Exceeding calories but losing weight

jk0304mfp

Hey guys,

Just after some advice. I’ve been exceeding my daily calorie goal almost daily for two weeks now but I weighed myself this weekend and I’d lost 1lb?!?
I was following the suggested calorie intake from mfp to gain 1lb a week...

Any tips??

tiptoethruthetulips

Possibly not eating as much as you think you are? Weighing/measuring everything? Perhaps your activity level is exceeding your calorie intake?

If the 1lb is not a steady loss over the two weeks (though I imagine that may be hard to track as anything under 1lb may not be easily seen on a scale) but rather a dip overnight at the end of the two weeks, it is likely to be a temporary weight due to changes in hydration levels.

If you are trying to maintain or gain, make sure you are measuring everything you consume, track your daily calories and ensure you are eating sufficient for either. Make sure you are eating plenty of calorie dense foods: eggs, avocado, full fat foods such as yoghurts, milk and cheese as well as nuts etc.

sardelsa

If you aren't gaining then you need to eat more. Sometimes this happens when you increase calories, your body moves more. Or you need more calories than predicted, or it could be inaccuracies in tracking. Are you eating all exercise calories back? Whatever the reason increase every few days until you start gaining.

Chieflrg

1lb fluctuation in two weeks isn't anything I would think is notable.

I would look at a average weight over many weeks to get a idea of long term trends.

Keep in mind suggested calories are more a vallpark guess. There is no absolute when a number spits out. Adjust calories if need after a course if several weeks and you obtain data.

HoneyBadger302

Unless you're weighing yourself daily, and seeing a steady downward trend, one weigh in once a week is going to be nearly impossible to track any changes. It's not uncommon for my weigh to fluctuate up to several pounds one day to the next depending on a lot of factors.

If you're not, I might recommend using a weight trend app and starting to weigh daily to see your overall trend rather than periodic weigh ins.

ExistingFish

If you are weighing yourself daily and seeing a steady downward trend, and it continues for at least 3 weeks - your activity level is set too low.

If you just weigh yourself once a week or two, you don't have enough data to even establish you've really lost a pound. You could have just had less fluid in your body, less waste in your digestive tract, less clothing on (my PJ pants weigh 0.9lbs, they are thin and I never thought they weighed that much)

RevolutionFC

Could be and most likely is water weight. I would keep doing what your doing and monitor it a little bit longer...

Also keep in mind that the BMR formula is a very rough estimate. If you keep losing weight, its because your metabolism is stronger than the formula.

Cahgetsfit

this is where daily weighing and looking at the trend comes in handy. YOu could have just had one of those days where you weigh less just because human body.

If weight trending app tells you you are still losing, then eat more! Oh how envious I am of you people who can eat and eat and eat.

suzanne6094

Have the same problem, but just to consume my daily calories (aim to gain 2 kg) is already such a mission as it feels like I have to eat all the time.

I am under a bit of stress at the moment so think also effects my body's ability to gain weight.

I am not a big fan of Whey/Vegan Shakes but think need to add in some shakes to help.

It really is just as hard to gain / maintain weight as it is for someone to lose it.

tinkerbellang83

If this is only one weigh in during the 2 weeks you're basing this on, I'd continue what you're doing for a couple of weeks more before changing anything.

One data point is meaningless in the grand scale of things, there are a multitude of reasons that you may weigh less in one weigh in than you had previously:

• More bowel movements
• Less food/fluid in system at the time of weighing
• Dehydration
• Retaining more water at previous weigh in
• Time in menstrual cycle

If it becomes a trend over several weigh ins then it could just be you're set at the wrong activity level or you're eating less than you think (although that is pretty rare).

shaf238

As others have said, it's too small a time frame to judge whether the loss is genuine. Give it another few weeks and see where you land. If after then you're still losing, double check your logging because it means you're not eating enough for your activity levels.

comptonelizabeth

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

this is where daily weighing and looking at the trend comes in handy. YOu could have just had one of those days where you weigh less just because human body.

If weight trending app tells you you are still losing, then eat more! Oh how envious I am of you people who can eat and eat and eat.[/quote]

The struggle is just as real when you want to gain weight and can't, trust me!

MikePTY

Just like people who are trying to lose weight can eat at their goal and still gain weight, water weight fluctuations work the other way as well. So you can eat at your gain goal and still lose weight because water weight naturally fluctuates.

Give it a month at your current goal, and see if you start making gains. If not, then you can up it.

moogie_fit

MFP way underestimated my calorie intake. Same with other calculators. I would up by 100 calories and also think about how I'm feeling in the gym. If you think that eating more will give you more power in the gym then go for it - you have to be able to work hard in the gym to make those gains, no matter how much your surplus is