Increasing calories helped--thanks!
Replies
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A couple of months ago I started on the journey to become healthier by tracking calories and increasing exercise. The first 2 weeks I lost 10lbs then nothing. I apparently hit a wall but held out hope I was doing the right things. My caloric intake was around 1100 calories each day, which apparently was my norm because I didn't really change much...just tracked. My macros looked good and I continued to eat whole foods.
After feeling depressed and frustrated, I noticed I was incredibly forgetful and having a difficult time concentrating. So I turned to this forum to see if anyone else experienced this. And that's when I discovered I wasn't eating enough and apparently haven't been for years despite weighing over 200lbs.
So I took the trusting plunge and increased my calories to 1600 per day...mostly. I gotta be honest, most days I choked down as much as I could and still only reached 1500 calories.
But it worked! I have lost 8lbs since then and feel happier, less forgetful, and have an easier time concentrating. My energy has also picked up a bit.
So thank you to all the wise souls who shared their wisdom about metabolism and who shared deeper insights than the standard "calories in/calories out" advice so common on some forums. Looking at me no one would ever guess it possible that I was a chronic under-eater so I am incredibly grateful for those of you who have shared such helpful information! THANK YOU!!
I did the same thing where I lost a few pounds on 1200 calories initially and suddenly hit a wall. I think that there is a percentage of people this happens to. My energy levels went very low, I had chronic fatigue, and depression when I was on a very low calorie diet for an extended time.
I felt so much better once I adjusted closer to TDEE. Energy levels went up. I want to move around more now. It took about 3-4 months for me to heal, however some people may need more or less. My body can survive on very low calories, but I want to thrive-- not just survive and push to get through the day. I was between a rock and a hard place-- afraid to go lower than 1200 calories. I was very miserable eating 1200 calories and was maintaining despite strict logging and weighing but afraid I would gain weight if I ate more.
Now I CAN eat more, plus I have energy and strength. People who say this doesn't happen simply have never lived through it.
I am healthier. Whereas before I thought I was broken somehow and different because others apparently didn't have to go through it, and they were vehement that there is no such thing. I say thank you to those who mentioned reverse dieting and showing me how to find my actual TDEE. I saw what mine should be and got brave enough to slowly start adding calories to work towards it, and my energy levels and metabolism started raising. I want to preserve my health so that I can have an active life as I get older.
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I did the same thing where I lost a few pounds on 1200 calories initially and suddenly hit a wall. I think that there is a percentage of people this happens to. My energy levels went very low, I had chronic fatigue, and depression when I was on a very low calorie diet for an extended time.
I felt so much better once I adjusted closer to TDEE. Energy levels went up. I want to move around more now. It took about 3-4 months for me to heal, however some people may need more or less. My body can survive on very low calories, but I want to thrive-- not just survive and push to get through the day. I was between a rock and a hard place-- afraid to go lower than 1200 calories. I was very miserable eating 1200 calories and was maintaining despite strict logging and weighing but afraid I would gain weight if I ate more.
Now I CAN eat more, plus I have energy and strength. People who say this doesn't happen simply have never lived through it.
I am healthier. Whereas before I thought I was broken somehow and different because others apparently didn't have to go through it, and they were vehement that there is no such thing. I say thank you to those who mentioned reverse dieting and showing me how to find my actual TDEE. I saw what mine should be and got brave enough to slowly start adding calories to work towards it, and my energy levels and metabolism started raising. I want to preserve my health so that I can have an active life as I get older.
A lot of us HAVE been through it, and realized that blaming a lack of weight loss because of eating too little is just an excuse. I used to think my "stalls" were for this very reason too, until I learned to recognize water retention and normal fluctuations (or just plain lax on logging) and continue forward.
1200 calories is too low for a lot of people to be able to work with, and that's okay. You can still lose weight by eating more, albeit at a slower rate. I'm sure you DID feel better and I'm sure you DID have more energy. That's always the goal- no one says you have to eat the bare minimum of calories in order to continue losing. I don't think anyone is advocating for that.
If people haven't read these threads, they should:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/761810/the-starvation-mode-myth-again/p1
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment was mentioned- just to note that while these *starving* men's metabolism decreased, it still was not enough to stop weight loss. If you're eating, say <800 calories per day for an extended period of time, you might see a rate of 2.25-2.5 lbs per week lost instead of a predicted 3 lbs. If you're eating at 1,200 or above you aren't going to notice much of a difference from predicted.
