Can I really stop eating at a deficit?

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es2189
es2189 Posts: 142 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've lost a little over 20 pounds and am about 2 pounds away from the goal weight that I set originally. However, after fluctuating 2-3 pounds right around here for about 3 months (never getting closer than 2 pounds from my goal), I'm thinking maybe those last couple pounds shouldn't be my focus. I've just started to do heavy lifting, and I'm more interested in getting stronger, gaining muscle, changing my body composition, and gaining speed and endurance in running than losing more weight. So my question is...can I really stop eating at a deficit? It's such second nature now to eat at a deficit that I guess I can't imagine seeing changes to my body without seeing changes to the scale. Anyone else been in this position?
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Replies

  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    yup me too. i have 2 lbs to go to hit my final goal and i can't wrap my head around eating more b/c every time i do i gain....
  • otrlynn
    otrlynn Posts: 273 Member
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    I don't know the answer--so I'm going to keep following this thread. I am pretty much in the same boat. I surpassed my original goal by 2 lbs, and I wouldn't mind losing a couple more. However, my real goal right now is all over strengthening and (hopefully) shaping up my legs by losing some fat and putting on a bit of muscle. I've been going to the gym all along and doing cardio plus using Cybex weight resistance equipment. I've just added in some squats and lunges with weights. I'm reluctant to add in too many more calories for the same reasons that you stated.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Once you are close to your goal, yes, you can stop eating at a deficit, or just eat at a small deficit, like maybe 100 calories from TDEE. It has been stated that the closer you are to goal weight, the lower your deficit should be.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    but how does one not gain when you have a 600 cal difference? i am doing around 1400 now and i think my tdee was around 2000. huge difference...
  • es2189
    es2189 Posts: 142 Member
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    BUMP anyone else been here?
  • es2189
    es2189 Posts: 142 Member
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    BUMP. Anyone?
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    Yes, because you won't be eating at a surplus--that's how you gain the weight. Not just by adding calories under and up to your TDEE.
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
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    I still eat at a small deficit, but not everyday. I am over my TDEE multiple times a week and I haven't seen any gains at all. I am in the same boat as you, I dont want to lose anymore, and I heavy lift 4 times a week (no cardio, bleh). I feel like if I didn't eat around or over my TDEE then I would be hungry and not recover as well.
  • hollyNhollywood
    hollyNhollywood Posts: 426 Member
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    I'm not at my goal, so I'm not experienced with this.. but I have seen this topic discussed before. What I have seen suggested is to gradually increase your calories. Go up 100 calories at a time. I believe, staying with each increase for a couple/few weeks at a time.
  • SaffSaad
    SaffSaad Posts: 81
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    I'm not an expert but from what i researched when you're close to your goal you should increase your calories gradually.
  • readthat
    readthat Posts: 136
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    I think I have read it's normal to gain a little when you move up, but it should balance out once your metabolism gets used to more calories. Give the body time to adjust before cutting way back again. Also maybe move up by 100 calories a week. I am about 3 lbs from my goal weight. When I was within 10 lbs, I slowly started moving up the calories. I started this at 1200 and moved up to 1500 per day. I hovered up and down a few lbs for a few weeks and now I am losing again. When I hit goal weight I am going to bump it up to 1700 and hopefully eventually get up to 2000.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Yes, you can stop eating at a deficit.

    I would suggest that you have a goal range rather than a goal weight.

    This is because your weight fluctuates due to water balance issues on a daily basis. This is particularly true if you are exercising vigorously as your body will retain water for repair etc. Over time however, your weight should stay within a comfortable range.

    It is important to note that when you start raising calories again you may see a temporary spike in scale weight (particularly if you have been low carbing.) This freaks people out but it doesn't mean you are gaining fat which is the key thing. If you give it time your weight will stay within a certain range as I indicated before.
  • Tntowers
    Tntowers Posts: 11 Member
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    I'm in the same boat really. I hit goal weight about a month ago and decided to read about what to do next (always a mistake - there is stuff out there saying anything!) Basically, I've upped my calories to just under TDEE and continue to eat back most of my exxercise calories - I'm continuing to lose about 1/2 lb a week.

    What I read basically said to ease yourself back in to eating maintence. You won't put on weight eating your TDEE - like the others have said, it's eating above that which makes you put weight on. However, I did read that your body needs some time to adjust to maintence. Someone (or their body) who has always been 130lb will be able to cope with full TDEE better than someone who has just lots loads of weight to get to the same goal. I don't know if that is completely true, but it made sense to me.

    Good luck!
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    BUMP. Anyone?

    In my view, you should start to slowly walk up your calories. Here are the things that you're likely to need to keep yourself sane while doing so:

    1. Spreadsheet;
    2. Body fat calipers;
    3. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis device; and
    4. Reliable scale.

