I lose weight more efficiently when I don't work out, why?

potatobug1985
potatobug1985 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I started at 218 pounds in early March and am now 165. I've lost over 50 pounds and have approximately 30 more pounds to go. I regularly switch between calorie counting at around 1400 to 1600 calories per day and a low carb diet.

I've noticed that when I work out and restrict calories that I don't lose weight easily. I lose more weight when I just restrict the calories. Has this happened to anyone else and does anybody seem to know why?

Also, I want to lose 20 more pounds before the end of December (approximately 2 months). I'm trying to reach my goal weight before I head off to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. I've been stagnating recently in weight loss...does anyone know how to jump-start this ship and conquer the next 20 pounds effectively in 2 months?

Replies

  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Water retention.

    Same for me, btw. But if I take a couple days off working out it all comes off. Then it goes back up again a little bit when I get back to the gym.
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
    bump.. this happened to me too, the weeks that I have been resting do to injury i have lost more than i did the whole month of September..
  • beccag28
    beccag28 Posts: 43 Member
    I've noticed this too!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Working out breaks down muscle and depletes glycogen. Muscle needs energy to repair along with higher amounts of water. So the body retains more water and stores more glycogen in anticipation that another workout looms around the corner. When one doesn't work out, the muscle atrophies (deflates like a balloon) and gets weaker. It doesn't require as much water and glycogen now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bvincentelp
    bvincentelp Posts: 36 Member
    When you don't workout on a deficit, you will lose both muscle and fat, which will be a faster weight loss than losing just fat. I would prefer to keep as much muscle as possible, specially if future goals include athletic aspirations or climbing big mountains.
  • jak1958
    jak1958 Posts: 82 Member
    I am experiencing this too! Curious - for OP and those who also experience this - are you doing cardio and strength training?

    I do both and am wondering if limiting exercise to just strength training until goal weight is reached would help. Also wondering if it could be cortisol related?

    Any thoughts/suggestions?
  • somerisagirlsname
    somerisagirlsname Posts: 467 Member
    If you're eating exercise calories back, it's probably because MFP is overestimating your calorie burn. Happened to me, MFP had my calorie burn like 600 cals more than I was actually burning, so when I ate to my goal I was actually eating much more towards maintenance.
  • gallowglasslass
    gallowglasslass Posts: 19 Member
    Do you eat back all of your exercise calories? If so, you could be overestimating your calories burned during exercise, and thus eating back too many calories. Smaller deficit = less weight loss.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Try this little experiment the day before you weigh do not exercise.

    Give the body a rest, and see if you notice a difference.
  • PhoenixStrikes
    PhoenixStrikes Posts: 587 Member
    Working out breaks down muscle and depletes glycogen. Muscle needs energy to repair along with higher amounts of water. So the body retains more water and stores more glycogen in anticipation that another workout looms around the corner. When one doesn't work out, the muscle atrophies (deflates like a balloon) and gets weaker. It doesn't require as much water and glycogen now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Yup, no need to look further this guy knows what he's talking about. It has happened to me as well.
  • MartiCat70
    MartiCat70 Posts: 59 Member
    The same is happening with me. MFP put at 1380cals, I'm not working out and dropping like crazy!
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Working out breaks down muscle and depletes glycogen. Muscle needs energy to repair along with higher amounts of water. So the body retains more water and stores more glycogen in anticipation that another workout looms around the corner. When one doesn't work out, the muscle atrophies (deflates like a balloon) and gets weaker. It doesn't require as much water and glycogen now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    excellent information
  • VelvetMorning
    VelvetMorning Posts: 398 Member
    Sometimes when I exercise I'll get hungry and lie to myself about how many calories I'm actually eating. You know, a strawberry here, a handful of whatever there...lol. Also, as you lose weight (congratulations btw!) your calorie intake should be less (imo, anyway; lots of opinions out there), so maybe you're eating too many calories for your weight, or perhaps those calories are a maintaining weight? Just a thought. :-)

    When I was plateauing er...8 years ago (I've maintained that long? Good grief!) a woman told me to eat a huge, huge, huge, but somewhat healthy meal and immediately diet the next day again to 'kick start' my metabolism. Skeptical, but 13, I ate a massive, dressing drenched, chickeny, eggy, whatevery salad (it was so good omg) and gained like 3 pounds in water weight. A few days later I was back where I was, and a few days following that I was back to losing weight. :-)
  • Cinloykko
    Cinloykko Posts: 117 Member
    Love this thread because its so spot on...

