What are those extra things aside from calorie intake and exercise that impact on weight loss?

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Replies

  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2017
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    Hi!

    When you start exercising you can experience water retention - which will up your weight temporarily - as your body retains this to assist your muscles in the healing process. You'll weigh more just after exercising too

    Water retention can also be caused by high sodium and carb intake, and as you said we can put on a but during the 'time of the month'.

    Of course, you can also put on weight from muscle building. However, you will notice that your body is still becoming smaller and 'tighter' whilst it does this, as you're burning the fat and building muscle instead.

    You must also make sure you're eating at least 1000-1200 net calories, as any less than this can cause your body to go into 'starvation' mode and STORE fat rather than burning it.

    I hope that helps!

    To the bolded part - this is a dieting myth, you will not store fat whilst eating in a deficit. Long-term dieting can cause adaptive thermogenesis but this is a slowing down of the metabolism not it stopping altogether, it will not cause you to store fat, just burn it far slower. Less than 1200 calories is not recommended for a woman for nutritional reasons, not because of "starvation mode".

    Even if the fat storing part is a myth, it's still VERY important to eat more than 1000 calories net... You should never promote eating less than 1000 calories net - it's bad for your weight loss and slows your metabolism.

    1200 is the ideal, but for a lot of women that are smaller, 1000 net is the minimum and you can still get your nutrition this way - I often do.

    Yes, the fat storing is NONSENSE. Also, I believe the "calories net" thing is irrelevant. BY that logic, if one were to eat 1400 calories in a day and burn 500 in exercise, they would not be getting proper nutrition, but the same person, eating the same 1400 calories, and sleeping on the sofa all day is. Exercise doesn't *remove nutrients* from your body. And if you are counting the exercise calories as some sort of bank to eat more, you are probably overestimating.

    http://lluniversity.com/why-net-calories-suck-and-your-my-fitness-pal-app-is-failing-you/

    I looked at that link. Classic straw man argument stuff. He's going after positions that 75% or more of the people that post regularly on this board do not hold. Exercise is not a "blank check". And there are some exercises where the burns are plenty accurate. So exercise may be a check with 50% value, but it may also be a check with 100% value.

    This is not to say there are not some nuggets of truth in there. There are. Specifically with respect to double dipping the baseline calories. But most people know not to overestimate yoga (despite its great health benefits) and other activities and recommend exercising caution on determination of how many exercise calories to "eat back".

    What he failed to say is that if you used TDEE minus a deficit, you could run into very similar problems if you do not assess your activity correctly. The same issues the cause us estimation errors in MFP using NEAT, could do the same in TDEE minus Calories in.

    Most people here are intelligent enough to either tweak their inputs and/or outputs, or to at least ask questions.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    some people can't weigh daily for a variety of reasons. I don't and never did...

    some people it causes stress others see ups and downs and freak.

    The same happens with weekly weighing, though. If one week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly down, and the next week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly up, it's going to look like you've gained weight. Even more so with TOM!

    If you weigh daily, you gain an understanding of the extent of your weight fluctuations and what can cause them, you stop freaking when you're a pound up after a few days without a bowel movement, and even if you do freak you're only panicking for a couple of days, not the entire week.

    Either way, what matters is the trend, not the individual data point. And I think it's easier to remember that with daily weighing.

    that may work for you but not everyone...

    I don't like weighing daily...heck I am lucky if I get on the scale monthly...

    I am confident in a few things. Those being

    1. I am logging pretty accurately
    2. if I gain my clothing will let me know (not a large difference between a size 4 and 6...about 5lbs)
    3. scale weight is just a number and just one thing used to track
    4. scale weight is bull crap anyway...due to the exactly what you are giving as reasons to weigh daily...sodium, TOM, poop, exercise all make it look like you weigh more...

    smh.

    and if the scale weight is that important that you have to weigh daily (unless a data geek) you need to get some perspective on what is really important in losing weight...that is gaining life and health not a new lower number on a piece of machinery.

