More weight loss questions
This is not medical advice.
These are answers to questions asked on social media health and fitness platforms. All are of course anonymous, and not medical advice. Just sharing anecdotal stories. Some numbers, dates, and details have been changed to protect privacy.
My answers are in italics.
Question
(27F, ~131 lbs, 5'4) train hard at least 5 days per week (heavy lifting + 20-40 min of cardio). I think I'm over-consuming protein and that it's making me gain weight. I haven't been counting macros, but I know that I eat more than I need (I'd estimate at least 100 g/day) and I feel like I'm not absorbing it properly because I'm not noticing any muscle growth over the past couple of months - not to mention the constant GI distress and bloating! I'm 6 weeks out from a graduation and would like to drop 3 pounds by then, which should be totally realistic.
I get obsessive about fitness and nutrition, and with protein being the hot thing right now, I've been downing it like it's going out of style, and get anxious when I eat a meal without a dense protein source like meat or whey supplements. I was hoping y'all could help me re-calibrate my macros and calories so that I can reach my 3-pound fat loss goal? My dress and gown would hang so much better on me!
I think (theory) the stress is causing you to retain excess calories. Stress finishing school, planning, and life (1st world stress, I know, we're not starving or in a war torn country).
You're body doesn't understand the heavy weightlifting and cardio as beneficial, just extra stress.
So maybe it's storing all those extra protein calories as fat. This is a link to an article where you can calculate your protein needs,
Take a deep breath. You're running yourself into the ground. It would be much easier to eat less, go for long walk outside. Lift some weights and cardio, if you enjoy it, not as an obligation,
Hey thank you for the response. I needed that. I’m ridiculously rigid and type A but it’s certainly exasperated. It’s easy to forget that stress management is part of fitness.