If lots of calories & carbs equal weight gain? Why am I still losing weight?
jessica_sodenkamp
Posts: 34 Member
I've lost almost 20 pounds, but my diet is calorie heavy, with most of those calories coming from carbs. I'm 5'4" and do not exercise regularly at all.
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Replies
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Depends how much you are eating. How many calories are you eating?3
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Because you're eating less than you're using
You're in defecit hence weight loss21 -
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Some people can consume eg 2000 calories, in whatever form they take, and lose weight because it's less than they need.
OTOH, I ended up here exactly by consuming 2000 calories a day. It's more than I need to maintain.4 -
As I've said before, CICO is just a physics equation. The devil is in the details, and figuring out your own parameters for said equation. Some will be higher, some will be lower. That's just how it goes, and is part of the reason why MFP's weird hardline stance at 1200 kcals annoys the *kitten* out of me at times.7
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Gallowmere1984 wrote: »As I've said before, CICO is just a physics equation. The devil is in the details, and figuring out your own parameters for said equation. Some will be higher, some will be lower. That's just how it goes, and is part of the reason why MFP's weird hardline stance at 1200 kcals annoys the *kitten* out of me at times.
That's based on nutritional minimums for the average person ..eg macro and micro nutrients
If you are considerably shorter or an amputee then fair enough6 -
I'm losing & my diet isn't exactly a model of restraint. I simply learned more about portion size. I generally eat less then I consume but every weekend turns into an extravagance. I'm still losing because I eat less then I consume for the most part.4
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If you're losing, you are burning more than you are eating....1
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@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?0 -
If you're losing, your diet isn't "Calorie heavy." That doesn't even make sense.14
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"Heavy calorie" is a vague term, and relative to your energy expenditure.
Here's a hypothetical. I tell you I ate "a ton" of pizza the other night (I didn't, just happen to be craving pizza at this very moment). In fact, I ate 1200 calories of pizza for early dinner. But, all I had earlier was a 200 calorie protein bar around noon, and a cup of coffee with a tablespoon of sugar-free creamer when I woke up. Did I mention I was out running errands and playing with my kids at the park, so I didn't get a chance to lift or do my normal cardio, so I didn't "exercise". And I'm down another pound.
Turns out I ate 1425 calories all day. And burned another 300 calories getting in about 12000 steps and raised my TDEE.
But I am convinced I ate a ton of pizza and didn't work out.
The laws of thermodynamics still apply.39 -
jessica_sodenkamp wrote: »I've lost almost 20 pounds, but my diet is calorie heavy, with most of those calories coming from carbs. I'm 5'4" and do not exercise regularly at all.
You are eating fewer calories than you burn so you are losing weight. Macro allocation is not critical to weight loss. The number of calories you eat is what matters for weight loss.1 -
Need more details, but clearly you are still burning more than you are taking in. It's certainly not all about carbs either. Don't fall for that.0
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How long ago did you have that baby? are you breast feeding, that burns a lot of calories.5
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Eating more calories than you expend in total in a day is what equals weight gain. Carbs do not have a direct effect on long term weight gain or loss, it's all about the calorie balance equation CICO.
If your CI is less than your CO you lose weight
If your CI is equal to your CO you maintain weight
If your CI is greater than your CO you gain weight
Are you trying to lose, maintain, or gain? Are you logging your foods, accurately, using a food scale? What do you have your calorie goal set to?
A lot of people continue to lose while transitioning into maintenance as they try to work out an appropriate calorie goal.1 -
You don't seem to have been logging so I have no idea what you consider to be "calorie heavy." Regardless, you're ingesting fewer calories than you are burning.
Lots of calories/carbs does not equal weight gain. Too many calories equals weight gain.1 -
kcal in kcal out. and its common that people think that they consume more then what they actually consume.0
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My husband is 6' 6" tall and has a manual job. He uses 3500 cals a day.
Its not the amount of cals on their own, its how many you, personally, use which matters. If you are losing, you are using more cals than you eat, regardless of what that amount is.
And if your photo is recent, and if you are breastfeeding, that uses a cals too.1 -
I'm sure your idea of "calorie heavy" and my idea of "calorie heavy" are two different things. So, how many calories do you consider "calorie heavy"?1
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The carbs don't really matter in the grand scheme of things as it really comes down to calories.
One other possibility (other than what everyone else already stated and is more likely) is if you really are eating a ton with no exercise then it could be a malabsorption issue and you need to go to the doctors.
