Any nutritionists here? Weight gain!

[Tz779]

I had my body fat measured at local med univ in June, then returned 1200 miles and three months later. I *gained 7 lbs (142 - 149). 5# fat, 1# water retention, 1# muscle. In June, she suggested “lean protein” vs the lo fat pasta diet i had been on. So what happened? My rides vary from 16-25 miles avg 15mph at 160bpm. No donuts. Occasional soft drink. Was eating +/- 1200 cal/day. Analysis attached.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by Tz779

I had my body fat measured at local med univ in June, then returned 1200 miles and three months later. I *gained 7 lbs (142 - 149). 5# fat, 1# water retention, 1# muscle. In June, she suggested “lean protein” vs the lo fat pasta diet i had been on. So what happened? My rides vary from 16-25 miles avg 15mph at 160bpm. No donuts. Occasional soft drink. Was eating +/- 1200 cal/day. Analysis attached.

Not an expert, just hang around with people who talk about this a lot...

5'5", 149 lb, 67 YO female, BMI looks reasonable. (Not doxxing the OP here...the info is on the attached report image...)

However...you report ~1200 cal/day. This seems low...not enough to sustain daily activity and an hour+ ride at a slightly high bpm. If you're starving your body of calories, its natural defense is to dial back the performance and store fat, leading to weight gain, which is the opposite of what you'd expect!

I'd suggest a couple of things.

1. Use a phone based food tracker to accurately measure your total daily caloric intake. This will also give you insight into your fat/carb/protein/balance. When I did so, I was surprised at what "normal" portions are. Lost ten lbs.

2. Evaluate your exercise goals and practices. If your goal is fitness (rather than race prep), you may be better off with variability in your speed/cardiac load (maybe you're already doing this.) You will get a qualitatively better workout if you vary easy/hard within workouts and schedule rest days, where easy is 80 BPM. Really easy. Recovery happens during rest days. And recovery is what makes you stronger/healthier.

3. Consider doing a blood workup with a company like InsideTracker. You'll get a much deeper view of what's going on inside, plus a great set of recommendations regarding food and other potential habit modifications (full disclosure - my son works for the company).

4. Consider finding a good coach who can help you set longer term health goals and the short term strategies that help you to get there. If I were looking for a coach, my first call would be to David Roche at www.swaprunning.com

Hope this helps...

...and I'm looking forward to seeing what others suggest...

[Tz779]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

Not an expert, just hang around with people who talk about this a lot...

5'5", 149 lb, 67 YO female, BMI looks reasonable. (Not doxxing the OP here...the info is on the attached report image...)

However...you report ~1200 cal/day. This seems low...not enough to sustain daily activity and an hour+ ride at a slightly high bpm. If you're starving your body of calories, its natural defense is to dial back the performance and store fat, leading to weight gain, which is the opposite of what you'd expect!

Thank you C40.

yes, the person who did my initial analysis said my body may be in “starvation mode” which is what you describe as happening. I am using “MyFitnessPal” to track calories. Now I am doing 1400 cal/day, back on lo fat and pasta!

I am looking forward to others “weighing in” on this as well. I may start track racing again, as I just got my certification at Rock Hill. We shall see!

And, no, i really do not vary my workout. Pretty much just hammer away at 160bpm, 15-16mph with an occasional sprint chasing the golf carts that are common in the neighborhood.

[skitlets]

You may be surprised at how much your daily caloric baseline can fluctuate. Depending on whether I'm cutting, massing, or maintaining, that baseline can be 1800 - 2800 calories with no change in weight or training.

[Ozz]

My son would suggest incorporating weight training into your program....

His credentials are being a college student (studying to be MD or DPT) with an healthy(?) obsession about physiology and nutrition...our house is full of protein powders, shaker cups and workout equipment....

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Ozz

My son would suggest incorporating weight training into your program....

His credentials are being a college student (studying to be MD or DPT) with an healthy(?) obsession about physiology and nutrition...our house is full of protein powders, shaker cups and workout equipment....

I can’t really comment on the specific question on the OP’s part because I don’t feel there’s enough info. But what I can say is

A) Do what you love to do for exercise. It looks like you’ve found it. Congrats. That separates you from the vast, vast majority of the people in this country. Fitness and aesthetics will follow.

B) Ozz has excellent advice. Resistance training is the best way to mitigate bone density loss which is an issue as you age, particularly for women.

