Always burn more than I eat, still gain weight

[Case13]

I've read a lot of forums across more than just the FitBit site that all say "it's as simple as burning more than you eat."  Well, I do.  I probably eat excessively one to two days per week but even then, I usually eat what I burn where all the other days I maintain a 100-700 calorie deficiency.  

In December, I had some medical issues in play where I couldn't eat enough to not lose weight.  Then suddenly, in the last week of January (so not over holidays or anything), my weight shot up by 16 pounds and has been moving up and down in an 8 pound range since then but never back down to where I was consistently from August to January.

You might think it is a new medicine I am on, but I have had this problem for years whenever I'm not on a medication that causes weight loss.  You might think it is a thyroid issues, but apparently my standard thyroid test comes out perfect (although that doesn't mean the more in-depth test would).

Any ideas?  It's incredibly depressing.

[Case13]

I hear you. It bugs me so much. My family is extremely overweight and get away with not thinking too much about it because my family is very tall which allows excessive weight gain to be hidden until it just feels too late to fix it all.

That's why I get really paranoid and to be honest... Entirely depressed at a twenty pound flux. If I don't take it seriously, I will genetically be 100 pounds up in the blink of an eye.

[Case13]

Do you think I should get another doctor's input then?

When I say "eat normally" I mean without logging and eating based off of cravings and hunger. Honestly, sometimes I feel I eat MORE when tracking simply because mentally I see "oh I have 300 calories left ... I can have a sandwich."

I try very hard to break myself of that subconscious voice and remind myself that I don't have to eat all my calories. But then I tend to think part of my problem is eating too few calories. I have gone a few times in life eating approx 900 calories on most days without much desire for more.

So it's easy to think I have "killed my metabolism" but this thread seems to say that's not really a thing.

I've probably lost a lot of muscle over these last few years. At the same time, I know I have gained quite a lot back. I just don't know why my long journey to strength is now moving backwards since January.

How on earth did I gain 18 pounds in two weeks and now it's just here to stay? No matter what?

[Case13]

So my current lifestyle, most days is to wake, have coffee with creamer and then eat a snack of vegetables in the afternoon. By 7 or 8pm I have a fairly balanced dinner that's Approx 800 calories and then go to bed between 12am and 2am.

Does this mean my body is in a starving mode all day and then storing everything to fat at night because I am not moving after dinner?

Also, in response to your suggestion to eat 250 more (so at a 250 deficit rather than 500... Right? That's how I understood it) and see if I gain or lose... I was relaying this to my boyfriend and talking about what you had said about glucosamine levels. One thing I had forgotten that this last August through January I was on glucosamine pills, daily.

During this time I was losing weight and was at a weight that was previously most familiar to me. I don't know if any of that attributes to the glucosamine. I was also on some other medications at almost the exact same timing.

[Heybales]

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@Case13 wrote:
I did just have my thyroid tested. However, my doctor did just a basic test and not a full thyroid panel. The test she did showed that my thyroid is normal and she left it at that. But I have all the signs of a thyroid problem - hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin, water retention, etc. etc. etc. I asked her about it and she said it can't be the thyroid because we already tested it. Honestly, I'm wondering if the thyroid test was skewed my medicines I'm on that she hasn't really said anything about. I've had a thyroid test as part of a basic blood panel over the last 4 years now and it has nearly doubled 3 times in that 4 year span. Even if it is "normal," I would think that should be alarming enough for the doctor to perhaps look into.

So even on your medication you're not losing much weight? That doesn't sound fun.

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Sorry I missed this.

Those are also all classic symptoms of undereating too greatly for your level of activity.

You can also cause yourself to have a thyroid problem by doing that for too long.

Studies have shown one of the first things the body can do if undereating too much, is slow down daily activity that otherwise would have been done. Then it slows down higher level metabolism functions, like the list you gave.

Because it's trying to conserve enough for the lower level functions that can't be slowed down that much at all.

