Gradually Decreasing Weight

Question
A few months ago, I went off to university, and have found myself gradually losing weight ever since. I'm 5'9, weigh 138lbs and am a 19 year old male. I weighed 150 at the start of the year, and I used to weigh 155 when I was 16. I have also had muscle cramps, I find I'm more easily exhausted than normal and I'm feeling the cold more than normal. I did a body fat percentage recently, which came out at 5.3%. My activity level is high, as I cycle 70-80 miles/ week, lift weights 3*40 minutes/ week and have to walk 1-2 miles per day between lectures. How can I reverse my weight loss trend and get back to 150?

Answer
Wow David, your body fat percentage is low.  I was a professional cyclist for many years and during that time my body fat was also in the single digits, so I know a bit about how you are feeling.  Your symptoms of muscle cramps, feeling exhausted, and cold intollerance are all signs of low body fat induced by caloric deficit.  When body fat drops too low the brain begins to "down regulate" casuing the coldness, exhaustion, and cramps.  The number of calories you are consuming is less than the number you are expending.  We need to get more calories into you if we are going to get that weight back up to 150!

You could reduce your activity leve, but I am not suggesting that.  I think your activity level is great, we just need to feed the body enough so that it can continue and actually have some excess calories to be stored as muscle, and body fat.

With yor busy lifestyle finding tme to eat is probably difficult.  I am going to give you some suggestions that have been helpful to others.  First, don't skip breakfast.  Eat as soon as you wake up.  Your body has gone 6 or 8 hours without food, and needs some badly.  Feed the body first thing.  Then eat a meal every 3 hours while you are awake.  Do not let 4 hours go by without putting something in your stomach.  We need to really increase the amount of food you are eating, and one way to do that is to increase the number of times per day you eat.  This may mean eating when you are not particularly hungry.  I call it "eating by the clock", and it is what every bodybuilder has to do to get big.  If we rely on hunger to tell us when to eat, then we will always be behind on our calorie intake.

The second way to create a caloric surplus is by choosing "calorie dense" foods.  Below is a list of some foods that have a lot of calories per gram.  Se if there ar foods there that you could eat.

Brown Rice      
Wheat Pasta      
Carrots      
Walnuts      
Macadamia Nuts      
Almonds, Dry Roast   
Cashews
Sunflower Seeds
Top Sirloin, Top Round      
Extra Lean Ground Beef      
Pork Tenderloin      
Whole Wheat Pita      
Whole Wheat Crackers      
Potatoes      
Peas      
Plain Non-Fat Yogurt      
Non-Fat Cheese      
Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt      
Macadamia Nuts      
Low Fat Milk      
Whole Eggs
Bananas      
Ground Peanuts (Publix)      
Whole Wheat Bread   
Non-Fat Popcorn
Raisins
Turkey/Beef Jerkey
BH Lebanon Bologna
BH Cajun Style Roast Beef
BH Corned Beef Top Round
BH Pesto Parmesan Ham
BH Ovengold Turkey Breast
Myoplex Deluxe bar
Myoplex Lite Bar
Myoplex Mass Shake
Myoplex Deluxe Shake
Myoplex Precision protein

The BH above stands for Boar's Head (brand of deli meat), and Myoplex is a type of supplement made by EAS that can be bought at some grocery stores and nutrition stores.  Speaking of supplements, there is not a specific supplement out there that will have any appreciable effect on your weight gain except for calories.  it takes calories to make weight.  However, some supplements that would help you get more caloires in are nutrition shakes and bars.  The bars are great for "on the run" meals, and the shakes are a great alternative when you don't feel like chewing anything.

You may find some immediate relief from the cramping if you begin taking in more water.  When there is a calorie deficit, there is also a fluid deficit becuase between 20 and 60% of food is fluid.  Your cramping could be a result of dehydration.  Try drinking between 60 and 100 ounces of water per day, especially around your exercise.

Give yourself time to gain the weight.  Look for 1 to 2 pounds of gain per week.  Weight yourself often.  If you are not gaining, then you need to increase your calories.  I often tell my weight gain clients that gaining weight is just as hard as losing weight.  So your task is not an easy one, but if you plan your meals ahead of time, and make it a priority to get your calories in, the weight will come back on.

I hope that I have provided you with ideas to get you started.  I wish you the best, and please do not hesitate to contact me with additional questions as you begin your weight re-gain.

Warmest regards,
Dr. Bret

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