Not keeping to calories given

Allijee

HI

Well my story is that tomorrow i will be on the MFP for two weeks and in the 1st week i lost 1kg ( 2pounds ) . And my weigh in day is a Tuesday morning . So when i weighed in yesterday i had picked up 0.5kgs again ( which obviously ) has shocked me .
But glad to say i have lost cm's on my weights and hips .


What i would like to know is that im on the 1250 calories a day - which is fine with me . My only concern is and if its is a concern is that i dont eat that many calories a day - like yesterday 25/10 i only ate 1100 calories and some day even less . Do you think that could be the reason for my weight gain ? or should i meet the 1250 calories a day as given to me by MFP ?

Also another question should i see weight loss only in a months time or a expecting too much ?

Any suggestion or help would really be appreciated as i really want to get this right .

Thanks

nowornever47

First of all, good luck in your journey! I'm guessing you'll see a lot of the same replies however you may find, like I did that your body does not like you eating less than 1200 calories per day, it can go against you. Did you exercise? If you did, you should eat even more - try at first to eat at least 1/2 your exercise calories back and you will lose weight. It may also be water retention from sodium intake, and many other factors so do not get discouraged. Keep eating healthy and exercising and you will soon see the results you want. This program is so flexible, I hope you like it!!

UABUncleSam

You should not be eating less than 1200 calories. I found myself on somedays only consuming around 800. I was satisfied; however your body will hold onto any food that it gets if it thinks food is hard to come by. If I was you I would do at least 1200 calories if not a few hundred more. I'm eating around 1750 a day or just a tad less and walking around 6 miles every afternoon. No strength training....just walking and drinking about 3 1/2 liters of water a day. I am losing weight constantly. Around 2 1/2-3lbs a week. Don't starve your body!

savismommy

You should not eat less than 1200 calories a day. Your body can go into starvation mode and prevent weight loss.

HarrietSabre

You'll get a lot of replies based on the theory of starvation mode, which no-one on MFP actually seems to understand.

1200 calories is fine, but the generalization that "less than 1200 is too low" ignores the fact that everyone is different and different bodies can handle different things. I wouldn't recommend a diet of less than 900 every single day, but the fact that some days you eat slightly less than your 1200 limit is definitely not a bad thing. It's impossible to hit precisely 1200 calories every day, and even if you did it would be false because some of the measurements of kcal on MFP are wrong and again, different bodies have different ways of digesting certain foods. It's just an estimate.

In short, the 1200 limit is a guide. Don't starve yourself, but if you keep to 1000-1400 a day, your body isn't going to miraculously start preparing you for hibernation.

albali

Definitely don't eat less than 1200. Your body will hold onto weight that way, thinking you are starving it! Some weeks you will lose what you expect, others you may gain a litlle, but be dropping inches. When you have eaten well and NOT lost weight, you are still doing your body good, so stick with it. This is a marathon, not a sprint! x

albali

You'll get a lot of replies based on this ridiculous theory of starvation mode, which no-one on MFP actually seems to understand.

1200 calories is fine, but the generalization that "less than 1200 is too low" ignores the fact that everyone is different and different bodies can handle different things. I wouldn't recommend a diet of less than 900 every single day, but the fact that some days you eat slightly less than your 1200 limit is definitely not a bad thing. It's impossible to hit precisely 1200 calories every day, and even if you did it would be false because some of the measurements of kcal on MFP are wrong and again, different bodies have different ways of digesting certain foods. It's just an estimate.

In short, the 1200 limit is a guide. Don't starve yourself, but if you keep to 1000-1400 a day, your body isn't going to miraculously start preparing you for hibernation.

Slightly harsh, I feel! People are asking members of MFP for advice here, in the full knowledge that they are not 'experts'. It's not ridiculous, as you suggest; just their experience!

yesiwillbeloosingit

I have heard/read from several places that it can be ok if you are shifting your calories. that means- if you have some low cal days- you should make sure to have a day with more calories to stop the body from thinking its starving and to start holding onto the calories you eat. So if you have a week where you have been eating 800-1100 a day- make sure you have a day in the weekend where you eat more.

I am no doctor- but it sure makes sense

GL with your journey.

thankyou4thevenom

From the sounds of it you're not eating your exercise calories either.

Now there is no one 'fit all' answer. You're going to have to experiment to find out what works for you.

