Sugar and carbs vs calories in

New414
New414 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been losing steadily for a year. Consciously took a break this past two months with family home for the summer and more desserts and different foods on the menu. Most days, my calories stayed at 1200, but the composition of those calories was very different. More carbs, breads and potatoes, sweets too. I have gained 8 lbs in 2 months and feel every one of them. I'm soft and bloated, tired and grumpy lol. Point being, CICO doesn't seem to work for me. If my calories in are out of whack, I gain. Does anyone else find this to be the case?

Replies

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Do you use a food scale?

    Calories are king for weight loss... When someone usually says CICO doesn't work, it's usually due to underestimating CI (by not weighing food/eyeballing/cups, choosing generic or incorrect database entries), overestimating CO or both.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
    If you are eating a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

    Do you weight all your food? Maybe when you eat higher carbs you arent as accurate with your tracking.

    Also there is a possibility you have a gluten intolerance or some other medical condition. But i would say its more likely you arent in a claorie deficit.

    Also the change in diet coild just be causing water weigjt fluctuations.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,154 Member
    How are you figuring your calories? Are you weighing your food or just guessing/using measuring cups? My guess is you are underestimating CI or overestimating CO. CI<CO=weight loss is a basic math formula. It doesn't matter what makes up the CI or how you burn the CO. If you eat less than you burn you will lose, if you eat more you will gain.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    You are saying that 1200 calories of bread, potatoes, sweets and other carbs compared to 1200 calories of other foods are not 1200 calories? So let me ask, you said "most days" stayed at 1200 calories and can we assume that you ate more than your deficit to loose weight other days?

    My questions are meant to be thought provoking. Because 1200 calories is 1200 calories. It is the same amount of energy in, no matter the source of macro.

    You have gained weight because you ate outside of your deficit to stay in weight loss. In short you ate above your maintenance calories to gain weight, now perhaps a good amount of that is water weight since you admittedly say you eat a lot more carbs now than usual.
  • BigJes37
    BigJes37 Posts: 82 Member
    Calorie deficit to a point. To much of a deficit can drop your metabolism way down as cause more fat storage. I'm only saying because I see alot of feeds saying if your in a deficit you will lose and not being clear on how much of a deficit is important ;)
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    No you will lose in a deficit even if you are starving yourself. Check out what anorexics and people living in famines look like.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    BigJes37 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit to a point. To much of a deficit can drop your metabolism way down as cause more fat storage. I'm only saying because I see alot of feeds saying if your in a deficit you will lose and not being clear on how much of a deficit is important ;)

    Because there are obviously a lot of obese people walking around in famine-stricken/food scarce countries/regions.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    For me it is both. I count carbs and calories.

    When carbs creep up, my CO of CI<CO goes down. It is much easier to gain weight and harder to lose. When carbs are low, I don't need to keep calories quite a low. It's not a huge difference but it affects me.ite

    Plus carbs increase my appetite so staying in a deficit becomes that much harder.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    If you were on a low carb eating plan before you took your break then yes, you might have gained some weight due to glycogen storage. Glycogen binds with water and someone who depletes their glycogen through exercise or a very low consumption of carbohydrates loses the water bound to it as it is depleted. It's why someone who first starts a low carb diet loses a lot of weight the first two weeks or so. It's also why people who go off that low carb diet suddenly regain a few pounds when they return to eating more carbohydrates.

    So if that's the case with you, you have your answer. Otherwise, the likelihood is that you were eating slightly above maintenance for the last two months and may have retained some water due to the change in diet, too. Odds are, once you return to your pre-break eating habits some of that weight will drop off fairly quickly.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Water.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    Carbs make you retain water. Could just be water weight.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    My sister and I were having this conversation recently. It really is calories in vs. calories out. However - How you use those calories is important. If it's all carbs/sugar - you're going to get tired, feel bloated and be grumpy. And you're likely to be hungry all the time.

    The quality of those calories in does count. If you focus on protein, the fats/carbs will take care of themselves. A nutritionist told me that and I've found it to be pretty accurate. Protein takes longer to digest, which means you won't get hungry 30 minutes after you eat. It'll take a bit longer. If you have a big bowl of rice - you'll be hungry in about 30-45 minutes.

    Also - don't forget the importance of fiber. That will also help keep you from being hungry.

    The "cleaner" you eat, the more you get to eat too.

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