Ok... Now I'm Scared

JBHawaii

Folks, the ride is over, my weight loss has gone well but I know it's time to stop this crash train. I have tried really hard to bring my calories back up but I keep losing day after day. In fact, I lost 2.6 last night alone!

My plan for maintainance was to slowly up my calories by 100 or so ever few days but I now see that I have to just go straight to a 2200 calorie diet right now or I seriously think I'm gonna waste away.

Anyone have any advice for how to make sure I don't rebound too much though? My major worry is that I will overshoot the mark and I'll end up gaining back way too much...

Help please

kdiamond

Without knowing how tall you are and how much you exercise, I'd say a male at your age should eat atleast 2000 calories a day, at the low end. If I were you I would immediately step it up to 2200. You might see some initial water weight but you will be able to tell in a week or so if this is the right amount of calories for you. You don't want to risk losing muscle mass.

ElizabethRoad

Anyone have any advice for how to make sure I don't rebound too much though? My major worry is that I will overshoot the mark and I'll end up gaining back way too much...

I don't really see why this is a worry. If you start gaining weight then you'll know you should cut back. You aren't suddenly going to gain 10 pounds without realizing it.

now_or_never12

Go up to the maintain cals and eat at that for a few weeks. You may gain at first since your body isn't used to the extra cals but it will level off. If you find at your maintain cals that you are still losing (eat your exercise cals back) than add in an extra 200 cals a day for a week or two and see if you gain or stay the same... you may have to experiment to find your number.

mommytobrayden

[/quote]
"I don't really see why this is a worry. If you start gaining weight then you'll know you should cut back. You aren't suddenly going to gain 10 pounds without realizing it."
[/quote]

This. Just up your calories and then if you put on a few pounds cut back some.

JBHawaii

I exercise like a maniac. Yesterday I ran, biked, and lifted and I rarely eat back any exercise calories...

I am 5' 11.5" and 29yrs old at 174lbs (as of today).

waldo56

Exercise, exercise, exercise.

It is hard to get fat if you are exercising heavily, it isn't something that accidentally happens.

LOL @ 2200 calories making you worried about weight gain.

Maybe let yourself lose a bit more. The body doesn't accidentally lose too much weight, perhaps your goals were not far enough. Once you get down to a low BF%, you lose really, really slow, losing fast is not an option.

You might be seeing some of the effects of eating more though, in people that have been dieting a while, especially those eating fewer caloires than they should, increasing calories tends to trigger a whoosh and a big loss.

ElizabethRoad

Exercise, exercise, exercise.

It is hard to get fat if you are exercising heavily, it isn't something that accidentally happens.

LOL @ 2200 calories making you worried about weight gain.

I'm pretty sure getting fat is usually an accident.

TavistockToad

I exercise like a maniac. Yesterday I ran, biked, and lifted and I rarely eat back any exercise calories...

I am 5' 11.5" and 29yrs old at 174lbs (as of today).

you need to eat back the exercise calories or you will always be creating a deficit, thats why you are still losing weight....

gatorginger

That's exactly what I have been doing trying to find my maintenance level by increasing my calories by a 100 a day every two weeks. Every time I increase I seem to lose so what I do is have a cheat day and gain back what I lost and then continue to eat the new calorie level. For some reason it works well. Today I have to eat to gain but I love doing that. So when I go under the weight I want to maintain I just eat what I want that day and gain it back. So far this is working for me.

Hendrix7

I lost 2.6 last night alone!

What?

waldo56

Exercise, exercise, exercise.

It is hard to get fat if you are exercising heavily, it isn't something that accidentally happens.

LOL @ 2200 calories making you worried about weight gain.

I'm pretty sure getting fat is usually an accident.

Not if you are exercising heavily.

With heavy exercise it is near impossible to accidentally sustain the food intake required to actually get fat. It is possible to get fat for sure when exercising heavy, however that requires effort to do so (purposeful overeating).

Agator82

Your original plan sounds good. Stage your calorie intake up 200 cals per week and you will eventually stop losing. This will also help you establish how many calories you need to eat for maintenance (with your activity level you might need 2500 calories+). With as much as you are working out I do not see you wasting away.

You certainly do not want to throw you body off by giving it 30% more calories per day in a short period of time.

khelser

If you are losing weight at 2200 calroies and you are concerned I would consult a Doctor to run some lab work. Are you having any other medical issues?

steph1278

Your net calories should equal what you should be eating for maintenence. If you are exercising like crazy and not eating any of those calories back, then of course you are going to continue to lose because you are still operating on a deficit.

Bobby_Clerici

Just eat to maintenance, and weigh in daily. Monitor the trends.
And now that you've reached your weight goals, set some other goal having to do with either body fat or performance like improving your bench, run time or whatever.
Never peak out and stop growing.
Those are the people who slip back and lose all the progress they've earned.
Don't be that guy.
Do not ever peak out.

Roadie2000

Folks, the ride is over, my weight loss has gone well but I know it's time to stop this crash train. I have tried really hard to bring my calories back up but I keep losing day after day. In fact, I lost 2.6 last night alone!

My plan for maintainance was to slowly up my calories by 100 or so ever few days but I now see that I have to just go straight to a 2200 calorie diet right now or I seriously think I'm gonna waste away.

Anyone have any advice for how to make sure I don't rebound too much though? My major worry is that I will overshoot the mark and I'll end up gaining back way too much...

Help please

First of all, you did not lose 2.6 lbs in 1 night. That's water weight. Sometimes it can fluctuate 5-6 lbs on any given day.

Second, how many calories are you consuming right now? I'm guessing your BMR is minimum 1900. Figure out what that is, figure out how many calories you are burning every day, add them together, and then consume that many calories a day for maintenance.

Third, lift some weights. If you do gain any weight back you want it to to be all muscle.

Dave198lbs

I lost 2.6 last night alone!

What?

ya....what?

mayday529

Try an "on" again "off" again routine. Eat normal one day (not crazy - normal portions, but don't actively diet). Then eat light the next. You'll hardly notice the deficit and high eating one day will balance with low eating the next. The calorie deficit will likely be modest. Also, keep a protein shake or smoothie on hand for an end of the day just in case if your "on" day is light.

Sharyn913

Your net calories should equal what you should be eating for maintenence. If you are exercising like crazy and not eating any of those calories back, then of course you are going to continue to lose because you are still operating on a deficit.

This! ^

JBHawaii

Yes, really, 2.6lbs last night, 1.6 the day before making it what 4.2 lbs in 2 days... Kinda scary!