Increasing my calories made me gain weight???

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mizzcasual
mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
in Motivation and Support
Increasing my calories made me gain weight?
Before I'd end up eating 1000cals I wouldn't plan to eat that usually I'd have forgotten to eat or in college I don't eat as much.
So for the last 2 weeks I've increased my calories to 1600 . For ages I've weighed the same 70kg and then this week I weighed and I was 72kg. I rarely weigh myself as I rarely see change in the scales. I do think I actually put on inches this week as well.

What do I do? should I reduce my calories intake? or is this a good sign I am moving in the right direction and my body is adjusting to a new calories intake?
Also my workout plan changed this week it was more core/cardio training. I'm not going to quit I'm just wondering if my calories intake is too high or it's fine and just adjusting?
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Replies

  • dimsumkitty
    dimsumkitty Posts: 120 Member
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    If your metabolism had slowed down to cope with 1000 cals it's not going to speed up overnight, so you're going to gain for the first couple of weeks while it speeds back up. Give it time!
  • spinedocmfp
    spinedocmfp Posts: 109 Member
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    When you up your calories, there is usually a quick jump in weight but it should even out. Having said that, a 60% increase at once is probably pushing it. Adding 200 calories every couple of weeks for a while would have been better.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    How long we're you only eating 1000 cals? It may well just be water weight fluctuations. Many people frequently go up and down by 5lbs or so purely from water weight.

    However, if you were on a VLCD for an extended period of time then it is possible your metabolism has adjusted down so that eating more than this now causes you to gain weight. Your metabolism will increase as you eat more (and strength training will help) but it is a slow process.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    If your metabolism had slowed down to cope with 1000 cals it's not going to speed up overnight, so you're going to gain for the first couple of weeks while it speeds back up. Give it time!

    I reckon it's this. Slow down to speed up and all that!
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    It took a while for me to get to 1600 I was probably slightly under until I learnt how to maintain it. But I pretty much went straight to 1600cals an made a diet plan that has 1600cals Although I did have a couple of mishaps with what I ate this week it could be that too.
  • dimsumkitty
    dimsumkitty Posts: 120 Member
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    Oh, just wanted to add, if you want to stay looking good while your body adjusts, do weight training. That way you'll gain muscle rather than fat and you'll be getting more toned rather than bigger :)
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    My plan changes frequently the one I'm on now is a core and HIIT cardio the PT set it he said it's to strengthen my core and it burns fat or something along the lines of that . It's tougher than the last workout I was on.
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    Or is maybe my diet isn't as healthy as I thought.

    This is the sort of things I would eat (not all in one day).

    Breakfast: Porridge with tablespoon of honey and sunflower seeds or toast with jam (occasionally) , egg and toast.

    Snack choice in between meals : nairns Oat biscuits mixed berries , corn cakes with hummus , nature valley bar , apple , grapes or strawberries.
    (Usually corn cakes with hummus , nature valley bar and grapes/apple)

    Lunch: Tuna salad , mackeral in tomato sauce salad , brown roll with ham , lettuce and tomato , brown roll and soup


    Dinner : Some form of meat with mash potato and green beans , tomatoes or corn or carrots, white pasta with tomato sauce and meat , salmon and mash potato and asparagus . Omelette .
    Generally I eat mash potato with a lot of meals.

    Is my diet okay? and I won't eat more than 2 slices of bread a day. Maybe I need to cut out white pasta , and white rice and potatoes?
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    Are you measuring your foods? If you aren't, you could be eating more calories than you think.
    Personally, I love hummus and can't eyeball it. A serving of it is usually way less than I think.

    What made you switch your cals to 1600. Did you do the TDEE formula?
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    Are you measuring your foods? If you aren't, you could be eating more calories than you think.
    Personally, I love hummus and can't eyeball it. A serving of it is usually way less than I think.

    What made you switch your cals to 1600. Did you do the TDEE formula?

    I usually go okay on the hummus and check the measurements I used this site http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Seems the most accurate out of the ones I've tried.
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    So you're physically measuring your foods?
    If not, what I meant by my last post is that until you can accurately measure the physical ingredients, your calorie counts will be off.
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    So you're physically measuring your foods?
    If not, what I meant by my last post is that until you can accurately measure the physical ingredients, your calorie counts will be off.

