This makes NO sense!

Allegi32
Allegi32 Posts: 302 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Not that I'm complaining about this at ALL, but I just don't get it....maybe someone can help me understand?

For the previous 3-4 weeks, I'd been really good, staying at my calorie level and exercising 5 days/week, keeping my carbs low, focusing on eating fruits and veggies, whole-grain carbs when I ate them, and lean proteins. Although I lost a few inches, I lost zero pounds.

This past week, not planned at all, I went off - it was my daughter's birthday, lots of stuff happening and I was eating crap - birthday cake, pizza, etc. I didn't go completely crazy, I think I've learned how to stop eating when I'm full and not doing the "well I blew my diet anyway, might as well go crazy," but I certainly wasn't counting calories and I'm sure I was eating a ton of them. We ate out lunch and dinner a few times as well.

So here's the weird thing: last night I looked in the mirror, and my tummy is actually FLATTER. I got on the scale and I have maintained. I was sure, even just on the sodium, that I would be a couple pounds up.

So why am I killing myself to stay on track to maintain when I can eat all these calories and fat and carbs and still maintain?

Replies

  • jkleman79
    jkleman79 Posts: 706 Member
    If your body is healthy it is going to accept things differently and process them. If you were still unhealthy and eating the same stuff you always had been and not exercising then you would probably would have gained weight. Also the added muscle in your body from working out probably ate all the extra calories and carbs. The body is a pretty amazing machine and will do you right if you treat it right. Keep up the healthy eating and you can enjoy the fun from time to time. =0)
  • queenofcaffeine
    queenofcaffeine Posts: 15 Member
    Sometimes are bodies are so accustomed to being lazy, it takes a while for the lose to show up. Now that you have seen a change, get back on the right track! Take advantage of this lose & keep working at it.
    I wish you all the luck in the world! You can do this!!!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    If you haven't been netting enough calories (keeping your net around 1200 or higher) your body might not let go of the weight right away. Then when you've been eating more, it gives your body the fuel it needs to function properly, so you burn the fat. I've found that if I go over cals every once in a while, I'm able to keep up a steady rate of loss because it keeps my metabolism guessing.

    If you find you're having trouble losing weight, try throwing in a day here and there where you eat more calories (up to maintenance, but not over). Sometimes it helps.
  • elizabethblake
    elizabethblake Posts: 384 Member
    If your body is healthy it is going to accept things differently and process them. If you were still unhealthy and eating the same stuff you always had been and not exercising then you would probably would have gained weight. Also the added muscle in your body from working out probably ate all the extra calories and carbs. The body is a pretty amazing machine and will do you right if you treat it right. Keep up the healthy eating and you can enjoy the fun from time to time. =0)

    exactly! The scale didn't move because you were replacing fat with muscle (that's why you lost inches). A splurge occasionally is a GOOD thing - it keeps you from feeling deprived and shakes things up for your body.

    Congrats on knowing when to stop indulging! I've struggled with overeating too much of a good thing (ha) too, and am learning to recognize the signals from my body that I'm getting full and should stop eating. I'm also realizing that most of the foods I thought were SO GOOD (taste-wise) aren't nearly as satisfying as I remember them to be. So, it's easier to stop eating, it's easier to say No, I want to spend my calories elsewhere.
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