Unintended weight loss

comptonelizabeth

Just wondering if anyone can help me shed light on this. I should start by saying I have spoken to my doctor and she isn't concerned about it.
I joined MyFitnesspal about 5 years ago as I was underweight and needed to gain. Managed to get up to around 58 kgs which felt and looked right for me. I wad able to pretty much maintain that weight for nearly 5 years. Then last year I was diagnosed as Pre-diabetic. The advice was to cut down on carbs and sugar,which I did.
Here's the thing. I'm taking in the same amount of calories that I was before. I've adjusted fats and protein to make up for calories lost due to fewer carbs. My activity levels are the same. Yet I have lost around 5-6 kgs in the space of 6 months. I've now upped my calories and have stopped losing but still can't seem to regain what I've lost. I'd be grateful for any tips! Tia

Lietchi

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

comptonelizabeth

Lietchi wrote: »

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

Thank you, I'm pretty sure I haven't been in a deficit but as you say,it's not an exact thing.
Normally I maintain on around 2300. I've increased to 2500. I'm not a big eater and suspect I'd struggle to eat more!

AnnPT77

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

Lietchi wrote: »

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

Thank you, I'm pretty sure I haven't been in a deficit but as you say,it's not an exact thing.
Normally I maintain on around 2300. I've increased to 2500. I'm not a big eater and suspect I'd struggle to eat more!

If you're gradually losing weight over an extended period of time, you're almost certainly eating at a deficit. No way to know whether that's because you're burning more calories for some subtle reason**, or not absorbing calories from your food as thoroughly as previously, but if stored fat is being depleted, you're in a deficit.

** Just "spontaneous movement" - things like subtle fidgeting - can burn in the low hundreds of calories per day, according to research.

A so-called calorie calculator actually only gives you an estimate, and reality for any given individual can differ from that estimate at any given time. A fitness tracker is also giving an estimate, just a more nuanced one. Even one's own past experience can potentially be a misleading guide, even though it's probably the best source of estimates. Some people find that after they've been maintaining for a while, their calorie needs go up (because they have a little more energy that gets expressed in various ways).

As long as blood tests, etc., aren't showing signs of any (any more) health conditions of concern, then eating a bit more is going to be the best strategy, I think. If you're already feeling full, consider foods that are calorie dense, but not very filling, such as beverages, fats, or fat-dense foods (nuts, nut butters, seeds, condiments like mayo or full-fat salad dressings), etc.

comptonelizabeth

AnnPT77 wrote: »

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

Lietchi wrote: »

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

Thank you, I'm pretty sure I haven't been in a deficit but as you say,it's not an exact thing.
Normally I maintain on around 2300. I've increased to 2500. I'm not a big eater and suspect I'd struggle to eat more!

If you're gradually losing weight over an extended period of time, you're almost certainly eating at a deficit. No way to know whether that's because you're burning more calories for some subtle reason**, or not absorbing calories from your food as thoroughly as previously, but if stored fat is being depleted, you're in a deficit.

** Just "spontaneous movement" - things like subtle fidgeting - can burn in the low hundreds of calories per day, according to research.

A so-called calorie calculator actually only gives you an estimate, and reality for any given individual can differ from that estimate at any given time. A fitness tracker is also giving an estimate, just a more nuanced one. Even one's own past experience can potentially be a misleading guide, even though it's probably the best source of estimates. Some people find that after they've been maintaining for a while, their calorie needs go up (because they have a little more energy that gets expressed in various ways).

As long as blood tests, etc., aren't showing signs of any (any more) health conditions of concern, then eating a bit more is going to be the best strategy, I think. If you're already feeling full, consider foods that are calorie dense, but not very filling, such as beverages, fats, or fat-dense foods (nuts, nut butters, seeds, condiments like mayo or full-fat salad dressings), etc.

