Why is my weight creeping up for no reason??? Please help, I need your wisdom.
Hi Chicks,
I could really use some of your wisdom!
Is there a point after maintaining for a while, when your body just has a mind of it's own about what weight it wants you to be? or is it my age(42)? I lost 65 lbs. I've been maintaining for 16mo. I ate only whole foods to lose the weight & I still do to maintain. My diet consists of lots of fruit, veggies, yogurt, a little bit of nuts & skinless chicken & seafood, it tends to be low fat, about 1300-1400 cal. a day. For the past month and a half, my body isn't responding to any of my efforts to maintain. I eat the same kind of food, I exercise 40 min. a day as always. I lose weight when I have to, but much slower, even with lowering my calories. I can't get down to the 105-106lbs. that i was staying at for 15mo.(which was my feel good weight), & is within a healthy range for me. Last month I got my period for the first time in 10mo., I can't figure out why it was absent for so long! My weight has been creeping up little by little, now I'm in the 108-110lb. range. I'm ok with this small gain, but what if it keeps going up? I feel like I have no control over what my body chooses to do. After a while dieters know how their body reacts to certain foods or exercise & what works for them, I understood my body pretty well, I noticed as soon as it started changing about 8 weeks ago. What more can I do to stop the weight gain or is this normal for most people? What did you experience?, please help.
From what you've said (particularly re not having your period for 10 months) I think your body may be reacting to what is basically a "starvation situation" for it.
I know we're all different builds and bone structures and body composition. But I'm an inch taller than you and weigh 135 lbs. and am totally within the normal BMI range.
Actually, at 105 pounds and 5'3", fruitlady is just barely within the normal BMI range. Another tenth of a point and she'd be underweight.
I think that may be part of your answer right there, fruitlady. Just because that's your idea of a happy weight doesn't mean it's what your body wants. And, since BMI is just a guideline, it could be that you're underweight already.
I had something like that happen also, after about a year and 3 months of reaching goal. My weight was higher than yours, though. I don't have an answer for you, because I haven't solved this myself and am still struggling with the "key" to maintenance. I'm not sure there is one key.
The period part is curious. Didn't it worry you when your periods stopped? You are a bit young for menopause, although it's not impossible. It could be that your hormones are shifting trying to prepare for menopause, and that can change weight.
Also, we do gain as we get older, all other things being equal.
I guess I'd say, find a registered dietitian to talk to and see if he or she has any suggestions for you.
Height: 5 foot 2 and a half (Don't forget the half lol!)
She could have a normal BMI but an unhealthy body fat percentage. Please get your body fat tested, or even use some online body fat percentage calculators in the meantime - they're not as accurate as calliper measurements taken by trained professionals, but I use one as a guideline. If your body fat is too low, time to find a higher weight that you AND your body will love.
Losing your period isn't a good sign. Maybe your 'feel good' weight wasn't good for your body? Usually lost periods are a bad sign associated with being underweight unless it's leading into menopause.
Have you gained some muscle mass? Increasing your muscle will increase your metabolism and make you look more toned BUT the scale will rise. If you haven't been eating enough to gain fat then I wouldn't worry.
The closer to your goal you are the slower the weight loss because there's not much excess fat left to lose. It happens to most, if not all, losers. You could try changing your routine e.g. exercise for 30mins but more intense or 60mins but less/more intense. Or vary your food more - it sounds nice and healthy, but you could try food you haven't had in a while.
Is there a point after maintaining for a while,
when your body just has a mind of it's own about what weight it wants you to be?
I lose weight when I have to, but much slower, even with lowering my calories.
I can't get down to the 105-106lbs. that i was staying at for 15mo.
(which was my feel good weight), & is within a healthy range for me.
What more can I do to stop the weight gain or is this normal for most people?
What did you experience?, please help.
Question interests me,
since I have been dealing with this problem for the past two years.
About 5 years ago, after reaching my 115 lb weight goal,
while eating an average of around 1200 calories,
I increased my calories about 100 or so -to 1250-1350
but continued dropping weight down to the 109-112 range,
and held in that weight area for several months.
However, after about 6 months inside maintenance
when working to lose a few more pounds,
in order to give me a bit of "bounce" room pre-Vacation, pre-Holiday,
I found that although a few weeks of lower calorie dieting would bring me a 2 or 3 lb weight loss,
my weight refused to Stabilize in that area...no matter what..
Despite all efforts, my weight would return to a stabilized weight of around 112-115 lbs...
This continued for about two years..with an average calorie burn of around 1200-1300
(For perspective- remember - I'm 5'0", over 60, AND "reduced obese")
HOWEVER, After about 2 1/2 years, while continuing my SAME behavior,
my weight began creeping up a fraction of a lb at a time,
and to avoid this, I had to gradually reduce my calorie intake.
Long story short (I know....Too Late)
Anyway, for the first 2 years of my maintenance,
I maintained and even lost a tiny amount on 1200-1300 calories.
For the next 2 1/2 + years of my maintenance,
due to gradual weight creep,
I've worked to maintain my weight around 118-120 lbs at an average calorie amount of 1050.
All attempts to raise my calorie level above the 1050 calorie area has only caused increased weight.
During my most recent 2 1/2 + years I've experimented with
periods of increasing calories
and periods of decreasing calories,
Remember.......My 1050 average number is over 2 1/2 years...
and that 1050 average breakdown is also the same over all 6 month periods...
however, in the short term, for 2 to 3 month periods or so,
I've done a lot of experimenting both with higher and with lower food intake calories.
Higher calories always simply resulted in higher weight,
and lower calories always resulted in only temporary loss--back to my Stabilized weight...
but no overall weight-reduction.