Weight loss is never going to stall overall.
People put way too much stock in their "metabolism slowing" and don't recognize things like normal fluctuations and water retention which can be a killer to motivation if you don't pay attention to when they're happening.
Water retention was a huge one for me at first. I was very frustrated when the scale wouldn't even budge (or worse, go up) despite tracking my eating, until I realized what part water retention plays. Now I can easily say "well, it's that time of the month" or "I did eat quite a bit of salty food yesterday" or "that makes sense, I did just start a new exercise regimen". It always evens out in the end.
If fighting against misinformation is unfriendly, then I'll have to accept that. If it weren't for people being firm against the nonsense on these boards, I wouldn't have had nearly the success I've found. I love MyFitnessPal because people largely reject the fad nonsense and stick to the hard evidence over anecdotes and emotions.9 -
Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)1 -
Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
You've read around and not read why this would / may / could happen ? It's been talked about ad nauseum
You think calling people names because they have more experience or knowledge than you is the way to work out what's happening
You want help or knowledge? Insulting people is not a great way to get either8 -
singingflutelady wrote: »lightenup2016 wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »lightenup2016 wrote: »As she said, if she was "eating more than she thought" at what she says was 1100 calories, wouldn't she still be eating even more at what she says is 1600?
Not necessarily. We don't know, for example that she's eating exactly the same foods. Maybe, at the lower calorie count, she used a "diet" bread that reported a lot less calories on the label than were actually in a slice. Stuff like that. And a higher goal makes many people less likely to subconsciously "cheat the count" by licking spoons, not log cooking spray, etc.
That said, I am very happy that the OP made this change and that she's seeing the results she was working hard for. Personally, I cannot imagine living on 1100 (or even 1200) calories/day. I am always amazed when people say they can live on so little.
I'm sorry, I don't see how some variance in bread slices (or just about any other food), could account for 1000 calories per day. If she's now losing a lb a week eating what she says is 500 calories more, but everyone claims she must have been eating more than she thought, wouldn't she have to have previously been 1000 calories off per day (eating 2100 calories instead of 1100)? I just got a food scale a week ago, and if anything I had previously been overestimating my calories, not underestimating. And seriously, a few grams off here and there? I've seen maybe about a 30 calorie difference over a range of items, nowhere near 1000. Besides, she feels better and has more energy--I think she MIGHT just be able to tell that she's actually eating more than before.
I generally hold to the CICO rule, but I think it's highly likely that other factors come into play with weight loss. Why can't people open their minds and listen to others' experiences? Learn from them, don't dismiss them.
More energy probably has the op burning more. Eating 500 calories more isn't going to magically cause you to lose weight if nothing else changes. It's mathematically impossible unless the weight is water, etc. I am still guess it's water as fluid retention is a pita.
Oh and I do have lots of experience with chronic undereating. I ate 500 a day for several months and exercised. Yes my metabolism slowed but I still lost over 2 lbs a week.
Yes. The body slows down to compensate for low calories. This does impact CICO as it adds another variable. People seem to think it is simple addition and subtraction. But it is more like algebra with multiplication, addition, subtraction, division, variables, etc.
People are at various stages of health, metabolic syndromes, stress, age, etc. Fortunately I only hit the border of overweight when I had previously gotten up to my highest of 25 BMI (overweight) and got fed up. My body has a system of checks and balances, so I've never gotten obese. Now I'm back down in the Normal BMI range (23-24 range) and am successful keeping weight off.
Would I like to lose a couple more pounds? Sure. I would love to get a 22 BMI. But I'm not going to give myself a big deficit ever again to get there. Now I'm working on using exercise and weights to increase muscle and up metabolism . People need to figure out what works best for them and change things up if something isn't working.
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Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
If you've read as much as you've said you've read, then you wouldn't be resorting to name calling.
You'd also realize CICO encompasses what you're experiencing.
Everyone who claims that CICO doesn't work doesn't understand what CICO means.5 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.10
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
I do not believe I deny the "laws of CICO".1 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
That you do not share my experience is fine with me. But somehow if somebody does not fit your experience, then it doesn't automatically make it false.6 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
People are hesitant to post because they see the smack downs and the "gotchas" in every thread.
A lot of snark and insulting tone. Yea, that means smartass. A lot more "that's utter nonsense" than "here is more information about what you need to know." It;s so *kitten* tiresome.
