1000/kcal a day defecit=4lb gain?!

bsquibbles

I'm at my wit's end here. As you can see from my ticker, I'm quite large with a LOT of weight to lose. I've made some progress, and greatly improved my overall nutrition and my exercise habits. But I've been losing/regaining the same 10 pounds for months now. At my size I find that ridiculous.

Last month I decided enough was enough and I lowered my calorie target in MFP (MFP had me at 2100, I put it to 1700) and had great results, at first. Lost 4 pounds the first week and 5 pounds the next. But today was my WI day and I'm up 4 pounds! I don't think it could possibly all be water retention. My calorie intake has been between 1600-1800 each day. I eat back a bit of calories on the days I do strength training (those are the 1800 days) but none on the days I do just cardio.

My BMR is around 2300 (I'm a 5'6", 32 year-old female) and my TDEE is around 2800. So I've been averaging a 1,000kcal/day deficit for the past three weeks. How is it possible to gain weight with such a deficit, especially at my size?

I would really appreciate any help and tips.

bsquibbles

Sorry, forgot my ticket didn't show my current weight, which is 354.

serindipte

You'll need to open your diary for any real advice.

If you haven't already, start here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

And here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

martyqueen52

Water weight, high sodium foods, diet sodas, and.... that... "female time" of the month plays a major factor. Along with hormones. Unless you ate an extra 3,500 calories it's all water.

neanderthin

Keep us informed what happens next week, next month.......overnight isn't reliable data. I've gained 4 lbs overnight and <i weight 195 right now.

bsquibbles

You'll need to open your diary for any real advice.

If you haven't already, start here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

And here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Thank you so much for those links! I'm reading through them right now. Also, can you please tell me how to open my diary? Sorry, I haven't spent much time in the community section and I'm not sure how to do anything over here.

bsquibbles

Water weight, high sodium foods, diet sodas, and.... that... "female time" of the month plays a major factor. Along with hormones. Unless you ate an extra 3,500 calories it's all water.

Thank you very much. It's hard to imagine gaining that much in water. I don't drink diet sodas but I did eat more sodium yesterday than I should have (2600mg) so I guess that could be hurting me. I really hope it comes off soon =/

bsquibbles

Keep us informed what happens next week, next month.......overnight isn't reliable data. I've gained 4 lbs overnight and <i weight 195 right now.

Thank you, it's kind of nice to hear that this kind of crazy sudden gain can happen even to someone with much less weight to lose than me!

GBrady43068

Water weight, high sodium foods, diet sodas, and.... that... "female time" of the month plays a major factor. Along with hormones. Unless you ate an extra 3,500 calories it's all water.

^ This.

To make your diary public, click the "Settings" link at the top of the site then click "Diary Settings" and choose the "Public" radio button.

bsquibbles

To make your diary public, click the "Settings" link at the top of the site then click "Diary Settings" and choose the "Public" radio button.

Thanks! That's done, and this is the link it gave me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/bsquibbles">

SezxyStef

You don't weigh your food...

Not saying the 4lb gain is fat...but...

If you don't weigh your food you aren't at a 1000 calorie a day deficet...most likely you are eating more than you think.

bsquibbles

You don't weigh your food...

Not saying the 4lb gain is fat...but...

If you don't weigh your food you aren't at a 1000 calorie a day deficet...most likely you are eating more than you think.

That could be, I didn't think of that. I use measuring cups and spoons for dry/wet items but I don't weigh anything besides meat. Do most people use their food scale for everything? Should I use it for fruit and things too?

Thank you!

DuckDynastyMakesMeLaugh

Check out this video regarding measuring vs. weighing ……. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY.

bsquibbles

Check out this video regarding measuring vs. weighing ……. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY.

Woah, that was really eye-opening...amazing how quickly that adds up!

Thank you so much! Looks like my food scale is about to become my new best friend. I feel so silly for not making that connection. This should help a lot I imagine!

I'm so glad I posted here...again, thank you!

serindipte

Check out this video regarding measuring vs. weighing ……. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY.

This.. I was about to post the same video lol

I weigh everything. Fruit, veg, meat, sauces, oils, if it goes in me, it got weighed first.

nomad1000

Personally, I use a scale for just about everything except liquids.

And after a dinner of Chinese take away (which was loaded with salt, I am sure) I was up 3 lbs overnight.

ShannonMpls

Here's what I learned during my weight loss:

(1) Weekly ups and downs don't matter. Averages are king.

