Upping cals, weight drops at first, then nothing :(
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morningrunner
Posts: 112 Member
Hi guys. I've been upping cals slowly since December and each time I do, my weight will start to drop at first (and I get all excited) but then inevitably it will go back up. Now I'm 5# heavier than when I started MFP. Do you think this is a sign that I need to go even higher or am I simply overeating at this point??
ETA: I realized I left out a lot of important information
I started MFP in October and was grossing 1400 calories - my weight fluctuated between 147 and 149
November - started grossing 1600 calories - weight stayed the same
December & January - grossed 1700 - 1800 calories, weight fluctuated between 148-150
March - got a BodyMedia Fit, discovered I was burning 2200-2800 so started trying to eat closer to 2000 most days. Now my weight is between 150 and 152!
This is so frustrating because I KNOW I'm have to be in a deficit. I'm not sure how much longer I can ride this out.
ETA: I realized I left out a lot of important information
I started MFP in October and was grossing 1400 calories - my weight fluctuated between 147 and 149
November - started grossing 1600 calories - weight stayed the same
December & January - grossed 1700 - 1800 calories, weight fluctuated between 148-150
March - got a BodyMedia Fit, discovered I was burning 2200-2800 so started trying to eat closer to 2000 most days. Now my weight is between 150 and 152!
This is so frustrating because I KNOW I'm have to be in a deficit. I'm not sure how much longer I can ride this out.
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Have you lost any inches?0
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Have you lost any inches?
The first week after I had upped calories according to my BMF, I lost .5 inches from my waist. Now it's back.
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Have you calculated your TDEE yet? I don't go by what my FitBit says I've burned- it undershoots me by about 800-1000 cals vs my TDEE. I use the FitBit as a minute measurer- so I know what to put into the TDEE calculator.
Could be something in your diet too- sodium will do that. It's easy to get too much sodium when upping cals.0 -
Have you calculated your TDEE yet? I don't go by what my FitBit says I've burned- it undershoots me by about 800-1000 cals vs my TDEE. I use the FitBit as a minute measurer- so I know what to put into the TDEE calculator.
Could be something in your diet too- sodium will do that. It's easy to get too much sodium when upping cals.
Yes, prior to getting my BMF I used several calculators to estimate my TDEE...turns out my BMF is fairly consistent with what most of them said. I'm about 2200 on a rest day, 2500-2800 on a normal exercise day.
I'm usually try to keep sodium around 2000. And you're totally right about that. I thought I ate a fairly "pure" and whole foods based diet. If I don't watch carefully I can easily eat over 2500!0 -
Well- it's only been 20 days on the new cals (2000) so maybe a little more time- now that you KNOW you are in the right zone- for your body to catch up.
What does Kiki say? Stay there for a month at least- it can take several months to heal from low calorie damage. Just a thought.0 -
I agree with the above,, I think it needs way more time. I've heard our bodies can be messed up for years after dieting/wrecking metabolism from eating too low.
I'm in the same boat so I'm curious to see how your journey turns out. I've been running for 11 years, been starving myself at 1300-1700 cals for the last 6 and dropped weight initially (didn't need to, just did because I wanted to see if I could. Screwed up, I know.) Now I'm left with a messed up metabolic rate and I'm trying to repair it. Oh, and I can't lose weight either. Just trying to eat food again at this point.0 -
I have the samee problem! I wonder how long it takes to start seeing a drop! I increased from gross 1700 gradually over 3 mos up to 2200 and gained 5 pounds and now I am still up the 5 pounds! I have the BMF as well and I get similar burns, 2200 or so on rest days and 2700 or so on active days. Right now I am eating about 2000 per day and not losing, actually slowly gaining....0
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I have the samee problem! I wonder how long it takes to start seeing a drop! I increased from gross 1700 gradually over 3 mos up to 2200 and gained 5 pounds and now I am still up the 5 pounds! I have the BMF as well and I get similar burns, 2200 or so on rest days and 2700 or so on active days. Right now I am eating about 2000 per day and not losing, actually slowly gaining....
Dawn I just posted a topic over in the 2k boards you might be interested in following. I might try just spending a few months in maintenance and not trying to lose. I think that might be the key. It might be awhile before I can do a cut and even see it work.0 -
bump!! want to check this out and add some regarding BMF soon...0
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I hope Kiki (31prvrbs) jumps in because she posted a blog on a study on how low cal affected the metabolism to point that they actually had to overeat for a while before there body kicked back into gear...0
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Really? I need to stalk her profile to find it.0
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Ok, I think I found some good info on this topic from 31prvrbs (Kiki's) blog that Lucia mentioned above.
She talks a lot about raising cals/not losing/metabolism that we are discussing here.
Here's the link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/31prvrbs
Here goes:
The Benefits of Bulking....
