hey everyone

[crazyinlovee525]

hi my name is lisa. im new here. im 21 years old and from new york and i need some help. i lost about 30 pounds between the time i was 19 and 20. i did it the healthy way. cardio and weight lifting, eating healthy.. im 5'1 and i got down to 107 over the summer. well i started the depo birth control and since then, a year ago, i gained almost 10 pounds. right now im 113 but my pants are tight. i put a skirt on last weekend that was very loose on me over the summer and i couldnt wear it because it was too tight around my legs. then tonight i put on a pair of jeans that were always comfortable and loose on me and now i could barely get them over my legs. i dont understand whats going on! im eating between 1600-1800 cals a day and im still working out 5 days a week. my boyfriend said its muscle because ive been taking this class since the summer. its a one on one kickboxing class and i know my legs are working really hard, but is it possible thats the reason? its a little discouraging knowing i came so far and now i gained so much. thanks for your help

 

[errtu140]

Well I really do not think It's muscle, just cut back on the calories for a month or so and if your not ever changing your weight lifting routine that sometimes helps. you basically have to change everything up every month or two to keep your body constantly adapting. I don't know about the birth control but that might be part of the weight gain. It's very hard for women to gain muscle mass for several reasons, the biggest being you dont have the testosterone levels. I just think it's something like hidden calories in your diet, cut back for a while and it'll come off.

 

[hawgdaddy1]

Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the group. Best Wishes in your journey. I am available to talk. My yahoo is weightbusters2004 for instant messenger, or we can talk right here

Best WIshes
HAWGDADDY

 

[crazyinlovee525]

Well I really do not think It's muscle, just cut back on the calories for a month or so and if your not ever changing your weight lifting routine that sometimes helps. you basically have to change everything up every month or two to keep your body constantly adapting. I don't know about the birth control but that might be part of the weight gain. It's very hard for women to gain muscle mass for several reasons, the biggest being you dont have the testosterone levels. I just think it's something like hidden calories in your diet, cut back for a while and it'll come off.

see thats the thing i dont know what hidden cals i'd be eating. i dont eat out, maybe once a week.. so i know what im putting in my mouth. i use fitday.com and i measure everything. i eat egg whites, whole grains, protein, fruits and veggies.. i switch my weight training maybe every 2 weeks, i do a different cardio every day. it seems that im doing everything right. i know you're right about it being hard for women to gain a lot of muscle mass but my legs are solid. i should prob get my body fat tested and see where i am. that should give me a better idea at whats going on

 

[allcdnboy1]

it is *harder* for women to gain muscle mass, but far from impossible. I know quite a few women that go to the gym w/ me that are gaining weight due to muscle as their BF% has gone down, but they're overall look has stayed relatively the same with the exception of a little trimmer stomach and a bit of definition in the shoulders and arms, but still very feminine. A BF test would be a really good gauge especially since you eat very well.

On another note: I'm going to be in New York for a conference next week and will be staying right near the Hilton (where the conference is) near Central Park. Any suggestions on night life near there for a 26 yr old? ... keeping in mind that I'm traveling alone ...

 

[Crimson_tide]

Ahh!

AAHHH! No Lisa don't use Depo! Depo is HORRIBLE! There are a lot of cases where depo caused weight gain.. that was probably it, unless you started eating a whole lot more then you usually do.

So I suggest you go to your doctor, and talk to her about switching to the pill. The pill I have to say worked well for me. I DEPEND on the pill.

Then after everything is ok with the pill, or other birth control methods (I highly recommend the pill), then reduce your calorie intake, as errtu said, probably to 1200-1400, keep on working out, and we'll see what happens.

 

[Crimson_tide]

On another note: I'm going to be in New York for a conference next week and will be staying right near the Hilton (where the conference is) near Central Park. Any suggestions on night life near there for a 26 yr old? ... keeping in mind that I'm traveling alone ...

haha! ow ow! Hope you have fun over there!

 

[crazyinlovee525]

AAHHH! No Lisa don't use Depo! Depo is HORRIBLE! There are a lot of cases where depo caused weight gain.. that was probably it, unless you started eating a whole lot more then you usually do.

So I suggest you go to your doctor, and talk to her about switching to the pill. The pill I have to say worked well for me. I DEPEND on the pill.

Then after everything is ok with the pill, or other birth control methods (I highly recommend the pill), then reduce your calorie intake, as errtu said, probably to 1200-1400, keep on working out, and we'll see what happens.

thanks, i really hope thats it, because i really havent been eating much more then i always do. my doc wants me off it anyway since it lowers bone density so in 3 months when im supposed to get my next shot im gonna get the pill. i'll prob start workin out a little harder since classes will be over and cut back a little on the cals. until then i just really have to watch what i eat and maybe up the intensity of my workouts. thanks for the help

 

[Crimson_tide]

you're welcome! good luck with that. It gets annoying the first week when I went on the pill because you have to take it at the same time of day, every day. But it works wonders.