It doesn't add up (my aha moment)
leanne0605
Posts: 183 Member
So I've been doing this is February. I'm up 3.5 lbs but my strength and overall satisfaction with food as increased tremendously. I admit I still struggle with the scale number. However, today I realized how the weight gain doesn't make sense. I'm eating between 1900- 2100 calories a day and my calories burned according to fitbit is normally between 2300 and 2600 a day. There is no way I'm gaining while eating at a deficit.
With that being said....I'm going to increase my calories more
With that being said....I'm going to increase my calories more
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Replies
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So true, you'd be losing fat weight if eating at a deficit.0
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Hey leanne
The weight gain can be from any number of things. Without knowing your past caloric intake, its hard to say why. But if you had been previously on dieting plans where calorie restriction was front and centre, your body is not sure you arent going to starve it again..Even though you are eating in a deficit, if you havent actually taken your eating level up to your maintenance level and stayed there for a bit, your body doesn't know you are actually eating more - it just thinks you are "binging" and therefore it is storing energy for when you pull the rug out again.
If you havent already, i would encourage you to read through our starter kit to help you to understand a bit more as to whats happening
http://em2wl.com/starterkit/
The good thing is you recognize the increase in strength and energy. So those things are important to keep in your head while the scale moves about.
Feel free to ask any more questions.
Kelly
Team EM2WL2 -
Hey leanne
The weight gain can be from any number of things. Without knowing your past caloric intake, its hard to say why. But if you had been previously on dieting plans where calorie restriction was front and centre, your body is not sure you arent going to starve it again..Even though you are eating in a deficit, if you havent actually taken your eating level up to your maintenance level and stayed there for a bit, your body doesn't know you are actually eating more - it just thinks you are "binging" and therefore it is storing energy for when you pull the rug out again.
If you havent already, i would encourage you to read through our starter kit to help you to understand a bit more as to whats happening
http://em2wl.com/starterkit/
The good thing is you recognize the increase in strength and energy. So those things are important to keep in your head while the scale moves about.
Feel free to ask any more questions.
Kelly
Team EM2WL
Hi,
I've been dieting for as long as i remember. I remember drinking slim fast shakes in middle school. I've always eaten around 1200 calories to lose weight. Before doing this I was eating anywhere from 1100-1600 calories a day. I will be trying to eat at maintenance for a several weeks and go from there.0 -
Hi Leanne
With that kind of dieting background I would strongly recommend a full metabolism reset.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/the-metabolism-reset-guide/
It will give your body time to heal from previous under eating damage done and repair both physically and mentally.
So glad you found the group!
Ichel
Team EM2WL1 -
This week I am setting a goal of 2400 calories/day. Sunday and Monday I was sick so I did not reach my goal. Yesterday I ate 2313 but my macros were awful. Today I will try reach my calorie goal and maintain reasonable macros.0
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leanne0605 wrote: »This week I am setting a goal of 2400 calories/day. Sunday and Monday I was sick so I did not reach my goal. Yesterday I ate 2313 but my macros were awful. Today I will try reach my calorie goal and maintain reasonable macros.
Hi Leanne
Great job! Just concentrate on one thing at a time!
Get the calories up to where they should be, then when you are consistently hitting that, then look at nailing your macros.
Just take baby steps and do one thing at a time. That way we don't get overwhelmed.
Most important thing is the calories! Put all your energy and focus right there.
Ichel
Team EM2WL1 -
leanne0605 wrote: »This week I am setting a goal of 2400 calories/day. Sunday and Monday I was sick so I did not reach my goal. Yesterday I ate 2313 but my macros were awful. Today I will try reach my calorie goal and maintain reasonable macros.
If the sickness had you a whole lot less active than normal - then you probably applied the life lesson correctly.
You do less, you eat less.
Besides the fact some sickness doesn't do well with food. That's usually made up later anyway when it does feel better and you get back to normal activity levels.
You do more, you eat more.2 -
empressichel wrote: »leanne0605 wrote: »This week I am setting a goal of 2400 calories/day. Sunday and Monday I was sick so I did not reach my goal. Yesterday I ate 2313 but my macros were awful. Today I will try reach my calorie goal and maintain reasonable macros.
Hi Leanne
Great job! Just concentrate on one thing at a time!
Get the calories up to where they should be, then when you are consistently hitting that, then look at nailing your macros.
Just take baby steps and do one thing at a time. That way we don't get overwhelmed.
Most important thing is the calories! Put all your energy and focus right there.
Ichel
Team EM2WL
I will do that. It seems like I make up the extra calories in carbs. I know with proper planning I can do this.
It's actually fun for me to see how much I can eat.1 -
This is tough. I hate feeling bigger but I know this process is necessary0
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Do you feel stronger, more energetic, more able to properly handle your food amounts?
There, 3 good things (hopefully) against the 1 possible bad thing (actually bigger, or just feel bigger?).0 -
Do you feel stronger, more energetic, more able to properly handle your food amounts?
There, 3 good things (hopefully) against the 1 possible bad thing (actually bigger, or just feel bigger?).
Yes I feel stronger, more energetic, and can handle eating more. I've gained 4 lbs since starting this. But the pros outweigh the cons.
Thanks for that.2 -
Keep focusing on feeling stronger and having more energy and how lousy it felt when it was the opposite.
