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Can someone please explain my sudden weight gain??

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n3ophy7e

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Okay, what the fuck is going on here???

I'm suddenly gaining body fat at an alarming rate. I'm female, 5'9" and weigh 75-80kg depending on my muscle condition. At the moment I'm training for a triathlon so I'm doing way more cardio than weights training, but I usually do a weights session 3 times a week. These past couple of months I've been exercising every single week day for at least 40 minutes. I'm alternating between swimming and running. So I'm pretty damn fit at the moment.

My diet is pretty good although it could contain more protein and less carbs. Each week day I consume:
*1 small tub of low fat yoghurt
*a punnet of strawberries, a banana and an apple
*sushi OR a multigrain bread roll with a tin of tuna, for lunch
*meat and 3 vegies for dinner

On weekends I eat much less because I usually forget to eat.

I'm an alcoholic but have cut down my alcohol consumption drastically in the last few months. I don't usually drink on weeknights (unless I'm stressed) but I do drink a shitload on weekends. But like I said, I've cut down a LOT recently.

I drink a LOT of coffee, I probably consume around 600mg of caffeine a day.

I initially thought I might be pregnant but the tests have come back negative.

So, could someone please try to shed some light on why my body fat is increasing so drastically?? My weight hasn't increased, but my body condition is going downhill. Is it time to go and talk to my doctor about this? Could there be some sort of hormonal imbalance or something? I have a history of eating disorders and a lot of my self-worth and validation comes from how my body looks. I really cannot deal with this fat gain and it's completely unfair because I'm doing everything right to prevent this from happening. HELP!!
 
A few things:

Are you on any prescription medicines? Including birth control - that can definitely affect weight. Did you maybe switch to a new BC?

What time of day are you eating? In general, to maintain/lose weight, you want to eat more in the AM and less in the PM. Or at least lower on carbs and fats in the PM. And how are you cooking the meat? (Don't fry stuff).

Are you supplementing anything for sports nutrition?

To be honest, worry less about weight and more about Bodyfat Percentage and Body Mass Index. If these are not moving in negative directions, than the weight's likely a response to your training. Muscle *is* heavy. Get these checked and checked on a weekly or fortnightly basis (many gyms do this for free).

I know with eating disorders it can hard to be objective, but do you look like you're getting fat in the mirror?
 
Hey thanks for the quick reply RL!! <3

In response:

*No I haven't had any changes in meds at all this entire year, and I'm not on any hormonal BC because it messes with me.

*I generally eat small amounts in the morning, a lot in the middle of the day, then nothing until dinner, which is generally at about 6-7pm. I could definitely eat dinner earlier, and cut down the amount of food consumed at dinner. Although having said that, it's currently not a large meal anyway.

*Absolutely NO frying takes place in my household!! I eat minimal fats, even when I'm dining out. I don't use butter or margerine etc. Also, I've cut out most refined foods from my diet e.g. sugar, white bread etc. I might eat too much fruit though, lots of sugar in that.

*I've not actually determined this change in body fat from my weight at all, it's purely determined by appearance. My weight has actually decreased, I'm guessing because I haven't been doing as much weights training as I usually would. BUT my body condition is getting worse, and my partner agrees (tactfully of course ;)) that I have put on a noticeable amount of body fat recently.

*The only supplement I'm taking at the moment is L-glutamine for my stomach lining, I have no idea what benefit this has to body condition!
 
L-Glutamine will have no negative effect on your external body. Keep taking it.

Possibly look into adding an ammino acid complex to a daily vitamin. Some amminos are great for energy, and most complexes give you a good sampling. And energy equals more stamina for doing this would could result in bodyfat reduction.

I know you use a different system in Australia, but can you attempt to count calories of a typical day (including booze)? Small meals frequently is typically good; 6-7 meals of 200-400 calories each (spread out) is better than eating any large meals. At first it sucks, but you get used to it. This can also boost metabolism. But *consistency* in caloric intake is very important for maintaining a fast metabolism. "Making up for it" is a horrible idea.

Don't mess with OTC weight loss stuff. The only stuff that actually works is beyond your level; like what bodybuilders use to get down to 4%BF, and that stuff's not to be taken lightly.

Another thing to do is double your daily water intake. This will get your metabolism sped up too. And have a glass of non-fat milk with breakfast. Milk is especially good for women.

Aside from that, just keep training consistently, take it easy on the booze, and try and get enough rest at night.

Get a journal - log your workouts, your weight fluctuation, your BFP/BMI changes, and everything you eat (calories, carbs, fats, etc.) Consistency is key.
 
Thanks so much RL, I appreciate your advice. I will start to keep a log (and try to adher to it??) to see what can be improved upon.

The amino acid complex is a great idea, can certainly do no harm right!

This is all just so completely frustrating, as you can imagine. Plus, I really am totally freaking out about the amount of fat gain :|


Is there any point to seeing my doctor about it?? Will they just laugh in my face and tell me to come back when I have a real problem???
 
Oh, also throw away your scales and get yourself a measuring tape.

Size not weight seems to be your concern here.

Some of us are heavier than others.

My little brother is taller than me and more built.
I am stronger and weigh 15 kg more but if you were to glance at us side by side you would not say one is bigger than the other.
 
n3ophy7e said:
Is there any point to seeing my doctor about it?? Will they just laugh in my face and tell me to come back when I have a real problem???
Click to expand...

To be honest, I'd see a (good and qualified) personal trainer before a doctor. But that's just my opinion. Doctors know a little about a lot of stuff, but a solid PT knows A LOT about this stuff.
 