9 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.2 -
CorneliusPhoton wrote: »I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
People are hesitant to post because they see the smack downs and the "gotchas" in every thread.
A lot of snark and insulting tone. Yea, that means smartass. A lot more "that's utter nonsense" than "here is more information about what you need to know." It;s so *kitten* tiresome.
I know. I've almost quit MFP discussion forums several times. But I get so much help from insightful, thoughtful, supportive people on MFP that I'm sticking around.2 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet5 -
I gave information- information is abundant on the boards and in the "most helpful threads" section. There are some wonderful people who have shared great studies and extensive scientific / mathematical explanations that are easily available.
How awful to paint others who disagree with you as unsupportive, terrible people. I am cheering for everyone, as are most people on the boards.
Unfortunately, this thread has derailed to insults, angry jabs, and posts with little actual info, so I don't believe any benefit is going to be had by more discussion.
I really do wish everyone success.4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
If you've read as much as you've said you've read, then you wouldn't be resorting to name calling.
You'd also realize CICO encompasses what you're experiencing.
Everyone who claims that CICO doesn't work doesn't understand what CICO means.
I don't think they're claiming it doesn't work, rather other things can also impact weight loss other than how much you eat and how much you move. You're almost insulting the complexity of your body if you think it works like a standard calculator 24/7 365 days a year. If think about it, when reading food labels it doesn't actually tell you at which rate the food is being burnt, which foods are more efficient in which bodies nor does it account for every individuals genetic make up and health level, so on and so forth. That being said generally it works until accurate calculated potential results are not met. Then you question things and start picking it apart. I have my own personal approach to CICO but yes generally it does work.4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
If you've read as much as you've said you've read, then you wouldn't be resorting to name calling.
You'd also realize CICO encompasses what you're experiencing.
Everyone who claims that CICO doesn't work doesn't understand what CICO means.
I don't think they're claiming it doesn't work, rather other things can also impact weight loss other than how much you eat and how much you move. You're almost insulting the complexity of your body if you think it works like a standard calculator 24/7 365 days a year. If think about it, when reading food labels it doesn't actually tell you at which rate the food is being burnt, which foods are more efficient in which bodies nor does it account for every individuals genetic make up and health level, so on and so forth. That being said generally it works until accurate calculated potential results are not met. Then you question things and start picking it apart. I have my own personal approach to CICO but yes generally it does work.
That's just it. CICO is NOT just saying calories in, calories out. It encompasses all of those factors people keep saying it doesn't account for.
The acronym, itself, says that, but scientists, when they discuss CICO do indeed factor those things in and acknowledge them.
All of those things you mentioned fall under either calories in or calories out.7 -
I think there should be a sticky explaining how/why 'plateaus' occur, it would stop a ton of these threads being created every day.4
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nosebag1212 wrote: »I think there should be a sticky explaining how/why 'plateaus' occur, it would stop a ton of these threads being created every day.
In the stickies is this https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10155495/just-another-plateau-and-weigh-in-thread/p1
Nobody reads them though, everybody wants a direct answer to their personal problem
I think that's normal TBH4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
If you've read as much as you've said you've read, then you wouldn't be resorting to name calling.
You'd also realize CICO encompasses what you're experiencing.
Everyone who claims that CICO doesn't work doesn't understand what CICO means.
I don't think they're claiming it doesn't work, rather other things can also impact weight loss other than how much you eat and how much you move. You're almost insulting the complexity of your body if you think it works like a standard calculator 24/7 365 days a year. If think about it, when reading food labels it doesn't actually tell you at which rate the food is being burnt, which foods are more efficient in which bodies nor does it account for every individuals genetic make up and health level, so on and so forth. That being said generally it works until accurate calculated potential results are not met. Then you question things and start picking it apart. I have my own personal approach to CICO but yes generally it does work.
That's just it. CICO is NOT just saying calories in, calories out. It encompasses all of those factors people keep saying it doesn't account for.
The acronym, itself, says that, but scientists, when they discuss CICO do indeed factor those things in and acknowledge them.
All of those things you mentioned fall under either calories in or calories out.
I'm sure they do when they're in the lab but in real time things don't always relay *exactly how they should *all the time in practice. There's still a grey area IMO. Something so general can never be tailor made to every human on the planet. At least not 365 days a year. I know every human has the same heart, lungs, eyes etc but there's still nuances between us.2 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sorry. I'm annoyed. I don't think that you are snarky. I get fed up with having people argue that my experience is not true.4 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »
This.
