problems after upping my calories
Replies
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thanks you two! I hope to get a food scale just to be more accurate. and I will be patient I promise. I am really focused on feeling better. but I am sticking with my calories as much as possible in hopes of losing weight to help the other aspects of my health as well. how healthy can I be at this weight right? :indifferent:0
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thanks you two! I hope to get a food scale just to be more accurate. and I will be patient I promise. I am really focused on feeling better. but I am sticking with my calories as much as possible in hopes of losing weight to help the other aspects of my health as well. how healthy can I be at this weight right? :indifferent:
Hi! Hopefully this isn't too blunt, but I have looked through scientific literature quite a lot, and when you have a lot to lose, a very low calorie diet is actually not that bad. You should have been losing at 1500. You may have lost a lot of lean mass at that intake, but you should have been losing. Further, it has been shown that people suck at estimating intakes. I thought I was doing a good job and I weighed a chicken breast and it was over twice what I thought it was! So definitely use a food scale and find out how much you really are eating. Secondly, I went on birth control a few months into steadily losing weight and I literally lost 5 pounds in 4 months of being on that pill. I ate almost exactly the same before then and I have been eating the same since and only when I was on the pill could I not lose weight. My point there is that the side effects of the medicine seem to be the most likely culprit. You are eating just about at your bmr, so you should lose a slow and safe amount of weight. Just keep with it! I know it's hard to feel hungry and in a deficit and not see the scale move (I did it for 4 months!) but you can do it! Keep with it!0 -
I was really worried about measuring when I first started. I wasnt eating meat then so it was a bit easier to measure then. Plus I was eating a lot of prepackaged foods so that it would be easier to log my food. but now that I am eating more clean foods and preparing my own meals I have a real problem trying to measure out the meat so I totally understand your chicken problem lol. I want to get off of all my meds. and I have stopped many of them. but there is still the few I have left and trying to get past PCOS and thyroid problems too. I know I can do it though. I just have to find the perfect balance. and birth control pills were hard on me too. so I totally understand that as well. Thank you for the advice and no you didnt sound too blunt at all. I am open to all forms of advice as long as the person doesn't have a bad attitude.0
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I am really focused on feeling better. but I am sticking with my calories as much as possible in hopes of losing weight to help the other aspects of my health as well. how healthy can I be at this weight right? :indifferent:
Any weight you lose will help to improve your health from what it is now, absolutely!
PCOS and the thyroid certainly don't help and make it even more difficult. I have Hashimoto's myself, and find I have to track every single calorie I consume and burn in order to even stand a chance of losing weight because of my metabolism. I use a heart rate monitor and food scale to get the most accurate picture I can when I'm trying to lose. Since I'm closing in on my goal, I cycle my routine. When I'm focusing on building muscle, I don't worry about my calories so much and take a break from strict tracking, and focus on increasing my muscle mass to help boost the metabolism that my thyroid has destroyed. But when I'm in a weight loss cycle, I track and measure everything.
I also pay close attention to how I "feel", and if I plateau for too long (2 months) when I'm doing what I need to do, and I'm feeling "off" I go to the doctor's to have my thyroid levels checked. Fortunately, the autoimmune response has been pretty stable over the last year, but after 15 years of dealing with it I always listen to my body and I know when it goes on the attack. So pay attention to things like that. A journal might help to write down how you're feeling, your current weight and dosage levels (which will change as you lose weight), so you can track and have a good picture for when something just isn't right.0 -
never heard of cycling. May have to implement that. are you on meds? Im not on anything. my doctors would never put me on a dose that actually changed the way I felt, so after a several times of doing low doses for several months I quit taking them. the journal thing is something I been thinking about doing. so far I have just been blogging on here a little bit. but I may have to do something more detailed at home.0
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Yes, I'm on both synthroid and armour for my thyroid. If you have a thyroid problem, you need to be on hormone therapy. It's certain.ly a pain in butt getting regulated on the proper dosage and type or combo of hormones, but it needs to be done. You'll only get worse if you don't. Took a good 3 years and going to the Dr's every 6 to 8 weeks for blood work to see how I my body was responding and how I was feeling. Even a couple of ER visits due to thyroid related emergency distress. It seems "minor", and many doctors even downplay thyroid disorders, but the thyroid controls everything. It needs to be healthy, or you need to replace what it does with hormones. Weightloss is near impossible with hypothyroidism, and unregulated hypothyroidism is even worse.0
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Op: that seems like way too many calories for a woman. What are your stats? Age, weight, height, or skip those intrusive questions, and say your bmr from mfp. How much do you workout? What types of exercise? Sedentary job?
