1200 cals + exercise= GAINING WEIGHT?!

blinkiii
blinkiii Posts: 90
in Health and Weight Loss
How is this even happening? I have strictly been eating around 1200 calories every single day AND getting an hour of exercise in and my weight is actually increasing. And it's not muscle. All of my clothes are becoming tighter. I know for a fact that before adapting this lifestyle change I was having around 2000+ calories a day with little to know exercise, and even then I wasn't gaining as much weight as I am now. What am I doing wrong? I eat frequently throughout the day to keep my metabolism humming, I drink plenty of water, I eat pretty good foods (much better than I was eating before, that's for sure), I get plenty of protein in, I just don't understand. What could I possibly be doing wrong?! I don't even binge at night like I used to! At the latest, I stop eating at 7 pm.

HELP ME!

(I lost a lot of weight during the summer by eating around 700-800 calories a day. Then I stopped and went back to my terrible 2000+ ways. At the most, this low cal diet lasted about a month. Did it really **** up my metabolism that much?)
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Replies

  • jackiepedersen
    jackiepedersen Posts: 7
    What is the hour of exercise that you're doing? What are you eating to get to 1200 cals?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Did you mess up your metabolism? Try ARE YOU messing up your metabolism. If you're eating about 1200 and exercising for an hour, then you're netting maybe, what, 900 calories?
    You've stopped losing weight because you're not eating enough.
    Try letting MFP tell you how much to eat but go by the NET not the GROSS. Or, try figuring out how many calories you should be eating based on your activity level.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    best of luck with whatever you decide.

    I'm currently eating around 1850 a day (and exercising).
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Ty this experiment a day or two before you weigh, rest no exercise. Sometimes with strenuous exercise you tear muscle fibers which causes inflammation which holds onto water.

    If that doesnt work give it time and focus on the long term goals.

    Make sure your scale is calibrated, its in the same spot, your weighing at the same time of day, wearing the same things or nothing.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Based on your stats you should be eating around 1599 to lose 1lb per week, but as you haven't got a lot to lose I would suggest you would be better setting yourself to lose 0.5lb per week, which would be around 1798 cals per day (info from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ using lightly active setting)
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
    Read the link that Sabine provided. Break away from the 1200 calorie day, you will be so much happier.
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    i lost weight initially with 1200 too, and quickly plateaued ... then found road map where i learned that i need to eat more - i agree with the above poster, check it out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    i cycled up my cals, mixed up my exercises, and blasted through my plateau. your body is getting too efficient with what you're doing - change it up!!
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    Looked at your diary and your sodium levels seem ok, but you could still use to get more water intake.

    It takes alot of trial and error to find what works for each person. What works for me may not for you, or anyone else. Our bodies are all different.

    I would suggest eating more, I know it sounds crazy, but it is common for the body to stop wanting to let its fat stores go if you aren't getting enough to sustain its normal functions.

    1200 is below BMR for most people, if you aren't eating back your burned calories then you are even more below BMR. Do some reach on line or visit a personal trainer to find your true BMR and TDEE. You want to consistently eat above BMR and below TDEE to lose weight.
  • AmandaW01
    AmandaW01 Posts: 138
    Are you eating back your exercise calories? If it try and work on 1200 cals I gain too, its just too few if you're working out (for most of us) and eating so low as 800 could well have really messed up your metabolism, especially as you went back up to 2000 then down again to 1200 with exercise so a Net that will be really low!
    I would agree that with so little to lose you would be much much better resetting your metabolism, working out your BMR and eating that - MINIMUM - preferably TDEE minus 20% and getting yourself sorted again. Then work out, eat clean and see what happens. It can take weeks to see a real loss so it may simply be that your body is settling itself - but seriously, I would up those cals - providing you're eating less that your TDEE you won't gain, not a true gain.
  • I3ernadette
    I3ernadette Posts: 34 Member
    I just looked through your diary and you're not eating 1200 calories; the exercise calories are added with the expectation that you eat them! While others, with higher daily food goals, might eat back only a portion of theirs, you need to be certain that you're eating all of your allotted calories (especially taking into account your macros). Also keep in mind that the sodium intake listed is the *maximum* for a healthy diet, and presupposes that you'll be sweating a lot. That shouldn't be the macro that you're maxing.
    .
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    Based on your stats you should be eating around 1599 to lose 1lb per week, but as you haven't got a lot to lose I would suggest you would be better setting yourself to lose 0.5lb per week, which would be around 1798 cals per day (info from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ using lightly active setting)


