Weight gain when I increase calories! What is going on?

april_2327
april_2327 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I was in a biggest Loser competition at work in january and dramatically reduced my calories down to 1200 a day and worked out 5-7 days a week for about 45 min. I 24 y/o and started at 244 lbs. I am now 210 lbs. Now that the competition is over I want to continue to lose weight but I'm not as strict with my calorie intake and still exercise like I did during the competition. If I consume even just 200 calories over 1200, I gain weight. I want to eat more calories cus its healthier, but don't want to gain weight. What is going on?? I don't know what to do. Help please!

Replies

  • domdoan
    domdoan Posts: 30
    you might of ruined your metabolism. damaged metabolism.

    you should repair it before you start losing weight again.

    try increasing 5g of your carb macros each week.

    take a break off of your weight loss goals.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    I eat at least TDEE-15% (1525) but don't net below BMR (1244). Admittedly, I've only been doing this the last 3 weeks or so.....but am losing about a pound a week on average so far.

    This might not work for everyone, but it is possible to eat more and lose weight....perhaps you need to step up the exercise just that little bit more to compensate for the extra calories eaten.....
  • seekinglight
    seekinglight Posts: 5
    You've essentially been starving your body of nutrients so when you do give it more, it holds onto it with all its might. But making sure you're actually giving your body it's required amount (calculate your BMR and daily caloric needs and subtract 250-500 calories for healthy weightloss), and continue to do so from here on out, you're body will adjust and you'll begin to lose weight again. It may take a few weeks though!
  • domdoan
    domdoan Posts: 30
    by experience, I went on a huge calorie deficit and damaged my metabolism.
    huge deficit to get from 200 to 167lbs.
    now i am at 191 and repairing my metabolism.

    i went from 60g of carbs to 205g of carbs and now im losing weight.

    repair it, then lose as slow as possible. you will get better results.
  • MsMandy12323
    MsMandy12323 Posts: 5
    How many days of eating 1400 did you do when you noticed you were gaining weight? You said if you eat 200 over 1200 then you gain... but if you ate 1400 for a day or two and then gained, it is certainly not from the calorie increase. It could be due to something else, like salt intake, bloating, time of day you weighed yourself, monthly cycle... anything really. You would have to eat a little over 1200 consistently to see if that is what is making you gain weight. But chances are someone with as much weight as you wouldn't gain from such a tiny caloric intake. Hang in there! It will level out i'm sure and you will start to lose again :)
  • april_2327
    april_2327 Posts: 6
    Our competition was over on the 28th of March. Then easter came and since then I've been eating more. So about 2 weeks my calories increased cus i knew I was starving myself and know I need to eat more but it's backfiring on me!
  • LadyPakal
    LadyPakal Posts: 256 Member
    Most likely water weight from glycogen refill of muscles. You need to give it more than a day or two - it will probably take 2-3 weeks to settle down.
  • april_2327
    april_2327 Posts: 6
    I was 208 when the competition was over (2 wks ago) and I am now 210.8
  • MsMandy12323
    MsMandy12323 Posts: 5
    Are you logging your exersize and calories the same/as diligently as when you were doing the competition?
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    2 pounds? you are kidding me, that is nothing! Just give it time to adjust and remember bodies aren't simple and don't listen to our ideal mathematics!

    Lots of people say 1200 is starving, but if you can get away with the slower metabolism and get the right nutrients you should feel blessed, slower metabolisms are associated with countless health benefits. I aimed to slow mine down, and am happy it has!

    edit: also makes the food bills a lot less!
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    is it possible that maybe you are gaining muscle from your exercise? have you increased your intensity of your workouts or added exercise you didnt do before? if its only 2 lbs, it may just be water or sodium like the others have suggested.
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    I am 3lbs higher today than yesterday and was under calorie goal and worked out all weekend. The body changes daily. 200 extra calories will not make you gain weight. Especially when you are consuming such low calories. CHange takes time. You cant rush weight loss or you will end up failing. Like I have soooo many times in the past.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    You been seriously under-eating and your metabolism is not what it used to be. This is why so many people on here argue against these 'competitions'.

