Eating more to lose more: not working!
Bucky2BeBetty
Posts: 79 Member
I've gained three pounds in two weeks since I started eating more calories. I had been stuck for weeks at the same weight while eating 1200 calories daily so, following the advice of many on mfp, I upped the calories. First week, I thought I might be okay in spite of a minor gain but after two weeks of gaining, I am thinking this doesn't work for me. Ugh. I've been at this for over a year and a half and had very slow losses the whole time but now, this is getting ridiculous!
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Have you been tracking your progress in other ways? Measurements, how clothes fit, photos?0
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I have been at a 5 week plateau, it is so hard to figure out what works for you - or if your body has adjusted to something what to do to switch it up and shock it.
You doing any exercises? The gym. Just cardio? Maybe you need some weights.
I was doing 1300 then increased to 1800 but still nothing happened. Right now I zig zag my calories up and down and I have lost 2 lbs this week so far. For instance one day I eat really low calories and the next I eat a higher amount. Sometimes go just a little bit over. And this is the first week I have NOT been to the gym and have LOST.
Good luck!!!0 -
How much more calories are you eating?
Did you take a diet break of more than a week lately?
Are you sure that it is fat you gained?0 -
Yes. Some loss in quarter inches the first week but nothing this week.0
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I just looked at your diary and it is horrible. Please try eating good, whole foods, incorporate fruits and vegetables, less sonic and subway cookies and a few more salads instead of sandwiches.
Regardless of what some people are going to say about a calorie being a calorie, what you put in your body is 100% responsible for how your body responds to it. We can not eat crap, processed foods and fast foods and treats and expect our bodies to respond do us in a way that is positive.0 -
I've gained three pounds in two weeks since I started eating more calories. I had been stuck for weeks at the same weight while eating 1200 calories daily so, following the advice of many on mfp, I upped the calories. First week, I thought I might be okay in spite of a minor gain but after two weeks of gaining, I am thinking this doesn't work for me. Ugh. I've been at this for over a year and a half and had very slow losses the whole time but now, this is getting ridiculous!
For the past two weeks you average around 1300-1400cals. Even if you are a petite lady, there is no way you can put on 3lbs from those calories. If you're weighing your foods and not estimating your serving sizes, it's water weight. If you're not weighing your food, there is a good chance that you're eating more than you estimate.0 -
You say you have upped your calories, but I had a quick look at your diary and you don't eat your exercise calories so most days you are still only netting about 1000 calories. This is not a lot, you cannot gain FAT unless you eat 3500 calories over your maintenance....0
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How much more calories are you eating?
Did you take a diet break of more than a week lately?
Are you sure that it is fat you gained?
Upped to between 1300 and 1600.
No. Am I supposed to? I kind of considered this a break!
No. I am not sure of anything anymore since nothing appears to be working.0 -
I just looked at your diary and it is horrible. Please try eating good, whole foods, incorporate fruits and vegetables, less sonic and subway cookies and a few more salads instead of sandwiches.
Regardless of what some people are going to say about a calorie being a calorie, what you put in your body is 100% responsible for how your body responds to it. We can not eat crap, processed foods and fast foods and treats and expect our bodies to respond do us in a way that is positive.
Im going to second this post as it is spot-on. You are consuming way too many junk/fast-food type items, I see fast food restaurant beverages listed, no real meals, no real vegetables, real proteins, etc.
The Eat More 2 Lose More concept is that you are not eating below your BMR, but you are in fact consuming 15% less than your TDEE caloric reading. The only way this is going to work is if you ditch all of the junk foods you are willingly eating, and actually have real foods. For every five pounds lost, you have to recalculate your BMR, TDEE and your "cut" (thats the -15%) and go from there. But you will definitely not get anywhere on any food-type plan if you continue to eat all of these junk-type foods.