    ^This. :wink:
  • tmwalsh88
    tmwalsh88 Posts: 4
    I agree with the other posters, you need to eat more and increase your water. 1200 calories plus exorcise is basically sending your body into starvation mode and it's going to hang on to fat like crazy--it's just an instinctual/evolutionary thing. Don't think of working out/ "dieting" as a restriction. Enjoy the healthy choices you are making and have fun doing your workouts. 100 calories worth of carrots, apples and whole grains is not the same as 100 calories of sugar and fats. Try not to focus on the numbers so much and enjoy your healthy lifestyle changes. You'll feel so much better and you'll lose weight.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Okay...one thing....

    You are 17 pounds away from your goal weight. Believe it or not...the closer you get to goal the more you should eat. If you eat 1200...then exercise for an hour and burn 600 calories, then you are really only intaking 600.

    I am 5'3", 153lbs and my goal weight is 125 and I am eating 1700-1800 calories every day. That is with a deficit already built in. If you are following the MFP method, then you should be eatting the 1200 calories+the exercise calories back. Also...what is your weight loss goal set to?

    If it is 2lbs a week then that is NOT a logical goal, and I would consider trying for a pound to half a pound a week loss. That is much more realistic.
  • novaBYnature
    novaBYnature Posts: 26
    Check out the book "The Plan" by Lyn Genet. It is a book about how inflammation occurs in the body and how to relieve it. I was in the same boat. Eating very little and working-out and not getting results.

    The book goes over how sometimes, for some people, traditional health food like oatmeal, salmon, and asparagus, actually cause inflammation because it doesn't work with an individual's body chemistry. The book takes you through an elimination diet (just like if you have an unknown allergy) to figure out what "healthy food" actually works for your body. Which makes sense. What helps me lose wight may not help you at all.

    You maybe eating healthy food that your body doesn't react well to, is what I'm saying.
  • SashaJaneJ
    SashaJaneJ Posts: 92 Member
    I am glad you posted this. I have been going through the same thing.
  • deanademing
    deanademing Posts: 1
    I am having the same issues and am just starting out.
  • alicesheard
    alicesheard Posts: 12
    Hey it sounds like im going through something similar!! I'm looking for some advice on my diet, I've been doing stronglifts since January and have plateu'd at 126lbs, I'm 5ft7 and still have some weight to lose. I would say that I have the "skinny fat" appearance as I have some weight to lose around my stomach area! I have been trying to follow the leangains diet where I eat between 12-8 however I train in the morning til 7.30am and so I was wondering if this was effecting me as I'm not eating pre workout and not directly after workout! Also on leangains I find i have just been eating at 12 (small sweet potato, tuna and an apple) and then again at dinner (protein and veg) and then ill have a protein shake and perhaps some fruit again around 7.30 in the evening! Is this too little? This tends to be around 1000-1200 calories! I do stronglifts and then follow it with 20-30minutes of cardio usually cross trainer or running and once a week I do HIIT for 30 minutes! I was just hoping some of you guys could give me some advice on where I'm going wrong!! Thanks :)
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Although it is completely counterintuitive, eat more=lose more, especially if you are working out a lot (or a little). I got stuck at 205 lbs (49 lbs loss) and could not bust through for many months. I tried going low cal (average 1400 cal / day) and actually gained weight and inches. And felt like crap. How could that be? I think my body went into starvation mode and lowered its BMR to compensate for my stupidity. It thought it was starving and took action. That's when I started tracking calories via myfitnesspal and decided to up the daily intake to 2,000 cal. That has restarted weight loss and now I'm on track again for my goal weight of 185 lbs.

    For the lean gains question, you should eat right after your workout. Eat a lot. Waiting until noon completely screws up your metabolism and will make you loopy.
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
    Try actually following the MFP recommended numbers and see what happens. It really does work if you use it the way it is intended.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Hey it sounds like im going through something similar!! I'm looking for some advice on my diet, I've been doing stronglifts since January and have plateu'd at 126lbs, I'm 5ft7 and still have some weight to lose. I would say that I have the "skinny fat" appearance as I have some weight to lose around my stomach area! I have been trying to follow the leangains diet where I eat between 12-8 however I train in the morning til 7.30am and so I was wondering if this was effecting me as I'm not eating pre workout and not directly after workout! Also on leangains I find i have just been eating at 12 (small sweet potato, tuna and an apple) and then again at dinner (protein and veg) and then ill have a protein shake and perhaps some fruit again around 7.30 in the evening! Is this too little? This tends to be around 1000-1200 calories! I do stronglifts and then follow it with 20-30minutes of cardio usually cross trainer or running and once a week I do HIIT for 30 minutes! I was just hoping some of you guys could give me some advice on where I'm going wrong!! Thanks :)Your weight is already pretty great! Bordering on low. Have you considered NOT eating at a deficit and trying to lower just your bodyfat instead?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    apologies that my comment (the last bit) ended up in the quote.
  • blinkiii
    blinkiii Posts: 90
    Thanks for all of the responses guys... I don't know about eating more. I'm a bit fearful of it but I suppose it's worth a shot. My biggest fear is that the only way I can actually lose weight is going back to the 700-800 calorie thing since that's what worked for me before.