    Try http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    Work out your TDEE based on your activity level, then take a 20% cut from that.

    That is your calorie goal. If you slowly increase to this, say an extra 100 cals a day for the first week, then 200, etc, until you hit that goal. Unfortunately, you are going to gain in the meantime. That's a by-product of under-eating for too long.

    Personally, I would rather accept the initial gain than have to survive on 1200 calories forever. Good luck.
  • domdoan
    domdoan Posts: 30
    You been seriously under-eating and your metabolism is not what it used to be. This is why so many people on here argue against these 'competitions'.

    Try http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    Work out your TDEE based on your activity level, then take a 20% cut from that.

    That is your calorie goal. If you slowly increase to this, say an extra 100 cals a day for the first week, then 200, etc, until you hit that goal. Unfortunately, you are going to gain in the meantime. That's a by-product of under-eating for too long.

    Personally, I would rather accept the initial gain than have to survive on 1200 calories forever. Good luck.

    +1 on the argue against competitions. pacing is the best bet. i rather not stress out and under eat.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    for gods sake 2 pounds? it could be poop. it could be water weight, it could be anything along those lines. I really doubt you have gained 2 pounds of pure FAT - you would have to have massively overeaten to do that.
  • april_2327
    april_2327 Posts: 6
    Thanks for the info guys, I will take your advice and just give my body time to adjust!
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Try scoobie's calculator for a quick idea of how many calories you should be eating. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Increase your current food intake by 100-200 daily until you reach TDEE-20% and then stay at that level. Basically you need to reset your metabolism. Do not give up when it would seem that you are gaining during that time. The weight will come off again.
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  • ChocoMello
    ChocoMello Posts: 74 Member
    Do we talk about a gain of between 1-3lbs here?
    Think about it: you eat more food. This food weights something. And it has most likely carbs wich store water. Thats weight too.
    You see, all you gained isent a real gain. Its food weight and water.
    (And no, no muscle gain but probably if working out water in the muscles too! Muscle gain dosent work that fast and in a deficit!)

    A real gain you can only see after like two weeks or so of increasing.
  • DonnaLeeCattes
    DonnaLeeCattes Posts: 492 Member
    Everybody is different, I upped my calories to maintain and lost 5 lbs.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    Your body needs a little extra time to re-adjust to not starving. Be patient, and remember sometimes to lose weight the correct way you will have some set backs. I would say you need at least 30 days of the 1400 calories before your body will like you again and starting losing the healthy way.

    And gaining 2 pounds in 2 weeks is quite shocking, most people I know that did 1200 cals a day and then tried doing the appropriate TDEE actually gained a bit more than that, so you are doing pretty well. Don't give up!
  • onegoal2
    onegoal2 Posts: 47
    Try scoobie's calculator for a quick idea of how many calories you should be eating. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Increase your current food intake by 100-200 daily until you reach TDEE-20% and then stay at that level. Basically you need to reset your metabolism. Do not give up when it would seem that you are gaining during that time. The weight will come off again.

    Thanks for the link!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    2 pounds? you are kidding me, that is nothing! Just give it time to adjust and remember bodies aren't simple and don't listen to our ideal mathematics!

    Lots of people say 1200 is starving, but if you can get away with the slower metabolism and get the right nutrients you should feel blessed, slower metabolisms are associated with countless health benefits. I aimed to slow mine down, and am happy it has!

    edit: also makes the food bills a lot less!
    Um, what? What "health benefits" are associated with slower metabolism? Beyond hypothyroid, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several other diseases I can think of that either cause, or are caused by depressed metabolism... A slow metabolism is actually a medical condition that requires treatment, not a goal to shoot for...
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    2 pounds? you are kidding me, that is nothing! Just give it time to adjust and remember bodies aren't simple and don't listen to our ideal mathematics!

    Lots of people say 1200 is starving, but if you can get away with the slower metabolism and get the right nutrients you should feel blessed, slower metabolisms are associated with countless health benefits. I aimed to slow mine down, and am happy it has!

    edit: also makes the food bills a lot less!
    Um, what? What "health benefits" are associated with slower metabolism? Beyond hypothyroid, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several other diseases I can think of that either cause, or are caused by depressed metabolism... A slow metabolism is actually a medical condition that requires treatment, not a goal to shoot for...

