Confused.I lose more @ 1900 calories than @ 1600?

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lavendah
lavendah Posts: 126 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm presently around 73 kilos (5'7,21 y.o) and aiming for 54 kilos.

I don't exercise (apart from walking towards/from bus stop - 12 minutes each) and am mostly dependent on diet for weight loss.

I'm not rushing since I know I'm not HUGE or anything,but just could be a lot better.I'm fine with losing 2-2.5 kilos a month and have been successful at that,so far.

Pre-weight loss decision,I would easily eat 3000+ kcals everyday.I have been able to bring that down to 1800-2000,but couldn't go lower than that inspite of trying.

However,for past 3 days,I've had to go to a distant location for work,and have travelled 6 hours a day + worked 8 hours,hence being left with far lesser time to eat, and have eaten around 1600 kcals - give/take a little.I was kind of happy about this.

Now,I usually lose 50-100 grams on a good day.So,I was very excited to step on the scale this morning,thinking I must have definitely lost atleast 300 grams...and..heartbreak.I'm exactly where I was earlier,not even lost 100 grams.Wtf.

I have heard that you shouldn't eat too little calories,like fewer than 1200,because your body reacts negatively to that and your weight stalls.

BUT,I have still eaten 1600+ calories.My BMR is a little over 1500.So,why did my weight stall?

Could it be something like this - BMR is just an estimate and my actual BMR could be higher than that?

I mean this has happened once before,too..I think lose the most weight @ 1800-1900 calories..So,should I continue to eat this much and not try to go lower than that? :/
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Replies

  • Xingy01
    Xingy01 Posts: 83 Member
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    Nobody is going to lose weight faster at 1900 calories than 1600 calories. The starvation mode thing is a myth. It's like claiming that putting 10 gallons of gas in your car makes it go further than putting 15 gallons. It doesn't make sense.

    Your weight will fluctuate daily. It can fluctuate as much as 5-10 lbs in some people. Trying to determine when you've lost half a pound is impossible. You likely just ate something high in sodium and are retaining water. Also remember that your bmr changes along with your weight. If you lost some weight, your bmr will decrease. You need to recalculate it often.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    However,for past 3 days,I've had to go to a distant location for work,and have travelled 6 hours a day + worked 8 hours,hence

    I think you pointed out your own problem. you are not near as active when you are riding 6 hours a day.
  • lavendah
    lavendah Posts: 126 Member
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    However,for past 3 days,I've had to go to a distant location for work,and have travelled 6 hours a day + worked 8 hours,hence

    I think you pointed out your own problem. you are not near as active when you are riding 6 hours a day.

    I travelled by train though and was on my feet for a long time.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    BMR and TDEE from calculators are estimates. And TDEE changes depending how much activity you are doing. Your activity level and calorie level was different when you were going away. Also if you were eating different things (higher sodium for example), then you could have just been retaining water. Also, if you were not eating at home you may have been underestimating your calories from meals out, i.e. you were eating more than you thought, higher than 1600.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    weight loss is not linear.

    You could be stressed raising cortisol levels causing water retention masking weight loss. On top you may not be drinking enough water/liquids, eating different things, under estimating intake etc.

    And if you are travelling 6 hours are you sitting the entire time? regardless of what you do for the 8 hours of work that 6 hours of sitting will make a difference too.
  • lavendah
    lavendah Posts: 126 Member
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    Nobody is going to lose weight faster at 1900 calories than 1600 calories. The starvation mode thing is a myth. It's like claiming that putting 10 gallons of gas in your car makes it go further than putting 15 gallons. It doesn't make sense.

    Your weight will fluctuate daily. It can fluctuate as much as 5-10 lbs in some people. Trying to determine when you've lost half a pound is impossible. You likely just ate something high in sodium and are retaining water. Also remember that your bmr changes along with your weight. If you lost some weight, your bmr will decrease. You need to recalculate it often.

    I know the SM is a myth,but it's still believed that eating low calories lowers the metabolic rate for a lot of people or something I guess..but then,I haven't eaten that few calories so I totally get you.
    And I was referring to my current BMR..and since I only measure myself right after I wake up in the morning and not at different times,don't know if sodium/retaining water could really be the reason..
    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.

    Yes.
  • Xingy01
    Xingy01 Posts: 83 Member
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    Nobody is going to lose weight faster at 1900 calories than 1600 calories. The starvation mode thing is a myth. It's like claiming that putting 10 gallons of gas in your car makes it go further than putting 15 gallons. It doesn't make sense.

    Your weight will fluctuate daily. It can fluctuate as much as 5-10 lbs in some people. Trying to determine when you've lost half a pound is impossible. You likely just ate something high in sodium and are retaining water. Also remember that your bmr changes along with your weight. If you lost some weight, your bmr will decrease. You need to recalculate it often.

    I know the SM is a myth,but it's still believed that eating low calories lowers the metabolic rate for a lot of people or something I guess..but then,I haven't eaten that few calories so I totally get you.
    And I was referring to my current BMR..and since I only measure myself right after I wake up in the morning and not at different times,don't know if sodium/retaining water could really be the reason..
    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.

    Even people on very low calorie diets supervised by a physician don't have a significant reduction in metabolism. You will always lose more weight eating fewer calories than eating more. The question is how much do you need to eat to get enough nutrients while also having a deficit.

    You can retain water for more than the few hours it takes to sleep. It can take 2-3 days to drop water if you're retaining. You will also have different amounts of waste in your intestines when weighing. Even if you weigh yourself weekly, it's likely you won't notice any change week to week. Weigh yourself every week, but don't expect to see a difference on the scale for 2-3 weeks.

