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?

I have always been slim (5"4, 55kg) but whenever I've lost enough weight to become very skinny, or gained weight and gone up to around 60kg, it never lasts for more than a few months. I am now absolutely convinced my body knows roughly what weight it wants to be, and works its way back to that point. Fighting against it seems futile.

Exercise could help you to firm up the areas you're unhappy with and dropping the pill may help. Beyond that, the only way to stay 5-7 kilos below your 'natural weight' would probably be to starve yourself for the rest of life - not worth it, surely?

I'm 5ft 8in and when I'm size 8-10 I still have disproportionately large thighs - it's just their shape - I get thigh rub with a BMI of 19! I am an hourglass so unless I'm very underweight I'll always look curvy! This was a bit of a shock for me when I reached my goal weight.

I think it's probably the pill OP. No one has mentioned vanity sizing - size 8/10 is slim but it's not skinny....it used to be. And this thread is not about achieving a healthy weight according to BMI, it's about the OP wanting to look good - the two things are not the same. My personal trainer is obese according to BMI and he's in fantastic shape.

I am hungry all the time. But I don't eat, so I'm constantly distracted and irritable. I can't focus on work

This is not good. Nice bucket - do you have a history of eating disorders ?

Why are you hungry all the time - are you eating a heathy diet ?

As a few people have said it's pointless talking about clothes sizes when it comes to weight.
A size 6-8 today is the same as as size 12 was 20 years ago.
I am a size 8. I weigh 8.5 stone ( I am 5ft 7) I have been this weight since I was 15 ( now in my 40's)
If I buy a dress today it is always a size 8. When I bought dresses 20 years ago they were a 12.
I still have some of them ( sad I know) the measurements of the 12 are the same as an 8.
I did go down to 7.7 when I got married (stress) 23 years ago. My wedding dress was a size 12.
My daughter who is a size 10 now, can't get the dress on.

I think we can only look in the mirror & if we look a bit heavy, then we probably are.

"No one has mentioned vanity sizing - size 8/10 is slim but it's not skinny....it used to be."

Loads of us have mentioned vanity sizing Higge. I mentioned, for example, that a 10 in Next is really a 14 so not slim at all.

Apologises - skim read and didn't see much mention of vanity sizing.

I'm still a size 6 in Next if that helps. When I was skinny, everything at Next was too big.

I'm an HnM size 8. Zara- small/ can still still fit into XS, but it looks tight.

Anyway, I don't have an eating disorder and my diet has always been pretty healthy. I only eat Wholewheat carbs and always get my five a day.

Despite that, the pill has increased my appetite massively. I realise it's not good to deny yourself, but I can't allow myself to eat constantly either

Karen Millen is another story- even her size 12 is probably for skinny people. I used to be a Karen Millen 6 too.

Anyway, I can't afford those dresses so it's a moot point

You mention anxiety in your posts OP.
When I started suffering from anxiety and panic attacks I piled on weight around my stomach with no change in diet or exercise. I've since learned that in periods of anxiety your body is flooded with Cortisol which causes weight gain around the stomach and middle. There's alot of info about this online, it could be a factor, it definitely was with me.

For some things, I'm a ZARA medium, and HnM 10- but that's only because of my tummy, I get conscious anything is clingy, so I go up a size

I had a GP appointment today and it turns out I weigh more than I thought 😥

I'm 160 cms tall and 57 kilos. They said I was still a perfectly healthy BMI and there's no health recommendation for me to lose weight.

But honestly, 48 to 57 is almost 10 kilos. It's horrendous.

Hi Nicebucket, I am a nutrition advisor and weight management coach, I hope you don't mind me trying to help you.

Reasons for the weight gain will be all natural reasons and an effect of being on so many diets, especially low calorie diets or ones that cut out entire food groups. Craving food/binging/regaining lost weight is a direct consequence of that, as is "slight overeating". No one can maintain a calorie deficit forever. Also the negative mental attitude towards how you feel will directly lead to hormone disruption putting your cortisol levels right up, meaning you are constantly in fat storage mode, rather than fat burning mode!

It is all too easy to blame the contraception, but this is unlikely to be the biggest contributor.

