Exercise/NET calories...I think I messed up my metabolism?

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After losing weight on my own I had reached a plateau and decided I need help because I was working out hard, eating right and I was not losing weight. So, I joined MFP for guidance. After joining MFP I thought I would start losing again but, I was still stuck on a plateau and have been for many months. Towards the end of of November I came across a forum about eating exercise calories and I realized that I was not eating my exercise calories. My NET calories were between 700-900, even before I started MFP I was averaging about 750 NET calories daily. I then decided to make sure that my NET calories were around 1200 even after working out. The first week that I did this I had lost 2lbs. This is my second week of keeping my NET calories around 1200 and I had gained 4.5 lbs?
I don't know why this happened. I am scared that I messed up my metabolism and can no longer lose weight. Help! :sad:

Replies

  • triscuitsmom08
    triscuitsmom08 Posts: 47 Member
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    Your body was probably in starvation mode from not eating, you should get at least 1200 calories a day if not more other wise your body will stop losing weight. All of the calories you take in it will start storing as fat to try to feed your body. Thus why it is called starvation mode. That weight gain is probably this starting to happen. Your body will have to even out before it can lose weight and this is probably what it is doing. Eat healthy, don't be afraid of calories, think of them as energy not something to be afraid of. :) Keep exercising but eat healthy and eventually you'll see a difference
  • Arynamber
    Arynamber Posts: 162 Member
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    You sound A LOT like me. I have been the same weight for over a year. I try REALLY hard for 2 months.. and when nothing happens I give up. I tried low carbs.. still NOTHING.
    I just started back up again and I did the same thing you were doing. eating very little calories and the scale barely moved and infact when up? wtf!?!! Then I ate more calories and it jumped down two pounds.
    I read sometime a long time ago about eating low calories for a few days...and then having one big calorie (but still healthy food)day In week your calories should still equal out about the same. I guess this has worked for some people to get over the plateau. sort of like muscle confusion, doing different exercises, but with food. I WISH I could find where I read that.
    Maybe this would help you?
    or maybe its just before the time of the month for you.. which always causes me to go up.
    GOOD LUCK!
  • RDTaylor13
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    it is just your body adjusting to the new amount of calories you are taking in. By next week your system should be adjusted, and you'll be losing weight again.
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
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    nothing's permanent - just stick with it.
  • fromaquasar
    fromaquasar Posts: 811 Member
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    Hi - dont panic, I did the same thing! And when I started eating 1200 net cals I put on weight for a few weeks but once my body learnt it was always going to be getting this much I started to loose!
  • loxleys
    loxleys Posts: 230 Member
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    thanks for posting this - I did the same thing a week or so back and discovered that I too was not eating enough calories. I am due to weigh this friday but already feel that i've gained weight so might put back the weigh in for a week to give my body time to adjust.

    I hope that you start to lose weight again soon. Keep posting so you can chart your progress