Another thing I did notice is that your daily caloric intake is inconsistent as well. EM2WL stresses to keep the caloric intake as consistent as possible. The average is about 200 calories above your BMR is a good goal. Sometimes you might need an additional 100 calories... but, real foods.
Two weeks does not give your body enough time to adjust to the changes. Any changes you make requires actual legitimate time to adjust, at least four weeks - especially if you are gradually increasing the calories to above your BMR.
Think about it 8-)0 -
Seriously, I have idea what to do. Either I completely clean up my eating so that I can lose, OR what I eat makes no difference as long as I am under TDEE. Either I need to cut the amount of calories to lose weight OR I need to increase it. Either I need to lift weights and do less cardio OR I need to do more cardio and skip the weights. Either I need to eat the same amount of calories each day OR I need to stagger them up and down daily. Very, very confused.
Not trying to be obtuse. Just trying to find something that works. Apparently, the prevailing wisdom is no junk food, more weights, more calories. Love being told my diet is horrible. You shoulda seen it before!0 -
^^^^^ Honestly, only you can figure it out. It took me quite some time to figure out what worked for ME.0
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I cannot see the foods you eat, but remember, animal foods all have cholesterol and behave differently in your body than plant foods. Sweet potato (no butter), lentils, green drinks, plums and fresh fruit (no sugar added), cantalope, quinoa, brown rice, tofu, walnut snack. The calories add up but the nutrients are huge and your body will send them right on through. Good luck. nothing processed; no white breads, etc.0
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Seriously, I have idea what to do. Either I completely clean up my eating so that I can lose, OR what I eat makes no difference as long as I am under TDEE. Either I need to cut the amount of calories to lose weight OR I need to increase it. Either I need to lift weights and do less cardio OR I need to do more cardio and skip the weights. Either I need to eat the same amount of calories each day OR I need to stagger them up and down daily. Very, very confused.
Not trying to be obtuse. Just trying to find something that works. Apparently, the prevailing wisdom is no junk food, more weights, more calories. Love being told my diet is horrible. You shoulda seen it before!
It's really simple and you're over thinking everything. No need to completely clean up your eating. Just clean it up a little. Start cooking athome and stop eating fast food every day and frosting everyday?! If you must, leave a couple of meals per week for fast food.
Eat somewhere between BMR and TDEE, no need for exact number, just stay in that range. Dont stress if you go over/under once in a while.
Lift 3x/week or 2x if you're pressed for time. Cardio 30min about 3x a week, more if you please but eat up the cals you burn to stay in the calorie range mentioned above.0 -
Give it some times...You also have to eat more for at least 6-8 weeks before cut in order for it to work. I am on week 3 of the reset-was on LVCD for a few months before. I have gained 4lb now and 2 more inch around my waist-very discouraging on the latter part. Yet I have to wait until I can do the cut to see the result.0
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From a success story:
I started out just like you - frustrated (and hungry!) at 1,200 calories. What you need to understand is that right after you eat, say, an apple in the morning you will essentially weight [your weight] + [apple]. This is why people who weight multiple times in a day feel so frustrated! Of course the food is soon digested and metabolized and excretions balance this out. However, when you up calories you are generally eating a higher volume of food per day, thus your weight will temporarily increase. You might also retain water weight during this time. I haven't looked at your diary, but if what others say is true your junk food consumption is probably not helping your efforts, and processed food generally has a lot of sodium that will prompt your body to retain water!
EMTWL is a process - you need to be patient and wait for your body to recognize that it is being more substantially fueled and it is okay for it to start metabolizing at a faster weight. Depending on how long you have been at 1,200 calories this might take time. What you need to keep in mind is that 1,200 a day is NOT sustainable in the long term for most people. If you don't up now, you will simply continue to struggle at 1,200 and up later on anyway. Best to take the temporary "gain" and let your body settle into a routine that is maintainable in the long term.
