Gaining lots of muscle but not losing fat! Help!

[dextrau]

Hi, I'm a woman at about 5'5" and 157 lbs. I've got the lovely genetics where I gain muscle crazy-fast. I dance 11+ hours a week, where usually 4 of those hours are HIIT-type. I lift 4 days a week and I've seen impressive gains - my squats are up to 250 lbs, calf raises 300 lbs. and my deadlifts are 200 lbs. Macro nutrients are 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat, 1400 cal./day. I drink plenty of water too. My diet is paleo, though not for philosophical reasons - I just feel so much better on it and it keeps me away from the nasty carbs. My weight has been stable, though slowly creeping up, likely from muscle mass. (Some how I'm almost 160 lbs. but I still fit into a size SM pants many times?!)

However I'm gaining lots of muscle but I'm not losing fat - this has resulted in me just looking like a bigger version of my old self. I have a tiny head, so my big ol' arms and big ol' legs really stand out in contrast, and it's not fun being the fattest one in my dance classes. I want to showcase my lovely muscles that I'm able to build!

I don't know if this is relevant, but when I was younger I starved myself for several months at about 800 cal/day and I lost 80 lbs. I got down to 120 lbs. at my lowest, but I had zero muscle mass and I was "skinny fat". I've slowly been regaining weight, and it has been extremely upsetting to me. I'm worried I've ruined my metabolism completely because of this.

Please please please - I'm looking for ANY answers, especially if anyone has experienced something like this themselves. I'm really desperate for an answer - I need to lose this fat, and now.

[megdaig]

You shouldn't be gaining anything on 1400 calories..much less lots of muscle. If you were truly eating 1400 with the amount of activity you do the weight should be falling off, 1400 is a steep deficit.

You need to look closer at your diet. Are you weighing all your food in grams? Measuring cups and spoons are terribly inaccurate. Are you accounting for LBTs (licks, bites, and tastes)? Those can add up over time. Something in your tracking is off.

[oregonchick76]

Women simply don't gain muscle 'crazy fast' unless they are on steroids.

We are lucky if we can gain 1/2 lb of muscle per month, and that's in a calorie surplus with a solid training routine.

Some particularly blessed individuals might see a 1 lb gain of muscle per month, but those would be the few and the rare.

You are definitely not gaining weight/muscle/fat on 1400 per day. I am 5'3" and that's cutting for me, and I don't even exercise all that much.

How are you counting/tracking calories?
Do you eat back exercise calories?

[dextrau]

Women simply don't gain muscle 'crazy fast' unless they are on steroids.

We are lucky if we can gain 1/2 lb of muscle per month, and that's in a calorie surplus with a solid training routine.

Some particularly blessed individuals might see a 1 lb gain of muscle per month, but those would be the few and the rare.

You are definitely not gaining weight/muscle/fat on 1400 per day. I am 5'3" and that's cutting for me, and I don't even exercise all that much.

How are you counting/tracking calories?
Do you eat back exercise calories?

No, I am not eating back exercise calories. I know well that those are included with estimates. 1400 was what was suggested by the various calculators suggested here, as well as in Thinner, Leaner, Stronger. I was at 1,600, but still I wasn't losing anything, so I cut 50g of carbs back to 1400 calories.

[dextrau]

You shouldn't be gaining anything on 1400 calories..much less lots of muscle. If you were truly eating 1400 with the amount of activity you do the weight should be falling off, 1400 is a steep deficit.

You need to look closer at your diet. Are you weighing all your food in grams? Measuring cups and spoons are terribly inaccurate. Are you accounting for LBTs (licks, bites, and tastes)? Those can add up over time. Something in your tracking is off.

I can't begin to tell you how assiduously I track everything I eat. At most, I'm over by 100 calories. That includes the occasional glass of wine or extra handful of popcorn.

This is exactly why I'm really concerned I ruined my metabolism with my previous diet - absolutely NOTHING is happening. If I eat more, even 200 calories more per day, I GAIN weight, visibly as fat.