Every time I gained on 1300 calories, or I gained weight while eating "healthy" and exercising, or I stalled at 1200 calories, I blamed my gosh darned metabolism. Well, after getting that good old fashioned food scale, weighing all my food, and logging everything, I was shocked to see I was eating way more than I realized.
Bottom line, we don't get to defy the laws of CICO. If we do, we have a serious medical issue that needs attention and, personally, I don't want to find out something is wrong with me that makes me lose weight when I am eating too much.3 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sue, if you quote me and then post directly under the quote then I'm going to take it personally.1 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sorry. I'm annoyed. I don't think that you are snarky. I get fed up with having people argue that my experience is not true.I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sue, if you quote me and then post directly under the quote then I'm going to take it personally.
Are you a little torn about how you feel about me
3 -
I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sorry. I'm annoyed. I don't think that you are snarky. I get fed up with having people argue that my experience is not true.I think a lot of people are experiencing troubles but are afraid to post because they see how others are treated and are not believed.
I think when people post woo and fads they cloud the water and make others confused; they feed into the multimillion dollar health & fitness industry by promoting tabloid style extrapolations that are not firmly grounded in actual science; they take everyone to the lowest common denominator of celebrity endorsed derpitude and reality TV. They make people yo-yo and fail,
When other people confirm that it really isn't that complicated, that majoring in the minors or believing the latest B-list celeb sponsored nonsense is detrimental they do us all an amazing service
The core science behind weight loss is simple, there are many interesting theories and many have infinitesimal impacts on overall weight loss, but that's where some like to live
That derp and misunderstanding kept me fat and unhealthy and wishing for 3 decades
CICO focus make me slim and fit in under a year and has kept me here for almost 2
I know who I'm most grateful to and it isn't those who spread incorrect unfounded information around
Funny how the same thing happened to me with people pounding how simple it is to lose weight on 1200 calories, but that doesn't work for everyone. You do you. YAHOO.
Yep 1200 calories is part of the derp spread around
It is not CICO nor what I have ever seen advised ubiquitously by regular MFP posters
I will ignore the insult I could have inferred by your final words and assume it was not intentional ...that's the best way to play all the boards...read everything in a muppet voice and it takes the sting out of it ..this, after all, is the internet
Sue, if you quote me and then post directly under the quote then I'm going to take it personally.
Are you a little torn about how you feel about me
Perhaps1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Hello OP! It sounds like we've been having similar issues.
I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago and then over the course of a year I gained most of that back when I fell into a period of major depression. But a little over a month ago I decided to start losing weight again.
The first 2 weeks I lost about 10 pounds. The next week I lost about 2 more. It was about this time that I started really counting calories and exercising 5 times a week. Before then I had just been eating healthier(I was probably eating around 1700 or so a day) and exercising 3 times a week.
So 2 weeks ago I began counting calories (I have a food scale and I am great about measuring) and eating around 1400 calories a day. I also upped my workouts to 5 times a week,burning between 500 to 600 calories per workout. Now according to CICO I should have been losing a good amount the past 2 weeks yes?
But I haven't lost a single pound, not for 2 weeks. Someone who weighs as much as I do (260) shouldn't be hitting a plateau so early on. I even bought a new scale because I was convinced my scale was broken. I have been flabbergasted trying to figure it out.
I've been searching around on here and on other open forums out there and it seems like this is actually a common problem. Now I'm not an expert and I don't know exactkt why this happens. But it seems like if you work out too much and also diet extensively, it is possible to not lose any weight.
But now that I think about it, when I lost 70 pounds over 9 months almost 2 years ago, I started out only exercising once or twice a week and very gradually increased to 5 times a week exercising and I never experienced this issue then. I'm going to try something similar to what the OP did and I'm going to increase my calories to 1500 and decrease my workouts to 3 times a week for a while. And I'm confident that will restart my weight loss.
Yes I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure some one smarter than me and all the smart *kitten* on this thread could probably explain this phenomenon. There's more to weight loss than CICO.
(Edit: I should also mention that I have not been eating back my exercise calories, truly just eating 1400 a day)
If you've read as much as you've said you've read, then you wouldn't be resorting to name calling.
You'd also realize CICO encompasses what you're experiencing.
Everyone who claims that CICO doesn't work doesn't understand what CICO means.
