Am I kidding myself about my weight problem?

[gainingweight]

I’m really not sure what to think about this

i started gaining weight out of nowhere despite no diet or health changes - I think it started around 9mo ago but I only noticed it around 5/6mo ago and have been trying to lose weight on and off since then

I don’t look noticeably heavier and I don’t have any obvious heavy lumps or areas that would account for the new weight. My thighs are slightly bigger but not hugely and I’m still wearing the same size of leggings albeit slightly tighter but they still fit. I’ve gained around 1.5-2 stone since this started 9 ish months ago.

I’m trying to lose weight and am eating healthily and am in a calorie deficit everyday (calculated by my BMR and BMI). I’m exercising everyday too. I’ve gained 3 lbs in the last week despite being in a 400 calorie deficit per day, even over Hogmanay and xmas. I’m measuring my weight at the same time each day, obviously it fluctuates throughout the day but my weight gain each day is consistent even between time fluctuations. I’m drinking the same amount of water each day (measured so I know the amount).

am I missing something in this dieting thing? Or am I making some mistake, or is there a reason I might be gaining weight like this? Just slightly frustrated and miserable about it all. I’m also not on any meds including contraception pills, I’m not near menopause or even peri menopause age, and I had a blood test 10 months ago but unrelated thing and everything was normal.

Yeah it’s so weird, I never got an answer for why it happened. I don’t think they believed me tbh they kept asking was I sure it was black because the camera checks were fine. It was definitely black and was like tar. Blood test, ultrasound, everything was fine so they said there’s no reason other than IBS and they said they don’t need to do anymore tests and there’s nothing else they could do. It’s a bit frightening not having an answer for why it happened but I suppose I’ll never know now x

It's the eating exercise calories thats doing you like pp said .Forget about what you think you've burned off and count your calories as if you've done nothing.

I second calls to get your thyroid checked out but as a fellow IBS sufferer is it possible you are backlogged? and/or bit bloated.

We're all different but half a stone would have me in a different clothes size but your clothes still fit.

How much I'm able to poo massively effects my weight too + bloating alone can put me up a dress size at least.

Also a fruit or veg heavy diet with low carbs really exacerbates my IBS. My gut health is much better on a meat and potatoes type diet though my waist isn't.

Sorry if it's TMI but when I've been in on prescribed laxatives the amount I can eliminate is really shocking.

Good luck

I quickly gained weight when I hit age 36. I'm now 40, and 3 stone heavier. I keep fasting/dieting and only seem to lose a stone each time, which quickly comes back on. I've had my thyroid checked, it's fine. My gp seems to think that as the body aged, it's slowing down my metabolism. Which is why I cannot eat as much as I used to. I literally have 2 low fat meals a day, and I exercise for an hour daily but I'm still fat! I've ordered some slim fast shakes, hoping they might help me.b

Yeah I agree with what you and everyone else is saying but I don’t think I can physically cope with 1200 calories and this much exercise, maybe I need to toughen up a bit but I’m in a calorie deficit at the moment and feeling the slight struggle with it and 1200 calories would be really difficult for me to do with all the exercise etc x

But this is why several of us are saying go back and push for more tests, doctors don’t catch everything and unexplained weight gain in a short period is something that needs further investigation

OK - eliminate the east/obvious first -

check your scales. Weigh yourself on some other scales.

Buy some new scales.

It's possible your initial view of how much you weighed was wrong and that you've always weighed about as much as you do now.

Go to your GP - unexplained weight gain, all other things being equal can mean something is going on. You need a thyroid test and another abdominal ultrasound.

Consider your IBS and do a foodmap (sp) diet for a couple of months.

Then - take a look at the calories/exercise need. Lots of advice on here already but rule out tech (scales) and underlying physical things first.

Then lifestyle. .

I know but what I’m saying is I’ve been back multiple times and pushed for more tests and they’ve said there’s nothing else they can do! Bloods are fine (they monitored it for a while afterwards to keep an eye on it), I’ve had an ultrasound and a camera in my stomach and a sigmoidoscopy. I’ve also had a calprotectin and test for parasites etc. All clear. They won’t do anymore tests and when they tried to re refer me it got rejected because there’s no other tests to do we’ve done them all, they said it’s IBS and I just need to avoid foods that don’t agree with me x

Do you take supplements or probiotics? Done can cause weight gain

Yeah I agree, I’ll get the scales checked and I’ll buy some new ones just in case! My weight beforehand is definitely accurate as it was checked by the hospital and GP frequently when I was unwell last year. I’ll go back and ask for a thyroid test because while we’ve done everything for the IBS side of it I don’t think that would have been tested. Thanks x

Ah getting older sucks doesn’t it! I thought wrinkles would be my biggest concern, nope haha.

One thing to keep in mind is that thyroid issues can go undetected even with bloods, my fathers issues were only found when they eventually did an ultrasound on his thyroid, all blood tests were clear but it’s the cause of his weight issues.

I hadn’t actually considered that but it’s definitely possible I suppose! To be fair I usually get diarrhoea rather than constipation but I‘ll get some laxatives and see if it helps!

@gainingweight as a HCP I would say, if you're genuinely on 1600 calories a day and it's unexplained then you need to contact a GP. I would be thinking along the thyroid or diabetic line.

I must say - I am also absolutely stunned that someone who hasn't had sex in a year did a pregnancy test. I can see the OP has asked "does it matter?" - and yes, of course, in the end, taking the test does not impact a thing - but I am really intrigued at what the thinking was: I mean.... unless OP thought divine conception has occurred, what else?!

I had no idea about that! I’ll get my thyroid checked to rule it in or out 👍

OP, are you doing any weight training? As in proper heavy weights? It strikes me that you’re doing a huge amount of cardio which in some people can have the opposite to desired effect and not lead to weight loss at all. Simple terms - and I’m not an expert - but basically weight/resistance training - increased muscle mass - increased metabolic rate - weight loss. It definitely works. There’s heaps on Google/Instagram if you go on a bit of a deep dive.

(But yes, I would also suggest check for possible hypothyroidism)

Like I replied to the person who asked that, when I did the pregnancy test it was closer to around a year since I last had sex. I got worried maybe I had my dates mixed up. I don’t believe in devine conception but I do believe in mistakes and miscalculations so thought it was worth ruling out. I wasn’t well last year and it’s easy to see how things could have been misremembered or miscalculated

yeah I definitely am (sometimes more or less but it depends on how much exercise I’m doing, I always stay in a deficit of at least 500+)

I’ll definitely go back to the doctor and see if I can get my thyroid checked even just to rule it out so I know if it’s ok or not

Same as @crazycrypty
But under 1200 every day relentlessly is tough.
At one point I was relaxing every second day and 1200 every second day and that maintained. I'll do that again when I get in to the healthy weight band.

That’s really interesting thanks il go and read up some more

im not focusing on weight training or bulking, I’m mainly doing running and cardio, that’s interesting that in some people it doesn’t actually lead to weight loss

You are 47. This is perimenopause. Why do uou think you are nowhere near perimenopause age?

Mine started at 46. I put on 2 stone in 6 weeks and it has continued to rise. It is SO depressing. I too have tried to diet so many times. At the start it worked but then as soon as I stopped a calorie defect it went straight back on.

My GP said that this is just something that happens to some women during perimenopause. It is to do with lack of oestrogen and the body producing excess cortisol. All my menopause symptoms are linked with excess cortisol, eg gum disease. Not all women get the same symptoms. There is very little research on why this is the case.

OP isn’t 47

Are you a healthy weight OP? I would hate to give you advice on losing weight if you are already at an unhealthy level.