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.

i appreciate your help but like I said to a PP I’m not 47 that was another commenter! Im not even 30 yet haha

OP is in her late 20s

Oh sorry yes, someone else! Well, that person is in perimenopause then for sure!

Good luck OP, as a fellow IBS sufferer I feel your pain with how your body can react poorly to foods! I hope you are able to figure out what works for you and get some answers re your thyroid through your GP.

Yeah I’m definitely a healthy BMI sorry I should have said that already. My BMI was always in the healthy range but just at the lower end of it, now it’s still in the healthy range but at the higher end of it so it’s gone up by a good bit but I’m not unhealthy with it IYSWIM x

Haha no worries, easily done

Thank you so much! 👍 IBS is the worst isn’t it! i will definitely follow your advice and get my thyroid checked out as well x

If your body shape/measurements haven't changed could it just be water weight/inflammation?

Unless your intentionally trying to loose weight, which I can imagine is very frustrating if the scales don't move.

Often strenuous exercises cause increased body weight due to inflammation of the muscles.

I would aim to eat 1600 consistently then reevaluate after 4 weeks. I definitely wouldn't add exercise calories but I would make sure you have the right activity level on MFP. The calories it then gives you includes your exercise and you shouldn't add anymore.

Exercise makes you hungry so aim for volume with foods.

Calculating your BMR and calories burned from exercise is pie in the sky and unlikely to be remotely accurate. You'd need to be lab tested to give you a true (although unlikely accurate even then) reflection of these figures. You'll only find your true deficit by trial and error. If you're not losing weight, you're not in deficit, regardless of any medical condition. Good luck.

Op, could you be going into early menopause? That can happen too. Otherwise, I’m so OVER calorie counting (former ED person here) and I hope you don’t start obsessing. Just eat well, as you are. Keep healthy. I’ve stopped weighing myself too. That all said, it is strange you are putting on weight when you aren’t over eating.

One more thing: I used to put on weight when I started eating probiotic food (specifically probiotic supplements!), perhaps the bacteria in my gut started multiplying massively! This is healthy, but because I was obsessed with my weight, I stopped the good gut eating and focused on low cal. Hmmm! Anyway, Hope you find out more soon!

Sounds like you aren't exercising as much as you think you are and are more greedy than you think. I would cut out the snacks between meals.

Sorry just read you updates, your bmi is fine, your body shape hasn't changed, your measurements haven't changed. I would honestly not worry. It's literally just a number.

A family member does serious weight training, she weighs far more now then before yet her body measurements are if anything smaller (very low body fat).

End of the day don't let the number on the scale dictate anything. I imagine on all that exercise you feel strong and fit. Go with that.. I suspect it's just down to muscle growth/inflammation.

Brilliant, clear, helpful message. I agree!

I think this is very true and something that should be discussed more. Obviously exercise is really important but it can be a bit of a red herring when it comes to weight.

THIS

Sorry I’m getting ratty but sounds like you couldn’t be bothered to read the thread or at least my comments

I’m under PT and I’m definitely exercising that much

and I’m not snacking between meals and I’m not ‘greedy’ but thanks

Thanks so much 😊 I’m probably just worrying about nothing by the sounds of it! Thanks again x

Oh god I hope not 😬

Thank you so much! It’s so easy to get hung up on calorie counting isn’t it!

thank you for the heads up! I’m not taking probiotics but I was going to start so it’s helpful to know I might gain weight with it but it’s expected!

Tbh it sounds like you're doing everything right, I'd agree with getting thyroid checked as weight gain under these circumstances seems odd

The only thing I'd say is, my fitness tracker/MFP setup seems to log a run both as a run AND as an extra 5k steps so you might want to check for that.

At a BMI of what, 23? 24? I wouldn't mess about trying to eat 1200 calories a day, you'll be starving and grumpy and start to lose muscle. Just keep yourself fuelled, and I'd definitely start doing some weights for building muscle and adding bone strength.

It's crap isn't it op.

It's not easy, I don't think any of us find it easy staying under 1200 calories a day.

But in order to be at the weight I'm comfortable that's what I have to do.

Honestly I lived on ginsters, kebabs, pasta and cider in my early 20s and weighed 8st.

In my late 30s I need to stay under 1400 calories a day to stay under 10st, and if I want to lose weight I have to stick to 1200. I'm short so 10st is a 12-14 on me.

Agree with PP about going back to the gp.

I'd also say that1600 calories is quite a lot, and exercise doesn't burn anywhere near as much as you think esp as we age.

The FAST800 works brilliantly for me (esp. since Meno). If you don't lose weight doing that then there is definitely something amiss. It's good for your overall health as well so well worth looking into.

I'd also look very carefully at portion size. You could well be having much bigger portions than you think - it's very easily done. To do it properly you need to weigh the food.

Absolutely 100% persist with your GP. Nowadays with budget cuts etc. they are often reluctant to refer without extreme symptoms, but if you persist they will. You have reason to be concerned (not saying you should be scared!!), and there absolutely is more that can be done. You've done a lot of investigation yourself, taken lots of measurements and notes, and the weight gain is still happening and still unexplained. Push, push, push for help from the GP.

OP I meant 1,200 calories plus extra for the exercise - don't think you should be exercising too and potentially putting yourself under 1,000 each day.

Another poster mentioned perimenopause - I've had slim friends who put on 1-3 stone during the menopause, then lost it after they were through the change, so thinking that might be a reason for you gaining weight too.

@gainingweight just to reiterate, they may suggest a HBA1C blood test and a urine sample to check if diabetes could be a factor.

Have you checked your weighing scales? Buy a new weighing scale? Also your cheat days could be adding all the calories you have dieted off.
also soft drinks are high in sugar and calories. A latte can have as many calories as a lunch.