[Heybales]

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@ChelseaMarti wrote:

Hi there, one thing to consider is that as close as we can get to following the correct formulas on weigh loss and gain, and calories, at some point, genetics also come into play. As an example, I am among the most active of my friends. Some of my friends are completely inactive yet still thinner than me. Also, they don't seem to gain weight from food, however, despite being pretty active, I still gain weight. This runs in my family on my mom's side and in parts of my father's side. I think genetics play a big role in how you retain and gain and lose weight, I just don't know the science behind it. 

Good luck!

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Excellent point.

And the other genetic aspect, how fast does your body adapt up and down to levels of eating.

And what is the combined stress level it can deal with before adapting.

Some people can take a deficit that is reasonable. Someone else with same stats cannot, they must take less to see loss. Or eat soo far below to get a loss going again as to be unsustainable short or long term.

One study of brief overeating had metabolisms going up beyond just the energy to process the extra food, but the amount it went up varied by decent amount between the people.
So some got much more of a surplus out of the extra food, some got none.

[Heybales]

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@Case13 wrote:
I can perhaps reduce how much I eat in the evening. I still eat dinner 4-6 hours before bed but I just don't have the time or the stomach for eating a lot during the day. It leaves me super super super tired as makes me over eat at night if I do more than have a snack for lunch.

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When you do this is it the high carb stufff you described as current lunch and snacks?

Ever done a bagel test? Eat a bagel from beyond 4 hrs past last meal. How fast until you get tired?

Or do you know you'll get tired already and don't need to test?

How fast does the tired come on?

That's an insulin over-reaction. Either too much at first, causing too much carbs to be stored away and not enough left to keep blood sugar high, or it doesn't drop the way it should, staying elevated longer. That's not good either way.

You should have protein and fat with every snack or meal. And likely you need to eat the protein and fat first, not the carbs first.

Your response to dinner is not good, hungry later again means low blood sugar, the insulin stayed around longer than it should have, causing low blood sugar.

Now, this doesn't effect the fact you are NOT in a deficit. You need to stop saying that because you aren't. No matter what you think the numbers say, you can't be, or you'd obviously be losing weight.

Until you accept the truth of what is happening, you'll probably keep thinking if you do the same things it'll eventually lead to different results.

What's that the definition of - doing the same thing expecting different results?

And you gained 1 lb how fast? If in 1 day, do you somehow think that could be anything but water weight.

[Heybales]

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@Case13 wrote:

So it's easy to think I have "killed my metabolism" but this thread seems to say that's not really a thing.

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You haven't been reading very clearly or looking at references then, or you forgot. Either way, not good. Might reread and let it sink in.

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A

Here's the 6 month study in full if you want to dig in to it, I thought I'd point out some tidbits. This at least shows you can recovery - if you are willing to accept where you are at. Compared to researchers above thinking it might last forever.

 http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004377

Participants had to be between BMI 25-30, overweight category, but healthy otherwise. They were excluded if they smoked, exercised more than twice a week, were pregnant, lactating or post-menopausal, had a history of obesity (BMI>32), diabetes, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders, psychological disorders, substance abuse or regularly used medications except for birth control. So that may have a bearing in comparison.

Diet was 55 / 15 / 30 for C / P / F. 

CR (Calorie Restriction) was 25% deficit from TDEE, so not massive.

CR + EX (EXercise) was 12.5% deficit plus 12.5% calories burned in cardio exercise 5 x week, each session being 403-569 calories for 45-53 min (women and men difference).

LCD (Low Calorie Diet) was 890 cal/day until 15% of weight was loss, then back to maintenance calories by month 3, whatever it was then. That's a tad massive.

DEXA scans for body composition of LBM (Fat Free Mass (FFM)) and Fat Mass (FM).

Sedentary TDEE measurements in a metabolic chamber for 23 hrs.

SMR (Sleeping Metabolic Rate (BMR)) measured chunk of night no movement.

Several formulas related to measured Sedentary TDEE at baseline based on all available stats, to compare down the road when stats changed.

