I can't stop gaining weight

[Squirrel698]

So I'm perturbed.  Basically I'm up to 165 which is freaking me out.  I've been eating an average of 1700 healthy calories a day for weeks now.  I use something like a 25/35/40 spread which I think would be fine.  Yes that's a lot of protein, about 175g, but everything I look at says protein is key.  I work out regularly and hard, often twice a day.  I've gained 15 lbs but my waist size hasn't changed.  It's still about 30 inches. 

So what gives?  I want to lose fat, not gain muscle.  I have extra fat on my stomach area that I want gone!  I'm creating a calories defunct which should cause me to lose weight, not gain.  I'm out of ideas and getting a bit depressed.       

[geek]

Heh, poor squirrell

I'll try to help as best I can, if you don't want muscle, cut down on your protein, protein is key in building and maintaining lean muscle. But don't cut it out entirely (Ofc) you could use a tool (app or pen and paper) to keep a food journal, it really does help, even if it's just to see where you are at I use myfitnesspal - it even has a browser version if you don't have a smartphone.

Cardio is the best bet for losing fat without gaining too much muscle :/

[geek]

Just remember you can't target fat loss in certain part of your body - meaning u can't choose where it goes from

[Zerro]

Geek is right, my man. If you want to lose fat, though, might I suggest cutting back on your calories? I'm not suggesting starvation, that won't help at all, but I've been told that if you want to burn off fat, you need to use more calories than you consume. You'll probably feel hungry at first, but it'll help in the long run if you don't want to bulk up.

Another thing I've seen work was a diet spread out over six small meals a day. This way, one would not feel starved and the potential to do more things because the energy was going through their system in a more balanced way. You know what I mean?

[Squirrel698]

Thanks you guys.  I know right, I need hugs.

I do already keep a food journal.  That's how I know the exact amount I'm eating of everything.  I could cut out more calories but to much lower I will be in starvation mode technically.  Six small meals over the day is a good idea but that's hard to do when you want more than snacks.  Eating a quarter of a frozen meal is kind of ridiculous really.   

I going to  make an appointment with a personal trainer with a nutrition background to see what he thinks.  Of course that means outing myself which I hate to do but I'm worried that my T injections is causing quite a bit of this.  Testosterone is a muscle builder after all.   

[dalebert]

Look into a paleo diet. It will generally mean more healthy fats and less carbohydrates, but that's an oversimplification. The form of your carbs is key as well. For instance, potatoes, bread, and rice are highly discouraged but sweet potatoes are better because they have a lower glycemic index. The glycemic index of foods impacts whether they cause an insulin spike and insulin is key to your bodies regulation of storing fat.

I keep meaning to read a book called Wheat Belly. I've been gleaning info about wheat and its widespread consumption in large quantities being a factor in modern obesity but I hear that book is a great source for it. It's definitely on my reading list and I would recommend you check it out. I've heard the author say that wheat may not have been as bad before some of the genetic engineering that has been done to most of what we eat today, but generally speaking, grains are a modern phenomenon in the evolution of humans (only about 5 to 10k years) and we haven't had time to adapt to such a high carbohydrate diet. And hence the term paleo referring to the things paleolithic humans primarily ate.

[dalebert]

One thing you'll immediately notice if you just switch out a chunk of your calories from carbohydrates to fats is that you'll be less hungry on the same amount of calories. It will be MUCH easier to avoid cravings to eat. You know that feeling you get when you're not exactly hungry but you just want to eat? That's a symptom of carb addiction. Another one is being hit suddenly with ravenous hunger, perhaps when it hasn't even been that long since you ate, or just kind of thinking about food all the time and never feeling satisfied. These are all results of the insulin roller-coaster that most people are riding on modern diet with carbohydrates at the base of the pyramid.

[Nygeel]

Stomach fat is the hardest to get rid of but my brain is going "lucky you at 165." It could be that you won't lose it until you're super lean which is really hard to do. Work out more is the only option I can think of. Running, spinning, swimming, just a long distance vigorous cardio.