C) Soft drinks are terrible.

[Hardlyrob]

Do not underestimate the impact of hormonal changes on metabolism. Reduced estrogen can disrupt the metabolic control cycles in the hypohtalamus - leading to weight gain with no change in caloric intake or exercise.

The same can happen to men if testosterone declines - your body will store calories as fat, because it doesn't know what else to do in the absence (or reduced concentration) of the hormone, and resulting disruption to metabolic control.

Food scientist, not a nutritionist, but have some direct experience with this.

Rob

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by Tz779

yes, the person who did my initial analysis said my body may be in “starvation mode” ...

That was going to be my suggestion. You may have reached your body's natural low limit, despite the goal number you may have in mind or the physical image in your head.

Originally Posted by Hardlyrob

Do not underestimate the impact of hormonal changes on metabolism. ...

I recommend you get a copy of Joe Friel's book, Fast After 50. It will explain many of the physiological changes that occur with aging, with regard to athletes, and how to mitigate the negative effects of aging.

Charting your weight once a week is an excellent way to keep an eye on things. As for the soda; I love soda but knew it was empty calories. So I now limit myself to one soda per week. I enjoy the discipline of meeting that challenge, as well as that weekend soda (!), and I have lost weight.

[jischr]

Last July my doctor decided my blood pressure was being controlled and wanted to give me a prescription to start on cholesterol. I asked if I could try diet change first and she said try limiting total fat to 39 grams a day. Check up is next month but I've lost 20 pounds since the middle of July. Only things I did was drop cheese, hot wings, fried chicken and fish, cookies/cakes and limit ham, hamburger, pizza, and white pasta sauces. Didn't count calories or anything else. I really miss my weekly fried chicken dinner but the weight results are better than when my wife and I did WeightWatchers and a couple other calorie/portion 'diets'. And I'm 67 also.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I can’t really comment on the specific question on the OP’s part because I don’t feel there’s enough info. But what I can say is

A) Do what you love to do for exercise. It looks like you’ve found it. Congrats. That separates you from the vast, vast majority of the people in this country. Fitness and aesthetics will follow.

B) Ozz has excellent advice. Resistance training is the best way to mitigate bone density loss which is an issue as you age, particularly for women.

C) Soft drinks are terrible.

What he said.

[reuben]

I have no medical qualifications other than a long history of various injuries, so I'll not offer any advice.

But I will say that the human body is an amazing thing. When I see numbers like someone who weighs 150 lbs has a "dry lean mass" of 28 lbs, I'm just amazed at what we are, and aren't, made of.

I recently read Bill Bryson's book, "The Body - A Guide for Occupants", which was fascinating in many ways. I was shocked at the number of things that exist in our bodies whose function is still a total mystery.

Lose It is a pretty good calorie tracker.

[smead]

Do not worry one bit about your weight.

Ride a lot.

Lift some weights 3 times a week.

Do not drink sodas, cut your sugar.

Eat lean protein (meat of all types), veggies, nuts, healthy oils (olive).

If you want booze, drink some red wine.

Do this and forget paying to have others assess your fitness, and you'll be just fine.

[Tz779]

Thanks y’all!
Pre-covid i weighed 135# fairly steady.
I quit my Lowes job Dec 2019 bc I was too worn out to surf or go to yoga. So I joined a gym in Jan 2020 and practiced Krav Maga 5x/wk, plus took up running; was up to 2 miles every other day.
Then covid closed gym and beaches.
So I dusted off my bike and started cycling again.
I am back on lo fat pasta diet. I prob need to eat 2000 cal/day.
I need to add some 500 meter sprints into my ride. Already marked out!
I ordered that book Peter P recommended.
I got track certified at Rock Hill last Sunday, and there are Masters 60+ races!
500 meter Ind Persuit sounds fun and doable.
Need to get back to gym for weights and heavy bag work. It will be difficult to not train with my old partners but covid is still raging.
Stay tuned for progress I hope!
Robin

[Tz779]

Originally Posted by smead

Do not worry one bit about your weight.

But I DO!

I have already taken your advice, and others! I am trying to do what has worked for me before.

I dont drink, but am thinking about starting!! ; )

[reuben]

Bodyweight exercises are great. Also inexpensive and can be done anywhere. I think they came up in another thread recently.

Various planks, burpees, squats, so-called animal movements...