Lost 4 pounds my first week, gained 1 pound this week... ple

kitkat415
kitkat415 Posts: 43
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm so confused. MFP "prescribed" 1200 calories for me, but I felt like that was too much. I'm pretty sure that's what I was eating before I started this. So, the first week I ate around 1000 a day, burned around 500 a day without replacing my exercise calories. I felt pretty tired and weak, but at least I was seeing results in my appearance.

From reading these boards, I freaked out that I was eating too little, so I upped my calories to 1200 a day or up to 1400 when I'm burn at least 500. I just weighed in for my second time, and I actually gained 1 pound this week and can see some stomach pudge coming back. I forced myself to eat 1400 yesterday and 1200 today even though I was full. Is this normal bounce back from eating too little last week, or is 1200 really too high for me? Should I eat every few hours to hit 1200 for the day or should I really just eat when I'm hungry?

I'm so confused and pretty frustrated, so any help is appreciated.

Replies

  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    check your sodium... daily comsumption is supposed to be around 2500, but I do better at 1500. When I get too much sodium, I tend to retain fluids. You gotta watch canned foods, lunchmeats, and soup, cause they are all high in sodium. Also, are you getting enough fiber? Good luck
  • megsta21
    megsta21 Posts: 506 Member
    I think you should read these links as the will answer your questions better than i could hope to..

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    They are well worth the read... they opened my eyes... =)
  • kitkat415
    kitkat415 Posts: 43
    Thanks for the suggestion; my sodium is way down, since I've been eating almost exclusively fresh food with no added salt. I'm just concerned because I'm 5'4" and 122 and I just think 1200 is too much for someone my size.
  • gracienkaidens_momma
    gracienkaidens_momma Posts: 379 Member
    Why are you even dieting if you are 5'4 and 122? That sounds like an awesomely healthy weight! I am 5'0 and 126 and want to just get to 115. I'm not downing you or anything, just saying that that sounds like a very healthy weight and you don't want to get too small.
  • megsta21
    megsta21 Posts: 506 Member
    Why are you even dieting if you are 5'4 and 122? That sounds like an awesomely healthy weight! I am 5'0 and 126 and want to just get to 115. I'm not downing you or anything, just saying that that sounds like a very healthy weight and you don't want to get too small.

    I totally agree.... perfect weight... maybe if your not happy just work on toning???

    Also it is recommended for women to eat at LEAST 1200 a day... =)
  • rnroadrunner
    rnroadrunner Posts: 402 Member
    check out this post it will help you understand how weight can flucutuate. keep working out and stick to your calories and go by how your clothes fit more than anything. goood luck.:wink:http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/132724-scales-can-lie
  • rnroadrunner
    rnroadrunner Posts: 402 Member
    I want you to understand that I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything. you posted that you lost 4 and gained 1 back and noticed you were getting pudgy again. 1 lb is less than 1% of your weight. imho you seem super critical of your self. please don't be. sorry if I offended you.
  • rnroadrunner
    rnroadrunner Posts: 402 Member
    Body Fat Percentage Categories
    Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)
    Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%
    Athletes 14-20% 6-13%
    Fitness 21-24% 14-17%
    Acceptable 25-31% 18-25%
    Obese 32%+ 25%+

    Knowing your body fat percentage can also help you determine if your weight loss goals are realistic. Remember, weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss.

    For example, let's say you are a 130 pound woman with 23% body fat, and your goal is to lose 20 pounds.

    Initial body fat 130 pounds x 0.23 body fat = 30 pounds body fat
    Lean body mass 130 pounds total - 30 pounds fat = 100 pounds lean body mass (bones, organs,...)
    Goal 130 pounds - 20 pounds = 110 pounds

    As you can see, the goal of losing 20 pounds is not realistic or healthy. At 110 pounds, this woman still requires 100 pounds of lean body mass, but would only be carrying 10 pounds, or only 9% body fat. From the body fat chart above, you can see that this is a dangerously low percentage.

    A better goal might be for the woman to reduce her body fat from 23% to 18%. In this case:

    130 pounds x 0.18 = 23 pounds body fat
    100 pounds lean body mass + 23 pounds body fat = 123 pounds goal weight.

    So, for this individual to achieve a lean, but healthy 18% fat, she would need to lose only 7 pounds of fat, reducing her weight from her current 130 pounds to 123 pounds. Losing more than 7 pounds means losing lean body mass (usually metabolically-active muscle tissue), which is clearly not desirable.

    So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to keep your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I have to agree that you probably don't need to be losing weight. If you are unhappy with your appearance you probably just need some muscle definition. If you go to the gym, use the weight machines or lift weights on your own at home.

    And as far as calories go, you don't want to go below 1200, even on days you aren't working out. You burn a lot of calories throughout the day, it's easy to fall into starvation mode. If you were eating as little as you say your were it's definitely possible that you gained 1 pound back simply from eating the right amount of calories. But, since body weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds from day to day (according to surgeons I worked for), it's also possible that you're retaining water, yesterday's food hasn't passed through your system, any number of things.
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