This process isn't easy, but like you say, so worthwhile in the big picture scheme of things.
This might help
http://eatmore2weighless.com/reset-series-feel-control/
I think you are amazing. You've got this!
Ichel
Team EM2WL1 -
Down a smidgen off my waist.
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That's great!1
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8 sets of 5 tractor tire flips yesterday.
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Yesterday was interesting. I ate over 2300 calories and was still hungry at the end of the day. Naturally, I woke up hungry this morning.0
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I was like that a lot for a couple of weeks until I hit my TDEE.0
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Naturalnut wrote: »I was like that a lot for a couple of weeks until I hit my TDEE.
I usually burn between 2300 and 2500 calories a day (according to my Fitbit). So I thought I was pretty close.0 -
I ate the 3000 calories yesterday. I weighed myself this morning and my scale weight went down!0
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leanne0605 wrote: »I ate the 3000 calories yesterday. I weighed myself this morning and my scale weight went down!
Yes! Eat those calories! 3000 was a mental barrier for me...I seemed to up easily through the 2000's to 2950, but then my brain freaked out at 3000. It was only 50 cal more but the number on paper looked huge!!
Keep going until you find your TDEE. You'll feel amazing not gaining anything and eating the right amount of food for you.0 -
Yesterday I ate closer to 2500 calories. I got on the scale this morning to see what the result would be (it doesn't bother me I'm just curious). I'm up a pound from yesterday. For comparisons sake, I did this before at the beginning of my journey. I went from eating 1900 one day to 1500 the next because it was a lazy day. The result was an increase in scale weight.
I should also add that on my 3000 caloric intake day I didn't workout. But on my 2500 day I did HIIT for 30 mins and my macros were a lot closer to where they should be. Should I be eating closer to 3000 calories a day??0 -
The increase in weight is likely to be from the workout the day before.
Fitbits, calculators etc. can just be a guide to what your actual TDEE is.
How long have you been consistently at 2500 calories for?
Does that account for all your workouts? As in, do you log strength training into Fitbit as it doesn't calculate that.
This blog on finding your true TDEE is a really good read
http://eatmore2weighless.com/how-do-i-find-my-true-tdee/
Ichel
Team EM2WL0 -
empressichel wrote: »The increase in weight is likely to be from the workout the day before.
Fitbits, calculators etc. can just be a guide to what your actual TDEE is.
How long have you been consistently at 2500 calories for?
Does that account for all your workouts? As in, do you log strength training into Fitbit as it doesn't calculate that.
This blog on finding your true TDEE is a really good read
http://eatmore2weighless.com/how-do-i-find-my-true-tdee/
Ichel
Team EM2WL
I've only been at 2500 for a week. I never log strength training into fitbit. Well i have a Charge 2 so i set it to "Weights" when i workout.0 -
You need to manually log Weights in Fitbit.
Use the Activity Record that is created to give the you the times to use of course.
But setting it to weights is still merely a text label to make review easier instead of saying "workout".
The calorie burn is still done by means of HR-based, which is the wrong use of the calculations for non-steady-state non-aerobic based workout.
Also - you can't discern anything from day to day weigh-ins - if doing day to day, you need at least a month's worth of data to see a trend through the noise of water weight fluctuations.
If really HIIT and not just the label slapped on a circuit training or calisthenics workout, the increase in water weight in the muscles and joints would occur.
Keep in mind to minimize the known expected water weight fluctuations, the only valid weigh-in day is:
Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.
(and if doing resistance training long enough, may not be sore but still retaining water anyway)1 -
How in the world did I survive at 1100-1500 calories before? I've eaten almost 1900 today and I'm still hungry. I love feeling like I'm treating my body right. I see some of my daughter's birthday cake in my near future. What's funny is that today I was thinking that I would start my cut on May 1st. Now I'm not looking forward to it.4
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Awesome progress leanne! yes, its amazing when we realize just how little food we were eating, and how miserable it made us.
And yes, don't cut because you think you should. Cut when you are mentally ready. It isnt a race and the longer we can stay at tdee and heal, the better chances of long term success down the line. I actually think leading into summer, that it makes more sense to eat at tdee. Who doesnt want to enjoy those beers and ice creams without guilt?:)
So glad to hear you are getting it!!
Kelly
Team EM2WL1 -
@Raynn1 that's a good point. I guess I the motivation to cut was due to my rapidly approaching wedding. However I have to attend and/or be in three in May and June so it may be more fun to just eat at TDEE1
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But remember, if you become more active in Spring and Summer anyway - your TDEE just went up.
You possibly could stay at or almost at current eating level and still have a deficit to that higher TDEE.1 -
But remember, if you become more active in Spring and Summer anyway - your TDEE just went up.
You possibly could stay at or almost at current eating level and still have a deficit to that higher TDEE.
I didn't think about it that way. I plan to look at my average for January-April and do a cut from that number.0 -
I buttoned my pants..... Earlier this year I bought jeans that should have fit (same size and brand of a pair that i already wear) but they didn't. In fact, they were no where near close enough to button. When I started increasing calories in February, I decided to take a picture and use them as my guide to how things were going. Today I put them on and i was able to button them and breathe! I'm actually in shock. I'm up six pounds and didn't feel like I was making any physical changes. I needed that today.6
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