increased my calories and gained 1.5lbs

Chicgeek88

I took you guys advice that I should try to eat at least 1200 calories a day. The last 3 days I've had around 1200 (maybe 1000). I gained weight. about a pound and a half. So, I was eating around 800 a day and burning 500. Now I eat about 1200 and burn 200. Advice and motivation plz?

spara0038

Are you accurately logging everything? Weighing food? Correctly calculating your burns?

How about enough fiber- are you getting enough? Water? Protein?

2 things: your body may need some time to readjust to more calories. Don't fret- maybe lift more or exercise more? The other thing would be maybe your body hasn't "gotten rid" of that extra food just yet. Yeah graphic and a little TMI, but sometimes I'll have highs that last 3-5 days before I drop like 2 lbs overnight due to... well, politely put... my body getting rid of stuff.

You should absolutely not go under 1200 calories a day, unless a doctor recommends it. I've been at 1200-1400 for the last 4+ months now and I'm actually having to up my calories further because I damaged my metabolism a little- was always feeling cold and tired. You don't want to get to that point.

PS- If that's really you in your profile pic, it doesn't look like you have much to lose... just sayin'.

PinkCoconut

Give it time. If you've increased your calories suddenly your body will definitely react but if you're consistent with it your body should start to lose again but you have to give it more than a few days - a week or two at most!

fvtfan

So you are still netting under 1,200 calories? I don't know how you can function on so few calories.

3 days is not nearly long enough to know if it is working or not...

xcalygrl

You were netting around 300 calories a day (eating 800, buring 500). Now, you're netting around 800 to 1000 (eating 1200-1000, buring 200). Your body is thrown off. You were living in a famish and are now "feasting" in your bodies eyes. It wants to hold onto everything so it has stores for the next famish. If you continue to eat the way you are, your body will realize there is no famish coming and lose the weight. It could take 3-6 weeks for your body to readjust though. Please please please do not give up hope because it's only been 3 days. When I switched from MFP numbers to TDEE, it took me about 5 weeks to adjust to the different calorie count. Did I gain at first? Yep. Was I ultimately happier? Yep. Did I eventually lose the gain? Yep, and then some.

tkillion810

Give your body some time to adjust. Put the scale away for a week minimum, two would be better. It sounds like you are at a healthier intake level now, think of it as fueling your body to do what it is meant to do - move and function and regenerate itself.