Losing then Gaining?

[cslammon]

Sort of frustrated, I have been working out and dieting for about 2 months now, and I am back to square one. I started at 316lbs and I am back to 316lbs. My lowest recorded weight was 310.

I am working out every other day alternating between upper and lower body, I have essentially cut fast food from my diet, and I quit smoking cold turkey 49 days ago today - which is a complete 180 from my previous lifestyle. I'm keeping my calories under 1900 per day, which is definitely lower than what I was at. I'm eating healthy, egg whites, cut out bread and switched to tortillas and whole wheat wraps, been living on chicken and tuna along with other essentials, I take supplements, vitamins, and fish oils. I do have hypothyroidism, but I feel I should still be losing weight?

My question is, am I maybe gaining muscle mass back? How can I tell the difference? I found it very hard to be motivated in the gym earlier after weighing myself.

Any ideas and or tips?

[braddock112233]

Sort of frustrated, I have been working out and dieting for about 2 months now, and I am back to square one. I started at 316lbs and I am back to 316lbs. My lowest recorded weight was 310.

I am working out every other day alternating between upper and lower body, I have essentially cut fast food from my diet, and I quit smoking cold turkey 49 days ago today - which is a complete 180 from my previous lifestyle. I'm keeping my calories under 1900 per day, which is definitely lower than what I was at. I'm eating healthy, egg whites, cut out bread and switched to tortillas and whole wheat wraps, been living on chicken and tuna along with other essentials, I take supplements, vitamins, and fish oils. I do have hypothyroidism, but I feel I should still be losing weight?

My question is, am I maybe gaining muscle mass back? How can I tell the difference? I found it very hard to be motivated in the gym earlier after weighing myself.

Any ideas and or tips?

how accurate are you with your calories? do you weigh everything out, measure any dressings or sauces you might use?

[cslammon]

I would say pretty damn accurate, I use an app to track it. I don't weigh out everything, I eye it or do it as close as possible when it comes to quantity. But even so, the types of food and quantity I am eating alone should have made me drop weight I would think?

[Ralikar]

1) You need to read nutrition stickies and have the right P/C/F macros/day. You need fats to be healthy.
2) Your split is too much. Select a newbie routine 5x5 or Starting Strenth.
3) Your BMR is 2300 but if you are sedentary in your job your TDEE could be just 3000.
4) Hypo issues suck esp if they are caused by quitting smoking. If it's from that, current theory is your body is downshifting your metabolism or stopped producing thyroid/seratonin/etc due to years of massive stims. Consider some hard cardio or some HIIT as an addition to upswing your metabolism. You need to ramp up your metabolism with cardio. You don't burn much lifting in the beginning.
5) Put your cals to 2k/day of RIGHT macros. Do the above and you will see some loss
6) Recognize the bb method is -1000 cals a day max to cut fat not muscle. This will take you a year+ to lose your weight. The alternative is to set cals at a healthy level say your 2000 or so and cardio/walk/bike/run the S$$$ out of yourself and just lose a lot of fat. Don't lift too much because you will cut your muscle anyway. Even a -2000cal/day defict=4 pounds/week= 100 pounds in 6 months. Don't drop your calories just ramp up the exercises as much as you can. Either method. Then you can move to a bb method.

[Bm0027]

I would say pretty damn accurate, I use an app to track it. I don't weigh out everything, I eye it or do it as close as possible when it comes to quantity. But even so, the types of food and quantity I am eating alone should have made me drop weight I would think?

Only way to be pretty damn accurate is to weigh your food. You would be surprised on how many extra cals you are actually taking in and not realizing it. Buy a 10$ food scale, and weigh everything! Also noticed you said you eat whole wheat wraps. You just eating one wrap per the meal? I know wraps alone can range from 200-350 cals alone. (I mean, im sure its only 1 a meal you are eating, im just saying haha)

So - Weigh your food and track every cal that you eat, and you will watch the fat melt away.

[hercules455]

Start weighing and measuring your food so you know exactly what you are consuming.
Be consistent.
My guess would be you were balls to wall with your training and diet and it you did to much too fast!! Our body is highly adaptable and you probably cut your calories too low too fast. Start over and slowly and systematically cut calories. You really do need to spend some time in the nutrition stickys.

[vmackison]

With your weight, one thing I'm wondering about is the presence of edema, particularly in your legs.

Fat compresses the veins in the knees and groin when sitting, causing fluid to pool. Additionally, the increased pressure in the legs when standing can cause the vein valves to warp (varicose veins), which then in turn no longer prevent blood from back flowing & it leaks out of the faulty valves into the surrounding tissues.

Myself, I have had issue with this for the last several years. I've lost 30 pounds of fat & my body shape reflects it. Unfortunately, if I don't drink enough water or don't move enough during any given day (ie: sit too long), my legs begin retaining water again. The scale (& my legs) reflect the fluid build up.

I wish you luck.