Losing weight when I decided to maintain?

annabeladcock
annabeladcock Posts: 99
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello all :) several weeks ago I decided to switch to maintenance calories (won't go into why). Most online calculators (and from my own experience) told me I maintain at about 1500-1700 calories a day, which seems reasonable. I am 5"2, 18 years old at 130lbs.

SO last week I went kinda off track and averaged an intake of 2000 calories a day! (and only went to the gym once). And yet, in that week, I went from 130.6lbs to 129lbs... WHaaaat?? I'm happy about this, especially the fact that I've hit my lowest weight in a long time and reached one of my goals (to get under 130lbs)... But I'm curious as to how it happened when I (a) wasn't trying to, and (b) was eating what I thought was over my maintenance!

Replies

  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    I'd try 2000 for another week and if you lose again, increase to 2100 and keep going until you are maintaining.

    The reason, if you are truly losing on 2000 calories is you are probably more active than you are giving yourself credit for.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    TDEE if you are completely sedentary is probably around 1700. If you have any sort of active job, lifestyle or any gym time for that matter, it will be higher.

    Having said that, one week's slight gain/loss means absolutely nothing.
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
    It's probably not fat loss but water. When you stop working out, there is a temporary shift in water from your muscles and sometimes you will lose a pound or two but it's only water.
  • missylectro
    missylectro Posts: 448 Member
    It's probably not fat loss but water. When you stop working out, there is a temporary shift in water from your muscles and sometimes you will lose a pound or two but it's only water.
    He's probably right
  • annabeladcock
    annabeladcock Posts: 99
    It's probably not fat loss but water. When you stop working out, there is a temporary shift in water from your muscles and sometimes you will lose a pound or two but it's only water.

    Ah - I thought it could be this. I shall see how my weight progresses over the next few weeks! Thanks for the response :)
  • dianarichardsontwo
    dianarichardsontwo Posts: 2
    Muscle burns more calories than fat -- you have probably gained muscle while dieting, and it is going to work for you. I don't recall the exact numbers, but it is something like 47 calories in 24 hours for each pound of muscle -- 2 calories for each pound of fat. Exercise is the best thing you can do for yourself.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    Muscle burns more calories than fat -- you have probably gained muscle while dieting, and it is going to work for you. I don't recall the exact numbers, but it is something like 47 calories in 24 hours for each pound of muscle -- 2 calories for each pound of fat. Exercise is the best thing you can do for yourself.

    No, no, no, no.. You can't gain muscle whilst eating a deficit.

    What everyone else said though sounds about right.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    You clearly wernt eating at maintenance



    Time to up the calories
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    It could also be a measurement error in your weight - my weight can fluctuate by up to a kg (2 lbs) easily depending on what time of day it is in my digestive cycle and how much water I've been drinking. Stick with your current limit and see how it goes for another couple of weeks before changing your diet again. You could break the rules and weigh yourself each day to see how much your own weight fluctuates.

    If you're still losing in a couple of weeks' time, increase your calories steadily week by week until you stop losing. Or stop tracking altogether, just eat when you're hungry and stop when you are full and see how it goes.

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