how can you gain weight on 1200 calories a day!!

Options
2»

Replies

  • joeq722
    joeq722 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    You cant gain weight on 1200 per day.
    You had to eat in excess of what you 'need' to gain weight.

    1200 is nowwhere near that.
  • yellowsnowdrop
    yellowsnowdrop Posts: 154 Member
    Options
    I eat 1200 a day (or sometimes less) and I can gain and loose 3 or 4lbs in a day.Water weight, muscle mass whatever, just stick with it and you'll see the results.
  • rgordon60
    rgordon60 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Hi,
    I can relate! it might be water weight. The experts say to weigh yourself once a week at the same time without clothes. Do not give up! Good luck.
    Ro
  • keefmac
    keefmac Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    Your body weight will fluctuate up to 5 lbs. Don't give up! You're doing great! Make food choices you can live with for a lifetime. Don't diet!! And find exercise that you enjoy.

    It may be different for women but I weigh daily and have never seen a fluctuation over half a kilo?. That's over 3 months now.
  • xlostdecember
    xlostdecember Posts: 7
    Options
    You have to remember that your metabolism increases the more you work out, so you will need to increase your calorie intake otherwise you will stop losing, or possibly send your body into starvation mode and gain, weight. Increase your intake with clean proteins. I had the same issue at one point during my weight loss and doing this has made me lose weight again.
  • strassenkoenigin
    strassenkoenigin Posts: 259
    Options
    Yeah, I do not even log my strength training because I have not found anything for the kind of strength training with barbells I do.
    I also do Yoga and they gave me only 250 calories for 90 minutes, which I do not believe, because the kind of Yoga I am doing is pretty demanding.
    You are of course right that nuts and fruits are very high in fat and sugar. I am new to recording everything and I found out that my favorite snack food on my bike is really high in calories : dates. No wonder, I am not losing. I am going to start to log every date and nut I am eating and see how the calories look like after that.
    Usually I eat only around 1000 calories a day for my meals but when I go biking I take a handful of nuts and dates and a banana to keep me going and now I know that this handful is probably over 1000 calories. I also do not believe the amount of calories they give me for biking.
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    Options
    Read the original post in this and the links posted in it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    Read again and make sure you've understood everything.
    Implement and keep reading just to remind yourself.

    If you have a regular exercise schedule, TDEE is a much better method imho than MFP's default setting of eating back exercise calories.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Options
    2 lbs is almost certainly water weight. You were more active camping, slightly overtrained your muscles, they may be a little inflamed, but in any case are storing water. You'll likely pee out the excess within the week. Just go back to business as usual.
  • SeptemberLondon
    SeptemberLondon Posts: 151 Member
    Options
    Read the original post in this and the links posted in it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    Read again and make sure you've understood everything.
    Implement and keep reading just to remind yourself.

    If you have a regular exercise schedule, TDEE is a much better method imho than MFP's default setting of eating back exercise calories.
    Yes - THIS! I'm having a very similar problem! MFP puts me at 1200 unless I work out - and I do, typically 5-6 hours a week! I've been stalled and very frustrated (not to mention HUNGRY on rest days). Over the past week, I've done a lot of research on iifym.com and Scooby's Workshop (great calculators on both sites). For my weight & height - 220, 5'7" I should be eating 1950 calories daily, whether it's a rest day or not. This is so much simpler! I've only been doing it for 2 days & intend to go at least 10 days before I change anything.

    The MFP "auto-settings" are not a one-size fits all. 1200 is very, very low. Try some other calculators - particularly if you work out regularly!
  • mattiwebb7
    mattiwebb7 Posts: 2
    Options
    muscle does not weigh more than fat, 1 pound = 1 pound. could be that your body reacted to the physical stress which would make your cortisol shoot up, then the body goes into a safeguard mode of hanging onto any and all calories ingested and storing them as future fuel in the form of fat, or you drank way more water than usual and are retaining. do what you do normally, eat right and give the scale a rest for a two week period. don't get discouraged, I could hit the scale and see a two pound differential in a 24 hour period. best time for weigh in would be after an adequately hydrated bedtime, post morning evacuation, before breakfast.
  • judipatootie
    judipatootie Posts: 51 Member
    Options
    thanks for all the replies everyone. you all have given me some really good advice. Im going to try not to go into panic mode again. and just keep doing what i am doing unless of course- the scales start to really slip upwards. in which case i will have stomach bypass (joking). I know there is no way possible i could have gained weight like that in two days. on very little food and being as active as i was. i decided to take a rest day today- my body needs it. But back at the gym tomorrow as usual.

Categories