What you should be doing is eating a whole foods diet (if you are veggie/vegan, that is also doable), getting short bursts of regular exercise and RELAXING. Listen to your body. Currently it is eating back all the lost calories that you deprived it of on all the diets. What you need to do now is EAT more good food to tell it that it doesn't need to store more than it needs. Eat good fats to tell it it doesn't need to hold on to fat (avocado, eggs, nuts, coconut oil...and lots more). Eat slightly less fructose from fruit (I am NOT saying eat no fruit, just be aware of the high fructose level which shoots up your sugar levels and causes a big release of insulin which is a fat storage hormone to cope with the sugar in your system). Eat loads of fibre, especially from leafy greens.

The NHS/GP will use the BMI calculator which is not a good marker, neither is the EatWell plate, but that is a whole other rant.

Good luck

"But honestly, 48 to 57 is almost 10 kilos. It's horrendous."

I presume you had winter clothes on while being weighed at your GP's and maybe you were naked or lightly dressed at home. Shouldn't take you that long to lose those 10kg though. I'm about the same weight and height, maybe a bit more weight and I'd also like to lose weight even though I'm not medically overweight. The thing with me though is that my waist is 31.5 inches which is the medically advised maximum even being a healthy weight.

Runner- thanks so much! I really appreciate the advice, I'm so glad you posted.

Just to clarify though, I've gained the weight over a period of around 8-10 months. And I definitely haven't been on a diet throughout that time.

I am generally a healthy eater, I don't eat junk.

I was mostly eating what I did when I was skinny throughout the time that I was on the diet.

Ugh, meant to say I was mostly eating what I did when I was skinny.

It is quite complex, we all have fluctuations and really you probably need to make some minor tweaks to see the gains stop or slow down. "Skinny" is never good, if you mean you had a super low body fat % then you will definitely be in re-bound mode now, you are are the right age for your body wanting to have babies too, even if you already have children, and we need body fat to have babies safely.

The other thing you could do is take up weight training, not just loads of cardio. If you can get some resistance work done once or twice per week your body shape will change beautifully and you will burn some fat even when sleeping. Muscle is good (not bulk), it helps your stubborn fat to vanish.

I don't have children yet, not really planning to have them either.

But this is all great stuff Runner

I've been unwell lately, but as soon as I am on the rebound, I will 100% look into weight training.

I train with weights but they aren't a magical answer.

You need to make sure you eat enough to build muscle but not to much that you don't lose weight.

But weights are good for weight loss if you can get the calorie balance right.

Try starting with body weight exercises if weights seems a bit daunting. There are loads of videos on YouTube.

I have lost more fat by mixing up weights, cardio and body weight exercise. My body weight exercise is done during my kickboxing training. So I get my cardio and some muscle building in one session.

Again it's about finding what works for you. I adore kickboxing and could do it everyday. I enjoy weights but got bored doing them 5 days a week.

" I enjoy weights"

How can anyone enjoy lifting something and putting it down again?

My dd is nearly your age and is your height.She is a size 8. She looks fab. She is never hungry as she eats lots but healthy stuff. I think you have a bad picture of yourself and also it's not worth being totally skinny if you are hungry. My dd walks every where and runs a bit but nothing extraordinary. What condition is your hair in? Do you feel tired? A sudden weight gain is unusual but please don't think 8 is fat.

It's weird but lifting weights and achieving more every week is very satisfying. Every exercise is about lifting stuff - when you run you just lift your legs and arms with no added weight...it's the thing that keeps us living.

I would say that your body has gone in to survival mode and is saving any fat/calories it can. This happened to me after I got 3 stone off. I ate less and less and still put on 5lbs in a week. I took a 2 week break, began again and the weight came off again.

Additionally, you need some muscle to maintain a loss - the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while resting. It does the work for you. As someone upthread said, over time even small amounts of any extra calories per day build up. Having the muscle means you need more calories just to be awake.

This is why I cannot maintain a loss. Most women need 1200 cals per day to lose weight. Because I am so lazy and have A LOT of fat, I need around 800 to continually lose and its just not healthy or manageable. My goal this year is to be more active and build more muscle so that all my calorie deficit doesn't need to come from diet.

Ah, Runner has put it better than me!

+1 on what runner said. Great advice!

It sounds to me like your body doesn't like being size 6 - pretty much no ones does! Size 8-10 is thin an dprobably much more healthy. Underweight = bone damage, risky fertility etc etc. Why don't you see your Gp to discuss - i expect they can help you decide if there are sny psychological issues creeping in. If so, best tackle them early and help yourself feel comfortable again!