Calorie deficit but putting on weight

ddarddunn
ddarddunn Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Hey,
I was wondering if anyone could explain to me why im under my rda 2500 but ive gained 1 stone this year. I quit the gym last year so no exercise. I work 3 days a week where im on my feet all day flat out. Diet wise im taking in around 2000 to 2200 cals in 3 meals a day and sometimes toast at night. Im male 39. I should be losing weight right? I do have at least 1 beer most nights max 5 beers probably 3 times a week (im irish ok lol).
So whats up? Is it im not eating enough maybe to keep my metabolism burning fat or something. Ive joined the gym this week so im sure it'll get better but i wanna know why with a deficit i didn't lose weight. I opened my food diary to give an idea of what i eat.
Cheers
Darren
«1

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    recheck your tdee, and make sure your counting those cals right! if your not losing weight over an extended period of calorie deficit then something is up.. maybe talk to a doc

    exercise isnt a must but it certainly helps in terms of motivation and overall feeling better, i recommend trying to go 3x/week even if your not lifting hard, its a good way to see how your progress too as your weights increase.
    what do you do on days that you dont work? if your just sitting around it could be that your tdee decreases enough thatyou are no longer at a calorie deficit on days you dont work
  • Unknown
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  • karenrich77
    karenrich77 Posts: 292 Member
    Are you weighing the food and logging every day?

    Cause I can only see one day logged in the last few months, so do you TRULY know that's how many calories you are eating

    Or are you guestimating?
  • OnU2nite
    OnU2nite Posts: 23 Member
    Um.... You can recalculate your Kcals all you want but not working out and drinking beer daily? Yikes man. However, you said you work on your feet all day and I can respect the working man so here is what I think... looking at your logged food for one day I would say up your protein to 1g per pound of lean mass. Then match or stay under THAT number on your carbs. Use your carbs to adjust your total Kcals. Carbs and beer isn't going to work no matter what your deficit is. Good Luck.
  • kjo9692
    kjo9692 Posts: 430 Member
    You opened this account in April. When did you started counting calories? I'd say it's too soon to see any weight loss. Stick to counting calories from now on, rigorously (that includes weighing all your solid foods using a food scale), and you'll see that you'll start losing weight.

    Calculate your TDEE using this tool http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Good luck OP!
  • pctyler94
    pctyler94 Posts: 18 Member
    Are you counting your beers mate? If you are having a pint or two most nights and it is proper beer and not of the European Budweiser variety, then you are adding close to 300 kcalories per 20 oz pint for a Harp to 210 for Guinness and anything else in between. So you think on your nights you are having 5 pints, that is 1000 to 1500 cals not including any food you are eating through the day (and the late night curry which is a must ;) )
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    Thanks, im weighing each bit that goes into a meal individually so im pretty sure im ok there. I dont work 4 days a week where i produce music nd sit at a desk pretty much without moving for 6-8 hours. What is tdee?
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    cheers ill try drop 100 then.
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    I just started weighing that day i logged was what i eat most days as a bench mark without dieting.
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    Thanks, so beer is a big no no even if my food intake is around 1300-1800 a day?
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    Thanks, i started weighing this week but that log was a benchmark pre dieting and its what i would eat most days.I rarely eat more than 3 meals a day same size portions. Thanks for the reply
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    Nah just bottles of miller. 63 cals apperantly. I was drinking a bottle of wine about 4 times a week during the winter. Im gonna drop beer totally see if it improves. Cheers for the reply
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    And yeah i was prone to the odd curry too, cant beat em.
  • 90to20
    90to20 Posts: 196 Member
    I was eating under 1200 cals before I started this and was keeping track of my calories and was weighing my foods and I gained weight. Maybe you're just eating the wrong stuff. For some people it's not about how many calories you consume, but WHAT you're putting into your body. Also no exercise means you havent been burning so...

    good luck!! add me if you want :)
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Thanks, so beer is a big no no even if my food intake is around 1300-1800 a day?

    Beer is fine, but you just have to log it and allow for it in your daily calories.
  • Mar_11
    Mar_11 Posts: 35
    Thanks, so beer is a big no no even if my food intake is around 1300-1800 a day?

    Beer is fine, but you just have to log it and allow for it in your daily calories.

