The Math Lies!

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AdamBrown1974
AdamBrown1974 Posts: 15
in Motivation and Support
Also posted on my blog. Looking for some support and help in figuring this out.

So here's how I understand the math:

My daily calorie-exercise goal is 1250 calories.

If, at the end of a day, my calorie count after food and exercise is 0, I am on target to lose 2 lbs per week. If I go below that, I could lose more, and if I go above up to 2240 calories that I could lose less. If I my calorie count is above 2240 calories a day after food and exercise, I could gain weight.

So here's my weekly calorie breakdown:

Wed: -880
Thu: +126
Fri: +105
Sat: +1606
Sun: -766
Mon: -95
Tue: -23

So, according to the above numbers, I my average caloric total was +73 calories per day. So based on a caloric daily total if 1250 calories per day, I averaged +73 calories above that. That means my average was 1323 calories per day, which is almost 700 calories below maintenance level, or 2000 calories. So 700 x 7 = 4900 which is about a pound and a half

So why did my weigh-in after a week show that I actually gained 0.8 pounds?

Replies

  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 510 Member
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    Because the human body is not a math equation.





    There are lots of factors in gaining and losing weight, and one week isn't enough to tell if you are doing anything wrong or right yet.
  • shelbymkoenig
    shelbymkoenig Posts: 59 Member
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    It could be a water retention issue. Also if your bathroom habits specific to the toilet have changed then so has the amount of waste product leaving your body and if it doesn't leave it adds to your current weight. Also, this site isn't perfect. There are many many threads elsewhere explaining TDEE and other fun acronyms. Check those against what MFP tells you to get the most accurate calorie intake for each day.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
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    Give it some time. Compare your weight in a month and make adjustments if you need to.
  • AdamBrown1974
    AdamBrown1974 Posts: 15
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    There are lots of factors in gaining and losing weight, and one week isn't enough to tell if you are doing anything wrong or right yet.

    This is true, but it hasn't been for just a week. I've been working on this for a month and a half, I've only started using myFitnesspal for about a week.

    I will say that this week was a bit unusual. I went out for lunch with my dad and had a 'start of summer' bbq with friends on Saturday, but overall, the week taken as a whole (along with the continuing pattern of the past month) the lack of results is quite frustrating.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    water retention for one.


    also, why be so inconsistent? +1600 and -800 then +/- 100 on a lot of days.


    When I was tracking and really gunning for results I was +/- 100 every single day. There weren't these strange cheat days, or days where I'd under eat drastically. If you're training for a 5k you wouldn't sit on the couch a week then go run 6 miles the next.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I am 2.4 pounds lighter than I was 3 days ago. And 1 pound lighter than I was 5 days ago. Weight fluctuates.

    Should be looking at long term trends rather than a week.

    Also, inputs may be off on both sides of the equation, and BMR/TDEE are both estimates than can be off by quite a bit.
  • AdamBrown1974
    AdamBrown1974 Posts: 15
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    also, why be so inconsistent? +1600 and -800 then +/- 100 on a lot of days.

    Well, as I said earlier, this was a bit of an unusual week.

    Also remember, 0 calories isn't maintenance mode. When I'm at 0, I'm on track to lose 2 lbs per week. So if I'm +100, I'm actually at 1400ish calories for that day. So Saturday, I was really +900 calories above maintenance mode.

    That being said, I do need to aim for more consistency.
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
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    I was gonna say water retention too. WHAT we eat makes as much a difference as how much.
  • AdamBrown1974
    AdamBrown1974 Posts: 15
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    I made my diary visible. I thought it was before.

    It could be water retention, but my sodium count is usually fairly low. About the only time it's too high is when my roommate makes chicken soup.

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