Undereating and re-upping calories?

peaceloveabby01
peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I made a horrible mistake and allowed myself to eat under my calories for a 5 day long vacation. I'm so pissed at myself I want to cry. I was about 550 calories under what I should/have been eating. If I go back to eating normally all of the sudden tomorrow, will I put on weight? I've been eating the same amount for about two months now, and its working for me, and just messed up the past five days. So if I jump back to normal, all at once will I gain, and if so how much?

Thanks for any ideas or advice

Replies

  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    Any thoughts...
  • tidzkowski03
    tidzkowski03 Posts: 7 Member
    How did you manage that? I'm jealous! I just had a vacation too and overate everyday...it was mostly the beer! Well worth every calorie tho, LOL! Not sure how it will affect if you go back to normal, maybe just add a few calories each day and see what happens?
  • iheartmy1dog
    iheartmy1dog Posts: 207
    I'm curious what others have to say too. From my experience... I've been at a deficit for a long time but over the past 3-4 days I've upped my calorie intake... So far I haven't gained any weight so I'm hopeful.
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    Haha well I was just super busy being a total tourist lol. And didnt really have time to stick to my schedule, or access to some of my normal foods.

    I want to go back to my good level of calories but I'm terrified that it'll make me gain weight if I up by 400/600. Then again, I was at that maintance number for several months and only messed up for five days, could it be my body hasn't adjusted to that yet and I won't gain?
    I just wanna eat normally, I wish I had made a better effort to keep my calories up. I just want everything to be back to normal, but I'm so scared of gaining...any more thoughts would be lovely to read(:
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    If you've been undereating, you have likely depleted your glycogen stores, so when you start eating normally again you will replenish them. Glycogen is bonded to water, so your retained water will increase and cause an apparent gain. Your metabolism hasn't been affected in only five days, so I wouldn't worry about that. When I was in a very unhealthy phase, it took about a month before my metabolism was affected and three before it got severe. If the water gain is going to upset you, track body measurements. You won't gain inches by retaining glycogen, so you can reassure yourself that you didn't gain fat, just water. Hope that helps.
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    That is helpful. Very actually. Thank you. I used to be incredibly restrictive..500ish a day sometimes at my worst. And I didn't gain a ton of water weight because I'm one of those freakishly hydrated people haha I drink a ton. But I did gain some at first. However, I had been undereating at that point for over 6 months.

    Here, it's been 5 days that I've been on vacation, and I've been undereating by about 500/600 from where I should be. So you don't think I'll gain if I immediately go back to where I should be/have been maintaining well for a few months and undereating by 500/600 for 5 days?
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    No reason why you should. Your BMR shouldn't have changed, so eating at earlier levels shouldn't have any negative impact.
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    I guess my metabolism couldn't change in five days. I don't know. It's dumb I know I just do not want to gain weight at all
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Understandable. It can be tough breaking off the fascination with the scale. It's the one number everyone uses. Weight loss and fat loss are almost always spoken of as though they are synonymous. It can be difficult focusing on body fat percentage and body measurements, particulaly since fewer people have any real understanding of what good numbers are for those indicators. As with so many other aspects of weight loss (noticed that I just did it too), it takes time.
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    If you've been undereating, you have likely depleted your glycogen stores, so when you start eating normally again you will replenish them. Glycogen is bonded to water, so your retained water will increase and cause an apparent gain. Your metabolism hasn't been affected in only five days, so I wouldn't worry about that. When I was in a very unhealthy phase, it took about a month before my metabolism was affected and three before it got severe. If the water gain is going to upset you, track body measurements. You won't gain inches by retaining glycogen, so you can reassure yourself that you didn't gain fat, just water. Hope that helps.

    ^^ this! Your body won't notice things on such a short term basis, aside from the depletion of certain stores like glycogen, so although it's a bit depressing it'll only be water weight :wink:
  • sozisraw
    sozisraw Posts: 418 Member
    you need to seek help sweetheart, your very young and need to relax about all this calorie and weight stuff, and enjoy your
    life!!
  • Unknown
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  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    It could be a good thing.

    I mean, a lot of people say "up your calories to lose weight". Especially when hitting plateaus.
  • Kaylee_law_123
    Kaylee_law_123 Posts: 450 Member
    you need to seek help sweetheart, your very young and need to relax about all this calorie and weight stuff, and enjoy your
    life!!

    This^^^^

    I don't think gaining a few pounds would hurt you ... you're profile pics show a very thin girl!
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    5 days shouldn't have much impact either way. It's all about the big picture.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Haha well I was just super busy being a total tourist lol. And didnt really have time to stick to my schedule, or access to some of my normal foods.

    I want to go back to my good level of calories but I'm terrified that it'll make me gain weight if I up by 400/600. Then again, I was at that maintance number for several months and only messed up for five days, could it be my body hasn't adjusted to that yet and I won't gain?
    I just wanna eat normally, I wish I had made a better effort to keep my calories up. I just want everything to be back to normal, but I'm so scared of gaining...any more thoughts would be lovely to read(:

    Unless you are 2ft tall, and lay in bed all day, it is VERY VERY unlikely that you maintain on 900 -1100 calories per day
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    Two points:

    1) a sudden gain wouldn't be fat

    2) you shouldn't be scared of gaining if you know how to lose
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    Oishii- I know it would probably still be water weight I just don't want that either.

    Toad- dear god no I'm neither talk not sedentary haha:) I wasn't saying I maintained in that I was saying that's how much I had gone below by.


    I know it's probably water weight if I gain I just don't want to gain fat or water weight :P I'm hoping 5 days is short enough that the glycogen and my metabolism and everything won't have had a chance to really mess up or change and I can get right back into my normal routine without any weight changes

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