Same to the next person. So many people on here have found success in eating more calories because they were severely under eating. If that isn't true in your case, eating more will only cause a gain or maintenance.
I agree with this. I had success with eating more to lose more twice along the way: once because I was undereating at 1200 calories when I started out. The second time I needed to change MFP to a 0.5 lb/week loss when I got to the last 10 pounds. You still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.
Are you estimating calorie burns as accurately as possible? Also, as the person above noted, more info is necessary. We need at least your BMR, or ideally that plus full stats of heigh and weight if you don't mind posting them.
When you up, give it some time and adjust when things don't move the right way.
Also, are you weight lifting or doing a lot of exercise? You could be converting fat into lean mass and not losing weight or even gaining that way.
FYI, I'm 5'6" and 130lbs. I was 128lbs when I started lifting and upping my cals at the same time. I gained 5lbs before the scales came down again and I'm back at 130lbs. Over the past 7 days for example, I've been eating an average of 2121 cals per day and have lost 0.6lbs when I weighed myself this morning. This means that I've still been eating at a deficit in order to lose.
You need to find your optimum cal in/cal out balance - one which will allow you to stick to the plan over a long term period.0 -
Yes, I'm on both synthroid and armour for my thyroid. If you have a thyroid problem, you need to be on hormone therapy. It's certain.ly a pain in butt getting regulated on the proper dosage and type or combo of hormones, but it needs to be done. You'll only get worse if you don't. Took a good 3 years and going to the Dr's every 6 to 8 weeks for blood work to see how I my body was responding and how I was feeling. Even a couple of ER visits due to thyroid related emergency distress. It seems "minor", and many doctors even downplay thyroid disorders, but the thyroid controls everything. It needs to be healthy, or you need to replace what it does with hormones. Weightloss is near impossible with hypothyroidism, and unregulated hypothyroidism is even worse.
I am hoping to try to control it naturally. I cannot find a doctor that will give me the meds I need at the proper dose. they dont care if I still feel bad. but since I am barely in the "abnormal" range they assume a small dose will be all that I need. What kind of things happen if you have thyroid distress, if you dont mind me asking.0 -
Op: that seems like way too many calories for a woman. What are your stats? Age, weight, height, or skip those intrusive questions, and say your bmr from mfp. How much do you workout? What types of exercise? Sedentary job?
Same to the next person. So many people on here have found success in eating more calories because they were severely under eating. If that isn't true in your case, eating more will only cause a gain or maintenance.
I agree with this. I had success with eating more to lose more twice along the way: once because I was undereating at 1200 calories when I started out. The second time I needed to change MFP to a 0.5 lb/week loss when I got to the last 10 pounds. You still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.
Are you estimating calorie burns as accurately as possible? Also, as the person above noted, more info is necessary. We need at least your BMR, or ideally that plus full stats of heigh and weight if you don't mind posting them.
When you up, give it some time and adjust when things don't move the right way.
Also, are you weight lifting or doing a lot of exercise? You could be converting fat into lean mass and not losing weight or even gaining that way.
FYI, I'm 5'6" and 130lbs. I was 128lbs when I started lifting and upping my cals at the same time. I gained 5lbs before the scales came down again and I'm back at 130lbs. Over the past 7 days for example, I've been eating an average of 2121 cals per day and have lost 0.6lbs when I weighed myself this morning. This means that I've still been eating at a deficit in order to lose.
You need to find your optimum cal in/cal out balance - one which will allow you to stick to the plan over a long term period.