And no, the weight is not "falling off". It used to when I starved myself, but not anymore. I'm frustrated beyond belief, and no matter how many nutritionists I show my food diaries to, people don't seem to believe I'm working on 1,400 cal/day.

[oregonchick76]

I can't begin to tell you how assiduously I track everything I eat. At most, I'm over by 100 calories. That includes the occasional glass of wine or extra handful of popcorn.

This is exactly why I'm really concerned I ruined my metabolism with my previous diet - absolutely NOTHING is happening. If I eat more, even 200 calories more per day, I GAIN weight, visibly as fat.

And no, the weight is not "falling off". It used to when I starved myself, but not anymore. I'm frustrated beyond belief, and no matter how many nutritionists I show my food diaries to, people don't seem to believe I'm working on 1,400 cal/day.

Well, have you been to the doc to rule out any thyroid issues?
How long have you assiduously been tracking and eating 1400 calories per day?
Did you lose anything at all?

'Metabolic damage' is largely a myth, so something else is going on here.

[dextrau]

Well, have you been to the doc to rule out any thyroid issues?
How long have you assiduously been tracking and eating 1400 calories per day?
Did you lose anything at all?

'Metabolic damage' is largely a myth, so something else is going on here.

For about eight weeks. I fluctuate between 155 and 158. I"ve lost nothing, really. I've had my thyroid tested,and it was within normal range.

[ChocoChick]

For about eight weeks. I fluctuate between 155 and 158. I"ve lost nothing, really. I've had my thyroid tested,and it was within normal range.

What specific tests were run? Did you have a Free T3? What was the value?

[kimm4]

For about eight weeks. I fluctuate between 155 and 158. I"ve lost nothing, really. I've had my thyroid tested,and it was within normal range.

If your weight is staying the same it's because you're at maintenance calories. There's an error in your method of tracking...it's that simple.

As long as there's no medical condition, the basic calorie deficit works for all humans.

[superja]

If your weight is staying the same it's because you're at maintenance calories. There's an error in your method of tracking...it's that simple.

As long as there's no medical condition, the basic calorie deficit works for all humans.

This this this

You're going to need to get totally anal about your tracking and find the error. Weigh absolutely everything. Use grams rather than ounces. Weigh out of containers (i.e. jar on the scale, zero it, use the negative). Don't use any user added values in tracking apps. Do not trust any weights on pre-portioned foods- always check that weight.

There's an error somewhere, as at a true 1400 with your activity level and at your stats, weight would be falling off of you and you'd likely feel like death.

[mcbourque]

I can't begin to tell you how assiduously I track everything I eat. At most, I'm over by 100 calories. That includes the occasional glass of wine or extra handful of popcorn.

This is exactly why I'm really concerned I ruined my metabolism with my previous diet - absolutely NOTHING is happening. If I eat more, even 200 calories more per day, I GAIN weight, visibly as fat.

And no, the weight is not "falling off". It used to when I starved myself, but not anymore. I'm frustrated beyond belief, and no matter how many nutritionists I show my food diaries to, people don't seem to believe I'm working on 1,400 cal/day.

You said you were at 800cal for a few months a while ago - that would not be long enough to wreck your metabolism. (I've done that in my teens and never had metabolism problem - just had the "week-end calories don't count" syndromes at times).
We're taking here years of anorexia or extreme competitions to get into homeostasis.

How long were you at exactly 1600 cal before you decided to go lower?
If you are in a 200-300 cal deficit, that's 3 weeks before you even lose a pound.

How long at precisely everything perfectly tracked were you at 1400? At least a full 4-6 weeks to account for monthly change?
Again it's a very slow process.
And one day off at an extra 2000 cal can undo 2 weeks of dieting.

Also while dancing can feel really tiring and draining, it doesn't burn that much calories so your maintenance calculation may be off.

EDITS: just say you did the 1400 exactly for 8 weeks. No extra meals at all there, right? Perfect 1400 for 60 days straight?
(Sorry I'm not trying to be mean, I just personally can't do 60 days straight perfectly at my cutting calories of 1500)