Gaining weight on 1400 calories!

Daydreamangel

So, I restarted my weight loss journey a few months ago and I eat about 1200 calories a day with cheat days and little exercise (I have very low metabolism). Yesterday I did exercise some (body revolution and took a short walk) and ate 1400 and today I gained .6 pounds. Tbh, I only lost 1 pound since April. What am I doing wrong?

mlinci

Ho much do you "cheat" on your cheat days?

Redordeadhead

Are you weighing (in grams or oz) ALL solid food on a scale, including packaged food?

aeloine

OP, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask some follow up questions to get you a better answer:

Do you log your cheats?
Why do you say that you have low metabolism?
What are your stats and maintenance calories?
How do you measure your calories in? (measuring cups, food scale, etc)

Daydreamangel

I could eat anywhere between 1500 to 2000 on my cheat days (once a week). I don't have a scale.

aeloine

Daydreamangel wrote: »

I could eat anywhere between 1500 to 2000 on my cheat days (once a week). I don't have a scale.

Are the "cheat" calories enough to wipe out any progress you may have made?

How do you measure your calories in if you don't have a food scale?

Daydreamangel

Do you log your cheats? Yes
Why do you say that you have low metabolism? I always gain when I eat above 1300
What are your stats and maintenance calories? 5'6, 136 pounds, my maintenance should be 1600 but I'd gain if I eat that much
How do you measure your calories in? (measuring cups, food scale, etc) Measuring cup

cwolfman13

For one thing, your body weight isn't static...it's always in flux up or down for a myriad of reasons. Secondly, you don't gain weight (fat) overnight from the calories you ate the previous day...your body doesn't work that way...if you ate more than normal, you have inherently more waste moving through your system...also additional calories could result in water weight, particularly if you ate more carbs than usual.

Beyond that, regular cheat days have the potential to substantially remove any deficit you may have for a week depending on how big they are calorie wise...also, how accurate is your logging? Do you vet your entries from the database for accuracy...do you use a food scale to weigh out portions or at least measuring devices (not as accurate) or are you just eyeballing and logging whatever and guessing?

If you've only lost 1 Lb since April, you are eating more than you think you are and aren't in any kind of consistent deficit or you need to go see the doctor.

Redordeadhead

Daydreamangel wrote: »

I could eat anywhere between 1500 to 2000 on my cheat days (once a week). I don't have a scale.

In that case I would suggest to start there. If you're not weighing, you don't really know how much you are eating. It's likely more than 1400, and more than 2000 on cheat days which can wipe out your deficit.

Many people have this issue in the beginning - I certainly did - but if you are eyeballing, using "serving sizes", guessing quantities, it's so easy to eat more than you think.

RoxieDawn

Daydreamangel wrote: »

I could eat anywhere between 1500 to 2000 on my cheat days (once a week). I don't have a scale.

These two things, the cheat day(s) and not having a scale are the issues. The best thing you can do for your logging efforts and success at weight loss is buy a food scale.

Daydreamangel

I am going to invest in a scale. It might be that I am underestimating my intake.
Maybe I need to stop my cheat days and see how that goes, I don't want it to wipe out my progress.

Enjcg5

You are possibly eating more calories overall if you aren't measuring. Even on your "regular" days.

quiksylver296

Read the chart, and watch the video.



https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk

aeloine

ETA: ^^^^

RoxieDawn

Daydreamangel wrote: »

I am going to invest in a scale. It might be that I am underestimating my intake.
Maybe I need to stop my cheat days and see how that goes, I don't want it to wipe out my progress.

This..

the food scale will be the best investment you buy for your weight loss efforts. The cheat days are not weighed so they are most likely more than the 1500-2000 calories you described.

NightShadeMary

I swear by my food scale. I recommend getting one that plugs in v/s running on batteries. The batteries run out really fast, and the one I had before used 9V, so the batteries were more expensive to boot! I think I got mine for ~$30 on Amazon. Scales are awesome, because using measuring cups can be misleading. For example, the oatmeal I eat for breakfast says a serving is 1/2 cup (48g), and that's 190 calories. 48g is actually 1/3 cup plus some extra, so 1/2 cup is more like 250 calories! And that is the norm rather than the exception. I've seen very few foods where the calorie count is lower when using a measuring cup v/s the weight.

Daydreamangel

What do you guys thinking about eating at night. I have an apple at 9pm every day, is that too late?

NightShadeMary

I think calories are calories, no matter what time you eat them. My biggest concern would be eating a large amount of food late at night, which can raise your heart rate and make it harder to fall asleep, plus you risk acid reflux from eating and then lying down. But I think an apple for an evening snack is totally fine.

aeloine

Daydreamangel wrote: »

What do you guys thinking about eating at night. I have an apple at 9pm every day, is that too late?

There is a perpetuated myth out there that says that if you don't eat after a certain time, you will lose weight. It's a myth, and just a way to encourage people to not snack. Many of us snack after dinner due to boredom or just being at home and around the kitchen.