    I forgot to mention, I actually do eat back my exercise calories. So I actually will have around 1300-1400 in a day, for those of you who said I didn't.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    You say you are eating your exercise calories back but your diary says otherwise. At the moment most days you are eating 1200 then minus your exercise of 350 you are netting 800-850 cals.
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Eat more........ NEXT...
  • SmileyC68
    SmileyC68 Posts: 13
    try the 5:2 it really works!!
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
    Her diary is open and she is def not starving herself. So let's not say to eat more just because she said she is at 1200 cals. Most days she is eating more than 1200, and it doesn't look like she is netting under 1200 either...... The answer is not always hey you need to eat more!! Check out Road maps or whatever. Some people are actually just different.

    Not sure what it can be, maybe your metabolism needs time to change? How long have you noticed weight gain? Are you doing Strength training? This could be temporary.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
    Thanks for all of the responses guys... I don't know about eating more. I'm a bit fearful of it but I suppose it's worth a shot. My biggest fear is that the only way I can actually lose weight is going back to the 700-800 calorie thing since that's what worked for me before.

    I forgot to mention, I actually do eat back my exercise calories. So I actually will have around 1300-1400 in a day, for those of you who said I didn't.

    If you do that, you won't be losing fat. You will be losing lean muscle mass and end up looking fat regardless of how skinny you are. Start lifting heavy things, and for pity's sake eat more! <333
  • CrisAlex
    CrisAlex Posts: 236 Member
    Eat more, and eat less processed food - less foods from packages and more fresh fruits and vegetables. I second the comment about lifting weights. Best of luck!
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    Thanks for all of the responses guys... I don't know about eating more. I'm a bit fearful of it but I suppose it's worth a shot. My biggest fear is that the only way I can actually lose weight is going back to the 700-800 calorie thing since that's what worked for me before.

    I forgot to mention, I actually do eat back my exercise calories. So I actually will have around 1300-1400 in a day, for those of you who said I didn't.

    just increase by 100-200 cals a week with cals from good nutritious foods or healthy fats, and try it out for a few weeks. your body is getting more efficient and also as you slim down, it just gets harder to lose.

    but definitely do not cut down to 700-800 cals, that is just not a sustainable lifestyle - it may have worked for you before, but it cannot work in the long term!!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Thanks for all of the responses guys... I don't know about eating more. I'm a bit fearful of it but I suppose it's worth a shot. My biggest fear is that the only way I can actually lose weight is going back to the 700-800 calorie thing since that's what worked for me before.

    I forgot to mention, I actually do eat back my exercise calories. So I actually will have around 1300-1400 in a day, for those of you who said I didn't.

    Why would you go back to something that caused you to have to cut calories -again-? As for the 1300-1400 thing, I counted 4 days since March 1st that you actually ate back calories. 8 days you were under 1000 calories, and 2 days that you didn't even log.

    You need to be honest with yourself here. Eat back ALL the calories that you exercise.

    Your BMR is 1400 calories! I don't even know why you think you should eat less than that. You are gaining weight because your body doesn't know if it should burn fat or keep it. If all you can think of is eatting at 700-800 calories then you should see a doctor..because that is borderline eating disorder.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Her diary is open and she is def not starving herself. So let's not say to eat more just because she said she is at 1200 cals. Most days she is eating more than 1200, and it doesn't look like she is netting under 1200 either...... The answer is not always hey you need to eat more!! Check out Road maps or whatever. Some people are actually just different.

    Not sure what it can be, maybe your metabolism needs time to change? How long have you noticed weight gain? Are you doing Strength training? This could be temporary.

    How far back did you actually look? Just the past 2 days? Look back further....go in depth with her log and you will see why people are saying eat more.

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