I need your input - sorry it's long!

[Timber99]

This is going to sound strange but I gained about 5 pounds in a 6 – 8 period about two months ago and I cannot get it off! When I gained it, I was still exercising but not eating very well (only 70% clean or so) and I knew that was why I had gained. I was lifting very heavy though and might have built *some* muscle in that time (but not five pounds worth). I have always been able to enjoy treats and an occasional glass of wine and not had an issue but this time, I can’t get rid of it. And here’s the kicker – everything pretty much fits the same on me (clothing). ?????????????? I do feel less tight though and a little more flabby. So what’s the deal?

Eating: I have one Myoplex light protein shake for breakfast every day. The rest of the day is clean eating (about 90%) and I eat every three hours at 9,12,3,6, and usually 8:30. I drink lots of water too. It’s the way I have always eaten to maintain. Here’s yesterdays menu (as an example):
B – shake (made with mix, fruit and 2% milk)
L – turkey chili with beans and ff cheese
S – rice cake with peanut butter
D – chicken with rice and veggies
S – fat Free Frozen Yogurt

Workouts: I am working out usually 6 days per week but sometimes five. I use all Cathe DVDs and occasionally go to an advanced step at the gym once per week. That class (and instructor) is comparable to a Cathe step workout. This was my schedule for last two weeks (just to give you an idea of what I am doing):
M – ME
T – Circuit Max
W – MIS
T – off
F – Muscle Max
S – IMAX
S – 3 mile walk w/the dog & stretch
M – PLB
T – KPC
W – PUB
T – off (sick)
F – Supersets
S – Step Blast
S – rest

Next week I am incorporating the Gym Style workouts.

I know it sounds weird to come here for help on this but I can’t figure out what is going on with my body. It is a SOLID five pounds and while I don’t worry too much about the scale, I do see differences on my body (but not in my clothing) and I know that I have been about the same weight for YEARS now and never seen this 5 pound fluctuation. And when I say that it won’t budge, IT WONT BUDGE AT ALL.

Any advice?

Christine

 

[Maximus]

Maybe it's a metabolism change? How old are you? I know everything changed for me after I turned 30. My exercise routine & diet stayed the same but I gained weight slowly but surely.

Frankly I don't think the 5 lbs is a problem if your clothes fit the same, my guess is it isn't nearly as dramatic as you feel. But maybe switching up the diet a little will help. That's what did it for me. It might take a month or two but perhaps you can find something that works better for you. I don't try to push Atkins on anyone b/c I know many folks don't like it, but the foods you're eating are kind of high carb (rice, rice cakes, yogurt, etc.). Cutting carbs--Atkins, South Beach, the Zone, or even just a carb reduction--could help.

 

[toastythemosty]

Just my opinion as I am not a nutritionist, but I would eliminate the peanut butter and the rice (what kind of rice are you eating)? You should also use soy milk instead of 2% or at least fat free skim. What kind of veggies? Fat free is not always best either when it comes to yogurt. Did you check the label for the sugar amount on that one? Could be high. Stick with a yogurt that has about 6 grams of sugar or less. Again, just my opinion.

Charlotte~~

 

[Timber99]

Maximus - I am thirty so it definitely could be a metabolism change. I know that I did the SBD as an experiment a while back and after the first few days, phase one worked very well for me. I did ten day so fo it and then moved to phase two for a bit and back to phase three (b/c that is mostly how I eat anyway). I was considering going back to that just to shock my system, which is what it might take for this issue.

Toasty - brown or wild rice. Soy occassionally but otherwise I should have clarified that I use 2% or that fortified skim milk. I drink so little of it (b/c my shakes are mostly made with juice but yesterday happened to be milk) that it is thrown away if I buy two different kinds of milk for my household. BF likes 2% or fortified skim. I go for the skim one if I go to the supermarket that sells it but if I go to the other, I get the 2% b/c they don't carry it. By the way, what's wrong with peanut butter?

See the thing is thought that I have eaten this way FOREVER and never had an issue, maintained well and been very successful but now...all of a sudden...strange...

 

[toastythemosty]

I use peanut butter (low fat) in my protein shakes. Just depends on what kind you are eating...regular peanut butter is high in saturated fat (3.5%)

Charlotte~~

 

[Maximus]

Yep, that's exactly what happened to me. I did low fat for pretty much my entire adult life until I hit 30, & all of a sudden it just didn't do the trick. It's called getting older my darling (but not getting OLD!)--we can fight it & win. And the fight really isn't all that hard once you know what you have to do.

 

[toastythemosty]

Maximus,

Yup, same thing happened to me too. 30 changed everything. I use to eat whatever and whenever and found that I couldn't anymore.

Charlotte~~

 

[Timber99]

It's called getting older
>my darling (but not getting OLD!)--we can fight it & win.

NNNNNNNNNNNNOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...come on, somebody tell me something better. I still think of myself as a "kid!" I guess it's time to face the music...even my body is telling me, huh?

Seriously, it happend *that fast* to you guys?

 

[toastythemosty]

For me, Hubby pointed it out. Fat along back of arms and back. Didn't happen overnight, but it kept accumilating there over the next few years. Now my metabolism is revved up so high I can't seem to gain any weight! LOL. I just watch what I eat and eat small amounts throughout the day. No problems for me anymore once I started monitoring my food intake and found Cathe.

Charlotte~~

 

[KathyH]

Hi Christine! Okay let's see if we can tweak your diet a bit. First of all get rid of the shake in the AM. Instead I would want you to eat McCann's steel cut oatmeal w/blueberries & a little bit of honey w/a 2-3 egg white omelette w/a cup of either white or green tea. For your next meal try either cottage cheese w/fuit, yogurt w/fruit or a handful of almonds w/apple, keep the turkey chili, instead of rice cake w/pb try instead a medium size salad w/tuna or some other kind of protein of your choice, keep the chicken w/rice & veggies. Ditch the frozen yogurt (this is nothing but SUGAR). Try these small modifications for a couple of weeks & see if there's any difference. HTH, Kathy

 

[pixie9]

Hi Christine-
I thought one more opinion here couldn't kill ya. Just wanted to add that when I turned 31, everything changed for me. And for the better!
My exercise routine like yours, was great, but I still couldn't lose some of the fat. Granted, genetics play a huge role in fat placement and that you cannot change. But I did begin counting my calories and comparing them to overall calorie burn during workouts(with a HR monitor). A 3500 calorie deficit in a week equals one pound of weight loss. So, I multiplied my weight by 12 (to get a calorie count to maintain weight), subtracted by 500, to create a deficit of 3500 a week, and added how many calories I burned that day.
I realize that HR monitors are not an exact science but at least they provided me with a number I could work with. Of course I had to eat very clean and had to stay away from a lot of high calorie foods like sugar. But I found I could still eat many of the treats I loved and stay within my caloric limits. I wouldn't suggest eating like this forever, but it did give me an idea of what portion sizes I should be aiming for. Measuring your food for a few months can be a real eye opener!! Who knew I was eating 3 servings of cereal for breakfast everyday! I think I was probably eating double of what I really needed!!

 

[Timber99]

>I thought one more opinion here couldn't kill ya.

I appreciate everyone's input, thank you! I guess that I could not expect to get away with treats forever. I think that I may go and do SBD for a week to get myself back on a more strict path and then clean it up more from there.

Thanks guys - always great to know that there's an educated crowd to bounce things off of!

Christine