I would suggest since just eating to and just under 1200 is not working, trying to eat your exercise calories. If that doesn't work after a month, try eating only half.

If you're still struggling there are many other things you can try. Calorie cycling is one of them. Where you eat say 1000 cals one day, 800 the next day, 1200 the next day and then 1800 the next. Over the week it levels out to 1200 a day. This may help boost your metabolism.

The other thing you could try is intermittent fasting. However again, it's a matter of trying everything and finding out what works.

Also are you drinking enough water? The less you drink, the more you weigh. Not only does it help you lose weight but if you don't drink enough you start to retain it.

And speaking of are you female? If you are it may just be time of the month, we tend to retain water around that time.

HarrietSabre

Perhaps it's harsh, but it's just something that you hear time and time again and it gets frustrating. I just went to look at only peer-reviewed journals to see if I could find anything, and it's barely mentioned. When it is mentioned, it stresses that it is long-term starvation that can cause this effect on the metabolism, and not the occasional dip to 1050 calories.

There is even a paper here that says that exercise is the best boost of metabolism and in many cases could almost completely counteract the effect of metabolism slowing from undereating. There's another that says that a diet of 800-1200 calories daily increases longevity.

Yes, it is sage advice to look after yourself and make sure that you're not losing weight too fast, but seeing people use the 1200 calorie goal as a shining beacon of health just ends up being frustrating.

morganadk2_deleted

Are you eating enough? Are you eating your exersise calories?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

This is just a part of it! please read the link above

yesiwillbeloosingit

Definitely don't eat less than 1200. Your body will hold onto weight that way, thinking you are starving it! Some weeks you will lose what you expect, others you may gain a litlle, but be dropping inches. When you have eaten well and NOT lost weight, you are still doing your body good, so stick with it. This is a marathon, not a sprint! x

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science

michedarnd

It is a little difficult to answer with such a short time period and without access to your diary, but, there are several possibilities, here.

First, it takes a little more than two weeks to figure out how your body best works. If you have lost SIZE, then you seem to still be going in the right direction, and sometimes, that is a more accurate measure. There will be times when the size goes down, but the number on the scale does not. I would not take that to mean that you aren't succeeding. As long as SOME form of progress is being made, I'd consider it a victory.

Second, I don't know what your water intake or sodium may be (or what time of the month it may be). Inadequate water, excessive sodium, or your natural cycle may all contribute to water weight gain, which can make the scale numbers higher. Also, if you are beginning an exercise program, the muscles may be holding onto some extra for recovery purposes. This can also make the scale number go up slightly, temporarily. In all of these cases, continued healthy eating and DRINKING will take it off with patience and diligent water/sodium/calorie maintenance.

Third, on the idea of "starvation mode..." The idea is to avoid a total calorie deficit that is too large. Total calorie deficits over 1000 (although the numbers aren't hard and fast) for a sustained period can cause your body to resist fat loss and to try to store whatever you eat. The deficit between how much you exercise plus your basal metabolic rate and your intake is what is most important, here. I don't know how much you are exercising.

Note, here, that the person who says that enough exercise can counteract the effects of starvation mode is somewhat off base in any practical sense. This is something that I've experienced, myself. As I have said on a number of posts, there was a time when I was exercising 4 hours a day, 6 days a week on a strict 1100 calorie diet. I plateaued and STAYED that way unless I used a diet pill that has since become illegal in the US. NOTHING moved that scale other than that extra help, despite two hours of cardio and two hours of weight-training on those days. I would build up muscle underneath the fat rolls -- ENRAGING if you are working that hard. You can ALSO decimate your health by pushing that hard, as I discovered.

Anyway, that said, your biggest issue, from what I can see, may simply be that you don't have that much to lose, in the first place. As close as it looks like you are to your goal weight, the loss will be slow and often frustrating. The people who lose big chunks rapidly often have MUCH more than that to lose. Don't get discouraged.

Zig-zagging calories is fine so long as you maintain a reasonable average. Occasional days of dipping lower won't immediately change your body's way of dealing, but I WOULD suggest making certain that you are maintaining a NET calorie intake primarily at a consistent level over the course of each week.

Also, I don't know WHAT you are eating. Good, balanced nutrition is ALSO important to make certain that your body works WITH you. Pay attention to that, too.

Good luck!

Allijee

thanks for all the information