    I do the same thing where i calorie count and restrict diet for a week or two... then every 2 weeks i would binge a bit (bring the calorie limit up a bit)... and then go back to strict calorie counting at regular limit. I throw in a few low carb weeks just for the heck of it. I find that this type of nutrition confusion works best for helping my body lose weight.

    Exercise, on the other hand, does nothing at all... i guess it works to tighten the skin but it doesnt help with the actual weight.
  • Jessica1173
    Jessica1173 Posts: 62 Member
    I started at 218 pounds in early March and am now 165. I've lost over 50 pounds and have approximately 30 more pounds to go. I regularly switch between calorie counting at around 1400 to 1600 calories per day and a low carb diet.

    I've noticed that when I work out and restrict calories that I don't lose weight easily. I lose more weight when I just restrict the calories. Has this happened to anyone else and does anybody seem to know why?

    Also, I want to lose 20 more pounds before the end of December (approximately 2 months). I'm trying to reach my goal weight before I head off to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. I've been stagnating recently in weight loss...does anyone know how to jump-start this ship and conquer the next 20 pounds effectively in 2 months?

    I have this problem too! It is hard for me to lose at all even if I don't eat all of my exercise calories. It could be self-deception about eating a little here and there like another poster said.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Love this thread because its so spot on...

    I do the same thing where i calorie count and restrict diet for a week or two... then every 2 weeks i would binge a bit (bring the calorie limit up a bit)... and then go back to strict calorie counting at regular limit. I throw in a few low carb weeks just for the heck of it. I find that this type of nutrition confusion works best for helping my body lose weight.

    Exercise, on the other hand, does nothing at all... i guess it works to tighten the skin but it doesnt help with the actual weight.

    It works to help maintain muscle mass. As stated multiple times in this thread, when you restrict calories and stay in a deficit you lose both fat and muscle. The scale moves faster this way, but when you restrict calories and exercise you are working to maintain muscle mass and just lose fat. The scale may not move as fast, but the tape measure does and most are much happier when the see results in the tape and the mirror rather than just the scale, I know I do.
  • kelleybean1
    kelleybean1 Posts: 312 Member
    You'll lose weight faster without working out, but you'll look better if you do work out. A smaller marshmallow is still a marshmallow.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    with me it is actually appetite. If I work out and burn like 300 cal, I am desperate for at least a 1000 :-)
  • hawaiiheart44
    hawaiiheart44 Posts: 4 Member
    This also happens with me. Not sure what you have already tried, but here's a few things I would do. Drink plenty of water, and watch the sodium intake. Change up your exercise routine.........it takes your body awhile to get used to something. When I have walked a few weeks, then I switch up and do the bike or elliptical. The most successful part of my weight loss I believe has been eating 6 smaller meals a day, every couple of hours. I eat whether I am hungry or not, to ensure that I do not overeat at the next meal.

    Good luck!!
  • potatobug1985
    potatobug1985 Posts: 7
    Thank you guys so much for the information! I really appreciate it and feel so enlightened! :)
  • potatobug1985
    potatobug1985 Posts: 7
    I have a particular question for you:

    If you are doing a high intensity workout (Insanity) and your muscles are requiring more glycogen to repair the muscles but you are eating a diet that mostly deprives your body from sugar/carbs (and therefore no glycogen reserves), where does your body turn to to repair the muscle? Or does it start to poorly function at that point. I am eating a low carb diet but starting to do Insanity again starting today but I want to make sure that this equation is healthy for my body and will promote continued weight loss. I appreciate your insight!
  • potatobug1985
    potatobug1985 Posts: 7
    Working out breaks down muscle and depletes glycogen. Muscle needs energy to repair along with higher amounts of water. So the body retains more water and stores more glycogen in anticipation that another workout looms around the corner. When one doesn't work out, the muscle atrophies (deflates like a balloon) and gets weaker. It doesn't require as much water and glycogen now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I have a particular question for you:

