I'm eating more but losing faster?

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DeWoSa
DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!

MFP told me to eat 1450 calories, which I've been eating every day (usually slightly below) for the past 52 days. I've lost 11 pounds.

Two days ago, I ate about 2000 calories. Yesterday, I ate about the same amount. My activity was about the same, and the extra calories were dinner parties, so the food was nutrient dense -- turkey, mashed potatoes, buns, broccoli souffle, etc. (not a bag of chips, in other words)

I weigh myself every day. Three days ago, I was at my lowest. Yesterday morning, I was down a pound. This morning, I'm down another pound. Usually I'm down up up down up up as in 169, 172, 171, 168, 171, 170.

Now, I'm not complaining! :smiley: But of course, you can see where my mind is going -- eat more, lose more weight! But I'm pretty sure that's what made me fat in the first place. :neutral_face:

So what is going on? Why when I eat at maintenance, I appear to be losing weight more quickly? A friend of mine says that my body is in starvation mode and when I flood it with calories, it loses weight. I think that's *kitten*. Doesn't sound the least bit scientifically possible. First of all, I'm eating a lot at 1450 calories. The other day I had four meals (pork, veg, sweet potatoes, chicken, veg, sweet potatoes, egg, veg, applesauce, yogurt, Cheerios) and I still had 400 calories to go. (that was awesome by the way -- I got to have a hot chocolate to get my calories up).

Second, what possible mechanism would make me burn MORE calories if my body is in "starvation mode" and it gets more calories? It seems to me that if my body were in starvation mode, when I give it more calories, it would store those calories in case starvation mode came back.

Ok, this is getting tl;dr.

So here's the nutshell version: at 1450 I'm losing about a pound a week. At 2000, I am losing a pound a day. Should I increase my calories to 2000 and see what happens? Or is this most likely an anomoly and I should stick with the 1450 calories?


Replies

  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    you dropped water weight
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    I think that judging by only a couple of days is too short of a time span to collect accurate data. Personally, I would up it from 1450 to half of the difference which would be 1725. Do that for a week, or two, and see what's going on then. If you're still losing extremely quickly, up it the rest of the way to 2000.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear but as long as the trend is downward you are golden :) Do not add more calories, I would stay at 1450 because it is working for you.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    It sounds like you're just on your usual down-up-up-down kind of variation. I'd stick with the lower calories and make sure you're weighing everything to the gram.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    When looking at two days time, it is more about the physical composition of food than it is about chemical reactions resulting in fat accumulation. When you eat more than normal, the body tends to push whatever is in the bowels out of the system to allow for new food. If what comes out weighs more than the food consumed, your weight will go down, but you body is still absorbing the food you ate. It takes two days to do so. That food will be converted to fat and if you were to eat at maintenance for the next few days, you intake would catch up and the number on the scale will go up.
  • Ludka13
    Ludka13 Posts: 136 Member
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    Maybe you had a really big BM.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Natural fluctuation.

    People don't lose weight by eating more, they lose by eating at a calorie deficit. However, if your body is properly fueled then you have the energy to do whatever you do during your day. :smile:
  • tallmama3
    tallmama3 Posts: 22 Member
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    I like to throw a high calorie day in there once in a while- kinda changes things up a bit- I always have a nice drop- but then do go back to my "regular" calories. Your friend is right- in my opinion. Only way to know for sure is to test out a few theories, but even then it's kinda a crap shoot. Good luck! embrace your loss and keep going.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Many people have success with calorie cycling. Many people report that they break plateaus with a calorie increase. I believe them. I don't think anyone is lying! There may be something to all that. :)

    On the flip side, we cannot eat our way to skinny. Every time it comes up, I think about how lovely it would be if we could! It's a fun thought, for a minute. :)

  • VCopple
    VCopple Posts: 56 Member
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    I am not a doctor, and I'm not an expert, but I've logged on every day for almost a year now, and I noticed when I was eating 1400 or 1450 I was losing consistently. 20 pounds in 6 months.

    For the past 3 months I have been averaging 1800 calories a day and maintained. I still have about 20 pounds I want to lose, so I am trying to get back down to 1400 calories a day. Personally, with water retention and time of month, as well as different activity levels every day, I TRY really hard to only weigh myself once a week. Sometimes I will even hide my scale so I am not tempted to step on it.

    With all of that being said, I tried looking for advice here in the forums and I was given so many different opinions and suggestions I got frustrated. I finally went to a registered dietitian and we discussed what has worked for me in the past and she is the one who suggested 1400 calories a day.

    I don't know you or your stats, and I have no idea what you lifestyle is like, so the best advice I can give you is to take what everyone here says with a grain of salt and meet with your doctor or a dietitian (or both) and have them help you come up with a personalized plan.

    Good luck!
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    This can explain better why yes eating more can make you lose weight.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less
  • katielshelby
    katielshelby Posts: 137 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Many people have success with calorie cycling. Many people report that they break plateaus with a calorie increase. I believe them. I don't think anyone is lying! There may be something to all that. :)


    This. Any time I have a plateau, I over-eat for a week (which means that I eat at my maintenance level for my current weight) and BAM, I am off of the plateau. The important thing to remember is that you must go back to the deficit!
  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
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    I really appreciate the feedback, everyone. This is a great little problem for me, because I was wondering how the holidays would go.

    If I continue on my 1450 every day, then eat 2200 at Thanksgiving and at Christmas, and show a weight drop the next day, that will be so wonderful.

    It's really empowering to see a big loss after eating at maintenance. Makes me want to keep going and makes me love my body for doing it's thang so nicely!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you eat a lot at Thanksgiving, don't expect to see good results the next day,but in the long run, it is good to have a feast day once in awhile.
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
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    Glad to read this thread. I've had a couple of days away where all my food was provided. I didn't go nuts but I did eat what was there and it was great! Definitely ate at maintenance plus a little more. I was surprised to get home this evening and still weight what I did in Friday morning! I have been to the toilet a lot more frequently while I've been away though, so what was said above about your bowels pushing food through is a good possibility for me.

    Straight back on the wagon for me tonight (already been to the gym for a long swim!) and hopefully a loss by the end of the week!
  • singingdispatch100
    singingdispatch100 Posts: 20 Member
    edited November 2014
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    First of all checking your weight everyday is a bad idea-what you ate yesterday does not show up today but tomorrow or the day after in you weight change. Pick one day a week, same time and wearing the same thing to weigh yourself. Our bodies weight naturally fluctuate daily having nothing to do with what you did or ate the day before.
    Secondly eating more regular meals keeps your blood sugar level....well level. peaks and valleys in you blood sugar level mixed with lack of proper nutrients and proteins cause your body to pack on the pounds. If you keep your intake consistant through out the day, eat your first meal within 30min of waking and stop eatting within 2 hours prior to going to bed (not going to sleep, but going to bed) your will usually have better and more consistant results when steady and healthy excercise is added. Remeber that your body is still burning calories up to an hour after you stop working out and you need a low carb high protein snack with in 15mins to make the workout worth it. i have lost over 50lbs using this method.
    Lastly-large amounts of weight being lost quickly, a pound a day is a good example, has a way of coming back faster. A pound to a pound and a half a week is healthier and tends to stay off. I know that it is slower, but in the long run there is less stress on your immune system and the rest of your body.
    just a thought.
    Good luck.

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