Weight Gain, HELP! (From calorie increase)
ButterflyBrains
Posts: 56 Member
In the past I have struggled for years with a restrict/ binge/ repeat cycle, resulting in nothing but weight gain.
I was recently told that if I increase my calorie intake, I will no longer feel the urge to binge, and that it was simply because of the extreme restricting I was doing.
I have now been eating about 1,500 calories a day, and I haven't binged in a while. However, I have also gained 10lbs.
I was told that after a while, my metabolism will adjust, and I will start to lose weight. How long does that process take, exactly? Am I eating too many calories? I can't handle any more weight gain. Help!
I was recently told that if I increase my calorie intake, I will no longer feel the urge to binge, and that it was simply because of the extreme restricting I was doing.
I have now been eating about 1,500 calories a day, and I haven't binged in a while. However, I have also gained 10lbs.
I was told that after a while, my metabolism will adjust, and I will start to lose weight. How long does that process take, exactly? Am I eating too many calories? I can't handle any more weight gain. Help!
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Replies
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What are your stats?0
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Edit0
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tamsin_brown wrote: »1.500 calories is not high! I know that I still lose on that amount. Are you tracking and weighing accurately?
how do you know that without knowing OP's stats and activity level?????0 -
OP - do you use a food scale?0
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TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs0 -
tamsin_brown wrote: »1.500 calories is not high! I know that I still lose on that amount. Are you tracking and weighing accurately?
Yes, I'm quite certain I am.0 -
How long ago did you recover? Are you fully recovered or still in recovery? Have you talked to a specialist?0
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CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »tamsin_brown wrote: »1.500 calories is not high! I know that I still lose on that amount. Are you tracking and weighing accurately?
Yes, I'm quite certain I am.
do you use a food scale?0 -
CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »
When upping calories, it is common to see a slight increase on the scale. With your stats and 1500 calories, 10 pounds seems like more than a slight increase. You need to use a food scale to be more accurate.0 -
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Did you slowly add in those calories? Like 100 cals/day for a week and then 200 and so on? That's what I had to do.0
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CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »
OK - you are more than likely under estimating calories which is putting your into a surplus.
I am guess that your problem is glycogen replenishment from increasing calories (this is just temporary water weight gain about 0-5 pound increase) + under estimation of calories which means you are eating more than 1500 calories a day.
I would suggest getting a food scale and weighing all solids and as many liquids as possible…it will be an eye opener….
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CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
this too …
125 to 130 would probable be a more reasonable goal ….
do you strength train OP?0 -
You're eating more than you think.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
agree.... with 20 lbs to go???? Yikes... are seeing someone currently for your ED? The scale is far more helpful than a measuring cup but if you're actively in your illness... a doc or nutritionist doesn't always recommend keeping track that way.
Ppl are sharing this because we care, not because we're trying to be critical... just don't want your head to think that when you read the replies. I agree I think your thought process is being led by your ED at the moment. Might also have everything to do with why you're panicking over a slight weight gain which your body is likely telling you it needs!
Take care of your body...we only get one!
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CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »
Measuring cups and following package serving size renders inaccurate results. If you want to know your intake weighing food is the best option. You also will need to do some research to ensure you are choosing accurate entries because there's A LOT of inaccurate entries in the database. Be sure you weigh everything you can possibly can. Never trust that a medium anything has so many calories because sizes are in the perception.
Some examples of how inaccurate MFP's database is:
When I was searching for salmon, the calories varies from 45 to 70 calories per ounce. From research, I know it's about 60.
One medium banana is 110 calories. First of all, what does medium look like? Secondly, you get a bunch of bananas and they usually all look the same size but will often vary in weight. You will find that "medium" banana when weighed in grams is anywhere from 90 to 145 calories. That's a big difference.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter, or 32 grams, is supposed to be something like 190 calories. Well, that is incorrect because 2 tablespoons of peanut butter usually weighs more than 32 grams.
All the little inaccuracies can add up very quickly and kill a calorie deficit.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
this too …
125 to 130 would probable be a more reasonable goal ….
do you strength train OP?
Agree with these two as well.0 -
These things your snacking on contain a lot of calories as well remember all calories are equal. I remember eating carrot stick thinking they wouldn't affect me at that time i was wrong, a calorie is s calorie whether it be from fruit, vegetables or a bag of chips.0 -
pennystaplessnyder wrote: »Did you slowly add in those calories? Like 100 cals/day for a week and then 200 and so on? That's what I had to do.
That sounds like a good idea.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
No, that is actually the weight I have maintaned without even trying, the whole time I was in college. I ate completely healthy (usure of the calories), and I didn't even work out.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
this too …
125 to 130 would probable be a more reasonable goal ….
do you strength train OP?
I strength train, but I don't go out of my way to do cardio.0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
agree.... with 20 lbs to go???? Yikes... are seeing someone currently for your ED? The scale is far more helpful than a measuring cup but if you're actively in your illness... a doc or nutritionist doesn't always recommend keeping track that way.