    If you are doing a high intensity workout (Insanity) and your muscles are requiring more glycogen to repair the muscles but you are eating a diet that mostly deprives your body from sugar/carbs (and therefore no glycogen reserves), where does your body turn to to repair the muscle? Or does it start to poorly function at that point. I am eating a low carb diet but starting to do Insanity again starting today but I want to make sure that this equation is healthy for my body and will promote continued weight loss. I appreciate your insight!
  • kocolugo
    kocolugo Posts: 1 Member
    My body was doing the same thing to me a few months ago. I have no scientific answers for you. What I found was working out with weights for some reason wasn't helping my weight loss success. Now I use the elliptical and eat about 1200 calories and I see a noticeable difference. You just have to keep a very close eye on what is and is not working for you.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    My body was doing the same thing to me a few months ago. I have no scientific answers for you. What I found was working out with weights for some reason wasn't helping my weight loss success. Now I use the elliptical and eat about 1200 calories and I see a noticeable difference. You just have to keep a very close eye on what is and is not working for you.

    You were maintaining muscle mass with lifting, and therefore the weight drops slower as you are losing fat and maintaining water for muscle repair. The elliptical is strictly cardio. You're losing fat, water, and especially muscle mass. That is why the scale moves faster. Tape measure is a much better indication of progress than the scale.
  • evansproudmama
    evansproudmama Posts: 493 Member
    You'll lose weight faster without working out, but you'll look better if you do work out. A smaller marshmallow is still a marshmallow.

    This!! and what the certified guy said lol I was lifting weights and got down to my lowest weight slowely but was so toned and had no cellutlite then I got sick and havnt been into the gym for a few weeks and am still dropping lbs but notice I look lose and jiggly yuck! Note to self.. get your *kitten* back to the gym lol
  • shardown
    shardown Posts: 258 Member
    Working out breaks down muscle and depletes glycogen. Muscle needs energy to repair along with higher amounts of water. So the body retains more water and stores more glycogen in anticipation that another workout looms around the corner. When one doesn't work out, the muscle atrophies (deflates like a balloon) and gets weaker. It doesn't require as much water and glycogen now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    This makes sense
  • Arleigh7
    Arleigh7 Posts: 150 Member
    to answer your 2nd queston glycogen is not needed as much by the muscles after a hard workout. They need protein. so a Low Carb diet goes along with lifting fairly well. Where the lack of glycogen is going to hurt you is you won't have as much energy for your next workout if your glycogen stores are depleted. It will though help your body to burn up more fat but that is harder for the body so your energy level is going to suffer.

    One final comment. If your going mountain climbing shouldn't you being doing allot fo cardio and walking and hiking to get ready for that hike? You could very well lose the 20 lbs but not be in very good shape and really suffer on your mountain climbing vs being in great shape and strong but being 20 lbs heavier and having a much easier time climbing the mountain.

    I was sick this year with a kidney stone and dropped nearly 20 lbs in 6 weeks because I was not eating or excercising. When it was all over I was incredibly weak and though I was lighter everyone said I didn't look good (my face was really drawn). So back to the gym and excrecise and 6 weeks later I put back 15 of those pounds but was feeling much better and much stronger (ie. I put back allot of the muscle that I lost).

    Really wishing your mountain climbing goes well!
  • mreimer102
    mreimer102 Posts: 28 Member
    Are you keeping your metabolism going by eating every few hours? It makes a difference if it is a healthy snack and the right portion control amount?
    Melba
  • mreimer102
    mreimer102 Posts: 28 Member
    I've heard you have to trick your body by changing the calorie intake; eating more, or apples between each meal and before bedtime. I know that if we get too predictable, our body will stall. We have to surprise. Changing our exercise routine will help. Instead of me walking; maybe bicycling, or running or high intensity exercise; or increasing protein intake. Sometimes we just need to give our body a break.
    Melba

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