Losing weight on 2,800 calories a day... what is this?!

zarrr7

Currently trying to gain weight by bulking... I'm eating 2,800 calories a day, and yet somehow I'm still losing weight... down almost 3kg in 2 weeks. What even!?!?! 2,800 is already so much food, I don't know if I can eat any more

angelicatoo

are you on any medication that might be affecting this? Are you eating a balance of the macronutrients? Are you male and doing lots of exercise? Are you using protein powder? getting enough fat? Are you doing that thing where you exercise one day then rest the next day to give your muscles time to heal.?

SteveJWatson

I think I just about maintain, depending on how active a week I have had work-wise on that number. I wouldn't worry, keep upping your calories until you gain - you'll get used to the eating.

FromHereOnOut

Maybe have your thyroid tested.

SpecialSundae

Currently trying to gain weight by bulking... I'm eating 2,800 calories a day, and yet somehow I'm still losing weight... down almost 3kg in 2 weeks. What even!?!?! 2,800 is already so much food, I don't know if I can eat any more

It may be shocking, but the amount you can eat when you're active and lifting weights (particularly in your early 20s) is enormous. Try drinking more calories (protein shakes, milk, even just sugary coffee drinks) or adding in more snacks. Your stomach does get used to the extra food in time.

By the way, feel free to add me as it's good to have other girls bulking around... there are so many stresses that you never think about until you try!

florentinovillaro

Clearly your numbers are off and you remain in a deficit. Over estimating fitness, under estimating nutrition. Raise by 100 over a week and see how it goes. Repeat until you get the "bulking" results you want.

geebusuk

I can't see your diary, but guessing you do a reasonable bit of exercise?

Basically I just love doing it, and when I go to the gym it's like an escape from reality for me
Also want to be the healthiest, fittest, and strongest I can be

With weights and a little cardio I can maintain on around 3000.

I had a run this morning.
According to my diary, I have 2,828 calorie to eat today. Today is a 'rest' day where I eat 1000 calories less than a weights workout day!
I'm still losing 1.5-1.75lb a week at the moment. I've been doing a fair bit of running this week, including on weights workout days, which means some days I eat 4000. And I'm STILL losing.

In the end, the scales are the true measure of weight gain/loss. Me? I'm having a whole large pizza with extra toppings to myself for breakfast .
So, as above, keeping raising until you find the scales slowly going up.

SpecialSundae

I can't see your diary, but guessing you do a reasonable bit of exercise?

Basically I just love doing it, and when I go to the gym it's like an escape from reality for me
Also want to be the healthiest, fittest, and strongest I can be

With weights and a little cardio I can maintain on around 3000.

I had a run this morning.
According to my diary, I have 2,828 calorie to eat today. Today is a 'rest' day where I eat 1000 calories less than a weights workout day!
I'm still losing 1.5-1.75lb a week at the moment. I've been doing a fair bit of running this week, including on weights workout days, which means some days I eat 4000. And I'm STILL losing.

In the end, the scales are the true measure of weight gain/loss. Me? I'm having a whole large pizza with extra toppings to myself for breakfast .
So, as above, keeping raising until you find the scales slowly going up.

jayche

Story of my life.

harphy

You don't have to eat more, just eat more high calories food! Peanut butter, avocado, pasta, bread, nuts, olive oil, butter, pizza! And opening your diary would help as well.

_Terrapin_

Um, OP if you are losing over 3pounds per week for 2 weeks you are at a 10,500 calorie deficit each week for the last 2 weeks and you'd like to gain. OP--->slowly increase your intake and find your 'bulk' calorie number; 3kg or 6.6 pounds is a fair amount of weight loss, so continue to consume larger quantities of foods of all types. Best of luck.

geebusuk

1200 calorie diet, just for breakfast.

Tesco - Ultimate Dark Chocolate Cookie, 2 Cookie 600 89 22 8 3 0
Fenbank Farm - Cooked Chicken Tikka Breast, 100 g 140 7 2 22 0 0
Morrisons - Smoky Sausage & Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza, 1 Pizza 1,200 123 47 64 15 0
Morrisons Premier Deli Corned Beef - Corned Beef Slices, 4 Slice (25g) 203 1 10 26 1 0
Add Food
Quick Tools
2,143 220 81 120 19 0

I have left 1/3rd of the pizza for later .

cwsreddy

Story of my life.

samesies. If I'm not eating 3200+ cal a day I don't gain jack, and even that is really slow.

Ulwaz

Your obviously just doing too much exercise and burning the calories off you are eating, try drinking more of your calories

SLLRunner

Clearly your numbers are off and you remain in a deficit. Over estimating fitness, under estimating nutrition. Raise by 100 over a week and see how it goes. Repeat until you get the "bulking" results you want.

This.

milileitner

I can maintain happily on 2800 and i'm a 5'1 female. Eat more. Or look at your calorie expenditure and minimise it without compromising growth.

ndj1979

go up to 3000 a day and see how that works for you …

one serving of ice cream is 230 calories, giver or take, so I am sure you can find room in your day for daily ice cream…right, right, right…????

cupcakes_and_cardio

all I can say is...I wish I were you! I'd love to lose weight while eating that much!

louisgeodarno

How are your macros?

