Freaking out a little... Okay, A LOT

N

Nette

New member
A brief history:
About 5 years ago I weighed 287 lbs. I lost down to 254 and stopped. A couple of years ago, I made up my mind to get the rest of it off. I did cardio (running & walking) and changed my eating habbits.
I stopped trying to lose when I reached approximately 144 lbs.
During the winter months (because I didn't belong to a gym and couldn't get out to walk and run as much during the winter months) I noticed that my weight slightly increased to approximately 148 to 152, and that's pretty much where it stayed. For some reason, even after warmer weather returned and I went back to my steady cardio, I'm maintainting around the 150 to 153 range.

Though I lost the weight, I didn't feel "in shape" and wanted to work on building some muscle so my husband and I joined a gym about a month ago. I've been going pretty steady 3 or more times a week, lifting weights and getting in some running/walking on the treadmill.
My weight is now approx. 156 and I'm totally frieking out a little. I don't want to gain weight and I never wanted to see the 160's again! What do I do?
 
Are you counting calories? If so , how many calories are you eating a day? If not, maybe you need to start keeping a closer account of what you are eating.
I know, for me, it takes both exercise and eating healthy and watching calories to lose the weight. One component alone just won't do it.
 
Thank you for your response.
I do keep an eye on my calories. I eat lots of veggie's, as well as steering clear of much red meat, eating grilled chicken & turkey. Trying to keep my caloric intake around 1500 a day.
I do realize muscle weighs more and that if I'm gaining muscle, that's a possibility to slight change in weight. I'm new to strength/weight training and didn't know if there was a way to keep my weight maintained w/o gaining during the process.
After losing all the weight, the last thing I want to do is gain any back.
 
It's really hard to say without knowing exact specifics of your situation, but my first gut reaction is that you're eating more than you think you are.

It's really really easy to underestimate what you eat, especially if you've gotten complacent about counting and measuring your food. Also if you're going by volume measures and not weighing your food, it's also easy to overeat by as much as 500 calories a day sometimes.

I would say that the first thing you need to do is start keeping a food journal for about a week and making sure that you're actually eating what you think you are. I know that when my weight creeps back up it's because I'm not paying close enough attention to the little things - the bite of something here, the taste of something while I'm cooking, the extra pinch of something else added to a finished product.

The other thing is this: When I run the numbers, I'm calculating your maintenance calories at right around 2100. If you've been eating 1500 calories on a regular basis for a really long time and you've ramped up your workout, it's possible that your metabolism has slowed and you've stalled yourself out.

If you are eating around 1500 calories a day, steadily and reliably, then it might be time to give your body a break from low calorie dieting for a while. Increase to your maintenance calories and bump up your protein intake, especially if you're lifting weights.

You might gain some weight back at first, but if you can keep it up for a few months and then go back to the calorie cutting, you'll be in a much better position to lose those last few pounds.
 
You said you were working on building some muscle, and you lift weights.

My first thought is that you might have gotten your wish and put on some muscle - which means you put on some muscle weight as well. Just a thought.
 
Putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a month while in a calorie deficit is pretty much darned near impossible. :)

If someone is eating specifically for the purpose of building muscle (i.e. in a calorie surplus and eating plenty of protein) and is lifting hard and heavy and with purpose, it *might* be possible to put on that kind of muscle in a month. Might. If someone is 100% committed to building muscle.

But while in a calorie deficit? No, I honestly don't believe this is what is happening here.
 
I meant in combination with probably eating more than she thinks / consuming more calories than she thinks. Mixture of both.
 
I ahve to agree on keeping a food diary... track EVERYTHING you eat and how you prepared it. You may be very surprised on your intake... the other thing is that you may not be taking in enuff calories....you have to fuel the fire for it to burn. Do a weeks worth of diary and see what you are really eating. Step up your exersize a bit. Change it around.
 
People who just start weight lifting often can put on muscle, despite being in a "calorie deficit". Additionally, considering that the OP is gaining on 1500 calories, assuming the calorie numbers are correct, her maintenance level is far lower than the norm and therefore 1500 calories may not be a deficit at all (hence the ability to put on muscle). Also, after I stop lifting for a few months and then return, I immediately put on 2 or 3 pounds. This is likely fluid filling the muscles, and this may be the case with your weight too. When we gain weight because of weight lifting, we are NOT CONCERNED because we WANT more muscle. We should ONLY be concerned when we are putting on more fat. Are you pants becoming tighter?

I agree with Kara that you should carefully track your cals for a few weeks and see if you can lose when you're weighing and counting everything. If you still have a problem, you could be on a plateau like me. I believe mine is related to hormones and I am working with my doctor to see if these issues can be resolved.

But first try the obvious answers--number of calories and also proportion of carbs (as simple carbs, including whole grains, often cause weight gain from the increased insulin).
 
Thank you so much for all the advice and replies thus far. I had been considering a journal to keep up with what I'm eating.

Are you pants becoming tighter?
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My clothing is pretty much the same, saving for I noticed (since focusing on my abs more than before) that in the waist area my skin has tightened up a bit and taking before form (I guess you could say??)

This fall will be 3 years into my weight loss journey. I have (and am) dealing with loose skin issues, etc. I'm trying to be patience but it's SO hard to at times.

:nopity: (yes, I'd like a few crackers with my whine...) :blush5:
 
That's awesome that your pants still fit the same! Pants are usually a better measure than the scale.. We have a journal's section on the forum in case you want to track your food there. Or you could use a calorie tracker like to see where you're at. Best wishes :).
 
Hmm... I think I'll give the calorie counter website a look-see. I've been more attentive to what I am eating and I believe part of my issue may be diet colas. I LOVE diet Mountain Dew. I also noticed some of my snack foods weren't as kosher to my diet as they appeared to be, so I've curbed that, adding more granola oats, almonds and that type of snacking in it's place. Something else I learned that was also a possible monkey wrench is dried fruit. I LOVE IT! But so much of it has way to much sugar.. .am I correct on that?
With the weight training, I think I was lacking in the protein area and have been making sure to get protein and calcium. I haven't gained any more weight so I dont know if my body just frieked out at the new regimine or what. I'm doing cardio and resistance training at this point. I'm starting to see some muscle!! oh yeah! ;)

P.S. Thank you for your advice and replies! They are greatly appreciated!
 
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I know that when my weight creeps back up it's because I'm not paying close enough attention to the little things - the bite of something here, the taste of something while I'm cooking, the extra pinch of something else added to a finished product.













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I know that when my weight creeps back up it's because I'm not paying close enough attention to the little things - the bite of something here, the taste of something while I'm cooking, the extra pinch of something else added to a finished product.
Click to expand...

This is so true. After the advice to do a journal, I've noticed I've "eased up" on a couple of food items I use to steer clear of. :banghead:
 
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