Increased Calories After VLCD, Increased Weight. Temporary?

GKoz004

So I was in a bit of a rut, I was eating 13-1400 calories total, less if you count exercise. I also was on a bit of a binge/restrict cycle for a while. I went to a dietitian, and she advised me to eat 1700 calories, do a bit less cardio, and start a lifting program. Now I eat 1700-1750 and net usually around 1600.

It has been 2 weeks, and I'm 6lbs up. I feel very doughy haha. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this and if it will level out and I can start to lose again. I know, I know, 2 weeks isn't a long time, but it's worrisome when you see the scale go up and pants get tighter haha. Also, the pounds aren't really a steady increase, like I was 140 at the start, then at the end of the first week it jumped to 143.5 in a day. I was 144 Saturday morning, then Sunday morning I was 146. Still 146 today, hoping it will stop there lol.

Just wondering if there's some adjustment period and if anyone has had similar experiences. I'm trying to repair my body and I guess my metabolism, but it's kind of discouraging to see the opposite of what I want

wiseeliz

While I'm not coming from exactly the same place you are, I'm also experiencing some weight gain after increasing my calories, and past threads on the message boards suggest that this adjustment period is normal. I unfortunately don't have a link handy, but I know there are past discussions about this topic if you use the search function.

3 weeks ago, I increased my calories by about 150/day (I use MFP's recommendations and do not do my own outside calculations). In that time, I've gained about 4 lbs. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm not sweating it at this point, as all signs point to this being normal. Maybe talk to your dietician if you're concerned?

AbsoluteNG

When dietitians give you a calorie count to eat, it already includes exercise. If you net 1700 calories, you are most likely doing it wrong and putting on unwanted weight.


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BarackMeLikeAHurricane

1300-1400 isn't exactly a VLCD for someone at 140lbs. I know I would definitely gain some fat on 1700 calories a day. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? Stats?

mahanaibu

This is worth trying for a week: lower your carb calories and put the extra calories in the form of good fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut). Also a little more protein if you want it. Carbs tend to retain water in the body, so this could well be water weight. (and processed grains such as bread, white rice play games with your blood sugar.) Maybe try reducing carbs to 130 a day or so. I have a feeling it will work.

Others say rightly that 1300-1400 a day isn't anything remotely close to a VLCD, which has a specific meaning. and it would help to be clear on whether your activity level justified the 1,700 calories.

AbsoluteNG

1300-1400 isn't exactly a VLCD for someone at 140lbs. I know I would definitely gain some fat on 1700 calories a day. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? Stats?

I'm pretty sure it's too much for her. She says she NETS 1700 calories which means she eats back all of her exercise calories in addition to the 1700 calories. Sounds like she's eating anywhere in the range of 2100 to 2500 calories a day.

I also agree with you on the VLCD comment. She doesn't seem to understand what VLCD really means as 1400 calories is not VLCD. The OP sounds like she might be a hypochondriac as she thinks something is wrong with her metabolism. Unless you have a series disease, your body's ability to create ATP and use it as energy still works the same no matter how many calories you eat. In other words, your metabolism is fine and doing what it should be doing. If you feel that your metabolism is slow, build more muscle and be active. That's the only controlling factor you have over how much you can eat in a day.


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geekyjock76

When we diet, our bodies store below average amounts of food, water and sometimes glycogen. This is part of the initial weight loss and is easily accomplished with a steep and sudden decrease in carbohydrate intake. Thus, when we increase calories/decrease the deficit, we are once again storing near average amounts of food, water and glycogen. This leads to a temporary "gain" in weight. It really shouldn't be viewed as a "gain" since, again, we are simply storing a close to maintenance level of contents within our body.