For me, I gained 3 pounds in my first 2 weeks of upping my calories from 1,200 to 1500 (that's an extra 2,100 a week - more than a whole day's worth of 1,200 cal eating!) and was upset. On the 3rd week, though, my weight stopped going up, and eventually dipped even lower than before. I also was much less hungry and cranky throughout the day. I hope you will give it a try, too!0 -
First off, congratulations for amazing progress thus far. I looked at your diary, and the one thing that I would suggest is that you should lower your carbs as much as possible and up your protein to 90-100. I have a really amazing trainer and this is what he suggested as well. I was at a plateau and it helped tremendously. People saying that you eat horribly is a little harsh, but I do see that increasing lean proteins and vegetables will help. Also, give yourself pats on the back for the progress you ARE making, and the changes to your lifestyle. This can be hard and slow at times, but we need to look back and see how far we've come. Good luck.0
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your body is unique. one size doesn't fit all. so do what works for you.0
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I read burn the fat feed the muscle a while back.
HE made a great point, especially to motivate people to keep trying. There really is no failures. THere is learning what works and what doesn't. If you up your calories and (giving it enough time to be sure) gain weight you have learned something. If you loose weight you have also learned something.
What works for 1 person will not work for you. You have to keep adjusting. Even if something works great for 6 months it may all of a sudden quit working. You have to find what works for you! OFten what will work for us is the hardest or least desirable thing and we may have an up on the scale before a down.
I truly believe it is a long term goal, not a quick fix. Trial and error works out good with this. I didn't gain my weight overnight. I had a baby and 4 years to get to 174 pounds for me. I expect it to take a battle and close to a year to reach 145 in a healthy manner I can live with. I will admit, I gained 2 pounds back on my blow day with cheesecake and lots of chips and salsa. You know what, I am back down to where I was now and don't regret that blow day. HOWEVER with my trial and error next time I MAY choose to skip my blow day since I know exactly what the effect will be. I also find for me that I need WAY more protein than I ever thought and if I have calories after supper I need to eat them in protein not any carbs at all or the scale shows me not to. On days I don't work out I have a whey shake with almond milk (30 cal kind) for lunch and on days I do workout I use it afterwards with a fish oil and glucosomine supplement.
I am finally starting to eat at least 1/2 my workout calories and it feels pretty darn good to wake up and the scale is still sliding down, but that might not work for you
Good luck! Trial and error and you CAN succeed!!! Keep an accurate diary so you can look back and figure out your cause and affect.0 -
Seriously, I have idea what to do. Either I completely clean up my eating so that I can lose, OR what I eat makes no difference as long as I am under TDEE. Either I need to cut the amount of calories to lose weight OR I need to increase it. Either I need to lift weights and do less cardio OR I need to do more cardio and skip the weights. Either I need to eat the same amount of calories each day OR I need to stagger them up and down daily. Very, very confused.
Not trying to be obtuse. Just trying to find something that works. Apparently, the prevailing wisdom is no junk food, more weights, more calories. Love being told my diet is horrible. You shoulda seen it before!
Different things work for different people. Like others have stated on here: make sure you're measuring food correctly. Make sure it's fat you're gaining. If it's muscle, you shouldn't be worried. And since you're eating a lot of junk food, just try eating cleaner foods, because it might work for you.0 -
I'm confused too, but maybe limit your sweet treats to 100 or 200 cals. per day?0
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I visited the eat more to lose more thread and no way would I want to gain a bunch of weight to MAYBE lose better. nope. not me. Sounds like you fudge on your food it you're a junk food junkie. I don't think it is so much unclean eating..it is the calorie reporting. Remember restaurants and fast food chains..are by law..allowed to be 20percent off in their calorie estimations. That could be the problem To me, eating out is the biggest way to screw up. I like what one poster on the forum said..that they either eat less of the restaurant item and track the reported calories for the full meal.. or increase the calories reported by 1/4.