    Why can't you have it all? Life, health and a new lower number on a piece of machinery. :)



    You can...I didn't say don't use the scale just my perspective on daily weigh ins.
    Oh my can we not hijack the OPs post and turn it into a battle of what is the best way to weigh, everyone has their own preference and reasons to weigh daily/weekly/monthly/not at all.

    How is it hijacking when the actual post is about the scale..???? and how it is impacted?
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    some people can't weigh daily for a variety of reasons. I don't and never did...

    some people it causes stress others see ups and downs and freak.

    The same happens with weekly weighing, though. If one week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly down, and the next week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly up, it's going to look like you've gained weight. Even more so with TOM!

    If you weigh daily, you gain an understanding of the extent of your weight fluctuations and what can cause them, you stop freaking when you're a pound up after a few days without a bowel movement, and even if you do freak you're only panicking for a couple of days, not the entire week.

    Either way, what matters is the trend, not the individual data point. And I think it's easier to remember that with daily weighing.

    that may work for you but not everyone...

    I don't like weighing daily...heck I am lucky if I get on the scale monthly...

    I am confident in a few things. Those being

    1. I am logging pretty accurately
    2. if I gain my clothing will let me know (not a large difference between a size 4 and 6...about 5lbs)
    3. scale weight is just a number and just one thing used to track
    4. scale weight is bull crap anyway...due to the exactly what you are giving as reasons to weigh daily...sodium, TOM, poop, exercise all make it look like you weigh more...

    smh.

    and if the scale weight is that important that you have to weigh daily (unless a data geek) you need to get some perspective on what is really important in losing weight...that is gaining life and health not a new lower number on a piece of machinery.

    Why can't you have it all? Life, health and a new lower number on a piece of machinery. :)



    You can...I didn't say don't use the scale just my perspective on daily weigh ins.
    Oh my can we not hijack the OPs post and turn it into a battle of what is the best way to weigh, everyone has their own preference and reasons to weigh daily/weekly/monthly/not at all.

    How is it hijacking when the actual post is about the scale..???? and how it is impacted?

    It's just going back and forth now and not adding to the original topic.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    edited May 2017

    ...and weighing daily leads to understanding and recognising those factors in a way that weekly weighing can't. Which I believe I already said.

    wow...not for everyone. YOu can't have absolutes with people. Not everyone thinks like you which I believe I have already said.

    What I find funny is you are arguing a moot point. Weighing in daily is fine, weighing in weekly is fine...my point was you can't tell people that daily is best...you can tell them daily is best for you.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,140 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    some people can't weigh daily for a variety of reasons. I don't and never did...

    some people it causes stress others see ups and downs and freak.

    The same happens with weekly weighing, though. If one week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly down, and the next week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly up, it's going to look like you've gained weight. Even more so with TOM!

    If you weigh daily, you gain an understanding of the extent of your weight fluctuations and what can cause them, you stop freaking when you're a pound up after a few days without a bowel movement, and even if you do freak you're only panicking for a couple of days, not the entire week.

    Either way, what matters is the trend, not the individual data point. And I think it's easier to remember that with daily weighing.

    that may work for you but not everyone...

    I don't like weighing daily...heck I am lucky if I get on the scale monthly...

    I am confident in a few things. Those being

    1. I am logging pretty accurately
    2. if I gain my clothing will let me know (not a large difference between a size 4 and 6...about 5lbs)
    3. scale weight is just a number and just one thing used to track
    4. scale weight is bull crap anyway...due to the exactly what you are giving as reasons to weigh daily...sodium, TOM, poop, exercise all make it look like you weigh more...

    smh.

    and if the scale weight is that important that you have to weigh daily (unless a data geek) you need to get some perspective on what is really important in losing weight...that is gaining life and health not a new lower number on a piece of machinery.

