I'm gaining weight on a diet?

[Tigerbus]

Despite eating a better diet and moving more than I did 3-5 years ago I'm gaining weight?!

I'm about 5'6 and weighed nearly 9 stone 3 -5 years ago. Rarely did any exercise except for walking to and from the car to work in an office.

Food was cereal for breakfast, snack of cake or biscuit followed by lunch of a sandwich and fruit before having something along the lines of spag bowl for dinner.

I drank at the weekend once or twice a month. Would happily tuck into fast food twice a month, I might go swimming twice in a year, but other than that - very little movement. I would drink fruit juice and coffee throughout the week.

Compare to now, I'm over 10 stone! Ive now changed to eggs in the morning with real butter and tomatoes. Rarely have time for a snack but if so it's kifur yoghurt and organic fruit. I might have a boiled egg, some cheese slices or chicken or beef slice for lunch which is all organic, free range and grass fed. Dinner is usually steak or lamb but always organic and grass-fed with a glass of milk or two throughout the day. I don't eat any pasta, rice etc, have bread on the rare occasion and potatoes even more rarely.

I power walk most days to town and am always on the go around my home and garden. I have an exercise bike which I'll use for about 10 minutes most days.

I have a huge belly on me, no longer fit into my size 12s without looking like I'm 5 months pregnant. My portion sizes are small too. I am always on the move yet here I am, with a fat-soluable vitamin diet, reduced processed food and grossly overweight.

Abi to think, I'm doing the better than 3-5 years go but getting terrible results?

You sound bloated. Maybe you're eating things that don't agree with you?

Everyone makes good points, just another angle.. the belly looking pregnant stood out to me. Could you have a fibroid? I am in my 30s and have one on my womb the size of a watermelon which I'm waiting to have removed. It looks like a late pregnancy 😫

OP you don’t sound too far away from eating Keto - is the low carb, higher fat and protein a purposeful choice?
Keto is literally the only way I can lose or maintain an ideal weight. It can still include lots of greens, cauli, cabbage and some berries. But even in keto you need to ensure you’re not eating too much of the high calorie/fatty stuff, or at least moving more or lifting weights to burn off the excess.

I’m mid-40s and If I want to stay a size 8-10, it’s the only thing (in combo with moving) that works for me - and I’m happier with no refined sugar in my life!

OP - I am 5’ 6” and 10 stone and a half. BMI is ~23. It’s not overweight. I’m confused how a size 12 would be a struggle - I am consistently a size 10. Are you putting the correct height and weight on here??

As soon as I turned 30, I started putting weight on. I had my DD at 25 and bounced right back to pre birth weight. Age was the factor for me without a doubt. Now I'm 40 and on medication that can cause weight gain and it's going up again.

Also, I think size 12 will look fine on you. My clothes are mostly size 12 and I'm a lot heavier than you. You probably feel bigger compared to what you were but 10 stone really isn't big.

You're not in a calorie deficit.

Calculate your BMR, consume 500 calories less than this a week for 1lb weight loss per week.

Could you be pregnant? A friend of my mum initially lost weight on a diet and then started to put it back on again. Found out she was 20 weeks pregnant.

Sorry @Janefx40 but it's just infuriating (and I know you weren't trying to be so sorry, things like this just really get my goat) that there's so much bad food advice out there and people fall into a trap, they then fall into further traps of thinking weight gain might be medical, which you are right it might be, but on presentation of the evidence we know, it's likely not though don't we. And so many of the population (and I include myself in this) would love a get-out jail free card, oh no can't possibly be what I'm scoffing about and something which I can instantly control and do something about. No must be medical.

@Luredbyapomegranate I thought exactly that when I read the post re crossfit!

OP just out of interest where did you get your new diet from?

I would ditch the processed meat, the cheese (you can add in small amounts of lower calorie cheese once you get down to a weight you're happy with). definitely the milk - I mean full-fat milk is delicious but that's just empty calories right there and could be causing you digestive issues (honestly reads like you're bulking for a comp), ditch the lamb (again delicious but sooooo fatty and calorie dense), cut your beef down to once a week and choose leaner cuts. Like others have said add in some fish, turkey, and try to do some meat free meals. And for the love of god some veg. Fruit is not the enemy but you do have to be careful with quantity, it's is easy to bing on sugary things and I find fruit no exception. If you're wanting to look at food with a high nutritional content adding in some small amounts of in season and if possible locally grown fruit is excellent.

Weirdly the bike even spin doesn't do much in terms of burning calories I found. Everyone is different but after being a gym bunny for years and years I have found the magic key for me has been exercising 5 times a week with a mix of running 5-7k, HIIT, and strength (in the gym and Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga).

Lift weights it really helps body shape. I'd count calories for a week and see what your consuming

This isn’t about exercise it’s all about diet. Start eating vegetables.

5ft 6 abd 10st isn't grossly overweight. Track your calories for a week and see how many you are actually eating.

Sorry. I haven't RTFT, but this happened to me, and I was then diagnosed with PCOS. I was in my mid-20s. Maybe worth checking/ruling out?

Your diet is terrible- where are the vegetables? I wouldn’t shit for weeks if I ate your diet - you are probably storing pounds of poo!

Seriously - your daily food intake should be mainly plants. You don’t need that much protein and fat.

I would think that would be quite painful, no? I don't have any pain. I'm just big in the middle like I've never been before.

How many calories do you think you ate on the chicken , lamb, scrambled egg and tinned tomatoes day?

I aimed for a more traditional diet after chatting with my gran. I had seen pics of her my age and she was the same height and half the size!

She said she'd eat eggs for breakfast, meat pot in the winter, chicken, goat or lamb etc. She would eat the seasoned fruits and never exercised either, just kept house.

Thanks everyone, I think I need to move more and eat less.

I do eat fruit, meat and dairy. I'm going to review my portion sizes as the calories might be the problem.

I need to do more than 10 minutes dedicated to the indoor cycling machine too.

I really was being unrealistic! Very grateful

@Tigerbus
please get checked out by your GP. Abdominal swelling can indicate ovarian problems and should be checked as a matter of urgency

Stick legs and arms. Always have had. So my belly looks so disproportionate.

I appreciate that it's not grossly overweight to most, but I do feel it and I was aiming to loose weight with exercise and diet and I've done the opposite.

Why aren't you eating veg?

You need to eat vegetables, not just fruit.

She probably didn't eat all that in ONE day. Unless she bread her own meat or was rich, that would be (and still is) proper expensive way to eat....

I would say that the foods are all rather carb heavy which can lead to bloating and weight gain. Better with more protein, dairy, veg and low sugar fruit like apples/pears etc