Get a food scale, log your food ACCURATELY, and you'll see results.

RoxieDawn

Daydreamangel wrote: »

What do you guys thinking about eating at night. I have an apple at 9pm every day, is that too late?

Nothing wrong with a snack at night!!!

melissaulmen

I love my scale. It comes with a book so I can look up items.
https://www.amazon.com/Greater-Goods-Nourish-Portions-Nutritional/dp/B00O5U4NDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505333506&sr=8-1&keywords=food+scale+with+nutritional+calculator

What activity level setting do you have? I have mine at Sedentary because I have a step tracker that syncs with MFP. With getting over 10k steps per day, the calories earned are about 200-400. If you are eating back exercise calories, and your settings are already set to light activity or more activity, MFP thinks that you are burning more calories than you actually are.

How often do you weigh in? Same time of day? Are you recording Measurements?

Do you have any Non Scale Victories? Clothes fit better, you have more energy, etc.

Also I want to say major Kudos to you for only losing 1lb and still sticking with it for this long. That is amazing! Change things up a bit, redo your settings and make sure that everything is accurate.

Daydreamangel

What activity level setting do you have? Sedentary
How often do you weigh in? Same time of day? Every morning
Are you recording Measurements? Once in awhile
Do you have any Non Scale Victories? Clothes fit better, you have more energy, etc, Not really, clothes fit about the same.
I am still keeping at it after all these months, hopefully I can make some changes that will result in a more visible difference.

melissaulmen

Daydreamangel wrote: »

What activity level setting do you have? Sedentary
How often do you weigh in? Same time of day? Every morning
Are you recording Measurements? Once in awhile
Do you have any Non Scale Victories? Clothes fit better, you have more energy, etc, Not really, clothes fit about the same.
I am still keeping at it after all these months, hopefully I can make some changes that will result in a more visible difference.

Hopefully the food scale will help. I only weigh once a week, because I hate to see the daily fluctuation.
I usually tell myself that fat weighs less than muscle and that is why I did not lose.
Keep up the hard work!

emailmehere1122

I will mention the food scale also...especially if you eat calorie dense foods like nuts.
You said something about giving up cheat days. That's why I look at my calories on a weekly average so if I want higher calorie days I can work them in

AntmanSorbera

It might also be helpful to note the types of calories you're eating. Is it mainly carbohydrates? If you're eating a lot of refined carbs like sugar(soda, ketchup, cereal, ice cream) and white flour(white bread, pasta, pastries, cakes), that could be a reason that you're still gaining weight. Try changing your carbs to non-refined(fruits, vegetable, whole grains) or adding more fat or protein to your diet while keeping the same calories. i had the same problem and started by just cutting out added sugar. You would be surprised how much corn syrup and sugar is in your food. Best of luck!

versusveritas

Daydreamangel wrote: »

What are your stats and maintenance calories? 5'6, 136 pounds, my maintenance should be 1600 but I'd gain if I eat that much
How do you measure your calories in? (measuring cups, food scale, etc) Measuring cup

You are at a normal bmi at 136lb and 5'6"...since you are already at a healthy weight you will lose anymore weight very slowly. Using a scale and accurate logging is by far the best way to know exactly how many calories you are eating in a day. You should probably ditch the major cheat days if you really want to lose.

cwolfman13

Daydreamangel wrote: »

What do you guys thinking about eating at night. I have an apple at 9pm every day, is that too late?

I eat dinner (largest meal of the day typically) every night at 8:30/9 PM...meal timing is irrelevant. If you're in a deficit, you're in a deficit and you will lose weight. Meal cut-off comes from non calorie counters as a way to control calorie intake...nothing more, nothing less.

If you're not losing weight, you're not in a consistent deficit. Note that the human body strives for homeostasis...to override your bodies ability to maintain homeostasis you have to consistently eat under or over your calorie requirements...not just sometimes...consistently.

mph323

AntmanSorbera wrote: »

It might also be helpful to note the types of calories you're eating. Is it mainly carbohydrates? If you're eating a lot of refined carbs like sugar(soda, ketchup, cereal, ice cream) and white flour(white bread, pasta, pastries, cakes), that could be a reason that you're still gaining weight. Try changing your carbs to non-refined(fruits, vegetable, whole grains) or adding more fat or protein to your diet while keeping the same calories. i had the same problem and started by just cutting out added sugar. You would be surprised how much corn syrup and sugar is in your food. Best of luck!

It's nice that you found a way of eating that works for you, but none of this has anything to do with weight loss.

Unknown

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Daydreamangel

I did eat what I thought was 1100 a day and was gaining weight. I ended up using measuring cup to determine the weight of my food instead and it worked for awhile till now (I got down to 135). I am now determined to get a scale soon since my weight loss has stalled again and experiencing a steady gaining. Thank you so much for going through my previous posts to get a better picture of my journey.

Kst76

I weigh my stuff and then i add extra grams or Oz on top of that when i logg my food in the diary here on MFP.. That way i know i never under estimate.