At 3 month check, sedentary TDEE had dropped by the following amounts, below what the formulas would have indicated for new measured LBM and FM, and SMR. In other words, it lowered the expected amount, and an additional...

CR - 371

CREX - 2

LCD -  496

At 6 month check, there was some recovery to be had, and reminder the LCD was at maintenance this entire time from 3-6 months...

CR - 209

CREX - 129 over expected

LCD -  275

So notice that even after 3 months maintenence level eating, the initial LCD group still had a TDEE 275 below what was expected for their current LBM and FM. Perhaps more time at maintenance it would have recovered?

The CR group slightly recovered, but still 209 lower than expected. 

The CR+EX group actually had an increased TDEE.

Now that was Sedentary TDEE in the lab that was compared.

Daily TDEE with all activity was also compared to their SMR, TDEE/SMR for physical activity rate (PAR).

At month 3, CR and LCD had significant drops in PAR below what would have been expected for their current LBM and FM, by CR 350 and LCD 497, with CR-EX having none. At month 6, CR 215 and LCD 241, so again some recovery.

So the NEAT part of their day decreased as expected because of lower weight, but even more than expected because of less movement, resulting in lowered figures above.

So, that is how much their TDEE dropped along with their lower eating level and weight.

Now imagine during your weight loss, is your TDEE being lower going to help or hinder you for sticking to an eating level? May depend on how little you really want to eat.

They lost in total CR - 8.3, CR-EX - 8.4, LCD - 11.2.

So while the LCD did lose the most (in 3 months too compared to 6), their TDEE had only recovered from 496 to 275 below what it could be, perhaps more recovery was coming. So no wonder the first few months of maintenance could be the hardest, you have the most suppressed metabolism then.

And notice that even the great results of the CR-EX group, still meant 8.4 lbs in 6 months of dieting, with a 25% deficit in essence, 12.5 created by diet, with additional 12.5 by extra exercise. But no loss of TDEE, in fact increase, and mere decent level of cardio.

Other point to keep in mind - no more than 2 x exercise a week was being done prior - so they had a lot of room for improvement. No weight loss prior, so full burning metabolism. And in overweight range, not obese where these effects might not be so bad.

And realize it's not about eating so low, it's about creating so big of a deficit.

Perhaps you need to just eat 500 calories less right now.

Of course to keep losing, that eating level would have to lower down and down and down.

Can you keep eating that low and really reach goal weight?

What happens at maintenance then, with it being 500 cal below what it could be - will you succeed there?

[Heybales]

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@Case13 wrote:
So my current lifestyle, most days is to wake, have coffee with creamer and then eat a snack of vegetables in the afternoon. By 7 or 8pm I have a fairly balanced dinner that's Approx 800 calories and then go to bed between 12am and 2am.

Does this mean my body is in a starving mode all day and then storing everything to fat at night because I am not moving after dinner?

Also, in response to your suggestion to eat 250 more (so at a 250 deficit rather than 500... Right? That's how I understood it) and see if I gain or lose... I was relaying this to my boyfriend and talking about what you had said about glucosamine levels. One thing I had forgotten that this last August through January I was on glucosamine pills, daily.

During this time I was losing weight and was at a weight that was previously most familiar to me. I don't know if any of that attributes to the glucosamine. I was also on some other medications at almost the exact same timing.

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You have a 500 cal deficit right now?

You are losing weight at 1 lb weekly?

I didn't think so. 

I said to eat 250 more daily than you are eating right now on average for 2 weeks.

If current eating level was really your potential maintenance (because you lost no weight eating there) - you would gain 1 lb slowly over 2 weeks.

If current eating level was NOT your potential maintenance - you will gain more and/or faster water weight in a few days.

That proves prior eating level was NOT potential maintenance, but suppressed maintenance.

It takes 72 hrs of NO eating for your body to enter a starving mode situation. Your body has no problem with a mini-fast through part of the day. No you are not storing everything as fat.

But - you undereating more than your body wants on a constant basis - yes you will get the exact same responses from the body as starving mode. Read the links in other post I put up again.