I am only using a resistance band for exercise right now. My cardio was making me feel worse. plus, I get really dizzy all the time as it is. just got harder when I work out. I have been trying to wait it out. but it has been over a month. but I am only surprised because it took me about three months to lose 6 pounds on lower calories. believe me, I am really trying to find a my perfect caloric balance. I hope I am on the right track but every where I look I am seeing different caloric amounts many of them higher than what I am eating now. I got from fat2fit that my BMR is 2090. but right now MFP has me eating 2060 a day. go figure. mass confusion over here lol.0 -
I will tell you that my eating wasnt as healthy as it has been recently. I was simply eating what I wanted to and staying in my calorie allowance. I have always been a water drinker though. but now I have been eating more fruits and vegetables and more complex carbs. I had lowered my carb intake and try to eat more protein. So I have been doing much better in that area.
I started off at 296, so very close to where you are now.
In my experience it is VERY IMPORTANT WHAT I EAT, not just how many calories I consume. That means high-quality foods, limit processed food, limit sweets, no pop diet or otherwise. You DO get used to it!
I eat 1300-1600 a day and have lost successfully almost every week since January. I would suggest dropping your calories a bit or really bringing your exercise up. If you've been sick and can't exercise, your food intake is even more important! Not to mention that in NO CASE can exercise "make up for" poor eating habits. I know it is hard and that you might feel hungry a lot the first bit, but once your body adjusts and you "detox" from the processed stuff, you will start feeling better!
Feel free to message/add me if you want support/have questions!0 -
I will tell you that my eating wasnt as healthy as it has been recently. I was simply eating what I wanted to and staying in my calorie allowance. I have always been a water drinker though. but now I have been eating more fruits and vegetables and more complex carbs. I had lowered my carb intake and try to eat more protein. So I have been doing much better in that area.
I started off at 296, so very close to where you are now.
In my experience it is VERY IMPORTANT WHAT I EAT, not just how many calories I consume. That means high-quality foods, limit processed food, limit sweets, no pop diet or otherwise. You DO get used to it!
I eat 1300-1600 a day and have lost successfully almost every week since January. I would suggest dropping your calories a bit or really bringing your exercise up. If you've been sick and can't exercise, your food intake is even more important! Not to mention that in NO CASE can exercise "make up for" poor eating habits. I know it is hard and that you might feel hungry a lot the first bit, but once your body adjusts and you "detox" from the processed stuff, you will start feeling better!
Feel free to message/add me if you want support/have questions!
I totally agree. I have really restricted my intake of processed foods. I say restricted because I had a bit of bread this week. that hasnt happened very often though. but I have been making a really conscious effort to not eat anything that is prepackaged. But I did have some deli meat and chicken sausage and frozen chicken nuggets this week. so this week has been a bit rough on that end but I just really didnt feel like cooking. I am going to force myself to do better next week though. after I do my water fast.0 -
For those saying it's too high, at her height/weight, 1500 probably WAS too few of calories. 2000 is more reasonable. She "gets it" that her calories will go down as she loses.
EXACTLY
2000 calories is NOT too much.
At 1500 you would be eating WAY below your BMR, your body would not have enough calories to perform all it's normal functions.0 -
I did 1500 calories for about six weeks along with heavy exercise and not eating my calories back. I then a little more than 2 weeks ago upped my calories to eat exercise calories and maintain a 1000 deficit, or 1800 whichever is higher. I generally exercise 500 to 800 calories worth most days. I went up about 3.5 lbs and now after a little more than 2 weeks have just dropped back down .5 lb below my previous low. So I'll be curious to see what happens now. If I lose at a 1-2 lbs a week by doing this I'll be happy as a clam. It seems so much more sustainable than what I was doing before. I weigh about 250 and was sure willing to give this a try!0
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I did 1500 calories for about six weeks along with heavy exercise and not eating my calories back. I then a little more than 2 weeks ago upped my calories to eat exercise calories and maintain a 1000 deficit, or 1800 whichever is higher. I generally exercise 500 to 800 calories worth most days. I went up about 3.5 lbs and now after a little more than 2 weeks have just dropped back down .5 lb below my previous low. So I'll be curious to see what happens now. If I lose at a 1-2 lbs a week by doing this I'll be happy as a clam. It seems so much more sustainable than what I was doing before. I weigh about 250 and was sure willing to give this a try!
