Help need advice- i changed my diet and calories

Treneaking
Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a few questions for everyone.

Hello

I have recently learned that I was under-eating and that eating under 1200, (800-950) calories wasn't enough. I was always the type of person to just count calories, I lost almost 60 pounds with a calorie deficit of less than 1200 a day. But I soon found out that that is not correct and that my body needs the correct amount of calories. So, I am a female 25, 5'4 tall, weighing 132.2 pounds, and I have started eating clean and incorporating weight training. I raised my calories by about 50 per day to where now I am more around 1350 a day. But even thought this is still a deficit, it seems like I am slowly gaining. When I first adjust my calories from too low, to the correct amount for a deficit and nutrition, is it normal to gain?

Here is a typical day for my diet

coffee with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (no sugar)

All foods are homemade

breakfast- oatmeal and 2 eggs

meal 1: salmon, steamed broccoli (1 cup), steamed cauliflower (1 cup), and homemade brown rice all natural very low sodium (from the unsalted chicken broth I cooked it in)

snack: mixed unsalted nuts 1/2 cup

meal 2: whole grain bread, w all natural peanut butter, and all natural no sugar added grape jelly

dinner: same as lunch

I am eating every two to three hours, and I am doing strength training every other day, (not a whole lot of weights on legs because I had knee surgery), and when I do strength, I also do elliptical or walking up hill, hitting heart rate of about 155-165 consistently when doing cardio. I can't run anymore, so I just work out harder with other activities.

Is it normal that I am not losing. Again before I was eating too little, and now I have added about 300 calories for nutrition and the proper fuel for my body, and I have noticed energy levels are much better!!!

But why am I not losing, and if my body is adjusting then about how long will it start to level out and start losing again, eating clean is my religion now, and I have not cheated at all, especially with no salt, no sugar, and never processed foods.

Any tips you can give me would be completely appreciated

Also, has anyone had any issues with being "backed up" after starting to eat clean? I have rid my diet since I wrote this to no wheat, hoping it would help. You would think as healthy as I am eating, things would "flow" normally. Any tips?? Also, I have incorporated prunes, and chia seeds for digestive health and i am now drink 150-200 ounces of water a day to help with the amount of fiber i eat, and i have also tried probiotics, only taken one yesterday, still waiting for results, will take daily to see if that helps too. But it is really frustrating, obviously i am eatting good, but with being backed up, the scale will obviously not move, please tell me if any of you have been through this when switching to clean eatting.

By the way, before I upped my calories, i was only getting between 800-1000 per day

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Slowly gaining on 1350 for how long?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Slowly gaining on 1350 for how long?

    ^this. How much have you gained and over what period of time? It's normal to see a little water weight retention as you up your calories, but this should be temporary.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    about two weeks ago i started clean eatting, the first few days i dropped 1.5 pounds (probably from dropping sodium and water weight) but then after that for a few days it was slowly creaping up, by like .2 - .4 pounds each day. then i ran int the "backed up problem" and that did not help, so now i am up a total of 3 pounds from when i started eatting clean. but i feel like diet wise i am doing everything right? it has been two weeks of sticking to it. the meal plan i showed is exactly how i eat, occasionally chicken with mushrooms instead of salmon or cod, but all homemade as well
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    it has been two weeks of sticking to it.

    You will NOT gain fat on 1350 every day. If you're sure you're weighing EVERYTHING you eat. And you're really only eating 1350, you are NOT gaining fat. Give it a couple more weeks, ok? It sounds like you're doing everything right.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    Also, on the days i do exercise, to make up for calories burned, i usually have an apple and/or a juice drink after working out, but i don't add too many calories, because i know my calories burned is not what it used to be because i had knee surgery, so it is more of the fitness level for heart rate instead of advanced, so calories burned is not that many. most of my gym time is strength training, dead lifts and bridges with weights, and leg lifts with ankle weights all for glutes, wall spuats with weights on lap, squats with weights, lots of ab exercises until burning, and arms on the other days at home, push ups, the 20 pull up challenge(really works, look it up on google, i am up to 2 pull ups from zero), and also do tricep dips with weights on lap.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    I highly doubt that you are gaining fat on 1350 calories a day. Either you're retaining water or you are eating more than you think. I'm 5'4 and eat way more than you and I am 130lbs. I'm not gaining.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    it has been two weeks of sticking to it.

    You will NOT gain fat on 1350 every day. If you're sure you're weighing EVERYTHING you eat. And you're really only eating 1350, you are NOT gaining fat. Give it a couple more weeks, ok? It sounds like you're doing everything right.


    Thank you very much, and yes, i measure everything, i got really good at measuring when i lost all my weight, even have nutrition labels memorized, lol. I am technically the "skinny fat", i lost alot of weight and i want to keep going, but i changed to nutritional eatting to ensure i dont lost any more muscle, and to help with energy levels and everything. and OF COURSE, health is everything
  • lh1626
    lh1626 Posts: 241 Member
    If you just started incorporating weight training, keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. You are starting to build muscle which will in turn help fuel fat loss. Be patient. Eating under 1200 calories per day is too low. Keep where you are at and see where it goes.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    I highly doubt that you are gaining fat on 1350 calories a day. Either you're retaining water or you are eating more than you think. I'm 5'4 and eat way more than you and I am 130lbs. I'm not gaining.

    how many calories do you eat a day? are you still losing?

