How?

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merrillfoster
merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I'm confused. In theory, MFP sets us at a deficit naturally, so that even not exercising you should still lose weight, right? So how, if I am exercising and not eating over my calories, do I gain weight? I mean, I know there are alot of factors, like water, etc, but it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

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  • wanda1956
    wanda1956 Posts: 110
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    Maybe you need to add some calories b/c they say if your not eating enough you can't lose and can gain.
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    correct, if your under your allowance by too much your body will think your starving yourself and not burn anything. i have also found my weight has gone up but then iv increased my activity so i put it down to muscle gain and water retention.

    your body will take some time to adjust to your new calorie plan. be patient. you will see results if you keep going :o)
  • Grace76
    Grace76 Posts: 34
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    I looked at your food diary and I would suggest eating more veggies and fruit. The food you have there is not too bad but fruit and veggie fill you up, add lots of nutrients and keeps your energy levels up. You need those energy levels to lose weight.

    Just my thoughts
  • ttdragonflytt
    ttdragonflytt Posts: 13
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    It can also be the QUALITY of the food you are eating versus quantity. I am at a restart point myself after an initial 35lb loss. At my 30lb mark, I seemed to either stay still or gain on the scale. I showed my food journal to a dietician at the clinic I work and she said the type of calories you eat can influence how you gain/lose. She had me make some changes like eliminating breads and eating whole grains instead, eliminating ALL processed foods for two weeks (that was a hard one as I have a very busy work schedule and eating out the microwave was so convenient) and limiting fats. The scale dropped 3lbs in that two weeks. I hope this may help!
  • charlottevaun
    charlottevaun Posts: 3
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    I want results fast... can you really not do this on minimum cals?
  • cerysrhi
    cerysrhi Posts: 262
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    Are you eating your exercise calories? Are your net calories for each day above 1200? these were both my problems at first x
  • anorton45
    anorton45 Posts: 62
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    I'm in the same boat, but when I went back and looked at the numbers and did the math, I realized not only was I not anywhere close to my target range, but with the exercise and calories burned, I was barely at 1000 most days, and never above 1100. I've added more food, aiming for better complex carbs and fruits and veggies with lean proteins thrown in. I've started inching down again.

    For example you burned 346 calories exercising... You consumed only 1410. If you subtract 346 from 1410 you really gave your body only 1064 calories. You're doing the same thing I was doing... when I realized that I was still telling my body not to burn anything cuz I still wasn't eating enough I increased my food intake. I am aiming for better complex carbs for fuel for my body to burn. My hubby and I sat down and did the math last night, and I'm going to aim for 4 meals of 400 spread out about every 2-3 hours, with a couple of lighter snacks of fruit or yogurt or something to get me to about 1700 or 1800 range so when I burn 400-600 calories doing my exercise I'll still be closer to 1400 like I'm supposed to be. And that way I'm not consuming bigger amounts of food that my body can't burn for fuel before the next time I eat. I'm picturing it like one of those coal locomotives, where they had to shovel coal in the furnace every so often to keep the train moving. I'm trying to tweak it so I'm eating just enough each time for my body to burn it up for energy and be ready for the next refueling.

    I'm NEVER hungry which reminds me that I am not eating enough for my body to be burning, otherwise I'd feel some hunger at some point in between meals. It's a constant tweak..... don't give up!! You're at least paying attention and trying to do it healthy. That's a positive in my book!! :)
  • salto
    salto Posts: 30 Member
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    Looking at your food diary, I think you really need to get some variety in what you're eating. Looks to me like you're eating a lot of pre-packaged, processed foods. Also, are you sure you're tracking everything? I noticed one day the only food you had entered for dinner was wine. Not good. Your journal looks sparse. You should definitely have a lot more food in there for the calories you are eating. In other words, you are eating calorie dense foods - foods that have a lot of calories in a smaller portion. Try using your calories more efficiently, on less dense foods.
  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
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    Does variety matter? I tend to make a large batch of whatever and then eat it throughout the week (I don't get bored with foods). I'm not hungry or anything like that, I'm fine with the amounts I'm eating, and yes, I'm tracking everything
  • mjd0109
    mjd0109 Posts: 152
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    I want results fast... can you really not do this on minimum cals?

    This is not meant as harsh but if you are looking for a quick fix diet, this place isn't for you.

    Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, would prefer to be at their goal weight in a couple weeks. However 99.99999% of the time that is not only not feasible, but it is also unhealthy. This site is not about going on a diet, it is about creating a new life style.

    So to answer your question; no, it can't be done by starving yourself. You will lose fat and muscle and you will either gain it all back the second you start eating in a healthy range again or you will die because you starved yourself for too long.

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