I am going to add you of course lol. I would like to follow your journey. I am interested to see how it turns out! good luck!0 -
Prednisone is one nasty drug and many people I know who take it gain both water and fat. Apparently for many people, they don't feel full and keep eating so you did well maintaining your cals. I was lucky, the time I had to do it for 3 weeks it turned off my hunger all together and I didn't want to eat. Medical procedures and being sick can cause strange things to happen too. I had surgery in December and still swell up and retain excess water at the surgery site.
I think first and foremost, you should get well before you try to do anything strenuous or stress too much about weight. You may find those 2 pounds fall off as the prednisone washes out of your system, and it takes a while to do that.
I think getting a food scale is a good idea. Carefully measure your food so you can make sure you're staying in your cal limit. If you are feeling up to it try some gentle exercises like walking, stretching or your resistance bands. Sometimes water walking is good if you have a pool near you. Let your body heal from what it has been through and take things one step at a time.0 -
You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.0 -
Prednisone is one nasty drug and many people I know who take it gain both water and fat. Apparently for many people, they don't feel full and keep eating so you did well maintaining your cals. I was lucky, the time I had to do it for 3 weeks it turned off my hunger all together and I didn't want to eat. Medical procedures and being sick can cause strange things to happen too. I had surgery in December and still swell up and retain excess water at the surgery site.
I think first and foremost, you should get well before you try to do anything strenuous or stress too much about weight. You may find those 2 pounds fall off as the prednisone washes out of your system, and it takes a while to do that.
I think getting a food scale is a good idea. Carefully measure your food so you can make sure you're staying in your cal limit. If you are feeling up to it try some gentle exercises like walking, stretching or your resistance bands. Sometimes water walking is good if you have a pool near you. Let your body heal from what it has been through and take things one step at a time.
It was hard to not eat. I would catch myself at the fridge having a pep talk with myself lol. something like this " you know you are not really going to be able to help the hunger pains even though you just ate, so just go do something else...."
I kinda decided that I wasnt going to let being sick slow me down completely because I just dont know how long me getting better will take. So I am hoping to just keep it moving. I have to start taking an iron supplement too. maybe that will help too. I really really need to get that food scale!! I need to start looking at prices now.0 -
You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.
Thats exactly what I thought. Im 27 lol. I prefer to keep my diary closed sorry. I know it would probably help everyone give advice easier. well I have been on MFP since almost mid december. I am just now having to do a bunch of adjusting0 -
I meant that as we get older our BMR and TDEE changes, in other words, we need less calories.You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.
Thats exactly what I thought. Im 27 lol. I prefer to keep my diary closed sorry. I know it would probably help everyone give advice easier. well I have been on MFP since almost mid december. I am just now having to do a bunch of adjusting
Therefore a teenage girl needs more to burn and for a teenage girl, their maintenance would be around the 2000 calories per day mark.
Now the OP is older than a teenager, she would not need so many calories and even if she did, it would still put the OP at maintenance level.
In other words, OP you need to lower your daily calories intake.0 -
You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.
You say that, but it isn't working for her is it. So it cannot be spot on.0 -
Why did you up your calories?ok recently I upped my calorie intake. I am now eating about 2060 calories a day. am I supposed to gain weight at first?? It has been over two weeks. weighed myself on a random scale today and I was up two pounds! Its driving me insane. I did recently do a three week course of prednisone, but i thought if I maintained my calories while taking those I would be fine and wouldnt gain any. also I have been eating more clean than I have in a long time. I also upped my protein and I try to keep my carbs lower. Thoughts??0 -
I meant that as we get older our BMR and TDEE changes, in other words, we need less calories.You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.
Thats exactly what I thought. Im 27 lol. I prefer to keep my diary closed sorry. I know it would probably help everyone give advice easier. well I have been on MFP since almost mid december. I am just now having to do a bunch of adjusting
Therefore a teenage girl needs more to burn and for a teenage girl, their maintenance would be around the 2000 calories per day mark.
Now the OP is older than a teenager, she would not need so many calories and even if she did, it would still put the OP at maintenance level.
