I keep gaining weight although I'm on a diet, what's wrong?

[Anonymous]

I started to have problems with my weight 5 years ago when I was 17. Since then, I have gained a total of 90 pounds. :( Weighing now more than ever, 218pounds. I haven't been on a diet all the time coz somehow I don't really notice gaining weight, I've found it out when I've gained like 20 pounds from where I used to be.. usually I only notice it from my clothes shrinking and needing to buy larger sizes. Then I decide to do something and drop some of the weight but I gain it back really fast! Like it can take me two months to lose 5 pounds and then in one week I gain it back! :(

Now I've started to see I look huge, too. I can't find clothes from normal shops anymore. My back and knees are hurting and I'm tired and sweating all the time. :( I've been on a diet for 3 months now but I've only gained weight 4 pounds!!! I'm so freaking out coz of this i'm worried there's something wrong with me and i'll just gain and gain?

[CKtravel]

I think that my opinion's gonna be a very non-PC (opposite of "politically correct") one, but I see the whole problem in the matter of "being on a diet". To me the whole philosophy of "being on a diet" seems to evolve around this: "I'll eat like a mouse for a short while, so that later on I can eat like a pig for a long time" (i. e. starve myself for a couple weeks, then overeat for the rest of the year, rinse and then repeat). This is very-very wrong on many counts.

First of all, the body just doesn't work like that: it's permanently (i. e. ALWAYS) set to prepare itself (at the time of plenty) for the times of starving that it assumes will happen later on. Let me tell you what happens if you just starve yourself (by a diet for instance): first your body will consume up all the glucose in the blood stream. Then it'll grab the protein and sugar supplies from the muscles (your muscles will atrophy fast) and only when that's (mostly) gone will it start to burn fat (since it's the hardest to convert into energy). And to make things sound even nastier, your body will even slow its metabolism in order to consume as many of its reserves as possible (which will make losing body weight even harder later on). Like I said, this is the way human body behaves permanently.

The only alternative I can attest to is a hard (but fairly proven) one: exercises to increase your calorie demand and boost your base metabolic rate, plus a LITTLE bit of starving, plus getting TONS of proteins (really as much as you can take in) in place of all the sugary foods that you (presumably) eat at the moment. Strictly tap water (or bottled one if no other option) instead of soft drinks is a good idea too (it'll cut down a lot of excess calories). If you get some cravings for sweets, just grab some fruits (especially ones with a low glycemic index). In addition to this you can grab as many vegetables (raw, cooked, steamed etc.) as you want (or feel the need to). I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Well from what I've noticed from talking about people the problem is the way we're taught to eat. You probably grew up thinking that wasting food is bad. And when in a poor state of living this is true wasting food is bad. So what do we do we eat our food we eat it fast and we eat it all or at least try too. It seems like a waste of money to throw away all of those fries or a waste to only get one plate at a buffet or to throw away half of a pizza. We pretty much train our brain to bypass the I'm full signal and continue eating because we think we have too. We're like bears preparing for hibernation that never actually run out of food. We also feel like eating every time we're hungry is necessary when in reality it's not. Of course you should eat but a lot of the time a nice glass of water will show you you're not really that hungry. Dieting fails because it relies on will power but your conscious is conflicted between the way you've grown up eating and the way your trying to diet now. Another problem comes from genetics. Some people are simply more predisposed to gaining weight but don't let this become a crutch. You can still work to loose weight if you want. Look at the way you live now look at the way a bird or a dog or a monkey lives. There's not a moment of their day that isn't spent doing something. I'm not saying go run all day long but I am saying try sitting on a stool rather than a couch or try putting away all the electronics and just go walk. Dance. Stand at work instead of sitting. Just try and be active. Go play a game with a friend like you did as a kid. It'll be tiring at first but eventually you'll slowly become more and more active and the weight rolls away like water. I don't support telling people to go to the gym because not everyone can deal with the social pressure associated with some gyms but just find a way to get active as much as possible and do it.

[CKtravel]

Well guess what: yeah, throwing food out IS bad. And it's not only bad because you "were taught that" (just like spending money foolishly is bad not only because your parents told you that), but because it generally speaks of terrible planning abilities and carelessness of the person who's doing the shopping or cooking. When you're letting food spoil you basically waste the money that you spent on it. The solution? Taking care to buy ONLY a minimal amount of food (for beginners) or only what you know will be eaten in due time (advanced!). Problem solved. But really, I don't think that this has anything to do with a diet or reasons why diets fail at all.

[Shutupman]

You need to go to a doctor or something to discuss a healthy diet, and start working out. The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism, which is a good thing. Going on a crash diet will look good in the beginning but you'll only lose muscle mass, and perhaps a bit of fat. Losing weight isn't that hard on it's own, you just need to understand how your body functions.

[Hannah591]

If you've dropped your calorie intake very quickly, your body will go into starvation mode and start storing every bit of fat you take in because it thinks food is scarce. When dieting, you should reduce your calorie intake gradually and don't lose a lot of calories, to see a difference.

[jesseray]

If you are eating only a few small meals, then that can cause your blood sugar levels to drop and spike, which can lead to hormonal changes that lead to weight gain. You would do well to eat more meals per day, where you eat less per meal. This change should level out your blood sugar levels.

Likewise, consumption of sugar and carbs can cause your blood sugar levels to spike, which can lead to weight gain. You would do well to cut down on sugar and carbs and eat a similar amount of calories in the form of lean protein like chicken breasts, turkey, and so on. This should help level out your blood sugar levels some more.

Also, you should try adding some more physical activity to your lifestyle. When you are on a caloric deficit (as would be needed to lose fat), the physical activity will NOT cause you to gain muscle. These activities will simply increase the amount of calories you burn. A good form of exercise is swimming laps. You can burn like 500 calories doing that for an hour.

[truthbeknown]

My wife gained like that almost exactly the same. She ended up having thyroid cancer and anxiety. Thyroid removed and cancer free, but the weight gain still an issue. She never gained a pound until she started her anxiety meds at about 18.

[man32]

Maybe its thyroid based issue. My sis is also like this. She dont eat more. Still she is obese due to thyroid. Check amd consult a doc. He may give tablets to keep weight gain in chk.

[CrazyCandy]

I dont think you should ask help here. Go see a doctor. They will check if there is anything wrong with your body that makes you gain weight and help you by giving proper instruction.

[Anonymous]

How many calories do you eat a day?
Just describe what you eat in a day (honestly):

[Anonymous]

Track your calories very closely, my guess is you are consuming more than you are burning