I don't think they're claiming it doesn't work, rather other things can also impact weight loss other than how much you eat and how much you move. You're almost insulting the complexity of your body if you think it works like a standard calculator 24/7 365 days a year. If think about it, when reading food labels it doesn't actually tell you at which rate the food is being burnt, which foods are more efficient in which bodies nor does it account for every individuals genetic make up and health level, so on and so forth. That being said generally it works until accurate calculated potential results are not met. Then you question things and start picking it apart. I have my own personal approach to CICO but yes generally it does work.
That's just it. CICO is NOT just saying calories in, calories out. It encompasses all of those factors people keep saying it doesn't account for.
The acronym, itself, says that, but scientists, when they discuss CICO do indeed factor those things in and acknowledge them.
All of those things you mentioned fall under either calories in or calories out.
Thing is, especially when you don't read extensively here AND follow the many links, being told CICO never fails and eating more is never the answer isn't helpful. Both may be true, but they don't help either.
Too large of a deficit can, in a sense, activate a body's self-protection *to a degree* and reduce CO. Even when the individual doesn't see it happening. I guarantee my months long 1000 deficit caused that for me. Was it a metabolic slow down? Potentially partially. Was it a reduction in NEAT? Almost certainly. In the midst of it I couldn't see it. But knowing my logging was as on point as possible, to see a marked reduction in loss rate was very disheartening. It caused me to increase deficit by stopping using any exercise calories. Which, in hindsight was a horrible idea. My previous desire to improve my pace slipped a lot. I quit looking for excuses to increase my step count. I was obsessing and stressing over it. While staying in my calories, I was not making nearly as nutritious choice in food. NEAT tanked, drive tanked and loss rate tanked.
Thank goodness when I reached out here I got good advice and articles. In the end, a diet break to help reset me mentally (and maybe some positive hormonal resets) coupled with a reduced deficit coming out of the break has losses exceeding deficit. NEAT is up, workouts are back to energetic and any potential cortisol related water retention has corrected itself. In *my case eating more was the solution. But that sentence is as unhelpful as the reverse was above.
Compassion, curiosity and tailoring advice to the specific poster can go a long way to actually being helpful to a poster, and lurkers.9 -
Wow... I am so incredibly happy that I didn't read many of these comments back when I was under eating and needing more nutrients to fuel my workouts lol! I understand that weight loss is a topic that often resembles ideology so I get it...we know what we know and 'believe' what we know is generalizable to everyone. I mostly was hoping that some of the well informed folks who provided rich depth in their understanding of metabolism would know that it was their wisdom, judgement-free, thoughtful information that helped steer me away from the very unhealthy track I was on in being under nourished. Their insights helped tremendously because for the first time I didn't feel pressured into cutting even more calories. A pressure that is too deeply ingrained in our culture, especially the weight loss culture.
So I guess all I would hope to convey to anyone reading this thread is that metabolism is not static and involves more complex elements than cutting calories to dangerously low levels. If you have spent 5 weeks like I did eating 1000-1100 calories per day, exercising 6 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes and maximum of 90 minutes, and if you are still not losing weight, are feeling unable to concentrate well and leaning towards new symptoms of depression, please reexamine how you are approaching your journey and consider increasing your calories. You deserve to be healthy AS you go, not just after you reach that magic number on the scale that tells you that you have made it!
And finally, I never said I ended up 200 lbs from under eating. What I said was that I have been under eating for years, which is true, after I gained the weight. I suffered many, many, many health problems after pregnancy that resulted in multiple surgeries and long term immobility. I have been (mostly) better for the past 3 years but haven't led an active lifestyle until this year after my last health issue was resolved (finally!). So probably I stayed at 215 lbs while chronically under eating because I wasn't getting any exercise (as in very, very little walking around the house). So please understand, implying that I was dishonest with myself about my caloric intake may resolve ones own beliefs about weight loss, but it isn't grounded in the reality of my experience, is saturated in false assumptions, and perpetuates ideas that influence people like myself to eat too little, which is not healthy. If I were dishonest with myself (as a few have implied) then whatever mistakes or 'cheating' that I would presumably be perpetuating would have carried over to the new 1600 calorie daily intake, which apparently it's not. I also reduced my workouts to 3 days per week instead of 5-6, but did add HIIT which I am sure has also helped. But one shouldn't do HIIT without sufficient nutrients to repair anyways in my view. So while calories in/calories out may be the general "rule" of science, there are always additional factors to be considered and no one in their right mind should be promoting consumption of less than 1200 calories per day. It's just not safe for prolonged periods of time, especially if one is also including work outs into the mix. I don't need to lose all my weight in 2 months. I need to find health as I go, which should help me to eventually reach a healthier weight. Yes, I care about what I weigh, but I care about my physical and emotional health more... I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.
