Weight Gain Frustration ... need help please!!

N

niclyf

Cathlete
I'm starting to get *really* frustrated with whatever is going on with my body. For the last year, I have maintained my weight with no problems. Now, in the last month and a half, I have gained 4 lbs! I know it's not muscle, because I haven't changed up my weight training routine. In an effort to stop it .. I upped my workouts and reduced my calories. What is happening?? I keep getting flabbier! I can't possibly workout more or eat any less than I am!! I'm SO frustrated and have no idea what to do. I now have this roll of fat around my stomach that I've never had before!

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Nicole
 
Nicole, there are lots of reasons why the scale might say you're four pounds heavier, even if it's not really fat gain. If you reduce your calories too much, because you workout so much, your body will think it's "starving". I know it sounds crazy, but you need the fuel for the workouts. If your body goes into starvation mode, it will decrease your metabolism to the point where you gain weight. It could be water, it could be you're eating more salty things lately, it could be hormones. Are you on medication? Has anything else in your life changed? Have you had your thyroid checked lately? There are a million different reasons, and the scale can only weigh mass. It doesn't know if it's weighing fat, water, muscle, or a combination of. If you have increased your workouts, you could be holding water in the muscles, and this is a temporary condition. It's your body's response to building new muscles. Try to relax, take a look at what you're doing and eating for a week or so, and see if you can spot the culprit. I wouldn't decrease your calories AND up your workouts at the same time though. You aren't feeding your body enough fuel by doing this, and it will cause your metabolism to slow down. Keep us posted, and best of luck to you!!

Carol
:)
 
Carol's advice is dead on! We are always so quick to quit eating when the scale moves up. The problem is that our bodies freak & start storing fat. Eating more goes against "conventional diet" wisdom but intense workouts require more fuel than just a stroll. To get that fuel, we need to eat more.

In addition to what Carol said, I want to add some "feelings" on these topics. Lately I've read a few posts from ladies getting freaked about 4 lbs--we all (myself included) need to keep a little perspective. Our weight is going to fluctuate a little each month. It is going to fluctuate based on the time of month, the amount of water we drink & what we are doing at any given time. It is a biological fact of life that we are going to weigh as much as +/- 5 pounds at any given time of the month. If we are getting on the scale every day, we need to STOP IT! You aren't going to gain 4 lbs of FAT in just a month unless you are eating a gallon of ice cream every day! Chances are good it's water retention & you just need to flush your body.

I want to encourage you to eat a little more lean protein every day & watch what happens to your body. Add a few pieces of roast turkey or lean ham to your diet. For those doing WW, 2 oz of lean ham or turkey is only 1 point & can satisfy a little hunger pang! It will add something like 20 grams of protein.
 
I agree 1000% with Carol-Million-Digits }( and Fitness Goddess. The bathroom scale, IMHO, is the golden calf of our age, a device which tells us a number that is precisely meaningless because it is so decontextualized and limited, and its exceedingly limited information causes people to make very counterproductive choices both in terms of food intake and exercise performance.

It would help a great deal, Nicole, if you printed up your recent current workout schedule for us. I have a hunch that something in your workout program has gotten a little stale, and that is why you might be noticing some lack of progress or reversion to a little more extra body fat. Please describe in some detail what your current program is, and I'd bet a day's pay you'll get some great suggestions as to how to shake up things so that you are re-stimulated.

Let us know -

A-Jock
 
Hey Girls!

Thanks for all the great insight! I will add a few more things though. First, I'm 27, and am not on the pill, so I know the sudden 4lb increase isn't due to water weight, hormonal fluctuations, etc. I don't weigh myself daily .. just once a week to keep tabs. And for the last 4-5 weeks, the scale has consistenly gone up each week. I know 4lbs doesn't seem like much .. but when you're aiming to maintain your weight, and see it continually creeping up, it can cause some frustration. I'm just trying to figure out how to stop the continual gain. With that said, here's my current routine, hopefully someone can lend some further insight based on my workouts:

Monday: 40 min kickboxing, Leaner Legs
Tuesday: 20 min intervals on treadmill, 50 min on ellptical trainer
Wednesday: PS CST, & PS BBA
Thursday: 20 min intervals on treadmill, 50 min on ellptical trainer
Friday: 60-75 min on ellptical trainer, Leaner Legs
Saturday: CTX Upper Body, 60-75 min on ellptical trainer
Sunday: 20 min intervals on treadmill, 50 min on ellptical trainer

