I was eating too little?

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ladywishingstar
ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Recently I started implementing workouts into my day to get in more activity..
I raised my calories and expected myself to start gaining weight but instead of that I am losing (before I was flat lining at a lesser calorie intake)
So either the exercise is helping or I was eating too little?

Replies

  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
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    whatever you are burning from your workouts is more than the amount you raised your calories, you are still in a deficit if you are losing weight
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    ladywishingstar wrote: »
    Recently I started implementing workouts into my day to get in more activity..
    I raised my calories and expected myself to start gaining weight but instead of that I am losing (before I was flat lining at a lesser calorie intake)
    So either the exercise is helping or I was eating too little?

    It's the exercise. Can we not assume that you are burning more calories by exercising than you were by not exercising?
  • ladywishingstar
    ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
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    Well, I raised my calories and started exercise, so I thought it was weird because I was eating less with no exercise and I wasnt losing at all just maintaining
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
    edited February 2016
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    ladywishingstar wrote: »
    Well, I raised my calories and started exercise, so I thought it was weird because I was eating less with no exercise and I wasnt losing at all just maintaining

    You probably did what happens a lot. Got settled and got some calorie creep and we're eating over goals without noticing. Started exercise and upped calories si to stave off accidentally gaining you got more exact in your counting even if you don't think you did. Boom tighter logging + exercise at higher cal = better weight loss for you.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    When people increase their calories, it scares them. So subconsciously you're driven to log better. It happens all the time. Chances are it's partly that very common reaction and partly that you created a bigger deficit by adding exercise.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Definitely could have been eating too little. Especially now that you're working out, it's important to eat a little bit more. I made that mistake. Worked out without increasing protein and cal intake, and was barely seeing any physical changes. Now with a higher calorie intake and more protein in my daily diet I see tons of muscle growth and definition!
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
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    peaceout_aly wrote: »
    Definitely could have been eating too little. Especially now that you're working out, it's important to eat a little bit more. I made that mistake. Worked out without increasing protein and cal intake, and was barely seeing any physical changes. Now with a higher calorie intake and more protein in my daily diet I see tons of muscle growth and definition!

    This is junk. First off women at best in surplus of calories on protein goals LIFTING heavy are only going to put on .5 to 1lb muscle per month. At deficit probl doing cardio isn't going to build muscle.
  • ladywishingstar
    ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
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    Okay, while I understand most people make the mistake of under calculating, I have been measuring my food and putting exact servings into MFP because i am damned determined to lose... Doing that for a month only made me maintain when I was eating 1240 or less a day. Now I eat 1500 and exercise every other day except weekends and not even strict measuring of my foods and im losing.
    this is why I am confused...
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Well you could treat yourself as your personal experiment. Try weighing yourself day and night for forty days. See if you see any other patterns emerging. I found my personal pattern was closely tied to my monthly cycle (duh). Other effects include salt intake, and increase in exercise (both temporarily raising my weight).
  • ladywishingstar
    ladywishingstar Posts: 64 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Well you could treat yourself as your personal experiment. Try weighing yourself day and night for forty days. See if you see any other patterns emerging. I found my personal pattern was closely tied to my monthly cycle (duh). Other effects include salt intake, and increase in exercise (both temporarily raising my weight).

    as I need to try and at least get 3000 mg or more of salt in my day due to my heart condition.. maybe that was he issue? I have upped my water recently as well.. so maybe the water weight was the problem?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Even more surprising is to weigh yourself in the morning and again in the evening. You can have a five pound difference. That can't be fat.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    ladywishingstar wrote: »
    Okay, while I understand most people make the mistake of under calculating, I have been measuring my food and putting exact servings into MFP because i am damned determined to lose... Doing that for a month only made me maintain when I was eating 1240 or less a day. Now I eat 1500 and exercise every other day except weekends and not even strict measuring of my foods and im losing.
    this is why I am confused...

    How long was the "not losing" period and how long has the "now I'm losing" period been?

    To make things even tougher to figure out, sometimes we plateau for no reason we really can tell and it would've broken that week regardless. Maybe if you were still eating at the prior level you'd be losing even faster now. It's just hard to say. Maybe the exercise and higher calorie goal have lowered your stress level, and your cortisol level, helping you lose. So many variables.

    But I wish I had your problem. :)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    When people increase their calories, it scares them. So subconsciously you're driven to log better. It happens all the time. Chances are it's partly that very common reaction and partly that you created a bigger deficit by adding exercise.

    that. all day long.

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