Net Calories

gef101
gef101 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

the past month or so i have reached a weight loss plateau, yet i have been more physically active. This week i managed to burn over 9000 calories and my weekly deficit has been around 5000 kcal below goal.... yet no weight loss. The only reason i could think is that while exercising i am eating more, for example today i ate 5000 kcal yet burned 4000kcal thus my
question is that in terms of weight loss biology does it really matter how much you ate as long you burn it off, or must you you always stick to the same Kcal limit?

could someone look at my profile and give their opinion please?

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Can't see any of your info but 4,000 calorie burn in one day is a lot. How are you figuring that?
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    im a very active cyclist and today did a 90mile sportive at 15mph, which fits into the vigorous category... tho i have to admit i am skeptical about how they determine what vigorous means, afterall once you become fitter you can work at higher speeds but burn less right?
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    you should be able to see my diary now
  • lenkearney
    lenkearney Posts: 116 Member
    plateaus happen.

    don't know why - but they do. stay consistent and just work through it.

    you are burning a lot of calories - have you checked body fat% recently?
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    no, ive never really took bodyfat percentage i just go on what i see and how my clothes fit etc, i find it ironic that a year ago i was much less active and ate about the same but was about 7kg lighter and skinny, whereas now im the fattest and heaviest ive ever been yet also the fittest :/
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
    I used to work out alot. I mean twice a day for years to super circuit weights. I'd burn anything I ate. That being said when you exercise a lot you may be converting fat to muscle. When this happens you will lose inches but you will not lose weight. Muscle weighs more than fat. Try taking your measurements and see if this is what is happening to you. You are probably shrinking by turning fat to muscle.
  • Shadowcub
    Shadowcub Posts: 154 Member
    i find it ironic that a year ago i was much less active and ate about the same but was about 7kg lighter and skinny, whereas now im the fattest and heaviest ive ever been yet also the fittest :/

    Could also be muscle mass, don't forget! And the plateau could be water weight. Muscles will retain water while repairing from more strenuous exercise. That's why you need rest days periodically to allow them to recover and release the excess water. (Or so I'm told.)
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I find the more active you are, the smaller the window. Your body is unlikely to want to maintain a 1000 calorie daily deficit. You'd be better off with something like 300-400 at the most. I'm in the middle of an experiment where I'm eating at full TDEE according to a Body Media Link armband and I've been able to drop a few more pounds with the tiniest of deficits (like 200 calories/day). I burned over 4000 calories the other day on a day I ran 25km.

    It's the 1000 calorie deficit. Unsustainable unless you have a lot of fat.
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    although i tell myself that i appears not to be happening. another question should i eat back the calories i burn? for example today almost feels like a binge... yet im still in a deficit, will this impede weightloss or just aid muscle recover etc?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Eat. You need it if you're burning that much.
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    do you find it physically difficult tho to eat back those lost calories? i try to stick to my goal but often find it unintentionally falls below
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Your food diary is also all over the place. You're over, then under, then over. And on some days, there's hardly any food, but some alcohol? And very few fresh fruits and veg, its mostly protein bars, peanut butter and banana. I realize that on cycling days, you take packaged food to eat on the go, but when you are home or work, try to eat more fresh and whole foods that you make yourself and don't come out of a package or can. Drink lots of water, too. I'd say try to eat back up to 80% of your exercise calories, but you may be over estimating them, as your body becomes more fit, it also becomes more efficient and does not burn as many calories as it once did for the same workout.
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    aha thanks, this seems to have put my mind at rest, tho i am still concerned about this plateau, but hopefully it should sort itself out
  • David1406
    David1406 Posts: 63
    I also hit a plateau this week. I'm burning nothing like your amount, and I don't normally 'eat' the exercise calsories, unless I've burned 500+...small beer for you I know...in which case I 'eat' half of what I burn. But I am losing inches, instanced by having to cut more holes in my belt! So I'm feeling the observation about turning fat to muscle is possibly true for me at the moment. But I'm confident that the pounds will start to drop off again over the weeks ahead.
  • gef101
    gef101 Posts: 8
    oh i do make sure i ate plenty of vegetables, but they mainly so low-carb and low-cal that i dont bother to record them, and i assure you that the alcohol is not a regular thing it just so happened to be a friends party that day!

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