Please reread some prior posts on what your body does after eating, don't feel like repeating yet again.

And I said glycogen, as in glucose, as in carbs, as in sugar. Not glucosamine, for the joints and their health.

[francesco]

if you can,  try to change the life style and most probably you will get result

wake up 06-07:00 morning  aerobic

08:00 good breakfast, you can eat carbohydrate(cereal ..)

12:00  good lunch,you can eat carbohydrate (rice, pasta etc..)according AYUREVEDA  between 10-14:00 is the best time to digest a meal because the digestive fire is at max, afterward walking

16:00 snack /light meal no carbohydrate

19-20:00 light meal no carbohydrate, after light walking

23:00 sleep 

[WantaBigDog]

Hi Case13, this is my first time posting EVER as I am totally new to FitBit. Your situation tugged at my heartstrings. How horribly frustrating for you. My immediate thought, after reading your posts, is that you're putting your body into starvation mode and overthinking everything. So maybe letting yourself go on "auto-pilot" is the healthiest strategy for you right now. What if you just snap a photo of what you're eating as you go through the day, instead of tediously writing it all down. Then, if you WANT to know later what you ate, you have the ability to look at it. However, you'll be freed of the hassle, time, and calculation stress of logging every calorie. The most important thing you can do right now, I think, is just HAVE FUN and celebrate the new spring season. Put a spring in your step 😉

[Case13]

I boosted my calories up by 250 (so only a 250 deficit per day now) and started taking the glucosamine pills in the morning again. I already feel like I've lost a bit of water weight although the number on the scale hasn't changed at all.

So do you suggest the weight training you previously listed and eating a bit more as I am doing to get my metabolism back in better function?

You've helped me learn so much! Sorry I'm not all the way there yet but I thank you a million times over for your time.

[Case13]

My dinners consist usually of some kind of meat - a chicken, small steak, lamb, mini burger - with a huge side of vegetables. Sometime I will have pasta with vegetables mixed in... or soup, same. But most of my dinners are some kind of meet and two cups of fresh green beans. I know that vegetables have a lot of carbs even if I'm not stuffing myself with dinner rolls. I rarely add bread to any meal. Likewise, I've never done the bagel test because I can honestly say I eat probably four bagels a year. It is hard to do any sort of test like that since I have narcolepsy, any high carb load or high sugar load will run me into the ground fairly quickly. I would say, on average, with a heavy meal of any kind - 90 minutes later, I'm ready for a nap. Still, it's hard to say that has much of anything to do with the food. While many people with narcolepsy watch carbs and sugar to keep from getting too tired, I am also very active. On days I eat a lot of carbs, I also walk closer to 10 miles than 5 miles on those days and am far more socially active. Those aspects alone make me tired.

What are some of your favorite proteins and fats?

I love peanut butter and go through phases of having it for lunch. I have fish oil in the mornings again now that I'm taking glucosamine again. I also like a lot of nuts that I can add back into the mix.

I understand I can't be in a deficit if I am getting no results, I just mean in a deficit per TDEE and per FitBit. I've been weighing a lot of my food this week so far and, if anything, what I have been inputting for these foods in the past is either spot on or slightly over but not over by more than about 10 or 20 calories. So far, I haven't been clocking anything under. So it has to be how my body needs/perceives calories. While everything says "Have this much..." it doesn't seem to be working that way unless I am on a medication that distinctly causes weight loss and allows me to eat more normally.

[Case13]

This article and video makes more sense to me. The medical articles I had reviewed earlier threw me off, I guess. I have looked at all of your resources, however!

So in reading this article: http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage I can say that I am in Stage 3. I say this because of my experience, briefly.
2011 115 lbs fluctuating up to 125 lbs at most then, mid year, broken leg and sedentary at the same time as starting a new relationship (trying to combine two diets, eating out more, eating only what someone would get for me since I couldn't move). This was June. In November, I gained 10 pounds. In January, I gained 10 pounds. So by January 2012 I was 135 pounds. I started walking, dieting, etc. I became 142. I exercised more. By August 2012 I was at 138 and stayed there for a year despite any attempt.

