As the title says.
I eat mostly natural, whole foods, and I fast for long stretches, anywhere from 20 to 32 hours. I’ve done this every day since I was 16, and I’m 40 now.
But in the last two years, my weight has been going up fast.
I keep track of my calories and stay under 500 a day. I use a food scale and an Apple Watch, though I only count about half the calories the watch says I burn.
This isn’t a troll post. My weight gain feels crazy, and oddly enough, I gain even more weight when I drink more water.
And for the women reading this, my periods have become very irregular, sometimes disappearing for months or lasting as long as a month (think Saw-movie level).
I’m guessing it could be pre-menopause, but if anyone has advice, I’d be really grateful. Thanks a lot.
You’re eating under 500 calories and fasting up to 32 hours? So you’re saying around 2500 calories per week, yet you’ve gained 50 pounds in 2 years? Also, you’re saying water causes weight gain? I think there’s an issue with your calorie counting. It sounds off by a few thousand.
I get that it’s hard to believe, but something serious could be happening. If it’s medical, checking in with a doctor is more useful than this forum. If the weight gain is mostly water, that matches what you mentioned about water intake. Please see a doctor and get your heart and overall health checked. Changing your calorie count won’t help if the cause is medical.
Seems like you’re taking in about 1700 calories more than what you’re burning each week. So yeah, maybe getting a health check-up would be a good idea.
Try tracking your calories closely. I thought I was eating less because I was in the gym all the time, but when I started tracking, I realized I was actually eating over 3,500 calories. I thought I was burning more, but it was only around 350 calories, and I needed to eat 1800-2000 daily to lose weight. My gym time didn’t make me lose weight; it made me gain because I wasn’t really eating less. Start with tracking honestly. I thought I had thyroid issues, but it turned out to be my calorie intake. Once I adjusted to a deficit, I went from 85kg to 78kg. Give it a week and see how it goes. Even if there’s a medical issue, losing weight will likely be part of the treatment plan.
This could be related to hormones (like PCOS), especially with the weight gain and irregular periods. Or, you might not be eating enough, so your body’s going into ‘storage mode’ (adaptive thermogenesis), slowing down your metabolism and causing weight gain. This is just from personal experience though, not professional advice.
Not eating enough can stop you from losing weight. If you’re not getting enough nutrients or vitamins, your hormones might not function well. Just my opinion.
Lane said:
Not eating enough can stop you from losing weight. If you’re not getting enough nutrients or vitamins, your hormones might not function well. Just my opinion.
Let’s not ignore science here. You can’t gain weight if you’re burning more calories than you consume. Either your calorie count is off, or you need to check if there’s a medical problem.
Lane said:
Not eating enough can stop you from losing weight. If you’re not getting enough nutrients or vitamins, your hormones might not function well. Just my opinion.
Right, because all those people in famine situations just keep piling on weight since they’re not getting enough nutrients? Oh wait, no… that doesn’t happen.