^n3ophy7e what is your actual training schedule? What intensity are you doing those 40 min sessions? Do you do brick sessions at all (swim/bike or bike/run etc). Do you train in the mornings or afternoons? Feel free to PM me and I can look at your schedule. I started this crazy sport back in 03 =D so more than happy to help.

From the little window you've given try to eat a lot more in the mornings than you are currently doing. And as Redleader noted, try to have 5-6 meals during the day, not just 2-3. How are you feeling during the sessions? You are not over-training?

*I've not actually determined this change in body fat from my weight at all, it's purely determined by appearance. My weight has actually decreased, I'm guessing because I haven't been doing as much weights training as I usually would. BUT my body condition is getting worse, and my partner agrees (tactfully of course ) that I have put on a noticeable amount of body fat recently.
Click to expand...
That seems rather odd!
 
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If you're basing the "fat gain" theory on appearances, is it possible it's just water?
 
^^Thats what I was thinking. N3o, maybe you are retaining a lot of water? It happens to all of us (especially before or during that time of the month, changes in diet, etc.) There could be many reasons for that unpleasant, bloated feeling.

I found this link that lists the causes for water retention...maybe this may be of help to you....

Also do you think it could be something to do with your thyroid as well? (hypothyroidism -->)
 
^^ Actually I hadn't considered water retention...
I'm aware of the hormonal changes each month causing bloating etc due to water retention, but I'm currently mid-cycle so I wouldn't expect that to be the reason for this. Thanks so much for that list hun, judging by the things on it I should be eating more calories and more protein...perhaps that will help.

I was also thinking something to do with my thyroid, but would (relatively) small amounts of fat gain be possibly attributed to this? When I think of an underactive thyroid I think of obesity, and this is not the case in my situation. Also, aren't things like that more of a chronic issue, rather than sudden?

lostNfound said:
That's a huge amount of coffee considering a 250mL red bull has 80mg of caffeine.
Click to expand...

Yes. I know. It's really bad. I need it to function though! :\
I'm calculating by an average cup of coffee having 100mg, and I have about 5 strong coffees a day.
This is why I put that piece of information in to my OP, just in case it might have something to do with slowing my metabolism or something?? It is a rather significant amount of caffeine isn't it!


Breecamb, the thing with my training these last 2 weeks is that it's not as intense as it should be! I've got all sorts of old sports injuries coming back to haunt me so I've really had to tone my training down significantly. I'm beginning to think I've peaked too early for the tri this Saturday! :(
When I'm training well though, it feels fantastic during, and I always finish feeling like I did the best I could, and maaaayyybeee could've done a little bit more/harder. Is that about the right level for training intensity? I'm never completely knackered after training.
I haven't done any brick sessions either which has me worried about this Saturday. I did my first cycle/run session this morning, and while it felt great, I'm being sooo cautious about my right shin (suspected stress fracture in the making!)
 
Rule of thumb is that you train to race, not race to train - in other words your training should be at 80%. So yes it is good that you don't feel completely knackered after training.

How big is your first tri this Saturday 400/15/4 or 500/20/5 or 750/20/5? Or are you taking part in the Pink triathlon? (I just checked out the website)

Another point, don't give up your weights training altogether, at least doing 1 session a week is very beneficial.

Good luck this Saturday - I know I would always freak out before the swim, and I still get nervous about it when I race now.
 
Yeah it is the pink one!! So it's tiny, 300/9/3. Perfect introductory tri ;)
I'm not nervous about any of the legs, I'm strong in all 3, but it's just putting them all together that I'm a bit nervous about :D
It'll be sweet though, I'm fit enough to go hard.

Great point about not racing to train, I will definitely keep that in mind :)

I think I'm slowly realising that it's the alcohol that is making me gain fat, as discussed with SA in the TDS thread. Even though I've cut down recently (with another slight increase in consumption just this week) it's still enough to cause decreased metabolic rate and weight gain. This could be the answer to my question.
Although even if it is the sole answer, I still don't understand why my body fat has so SUDDENLY increased??
 
Sounds like your not eating enough. If you feel hungry a lot of the time then your probably starving yourself. If your body thinks its wasting away (especially with a heavy training regime) it will up your cortisol and that can lead to fat gain.
 
^^ I have actually considered this. I am definitely not purposefully restricitng my caloric intake. With my history of EDs I know the feeling of hunger/starvation quite well, and I actually don't feel hungry a lot of the time now, in retrospect probably because of the amount of caffeine I ingest daily!
It appears it's a combination of things contributing to my recent fat gain...
Definitely something to consider...
Thank you :)
 
Do you drink a lot of soft drinks n3? I know you said you've cut back on sugar, but how many cokes would you say you drink a day? I'd honestly worry less about the coffee(if it's not one of those sugary frapachinos) than I would about soft drinks.

How much water would you say you drink a day? If you've been training for this tri, you honestly should be drinking at least 1 gallon a day...if not more when possible. Not doing so may have a bloating(yes water retention) affect.

I try to have a water bottle with me everywhere I go throughout the day so I'm constantly drinking H2O. This may sound excessive, but I've found it to drastically cut down on water weight, and diminish that "soft, watery" look muscle may take on.
 
Nope, no soft drinks in my belly! Well, I do indulge in the occasional can of coke, but not on a regular basis.

I try to drink a lot of water, like a couple of litres a day (not quite 1 gallon), so I should definitely drink more. Thanks dude!
 
if you've lost weight, perhaps your fat cells are just becoming more obvious? i have read that while sometimes weight loss can reduce the size of fat cells, in other cases its the reverse and you can end up looking worse.

of course, drinking a shitload (even if you've cut back) certainly works against fat burning.
 
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