Weight gain from not eating enough and exercising too much.

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13

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  • OhDD65
    OhDD65 Posts: 177 Member
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    So if I need to have a minimum of 1200 calories daily (BMR also) and exercise for 50 minutes 6 days a week burning
    approximately 400 calories each day do I need to be eating 1600 calories each day ? For someone that
    is 5 ft 1 inch and older that just seems like a lot of calories. Or do I need to cut back on my exercising some so that my
    daily calorie intact would be less ? I too am in the weight gain mode and I am wondering if maybe I am exercising too
    much.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    So if I need to have a minimum of 1200 calories daily (BMR also) and exercise for 50 minutes 6 days a week burning
    approximately 400 calories each day do I need to be eating 1600 calories each day ? For someone that
    is 5 ft 1 inch and older that just seems like a lot of calories. Or do I need to cut back on my exercising some so that my
    daily calorie intact would be less ? I too am in the weight gain mode and I am wondering if maybe I am exercising too
    much.

    Yes, MFP is designed for you to track your exercise and eat back those calories. At least most of them. I don't believe you have to eat them in the same day though. I will often "bank" most of my exercise calories for a few days and then have a big splurge meal. To me, this is more satisfying than trying to meet a daily target. I just make sure that I meet a weekly calorie target instead of a daily.

    Frankly, I can't imagine any scenario where cutting back on exercise is the right answer. Since Christmas I have only lost 1# but I have gone down another pant size. Exercise can do amazing things for you. Scale weight should not be your goal, imho. I believe fitness, strength and shrinking inches are much better goals.

    Oh, when I upped my calorie target, I did it gradually. I'm actually still working on raising further.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    I understand the starvation mode stuff, but what I don't get is...how do anorexic people lose weight then??

    They don't have any muscles anymore. Their body eats its own muscle mass to try to get the energy it needs.
    You DON'T want to do that.
  • nhafizamj
    nhafizamj Posts: 16
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    Thanks for the sharing dear. Now i understand why after a week of weight drop, my weight after that is still the same for a few week. This is all because of the water and glycogen forming activity!! I will stay on my diet which is below 1200/day. :heart: u! :flowerforyou:
  • rkellyscoco
    rkellyscoco Posts: 6 Member
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    SMH what really is the point in eating less than 1200 cals? It hurts literally physically and mentually. I eat almost 2000 cals a day and do insanity and im dropping weight like nothing.
    What the lady said about her Doctor's advice also is stupid....So Doctors are ALWAYS right huh?? I bet if she went to another Dr they would tell her otherwise.
    There is nothing wrong with eating a little more and still losing weight, what is it going to hurt but under eating can hurt you.
  • rkellyscoco
    rkellyscoco Posts: 6 Member
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    What is the point in under eating to that extreme when you can eat more, excersise and still lose weight??? I dont get it...
  • rkellyscoco
    rkellyscoco Posts: 6 Member
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    SMH what really is the point in eating less than 1200 cals? It hurts literally physically and mentually. I eat almost 2000 cals a day and do insanity and im dropping weight like nothing.
    What the lady said about her Doctor's advice also is stupid....So Doctors are ALWAYS right huh?? I bet if she went to another Dr they would tell her otherwise.
    There is nothing wrong with eating a little more and still losing weight, what is it going to hurt but under eating can hurt you.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    Thanks for the sharing dear. Now i understand why after a week of weight drop, my weight after that is still the same for a few week. This is all because of the water and glycogen forming activity!! I will stay on my diet which is below 1200/day. :heart: u! :flowerforyou:

    No, dear, I don't think you do understand. Losing weight by losing muscle is a very bad idea. Muscle is MUCH harder to rebuild than it is to keep in the first place. Damaging your metabolism by under-eating is a horrible idea. It can take months of hard work to repair a damaged metabolism, maybe even years in some cases. Please don't do it to yourself.
  • lorenzothomas
    lorenzothomas Posts: 1
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    the muscle you gain from woking out is going away because you dont feed your self enough food.your body eats your muscle before your fat, because their are more calorie in your muscle then your fat. if you dont understand ask your doctor that what i did
  • iqueen17
    iqueen17 Posts: 1
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    Who are you to say that one hour of working out isn't alot? Really? You want someone to work out for 6 hours? What qualifications do you have to say this?
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    She is not eating that little, that simple.
  • nutmegwillowole
    nutmegwillowole Posts: 1 Member
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    Anorexics do eat actually. We restrict calorie intake and burn calories too. So actually your view is wrong and insulting. It is impossible to completely starve yourself. Try it. Anorexics do eat.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    Her body is rebelling against starvation and therefore has slowed down it's metabolism and is holding on to fat as a source of energy.

    So if its holding up existing fat, how could she gain?


    To the OP, she is eating much more than she thinks as its literally impossible to gain weight on that kind of deficit.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    .. it has for me lol and I am NOT in starvation mode for eating less than 1200 cal. that is a myth.