[geek]

Hey ignore the name of the site, but if you go to www.bodybuilding.com there's a forum there with a fat loss section, it's quite extensive but full of really good information

I wouldn't lower your calories too much, even just 500 lowered from your 'maintainence' number each day is 3500 a week (one pound of fat burnt / lost) and really - slower weight loss for the AVERAGE person (before the wolves descend on me) is easier to stick to than cutting out crazy ->-bleeped-<- all at once.

I agree six small meals is bloody tough, I'm a once a day eater, so I eat one big meal a day, I've found that intermittent fasting works for me. (again wolves) but it really all depends on the individual.

Seems like your doing all the right things though, so your best bet is dietician, and or trainer, or you could glean info from the site I linked above, and keep going yourself, you could have just hit a plateau of sorts? Your body is having a bit of a tantrum or all of the above!

And as usual we are all here when you need to rant!

Though if you wanted to send your spare muscle my way I wouldn't say no!


Edit: and I'd really look into the protein you're eating! It's a fair chunk for someone not wanting to gain more Lean muscle!

[Felix]

Good luck man. I'm doing the same thing, have found myself pretty suddenly at 160 after years of never being more than 140. I haven't decided whether or not to worry about it yet, but if anything works well for me I'll pass it on.

[Sharky]

Lower your calorie intake to stop feeding muscle growth. You probably don't need to supplement your protein unless your trying to gain muscle. I'm a vegetarian and I always get more protein than I need a day. Most people do. I dont know what your workouts consist of, but don't do any muscle building if you don't want to be gaining more. You can't loose and gain weight at the same time. Just got to cut and change your diet and work out for loss.

[geek]

Lower your calorie intake to stop feeding muscle growth. You probably don't need to supplement your protein unless your trying to gain muscle. I'm a vegetarian and I always get more protein than I need a day. Most people do. I dont know what your workouts consist of, but don't do any muscle building if you don't want to be gaining more. You can't loose and gain weight at the same time. Just got to cut and change your diet and work out for loss.

You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time though :p

[tvc15]

I don't see why you'd have to out yourself to a personal trainer. Testosterone is a muscle builder, yes, but you're just taking it to get your levels into a normal male range, you're not using them as steroids, so the way your body uses its energy shouldn't be out of the ordinary.

Geek is right though, you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. The number on the scale isn't really what matters--it's the inches. Are the body parts you want to shrink, getting smaller? And vice versa? Then you're good. Otherwise, to purely lose fat, you just have to keep going with your calorie deficit. If you're already in decent shape it's hard for some people to lose those last few pounds that just seem to want to stay on.

[Adio]

If I'm reading your posts correctly, you are saying you eat 25% of carbs, 35% of fat, and 40% protein correct?  I've found very little (even on body building websites) on getting carbs that low and proteins that high to achieve weight loss.  I am a little ignorant on CFP ratios though.  The one site with a lot of info mentioning the 25/35/40 emphasized burning more than you take in, not creating a deficit, so I think that was not really geared for what you are trying to do.

But you say you don't want to gain muscle.  Having protein that high is likely affecting that.  Not sure what work outs you are doing, but if you are doing mostly strength training, it's also definitely going to cause you to gain muscle with your current diet.  Also, with the amount of fat you are getting, is it good fat--unsaturated fats like the kind found in avocados, fatty cold-water fish (salmon, trout, tuna, etc), olive oil, walnuts, almonds, etc?  Or is it saturated fat?

Are you getting enough fiber with your carbs that low?  How much sodium as you eating (under 1500 is the latest recommendation)?  Are you drinking enough water?

If you are truly set on a personal trainer, there's no reason to out yourself to them.  Yes, T is a muscle builder.  But like tvc said, you aren't abusing it as a steroid.  Your levels should be the same as most other men your age--they don't need to tell a trainer they have testosterone in their bodies!

[Squirrel698]

@Adio - I don't mind gaining muscle but my biggest priority is losing fat.  I was using those ratios because I read doing so and creating a defunct would cause me to lose fat but not muscle.  Perhaps it was wrong, or at least wrong for me.  And yes I'm doing mostly strength training.  Even the aerobic classes I'm doing have a strong empathise on that. 