    Good luck :)
  • HaibaneReki
    HaibaneReki Posts: 373 Member
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    Nobody is going to lose weight faster at 1900 calories than 1600 calories. The starvation mode thing is a myth. It's like claiming that putting 10 gallons of gas in your car makes it go further than putting 15 gallons. It doesn't make sense.

    Your weight will fluctuate daily. It can fluctuate as much as 5-10 lbs in some people. Trying to determine when you've lost half a pound is impossible. You likely just ate something high in sodium and are retaining water. Also remember that your bmr changes along with your weight. If you lost some weight, your bmr will decrease. You need to recalculate it often.

    I know the SM is a myth,but it's still believed that eating low calories lowers the metabolic rate for a lot of people or something I guess..but then,I haven't eaten that few calories so I totally get you.
    And I was referring to my current BMR..and since I only measure myself right after I wake up in the morning and not at different times,don't know if sodium/retaining water could really be the reason..
    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.

    sometimes I get 2 lb difference day to day. Both ways. Don't obsess, just watch the progress graph for overall tendency. You'll be fine, don't worry.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.

    Yes.

    double yes
  • jgodman1011
    jgodman1011 Posts: 16
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    this post is actually confusing me. I posted yesterday saying i was eating 1200 calories a day and exercising and was told i wasn't eating ENOUGH for weight loss.
  • wampahoofus
    wampahoofus Posts: 38 Member
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    I weigh in daily, which many people do not do because the flucuations are discouraging. I have noticed that my weight goes up for a day when I eat something very salty due to the water retention. Also, when I travel, I tend to get behind with the passing of solid waste as well.

    1900 calories is a lot of calories during weight loss so I suspect that you are holding some extra water or stool.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    this post is actually confusing me. I posted yesterday saying i was eating 1200 calories a day and exercising and was told i wasn't eating ENOUGH for weight loss.

    That may be true for you, if you are eating just 1200 and not more for exercise. Diet and exercise can create excess stress hormones, which can prevent weight loss especially when paired with other stresses in your life, other hormonal issues, etc. Don't compare your needs to someone elses.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    1900 calories is a lot of calories during weight loss so I suspect that you are holding some extra water or stool.

    What? No it is not. Especially for a 21 year old woman who is 5'7".
  • Deb_622
    Deb_622 Posts: 694
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    Maybe I just need to weigh myself weekly and not everyday to stop obsessing over it.

    Yes.

    double yes

    +3

    You also have to look at the types of things that you were eating in your 1600 calories vs. the 1900 calories of your "normal" work week...you may have had higher carbs, or sodium...or you could just be over-tired from the long days of travel - it could be a number of things. Everyone reacts to calories/diet/sleep in different ways, so try not to take one "off" week as something other than an "off" week. Keep doing what you've been doing because it seems to be working so far!

    Great job and keep it up! :flowerforyou:
  • jgodman1011
    jgodman1011 Posts: 16
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    i wasn't "comparing my needs to someone elses" i was asking a question. I dont think people realize sometimes that the way they word things on a message board comes across as extremely rude. I'm here trying to figure out weight loss just as much as everyone else here.

    In the past 2 days, i've had some really helpful people and some really rude comments. I just wish people took the time to see what they wrote before hitting send.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    i wasn't "comparing my needs to someone elses" i was asking a question. I dont think people realize sometimes that the way they word things on a message board comes across as extremely rude. I'm here trying to figure out weight loss just as much as everyone else here.

    In the past 2 days, i've had some really helpful people and some really rude comments. I just wish people took the time to see what they wrote before hitting send.

    You think that was rude?

    The only thing she said was that your needs are not the same as someone else's. I don't know your situation, but I always recommend people eat more than 1200 calories because it's likely you can eat more than that and still lose weight. And with less than 20 pounds to go, you really should be increasing your calories at this point so maintenance isn't a shock to you when you get there.
  • Xingy01
    Xingy01 Posts: 83 Member
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    this post is actually confusing me. I posted yesterday saying i was eating 1200 calories a day and exercising and was told i wasn't eating ENOUGH for weight loss.

    You will lose weight if you're eating 1200 calories/day. You'll lose it faster at 1200 than anything above 1200. A lot of people on MFP don't know what they're talking about and just repeat the same myths and phrases they've heard in the past or from other posters.

    The problem with 1200 + exercise isn't that you won't lose weight. It's just not sustainable.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    i wasn't "comparing my needs to someone elses" i was asking a question. I dont think people realize sometimes that the way they word things on a message board comes across as extremely rude. I'm here trying to figure out weight loss just as much as everyone else here.

    In the past 2 days, i've had some really helpful people and some really rude comments. I just wish people took the time to see what they wrote before hitting send.

    I was trying to be helpful, not rude. Most people can lose weight on more than 1200 and there are a lot more beneficial reasons to eat more than that if you can, and quite a few negatives to eating too few calories. You got a lot of good advice in your own thread. It could be considered rude to crash someone elses thread. But whatever, if you want to think I was rude, fine, if that is the rudest you ever encounter on the internet then you'll be doing good.
  • jgodman1011
    jgodman1011 Posts: 16
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    it just came across as rude the exact quote was "dont compare your needs to someone elses".....which i wasn't doing, i guess after yesterdays post i'm just highly sensitive, maybe rude wasn't the right word......"short" would have been better. I'm just trying to get opinions and suggestions like everyone else.

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