Q: Seems like more and more people are "bulking," I guess I'm wondering if I'm missing out on some hidden benefit of it. I get that it helps to put on muscle, but I don't think I would ever see the need for it in my life. What is the point of bulking? It almost seems like another yo-yo dieting trap. I mean, I guess I understand for a person that's skinny, or at goal weight, but I'm a lot farther away from my goal than I'd like to be, and can't imagine purposely putting on extra weight. What type of person (other than a bodybuilder, lol) should consider bulking?
A: Bulking (eating above maintenance, while lifting heavy weights) can be beneficial to a variety of people, not just the skinny ones, lol. When I first began my "bulk/cut" cycles, I wasn't at goal weight either (although I'd be the first to admit, that it may have been a lot easier if I was). But, learning the benefits of it, and reaching a certain point in my weight loss, I decided to go ahead and go for it, for several reasons.
Benefits of bulking include:
*The most obvious benefit is to add muscle mass, since muscle building cannot take place in a caloric deficit.
*Eating in a caloric deficit for a long period of time, or doing excessive cardio can begin to eat away at precious muscle mass - doing an occasional bulk, can help to rebuild any lost muscle.
*Long term deficit eating can also lower BMR, eating more will help to raise it, as will adding more muscle. Most people come out of a bulk being able to lose weight at a higher cal level than they previously did, as their maintenance level has increased. (The longer the bulk, the more our body adjusts to higher cal levels = higher BMR...The longer the deficit, the more our bodies adjust to lower cal levels = lower BMR)
*Bulking, or even just eating at maintenance, allows the mind & body to recover from the stresses of deficit eating, and gives a mental break to the person who has been dieting for a while.
Bulking can help whether you're planning on competing in a fitness competion, want to look muscular/"ripped" when you get to your goal weight, have reached a plateau, or just want to increase your metabolism. Many people get burned out or reach plateaus after eating in a deficit for a long time. They reach a point where nothing is working, they can no longer safely reduce cals, or maybe they are just tired of surviving on so little cals. This is when a metabolism reset is usually done: where a person has to up their cals, and stay there for a while, until the body readjusts to the higher cal level (thus, creating a new maintenance). Then they can start to lose @ a higher cal level. Using this time to also "bulk" (add muscle while eating in the surplus) can make it a bit more purposeful for the person, vs just eating more w/no other goals (which can be a tough mental battle for a person who is trying to lose weight). It gives a new "goal", to take the person's mind off of "I'm trying to gain weight on purpose, am I insane?!" and gives those extra calories a job to do: build muscle. The building of muscle will also increase the bodies metabolism, as the muscle continues to burn cals long after the reset has ended. Thus making the metabolism reset process dual purpose, and a little easier to stick to.
So a person that is not at goal weight can do smaller "mini" bulks along the way to help keep metabolism raised, and to add a little more muscle "insurance" to what will be seen as the fat is melted away (most women notoriously under-estimate the amount of muscle they carry). Bulking can also be used for the person that is reaching/at goal weight, but not getting the "cut" that they thought they'd have at "goal." Since we can't "cut" what isn't there, this usually means that there is not enough muscle there to "tone," bulk/cut cycles allows the opportunity to build the muscle, then go back to "cutting," repeating until the desired result is reached. For all parties involved, bulking can give that added benefit of a higher metabolism & maintenance level cals.
Q: So.....it is like yo-yoing? I just can't imagine purposely putting weight back on, when Ive worked this hard to get it off! I just can't wrap my head around this. It sounds crazy..
A: I would not recommend bulking to anyone that is not ready for it mentally, the same way I would not recommend it to an obese person (unless, they've been undereating for a while & have gone into starvation mode, in which case a serious metabolism reset is needed). I always tell people that when it's time to bulk, you'll just "know." It's hard to describe it any other way. Just know what the benefits are, and give yourself enough time to grasp it mentally before diving in. The results are definitely well worth it, but you have to know why you're doing it and what you're in for. Bulk/cut is not like yo-yoing, because the "gain" part of yo-yoing is usually unplanned and out of control. The bulking process is planned, you give yourself boundaries, and because you're adding muscle to your frame, the weight comes on in completely different proportions. Your body comes out looking better after every cut cycle, and you're not killing yourself to get results that will just go by the wayside as soon as you eat "normal" again, due to the increased metabolism. A bulk is not about packing on the lbs, it is about packing on the muscle. Every move is planned, as precise as you allow it to be, and, when done with incredible precision, fat gain is minimal. Yo-yoing, usually leaves you in worse shape after each "round." Bulk/cut is quite the opposite.0 -
It sounds like you are doing pretty well. I would stay the course for a while at this level and see how it works out. Maybe give yourself a deadline so you know there is an end to it. If you stay at 2000-2200 calories for a bit and then later cut 10-15% of your intake hopefully you will see a loss as your body got used to working with more. Now of course it sounds from you numbers you could eat a little more yet, but with summer around the corner, reality is that you might not want to do that.
A couple things you can think about. You mention workouts. I don't know what you are doing, but try to see if you can change it up. Hopefully you get some weight training in. A lot of aerobic activity alone can make your body hang on to fat.