Why don't you try packing your lunch...eating in...do everything else the same.. see what happens in a week and go from there.0 -
I had my settings on losing 1 pound a week. For over a month I didnt lose a single pound. i was losing inches tho. I decided to change my settings to 1/2 pound a week, which meant more calories.
Now that I have done that, along with exercise, the weight is starting to come off!
Good luck!0 -
The scale usually isnt very nice when you up your calories at first, you are probably holding onto some water weight. Just be patient and stick to your plan for a few more weeks, no need to freak out just yet.0
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^^^^^ Honestly, only you can figure it out. It took me quite some time to figure out what worked for ME.
Completely agree. What works great for one person is not going to work for all. I was on a vegan diet for 3 months. I ate all whole foods, clean, healthy, and lost not 1 pound. I went to the doctor to have my blood, thyroid, etc. checked. He said it all checked out. I showed him my food diary and exercise log. He told me to drop my calories to 1000 and cut out all grains, including whole grain pasta and rice. I have found for myself, I must work extremely hard (2 hrs. daily) and eat around 1000-1200 to budge the scale even a bit, and I can gain 3 lbs. in a day. Maybe it is water, but it shows up as 3 lbs. I am trying a variety of things to see what works for me. Take heart! This is a great forum for advice. Only you are an expert on you. Good luck!0 -
I checked your diary. I noticed that you eat mostly processed foods and animal products, probably more than 90% of your calories. I suggest eating 90% of your calories from whole plant foods (veggies, fruits, and beans) and I guarantee the weight will come off.0
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^^^^^ Honestly, only you can figure it out. It took me quite some time to figure out what worked for ME.
Completely agree. What works great for one person is not going to work for all. I was on a vegan diet for 3 months. I ate all whole foods, clean, healthy, and lost not 1 pound. I went to the doctor to have my blood, thyroid, etc. checked. He said it all checked out. I showed him my food diary and exercise log. He told me to drop my calories to 1000 and cut out all grains, including whole grain pasta and rice. I have found for myself, I must work extremely hard (2 hrs. daily) and eat around 1000-1200 to budge the scale even a bit, and I can gain 3 lbs. in a day. Maybe it is water, but it shows up as 3 lbs. I am trying a variety of things to see what works for me. Take heart! This is a great forum for advice. Only you are an expert on you. Good luck!
Indeed, eating lots of grains on a vegan diet is not consusive to weight loss. I eat all vegan, but barely any grains (1 cup of cooked steel cut oats per day), and certainly no processed or refined foods. My wife and I have been eating this way for over a month and the weight is flying off.
It might be worth your time to look into 'Eat to Live' by Dr Fuhrman, since it appears that your almost eating that way anyhow. I highly recommend it!0 -
There's so much bad advice in this thread.0
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Sorry you're discouraged, but don't give up. You've made great progress! You may have to try different combinations. Basically, I like the idea of eating healthy foods (unprocessed, as much as possible), cardio, and strength training three times a week. Keep trying, and you'll figure out what works for you! You may want to mix up activities and the number of calories consumed. God bless you!0
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That's not true. You're making all of this into these black and white decisions and it just doesn't work that way. You can eat clean and under your TDEE. You can stick to a calorie range in the middle and see what happens. You can do both weights and cardio. You can eat the same calories for most days and then spike it every once in a while.Seriously, I have idea what to do. Either I completely clean up my eating so that I can lose, OR what I eat makes no difference as long as I am under TDEE. Either I need to cut the amount of calories to lose weight OR I need to increase it. Either I need to lift weights and do less cardio OR I need to do more cardio and skip the weights. Either I need to eat the same amount of calories each day OR I need to stagger them up and down daily. Very, very confused.
You need to find the middle ground with these things. Few people are happy operating at either extreme; most people will find success by pulling out what works and rejecting what doesn't rather than following one hardline rule or another.0 -
I had a plateau too, give it 6 weeks before saying it doesnt work for you..0
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