    Oh no I don't measure it like that apart from the porridge.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    You've probably gained weight. I think you said you went up to 1600; I would reduce my calories to 1400, exercise, and weigh myself more regularly. (How are you going to figure out whether what you're doing is working if you don't track your weight so you can make adjustments?) Try to find a method to estimate your body fat as well.

    1,000 is low for some people, but it is not technically a low calorie diet. If you have weight to lose, and you eat low cal, your metabolism slows down a bit, but you don't stop losing weight. Eating more or more frequently does not "rev up" your metabolism.
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    You've probably gained weight. I think you said you went up to 1600; I would reduce my calories to 1400, exercise, and weigh myself more regularly. (How are you going to figure out whether what you're doing is working if you don't track your weight so you can make adjustments?) Try to find a method to estimate your body fat as well.

    1,000 is low for some people, but it is not technically a low calorie diet. If you have weight to lose, and you eat low cal, your metabolism slows down a bit, but you don't stop losing weight. Eating more or more frequently does not "rev up" your metabolism.

    I'll try reducing it to 1400 than and see how that goes. Is the general food I'm eating ok so far?
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    It doesn't matter what you eat.

    If you've been eating at 1000 calories for a while, your metabolism has slowed down.

    You'll need some time.

    Please don't resort to going back to eating very low calorie because that will NOT help.

    Just get and stay active, and eat your calories.
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
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    2 weeks is not enough time... stay off the scale and keep at it. You will see results!
  • heyyoudontgiveup
    heyyoudontgiveup Posts: 64 Member
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    I weigh the same as you, I'm 152lbs right now (5'0"). I eat 1200-1400 calories a day and work out at least a few times a week. I lose weight. I do not feel starved. It calculates me at 1471 a day with the calculator you use. You can see my open diary to see how I get 1200-1400 calories a day. I eat healthy foods and less than 75-100 carbs on most days. This concept that you HAVE to eat more is not accurate for all people. Measure the weights of your foods to make sure how many calories you are eating.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    You've probably gained weight. I think you said you went up to 1600; I would reduce my calories to 1400, exercise, and weigh myself more regularly. (How are you going to figure out whether what you're doing is working if you don't track your weight so you can make adjustments?) Try to find a method to estimate your body fat as well.

    1,000 is low for some people, but it is not technically a low calorie diet. If you have weight to lose, and you eat low cal, your metabolism slows down a bit, but you don't stop losing weight. Eating more or more frequently does not "rev up" your metabolism.

    I'll try reducing it to 1400 than and see how that goes. Is the general food I'm eating ok so far?

    OP - a word of warning - if someone has only been on here for a week or two, and have not actually lost all that much I would be very weary of their advice - especially when the tell you that it is OK to eat 1000 calories!

    Now if it was me I would use the roadmap - calculate my numbers - use those numbers - and then give it at least 4 weeks....especially if you have upped your calories quite a bit - your body needs to get used to being fed more calories....

    The general advice is to actually up your calories gradually - say 200 a week - until you get to the calories the roadmap suggests.

    Also make very sure that you measure / weigh your foods very accurately - if you are not already doing it.

    So my advice - stay at 1600 for another few weeks - and only if you are still gaing at the end of 4 weeks do you consider slowly cutting...

    If the roadmap suggest 1600 is still too low - be careful of further decreases.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    From your description of your typical day, I doubt you are eating 1000 calories a day (or even 1600, to be honest)--unless you are eating very small portions, which I suppose is possible. I can put away close to 1000 calories at breakfast alone, and I weigh my food.

    Measure your food and read that roadmap link. Also, read up on water weight--a gain of 4 lb is within normal fluctuation.
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
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    From your description of your typical day, I doubt you are eating 1000 calories a day (or even 1600, to be honest)--unless you are eating very small portions, which I suppose is possible. I can put away close to 1000 calories at breakfast alone, and I weigh my food.

    Measure your food and read that roadmap link. Also, read up on water weight--a gain of 4 lb is within normal fluctuation.

    I meant before not now I did used to forget to eat or find myself skipping meals.
    I usually eat those foods but not every single one of them and make sure it adds up to 1600. I generally try not to eat big portions.
    I'll try measuring the ones that I can. I do feel like I've gained muscles this week but gone up in inches too not too sure.

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