Eat more to loose weight...

rezrighter
rezrighter Posts: 18
in Food and Nutrition
So, this is the second time this has happened to me, during this weight loss cycle.

I start to plateau and am feeling a little out of it so I don't keep as close to my calorie count as I should... I end up going over for a few days. Not by allot, still around my maintenance allotment, but then I notice that I lose weight after that. Go figure. Note that I am on a .5 lb reduction plan, so the difference between my plan and my maintenance is only about 240 calories
Near as I can figure is that I am breaking that fast... when reducing calories below your body's maintenance intake requirement you are putting your body into a fasting mode. the body does not instantly catch onto this and will keep burning like normal, until it does notice and you start to see a plateau in weight loss. Your body is saying it see you are taking in less food and is putting it's self into famine mode, lowers your metabolism. so if during that time period you up your intake to a normal level your body will quickly recognize that no you are not in famine mode, you do not need to store extra calories and will resume a normal metabolic rate.

I have seen drops as much as 2 lb over a 2 day period at lower weight (156 to 154 lb just happened to me today, I weighed in Monday at 156)

I have no research beyond personal observations to back up this hypothesis. Anyone else whom has had a similar observation, would love to hear from you.

Replies

  • butlersoft
    butlersoft Posts: 219 Member
    Yep !!!

    Whilst a deficit below TDEE is still ultimately what is needed, I have also found that there absolutely IS truth in that sometimes "you don't enough".

    It's not unusual for me to plateau .... so I have a massive blowout one night ... and can ditch 2lbs practically overnight!
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
    It's LOSE!!!!!!!!

    OK...I feel better now.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I have heard this theory before (minus the famine part, at a 240 calorie deficit your body will not be in starvation mode), and I know a few people that have broken plateaus by simply eating at or above maintenance for a short period of time. The science behind it, I do not know.
  • foodiscomplicated
    foodiscomplicated Posts: 85 Member
    This may be of some interest...
    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/05/22/weight-loss-plateau/
  • rezrighter
    rezrighter Posts: 18
    Ah, pull out the BL articles :)

    I guess it might fall under the Calorie cycling at least in a form...

    Buttlersoft, that sounds about like what I am talking about. Also if I remember right there is a certain point at which your body will stop metabolising a massive intake and just send it through the system with minimal processing. though this is still well above what you should have eaten for that day anyway.

    Lauren, I kinda am wondering if the length of time at a reduced intake can cause something similar, not starvation mode but something else. I used famine because its a long period of little food, not starvation, but still lower then regular intake, kinda describing what any long term calorie reduction diet is, come to think of it.

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