Thank you. I am actually a fidgiter and rarely sit still but have always been that way. Thinking about it,I've been walking a lot more (in an attempt to lower my blood sugar)so maybe it's that. Thanks for the tips

Lietchi

You said your activity level was the same in your opening post so I didn't mention that possibility, but yeah, that's definitely a possible cause 🙂

cwolfman13

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

Lietchi wrote: »

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

Thank you, I'm pretty sure I haven't been in a deficit but as you say,it's not an exact thing.
Normally I maintain on around 2300. I've increased to 2500. I'm not a big eater and suspect I'd struggle to eat more!

If you're gradually losing weight over an extended period of time, you're almost certainly eating at a deficit. No way to know whether that's because you're burning more calories for some subtle reason**, or not absorbing calories from your food as thoroughly as previously, but if stored fat is being depleted, you're in a deficit.

** Just "spontaneous movement" - things like subtle fidgeting - can burn in the low hundreds of calories per day, according to research.

A so-called calorie calculator actually only gives you an estimate, and reality for any given individual can differ from that estimate at any given time. A fitness tracker is also giving an estimate, just a more nuanced one. Even one's own past experience can potentially be a misleading guide, even though it's probably the best source of estimates. Some people find that after they've been maintaining for a while, their calorie needs go up (because they have a little more energy that gets expressed in various ways).

As long as blood tests, etc., aren't showing signs of any (any more) health conditions of concern, then eating a bit more is going to be the best strategy, I think. If you're already feeling full, consider foods that are calorie dense, but not very filling, such as beverages, fats, or fat-dense foods (nuts, nut butters, seeds, condiments like mayo or full-fat salad dressings), etc.

Thank you. I am actually a fidgiter and rarely sit still but have always been that way. Thinking about it,I've been walking a lot more (in an attempt to lower my blood sugar)so maybe it's that. Thanks for the tips

Yes, that would mean your activity level is actually not the same as it has been...you've increased activity.

comptonelizabeth

cwolfman13 wrote: »

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

comptonelizabeth wrote: »

Lietchi wrote: »

6kg over 6 months would indicate a deficit of around 250 calories a day. That's quite a large difference if you were maintaining before, but our bodies aren't mathematical equations, so there might be reasons for it.
For example, protein takes a bit more work (=calories) to process.

By how much have you increased your intake? You might just need to increase some more to gain back the lost weight.

Thank you, I'm pretty sure I haven't been in a deficit but as you say,it's not an exact thing.
Normally I maintain on around 2300. I've increased to 2500. I'm not a big eater and suspect I'd struggle to eat more!

If you're gradually losing weight over an extended period of time, you're almost certainly eating at a deficit. No way to know whether that's because you're burning more calories for some subtle reason**, or not absorbing calories from your food as thoroughly as previously, but if stored fat is being depleted, you're in a deficit.

** Just "spontaneous movement" - things like subtle fidgeting - can burn in the low hundreds of calories per day, according to research.

A so-called calorie calculator actually only gives you an estimate, and reality for any given individual can differ from that estimate at any given time. A fitness tracker is also giving an estimate, just a more nuanced one. Even one's own past experience can potentially be a misleading guide, even though it's probably the best source of estimates. Some people find that after they've been maintaining for a while, their calorie needs go up (because they have a little more energy that gets expressed in various ways).

As long as blood tests, etc., aren't showing signs of any (any more) health conditions of concern, then eating a bit more is going to be the best strategy, I think. If you're already feeling full, consider foods that are calorie dense, but not very filling, such as beverages, fats, or fat-dense foods (nuts, nut butters, seeds, condiments like mayo or full-fat salad dressings), etc.

Thank you. I am actually a fidgiter and rarely sit still but have always been that way. Thinking about it,I've been walking a lot more (in an attempt to lower my blood sugar)so maybe it's that. Thanks for the tips

Yes, that would mean your activity level is actually not the same as it has been...you've increased activity.

Yup. D'oh. Thank you!!

comptonelizabeth

Lietchi wrote: »

You said your activity level was the same in your opening post so I didn't mention that possibility, but yeah, that's definitely a possible cause 🙂

I know, I'm daft. It wasn't until I thought about it that I realised how much more walking I've been doing. I wear a fitbit and assumed the adjustment of calories was accurate so although I've eaten back the calories given, it's possible that it's not enough.