I gained weight this week even though I averaged 1200 calories a day. Why?

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nlutece
nlutece Posts: 9 Member
edited January 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
**I'm 5'8 and 140 pounds as of today for reference

My diary is open for viewing. I don't eat any flour or sugar, and I weigh everything I eat. I did not deviate from the foods I logged at all. Absolutely not. All of the recipes I logged like "Tilapia with Mango Salsa" and "Berry Smoothie Bowl" were homemade by me and added exactly according to nutritional labels on the packages. I weighed and measured absolutely everything. I even ran several times this week and I do not eat back the calories I burn.

Are there just some weeks you don't lose weight and drop it all at once? I did go on antidepressants, but it's a low dose 10mg and I've already been on it for six weeks.

My ultimate goal is to get a six pack and this is pretty discouraging.
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Replies

  • Nice2BFitAgain
    Nice2BFitAgain Posts: 319 Member
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    Please do not obsess - You look pretty fit in your photos, maybe you should not concentrate so much on loosing weight, but more on gaining muscle. For that you'd need to eat a bit more and start either body weight exercises or progressively start lifting weights (as heavy as you can). As a young male (21 y.o.) you should be eating more than 1200 calories to stay fit. Especially if you are running. Take a look at this.....just in case. http://elitedaily.com/life/eating-disorder-gender/1336682/
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear, and 1200 is too low for you. You should be eating 1500 net calories (including exercise calories) minimum, and even that is going to be too low at your size since you're at a healthy BMI.
  • starbuckaddict
    starbuckaddict Posts: 38 Member
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    Just a question, is there a specific reason you're only eating 1200 calories? Cause you're tall, male, and active so you can eat more. Do you have food anxiety at all? Sorry if I'm asking the wrong questions, I'm just curious cause the main reason I was/sometimes still am undereating is because I have severe food anxiety. I over concentrate on the number on the scale also. So I was just wondering if you've realized that you could eat more than 1200 and it will fuel your workouts and your weight loss.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    You are at a perfect weight.
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
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    For a 21 year old male, you're at a super healthy BMI. Besides, 1200 is too low for a man of your height. Are you at least eating your exercise calories back?

    Could your medication cause water retention? Definitely broach that with your doctor.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    Water retention. Also, you're quite slim as it is and you're not going to see much of a weight loss each week. Also, 1200 calories is an insanely small amount of a calories for a young man of your age and size who is physically active. Please consider focusing on the quality of your nutrition and of your workouts instead of focusing on eating as little as you can, so that you can be healthy.
  • PlantBasedRnr
    PlantBasedRnr Posts: 129 Member
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    Up your caloric intake - I know it sounds counter intuitive but trust me it works... I was recently going through the same thing... the pounds were falling off, I was watching what I ate and exercising like crazy and then I hit a plateau and my weight was slowly creeping back up... when you restrict your calories to the extreme then your body will respond and conserve the calories you do give it. Trust me on this one - I was on a 1500 calorie diet when it happened and then I went back and tweeked my diet to 2000 calories and now I am losing weight again and feel much better.
  • ladywishingstar
    ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
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    What everyone else said. You are perfectly healthy and if you want a six pack, weight loss is not the focus but muscle gain is. To gain muscle you must eat more calories to be able to build muscle. Eat about 2000 a day while working out and you should have a nice stomach in a few months. Losing weight especially when your already at a perfect weight with low muscle mass considered, is only making you have even less muscle.
  • nlutece
    nlutece Posts: 9 Member
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    My plan was to start serious weight training in February and going up to 2000 calories a day. Do you guys think it will help abs show to put on muscle though? I still have a decent layer of fat on my abs and it seems like I will need to lose at least 10lbs of fat before you see them.

    Also, if I up my calorie intake to 1500 now, any recommendations for what I should make up those calories with? Protein shakes? More chicken breast?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    OP, weight loss isn't linear, and since you are already at a low weight it will be even harder to see any movement. It is perfectly normal to not lose any weight in one week, when your goal should be to lose a half pound per week.

    It takes a considerable amount of time to get a "6 pack", and for some people genetically it will never happen.

    Having said all that, I am 20 years older than you, 5 inches shorter, and 5 lbs lighter, And I am eating 1800 calories a day to maintain. You are NOT eating enough. Personally, I don't think you have weight to lose, but at most you should be aiming for one-half pound loss per week and eating all those calories, ensuring you are getting enough protein and lifting heavy weights to maintain your muscle mass. If you insist on losing weight, enter your stats into MFP, choose a one-half pound per week goal, and eat EVERY SINGLE CALORIE.