I am very careful with fats I get and stay away from junk food as much as possible.  Yeah I know all these rules.  If anyone is a dieting expert, it's me.  I've been at this for more than half my life.

I could do better on the fiber and sodium fronts.  I have a hard time finding time to cook actual meals so I go pre-packaged and those are always high in sodium.  I'll try to cut back a bit and stop fooling myself those are just as healthy as fresh. 

I suppose you are right concerning the personal trainer.  I've just never hit such a stubborn plateau before so I was grasping at straws.  But yeah I should look at my sodium and such before giving up completely.

@tv15 and Greek - I read there is no way to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.  I really don't know what to think.  So I'm going to change things up and see what happens.  There's not much else I can do.  I'm in decent enough shape I guess.  Most people still refer to me as slender.  Which is crazy because I've gained 15 lbs in the past year but I'm tall so I guess I hide it well under clothes.

@Sharky - Thanks for the advice.  Same as everything else I keep getting conflicting information on the protein front.  Quite a few places say you need your body weight in protein daily.  Others say 75 grams or so is enough.  Blah

@Felix - At least I'm not alone with this.  It's kind of a God, why God, sort of situation but you've just got to flow with the punches.  It's just the way it goes.

@Geek - I know about those wolves.  Shesh.  I've seen that website, thanks.  There is some good information on there but it conflicts with what else is on the web.  I wish everyone would make up their mind but everyone is trying to sell something it seems.  Sigh.  I have given the six meals a day a good shot but it just doesn't work for me.  I always end up making one of those meals bigger than it needs to be and eating the others when I'm not really hungry because I feel I should.  Eventually I end up eating way more than I intended too.

@Nygeel - Stomach fat blows and I have so much more than I use too.  Leaner hips are nice but even those are starting to round out.

@dalebert - You are awesome.  Thank you for telling me about the Paleo diet.  I've heard of it before but this is the first time I've seriously looked into it.  It seems very doable to me and healthy besides.  I'm already lactose intolerant and I doubt I'll miss wheat all that much.  I only ate it because it was there, not because I really wanted too.  Eating like a caveman, being a caveman, that sounds good to me.  Helping with bloat means helping with the waist line and that sounds good to me.  I have high hopes and I'm going to give it the 30 days the recommend and then see where I'm at.

[geek]

Keep us updated =]

[dalebert]

A quick and entertaining crash course introduction to paleo is a movie called Fat Head. Dood's a comedian but he's really smart and does a good analysis of science. I think it's available streaming from Netflix and used to be on Hulu as well if you don't have a Netflix acct.

It is still on Hulu. Just checked. The movie is about a lot more than the paleo diet, btw. That's just one of the things he talks about a little later on when he explains his plan--to eat nothing but fast food and lose weight. He's spoofing and debunking the Supersize Me movie.

[Adio]

@Squirrel:  That ratio might work for someone else with different goals, but maybe not for you.  I think, from what I've read, you may have to play around with a couple of them until you find something that works for you.

I've also been dieting for a good portion of my life.  Being overweight/obese for years, and then losing 75+ lbs, I understand where you're coming from.  I've also been told I'm slender/skinny, but I hide my body fat very well under clothes.  Too much stomach fat, not enough muscle unfortunately.

Cutting down on the sodium should help, if you are carrying around extra water weight.  Fiber should do you good as well.  Cooking can be difficult when you're short on time.  Maybe set aside one day to cook large portions for the rest of the week--eat some, freeze some.

Best of luck in whatever you decide.  Definitely don't give up!  I remember some of your earliest pictures on here, you've come a long, long way.  The changes you've had--both from T and from losing weight--have been amazing.

[sneakersjay]

If you have gained weight but your waist size is the same then you have likely lost fat and gained muscle.  Chances are you won't gain gobs of muscle like a musclebound gym rat, but more muscle is a good thing.  Now if you were gaining weight and your waistline expanding and your clothes didn't fit I'd be more concerned.   Personally I'd stop weighing myself.  It sounds like you are healthy and doing pretty darn good.


Jay

[dalebert]

I think Sneakersjay has a point. Muscle weights more than fat. Don't NECESSARILY be stressed out that you're gaining weight.