Eating exercise calories and weight

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Hi everyone!

I've read a thousand times that you need to eat your exercise calories in order to loose weight in a healthy way, but for many months I didn't, and everything was working perfectly for me, I eat like 1,200 cals a day and burned 500-600 cals from exercise and I was losing pounds in a steady way... until a month ago, when I was 5 pounds away from my goal...

After some time in this situation I decided to listen to all the advices people gave me and eat my exercise calories back (which meant adding like 600 cals to my diet and making it a 1700 cals diet instead) and after two weeks of doing this I lost a pound and I was extremely happy, but three days latter (with the same routine) I gained it back so I freaked out and went back to all my old habits... but now I wonder is it normal to gain a little weight after changing my diet this way? or what just happened? Should I stick with my old habits or continue to eat my exercise calories back?

Thank you,
Altiv.-

Replies

  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    It is normal to gain some weight when you adjust to exit undereating.

    You may want to try gradually increasing your calories to minimize this or just commit to not weighing yourself for about a month while your body adjusts.(I know this might sound crazy...)

    Also, a pound could simply be normal weight fluctuation due to a lot of factors. I know it has a lot of impact psychologically, but really a pound is nothing. (for example, two 8 oz glasses of water = a pound on the scale).

    HTH.
  • Amber824
    Amber824 Posts: 51 Member
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    The last five pounds are ALWAYS the hardest. Sometimes you actually need to cut back just a little. Maybe 50 calories or so. Change up your foods and do a different type of exercise. Try eating more for breakfast and less for dinner. Or if that is your norm, swap that around. It's all about body confusion...
  • Altiv
    Altiv Posts: 174 Member
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    Thank you both, I guess it's normal and I'll just have to deal with it a little, but I'll try varying my exercises and gradually adding up calories (100 this week, a 100 another one =))