Eat More 2 Weigh Less

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Upped my calories, but I'm worried.

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cocainefrown
cocainefrown Posts: 1 Member
in Social Groups
Recently I'd been starving myself, usually going under 1,200 calories out of desperation and I lost about 11 pounds. But a few days ago I decided to start eating healthy again and to up my calories. Today I did my first day of p90x. According to them I should be eating 1,700 - 1,900 calories to lose. I'm not sure if I should eat that much. I've gained back about 2 pounds in two days and I'd really like to know what to do.

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  • KaterinaTerese
    KaterinaTerese Posts: 345 Member
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    a) If you read the FAQ, you'll notice that when you start to add back calories, your body will immediately put on weight (it's water; relax), and if you're exercising, that will also add a little water weight. It doesn't mean fat.

    b) ignore the scale. If you're serious about trying the EM2WL lifestyle, you need to be more comfortable with weight changes.

    c) you're only 19. Safeguard your health now, and feed yourself!
  • dazedandconfused87
    dazedandconfused87 Posts: 44
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    Your weight is just a number - don't let it define you or warp your self perception. A number doesn't represent how happy or full your life is! Starving yourself is not sustainable weight loss and it puts stress on your body. You can eat lots, be healthy and still enjoy food!
  • butterbear1980
    butterbear1980 Posts: 234 Member
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    Recently I'd been starving myself, usually going under 1,200 calories out of desperation and I lost about 11 pounds. But a few days ago I decided to start eating healthy again and to up my calories. Today I did my first day of p90x. According to them I should be eating 1,700 - 1,900 calories to lose. I'm not sure if I should eat that much. I've gained back about 2 pounds in two days and I'd really like to know what to do.
    I wish I had found a group like this at your age! I used to restrict calories in my teens which developed I to a full blown ED. You don't want food to rule your life, trust me, that sucks! You can absolutely feed yourself well and meet if not exceed every fitness goal you may have. Read all the FAQs and expect to gain the water weight but its worth it! I am an old lady compared to you and I have seen pretty tangible results after four months of eating more. You are in the right place! 1700-1900 may even be low for a young active woman. Have you tried a tdee calculator?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ask yourself, why were you eating under 1200?
    What research had you done that said that was a good number to eat at?
    Any? or just blindly followed a common number you'd seen many places with no idea of why?

    Ever log how much you used to eat that got you in to trouble?
    Exercising like P90X at the time of eating that much?

    So do you really have any informed idea as to if 1700-1900 sounds high or low?

    Or yeah, a huge part of your weight loss was water attached to glycogen in your muscles you depleted, same effect everyone going in to a diet gets.
    You just got bigger effect because of more extreme deficit.
    Some of the weight was muscle mass too eating that low.

    So you gained back water weight your body attaches to glycogen it really wants and needs in the muscles - especially doing a workout like that.
    Blood volume also likely increased because of increased exercise.

    Don't try to drain either one of those water sources in your body - bad idea.

    And always keep the math in mind for any fast weight lost or gained.

    If it was fat, it would be 3500 calories.

    You could eat 250 calories over your true maintenance, or TDEE, and only gain 1 lb in 2 weeks time slowly.
    Reread that and understand the effects.

    So if you think 2 lbs is fat in 2 days.

    2 lbs x 3500 / 2 days = 3500 difference to what you ate.

    So did you eat 3500 calories each day OVER your maintenance calories for that to even be fat?

    Of course not - water weight.

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