So now, August 2013. At this point, I'd been on an anti seizure med for about four months. The med was a mis diagnosis. I got down to 134 on this medicine where, previous eras of my life being on the same medicine I had easily gotten down to 120. In August, I start a new medication for narcolepsy, drop the seizure med, and dislocate my jaw (contrary to what you think, this makes my diet all easy to chew meats, pasta, puddings, etc. and no salad, hardly any vegetables, absolutely no bread so I am surprised I lose weight during this time). I am on this new medicine for 5 months. In the first 3 months I go from 134 down to 113. I don't know if it is the medicine or the dislocated jaw or a combination of both. Over November, December, and most of January I fluctuate up only to 115. This is my most normal # I have been in the last 7 years. I feel good. But I switch off the narcolepsy medicine on January 1. My jaw is clear to eat more by January 15. We have friends in town, celebrate my birthday, etc. and within 8 days I have gone from 115 to 129.

Like this metabolism article, I panic and go on a liquid diet for 7 days and get back to the gym. I also switch away from the second medicine I was prescribed to make up for the first I was on August-January. I immediately switch as it has a side effect of weight gain. It is an old anti depressant style med. It wasn't working any way. So now I'm on a third medicine, switched during this same "ballooning" period (none of which have weight change side effects listed at all). I get back to 119 then as I ease into a diet with normal foods, I blow up to 129 but this time it doesn't look like the 129 before. I'm a balloon... just like the article described.

So I have reason to believe that I have a complete damaged metabolism over many different periods in recent years.

The article says
Stage 3: Metabolic Damage Once you're here, you have little choice. "Eat less, exercise less" is the only option. You'll need to focus all your time on rest and recovery. Walking and a few traditional weight training workouts are likely all you'll be able to do.

But, all I do is walk. Aside from about 6 yoga classes I have done since February, walking is my form of exercise. But eat less? I don't know what that means. Less than what? Less than I've been eating when my metabolism slowed? Because 500 calories less than that would give me 400 calories for the entire day. Less than what I eat now? Right now if i'm not eating dessert and drinking wine to fill the calories, I have to try to eat all my calories for the day (at only a 250 deficit). If I just let myself eat, I most often fall between a 250-500 deficit without even trying.

I'm no overweight. I'm just pushing my weight range. I'm not so much older that my metabolism is plummeting with age. I don't have kids yet. I have terrible, terrible, terrible genetics that are not on my side. I'm not being treated for thyroid problems. Although my thyroid has tripled over recent years, it is in perfect range so I am not flagged as any kind of problem.

At this point, I have a lot of information but I'm not sure how to apply it all or what to do quite yet.

[Case13]

Right. We are on the same page then. I think other comments keep bringing up more questions for me. So right now I am eating 250 more, as you suggested. We will see how it goes. I'm tracking it all.

I guess one aspect that is confusing to me as that I'm not at a deficit, despite FitBit thinking I am simply because I'm not losing weight. But many signs point to me under-eating. How can I not be at a deficit but under-eating at the same time? I've watched the video, read the medical studies, etc. I can understand a slowing metabolism. I just mean, up front and on the surface the difference between deficit and under-eating in this case?

[Case13]