    THANK YOU!!! SO sick of people saying that. Especially the person in this thread who said 1200 isn't enough to perform basic daily functions. not true.

    They are actually sort of correct. There aren't many people with a BMR of 1200 (calories required to perform daily functions) unless of course you are 4'2 or a small animal. However note that you can eat less than 1200 and function because you'll get the shortage from your body.
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 764 Member
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    Regardless of everything, it is unnecessary to eat below 1200 to lose. You just don't have to go that route. I lose on 1700 calories a day, I eat back my calories. I consistently lose. I am 5'5. Why do it if you do not have to do it.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    She did not gain 3 lbs. of fat since monday. Most likely it is water weight and females can fluctuate 2-? lbs. daily, I fluctuate within a 4 lb. range. Starvation mode as most people use it is a myth, the body can adapt and lower metabolism, but never enough to gain weight and not really drastically enough to notice. If she is gaining fat, she is eating more than she is burning...either overestimating burns, underestimating food or has a health condition that needs immediate medical intervention. Weight loss or gain is just calories in vs calories out. Yes if you eat too little you will lose hair, become fatigued, hormone issues, mental capacity diminished and these are just the beginning signs of malnutrition. Early on you will get energy from your bodies surplus but when lacking nutrients catches up you will still lose weight but start suffering signs of malnutrition. I will have to look but I read somewhere that it takes about 900 calories on average for the average woman to support proper organ function. When you run out of stores you die of starvation, prior to this though malnutrition can cause severe health issues.

    Also anorexics can starve themselves to the point of no-return without medical intervention, if they restrict severely enough the body can shut down to a degree that makes hunger disappear and actually be medically impossible to just eat, they must be supervised with a medical re-feed. The same as people facing famine can not just start eating a large amount, the shock to the system is too great and the body rebels. Mostly they become too ill from malnutrition and need help well before this point.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    Her body is rebelling against starvation and therefore has slowed down it's metabolism and is holding on to fat as a source of energy.

    Yes, this is exactly what happens. That's why all people who die of starvation don't look skinny at all.

    /s
  • michellet0
    michellet0 Posts: 4
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    I try to see the logic behind many comments. A lot of information is being given without knowing the personal data of the individual and most of the information comes from the internet where you will find millions of posts that give false information. It is not because it is out there that it is the truth, beside we are all different.

    If I base myself on my BMR of 1339 since I am sedentary due to my work. If I want to loose 1 pound a week I must cut 500 calories per day, do the math it brings me to 839....... I walk that is what I manage to do and burn around 300 calories from that activity.

    If I follow your exemples I should eat 1200 plus my 300 for a total of 1500.......for a beautiful calorie excess of 200 a day.....does that sounds logic I would gain 1 pound a month.

    Dont know but somewhere logic flew the nest.

    I think I will listen to my nutritionist that have diplomas on the wall and have faith in her.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    I try to see the logic behind many comments. A lot of information is being given without knowing the personal data of the individual and most of the information comes from the internet where you will find millions of posts that give false information. It is not because it is out there that it is the truth, beside we are all different.

    If I base myself on my BMR of 1339 since I am sedentary due to my work. If I want to loose 1 pound a week I must cut 500 calories per day, do the math it brings me to 839....... I walk that is what I manage to do and burn around 300 calories from that activity.

    If I follow your exemples I should eat 1200 plus my 300 for a total of 1500.......for a beautiful calorie excess of 200 a day.....does that sounds logic I would gain 1 pound a month.

    Dont know but somewhere logic flew the nest.

    I think I will listen to my nutritionist that have diplomas on the wall and have faith in her.

    methinks you've confused BMR with TDEE. Perhaps ask the lady with the diplomas on the wall.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I try to see the logic behind many comments. A lot of information is being given without knowing the personal data of the individual and most of the information comes from the internet where you will find millions of posts that give false information. It is not because it is out there that it is the truth, beside we are all different.

    If I base myself on my BMR of 1339 since I am sedentary due to my work. If I want to loose 1 pound a week I must cut 500 calories per day, do the math it brings me to 839....... I walk that is what I manage to do and burn around 300 calories from that activity.

    If I follow your exemples I should eat 1200 plus my 300 for a total of 1500.......for a beautiful calorie excess of 200 a day.....does that sounds logic I would gain 1 pound a month.

    Dont know but somewhere logic flew the nest.

    I think I will listen to my nutritionist that have diplomas on the wall and have faith in her.

    You are confusing BMR and TDEE. BMR is want you use in a coma, if your feet touch the floor and you go pee, you have already burned more than BMR. TDEE is what you use a day on average including exercise to live your life.

    BMR (Basal (Basic) Metabolic Rate)
    TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

    My BMR is 1450 and at sedentary my TDEE is about 2100 so 500 calorie deficient for me would be 1600 calories.

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