    For your body fat measurements, take the average of the two readings from 2 and 3, since neither are the gold standard. Keep good data, run correlation tests with your calories, weight, and body fat % as well as your individual macros, weight, and body fat %. Within about 30 days and then every day after, it will become very clear what path to follow to get your optimal body.

    Alternatively, slowly walk up your calories and use a mirror and tape measure to assess your progress.
  • Noor13
    Noor13 Posts: 964 Member
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    The problem is, that you most likely will put on weight if your deficit was too big.
    If you suppressed your metabolism and slowed it down by eating too little, it is normal to gain.

    The deficit for women to lose weight should not exceed 300 kcal a day. Yes, the weight loss might be slow, but at the end you will be able to eat at your real TDEE when you are at your goa, because your metabolism is up and running. Also important to always have diet breaks in between. Eat every 6-8 weeks for one week at TDEE, so your body will not take the cut value for the new TDEE if you are dieting for a long time.

    Food for thought :)
  • nextrightthing
    nextrightthing Posts: 408 Member
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    bump
  • es2189
    es2189 Posts: 142 Member
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    The problem is, that you most likely will put on weight if your deficit was too big.
    If you suppressed your metabolism and slowed it down by eating too little, it is normal to gain.

    The deficit for women to lose weight should not exceed 300 kcal a day. Yes, the weight loss might be slow, but at the end you will be able to eat at your real TDEE when you are at your goa, because your metabolism is up and running. Also important to always have diet breaks in between. Eat every 6-8 weeks for one week at TDEE, so your body will not take the cut value for the new TDEE if you are dieting for a long time.

    Food for thought :)

    I wasn't eating at that big of a deficit...technically 500 net (that's based on my Body Media Fit, which estimates my calorie burn higher than MFP does). But I guess my question is...since I haven't really lost any weight in 2 months, does that mean I'm probably eating close to maintenance already? If I were actually eating at a 500 calorie deficit, regardless of the fact that I'm close to goal and don't have a lot of excess fat anymore, wouldn't I continue to lose 1 pound a week?
  • Leiki
    Leiki Posts: 526 Member
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    I'm pretty sure you can.

    I've reached my initial goal in July, and I stopped eating my deficit. Then I stopped tracking, and I just ate when I felt like eating-- just making wiser decisions than before. When I weighed in in November, I lost 4 lbs.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
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    The problem is, that you most likely will put on weight if your deficit was too big.
    If you suppressed your metabolism and slowed it down by eating too little, it is normal to gain.

    The deficit for women to lose weight should not exceed 300 kcal a day. Yes, the weight loss might be slow, but at the end you will be able to eat at your real TDEE when you are at your goa, because your metabolism is up and running. Also important to always have diet breaks in between. Eat every 6-8 weeks for one week at TDEE, so your body will not take the cut value for the new TDEE if you are dieting for a long time.

    Food for thought :)

    I wasn't eating at that big of a deficit...technically 500 net (that's based on my Body Media Fit, which estimates my calorie burn higher than MFP does). But I guess my question is...since I haven't really lost any weight in 2 months, does that mean I'm probably eating close to maintenance already? If I were actually eating at a 500 calorie deficit, regardless of the fact that I'm close to goal and don't have a lot of excess fat anymore, wouldn't I continue to lose 1 pound a week?

    That seems like a good point. If you are maintaining, I would assume what you are doing is maintenance. You could always try adding in 100 calories at a time and see what you do with that. I'd do it very slowly though, like 100 more for a month and see how you do. I know the online calculators can be very different than what you actually are. I've had my RMR tested using the bubble hood thing, which is very reliable, at 1380; however the online calculators put it at over like 1600. So, I know that I need fewer calories than what online calculators say.
  • cherbapp
    cherbapp Posts: 322
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    So I was on 13-1500 calories for about 14 months. Completely stalled at the 1500 calories or less and had been stuck since August.

    I finally decided to take a break and jumped right to maintenance calories. 2100 for me. I chose this based on a combination of TDEE and MFP settings....and I started on Thanksgiving day.

    So for just over two weeks I have been right at maintenance. With maybe 100 calories left over each week. I eat my exercise calories too. So here's what happened...jumped up 5 pounds in two days. Stayed there I think three days. Lost a pound a day for 6 days, and for the past week I have fluctuated less than a pound either way. So in those two weeks I actually lost a pound and my weight does not fluctuate the 3-4 pounds a day like it had been doing before. It is completely stable.

    Now this is only my experience but I was glad to see that I am not gaining on maintenance calories. Today I am going back to 1700 and we will see if this gets me losing again. Just above RMR and still a 400 calorie deficit.

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