Why, body, why?

June 28, 2007 11:06 AM

What am I doing wrong? Either I've got the worst metabolism in the world, or my body *likes* being fat.

I'm a 24-year-old woman, 5'8", generally healthy. I can't keep a scale in the house because of OCD issues, but I'm probably 150 pounds. At my most fit, I was 135. I'm trying to get back there, or at least feel healthy and fit into my clothes.

For the last 5+ months:

I eat 1100-1400 calories a day. Nothing artificial, no sugars, no processed or fast foods, no red meat, no soda. Only 1 cup of coffee in the morning and tons and tons of water. For breakfast, I'll have some kind of whole grains like GoLean oatmeal, for lunch a medium-sized salad with tofu (or lean chicken) and orange slices and light soy dressing, later a banana or kiwi for a snack, and for dinner a protein drink or more oatmeal. I run 4 miles a day, 4-5 times a week, and lift light weights for toning. I drink about 6-8 liters of water each day.

But the pudge will not go away. In fact, I am GAINING WEIGHT, mostly in my stomach and legs. It's definitely not muscle weight. My clothes don't fit well. I also feel tired and shaky all the time, but never hungry. It's baffling -- I'm taking in fewer calories than I expend, so where is the weight coming from?

Also, I'm thirsty constantly. I made a doctor's appointment to figure that out, but drinking lots of water can't make me gain weight like this, can it?

I thought maybe I was eating too few calories and depressing my metabolism, but if I add any more calories (usually via fruit or protein), I gain MORE weight almost instantly! I can actually feel my jeans get tighter.

I've always been athletic, and whenever I've put on extra pounds in the past, it's been because I've stopped exercising and eaten more (in the logical way). But for some reason now, trying to be healthy has made me look and feel worse, and I am demoralized.

There's got to be a logical explanation. Any advice? Thanks in advance.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (31 answers total)

Constant thirst is a symptom of diabetes. Make sure you mention it at your doctor's appointment.
posted by chiababe at 11:10 AM on June 28, 2007

Have you tried restricting carbs? Some people do better on low-carb than on low-fat diets. Eating more protein would be good for your weightlifting, too.
posted by bink at 11:15 AM on June 28, 2007

Have you had a physical? As suggested by chiababe perhaps diabetes or even a basic thyroid imbalance could be the culprit.
posted by banannafish at 11:16 AM on June 28, 2007

Also, your metabolism may indeed be too low. Get your thyroid checked as well.
posted by vacapinta at 11:17 AM on June 28, 2007

I think you've got to try eating more calories for an extended period of time.

While your level of calories is fine for someone on a diet with the exercise it sounds like you're overdoing it. If you're running 4-5 miles a day, you're ending up with a huge calorie deficit. The only way your body can respond is by conserving every little calorie and as much water as it can.

When you try to adjust calories and eat more, your body is trying to store those too, because it think it's in starvation mode.

I would stop running for a bit, and re-calibrate your body for 2-3 weeks. Let your body know that you're not dying, you're not starving, that you're just trying to lose weight. Get up to a "normal diet" and continue with the normal diet. you want something you can keep long term.

After you've done this, start running, but eat the same diet. There's no point starving yourself. You want to make a long-term change and commitment. Don't try to rush it by eating almost nothing.

Also, life more. Seriously. Light weights for toning doesn't put any stress on the muscles, and it's not like they're all of a sudden going to become huge. You need to really stress your muscles if they're going to grow, and grow they will, a little bit at a time.

Lifting more will also have the added benefit of giving you a better cardio workout.
posted by unexpected at 11:17 AM on June 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

After seeing everyone else's reply, yeah, get the medical stuff checked out too, but if everything comes back okay, I really just think you're trying to do too much in too short a time.
posted by unexpected at 11:19 AM on June 28, 2007

I can't keep a scale in the house because of OCD issues, but I'm probably 150 pounds.

Also, make sure you have indeed been gaining weight. Use some scale, somewhere. Otherwise, since we dont know you, for all we know this may all be entirely in your mind.
posted by vacapinta at 11:19 AM on June 28, 2007

Are you taking any medication for your OCD (or for any other reason, for that matter)? There are medications that can cause weight gain.
posted by amro at 11:29 AM on June 28, 2007

I just wanted to point out that at 5'8" and 150 pounds, you are well within the official healthy weight range. I agree with unexpected, maybe you are just dieted the hell out. After eliminating any dire medical conditions via a trip to the doctor, try to find a way to give yourself a break from worrying about this.
posted by hilatron at 11:57 AM on June 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

Honestly, I think unexpected is right; that doesn't really sound like enough food for someone who's running 4-5 miles a day. Add the fact that you feel tired and shaky all the time? That sounds like a body that's not getting enough food to me.

Also, 150 lbs is totally within a healthy range for someone your height; I'm not telling you you shouldn't lose weight, but just that given that you're already pretty healthy and you're running so much, you probably shouldn't be restricting your diet quite so harshly. You can't eat like that long term; you should talk to your doctor and consider seeing a nutritionist.
posted by SoftRain at 12:03 PM on June 28, 2007

Echoing that 5'8"/150lbs is super normal!

