bigger size before.

I don't think I am overweight.

I just don't understand why the extra weight is there and I am definitely not as skinny as I want to be

I think we are the same height (about 160cm?), anything from 48kg up to almost around 60kg is supposedly healthy for me

You can just tone up then rather than lose weight. Do stomach exercises to increase muscle tone.

I used to be exactly 48 kilos. I have never looked better than I did then.

Stop the pill, it will all go, it alters your metabolism.

Don't just stop the pill. I assume you are on it for a reason. Go talk to your doctor.

There is far more to this. The pill does not make you gain weight. It makes hungrier. You don't have to starve yourself just eat wisely.

If the pill has made you put weight on, you are eating more.

It's the Pill.

I was a size 8 when I went on it. I ballooned to a size 16. Came off it and am now much smaller.

I really would stop taking it!

As for alcohol your colleagues don't have to know what's in your glass.

I tend to have sparking mineral water + pineapple juice in pubs as the non-alcohol drinks are poor.

this is probably a body recomposition thing rather than a weight thing eg I look nicer (to me) with a fairly low body fat percentage almost regardless of my weight (although am a bit neurotic about keeping that low)

have never done crunches or specific stomach exercises in my life but have good visible abs (prob just from lifestyle of lots of walking, horse riding, mucking out, running)

Sounds like you just need to tone up to get rid of the belly.

I'm 5ft 3" and a size 8.

If I don't keep up the exercise on my stomach muscles, out pops a muffin top.

I doubt it's the occasional alcoholic drink that would cause such a weight gain.
I would say it was definitely the pill. From my own experience it made the difference of over a stone weight gain. Came straight off when I stopped. And I agree that your metabolism does change as you age. Most people find it harder to keep weight off as they move out of their 20s.

I'm in a fairly similar position and 27.

Partly age related; I've had to accept that I will never be a size 4 again because I'm not 15.

Off to the gym now...

I still genuinely believe you also need to look at why you want to be "skinny." I have just put your height and weight that you have mentioned above into a bmi calculator.... You are barely in the normal range. I'm worried you don't see yourself in a realistic light.

I was going to come on this thread and be all supportive of you being a size 6 due to your height.

Then you posted this:
I used to be exactly 48 kilos. I have never looked better than I did then.

At 5' 3" this would give you a bmi of 18.6. 18.5 or under is considered underweight.

You have room to put on 5 or 6kg would still put you at a bmi of 20.5.

You might not be as thin as you were, but I do think you need to consider what your perceptions of yourself are in this and what you perceive to look good.

Even with a petite and light frame, you are still not carrying extra weight. Its worth pointing out that a bmi of under 20 is considered to be a problem when trying to conceive which suggests something in itself even if you aren't a huge believer in the merits of bmi of being that reflective of a healthy weight.

You are possibly actually healthier now than you were previously.

I don't think you have an issue unless you continue to gain weight. I would say you probably have merely achieved a stable healthy weight now rather than having put on excessive weight.

At 5' 3" this would give you a bmi of 18.6. 18.5 or under is considered underweight

In other words a perfectly healthy weight for her height.

Barely yseulte. To naturally have a low bmi is one thing, but to be anxious and starving yourself to get down that low is worrying imo.

You will be somehow putting in more calories than you are burning off, it is very very rare occurance when the in/out calculation does not apply.

Another few pounds off and you will have an anorexic bmi, is that what you want? (Actual question, I'd love a bmi below 17.5 but I can't be doing with controlling my life/emotion's using food).

Yes it is regarded a healthy weight.

What is unhealthy is obsessed over not being that weight, when you are still a healthy weight.

You need to be comfortable that you are within your own normal range of healthy weight. As in, you shouldn't worry too much if you go up and down within a certain degree. Our bodies naturally vary a certain amount.

The OP is certainly within that small range and its not helpful to focus on a target magical weight too much.

I'm tempted to stop the pill because I don't feel great being on it anyway:

But I started it for painful periods and acne. The periods are less painful, but the acne is still there.

And given that I had definitely started to gain weight before starting the pill, I'm not sure what to do.

The pill has made it worse, but can't say it's the cause

OP get yourself a Mirena coil for the periods, I know lots of people have a bad time on it but it has been a godsend for me. Might work for you?

Teat1me I think you are probably right that not a healthy weight for all people but I've never calorie counted or dieted one jot and have always been very healthy thus far. I'm just naturally slim and never change weight, unusual I appreciate.

Alice my BMI is 17.5 which is crap but I'm neither anorexic nor unhealthy and have given birth to 3 healthy children, run, cycle, walk, do yoga etc. Rarely ill. Being tiny doesn't have to mean unhealthy although I can see that the OP is trying to be this weight whereas I just am (and don't necessarily like how it looks if I'm honest but I feel fine).

Not barely, healthy range full stop.

The average BMI of British women is the second highest in Europe.

French, Italian and Swiss women have much lower average BMIs and less obesity. The average British woman is fatter, so what's considered 'normal' is heavier.

If you dont feel great, and it's not affecting your acne there's not a lot of point in taking it.

I got rid of cystic acne by cutting out dairy and sugar, but dietary route doesn't work for everyone. (Turned out in the long run I have PCOS).

Have you considered seeing a dermatologist and taking antibiotics?