if I go 700-2000 calories over my weekly limit for weight loss will I gain weight?

Cambrisha
Cambrisha Posts: 5
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I am a 5'2, 134 lb female and I've lost 17 lbs so far. MFP has my daily calorie goal set to 1340. Lately these past few weeks I've been having a hard time staying at or under 1340. I've been hitting 1500-1600 most days and my weekly nutrition says I'm over 2000 calories above my weekly limit sometimes. Is this enough to gain weight? I still want to lose 15 more pounds but I'm afraid if I keep doing this I will gain it all back.

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    1340 puts you in a deficit. It's likely that your actual maintenance calories is around 1600 or even more meaning if you are to eat that calorie intake you should remain at your same weight.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    It's very unlikely your current intake is above maintenance needs. If you find that you aren't losing after a few more weeks to a month, then you know you need to lower your intake.

    I just did a quick rough estimation on health-calc (which I find is pretty on-point for slim people). Without exercise, you could possibly maintain on about 1870 calories. And with so little to lose, I wouldn't aim for such a large (1300ish) deficit anymore. I'd actually say that 1600 is a much better number to shoot for for ~0.5lb/week loss. 1500 could be around 3-3.5lbs/month if you feel okay eating only 1500 (e.g. not too hungry, good gym performance if you work out, not crabby)
  • Cambrisha
    Cambrisha Posts: 5
    Thank you very much! I appreciate the info!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    depends on your TDEE (height, weight, age, gender, activtiy)

    if you're eating above it yes you will, if below no you'll keep losing but the closer you are to TDEE the more accurate you have to be on logging and the slower you'll lose

    it's good to lose slowly if you're on the home stretch

  • lolly715
    lolly715 Posts: 106
    If you're finding it hard to stick to, try lowering your loss per week rate. It might be too high for your goals. Your sedentary TDEE is pretty low due to being fairly small already, but you should be able to increase your calories by even 100 every day and still lose - more if you exercise.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    MFP seems to generally calculate maintenance, or loss calories pretty low because they don't count in exercise. I would use a couple of different calculators online to find your TDEE for your activity level, and see if you're eating 700 - 2000 calories over that per week.

    ~3500cal = 1lb, so you'd be taking anywhere from a little less than two weeks to around five weeks to gain noticeable weight from that sort of overage.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You aren't likely to gain at 1600 calories per day, but it all depends on your activity level and TDEE. Do you work out? Have an active job? Spend a lot of time at a desk or in front of the TV?
  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    With those calories, what does MFP tell you you would lose in a week if you stick to 1340 calories? 3/4 of a pound a week? If so, you're eating at or around maintenance, so your weight will stay pretty much the same.

    If you're having a hard time, eat at 1500 calories for a week. Then the next, move it down to 1450, then 1400, then 1350. Be meticulous about your calorie counting, weighing and measuring, because when you're working with such a small margin, an error can wipe out your deficit.

    Also look at what you eat. A calorie is a calorie when it comes to gaining or losing weight, but certain kinds of food will keep you full longer. I've found that eating more protein, especially for breakfast, helps me stick to a 1300 calorie a day plan (ah the pains of being short).
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Cambrisha wrote:
    I am a 5'2, 134 lb female ... MFP has my daily calorie goal set to 1300
    Going by BMI, you should be 105 - 130, so you're pretty close to a healthy weight anyway.
    BMI chart
    If you want to lose any more, it's going to be very slow. 0.5 lb / week would be a victory, and that only takes a daily deficit of 250 cal.

    Harvard Medical School says that to maintain weight while active at least 30 min / day, eat 15 cal / lb.
    130 x 15 = 1950
    So no, if you're only eating 1500 cal / day you won't be gaining weight.
    120 x 15 = 1800
    So you're even eating below maintenance for the weight you're aiming for.

    51637601.png
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    Cambrisha wrote:
    I am a 5'2, 134 lb female ... MFP has my daily calorie goal set to 1300
    Going by BMI, you should be 105 - 130, so you're pretty close to a healthy weight anyway.
    BMI chart
    If you want to lose any more, it's going to be very slow. 0.5 lb / week would be a victory, and that only takes a daily deficit of 250 cal.

    Harvard Medical School says that to maintain weight while active at least 30 min / day, eat 15 cal / lb.
    130 x 15 = 1950
    So no, if you're only eating 1500 cal / day you won't be gaining weight.
    120 x 15 = 1800
    So you're even eating below maintenance for the weight you're aiming for.

    51637601.png

    That equation would make me eat around 200 over my TDEE and I do more exercise than that with an HRM and a fitbit for general walking

    I'd be very careful using that
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    I agree with rabbitjb. Generalizations like that work for some people but not for others. If I exercised for 30 minutes a day and ate according to that equation, I'd actually be steadily losing weight.
  • Dawmelvan
    Dawmelvan Posts: 133 Member
    Cambrisha wrote: »
    I am a 5'2, 134 lb female and I've lost 17 lbs so far. MFP has my daily calorie goal set to 1340. Lately these past few weeks I've been having a hard time staying at or under 1340. I've been hitting 1500-1600 most days and my weekly nutrition says I'm over 2000 calories above my weekly limit sometimes. Is this enough to gain weight? I still want to lose 15 more pounds but I'm afraid if I keep doing this I will gain it all back.

    MFP calculates your daily calories you need to eat to not lose weight and maintain. I think it's under Your Profile. That's the amount you want to stay under to not gain. For example, I have a sedentary job, so my maintenance calories are at 1730 and 1240 to lose. I maintained a 38 pound loss for a year by averaging 1730 a day.
  • Cambrisha
    Cambrisha Posts: 5
    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    You aren't likely to gain at 1600 calories per day, but it all depends on your activity level and TDEE. Do you work out? Have an active job? Spend a lot of time at a desk or in front of the TV?
    I work out 3 days a week but its not an extremely hard workout because I have severe spinal problems plus fibromyalgia so I'm always in pain but I do treadmill for 20 min then do a few leg machines, back extensions and abs. I also work at a job where I stand for most of the time I'm there.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Some people set their calorie limit to maintenance and then just try to come in under when they can (usually by some reasonable amount). That might be something to try if want to be comfortable you aren't over without forcing yourself to hit a particular deficit every day.

    I don't do that, but it seems like an interesting idea.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    MKEgal wrote: »
    Cambrisha wrote:
    I am a 5'2, 134 lb female ... MFP has my daily calorie goal set to 1300
    Going by BMI, you should be 105 - 130, so you're pretty close to a healthy weight anyway.
    BMI chart
    If you want to lose any more, it's going to be very slow. 0.5 lb / week would be a victory, and that only takes a daily deficit of 250 cal.

    Harvard Medical School says that to maintain weight while active at least 30 min / day, eat 15 cal / lb.
    130 x 15 = 1950
    So no, if you're only eating 1500 cal / day you won't be gaining weight.
    120 x 15 = 1800
    So you're even eating below maintenance for the weight you're aiming for.

    51637601.png

    That equation would make me eat around 200 over my TDEE and I do more exercise than that with an HRM and a fitbit for general walking

    I'd be very careful using that

    I 2nd being careful about these equations. This poster regularly gives out equations such as this which I do nto advise using. at least she seems to not be telling people to eat 10x their weight for calories anymore.
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