Gained weight when under calories ?

jpdeft
jpdeft Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it true that weight loss isn't linear and that sometimes there are fluctuations? I set my goal to lose 2 lb a week. I don't starve myself since I eat whenever I'm hungry and I'm always under my calories. The first month I lost 10 pounds but now I recently regained 4 pounds. I weighed myself one morning and I was 171 and the next morning I was 175 and it just stuck for a couple days now. It is still 175 even after I took a couple dumps.

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Yes, it's true.
  • MelaRayne
    MelaRayne Posts: 14 Member
    I was losing at first when on a really restricted diet, then I started gaining. I was so frustrated. Then I noticed that when I slipped up and ate a little over my 1200 I would lose again. Eating can actually help you lose, just make sure it's healthy stuff. Try upping your calorie intake for a couple days.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited October 2015
    jpdeft wrote: »
    Is it true that weight loss isn't linear and that sometimes there are fluctuations? I set my goal to lose 2 lb a week. I don't starve myself since I eat whenever I'm hungry and I'm always under my calories. The first month I lost 10 pounds but now I recently regained 4 pounds. I weighed myself one morning and I was 171 and the next morning I was 175 and it just stuck for a couple days now. It is still 175 even after I took a couple dumps.

    Lots of reasons for holding water - time of month, higher sodium meals, sore muscles.

    Many people don't weigh everyday because they hate the up/down of the scale.

    2 pounds a week is VERY aggressive. Even at 1200 net calories (for women)....MEN are at 1500 net, 2 pounds a week is not a reasonable expectation anymore. The smaller you get, the more weight loss slows.

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range
  • jpdeft
    jpdeft Posts: 8 Member
    edited October 2015
    TeaBea wrote: »
    jpdeft wrote: »
    Is it true that weight loss isn't linear and that sometimes there are fluctuations? I set my goal to lose 2 lb a week. I don't starve myself since I eat whenever I'm hungry and I'm always under my calories. The first month I lost 10 pounds but now I recently regained 4 pounds. I weighed myself one morning and I was 171 and the next morning I was 175 and it just stuck for a couple days now. It is still 175 even after I took a couple dumps.

    Lots of reasons for holding water - time of month, higher sodium meals, sore muscles.

    Many people don't weigh everyday because they hate the up/down of the scale.

    2 pounds a week is VERY aggressive. Even at 1200 net calories (for women)....MEN are at 1500 net, 2 pounds a week is not be a reasonable expectation anymore. The smaller you get, the more weight loss slows.

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

    Fair enough, I will set it back to 1 lb a week. I'm 5'8 and well now I weigh 175, I'm hoping to be around 155-160. How often do you weigh yourself ?
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    Whats funny is that kinda happened to me. I decided to strictly follow my 1800 calories to the tee and I gained weight for 2 weeks. Then I changed up what I ate and ate a little more and I started losing again.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Yes = 2 lbs/week is too much. Recalculate to 1 lb/week, and readjust caloric intake. It's usually best not
    to exceed a 20% calorie deficit.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    I'm a 5'8 female (same height as you), and I can lose weight eating 2000 calories. I lift 5 times a week and run 1-4 times a week. You can stand to eat more than 1200-1500 being a 21 year old 5'8 male (according to your profile).
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    I am using and app that I put my weight in every morning (or most when I remember to weigh) and it keeps a graph showing the trend. This works very well for me to see. Yes I may be up 3 pounds today, but the end of the week I may be down four. The graph shows that in the long run I have gone down consistently.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Yep, fluctuations happen.
  • jpdeft
    jpdeft Posts: 8 Member
    OhMsDiva wrote: »
    Whats funny is that kinda happened to me. I decided to strictly follow my 1800 calories to the tee and I gained weight for 2 weeks. Then I changed up what I ate and ate a little more and I started losing again.

    I don't get it though. I have a deficit so I don't see how eating more and going over my calories is going to help me as opposed to being under my calories ?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    jpdeft wrote: »
    OhMsDiva wrote: »
    Whats funny is that kinda happened to me. I decided to strictly follow my 1800 calories to the tee and I gained weight for 2 weeks. Then I changed up what I ate and ate a little more and I started losing again.

    I don't get it though. I have a deficit so I don't see how eating more and going over my calories is going to help me as opposed to being under my calories ?

    It won't. But eating below your calories, especially if you're set to 1500, can lead to muscle loss and other pretty serious health concerns.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    jpdeft wrote: »
    OhMsDiva wrote: »
    Whats funny is that kinda happened to me. I decided to strictly follow my 1800 calories to the tee and I gained weight for 2 weeks. Then I changed up what I ate and ate a little more and I started losing again.

    I don't get it though. I have a deficit so I don't see how eating more and going over my calories is going to help me as opposed to being under my calories ?
    It won't. People overemphasize short term changes and attribute them to the wrong things. More patience, fewer snap judgments.

  • jpdeft
    jpdeft Posts: 8 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    jpdeft wrote: »
    OhMsDiva wrote: »
    Whats funny is that kinda happened to me. I decided to strictly follow my 1800 calories to the tee and I gained weight for 2 weeks. Then I changed up what I ate and ate a little more and I started losing again.

    I don't get it though. I have a deficit so I don't see how eating more and going over my calories is going to help me as opposed to being under my calories ?

    It won't. But eating below your calories, especially if you're set to 1500, can lead to muscle loss and other pretty serious health concerns.

    I have moved it up to 1750 now.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I don't get it though. I have a deficit so I don't see how eating more and going over my calories is going to help me as opposed to being under my calories ?

    It won't help you burn fat. There is some evidence that "refeeding" can help cause your body to shed water that is being retained in now-nearly-empty fat cells, though. It can also help break through some of the hormone-induced cravings.

Categories