Ppl are sharing this because we care, not because we're trying to be critical... just don't want your head to think that when you read the replies. I agree I think your thought process is being led by your ED at the moment. Might also have everything to do with why you're panicking over a slight weight gain which your body is likely telling you it needs!
Take care of your body...we only get one!
Everyone needs to stop thinking they know what weight I should be, just from the stats I posted above.
Everyone's body is different, and I know what is a healthy weight for me.
10lbs is not just "a slight weight gain", either.
I take great care of my body, and I am not depriving it in any way.
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CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »Hearts_2015 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
agree.... with 20 lbs to go???? Yikes... are seeing someone currently for your ED? The scale is far more helpful than a measuring cup but if you're actively in your illness... a doc or nutritionist doesn't always recommend keeping track that way.
Ppl are sharing this because we care, not because we're trying to be critical... just don't want your head to think that when you read the replies. I agree I think your thought process is being led by your ED at the moment. Might also have everything to do with why you're panicking over a slight weight gain which your body is likely telling you it needs!
Take care of your body...we only get one!
Everyone needs to stop thinking they know what weight I should be, just from the stats I posted above.
Everyone's body is different, and I know what is a healthy weight for me.
10lbs is not just "a slight weight gain", either.
I take great care of my body, and I am not depriving it in any way.
I have to say I agree with you. If your goal weight is within the healthy range, even at the bottom of it, then it's a healthy weight, regardless of what others may think. It is important to eat and exercise to reach and maintain that weight, but it can certainly be done. There's no law that says you have to be in the middle of the healthy range to be healthy. If you get to to your goal and still aren't happy, then it's seriously time to look at recomp, adding muscle and losing any fat that you don't like. What you DON'T do at that point is cut weight further. THAT is what would be disordered. Then the scale becomes a measure of a number you don't want to go below as you diet carefully to support either a recomp or bulk cycle.
I also maintained a very low BMI (19) through my mid thirties, eating healthy and exercising moderately, with seemingly no effort. Of course, eventually that changed. But it was in no way disordered.....
As for your original question, 1500 calories should work for you, particularly if you don't eat back your exercise calories. The initial gain shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't got down to 1200 because it's just too hard to get all your nutrients and keep up your energy with that much restriction. It's just not necessary. But that being said, I'd get a food scale. Measuring cups are notoriously deceiving when it comes to measuring solids, even if they're mushy like cottage cheese or peanut butter (vs chunky like chopped carrots). A scale is your friend. You may have easily been exceeding 1500 calories and not know it. Stick to 1500 carefully for a month and see what happens.0 -
OP...while I agree with using a scale to weight your food...unless...you feel as if being that strict will put you back in the restrict/binge mode. You said that you have only been eating this way for a month so my guess would be that your weight gain will settle down after your body has adjusted. By any chance have you considered seeing a dietician to help you set up an eating plan?0
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kikichewie wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »Hearts_2015 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »CrazyRabbitLady9 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »What are your stats?
Age: 21
Height: 5'5
Current Weight: 145lbs (Gained from 135lbs)
Goal Weight: 115lbs
Your goal weight is about 3lbs from underweight, sounds like your eating disorder talking rather than a healthy goal.
agree.... with 20 lbs to go???? Yikes... are seeing someone currently for your ED? The scale is far more helpful than a measuring cup but if you're actively in your illness... a doc or nutritionist doesn't always recommend keeping track that way.
Ppl are sharing this because we care, not because we're trying to be critical... just don't want your head to think that when you read the replies. I agree I think your thought process is being led by your ED at the moment. Might also have everything to do with why you're panicking over a slight weight gain which your body is likely telling you it needs!
Take care of your body...we only get one!
Everyone needs to stop thinking they know what weight I should be, just from the stats I posted above.
Everyone's body is different, and I know what is a healthy weight for me.
10lbs is not just "a slight weight gain", either.
I take great care of my body, and I am not depriving it in any way.
I have to say I agree with you. If your goal weight is within the healthy range, even at the bottom of it, then it's a healthy weight, regardless of what others may think. It is important to eat and exercise to reach and maintain that weight, but it can certainly be done. There's no law that says you have to be in the middle of the healthy range to be healthy. If you get to to your goal and still aren't happy, then it's seriously time to look at recomp, adding muscle and losing any fat that you don't like. What you DON'T do at that point is cut weight further. THAT is what would be disordered. Then the scale becomes a measure of a number you don't want to go below as you diet carefully to support either a recomp or bulk cycle.
I also maintained a very low BMI (19) through my mid thirties, eating healthy and exercising moderately, with seemingly no effort. Of course, eventually that changed. But it was in no way disordered.....
As for your original question, 1500 calories should work for you, particularly if you don't eat back your exercise calories. The initial gain shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't got down to 1200 because it's just too hard to get all your nutrients and keep up your energy with that much restriction. It's just not necessary. But that being said, I'd get a food scale. Measuring cups are notoriously deceiving when it comes to measuring solids, even if they're mushy like cottage cheese or peanut butter (vs chunky like chopped carrots). A scale is your friend. You may have easily been exceeding 1500 calories and not know it. Stick to 1500 carefully for a month and see what happens.
Thank you, this was a very helpful answer.0
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