As far as diet goes, I haven't changed my eating habits at all, aside from reducing my calories and upping my workouts to stop more weight gain. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein in the form of chicken or seafood, and stick with mainly whole grains when it comes to carbohydrates. I'm really confused though, because I haven't made any major changes to my weight training routine, so I'm hard pressed to think that I'm gaining muscle. I had my thyroid tested a few months ago as part of a full panel of bloodwork and it was fine, however I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't have it checked again. I maintained my weight consistenly at the same # for over a year, and now to have a 4lb gain (however small that might seem) is just stumping me and rendering me seriously confused and frustrated! :(

Thanks loads everyone!! Any advice you can provide would be great!!
Nicole
 
Hi, Nicole! This is my own opinion and no one else's, but from what you've printed, you are overexercising and overtraining. I see that you are exercising at least 70 minutes per day 7 days per week, and you are neglecting a crucial part of any exercise program: REST.

I would suggest that you re-tool your workout schedule to incorporate at least one and preferably two non-consecutive days of rest. I would also suggest that you start to vary your leg training routine to incorporate other routines that Leaner Legs; with the vast array of vids and DVD's Cathe has available to train the legs, finding some good additions to your leg training program shouldn't be that difficult.

I would also suggest that you give the treadmill and elliptical trainer a rest for awhile, and bring in other cardio modes that work the body through a fuller range of and more planes of motion. Treadmills and ellipticals only work the body in the sagittal plane of motion and are extremely leg-intensive (elliptical upper body mechanism notwithstanding), whereas kickbox (which you are already doing once a week), hi/lo, step, boot camp, etc., work the entire body - upper and lower - through the other planes of motion as well.

Just a few suggestions - I'd be interested in what others have to say as well.

A-Jock
 
Hi again Nicole! I agree with Annette. I think you need to rest a couple days a week! WHEW! You must be in great shape!! Also, I know from my own experience that varying the workouts I do from week to week makes a huge difference. It causes the phenomenon known as "muscle confusion", and will give you quicker results. Your body gets "bored" with the same routine, and you can stop getting results by not mixing things up a bit. Also (edited this to include the above and accidently left out the part about stress hormones!!), one of the "symptoms" of overtraining can be stress, and this can interfere with the natural stress hormones we all produce. This overproduction of stress hormones can interfere with cortisol levels in your body, and if these levels fluctuate, they can cause you to gain weight. When people are on a med called Prednisone, these levels are synthetically manipulated, and people gain weight. The same thing can happen to us without meds when our bodies are under a lot of stress. As long as I'm editing this yet again, you do need to eat more!! Also, are you drinking enough water? Water flushes out the buildup of lactic acid and other toxins, and will help your body burn fat more efficiently. I drink three quarts a day, minimum. I do understand your frustration though. I've been on Weight Watchers since the end of April, and even a one pound gain from one week to the next can throw me into a temporary tailspin, especially when I feel I'm doing everything "right". I know in the past when this has happened to me (and it has!), I've changed my exercise routine, and I've tried very hard to RELAX about the almighty scale and that number on it, and the next week I've lost the one pound plus some! I guess my point is, these things are usually temporary (any chance though, you could be pregnant???), and are usually easily fixed by changing something simple. Good luck!!

Carol
:)
 
AMEN A-JOCK!

I, too, think you are overtraining! WOW! Even Cathe doesn't work out lik that! I think A-Jock has hit the nail on the head. You have got to change your routine a little, shake things up. Most trainers would advise that you change your routine after 6 to 12 weeks of doing the same routine. I don't know that I would quit the tread or elipse machine totally but I would add other cardio during the week. Maybe do those machines once a week (one or the other but not both). Switch up your weighted workouts. Try the slow & heavy or pyramids series for example. You'll be amazed at the results you get.

Also, just because you are not on the pill does not rule out water weight gain. My 18 year old daughter gains 5 lbs every month with fluctuations her cycle, she's not on the pill either. Being on the pill would actually help that monthly fluctuation in weight not make it worse. If you are using any hormonal birth control (the ring, the patch, Depo, etc...), you might gain weight if you changed your birth control in anyway. But as Carol indicated hormones don't always come in synthetic form our bodies produce hormones that will cause our bodies to do very strange things if they are abused.

As for your diet, we've all said you are not eating enough not that you are eating too much. Increase your food intake! Do a search for "eating more" & you will find a couple of threads where people have discussed how great the results have been. It seems to me that there is a huge rush to blame metabolism slow downs on thyroid when in fact it is our own doing by starving ourselves. It doesn't take much to increase your diet without going too far with it.

Try our suggestions, I think you'll be happy!
 
Hi Nicole!