Actually monitoring your food intake could explain it all pretty quickly.2 -
@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?
I'm about 5'4", 23 y/o. Trying more than anything to just be healthy, so I'm eating a lot of nutrient rich foods. Currently weigh 111 pounds. My calorie intake is around 2500-3000/day.
Example day:
Breakfast- 800-1200 calorie fruit smoothie
Lunch-
800 calorie fruit meal or starchy cooked meal (potatoes, rice, etc.) with veggies
Dinner- 800-1000 calorie cooked meal (rice, pasta, potatoes) that includes a salad or veggies
I feel great but was just really surprised about the weight loss, because I'm a stay at home mom and spend most of my time at home. Sure I breastfeed, but does that really account for all those calories?1 -
nordlead2005 wrote: »The carbs don't really matter in the grand scheme of things as it really comes down to calories.
One other possibility (other than what everyone else already stated and is more likely) is if you really are eating a ton with no exercise then it could be a malabsorption issue and you need to go to the doctors.
Actually monitoring your food intake could explain it all pretty quickly.
This is a very good possibility. I was consuming over 4500 calories per day with a sedentary lifestyle and was losing weight at one point. Turns out I had diabetes and didn't know it yet. I was literally pissing the calories away. It was all being flushed out through my kidneys. Do you find you are thirsty a lot? May want to pay the doctor a visit...1 -
jessica_sodenkamp wrote: »@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?
I'm about 5'4", 23 y/o. Trying more than anything to just be healthy, so I'm eating a lot of nutrient rich foods. Currently weigh 111 pounds. My calorie intake is around 2500-3000/day.
Example day:
Breakfast- 800-1200 calorie fruit smoothie
Lunch-
800 calorie fruit meal or starchy cooked meal (potatoes, rice, etc.) with veggies
Dinner- 800-1000 calorie cooked meal (rice, pasta, potatoes) that includes a salad or veggies
I feel great but was just really surprised about the weight loss, because I'm a stay at home mom and spend most of my time at home. Sure I breastfeed, but does that really account for all those calories?
That is a lot of calories for someone your height and weight with no exercise to lose at. Are you 100% positive your food logging is accurate?4 -
Can I have the recipe for an 800-1200 calorie smoothie?7
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jessica_sodenkamp wrote: »@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?
I'm about 5'4", 23 y/o. Trying more than anything to just be healthy, so I'm eating a lot of nutrient rich foods. Currently weigh 111 pounds. My calorie intake is around 2500-3000/day.
Example day:
Breakfast- 800-1200 calorie fruit smoothie
Lunch-
800 calorie fruit meal or starchy cooked meal (potatoes, rice, etc.) with veggies
Dinner- 800-1000 calorie cooked meal (rice, pasta, potatoes) that includes a salad or veggies
I feel great but was just really surprised about the weight loss, because I'm a stay at home mom and spend most of my time at home. Sure I breastfeed, but does that really account for all those calories?
Breastfeeding, chasing children, cleaning the house, playing in the yard...it all adds up my friend.2 -
It does seem like a lot of calories but breastfeeding really burns calories. I ate exactly what I wanted while breastfeeding (which probably amounted to 2,500+ calories a day) and still lost weight, allbeit slowly. It only worked up to a certain point though - I had to put more effort into losing the last 15 pounds or so.1
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If you are losing weight without trying please go to your doctor. There may be an underline medical problem one mentioned diabetes it could also be your thyroid. Please get checked out.
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jessica_sodenkamp wrote: »@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?@jessica_sodenkamp
How tall are you and approx what age? Are you here at MFP to reach specific goals? How much do you currently weigh?
Are you happy or unhappy about your weight loss?
I'm about 5'4", 23 y/o. Trying more than anything to just be healthy, so I'm eating a lot of nutrient rich foods. Currently weigh 111 pounds. My calorie intake is around 2500-3000/day.
Example day:
Breakfast- 800-1200 calorie fruit smoothie
Lunch-
800 calorie fruit meal or starchy cooked meal (potatoes, rice, etc.) with veggies
Dinner- 800-1000 calorie cooked meal (rice, pasta, potatoes) that includes a salad or veggies
I feel great but was just really surprised about the weight loss, because I'm a stay at home mom and spend most of my time at home. Sure I breastfeed, but does that really account for all those calories?
In all honesty, this post makes it seem as if you really don't know how much you are eating, at all. Do you log your food? Is this just a guess?6
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