Another thing that you can change while keeping your calories up are your nutrient ratios. Some people will do better on a slightly higher protein content in their diet while for others it doesn't matter.0 -
My problem has been, how long do you gain before you start to see results?? I increased cals in November and have gained 5 pounds or so and its not going down. I just bounce up and down 3-4 pounds gradually moving up.....How much do I have to gain before I realize this is either working or its not????0
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Thanks for the input everyone! I am going to give my current plan (whichis going strictly by what BMF says) for a full month and then re-evaluate.
Also, I'm currently taking a full week off from running and I'm eating around 1800 (pretty close to maintenance). Aftter this week is over, my spring plan is going to be: Start lifting again (probably NROLFW) and running shorter distances. ETA: forgot to add biking and swimming in there...can't forget about my triathlons
Dawn - I feel like you and I are the same person! I promise if I ever figure out what works I will let you know and you have to do the same!0 -
Dawn-are you steadily gaining or did you gain five and now your weight has been steady for a couple months? If you gained and now its steady you may have found your maintenance level.
You may also want to consider having your BMR tested professionally, best way to know for sure if you are eating the right amount! I'm trying to find a place to go get it done myself, but no luck so far except for weight loss clinics and I don't want to go to a place like that. I'm not sure what type of doctor to look for....so if anyone knows please share!0 -
Hey all!
Sorry I couldn't get on much yesterday, but the blog post that was posted does explain a bit more on eating in surplus for a while to get you back on track. Another read to understand this topic would be the one I did on The Starvation Experiment:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/31prvrbs/view/the-starvation-experiment-208077
This goes into a bit more detail about where the starvation mode concept came from, and how we now understand that when a person "under" eats for a long period of time, there is a period of "re-feed" that must happen, just for the body to get back to normal again (weight gain is *expected* during this time).
Dawn- I have the same ? as Ellie...did that original 5lbs come at the beginning, and then kinda stay there? Are you eating at maintenance? If you are still in a deficit and gaining, then it would be better for you to eat at maintenance for 4-6 weeks, and *then* drop to a deficit, as your body seems to be looking for a stabilizing point, which is easiest done at maintenance, or slightly over. This is referred to as a metabolism reset. Here is a blog from a friend who is on this path. She just finished her metabolism reset, and is now going to maintenance:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/hwc1300 -
Dawn-are you steadily gaining or did you gain five and now your weight has been steady for a couple months? If you gained and now its steady you may have found your maintenance level.
You may also want to consider having your BMR tested professionally, best way to know for sure if you are eating the right amount! I'm trying to find a place to go get it done myself, but no luck so far except for weight loss clinics and I don't want to go to a place like that. I'm not sure what type of doctor to look for....so if anyone knows please share!
I initally gained. And then some weeks I gain and some I lose, but consistently since past October I have gained. It seems I gain like 3-4 pounds then lose a couple, then gain a couple, then lose 1 then gain 2 then lose 1 etc. I had a bioimpedence done to determine BMR and it came out at about 1600 or so.....0 -
Hey all!
Sorry I couldn't get on much yesterday, but the blog post that was posted does explain a bit more on eating in surplus for a while to get you back on track. Another read to understand this topic would be the one I did on The Starvation Experiment:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/31prvrbs/view/the-starvation-experiment-208077
This goes into a bit more detail about where the starvation mode concept came from, and how we now understand that when a person "under" eats for a long period of time, there is a period of "re-feed" that must happen, just for the body to get back to normal again (weight gain is *expected* during this time).
Dawn- I have the same ? as Ellie...did that original 5lbs come at the beginning, and then kinda stay there? Are you eating at maintenance? If you are still in a deficit and gaining, then it would be better for you to eat at maintenance for 4-6 weeks, and *then* drop to a deficit, as your body seems to be looking for a stabilizing point, which is easiest done at maintenance, or slightly over. This is referred to as a metabolism reset. Here is a blog from a friend who is on this path. She just finished her metabolism reset, and is now going to maintenance:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/hwc130
thank you all. I am having a hard time figuring out what maintenance is, since I can gain and/or lose at diferent amounts. last year at this time I was "maintaining" my weight of 162 eating about 2000 gross. Now I am gaining and losing the same few pounds eating 2000 gross. SOme weeks I lose eating 2000, some I gain. Sometimes I lose eating 1800, sometimes I maintain, sometimes I lose. I dont know if I should trust my BMF, but that calculates average burn with only walking for exercise as about 2100-2200 per day, and for the past 6 weeks I have been under that and have lost/gained same 5-6 pounds....
again thanks for the replies. i have read the links, and I guess I just dont know how much more time to give it. I had surgery back in feb. and have been restricted with activity but I will be increasing back to running and starting NROLW in the beg. of april. What should I eat until april?? MY MFP estimates 1800 or so to lose .5 pounds /week with no exercise. I maintained 158 pounds for over a year and would like to get back there. My recetn weigh in was 170. When I started here 1 year ago I was 162ish.....0 -
If you can find a Bod Pod place to get it tested those are supposed to be pretty accurate. Colleges and universities usually have them.0