I don't have one thing to add, because Carol, Deborah and Annette have given you SUPERB advice! They've hit it right on the money, and they've said it articulately as always.

So, to quote the now-absent Honeybunch, "JUST DO IT!" -- meaning, try following their advice for two weeks and just see what happens. I'll bet you see and FEEL a dramatic change!

http://e4u.deltait.com.au/sport/sport23.gif Kathy S.
 
Hi Nicole:
I have had the same problem for several years. Hopefully you won't follow my path (I'm 34).
First, it's true that you're overexercising and undereating. This is causing a hormonal response that will REDUCE your fitness. I have done this exact thing (unfortunately, for a much longer period than you describe). Recently, I had some hormone tests done, and they show that my adrenal glands are burnt out from too much exercise. That means that my adrenal glands fail to produce enough adrenaline and cortisol throughout the day. Unfortunately, before that, I was producing TOO much cortisol due to all the exercise and undereating, and I packed on weight.

If you want to read more about this, do a good search for cortisol and weight gain, adrenal burnout or adrenal failure... There's a lot of good stuff on the web. Furthermore, you could read a book like The Hormone Connection, or The Schwarzbein Principle, for more information.

I am currently prescribed NO CARDIO because it damages the adrenal glands further. I do weight lifting and yoga. ALSO, I have increased my caloric intake to 2000-2500 a day. I have been on this plan for the past month, and have not gained weight.

I encourage you to STOP exercising for 2 weeks, take a rest, and then regroup, eat WELL, and do cardio only 2-3 days a week for a while, You will improve.

GOOD LUCK!
 
RE: Hi Nicole!

All great advice ladies! I know I should be following everything that you're saying, however after packing on 4lbs with lower cals and working out like mad, I'm afraid if I back off, it's only going to result in additional weight gain!! It's a vicious cycle. I don't so much mind the 4lbs that I've put on, because they're not hugely noticeable (minus the layer of flab that now adorns my mid ab section) .. but anything beyond this would seriously discourage me even more!! I just don't know how to find the right balance of working out, eating well, and maintaining weight. I thought I had it nailed since I maintained for so long, but now that the pounds are creeping on, I'm completely lost and frustrated!
 
Thank you for your post. I had not heard of "cortisol and weight gain, adrenal burnout or adrenal failure." It is an eye-opener to know that the adrenal system can be burned-out by too much cardio/exercise.

Great information.;-)


Blessings from our home to yours...Runathon http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/lach.gif[/img]
 
RE: Hi Nicole!

Hi, Nicole!

I'll suggest this as gently as possible: it could very well be that the vicious cycle that you are in goes far beyond a few new pounds with "lower cals and working out like mad"; in fact, the vicious cycle sounds disturbingly like exercise anorexia to me. Working out 7 days a week while consciously limiting caloric intake, and then the desire to work out even harder and restrict intake even more, is a black hole that gets wider and wider and is very difficult to get out of. It's a mindset that creates a behavior pattern that reinforces and inflames the mindset that reinforces and exacerbates the behavior pattern.

Please give some thought to discussing these issues with a medical professional who understands fitness practice, sound nutrition and psychological factors.

Concerned about you -

A-Jock
 
RE: Hi Nicole!

Hi again, Nicole -

I'll suggest this as gently as possible: it could very well be that the "vicious cycle" you have described goes far beyond a temporary change in your body composition; in fact "lower cals and working out like mad" coupled with the desire to work out even harder and limit your food intake even more sounds disturbingly like exercise anorexia to me. Working out 7 days a week with low caloric intake is sobering enough; the fact that you are tempted to work harder and eat less is a mindset that creates a behavior pattern that inflames the mindset that exacerbates the behavior pattern . . . a black hole that gets nothing but bigger and more difficult to get out of.

Please consider discussing your situation face to face with a skilled medical professional who understands fitness practice, sound nutrition and body- and weight-image psychology. And please let us know how you get on -

A-Jock
 
RE: Hi Nicole!

This may have little to do with nothing...As a lupian, I have to drink distilled water. The chemicals that are even in our well water are toxic to me even though we have a reverse osmosis machine. And since we also have a water softner, that makes the water doubly bad for me.
This made me think that we mostly drink soft water in our homes as a rule and who knows what we are drinking when we are out! Could it be that you are getting too much salt in your diet, not only in the form of the foods you eat but also from the water?
This could add to water build up in your body if this is the case.
Just a thought..