Thank you. An emotional response means a lot to me at this time. The rest is so logical and so... weighing. Not many people in my personal life care or understand. I'm 50+ pounds less than my sisters let alone anyone else in my family. As long as I am smaller than my voice or concerns have absolutely no matter to anyone. It is all just a, "Pfffft. Don't even talk to me." attitude. I have similar problems with my immediate friends. Just because I am smaller doesn't mean I am healthy! Just because I am "skinnier" doesn't mean that losing weight isn't even harder for me than it is for anyone I know. In fact, in many cases it is very much harder because everyone else is overweight enough that cutting out just one element (like drinking soda for a month) will cause them to lose 15 pounds. For me, I have a very healthy lifestyle that allows for fun and eating whatever I want but what I want has never been lots of soda or ice cream or any of these things everyone else gets to cut out for immediate results. To live a maintainable lifestyle, there isn't a whole lot else I can permanently change. So you're right that I should relax a little. The stress of needing to lose weight alone can be causing me to gain. It usually does but it is so so so hard to let go. I can very easily balloon up and keep on going to end up as big as the rest of my family. But it isn't all about looks. It is about overall function. If I don't feel good about myself then I get kind of depressed about it. If I get depressed, I get tired. I already have narcolepsy so I can't deal with more tired. If I have to take more medicines to deal with being tired, then my hunger is suppressed all day and causing me to be STARVING at night when they wear off in time for me to sleep. And it effects my relationship as it does for probably everyone. If I don't feel healthy, I don't feel sexy. If I don't feel sexy, then forget about having any kind of sexual relationship. Not many relationships can go through bad bumps in the road in addition to that kind of dysfunction. For me, I haven't had any great feelings about myself, sexual drive, or bounds of energy since Christmas. 😞 Now the idea of bikini season is even more daunting.

[Heybales]

Not during this 2 week test.

You start lifting and you will retain water, throwing off the test. Keep all routines the same.

And you are eating more - 250 more than suppressed maintenance right now.

That you have gained yet shocks me, I didn't think your metabolism would respond that quickly.

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@Case13 wrote:
I boosted my calories up by 250 (so only a 250 deficit per day now) and started taking the glucosamine pills in the morning again. I already feel like I've lost a bit of water weight although the number on the scale hasn't changed at all.

So do you suggest the weight training you previously listed and eating a bit more as I am doing to get my metabolism back in better function?

You've helped me learn so much! Sorry I'm not all the way there yet but I thank you a million times over for your time.

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[Heybales]

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@Case13 wrote:
My dinners consist usually of some kind of meat - a chicken, small steak, lamb, mini burger - with a huge side of vegetables. Sometime I will have pasta with vegetables mixed in... or soup, same. But most of my dinners are some kind of meet and two cups of fresh green beans. I know that vegetables have a lot of carbs even if I'm not stuffing myself with dinner rolls. I rarely add bread to any meal. Likewise, I've never done the bagel test because I can honestly say I eat probably four bagels a year. It is hard to do any sort of test like that since I have narcolepsy, any high carb load or high sugar load will run me into the ground fairly quickly. I would say, on average, with a heavy meal of any kind - 90 minutes later, I'm ready for a nap. Still, it's hard to say that has much of anything to do with the food. While many people with narcolepsy watch carbs and sugar to keep from getting too tired, I am also very active. On days I eat a lot of carbs, I also walk closer to 10 miles than 5 miles on those days and am far more socially active. Those aspects alone make me tired.

What are some of your favorite proteins and fats?

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Chicken  being low fat allows you to add in your own healthy fats like almonds or such. But fish is good for both too.

A high carb meal causing tiredness happens to many people, as I mentioned, over response of insulin.

And meals too big cause that too, even if you did a great balance of protein, fat, and carbs - if enough calories insulin can still overshoot what was really needed, causing low blood sugar. At least it means that system for clearing out blood sugar and keeping it low is working - too good actually.

So in your case having meals 400 calories or less might work better, along with mix of protein and fat eaten first, carbs last. Still don't need to eat every 2 hrs or such. But allow that 4-5 hrs between meals and snacks to hit your goal.

[Heybales]

Because for too long you underate too much for amount of activity - you forced your system slower.

What does Fitbit say your TDEE is?

And did you manually add any non-step based activity it is underestimating?

So there's the rub, your walking along with big deficit caused the same issue it appears.

The perspective is eating less than TDEE, but since you are only walking compared to what article said doing more and more exercise, you'll be eating less.

But other study I listed showed eating at maintenance also allowed recovery to occur.

His method is just remove the stress of the big amounts of exercise, and keep minor stress of a small diet and good exercise.

