Gaining weight on 1200

katiefraay
katiefraay Posts: 60
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
How come I'm eating around 1200 calories, exercising regularly (burning anywhere between 400 - 1200 calories) and gaining weight? I haven't (sorry to be gross) had a bowel movement in a while, could that be it? What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • chuckanderson
    chuckanderson Posts: 97
    Could be... or could be you're eatnig more than you think you are. You seem like a smaller girl so even an extra 300-400 calories could cut your weight loss by 60-70%


    I'd get a scale from Target for $15 and see if you're eating as much as you think you are before you try to do anything crazy.
  • katiefraay
    katiefraay Posts: 60
    I dont think I am, but I'll double check now, and thats crazy! for the 60-70%, I mean.
    Thank you for your advise.
  • jocelyne2
    jocelyne2 Posts: 271 Member
    You are probably not eating enough ....I didn't lose crap on 1200 a day When I went up to 1400 and the lbs started coming off :smile: Good luck
  • kimcat73
    kimcat73 Posts: 687 Member
    When you work out, are you eating those calories back? Because if you go below 1200 by working out, then you go into starvation mode and your body will hold on to anything you do give it. Be careful with your numbers and make sure you eat enough.
  • neebelung
    neebelung Posts: 115
    You are probably not eating enough ....I didn't lose crap on 1200 a day When I went up to 1400 and the lbs started coming off :smile: Good luck

    I completely agree. If you're only taking IN 1200 calories a day, and working OFF 400-1200 a day, you're netting between 0 and 800 calories a day. Less than 1000 calories a day can throw you into starvation mode.

    Search these forums for "eating your exercise calories" for several eye-opening threads about this topic - it's controversial, but just based on the little bit of info you've provided, I'd bet that's what's happening with you.

    And FWIW, not having a bowel movement for a few days can make you 'hold on' to between 2 and 3 lbs - but it wouldn't actually net you weight GAIN.

    Make sure you're drinking enough water (this should help with the lack of bowel movement), taking in enough fibert, and up your calorie intake to compensate for your workouts - you're working HARD, you need to feed those muscles!
  • neebelung
    neebelung Posts: 115
    Also I'm not sure how LONG you've been working out, etc... but if this rigorous workout regimen is NEW, a few lbs could be water weight. When you start a new (or change up) your workout routine, you start tearing down muscle. As the muscle heals, it retains water. So for the first two weeks of a new workout, you can see a 3 to 5 lb increase on the scale, until your body adjusts and sheds the water weight. (Chalene Johnson had an interesting blog post about this a while back)

    But with that much working out, you should see changes in your BODY, in measurements - pay more attention to those queues rather than just the number on the scale.
  • pyro13g
    pyro13g Posts: 1,127 Member
    Because you aren't eating enough so your body has literally shut your metabolism down.
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
    How come I'm eating around 1200 calories, exercising regularly (burning anywhere between 400 - 1200 calories) and gaining weight? I haven't (sorry to be gross) had a bowel movement in a while, could that be it? What am I doing wrong?

    It could definitely be because you haven't had a bowel movement- that always effects my weight by a few pounds. I think a healthy frequency is every to every other day. Sorry to be gross too! hehe.
  • chuckanderson
    chuckanderson Posts: 97
    Not to be rude or anything but she is pretty small. Her BMR will be in the 1300-1400 range. I did forget to clarify whether you were eating your exercise calories or not - you should be. If you aren't, that is the reason :)

    A side note: be careful about those treadmill counts. They're a guess at best.
  • katiefraay
    katiefraay Posts: 60
    Thank you everyone, I'll take all your advice to heart and really try to drink the water and eat my exercise calories. Most of my exercise is done through swimming (I've been on a competitive team since I was 10, and I'm 18), but I am probably in starvation mode right now, as well as not having a bowel movement in 5ish days. Water and calories, gotcha :)
    And I'll check my measurements, maybe I'm losing inches?
    Thank you everyone! :)
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
    Thank you everyone, I'll take all your advice to heart and really try to drink the water and eat my exercise calories. Most of my exercise is done through swimming (I've been on a competitive team since I was 10, and I'm 18), but I am probably in starvation mode right now, as well as not having a bowel movement in 5ish days. Water and calories, gotcha :)
    And I'll check my measurements, maybe I'm losing inches?
    Thank you everyone! :)

    I don't think you're in starvation mode. Eat some fiber, girl! You'll feel a TON better!
  • katiefraay
    katiefraay Posts: 60
    Ok thats good, about the starvation mode, I will up my fiber intake!
    Thank you!
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