    That's what I do.. I drink every night but I allow for it in my calories, just like I would if I had a steak with baked potato and sour cream. It may not be "food" but it is calories so it has to be counted.
  • 4saw
    4saw Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks, im weighing each bit that goes into a meal individually so im pretty sure im ok there. I dont work 4 days a week where i produce music nd sit at a desk pretty much without moving for 6-8 hours. What is tdee?

    yeah, what is tdee?
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    Thanks, i think inactivity on days off might be to blame don't know about you but i sit at a desk for 6-8 hrs. Hoping this gym does the trick my silhouette mocks me every time the sun comes out. Thanks ill add you.
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    An nice one id miss beer. I have been taking it into consideration i think its the inactivity. Cheers
  • paulawatkins1974
    paulawatkins1974 Posts: 720 Member
    Thanks, so beer is a big no no even if my food intake is around 1300-1800 a day?
    Beer is definitely a no-no if you're having that ON TOP of the 1300-1800 cals of food
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    I haven't seen a word in your posts that indicates how you determined that 2500 calories is your target... you said "RDA" and have mentioned only your age (not height/weight), which leads me to believe that you haven't actually calculated numbers for yourself. I'd suggest you start with this calculator and adjust your goals accordingly.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • Mar_11
    Mar_11 Posts: 35
    Thanks, i think inactivity on days off might be to blame don't know about you but i sit at a desk for 6-8 hrs. Hoping this gym does the trick my silhouette mocks me every time the sun comes out. Thanks ill add you.

    I work in a doctors office so my day is eight hours a day of just sitting.. maybe a few trips to fax/copy machine but not enough to justify exercise. I make "room" for beer by walking and stationary bike riding, either before or after work... Occasionally, while at work, as I sometimes walk on my lunch break.
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    I did it right. Im 5ft 9 92 kilos and i use a scales to weigh everything. Do you know would inactivity on days off slow your metabolism to where it would lower the recommended calorie intake 2500 in my case? I sit for 6-8 hrs during the day at a desk and then evenings am not really active for 4 days a week all of last year pretty much?
  • ddarddunn
    ddarddunn Posts: 13
    For my height weight 2500 is reccommended and with the beer (miller 53 cals) im still way below usually around 2000.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure

    This is how many calories you are actually "burning" during the whole day. There are lots of online calculators that can get you close, but the only way to know for sure is by logging accurately, charting your weight change and doing the math.

    If you gained a stone in a year, that means you gained a little over a pound every month, or maybe 0.3 pounds a week, so you're eating (on average) about 150 calories more than you need per day (to maintain).

    I would just use the MyFitnessPal recommendations for a month or two and then make adjustments as necessary.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    For my height weight 2500 is reccommended and with the beer (miller 53 cals) im still way below usually around 2000.

    I have lost just short of 3 stone and drink every weekend mate, you can lose weight and drink beer for sure
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    I put your stats in here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    I selected "no exercise" because you're not really burning much more standing up than you are sitting down, and it guesses you're burning around 2200 per day, so if you eat 2500 you would gain weight.

    I'm about your weight, and I'm losing on 2100 per day (I also chase a toddler around and pick him up from time to time, I garden for fun and my job is a little bit physical).
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    I put your stats in here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    I selected "no exercise" because you're not really burning much more standing up than you are sitting down, and it guesses you're burning around 2200 per day, so if you eat 2500 you would gain weight.

    I'm about your weight, and I'm losing on 2100 per day (I also chase a toddler around and pick him up from time to time, I garden for fun and my job is a little bit physical).

    This...

    If you are gaining, you aren't in a deficit, as someone else said.

    It's about moderation not deprivation.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    I would cut back on the beer. It's empty calories. You'd be surprised how much weight you'll lose just by cutting it out (except on special occasions, of course social drinking is fine... maybe on Friday or Saturday nights have a beer or two but the rest of the week avoid as much as possible). The "beer belly" will slowly disappear. This happened to someone I know. He used to drink a lot and his belly looked like he could have been several months pregnant. He didn't actually eat very much food and the rest of him was pretty skinny but his belly was huge. But when he stopped drinking the belly disappeared. Beer = belly bloating.

    If you are under your calorie count I would suggest adding in more healthy snacks. Don't use up your calorie allotment on junk food (sugar/salt) or on beer/soda (not nutritious). Not enough sugar can cause a plateau and too much sugar will cause your body to release a ton of insulin and start storing fat.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    I would cut back on the beer. It's empty calories. You'd be surprised how much weight you'll lose just by cutting it out (except on special occasions, of course social drinking is fine... maybe on Friday or Saturday nights have a beer or two but the rest of the week avoid as much as possible). The "beer belly" will slowly disappear. This happened to someone I know. He used to drink a lot and his belly looked like he could have been several months pregnant. He didn't actually eat very much food and the rest of him was pretty skinny but his belly was huge. But when he stopped drinking the belly disappeared. Beer = belly bloating.

    If you are under your calorie count I would suggest adding in more healthy snacks. Don't use up your calorie allotment on junk food (sugar/salt) or on beer/soda (not nutritious). Not enough sugar can cause a plateau and too much sugar will cause your body to release a ton of insulin and start storing fat.

    Beer is ace don't talk nonsense

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