How weird...

sandytoshiko

In the week before last week I have had a couple of days I went over 1200 calories, family in town, etc. usually stay under but definitely ate more than usual. But I still lost weight! In fact faster than normal! Any one else truly experience the eat more lose more? I know it shouldn't be the norm, but I do believe now that you have to shake up your metabolism..

IndianMuslim

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

PtheronJr

What is your height and current weight? 1200 is fairly low, your body might be going into starvation mode which means it will desperately be holding onto fat and water weight and actually increase retention in those areas. When you upped your calorie intake, your body might have decided it was safe to start burning fat reserves faster instead of holding onto what it had by slowing your metabolism.
Losing weight takes balance, you see the best results when you're in deficit but only by a few hundred calories, you have to let your body know that you're trying to shed excess weight and not that your supply of food has been drastically cut off. Remember, you may be trying to lose your weight, but your body can interpret that as you starving or suffering from a decrease in food supply, which will cause it to do everything in its power not to lose energy reserves.

Love4fitnesslove4food2

1200 calories is a very steep deficit more most people; it is unsurprising that you'd lose with more than that.

sandytoshiko

What is your height and current weight? 1200 is fairly low, your body might be going into starvation mode which means it will desperately be holding onto fat and water weight and actually increase retention in those areas. When you upped your calorie intake, your body might have decided it was safe to start burning fat reserves faster instead of holding onto what it had by slowing your metabolism.
Losing weight takes balance, you see the best results when you're in deficit but only by a few hundred calories, you have to let your body know that you're trying to shed excess weight and not that your supply of food has been drastically cut off. Remember, you may be trying to lose your weight, but your body can interpret that as you starving or suffering from a decrease in food supply, which will cause it to do everything in its power not to lose energy reserves.

I'm 5'3" and CW: 123, SW: 138, GW: 118

init2fitit

Were you more active those days?

init2fitit

Also, considering that you're only 5 lbs away from your gw, you might want to change your weight loss to .5lbs a week.
You don't have as much to lose, so you don't need to make that much of a deficit.

stealthq

Not surprising you still lost. I'm your height and current weight and am still losing slowly on 1500-1600/day. And I'm sedentary - lift weights once a week and that's it.

psuLemon

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.


OP, what is your exercise routine? Or are you active? That isnt a lot of calories and can probably lose weight at higher calories. High deficits lead to more muscle loss.

init2fitit

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.

It'd be possible with a concerning medical condition.

psuLemon

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.

It'd be possible with a concerning medical condition.

true but that means your metabolic rate would have to be around 700 calories.... it would pretty much be super rare to see that.

sandytoshiko

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.


OP, what is your exercise routine? Or are you active? That isnt a lot of calories and can probably lose weight at higher calories. High deficits lead to more muscle loss.

I run 3-5 times a week. Long bike rides on weekends.

michellechawner

I barely lost anything on 1200, stalled at 1300, ate 1400 and the pounds came FLYING off. And I didn't have that much to lose either.

1200 really is a bad start point, I hate that MFP puts everyone there it seems...

Eat too little and your body will hold onto it because it isn't given enough energy to properly fuel the workouts... Play around with it and see what works best for you - it can take 6 weeks, so I was changing mine up ever 5-6 weeks to see what works best.

I_Will_End_You

It's not weird... because you don't have to eat that little to lose weight. Nice huh?

JustYandy

I stopped working out so much and lost all of a sudden 5 lbs in 5 days really strange for me too then I thought...The thing is It takes 4 weeks pure 1lb of fat lost to show on the scale and 1lb of muscle gain takes 6 weeks...Thats why everyone gets frustrated after a week and no sign...water fluctuates,food intake,sodium....your body may have needed those extra calories maybe you have the activity level wrong?I don't know for sure just some good fun facts my personal trainer taught me..

TamTastic

I never went below 1400 cals the entire time it took me to lost 135 lbs.

jamielynas

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

I would see a doctor and have your thyroid tested.

JustYandy

I barely lost anything on 1200, stalled at 1300, ate 1400 and the pounds came FLYING off. And I didn't have that much to lose either.

1200 really is a bad start point, I hate that MFP puts everyone there it seems...

Eat too little and your body will hold onto it because it isn't given enough energy to properly fuel the workouts... Play around with it and see what works best for you - it can take 6 weeks, so I was changing mine up ever 5-6 weeks to see what works best.

Nice to know , mine is set to 1200 calories, I burn about 500 calories when I workout but my eating calories are around1500-1700 per day

slim4health56

I've seen similar posts at least 100 times since joining MFP July 1 (and from folks who are successful in losing weight), so I absolutely believe you. You're going to run into people here who say it's impossible but you can trust your body over another's opinion. Certainly, there are many variables (activity, water retention from hormones, et cetera) but if you've been consistent with your logging and measurements, I say congratulations!

TamTastic

Our bodies are like a car. They need fuel to run well. Obviously premium fuel is going to make it run better but if you don't feed it enough it won't work as well. On average. But in all honesty it takes the right combo of food and exercise for YOUR body. Take the time to find out what combo works best.

lisahewitt22

When I first tried losing weight with MFP I was on a 1200 calorie diet and I lost weight at first but then after a while I actually started gaining weight because I was always trying to be under 1200 and sometimes I would eat as low as 900 calories to stay under so when I ate even a little more I would be heavier the next day. I think 1450 is the magic number for me.

SanteMulberry

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.


OP, what is your exercise routine? Or are you active? That isnt a lot of calories and can probably lose weight at higher calories. High deficits lead to more muscle loss.

I run 3-5 times a week. Long bike rides on weekends.

That's likely part of your problem. Cardio, cardio, cardio is NOT the answer. A more balanced approach will serve you better. If I were you, I'd figure out what my maintenance calories were and then lift weights three times a week and do cardio a MAXIMUM of two hours a week. You will find weight lifting to be VERY effective at burning off body fat. Two twenty-minute sessions a week and you will likely burn all the fat you want but it is inadvisable to go more than 3 thirty-minute sessions. Will it make you bulky? NO! Look up some of the threads where women show their progress through weight-lifting. Amazing transformations. Sometimes, women who have dieted to the point where their muscles are emaciated and flabby, look much better at a higher weight than you can imagine just by looking at their pictures. You can still be "fat" and flabby at 125 pounds and slimmer and sleeker at 135 pounds (and wear a smaller size clothing than at the flabby 125).

Ang108

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.

It'd be possible with a concerning medical condition.

Please, name one.

jamielynas

I wish I had your luck and genes

I am gaining weight while eating just 1200 cal / day...

this isnt physically possible outside water weight.

It'd be possible with a concerning medical condition.

Please, name one.

PCOS, Hypothyroidism and various metabolic diseases

IndianMuslim

Thank you Lisa. I think I'm going through the same thing you did. I may try to up the calories to see if it works for me as well.

psuLemon

Op, I would consider eating 1600 calories. Macros around 40% carbs and 30% protein and fats. Also, I highly recommend dropping some cardio and adding weight training. This will help preserve your muscle and give you a better body than cardio will