Is it right? I eat more than before

cananties

Hi guys,
Am new here, and I love this website. I can finally keep a track of what I eat and how many calories I burn.

I really just started dieting, used to do it in the past but always gave up, this time I want it to be different.

I enrolled on a gym, and since then I noticed that I actually eat more.
Before, I never really eat at work, maybe just one toast and drink one latte. Then I ate dinner at around 8-9pm, some pasta with sauce and meat or tuna and salad, or other meal, and that was it.
Now I eat breakfast and take some food to work and eat before gym. I feel like I eat more than before, as I never ate at work, could survive almost 8h with no food.

Will I lose weight or gain? Or should I stick to the type of eating I had before? Just one proper meal a day?
I really want to lose weight especially from my bum and thighs.

Any advices are welcomed. Thank you

Ninkyou

That is your body telling you it needs fuel for the extra work it's doing.

This is why it's recommended you eat your exercise calories back, so that your body is nourished and fueled for the extra work on top of your normal living functions.

As long as you maintain your calorie deficit (with exercise calories counted too), you will still lose weight.

Calorie deficit = weight loss
exercise = fitness, but allows you to eat more

cananties

Thank you,
yes I still have deficit of calories. Usually around 300-400 kcal. At least thats what My fitness Pal shows.

But can you explain me why earlier I didn't lose any weight? I don't think I ate more than 1200 kcal a day.

Ninkyou

I'm assuming you are new to exercise, in which case that would be the culprit. When you start a new exercise, or workout harder than usual, your body will retain water to repair your muscles. This is also why it's important to take rest days, so that your body can heal up. Anyway, the water retention can easily mask your weight loss until it goes away. Just keep at it.

Also, I suggest buying and using a food scale to weigh your food portions to get an accurate calorie count. You could potentially be eating more than you think. This could also be the culprit if you are eyeballing your portions or using measuring cups, which is far less accurate.

Do give it time though. Once the water retention fades, and you start seeing your actual weight, you can go from there.

ihateroses

Thank you,
yes I still have deficit of calories. Usually around 300-400 kcal. At least thats what My fitness Pal shows.

But can you explain me why earlier I didn't lose any weight? I don't think I ate more than 1200 kcal a day.

If you didn't log what you ate before, it might seem like small portions but unless you weight everything out and add it up you don't really know how many calories you are eating.

One of the pasta dinners you mentioned can be 1200 calories alone. Latte's can add about 500 cals depending on what you get.

It really adds up!

ell_v131

When you eat is irrelevant as long as you eat the right amount of calories.

And don't be fooled, it's easy to eat 2000-3000 calories in one sitting, with cheese, pasta, olive oil, fatty fish, sauces etc. So yes even eating once a day could have led you to overeat. And was that TRULY the only time food touched your lips? that toast, latte, and dinner? or would you graze on something throughout the day, after dinner etc... caloreis sneak up on you, glad you decided to track them and get in better shape!