Reverse Diet Update: What the heck is going on?!

TayTayDrenDren
TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so i am 1 week into my reverse diet and i am really confused with what my body is doing? Last week i was eating about 1550 calories per day with a 50% carb, 30% protein, and 20% macro split. My numbers were about 195g Carbs, 116g protein, and 34g fat. Last week my weekly average was somewhere between 116-117lbs and before that i was having some problems with binge eating since my calories were really low. However, even though im eating more Carbs than i normally have been (which i hear makes you hold more water and thus weight), my weight shot down like a rock and i see anywhere between 113-114lbs on the scale. On top of that my body fat % has not decreased. My head is spinning here because i dont know if all the binging has just made me gain water weight or if im actually losing muscle and need to fix this fast. What should i do?

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    But you don't actually know how much you were eating before you put your calories up to do a reverse because you were binging?
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    But you don't actually know how much you were eating before you put your calories up to do a reverse because you were binging?

    Yeah...before i started binging, that was about where i was so thats where i started. Im scared and i dont know what to do.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    you have no good baseline...I'd recommend not do any kind of "reverse diet" - use the recommended calories MFP gives you, eat back a portion of your workout calories and log everything
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    But you don't actually know how much you were eating before you put your calories up to do a reverse because you were binging?

    Yeah...before i started binging, that was about where i was so thats where i started. Im scared and i dont know what to do.

    If minor fluctuations on the scale are scaring you, it might be time to evaluate your relationship to this process. Take a deep breath. It's 3 pounds and people often report weight fluctuations when they increase their calories even though it can seem counter-intuitive.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    If you've been binging it's likely you were consuming a whole lot more calories, including carbs. Surely that's something to take in to consideration?

    (I'd also consider increasing your fat)
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
    Im extemely nervous because my thighs are the same size as when i started but the skinfold on them is thicker than when i started. Im going around in circles and i really dont want to gain any more fat!
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    If you've been binging it's likely you were consuming a whole lot more calories, including carbs. Surely that's something to take in to consideration?

    (I'd also consider increasing your fat)

    So i guess i really have been losing muscle...my thigh skinfold measurement is thicker than when i started but my thighs are the same size. I hate it! My legs are like jello now and i really just want to fix it without gaining any more fat in the process.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited April 2017
    A fluctuation of 2--3 lbs in as week is not a crisis. It's perfectly normal. If you're using a bf scale, which I assume you are since you're checking it frequently, is completely unreliable. I see youre also using calipers. I'm not convinced that you're doing the skin fold measurement accurately. One measurement site cannot determine your overall change in bf. I don't mean to sound negative, just pointing out some things to consider because it sounds like your way of thinking about all of this needs some clarity.
    Are you following a progressive strength training program designed to help you preserve muscle? Tthat would be a great help to you.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Tay.. definitely time to put away the calipers...

    Also it has been one week. On top of that your calories are all over the place because of your binging/restricting so it will be really hard to know what is going on.

    Maybe it's time to get to the bottom of the binges and talk to someone about it? It seems to me you need to get your relationship with food sorted before you can make any sort of progress.
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    A fluctuation of 2--3 lbs in as week is not a crisis. It's perfectly normal. If you're using a bf scale, which I assume you are since you're checking it frequently, is completely unreliable. I see youre also using calipers. I'm not convinced that you're doing the skin fold measurement accurately. One measurement site cannot determine your overall change in bf. I don't mean to sound negative, just pointing out some things to consider because it sounds like your way of thinking about all of this needs some clarity.
    Are you following a progressive strength training program designed to help you preserve muscle? Tthat would be a great help to you.

    Yes im following the program in Mike Matthews "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger". I just know that my BF has increased because my weight was around this level when i started and my thigh measurement was around 15-17 mm. Now i get around 18-21mm and my thighs are the same size. This sucks for me because according to all of the calculators ive been using, im at around 21-22% BF and in the plan ive been reading, i need to be at at least 20% BF to start gaining weight or ill run into problems gaining muscle and losing fat in the long run.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited April 2017
    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    A fluctuation of 2--3 lbs in as week is not a crisis. It's perfectly normal. If you're using a bf scale, which I assume you are since you're checking it frequently, is completely unreliable. I see youre also using calipers. I'm not convinced that you're doing the skin fold measurement accurately. One measurement site cannot determine your overall change in bf. I don't mean to sound negative, just pointing out some things to consider because it sounds like your way of thinking about all of this needs some clarity.
    Are you following a progressive strength training program designed to help you preserve muscle? Tthat would be a great help to you.

    Yes im following the program in Mike Matthews "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger". I just know that my BF has increased because my weight was around this level when i started and my thigh measurement was around 15-17 mm. Now i get around 18-21mm and my thighs are the same size. This sucks for me because according to all of the calculators ive been using, im at around 21-22% BF and in the plan ive been reading, i need to be at at least 20% BF to start gaining weight or ill run into problems gaining muscle and losing fat in the long run.

    Forget the calculators, they are all likely very inaccurate.

    Again, you are underweight.. you need to gain. Go straight to gain.. don't work on cutting/recomping or worrying about your BF% or thigh measurements or losing muscle... you need to gain.

    You will run into way more problems being underweight vs. gaining more fat than muscle, believe me.

    Again.. I highly recommend to talk to someone because you seem to be very focused and overly concerned about little changes in your body and then with the binging.. all of this will prevent you from reaching your goals.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    you need to talk to someone - a slight variation like you mentioned - is within the realm of standard error of measurement, it doesn't mean you have gained or lost body fat. also repeating at such a frequent interval isn't going to give you good data to work with - no time for trends to develop and changes to take place
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