Ate over calories - lost weight?

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dakotababy
dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering, as this is always an awesome surprise. I have been losing weight slower as of the past few months. In fact, I have not lost any weight over the last 3 months and no changes in my measurements.

Yesterday I ate a LOT…probably about 2700. My goal is 2000 calories. I got on the scale and lost weight this morning.

Now, since I have been plateaued for the last few months, does this mean I should increase my calorie goal? or lower it?

5'7, 168lbs. Exercise 3-4 times per week. 50% weights/50% cardio (occasional Hiit). I have been at this for 2.5 years.
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    That's hard to say. I don't think that your high calorie day and your loss on the scale are directly related. Was your deficit the week prior larger than normal?
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    well I am keeping a deficit of 250ish off of my tdee per day. Ultimately, my deficit over the week is between 200-300 calories.

    My tdee is typically 2200-2300/day. I eat 2000 per day. I don't know, my goal was to get to 150lbs, and I am at 168lbs after started at 250lbs. It is like as soon as I hit 169 - all loss has stopped. This includes measurements.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Have you recalculated your TDEE lately? I mean, that's a pretty small deficit still. Not much room for error at all.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    You're basing it on a single day?

    Weight fluctuates a lot during a weight loss. You won't instantly see yesterday's calories reflected in today's scale reading. CICO works over time as it averages out, but it's not that exact a science every time you step on the scale.

    If you haven't lost anything in the past 3 months, that's pretty much a plateau. I'd say adjust your calories downward a bit to start losing again.
  • bokaba
    bokaba Posts: 171 Member
    edited December 2014
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    ...
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Fluctuations over one day have more to do with what is in your gut rather than fat you're storing. Sometimes, eating more than normal can trigger waste to exit the system more quickly than normal. It is a temporary condition and should not be taken as an indication that eating more will result in more weight loss.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I've both lost and gained the day after eating at or above maintenance. as said above, it's not linear. If you know what your maintenance is, subtract 20% and set that as agoal, and if you have a hard time eating that because you are too hungry, increase it. Monitor your results, etc.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    You should base your calorie goal decisions on your results over the course of weeks and months. One day isn't enough data.

    There's been some speculation that eating above your normal intake level can cause you to shed some water weight. It's not fat, however.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
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    I'm guessing that you lost water weight. Eating more on a regular basis will lead to weight gain, but going over every once in a while can be a good thing, like setting a "reset" button on your weight loss. A good idea might be to eat at a small deficit (~20%) for a few weeks and then take a week off and eat at maintenance. Some people's bodies adjust to eating a lower calorie amount and they get stuck, so increasing by a little for a short time can be a good thing.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I've lost count of how many times I've read people losing weight in the week they ate more than usual. There's got to be something to it???
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    One day is irrelevant in the scheme of things. Normal, daily fluctuations.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    stephe1987 wrote: »
    I'm guessing that you lost water weight. Eating more on a regular basis will lead to weight gain, but going over every once in a while can be a good thing, like setting a "reset" button on your weight loss. A good idea might be to eat at a small deficit (~20%) for a few weeks and then take a week off and eat at maintenance. Some people's bodies adjust to eating a lower calorie amount and they get stuck, so increasing by a little for a short time can be a good thing.

    The only way a person will "get stuck" while eating less is if they have reduced their physical activity (perhaps, because they lack energy). Eating more will not reset a person to a higher activity level.
  • dwcezscd0c
    dwcezscd0c Posts: 4
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    Up your calories! Each time I hit a plateau I get so frustrated. Finally clued in the plateau is your bodies way of asking for a little bit more. Bump up calorie intake by 200. Honestly, you will start losing again!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,958 Member
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    dwcezscd0c wrote: »
    Up your calories! Each time I hit a plateau I get so frustrated. Finally clued in the plateau is your bodies way of asking for a little bit more. Bump up calorie intake by 200. Honestly, you will start losing again!
    Nope. Generally it's inaccuracy in logging foods or calories burned or both.

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Nope, but go ahead and increase your calories thats always the way to lose by creating a surplus.

    Natural fluctuations.
    Inaccurate logging of consumption and burning.
    Its not linear.

    How do you know its anything other than a fluctuation if you are basing it on one day?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    dwcezscd0c wrote: »
    Up your calories! Each time I hit a plateau I get so frustrated. Finally clued in the plateau is your bodies way of asking for a little bit more. Bump up calorie intake by 200. Honestly, you will start losing again!

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  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    dwcezscd0c wrote: »
    Up your calories! Each time I hit a plateau I get so frustrated. Finally clued in the plateau is your bodies way of asking for a little bit more. Bump up calorie intake by 200. Honestly, you will start losing again!

    Correct.

    As others here reported more calories have helped start losing again in my personal experience as well. The science supports it at well. When we fight against our hormones and brain controlling our body weight we do not win long term. Well we can starve ourselves to death but this is far from winning. The Eat More to Weight Less group exists for a reason.

    All diets work to a point and all diets fail at a point. The human body is very evolved and self controlled for the most part.

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    It's my theory that the people who up their calories lose because they start accurately logging again at their new calorie level. Logging can get tiresome, especially if you've been doing it for a while.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    obscuremusicreference wrote: »
    It's my theory that the people who up their calories lose because they start accurately logging again at their new calorie level. Logging can get tiresome, especially if you've been doing it for a while.

    I expect that can be a factor too.

    Eating at a deficit of more than 10% will at some point stop weigh loss per some research especially after one loses more than 10% of their body weight.

    One paper I read suggested a max deficit of 10% then when 10% of starting weight is loss to stop losing and maintain for six months then go for the next 10% of remaining body weight to prevent the automated regain of weight lost that occurs. We know that 83% of us do this regain thing after a large non stop weight loss.

    Based on that data a 50 pound weight loss over three years is better than a 50 pound weight loss over say 6 months.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,958 Member
    edited December 2014
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    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    obscuremusicreference wrote: »
    It's my theory that the people who up their calories lose because they start accurately logging again at their new calorie level. Logging can get tiresome, especially if you've been doing it for a while.

    I expect that can be a factor too.

    Eating at a deficit of more than 10% will at some point stop weigh loss per some research especially after one loses more than 10% of their body weight.

    If it's not a new maintenance level, no we don't stop losing weight in a deficit......I'm waisting my breath on you, no doubt about it, but hopefully misinformation like this gets corrected by someone along the line.

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