An easy ( but gross ) and healthy way to add alot of calories is to throw in some olive oil. It's a super healthy fat and it's very calorie dense. 2 tbs is 240 calories. A shot of olive oil is probably around 400 calories. Add a table spoon first thing in the morning and one before bed. That is an easy way to add another 240 to what you are already eating.

I am trying to gain weight too. I have some trouble putting on quality weight. If you are doing alot of cardio, stop it. Focus on lifting. Make sure and give yourself recovery time. On workout days up your carb intake. On recovery day focus on protein and fat. Your workouts should last no more than an hour. Have a recovery drink IMMEDIATELY after working out. Like in the locker room.

Make sure and weigh in at the same time every day. I usually do it in the morning right before I shower.

If you still can't gain, I would honestly see your doctor. There are numerous problems that can cause an inability to gain weight. From thyroid disorders to food allergies to pancreatic issues.

steve0820

I agree with what other posters have said. It's probably a combination of not eating enough and under-estimating your exercise. MFP tells me I need 3000 cals for a gain, I know that's wrong, I need at least 3500-4000 daily, and even at that, I barely gain anything. I work steady nights at a desk job, so I figured, I dont burn much there. I strength train mostly, no cardio, but at home, i'm constantly moving with housework and 3 kids.

So I added 2 whey protein shakes a day, and ice cream, and its slowly started to help.

edwardkim85

You can lose weight at 2800 calories easily if you switch your diet & depending on your workouts.

I probably average around 3kcal/week and I'm losing about 0.8 - 1kg/week... and I'm losing fat while gaining muscle. What others say is 'hard' or 'impossible'(well, it's not if you have a lot of fat to use as fuel btw).

I was at a 1800 - 2100kcal diet while dropping weight from 127kg --> 113kg or so. I lost about 3-5kg/month.

At 113kg, I upped my kcal intake to around 2500kcal / week. I lost about 3-4kg/month.

Then at 111kg, I upped my kcal intake to around 2800 - 2900kcal/week. I am losing about 3kg/month.

Now I'm at around 108 - 109kg. I upped my intake to about 3kcal/week and I'm still losing.

Why?

because as I lost weight, my training got more and more intense. Before I could barely finish a bootcamp class. Now I do crossfit, then run or row 5k immediately after.

Therefore, I require more kcal(carbs, fat, protein). It's impossible to fit that into a 2kcal diet.

Am I looking better and getting fitter?

yes.

I'm at 6' 109kg now and I can see abs , I got a lot stronger, and I can run 5k in 27 min quite easily now... hoping to run a 15k by march 30....

--

Just gave an example to show people that it's not thyroid or some mishap that OP is losing weight at 2800kcal/day diet.

Sjenny5891

Some things to think aboout....
When was your last period? I gain 5 pounds each month bloating.
How much of it is water retention- or lack thereof?
When did you start bulking? The same time you started MFP? It took me two months to find the perfect number to maintain.

Like many people said..... increase your calories a little at a time until you stop losing. ( Then give yourself another 100 to gain back what you've lost. )

waldo56

Welcome to the wide world of bulking, where most people underestimate their calorie needs the first time around.

SpecialSundae

Welcome to the wide world of bulking, where most people underestimate their calorie needs the first time around.

I suspect that I'm very guilty of this!

waldo56

Welcome to the wide world of bulking, where most people underestimate their calorie needs the first time around.

I suspect that I'm very guilty of this!

The biggest culprit...

See the thread right below this one. The widespread incorrect belief that strength training doesn't burn many calories.

Strength training burns A LOT of calories. Ramping up your strength training while bulking only exaggerates the issue.

The scale doesn't lie, for it to go up you have to eat to overcome your exercise calorie burns, at which point you learn all the wisdom that fat people tell each other to lose weight about exercise calorie burns (MFP overestimates, strength training doesn't burn much, only eat back half, etc...) is wrong.

zarrr7

Thanks for the replies all some helpful advice!
I've decided to cut back on the exercise, while also lowering my calories slightly, see how that goes for a few weeks and then slowly start to raise my calories from there.. I think I was doing way too much exercise. I've recently just started pre-season for soccer, add onto that weight training 5-6 times a week, and that's a ****load of calories being burned.

amandarunning

Thanks for the replies all some helpful advice!
I've decided to cut back on the exercise, while also lowering my calories slightly, see how that goes for a few weeks and then slowly start to raise my calories from there.. I think I was doing way too much exercise. I've recently just started pre-season for soccer, add onto that weight training 5-6 times a week, and that's a ****load of calories being burned.

Surely cut back the exercise but leave the calories where they are or add some if you want to gain not lose?

milileitner

Thanks for the replies all some helpful advice!
I've decided to cut back on the exercise, while also lowering my calories slightly, see how that goes for a few weeks and then slowly start to raise my calories from there.. I think I was doing way too much exercise. I've recently just started pre-season for soccer, add onto that weight training 5-6 times a week, and that's a ****load of calories being burned.

"I'm losing weight and I want to gain. I'm going to cut calories to remedy the situation"

Did I really just read this?

just35lbstogo

Wow... this is my dream. I wish I were taller I love eating.

samaydan1093

2800 cals. Holy crap. If I ate that in a day, by the weeks end id have gained 20 lbs. Lmao.

fbmandy55

Is it wrong I don't even know what any of that food is?