In other words, OP you need to lower your daily calories intake.
Not necessarily--I'm 42, 5'9", 170lbs. I'm maintaining at around 2200. This stuff really is pretty individualized, and "common wisdom" can sometimes be inaccurate.0 -
I meant that as we get older our BMR and TDEE changes, in other words, we need less calories.You need a deficit and that amount of calories is often maintenance for a teenage girl.
How is that relevant? The OP is a 27 year old woman.
OP doing your BMR you are eating just under it so your calories are spot on. Would you be able to open your diary so people can look at it?
I honestly think when starting a weight loss program it's often helpful to log everything no matter what you eat. It gives you a starting off point.
Thats exactly what I thought. Im 27 lol. I prefer to keep my diary closed sorry. I know it would probably help everyone give advice easier. well I have been on MFP since almost mid december. I am just now having to do a bunch of adjusting
Therefore a teenage girl needs more to burn and for a teenage girl, their maintenance would be around the 2000 calories per day mark.
Now the OP is older than a teenager, she would not need so many calories and even if she did, it would still put the OP at maintenance level.
In other words, OP you need to lower your daily calories intake.
Not necessarily--I'm 42, 5'9", 170lbs. I'm maintaining at around 2200. This stuff really is pretty individualized, and "common wisdom" can sometimes be inaccurate.
This is what I mean, the OP does not wish to maintain, she wishes to lose weight and needs to down her calories, because I highly suspect her daily calorie amount is keeping her at maintenance 0 -
That does seem like a lot of calories.
im 297 and i eat 2100 calories plus workout calories and have been losing weight
when you are bigger you can eat alot
OP; you said you weighed on a random scale.. please stick to the same scale (they all will tell you different things)
also you are just coming off meds .. give it some time
add me if you like
ETA: i am 32 years old, my highest weight was 312 as of yesterday i was 297.6
i would figure your TDEE (not bmr)0 -
Join this group if you want, there's a lot of information that will answer your questions in this group
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
I'm also on BMR 2000 cal per day and my TDEE is 2500 so I eat a lot !
The tape measurment should be your first best friend, then the scale can help you but you have to use it wisely!
I lost inch, gain muscles so the scale is not really moving for now, but it takes 4-6 weeks to your body to get your metabolism on track!
Add me if you want!0 -
FatigueI am hoping to try to control it naturally. I cannot find a doctor that will give me the meds I need at the proper dose. they dont care if I still feel bad. but since I am barely in the "abnormal" range they assume a small dose will be all that I need. What kind of things happen if you have thyroid distress, if you dont mind me asking.
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido
Left untreated, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will usually progress. Complications can result in severe life-threatening depression, heart failure, or coma.0 -
You say that, but it isn't working for her is it. So it cannot be spot on.
The OP has tried it for two whole weeks and the first weigh in was on a random scale at a different time. NOT the one she last weighed in on at the same time. We don't KNOW if it's working.
The 1500 calories wasn't working for her either. The OP needs to give it at least two more weeks and weigh in at the same time on the same scale to see how it's working. If it's not then my advice would be to go to 1800 calories and see how that works for her. (number in between the two she's been using) I was on those calories at a similar size and dropped weight like crazy.
OP what does MFP set as your calorie goal?0 -
ok recently I upped my calorie intake. I am now eating about 2060 calories a day. am I supposed to gain weight at first?? It has been over two weeks. weighed myself on a random scale today and I was up two pounds! Its driving me insane. I did recently do a three week course of prednisone, but i thought if I maintained my calories while taking those I would be fine and wouldnt gain any. also I have been eating more clean than I have in a long time. I also upped my protein and I try to keep my carbs lower. Thoughts??
It sounds like you are doing things right. Yes, my understanding is that you should gain at first, especially if you are coming from a diet in which you were eating at or below your BMR. Give it another couple of weeks.
I think you were wise to increase your protein, especially if you found that you were frequently hungry throughout the day. The protein will help keep you full for longer.
Also, where does your figure of 2060 come from? What is it based on?0 -
talk to your doctor and maybe a nutritionist0
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