To answer your question: if you have not lost a significant amount of weight on this VLCD, or sustained it for a long time, then it's likely your body is overcompensating to more calories than what it's been receiving and storing a temporary excess of water. Eventually your weight will reach relative homeostasis with very minor fluctuations.

iamluce

If you started a new exercise program, it could be water retention. Give yourself a month, don't weigh yourself, and if then you see that you have mantained those 6 extra pounds or gained a bit more, then consult your dietician.
Give your body time to adjust to a new routine. 1700 isn't high, like some people here are suggesting, unless you are sedentary.
Give yourself time, don't stress, and if you still don't see progress in a month or so, then consider changing things.

iamluce

1300-1400 isn't exactly a VLCD for someone at 140lbs. I know I would definitely gain some fat on 1700 calories a day. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? Stats?

I'm pretty sure it's too much for her. She says she NETS 1700 calories which means she eats back all of her exercise calories in addition to the 1700 calories. Sounds like she's eating anywhere in the range of 2100 to 2500 calories a day.

I also agree with you on the VLCD comment. She doesn't seem to understand what VLCD really means as 1400 calories is not VLCD. The OP sounds like she might be a hypochondriac as she thinks something is wrong with her metabolism. Unless you have a series disease, your body's ability to create ATP and use it as energy still works the same no matter how many calories you eat. In other words, your metabolism is fine and doing what it should be doing. If you feel that your metabolism is slow, build more muscle and be active. That's the only controlling factor you have over how much you can eat in a day.


.

She said she's netting 1600, eating 1750. The OP hasn't said anything that could suggest they're a hypocondriac?????' I honestly don't know where you got that.
A doctor told them to eat more, they should eat more. Period.

AbsoluteNG

1300-1400 isn't exactly a VLCD for someone at 140lbs. I know I would definitely gain some fat on 1700 calories a day. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? Stats?

I'm pretty sure it's too much for her. She says she NETS 1700 calories which means she eats back all of her exercise calories in addition to the 1700 calories. Sounds like she's eating anywhere in the range of 2100 to 2500 calories a day.

I also agree with you on the VLCD comment. She doesn't seem to understand what VLCD really means as 1400 calories is not VLCD. The OP sounds like she might be a hypochondriac as she thinks something is wrong with her metabolism. Unless you have a series disease, your body's ability to create ATP and use it as energy still works the same no matter how many calories you eat. In other words, your metabolism is fine and doing what it should be doing. If you feel that your metabolism is slow, build more muscle and be active. That's the only controlling factor you have over how much you can eat in a day.


.

She said she's netting 1600, eating 1750. The OP hasn't said anything that could suggest they're a hypocondriac?????' I honestly don't know where you got that.
A doctor told them to eat more, they should eat more. Period.

Doctors never tell you to net 1700 calories. That is something people pick up from being here on MFP.

AbsoluteNG

Don't take my word for it. Ask a real dietitian in the link below.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/13105-ask-the-dietitian

geekyjock76

I'm interpreting what she wrote as she ate 1200-1400 at one period and then engaged in binging/restricting at another time. If so, then she didn't state how low she restricted.

SkimFlatWhite68

Hard to say, as I am not sure how much weight lifting/cardio you are doing, but yes that did happen to me. I eventually settled on a TDEG of about 1500-1600 which is working nicely.

The weight gain will depend on a whole lot of things, and could just be a re-adjust and also may depend on your macros, water weight etc.

By the sounds of things your TDEG is 1700 and your dietician has accounted for your exercise calories, so don't eat them back. Just keep with 1700 per day. If in 4 weeks you are still gaining, then perhaps drop back to 1600 and see how that affects you.

This is a good thread to read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them

Best of luck

GKoz004

1300-1400 isn't exactly a VLCD for someone at 140lbs. I know I would definitely gain some fat on 1700 calories a day. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? Stats?

Well I ate 13-1400 but after exercise it was most likely around 950-1000 so I thought anything below 1200 was vlcd? My starting stats were 140 at 5'5", 21, lightly active. All the calculators say I should net around 1800, but the dietitian said aim for 1700 total, not net. I'm never really too over, not enough to make a considerable difference I don't think.