My apology for any tone of disappointment you may be hearing from me here. My original post was to share my joy and gratitude for those who helped me view nutrition in a healthier manner, views that have helped me both physically and psychologically. I never post. Ever. Not until yesterday. And probably I won't again. I am incredibly anxious to post this so probably won't check back to read any responses that may result. I appreciate the bravery of those who posted questions that resulted in feedback that helped me so much (clearly I don't have such bravery yet...one day maybe). And I also appreciate everyone's good will in commenting here (I believe everyone had good motives), but I am disappointed in some of the judgments. Not angry, just disappointed.
And I am hopeful that someone reading this will seek out more information about how to lose weight in a healthier way. If you are hitting a wall and no one seems to believe your self assessed daily caloric intake or activity level, keep looking for answers until you find some that help you achieve health. Better to go slow and get it right than to under nourish your body, which needs nutrients to get you to where you want to ultimately be. And let's be honest...a 200lb person typically expends more than 2000 calories per day so 1600 is nothing to laugh at and will still help one lose weight.
Love to you all and best wishes for the journey you are traveling, in all the glorious and diverse ways you are experiencing your journeys!
I am so glad that you were brave enough to post. I hope that this won't be your last one. Congratulations!
7 -
I think YOU guys are missing the point! You can't see the forest for the trees.
In NO way did the OP suggest that she defied the laws of thermodynamics. She did not say that eating more calories directly made her body lose fat and that it never would have done so if she'd stuck to lower calories. She simply stated that increasing her calories from 1100 up to 1600 RESULTED in her feeling better, having more energy, and losing 8 lbs over 2 months. There is no WHY implicated there. It can be an indirect result. It could be that her body is less stressed which equals lowered cortisol, which equals the body not hanging on to water weight. It could mean she is moving more, and as such she is burning more. She did not imply she is a special snowflake, but simply that she tried a suggestion and got the desired effect, which btw, is likely much healthier, and definitely easier and more comfortable for her. She did NOT state or imply that she would never have lost any weight if she had kept up with the 1100 calorie regimen. She very likely would have (unless her CO really was too low then), but who cares? She feels better this way, is healthier, and is still seeing the scale move.
You guys snub your nose at any suggestion to increase calories, and don't actually LISTEN to the main idea here. Go back and re-read. No, not everyone here is a physicist or biochemist, but I daresay that people do know their bodies to some extent, and you flatly denying that their experience happened is basically calling them liars, or at the least, saying they're extremely ignorant. This is not constructive, but instead insulting, and not inviting in any way. Get over yourselves.10 -
lightenup2016 wrote: »I think YOU guys are missing the point! You can't see the forest for the trees.
In NO way did the OP suggest that she defied the laws of thermodynamics. She did not say that eating more calories directly made her body lose fat and that it never would have done so if she'd stuck to lower calories. She simply stated that increasing her calories from 1100 up to 1600 RESULTED in her feeling better, having more energy, and losing 8 lbs over 2 months. There is no WHY implicated there. It can be an indirect result. It could be that her body is less stressed which equals lowered cortisol, which equals the body not hanging on to water weight. It could mean she is moving more, and as such she is burning more. She did not imply she is a special snowflake, but simply that she tried a suggestion and got the desired effect, which btw, is likely much healthier, and definitely easier and more comfortable for her. She did NOT state or imply that she would never have lost any weight if she had kept up with the 1100 calorie regimen. She very likely would have (unless her CO really was too low then), but who cares? She feels better this way, is healthier, and is still seeing the scale move.
You guys snub your nose at any suggestion to increase calories, and don't actually LISTEN to the main idea here. Go back and re-read. No, not everyone here is a physicist or biochemist, but I daresay that people do know their bodies to some extent, and you flatly denying that their experience happened is basically calling them liars, or at the least, saying they're extremely ignorant. This is not constructive, but instead insulting, and not inviting in any way. Get over yourselves.
Exactly. Spot on.3
This discussion has been closed.
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