Use some scale, somewhere.

I too cannot keep a scale in the house, so I use the most expensive digital scale at a bath and bed shop in the mall once every 2 weeks.
posted by zarah at 12:07 PM on June 28, 2007

"I thought maybe I was eating too few calories and depressing my metabolism, but if I add any more calories (usually via fruit or protein), I gain MORE weight almost instantly! I can actually feel my jeans get tighter."

*That* is purely psychosomatic. Near-term, however, it may have a kernel of truth to it, at least with the protein - it needs a lot of water to digest, so you retain more water.

Overall, I'm almost certain that you're not getting enough calories. There's any number of basal metabolic rate calculators on the web. Plug into two or three (you said you're ocd, what the heck, make it work for you) and average the results out. Eat exactly that amount for two weeks. With the running miles, your actual energy expenditure will be much higher, but the food intake will keep your body out of starvation mode.

Another thing: Instead of one four miler daily, do two in the morning at two at night. I realize that especially in the heat it's a pain in the ass with all the extra laundry (can't re-wear anything), but the post-exercise bump in metabolism will occur twice a day instead of merely once.

All that said, really, 5'8"/150 is perfectly fine. If you're athletic (and so, your muscles are pretty dense), that might be a little light. What with admitted OCD and imagined weight gain (you couldn't possible feel your clothes get tighter from eating anywhere but in the torso), are you sure you don't have something like body dysmorphia?
posted by notsnot at 12:22 PM on June 28, 2007

Thirding the suggestion for a thyroid check. Especially if you're not exaggerating your fitness regimen or underestimating your calorie intake. Thyroid conditions are surprisingly commonly and widely undiagnosed.

I agree with those who say that 135 might be a bit lean for someone who's 5'8" and that 150 is probably a pretty healthy weight. But of course, that depends on body type, so I can't be sure. Your doctor can help you decide, though, what a healthy weight range for you might be.

In any case, see the doc. Maybe you should keep a detailed food/exercise diary for a week or two beforehand, and swear that it's accurate, so they can evaluate whether diet and exercise are about right.

I will say that 1100-1400 calories is way insufficient for someone who runs 4 miles a day 4-5 times a week. That would be a very extreme weight loss program indeed. It's quite hard to eat less than 1500 calories a day for any length of time beyond a couple of months, especially if you're active. I mean, if you're running a 10-minute mile during your workouts, you're burning between 400-500 calories just on your runs, let alone the afterburn effect. I think your diet is too low-calorie even for weight loss. With that activity level and your height you should probably be taking in 1800 calories a day for optimum performance and weight loss. But again, I'm not a doctor, and it sounds like you should see your doctor about it.
posted by Miko at 12:34 PM on June 28, 2007

p.s. -- assuming all else is well, when I'm trying to drop weight and I hit a weightloss plateau, I throw in a couple of interval workouts on the treadmill, about 2x a week for for a couple weeks. The higher intensity works like a charm, though I don't really know the reason.
posted by Miko at 12:36 PM on June 28, 2007

I just re-read your description, and there's no fat whatsoever in your diet.That's actually rather bad for you. If you're running as much as you say, you should have no problem whatsoever eating a *normal* diet (vs. the anorexic/starvation diet you've got yourself on) and be still losing weight.
posted by notsnot at 12:38 PM on June 28, 2007

Get thee to an MD first and get your blood tests for diabetes/thyroid, etc. first. Sounds like you're just not getting enough calories for your activity level though. A swollen torso and legs are symptoms of undernutrition.

Also 150 at 5'8" is perfectly normal, but you knew that already.
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:01 PM on June 28, 2007

Wow, your diet is extremely low in calories! I'm 135 and if I ate so little and ran 4 miles on top of it, I'd fall over exhausted. I really think in my non expert opinion that your body is hanging on to that weight for all it's worth because it thinks you are starving. What if you declared yourself one "cheat day" a week where you would eat close to 2000 calories and just cut back on the other days? But not so drastically as you are now..
posted by citron at 1:04 PM on June 28, 2007

I agree with what others have said -- your diet is not compatible with your level of activity. I'm a woman who's 4 inches shorter than you, and I'd probably fall right over and die if I attempted your level of activity on your diet. :) You're a lot taller than I am, so you're probably running on a huge calorie deficit.

The doctor's visit is a good idea, as is lifting heavier weights (Stumptuous has great advice for female weightlifters, including some well-balanced diet advice). In my experience, few things have a higher benefit-to-effort ratio than lifting. I think you should also consider changing your diet to incorporate more protein and healthy fats rather than carbs. You should try to eat a good solid dinner (by that I mean veg and a source of protein & fat, at the very least) instead of a shake or oatmeal. If eating fats really bothers you, you might look into supplements of hemp or flax oil. They're easy to take (especially if you're into salad, they're great as dressing) and should help with your lack of energy.
posted by vorfeed at 1:57 PM on June 28, 2007

As someone else mentioned, if you're not actually weighing yourself there is a good chance that this is all in your head. Stop starving yourself. A little "pudge" could be the least of your problems if you keep at it.