    P.S. you look awesome!!! keep it up girl
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
    If you are only recently doing weight training, you may be holding on to some water weight. Any new or increased activity can cause you to hold on to water weight.

    Also, your metabolism probably slowed down A LOT because you were starving yourself. You may have to gain a few pounds back before your metabolism speeds up again. You should be eating at least 1450 a day with the exercise you are doing and your young age.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    If you are only recently doing weight training, you may be holding on to some water weight. Any new or increased activity can cause you to hold on to water weight.

    Also, your metabolism probably slowed down A LOT because you were starving yourself. You may have to gain a few pounds back before your metabolism speeds up again. You should be eating at least 1450 a day with the exercise you are doing and your young age.

    thank you lula!! helps alot, i am glad i figured out how to post on forum, because it is hard not to want to fall back to lowering calories, i needed feedback like this and i agree about the metabolism
  • orchidee1987
    orchidee1987 Posts: 97 Member
    Did you calculate your TDEE ? I don't know how much you want to loose but i guess not more than 10ish pounds, so you could just substract 10-15 % from it.
    I'm 5'4, 26, female, current weight 125 pounds ; i lost 27 pounds by eating 1700 kcals on average. Been maintaining for 6 months eating 2300 on average : you could surely eat more than you do now without gaining !
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    If you just started incorporating weight training, keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. You are starting to build muscle which will in turn help fuel fat loss.

    We see this suggestion a lot on these forums and it's just wrong. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat (when comparing equal volumes under equal conditions) and, yes, there are some outliers who can put on some noob gains while eating in a deficit. But the majority of the population will not put on muscle mass while eating below their maintenance, and certainly not enough to offset the fat losses they should be seeing.

    More often, people mistake water retention, swelling, and fat reduction for an increase in muscle mass. While the muscle may look larger, you are not adding additional muscle mass while eating at a deficit.
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
    If you are only recently doing weight training, you may be holding on to some water weight. Any new or increased activity can cause you to hold on to water weight.

    Also, your metabolism probably slowed down A LOT because you were starving yourself. You may have to gain a few pounds back before your metabolism speeds up again. You should be eating at least 1450 a day with the exercise you are doing and your young age.

    thank you lula!! helps alot, i am glad i figured out how to post on forum, because it is hard not to want to fall back to lowering calories, i needed feedback like this and i agree about the metabolism

    You are so welcome. The other thing I read is that if you eat every two to three hours, that will really help your metabolic function. You are not doomed to a slow metabolism because of your extreme dieting, but it will take a little time and consistency (eating more) to get it back on track. Maybe for a while you can just accept that your weight is going to stay where it is or even gain a little while you get back on track. :)
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    So does anyone have tips or advice on the "backed up issue"? we talked alot about everything else, but noone really touched on this subject and it is discouraging to be backed up when i want to check the scale but know there will be no change
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    BuMP!!! :smile:
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    So does anyone have tips or advice on the "backed up issue"? we talked alot about everything else, but noone really touched on this subject and it is discouraging to be backed up when i want to check the scale but know there will be no change

    A gentle laxative is the only thing that comes to mind. You've changed your diet pretty drastically and your body's probably still confused.
  • Treneaking
    Treneaking Posts: 30 Member
    So does anyone have tips or advice on the "backed up issue"? we talked alot about everything else, but noone really touched on this subject and it is discouraging to be backed up when i want to check the scale but know there will be no change

    A gentle laxative is the only thing that comes to mind. You've changed your diet pretty drastically and your body's probably still confused.

    I was kind of hoping for a gentle and natural solution, any laxitive leaves me hunched over waiting for it to work, i was hoping for foods that prevent and help it??
  • mamma_nee
    mamma_nee Posts: 809 Member
    Try some prune juice
  • funkygas
    funkygas Posts: 191 Member
    With regards to the backed up issue - I find a probiotic works. I've also recently been having some kefir instead of a probiotic which also works well. I also cut out gluten (for health reasons) as previously I'd been needing to have the highest fibre cereal around and even then I would get clogged. Removing gluten, and I can eat normal fruit, nuts and yoghurt for breakfast, or eggs and veggies, and not have to eat the extreme amount of fibre I used to. That combined with the probiotic/kefir (depending if I'm at home or travelling) seems to be ok. Still get clogged every now and then, but only for a day or so and then it clears.

    Also, if I eat a lot of high sugar foods on my 'treat' meal (read chocolate, cookie dough, cake, etc), the following morning my body seems to reject it all!
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
    Make sure you are drinking a lot of water and sometimes caffeine can help, ahem, move things along.... :)

    Prunes and prune juice are also supposed to be good for that sort of thing.

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