    I have hypothyroid and have since puberty (I ate a lot more then than I do now) so that has impacted my metabolism hugely. If I ate the 2000 recommended by the government and most public bodies I would surely have just continued to grow at my 2~3kg a year rate. Maintaining at a lower amount of caloric intake is associated with working your organs less (less metabolising going on). Your body temperature is less, so you feel the cold more - something which has been associated with longevity for some time.

    http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/weight-loss-metabolic-rate-the-slower-the-better.html
    I have a family history of longevity, with few not reaching at least 85 years (my Ukrainian nan just reached 98).

    It is controversial etc etc but if I am eating quite happily at 1400 as I am more active these days, but have 1200 when I am very sedentary. Of course this depends on the person, their dedication to the plan etc but I have adjusted completely in about 3 months. My boyfriend who is 6"2" weighs about 70kg and would not ever eat more than 2000cals in a day, and he is not withering away either (this is a normal intake for Japanese).

    Anyway, this is off topic for the OP but just a view/opinion/personal choice. I am happy with aiming for longevity and eating fresh foods 95% of the time as well as having a smaller food bill :)
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
    So...you want advice on "what's going on" with your body when you admit you basically starved yourself and lost weight in an unhealthy way and you're surprised that you're gaining weight? :huh:

    Take a break from weight loss. You may have messed with your metabolism, now you need to take the time to fix it, even if it means gaining some weight.

    Also, 2 pounds? I can take a dump and weigh two pounds less. It's been 2 weeks. Chill out.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    2 pounds? you are kidding me, that is nothing! Just give it time to adjust and remember bodies aren't simple and don't listen to our ideal mathematics!

    Lots of people say 1200 is starving, but if you can get away with the slower metabolism and get the right nutrients you should feel blessed, slower metabolisms are associated with countless health benefits. I aimed to slow mine down, and am happy it has!

    edit: also makes the food bills a lot less!
    Um, what? What "health benefits" are associated with slower metabolism? Beyond hypothyroid, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several other diseases I can think of that either cause, or are caused by depressed metabolism... A slow metabolism is actually a medical condition that requires treatment, not a goal to shoot for...

    I have hypothyroid and have since puberty (I ate a lot more then than I do now) so that has impacted my metabolism hugely. If I ate the 2000 recommended by the government and most public bodies I would surely have just continued to grow at my 2~3kg a year rate. Maintaining at a lower amount of caloric intake is associated with working your organs less (less metabolising going on). Your body temperature is less, so you feel the cold more - something which has been associated with longevity for some time.

    http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/weight-loss-metabolic-rate-the-slower-the-better.html
    I have a family history of longevity, with few not reaching at least 85 years (my Ukrainian nan just reached 98).

    It is controversial etc etc but if I am eating quite happily at 1400 as I am more active these days, but have 1200 when I am very sedentary. Of course this depends on the person, their dedication to the plan etc but I have adjusted completely in about 3 months. My boyfriend who is 6"2" weighs about 70kg and would not ever eat more than 2000cals in a day, and he is not withering away either (this is a normal intake for Japanese).

    Anyway, this is off topic for the OP but just a view/opinion/personal choice. I am happy with aiming for longevity and eating fresh foods 95% of the time as well as having a smaller food bill :)
    First of all, you have a medical condition. That changes your personal metabolism. Secondly, eati g fewer calories is not the same thing as having a slow metabolism. The average human metabolism is about 2000 calories a day. That's why it's the recommended goal for the average person.

    And that study only talks about one study. One study does not a conclusion make, especially when it focuses solely on thyroid function, which is only one part of metabolic rate.

    It's not controversial, it's a brand new theory with covert little evidence to support it. Scientifically, it's completely meaningless. It's called "jumping to conclusions." For instance, are the people in the study icing longer because they have slower metabolisms? Or are their metabolisms slower because they've lived longer?

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