Tell your doctor everything you've just told us.
posted by purephase at 2:18 PM on June 28, 2007

You are not overweight. (click on "pounds/feet" if you're a Yank)
posted by nax at 2:38 PM on June 28, 2007

Your body likes being at its current weight, which is not fat. It is resisting losing weight because you are at a healthy size and because you are eating too little to support your current activity level. A protein drink is not a meal. You need to eat more actual food. If you don't like the way your clothes fit, buy new clothes that fit you properly. But you are not overweight, and you need to eat more in order to avoid starving your body.
posted by decathecting at 3:26 PM on June 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also, at 24 years old, you are only just now hitting your adult body. If you are trying to get back to a body you had as a teenager or even in college, that is unrealistic, and you need to readjust your body image. You may never get that body back again, and that's okay. You're a grownup now, and your body may be a little bigger than it was when you were younger. That doesn't mean you're not healthy, and it doesn't mean you're fat, it just means you're an adult.
posted by decathecting at 3:29 PM on June 28, 2007 [2 favorites]

While I kind of doubt you are actually gaining fat, you are doing almost everything possible to strip your body of muscle mass. Eating too little? check. Engaging in a lot of intense aerobic exercise? check. Engaging in (most likely) far too little actual weight-bearing exercise? check. You at least seem to be getting a good number of calories from protein, but in light of the other factors I doubt that is sufficient to stop the muscle loss.
You are not doing yourself any favors with your current plan. Many people are under the misconception that your body burns fat before it burns muscle but in fact it is usually the opposite: muscle, a metabolically active material (aka expensive to build and maintain) is one of the first things to go when you start running a caloric deficit unless you try very hard to keep that from happening. 5lb hand weights and running aren't doing much of anything to stop the muscle loss.
As everyone else has said you should definitely see a doctor. But unless you want to eat 1100 (or fewer) calories a day for the rest of your life, look into a weight loss plan that is aimed at reducing your body fat, not just your scale weight. And really listen to decathecting up there, because you might just be in your adult shape and embracing it in all its awesomeness is definitely the way to go.
posted by ch1x0r at 4:15 PM on June 28, 2007

I'm trying to get back there, or at least feel healthy

Your health is not a number on the scale. You are drinking 6 to 8 liters of water a day and still thirsty. This is a huge amount of water, about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons. I see that you already have a doctor's appointment, good for you. This is something you need to discuss with your doctor.
posted by yohko at 5:51 PM on June 28, 2007

Wow...are you my sister?

I'll tell you the same thing I told her this past weekend. Eat a little more, stress a bit less, lift some weights, and learn to love yourself. I'm sure you're beautiful and fantastic.
posted by nekton at 6:52 PM on June 28, 2007

YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH CALORIES. Therefore your body is going into starvation mode and we all know what that means.
posted by konolia at 6:56 PM on June 28, 2007

How come no one else noted the 6-8 liters of water you're drinking every day? I'm a hardcore water drinker, and the most I ever get to is 2L. The 4x/week runs and 1400Cal/day is leading you to starvation. Now if you actually are taking in that much water per day, and are still incredibly thirsty, I'd second what someone else said about diabetes. See a Dr to eliminate this and also possible thyroid issues, and then chill. Stress causes weight gain too =)
posted by Xoder at 5:48 AM on June 29, 2007

Echoing concerns about not getting enough calories, not getting any fat. Being thirsty with that water intake is insane; something is not working properly.

However, I'm standing up for anon's weight goals. I'm 5'9" and look/feel best around 135-140. We're talking size 6-8 there; it's not anywhere even approaching supermodel skinny, for instance. At 5'8", the low end of "normal" on the BMI scale is 122 pounds. She's not going to get underweight.

Good luck!
posted by iguanapolitico at 12:10 PM on June 29, 2007

iguanapolitico, no one is saying that a woman of her height can't be healthy at a lower weight. What we're saying is that this particular woman's body doesn't seem to want to be at a lower weight. Your body seems to like the lower weight. Hers seems not to. Neither of you seems to be at the wrong weight for your particular body. The fact that you are thinner than she is does not mean that her efforts to get to your weight are good for her.
posted by decathecting at 3:14 PM on June 29, 2007

And regardless of what her healthy weight range is, those are simply not enough calories and not a good enough range of micro- and macro-nutrients to sustain her body and activity level.

Only you and your doctor together can determine where your weight might be optimal.
posted by Miko at 5:48 PM on June 30, 2007

Hmm. I know nobody's reading this now, but I just had to comment on the comment to my comment. First off, I am not thinner than the OP. I do look/feel best at 135-140, but it takes all my will and discipline to stay there. (Because I like to eat more than I like to exercise.) Secondly, I don't think commenters have been saying that OP's body doesn't want to be at that weight; I think they're saying that she's either doing something wrong or she has a condition that is preventing her from achieving that weight. The OP was asking why her body doesn't want to be that weight, but that doesn't mean it doesn't. It sounds to me like there's something else going on and she should consult a doctor. The weight range comment had nothing to do with that.
posted by iguanapolitico at 9:15 PM on July 10, 2007