    Why can't you have it all? Life, health and a new lower number on a piece of machinery. :)



    You can...I didn't say don't use the scale just my perspective on daily weigh ins.
    Oh my can we not hijack the OPs post and turn it into a battle of what is the best way to weigh, everyone has their own preference and reasons to weigh daily/weekly/monthly/not at all.

    How is it hijacking when the actual post is about the scale..???? and how it is impacted?

    It was actually about the things that can affect the result on the scale, not which is the best frequency to weigh. It's devolving slowly into something entirely different, OP never asked for anyones opinions on frequency she asked:

    "If you're in a calorie defect (weighing food) but the scales aren't showing it, what things are impacting on that? What causes water retention etc.?" and "Why is so much about weight loss based on numbers on the scales when there are so many variables that impact it?"


  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    some people can't weigh daily for a variety of reasons. I don't and never did...

    some people it causes stress others see ups and downs and freak.

    The same happens with weekly weighing, though. If one week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly down, and the next week you weigh on a day when your weight is slightly up, it's going to look like you've gained weight. Even more so with TOM!

    If you weigh daily, you gain an understanding of the extent of your weight fluctuations and what can cause them, you stop freaking when you're a pound up after a few days without a bowel movement, and even if you do freak you're only panicking for a couple of days, not the entire week.

    Either way, what matters is the trend, not the individual data point. And I think it's easier to remember that with daily weighing.

    that may work for you but not everyone...

    I don't like weighing daily...heck I am lucky if I get on the scale monthly...

    I am confident in a few things. Those being

    1. I am logging pretty accurately
    2. if I gain my clothing will let me know (not a large difference between a size 4 and 6...about 5lbs)
    3. scale weight is just a number and just one thing used to track
    4. scale weight is bull crap anyway...due to the exactly what you are giving as reasons to weigh daily...sodium, TOM, poop, exercise all make it look like you weigh more...

    smh.

    and if the scale weight is that important that you have to weigh daily (unless a data geek) you need to get some perspective on what is really important in losing weight...that is gaining life and health not a new lower number on a piece of machinery.

    Why can't you have it all? Life, health and a new lower number on a piece of machinery. :)



    You can...I didn't say don't use the scale just my perspective on daily weigh ins.
    Oh my can we not hijack the OPs post and turn it into a battle of what is the best way to weigh, everyone has their own preference and reasons to weigh daily/weekly/monthly/not at all.

    How is it hijacking when the actual post is about the scale..???? and how it is impacted?

    It was actually about the things that can affect the result on the scale, not which is the best frequency to weigh. It's devolving slowly into something entirely different, OP never asked for anyones opinions on frequency she asked:

    "If you're in a calorie defect (weighing food) but the scales aren't showing it, what things are impacting on that? What causes water retention etc.?" and "Why is so much about weight loss based on numbers on the scales when there are so many variables that impact it?"


    oh so this hijack is okay tho...smh...or responding to a post about gym memberships when you don't have one...

    gotcha ms moderator. Glad I got schooled on proper posting and what to do and not to do in the forums.

    out.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,681 Member
    elise4922 wrote: »
    Thanks for all that! Why is so much about weight loss based on numbers on the scales when there are so many variables that impact it? I know it's about the downward trend rather than numbers week to week. I'm learning so much here. When I first started my weight loss journey 4 years ago (and 16 lbs lighter) I wish I'd known all this then. Every time I got on the scales and hadn't lost I got so disheartened not realising all the other things that impacted. Now I just know to stick to it and the downward trend over weeks and months is what counts, not the numbers each week.

    Yep ... it's all about the trend. :)


    I'm up a disheartening 10 lbs right now ... but had surgery less than 2 weeks ago, and have been diagnosed with post-surgery hyponatremia which I am now working to correct. Surgery itself causes a bit of water retention as the body heals itself (just like more exercise than usual and sunburns, from my list on page 1) ... but in this case the water retention got a bit carried away.

    However, I know that, and while it was a bit of a shock when I stepped on the scale, I know what's going on and I just need to hang in there.
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