I think the girls have given you some excellent suggestions. I particularily like the idea of alternating your cardio (for example something Intense like Imax 1 or 2,) and adding in some Slow Heavy type muscle building exercises. A day of rest does so many wonders for the body. Yet,I might suggest that if you feel you have to do something on your 'rest' day, try something more gentle like a Yoga or Pilates class. While the exercises will definately push your muscles to the limits, it is calming for the mind and spirit.
(I think Carol mentioned something about how stress can affect our weight)

I'm willing to bet if you did this, you will also notice more muscle definition, you will have more flexibility and...this will carry over to your other workouts.

I know on myself, 4-5 extra pounds makes my clothes feel different. So I feel your concern. I'm also at an age where the metabolism isn't what it used to be. All these ideas listed above are what I put into practice. I used to do all cardio till I was blue in the face. But it wasn't Intense cardio like the Imaxes.
I did the cardio with light weights thing during the late 80's and 90's it wasn't the heavy weights that are used in Slow Heavy or the Pyramid Series.
So nothing has worked like my current program which I alternate things. I've been able to maintain my weight by a fluctuation of 2-3 pounds for over a year.(I lost 20) As the British say, have a 'go at it' for a month and see if it helps you.
If you make exercising fun and not a job.... This helps to loosen up and give the class you are doing, your all. Then a person might not have to do so much...time wise. ;-) ;-)
 
RE: Hi Nicole!

Hi again Nicole.

I'm not a mental health professional, but I am a registered nurse, and I have to agree with Annette on this one. It sounds like something more is going on here. You sound like you've become convinced somehow that you have to push your body this hard, or something "terrible" will happen - in your case, more weight gain. I'm also sensing an uncomfortable amount of anxiety in your posts, and the only reason I'm picking up on this is because the combination of an obsession, coupled with having to do something to rid yourself of the associated anxiety, could be the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. My daughter has this, and I've read a lot about it. We've lived and breathed this illness for over two years now in my house. I'm not claiming to be an armchair psychologist here, but you sound so much like her, although her obsessions and anxiety took another theme, that I would like to also urge you to seek professional help. I understand the four pounds is distressing you, but may I also gently say I think your reaction to it is a bit over the top? I pray you don't take offense at my post, but you have me very concerned for you. We've all given you very good reasons for seeing an four extra pounds on your scale, and as well as some practical and easy to implement suggestions to ease off on your body a bit, and your answer to this was to pile more anxiety on yourself. I'm worried for you, and I hope you find a way to resolve this. It's a helpless feeling to sit here and read posts like this, and not be able to help the person writing them. Again, I hope you don't take offense at this, or think I'm trying to diagnose you with an illness. I'm not, but your post struck a chord in me and reminded me of the days before my daughter was finally diagnosed, so I had to speak up. I wish you the best of luck!!

Carol
:)
 
ARRRGGGG!!!!

I won't be as gentle as A-Jock & Carol have been--

YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! Whether you have a real psychological issue is not my decision to make or suggest. However, you've asked for advise & have decided that our advice is wrong. It seems to me that if one asks for advice & then gets advice from 4 people that ALL say the same thing, then maybe that advice is right & you are wrong.

I think you need to look deeper inside yourself & decide if you really want help or if you are just looking for attention. If you are just looking for attention, you've certainly gotten it. If you really want advice, you'll try what was advised & forget those 4 stinkin' pounds.

You've posted your exercise routine, I would be interested to see what you are eating on a daily basis--again, I'm going to tell you that YOU PROBABLY NEED TO EAT MORE! Intense workouts & eating very little does not mix!
 
RE: ARRRGGGG!!!!

Nicole, what is your current height and weight? What do you consider to be your ideal weight?
Beth
 
RE: ARRRGGGG!!!!

Gotta say I do agree with everyone here, but.....

Nicole, don't feel picked on because you and your attitudes represent almost everyone I know. It may be disordered thinking, but sadly, it is the norm. I know that you can be fearful that minimizing your exercise routine will cause weight gain, but, if what you are doing isn't working, why not try something new???

I have to say though...I don't know how some of you guys do it....working your legs SO MUCH!! I couldn't even possibly have exercise anorexia cuz my legs would downright prevent it. Your workout schedule, with Leaner Legs sandwiched twice a week with all that leg work, amazes me. Maybe you can go heavier with Leaner Legs and harder with the interval workout and possibly eliminate a few cardios per week?? I know we are all different, but I truly think that if you are pushing hard enough with your cardio and weights (intensity is high enough) you shouldn't be able to do all that leg intensive cardio and weight work EVERY day! Maybe try pushing harder than ever and working out every other day?

Please don't take offense to what these ladies have said. Most of us are giving the advice we give because we have been there and are here to regret it!!!:):)


Janice
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top