Maybe I'm jumping the gun here but... I'm gaining

:mad:

SW: 147
CW: 142.2
GW: 125-130
46 years old, 5'6'
(no meds)

I'm having some issues......
I started at 1200 cals/day and lost a few (7) lbs - but I was STARVING. So,(per recommendations) then calculated my TDEE and increased my calories to 1470. and now I've gained back 2.2 lbs.
I have a desk job and do the normal running around acitvities - but not excercising... (tisk tisk)
I only have a small amount of weight to lose - 15 more lbs.

I am cool with slow - and will be patient, but I'm not cool with the gain.
Note: the 2.2 pounds may have been from when I fell off the wagon and ate way OVER my goal (shame shame)
Or maybe i went into starvation mode at the 1200 calories, and now my body wants to pack it back on.

or maybe I'm grasping at straws.........

Any adivce??

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    How soon after falling off the wagon did you weigh yourself? I'd guess that you were retaining some water after that thanks to increased sodium/carbs on your off day.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    How long have you been gaining? How long have you been eating at TDEE? Could this be a swing in water weight due to TOM?
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    When up your calories, it takes up to a month for your body to get used to the intake increase and settle down. If you just jumped from 1200 to almost 1500 (instead of slowly increasing calories each week), you shouldn't be surprised by the gain, just know it will go away soon. Don't worry too much, just trust the process.
  • Brandei
    Brandei Posts: 119 Member
    I'm gonna give you my personal opinion based on MY experience- go back to 1200 cals a day. I'm so sick of hearing about "Starvation Mode", I think its BS. I upped my cals two times in the last year and only gained. I reset back to 1200 and now I'm progressing again. Just don't go lower than 1200. I'm with ya on timing (it can be slow for me, just want the right direction)
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    What kind of time frame are you looking at? You need to give any change about 3-4 weeks before you evaluate if it's working. A week or two for you body to adjust, then 2-3 weeks to track progress made and determine if it needs to be tweaked.
  • SKAVY7178
    SKAVY7178 Posts: 165 Member
    I'm gonna give you my personal opinion based on MY experience- go back to 1200 cals a day. I'm so sick of hearing about "Starvation Mode", I think its BS. I upped my cals two times in the last year and only gained. I reset back to 1200 and now I'm progressing again. Just don't go lower than 1200. I'm with ya on timing (it can be slow for me, just want the right direction)

    Hi, was it NET 1200 ??
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    Most likely sodium and some fat gain. It's not a big deal. Your calories at 1470 sound like a good middle ground. How active are you? It's still sounds less than your maintenance calories at goal weight.

    Slow and steady wins the race. Don't be too frustrated. It takes awhile to get to know your body and what it needs, individually.

    The scale is the least accurate way of measuring success too. Did you weigh yourself in the morning? Did you drink or eat anything before weighing? When's the last time you pooped? (You don't really have to answer that...lol.)

    The point is, there are many variables to what the sale says. When I binge (and I binge 1,000-3,000 calories over my goal), it will take me several days to get rid of the salt, and several more days to get rid of any excess fat.....basically a week or so. A pound weighs approximately 3,500 calories. So, did you really eat over 7,000 calories by falling off the wagon? I seriously doubt it. Which means most of your gain is probably sodium-induced water retention....and possibly poop. Not trying to be disgusting, it's just a fact of life.

    Drink more water for a couple of days, learn from your experience, and keep going. Life happens!
  • cwood2002
    cwood2002 Posts: 39 Member
    I changed to TDEE approx. 3 weeks ago.
    Fell off the wagon last Friday and went over my calories by 550.
    I didn't realize that uping my calories from 1200 to 1470 should have been a slow process, but I don't think that I was hitting the 1470 every day either.

    As a side note - my mother came to visit, for two weeks, so I was drinking about a glass of wine a day (still staying within my calories tho. :bigsmile:

    I'll continue to be patient and wait and see. I just can't go back to 1200 - I was too hungry!!! 1200 is even under my BMR

    Edit to add: AND I'll go have a poop.
  • nannukka
    nannukka Posts: 52
    I changed to TDEE approx. 3 weeks ago.
    Fell off the wagon last Friday and went over my calories by 550.
    I didn't realize that uping my calories from 1200 to 1470 should have been a slow process, but I don't think that I was hitting the 1470 every day either.

    As a side note - my mother came to visit, for two weeks, so I was drinking about a glass of wine a day (still staying within my calories tho. :bigsmile:

    I'll continue to be patient and wait and see. I just can't go back to 1200 - I was too hungry!!! 1200 is even under my BMR

    Edit to add: AND I'll go have a poop.

    3 weeks is a SHORT time. It might take little longer for things to "settle". And I don't know about you, but if I weigh myself daily (which I do not do now) I noticed that my weight can go up for 3-4 lb sometimes and that is just normal (time of the month/water/salt/whatevers). And it is perfectly okay to drink wine/eat good stuff if it fits calories. Maybe your body is still adjusting to this new system. And it IS a good system. FANTASTIC not to be hungry!!!
  • leelu137
    leelu137 Posts: 46
    Don't give up!!!!! I have been stuck in a plateau for months and have upped my cals. It is very scary and goes against every bull **** thing we are fed in the media. It's been a few weeks with initial gain but I think the tide is turning. I'm down a kilo this week. I keep repeating the mantra...... Be patient, eat right, exercise !

    Be kind to your body and feed and nurture it. Get out and go for a stroll and enjoy the sunshine.

    Long lasting weight loss is slow, frustrating but the end result of a healthy person who can make great choices is the best prize ever.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Going over calories one day by only 550 is NOT falling off the wagon. That's probably just over maintenance and though you may gain water weight from sodium or even just show a higher weight the next day due to the weight of the food in your stomach but that little bit, when you eat at a deficit every other day, will not make you gain weight and not over 2 pounds. There have been some days where I have eaten close to 3000 calories, though I don't want to do that everyday I'm not gonna freak out about it.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    So, how sustainable is undereating and fighting hunger?

    Also, have you considered that you are already at a HEALTHY weight? I'm the same height. My current goal is 151 but I am going to let my body determine where it wants to settle at. And it's not a race. I haven't been 125 since I was probably 12 years old, and no, I wasn't fat. I have no intention of ever weighing under 140.

    Does health matter? Sometimes being at the lowest end of the BMI weight range is NOT healthy. Especially for us ladies.
  • cwood2002
    cwood2002 Posts: 39 Member
    I know I'm within the healthy range. I just feel better about myself with less weight (below the waist particularly).
    I also have noticed that at a lower weight my back doesn't hurt at all. and now it hurts all the time.
    I am trying to motivate myself to get off my butt and start working out, I believe strength training would really help with the pain as well.

    I am ashamed to say, the couch calls to me - and I listen - on a continuous basis.

    I have two wonderful children and I'm a busy, working, single mom - the motivation is so difficult cuz at the end of the day......well, you know how it goes. :frown:
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
    Honestly it sounds like you went over your calories by a little (500) and probably are just retaining water or sodium from a bigger meal.