Can someone explain this to me please!?

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Taelayaletchko
Taelayaletchko Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
why when you lose weight, while maintaining a consistent work out regime - does your calorie intake go up?

Wouldn't it go down sense you now weight less? or at least remain the same?

I understand if I am taking in 1400 (which is a 300cal cut in food) and burning 300 from working out.
I'll lose one pound+ a week. and if I increase my work out by 100 calories, for health reasons I should eat 100 calories more a day to keep the same deficit. Correct?

but why does the calorie intake go up when I lose weight - but keep my work out the same?

it seems counter productive to me. Seems like I would just start gaining weight again.

Replies

  • LittleD311
    LittleD311 Posts: 618 Member
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    It is confusing! but, as your body looses weight you need to eat more to keep up your metabolism to maintain your weight........
  • larisabones
    larisabones Posts: 22
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    Hmm, I am not entirely sure. As you lose weight, you naturally use muscle along with it, that is why it is so important to do strength training along with cardio. I would think that you would need to have more calories to help maintain muscles and an increased metabolism while you are working out.
    I would be interested to see if the same thing happens if someone isn't working out. My guess would be that their calories would drop a bit as they lose weight?

    I hope someone can find the correct answer!
  • Taelayaletchko
    Taelayaletchko Posts: 6
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    It is confusing! but, as your body looses weight you need to eat more to keep up your metabolism to maintain your weight........

    hmm i guess that makes sense. haha thank you
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    why when you lose weight, while maintaining a consistent work out regime - does your calorie intake go up?

    Wouldn't it go down sense you now weight less? or at least remain the same?

    I understand if I am taking in 1400 (which is a 300cal cut in food) and burning 300 from working out.
    I'll lose one pound+ a week. and if I increase my work out by 100 calories, for health reasons I should eat 100 calories more a day to keep the same deficit. Correct?

    but why does the calorie intake go up when I lose weight - but keep my work out the same?

    it seems counter productive to me. Seems like I would just start gaining weight again.

    The amount of calories you need to maintain your weight do go down, but the less you have to lose the smaller your deficit should be. As an example lets say you start with needing to lose 75 lbs and have maintenance of 2500 calories, MFP would give you 1500 to lose 2 lb/week. Now you lose weight and now only have 25lbs to go, your maintenance is now 2100 calories, but your weekly goal should change to 1 lb/week so now you get 1600 calories. So you eat more, but have a smaller deficit and lose slower the less you have to lose.

    If you kept your goal at 2lbs/week your calories would drop, in this case to 1200 cals (MFP will not put you lower than that). But having too large of a deficit when you don't have a lot to lose will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 276
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    Your post isn't clear but I will attempt to help

    When you weigh less...you have less to lose. So your calorie intake isn't increasing, your calorie deficit is decreasing as you head toward maintainence calories.

    Hope this is simple but helps you.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Your post isn't clear but I will attempt to help

    When you weigh less...you have less to lose. So your calorie intake isn't increasing, your calorie deficit is decreasing as you head toward maintainence calories.

    Hope this is simple but helps you.

    Very well put
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    It is confusing! but, as your body looses weight you need to eat more to keep up your metabolism to maintain your weight........

    Not really...

    'And here's a fact that may surprise you: the more weight you carry, the faster your metabolism is likely running.

    "The simple fact is that the extra weight causes your body to work harder just to sustain itself at rest, so in most instances, the metabolism is always running a bit faster," says Molly Kimball, RD, sports and lifestyle nutritionist at the Oscher's Clinic's Elmwood Fitness Center.

    That's one reason it's almost always easiest to lose weight at the start of a diet, and harder later on, Kimball says: "When you are very overweight your metabolism is already running so high that any small cut in calories will result in an immediate loss."

    Then, when you lose significant amounts of body fat and muscle, your body needs fewer calories to sustain itself, she says. That helps explain why it's so easy to regain weight after you've worked to lose it.'

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/make-most-your-metabolism
  • adventuring
    adventuring Posts: 178
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    Many people find they plateau if they attempt to eat 1200 (or whatever) calories for an extended period of time as their body weight drops. Bodies are stubborn. I think MFP also wants to gradually ease you toward eating maintenance calories when you get to your goal weight.
  • LittleD311
    LittleD311 Posts: 618 Member
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    I was going to say don't quote me on that, I am still learning this too, its very confusing! lol
  • Taelayaletchko
    Taelayaletchko Posts: 6
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    why when you lose weight, while maintaining a consistent work out regime - does your calorie intake go up?

    Wouldn't it go down sense you now weight less? or at least remain the same?

    I understand if I am taking in 1400 (which is a 300cal cut in food) and burning 300 from working out.
    I'll lose one pound+ a week. and if I increase my work out by 100 calories, for health reasons I should eat 100 calories more a day to keep the same deficit. Correct?

    but why does the calorie intake go up when I lose weight - but keep my work out the same?

    it seems counter productive to me. Seems like I would just start gaining weight again.

    The amount of calories you need to maintain your weight do go down, but the less you have to lose the smaller your deficit should be. As an example lets say you start with needing to lose 75 lbs and have maintenance of 2500 calories, MFP would give you 1500 to lose 2 lb/week. Now you lose weight and now only have 25lbs to go, your maintenance is now 2100 calories, but your weekly goal should change to 1 lb/week so now you get 1600 calories. So you eat more, but have a smaller deficit and lose slower the less you have to lose.

    If you kept your goal at 2lbs/week your calories would drop, in this case to 1200 cals (MFP will not put you lower than that). But having too large of a deficit when you don't have a lot to lose will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

    Thank you - this was the most helpful!!
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    I was going to say don't quote me on that, I am still learning this too, its very confusing! lol

    Yeah, there's a lot of conflicting information out there. I find it best to keep things as simple as possible (calories consumed/calories burned) - it's worked for me so far!

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