    You would probably be better off doing a recomp, eating at maintenance and lifting heavy weights to build muscle. Either plan requires patience. If you want to make vanity changes at a healthy weight, they don't happen in a few weeks. They take months or even years.
  • starbuckaddict
    starbuckaddict Posts: 38 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    At most you should be aiming for one-half pound loss per week and eating all those calories, ensuring you are getting enough protein and lifting heavy weights to maintain your muscle mass. If you insist on losing weight, enter your stats into MFP, choose a one-half pound per week goal, and eat EVERY SINGLE CALORIE.

    You would probably be better off doing a recomp, eating at maintenance and lifting heavy weights to build muscle. Either plan requires patience. If you want to make vanity changes at a healthy weight, they don't happen in a few weeks. They take months or even years.

    This is great advice.
  • ladywishingstar
    ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I say maintain or try at 1500 make up the calories with whatever you feel fit and then go onto your plan in february with serious weight training at 2000 calories. as you work your body you will burn off the fat. (although technically all fat is still there, just shrunken down cells) When you deplete calories is is not helping you lose the fat because you are too thin, your body is probablys turning your muscle into fat To be completely honest, at least if you arent doing anything to maintain your muscle you have right now.

    Also agree with kimny
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Calm down. You probably just need to poop. The numbers will even out eventually. And like everyone said, try to gain some muscle. If you do have a higher body fat percentage, you'll need to lose fat and gain muscle. But I'd focus on gaining first and THEN seeing if you even need to lose fat, because you may not need to.
  • Nice2BFitAgain
    Nice2BFitAgain Posts: 319 Member
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    nlutece wrote: »
    My plan was to start serious weight training in February and going up to 2000 calories a day. Do you guys think it will help abs show to put on muscle though? I still have a decent layer of fat on my abs and it seems like I will need to lose at least 10lbs of fat before you see them.

    Also, if I up my calorie intake to 1500 now, any recommendations for what I should make up those calories with? Protein shakes? More chicken breast?

    If you've been eating at 1200 cals for a while don't just up to 2000 cals right away, go up 200 at a time every 2 weeks. That way you don't see a 5# gain (which is ok) and get scared.

    What are you eating and how much right now, a typical day?

    Don't wait to start weight training, you should have been doing it all along just to preserve your muscle while losing weight.
  • nlutece
    nlutece Posts: 9 Member
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    I was on a great weight training routine in the summer and I saw decent results, but school got too busy and I couldn't keep up. The reason I wanted to start the gym again in February was because my university gym will be filled with people in January but it thins out more in February. I don't really like working out around too many people.
  • Nice2BFitAgain
    Nice2BFitAgain Posts: 319 Member
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    nlutece wrote: »
    I was on a great weight training routine in the summer and I saw decent results, but school got too busy and I couldn't keep up. The reason I wanted to start the gym again in February was because my university gym will be filled with people in January but it thins out more in February. I don't really like working out around too many people.

    Do body weight training for now - you don't need a gym, especially if you are uncomfortable there. Google convict training or body weight training. There are some really good workouts that will get you started until you feel good about going to the gym again. Keep in mind too - it does take a lot of time and effort to see big differences. You'll see more toning, but to see bigger muscles, it could take 6 months to a year +

    You haven't said yet what your eating and how much

  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
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    I'm in agreement with the posters who suggest eating at LEAST 1500 and then eating back your workout cals. I think it's fine that you "gained" this week. Your weight will fluctuate! I would also suggest starting strength training immediately and not waiting for February. You'll be able to eat more as well as cut fat. PS, your weight number will likely increase but your body will look more sculpted when lifting weights. Be careful about how obsessed you are with losing weight. I battled an eating disorder in my 20's and it lasted quite some time. It's a sad place to be and I'm thankful I went to treatment and got my issues straightened out before more mental and physical damage was done.
  • PlantBasedRnr
    PlantBasedRnr Posts: 129 Member
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    Also, if I up my calorie intake to 1500 now, any recommendations for what I should make up those calories with? Protein shakes? More chicken breast?

    It depends on what you are using your calories on - if you are doing a lot of lifting then Protein - if you are doing a lot of cardio then Carbs.
  • BuddhaB0y
    BuddhaB0y Posts: 199 Member
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    Abs don't just appear because you lose fat... Yes you do need under 6% body fat to show them, but everyone I know who has ever had abs that showed gave the same advice... Crunches crunches crunches.

    You have to go crazy on the ab workouts to develop them.

    Like the others said you need more calories, especially protien.

    Some lucky people have easy ab development and some people have to work at it like crazy. It's just another weird wonderful terrible unfair things about our bodies.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    You're in your 20's, male and eating 1200 calories? Dude, you're body is likely in homeostasis for that little amount of calories. Even if you're just walking around, you're TDEE is likely around 2500.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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