GKoz004

This is worth trying for a week: lower your carb calories and put the extra calories in the form of good fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut). Also a little more protein if you want it. Carbs tend to retain water in the body, so this could well be water weight. (and processed grains such as bread, white rice play games with your blood sugar.) Maybe try reducing carbs to 130 a day or so. I have a feeling it will work.

Others say rightly that 1300-1400 a day isn't anything remotely close to a VLCD, which has a specific meaning. and it would help to be clear on whether your activity level justified the 1,700 calories.

She advised 45-50% carbs, so I was sticking with that. I don't eat a whole lot of bread type carbs, but I do like fruit and I heard that can skew things. And I should have specified a bit more, I did eat 13-1400 but after exercise that was probably closer to 950-1000, so I thought anything below 1200 is considers VLCD? My activity is pretty light, I do around 20 mins of cardio, walk a bit, and do weights but I'm just starting out with those.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

At 5'5," 140lbs, 21 year old, and female your BMR is around 1470. 1700 would basically maintain your weight. Try dropping down to 1500 net and see what happens. Unless you're doing some crazy amounts of cardio there's no need for you to eat that much.

GKoz004

Don't take my word for it. Ask a real dietitian in the link below.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/13105-ask-the-dietitian

I posted there, thanks!

GKoz004

At 5'5," 140lbs, 21 year old, and female your BMR is around 1470. 1700 would basically maintain your weight. Try dropping down to 1500 net and see what happens. Unless you're doing some crazy amounts of cardio there's no need for you to eat that much.

The thing is, I'm gaining on 1700 All the calculators I've used, I've plugged my stats and lightly active, and most of em say 18-1900, but I'm not even eating that much and it's causing a gain. I'm really hoping it's an adjustment period, but I figured the increases would stop after about a week, it doesn't seem like the case I thought about 1600, but it seems odd to maintain at 1600 calories, like that's too low.

I don't do a whole ton of cardio, usually 15-20 minutes to work up a sweat.

craigmandu

So I was in a bit of a rut, I was eating 13-1400 calories total, less if you count exercise. I also was on a bit of a binge/restrict cycle for a while. I went to a dietitian, and she advised me to eat 1700 calories, do a bit less cardio, and start a lifting program. Now I eat 1700-1750 and net usually around 1600.

It has been 2 weeks, and I'm 6lbs up. I feel very doughy haha. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this and if it will level out and I can start to lose again. I know, I know, 2 weeks isn't a long time, but it's worrisome when you see the scale go up and pants get tighter haha. Also, the pounds aren't really a steady increase, like I was 140 at the start, then at the end of the first week it jumped to 143.5 in a day. I was 144 Saturday morning, then Sunday morning I was 146. Still 146 today, hoping it will stop there lol.

Just wondering if there's some adjustment period and if anyone has had similar experiences. I'm trying to repair my body and I guess my metabolism, but it's kind of discouraging to see the opposite of what I want

A couple of things....

Firstly, whenever you UP calories after you've been at a stable amount for a while, the excess calories will get converted to fat for storage while your body "acclimates" to the new calorie level.

Secondly, whenever you start a new exercise routine you will see more water/nutrient retention in the new muscle groups being exercised.

So, it sounds to me like you are seeing a small "double-duty" effect...some more water/nutrient retention and some additional fat storage. Put together it may seem like alot.

If you are exercising regularly and are eating between your BMR and TDEE you will lose weight.

Realize that these "acclimations" of new exercise and diet take time. 2 weeks is rarely enough, more like 4-6 weeks to give the body the time it needs to create its new "baselines" of operation.

I wouldn't make any real changes for at least another few weeks, and then I would consult with the dietician again and converse over the changes (or lack thereof).

GKoz004

If you started a new exercise program, it could be water retention. Give yourself a month, don't weigh yourself, and if then you see that you have mantained those 6 extra pounds or gained a bit more, then consult your dietician.
Give your body time to adjust to a new routine. 1700 isn't high, like some people here are suggesting, unless you are sedentary.
Give yourself time, don't stress, and if you still don't see progress in a month or so, then consider changing things.