But you have no big amounts of exercise to remove, so need to keep the walking. So your stress removal is any diet.

And that's a diet from potential TDEE he's talking about. Obviously at that point he's been talking about the same effect you have - there is no loss, obviously you are eating at TDEE, suppressed TDEE.

Your body probably hasn't seen for a long time a potential TDEE. You need to get up there first.

Which is what eating 250 more daily is doing. Hopefully getting your metabolism to increase to potential. And it may even be higher than 250.

Then you'll take a reasonable deficit for your amount of activity.

So you do need to meet that goal by logging and eating more than what seems ordinary.

 -----------------------

@Case13 wrote:

I guess one aspect that is confusing to me as that I'm not at a deficit, despite FitBit thinking I am simply because I'm not losing weight. But many signs point to me under-eating. How can I not be at a deficit but under-eating at the same time? I've watched the video, read the medical studies, etc. I can understand a slowing metabolism. I just mean, up front and on the surface the difference between deficit and under-eating in this case?

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[Naomi94]

 Do not rely upon FitBit to tell you how many calories you should be eating every day. 

Start from scratch - determine your true BMR and start from there. BMR is unique to every individual, it is best if you get an accurate BMR from a dietician, but if your insurance does not cover dietition, then do it yourself by going to my fitness pal:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

This calculator will tell you how many calories you should be eating every day, it will factor in your weight, age, and height. It is not perfect, but it is better than fitbit. 

Next: re-do your weekly menu. Eat within your BMR, and spread out thouse calories to 4-5 meals per day. Start consuming as much protein as you can in the morning: egg white omelette is the best. Cut out all diet soda. Diet soda will NOT help you keep the weight down. It triggers an insulin response which triggers fat storage. I repeat - DO NOT DRINK DIET SODA. 

Weigh yourself once a week. This is about lifestyle changes that lead to permanent weight loss, this is not about being obsessed with your weight. Weigh yourself once a week and Put the Scale in the Closet! Do not touch it for 7 days. Think of it this way, every week you will have something to look forward to. 

Start logging in your calories and make it public. That extra level of transparency will make you think twice before you eat something because you will know the world will see it. 

Finally, ever watch House MD? "Everybody lies" I can say the biggest liars are people who claim to be eating within thier calorie range. The fact is, most of them do not know how many calories are in the foods they are eating. If you really want to keep the weight off, get offline and go to the library. Check out some books on nutrition and read them fom cover to cover. Apply what you learn in the books. 

Finally - do resistance training and weight lifting as a sport. 

If you follow my advice, the fat will come off slowly and stay off. On a final note, I highly doubt any medication is making you gain weight. If you are gaining weight, it is because you are doing something wrong. Fix the problem by being honest with yourself about what you are eating. The biggest mistake people make would be to blame circumstance (things beyond their control) for their obesity. Defense mechanisms and excuses are your worst enemy. Kill those, and you will succeed. 

[Case13]

I know it is only Wednesday, but I've lost 4 pounds. It's the only real movement in losing that I've seen in over a month.

What I'm not sure of is whether that is that I am eating 250 more or if it has to do with my success last week. Last week I had about a 3,000 calorie deficiency for the entire week and walked nearly 80,000 steps.

I guess time will tell.

So losing weight when eating more has to do with water retention from less carbs? I hurt my back so all I've been doing is walking and resting. I've been sleeping more than I have in a while as well. I took 5 days off of my medicine (basically just there to keep me REALLY awake throughout the day) which always makes me SUPER hungry but I was able to manage it pretty well.

I will keep your list of suggested strength training for when it is time then.

Will it really be 1-3 months of resetting my metabolism (per the video/article you sent two days ago)?

Heybales Wrote:

Not during this 2 week test.

You start lifting and you will retain water, throwing off the test. Keep all routines the same.

And you are eating more - 250 more than suppressed maintenance right now

That you have gained yet shocks me, I didn't think your metabolism would respond that quickly.