There's little or no scientific research about what it takes for "reduced obese" people
to maintain a normal or light weight for a LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
You talk about a change after around 16 months of Maintenance.
I experienced a change after around 30 months of Maintenance.
Coincidence? I don't know... But my experience seems a bit similiar.
How to stop the weight-creep? I don't know.
Increasing Exercise has not been effective,
and I'd have great difficulty in reducing my calories further.
However, whatever happens with my weight,
I am committed to continue with my efforts.
I figure that weight "creeping" back on is FAR BETTER
than the "galloping" that I've previously experienced.
On the Bright Side..
If the creep continues at the rate of about 1/4 or 1/2 pound a year,
..........no matter what I do..................
the life span I have left probably won't be long enough for me to become obese again.
I rarely say this, but you may not be eating enough and should probably see a dr.
I said I rarely say that because I maintain a pretty darn low body fat percentage (18%) and am fine with people being as thin as they feel comfortable at given 2 criteria are met:
- energy levels are good
- hormonal function is normal
- women eat a min of 1200
Not having your period for 10 months is very odd, have you seen a dr about it? Unless you are experience pre menopausal symptoms loss of period is NOT to be seen as an acceptable side effect of dieting or low weight. It can have broader impact on your body than just the absence of your period, and should be discussed asap with a dr, Id probably start with my gyn.
As to why you are gaining weight despite everything remaining the same:
- our bodies all adapt to the eating and especially the workout regimes we do. They become better at doing a given exercise and dont need to work as hard to do that exercise.
- eating too low for too long can cause metabolic syndromes where we adapt to eating too little and can no longer maintain or lose at expected calorie ranges
- age related metabolic changes
- age related hormonal changes
I really hope you will discuss your healthy, weight, period loss and eating with a dr and maybe also a nutritionist if you are not already under the care of one or both. Unless both encourage you to adjust your eating/diet to maintain a lower weight, I would not at all suggest doing so!
Thank you all! You responses were very interesting.
Actually, if my current weight is the weight my body wants me to be, that's fine as long as i continue getting my period & I am healthy. I was so used to weighing 105-106lbs. for so long. When I tried to raise my calories once before, it seemed the more calories I ate, the more I would lose, I even dropped to 104lbs sometimes. Now, it's a totally different story. I did do an online body fat test, it was 18.5% at my lowest weight. I felt great when I was dieting & I still do, I didn't have this much energy when I was 20! Lost periods did alarm me, but I thought I could figure it out on my own. The period problem started when I was 41, I don't have any other symptoms of menopause. The weight actually started creeping up 6 weeks before my period came last month, I think it had something to do with it. I have no health insurance & have no money for a Dr. I am very interested in your experiences and would like to hear all your thoughts on this. Thanks so much!
Fruitlady, is there a Planned Parenthood in your area? I really think that you ought to see a doctor. The missed periods could be menopause, or could be due to low body fat. The weight gain could be related, or could be a thyroid problem. Or there could be something entirely different wrong causing both problems. A doctor is really the best person to assess this. Since you said you have no insurance, I really recommend calling Planned Parenthood. They provide low-cost women's health services and the amount they charge you is based on how much money you have, and if you have no money they will see you for free.
Does carb intake effect your efforts? Could your body become more more carb sensitive over time/with aging? Could you eat more calories, while eating lower carbs? My cycle became much more tolerable when I lost my weight, lowered my calories, and reduced my carbs. I have also noticed other benefits as well but the thread is focusing on the symptoms of weight loss and cycle regularity. Just wondering if you are trackinbg this too.
I'm your height. The particulars of my story may not match with yours, but I'll share it in the hopes of offering you some insight. In my early 30s, when I first lost over a hundred pounds, and my weight dropped to 105, my period disappeared for 18 months. I saw a gynecologist -- through Planned Parenthood, actually --- and was told that the problem was a low body fat level. I delayed going to a doctor about this -- I didn't see it as a problem, sadly -- I thought it made life a heckuva lot easier, and in the back of my mind, I knew, actually, what caused it. But then, I had an eating disorder, which first manifested as anorexia, then as bingeing and overexercising to purge. I did not want to be told to regain weight for my menstrual cycle to resume. However, my relationship with food was not healthy, and continued to deteriorate. Once my bingeing became more frequent, so much so that I was unable to purge by restricting or exercising off all the excess calories, I regained weight, and my period resumed.
Bright Angel-
Does carb intake effect your efforts?
Could your body become more more carb sensitive over time/with aging?
Could you eat more calories, while eating lower carbs?
Just wondering if you are tracking this too.
My answer to these first two questions is....Perhaps.
For the past 5 months or so I've been analyzing low carb,
both through research and personal experimentation.
I've found the Low Carb research on Low Carb extremely interesting
..especially that contained in "Good Calories Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes.
However, So far...for my own body...I have not arrived at any pro-or-con conclusion.
My personal research efforts along this line are hindered
by my difficulty in adhering to Low-Carb eating.
I greatly enjoy eating the complex carbs contained in grains, legumes etc. and, so far, I've found it difficult to abstain from them for more than short time periods.
I've run several experiments with this during the past 5 months,
and have not yet been able to complete a consistent two-week
low-carb period.
However, I shall continue to experiment with this issue
until I feel I have a personal answer to those questions.
Last edited by Bright Angel; 11-16-2010 at 09:28 AM.
Why is my weight creeping up for no reason??? Please help, I need your wisdom.
The OP isn't trying to lose more weight.
and, so far, I've found it difficult to abstain from them for more than short time periods.