That's what I was thinking! I know 1700 is a pretty decent number, I'm not vigorously active, but I do walk around a lot at work and do around 15-20 mins of cardio and 15 or so mins of weights daily. I've got 2 weeks to make it a month, then I guess I will decrease

GKoz004

When we diet, our bodies store below average amounts of food, water and sometimes glycogen. This is part of the initial weight loss and is easily accomplished with a steep and sudden decrease in carbohydrate intake. Thus, when we increase calories/decrease the deficit, we are once again storing near average amounts of food, water and glycogen. This leads to a temporary "gain" in weight. It really shouldn't be viewed as a "gain" since, again, we are simply storing a close to maintenance level of contents within our body.

To answer your question: if you have not lost a significant amount of weight on this VLCD, or sustained it for a long time, then it's likely your body is overcompensating to more calories than what it's been receiving and storing a temporary excess of water. Eventually your weight will reach relative homeostasis with very minor fluctuations.

Oh huh I never actually thought of just food and glycogen storage. That makes sense. And that's what I was hoping for, ideally, I would like to see a down trend or at least maintenance, I wish my body would get the message and calm down haha

ldrosophila

give yourself a little break eat what you were told and do your exercises...dont weigh every day. Dont weigh the day after intense exercise. Weigh after a day with no exercise and report back to us with the results.

foleyshirley

While I'm not coming from exactly the same place you are, I'm also experiencing some weight gain after increasing my calories, and past threads on the message boards suggest that this adjustment period is normal. I unfortunately don't have a link handy, but I know there are past discussions about this topic if you use the search function.

3 weeks ago, I increased my calories by about 150/day (I use MFP's recommendations and do not do my own outside calculations). In that time, I've gained about 4 lbs. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm not sweating it at this point, as all signs point to this being normal. Maybe talk to your dietician if you're concerned?

Yes, and some weight gain is also common when you start lifting. It is possible it is water retention as muscles heal. Give it some time, and then adjust as necessary.

foleyshirley

At 5'5," 140lbs, 21 year old, and female your BMR is around 1470. 1700 would basically maintain your weight. Try dropping down to 1500 net and see what happens. Unless you're doing some crazy amounts of cardio there's no need for you to eat that much.

And right now, there is no reason that she shouldn't. I am much older, and shorter, and I eat 1800 or more. She needs to give it time, and then adjust if needed.

toutmonpossible

1300 calories is not classified as a VLCD. 800 and lower is a VLCD.

GKoz004

Ok so apparently I made a mistake! I guess I was t on a VLCD. I did only net around 950-1000, but I guess that's just low? Anyways, sorry for all the confusion with the title! I would edit it but I'm mobile and I can't right now.

Danilynn1975

I upped mine to 1510 for 4 months.

Gained 7 pounds. They did not go away.

I have went back to what worked before, now I am down after several weeks 5 of the 7 pounds. Still have 2 more to get off.

If after the "stabilizing period of 4 weeks" you still are up and it's climbing reasses what you are doing, you may not be one of the people that can lose while eating more.

Just because it works for some does not mean it will work for all.

*let the slamming begin, because I lose only off 1200 to 1300 per day and maintain at 1510*

GKoz004

I upped mine to 1510 for 4 months.

Gained 7 pounds. They did not go away.

I have went back to what worked before, now I am down after several weeks 5 of the 7 pounds. Still have 2 more to get off.

If after the "stabilizing period of 4 weeks" you still are up and it's climbing reasses what you are doing, you may not be one of the people that can lose while eating more.

Just because it works for some does not mean it will work for all.

*let the slamming begin, because I lose only off 1200 to 1300 per day and maintain at 1510*

Ahhhh pure not supposed to tell me that haha noooo! I guess do what works for you, you know your body best. I'm hoping mine will start to positively respond but I guess I'll wait 2-3 more weeks to see.