So you lost 5 pounds one week, 4 pounds the next, up 4 this week? That averages to 1.667 pounds per week. That's just shy of what is predicted based on a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. And - if you're not weighing your portions - I'll bet your deficit is smaller than you think, which basically means your average loss might be exactly correct based on your deficit.

My advice: Track your daily and weekly losses on a spreadsheet. that way you can easily calculate averages and see that your loss is actually perfectly in line.

(2) If you didn't eat enough above maintenance to gain 4 pounds of fat, you did not gain 4 pounds of fat. It is absolutely, 100% possible to be retaining four pounds of water. I do - about one week a month. Sometimes it's less, but 4 pounds is not out of line at all. See (1). Averages are what matters.

(3) Weight loss is not perfectly linear. If you're like me, your losses will be whooshes and stalls. If I lost 5 pounds one week (which definitely happened several times) I knew very well that I was unlikely to lose anything the next week. Whooshes were always followed by stalls for me, and stalls by whooshes. See tip (1).





And yes...I use my food scale many times a day, even now, 18 months into weight maintenance. You wouldn't believe how often I eyeball 28 g of cheese perfectly NOW but that's a long work in progress. I often don't weigh leafy greens, but every serving of peanut butter, jam, nuts, chips, crackers, hummus, mayo, cheese, meat, yogurt, etc gets weighed before it goes in my mouth. If it's nutrient dense, it's important to weigh. For fruit, I'll weigh if it's convenient (peeling a banana at home, for example) but if I pack a piece of fruit to eat with lunch at work like an apple, pear, or orange, I don't weigh. I'm not above weighing everything at home, but I'm definitely not willing to have a scale at work

SLLRunner

You don't weigh your food...

Not saying the 4lb gain is fat...but...

If you don't weigh your food you aren't at a 1000 calorie a day deficet...most likely you are eating more than you think.

That could be, I didn't think of that. I use measuring cups and spoons for dry/wet items but I don't weigh anything besides meat. Do most people use their food scale for everything? Should I use it for fruit and things too?

Thank you!

I weigh everything. If a food in the MFP database only has measurements, I read packages and weigh food according to that. It's rare 1 cup of anything weighs an ounce, it usually weighs more.

ShannonMpls

Personally, I use a scale for just about everything except liquids.

And after a dinner of Chinese take away (which was loaded with salt, I am sure) I was up 3 lbs overnight.

If you drink ANY liquid other than water, black calorie free coffee, or diet soda with zero calories WEIGHT IT
weight your cream, you sugar scoops, your butter pats

anything you put in your mouth weight

Liquids are typically measured by volume, not mass. It's very unusual to find nutrition information for a liquid measured by mass. I sometimes see it on salad dressings, though those are usually volume as well. You need to know the density of the particular liquid to convert the measurement from volume to mass. It's easy with water (1L=1kg) but not necessarily with other liquids. What I mean by this is that it's more convenient and likely more accurate to measure liquids by volume, not on your kitchen scale.

jammallnyte

I am in no way an expert but I had a conversation this morning with my doctor about calories. He has told "me" (talk to your doctor for you) not to be concerned about calories. He wants me at this point to be under 100 carbs a day. There have been days I have struggled to get to 1200 calories and as you know MFP will warn you if you complete a day under 1200.

Calories are subjective. His example was you have 100 calories of Coke or 100 calories of broccoli they are both 100 calories right. It isn't always about calories he said it is about what you are putting in your body.

So if you are cutting calories and still gaining weight maybe you should evaluate what those calories are instead of how many you taking in.

My results, since Dec 17th I have lost over 40 pounds, His system for me is working. I encourage you to get tips from MFP forums but you should see your doctor about your needs. It is your health care.... make it personal because it is personal. Maybe the Dr can see something in your blood work or can direct you in a different direction.

I have yo-yoed my whole life... lose 20 gain 30. At 402 pounds I gave up and told the Dr I needed to try surgery. He said first let's try this. I feel better and better everyday and my results are amazing me. Is it easy?? Hell no. But I am getting it, my body is adjusting to it and the weight is coming off at a rate of 2-3 pounds a week every week. With a severe bad back, I have gone from needing a shopping cart to lean on just to walk to store to not pushing the cart at all because I WANT to take the steps.

JUST DON'T GIVE UP!!!! Seek some professional advice. THAT is my advice. Don't do my plan find your plan. Make it personal!!!!

sssgilber

Thank you for your post. I was whining over just a half pound loss this week, then remembered the big plate of Huhot vegetables with soy sauce yesterday.