Confused!

Floydo2014 · June 2018

I totally get that weight loss isnt linear and that there can be days or even weeks when you won't lose anything. What confuses me is that I can go though say a 6 month period of eating pretty much what I want and gradually putting on around 10-14lb. When I start counting calories and cutting out cake and pizza I lose 4-5lb in a month and then it slows down. Will it take me the full 6 months to lose what I put on?

callsitlikeiseeit · June 2018

it usually takes longer to lose it than to gain it.

TavistockToad · June 2018

you lose quickly at the start because a chunk is water weight.

Floydo2014 · June 2018

TavistockToad wrote: »

you lose quickly at the start because a chunk is water weight.

Is that the water in the fat cells?

Deviette · June 2018

Floydo2014 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

you lose quickly at the start because a chunk is water weight.

Is that the water in the fat cells?

I think I saw a program once that said it mostly came from your liver. And as you continue maintaining the weightloss deficit you body adjusts and you gain back the water in your liver (this helps explain plateaus), because it's supposed to be there.

I don't have a source for this however and I don't want to spread misinformation, is anyone able to confirm/find sources?

mkculs · June 2018

If you have only gained 10-15 lbs, then you are back at losing "the last 10" or so--which is usually very slow, no matter if you have been in maintenance for a while before gaining them, or if they are the last 10 at the end of a steady 90 lb loss. You could probably tell US what you learn about it--6 months to gain, how many months to lose? As someone said, it will probably take longer--the question is, how much longer?

Diatonic12 · June 2018

For every dieting excursion and rebound there is a metabolic blowback.

bad-luck-crazy-rabbit-emoticon.gif?1292793763

Compensating with more dieting, the metabolism will shift again. It will take 2-3 X the amount of time to release it as regain it. This is why I stopped dieting cold turkey. You might have to change the type of workouts you normally do for awhile. Not eat less and exercise more but something that lowers stress hormones and restores balance to the neuroendocrine system with rest and recovery. Then you can change your routine again.

joemac1988 · June 2018

Keep in mind that as your weight decreases, your calorie requirement (and deficit) also decrease. Example:
Starting weight: 150lbs
Starting cals with 500 cal deficit: 1750
Current weight: 145lbs (3% bw lost)
Current deficit should reduce by 3% too making them 1700.

Make sense?

brightresolve · June 2018

mkculs wrote: »

If you have only gained 10-15 lbs, then you are back at losing "the last 10" or so--which is usually very slow, no matter if you have been in maintenance for a while before gaining them, or if they are the last 10 at the end of a steady 90 lb loss. You could probably tell US what you learn about it--6 months to gain, how many months to lose? As someone said, it will probably take longer--the question is, how much longer?

^^ This. The last 10 is hard, the last 5 even harder. I found my loss almost undetectable. I have to log weight daily here and look at the way the zig zag gets ever more slowly closer to goal (asymptotically approaches for you math geeks out there).... If data doesn't make you squee, then just get a trending app. Consistency and accuracy and the long term is the key.

LiftHeavyThings27105 · June 2018

Mari22na wrote: »

For every dieting excursion and rebound there is a metabolic blowback.

Correct......the whole concept of "Diet History" comes into play (assuming that OP has dieted and gained it back and dieted and gained it back and dieted....y'all get the point here). The more we do this the more difficult (for lack of a better word, please give me some latitude on this) it is "the next time".....

The human body loves this thing called "homeostasis" and it has two functions (effectively): 1. to survive and 2. to adapt.

Anyway, what I like to do is to look at things in terms of one week (instead of one day). I weigh myself every day at the same time on the same scale (that has not moved) and simply "plot that data point". I then - for the week - look at the trend. Is it going in the right direction (whatever that might be)?

Also, @joemac1988 makes a really important point....as your body weight changed (no matter the direction) you need to keep in mind that you need to re-*kitten* your TDEE. This will affect your "maintenance calories" (and, by definition, your 'caloric surplus' number and your 'caloric deficit' number).

Just making up numbers (well, using me as the example) when you weight is 215lbs your maintenance is one number (say 2210 calories). But, when your weight is 205lbs your maintenance is a different number (say 2050 calories). That 160 calorie a day change can make a huge difference. Over time.....

Does this all make sense? I ask because I tend to use 10,000 words (and so few today are used to that...everyone wants the 140-charachter tweet (yes, I know - they increased it to 280!).

heybales · June 2018

Floydo2014 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

you lose quickly at the start because a chunk is water weight.

Is that the water in the fat cells?

No - not much water in fat cells.

Usually the mere act of watching what you eat causes people to eat lower sodium levels than prior - decent amount of water weight lost there. Besides fact of less food means less sodium too usually.

Eating less causes less carbs to be available for storage in muscles (liver gets first dibs on available so it's usually topped off when possible) which has attached water.

Less food in stomach too.

There's first big water weight drop, that will come right back when you start eating at maintenance.

Many times exercise being started now causes a water weight gain, so initial big loss, then nothing or a gain, even if fat is still being lost, and inches are going down.
Blood volume increases for increased transport of more oxygen and cooling to muscles being used more now.
Increased carb storage in muscles with attached water for the workload being put on them - so while initial decrease due to less carbs, now an increase if possible (though still below what body would desire usually, and again eating at maintenance means a bigger increase than what was lost).

Floydo2014 · June 2018

Thanks all for great insights! Does mfp adjust the calorie
allowance as you loose weight?

alicia163425 · June 2018

Floydo2014 wrote: »

Thanks all for great insights! Does mfp adjust the calorie
allowance as you loose weight?

I have found that I have to update it as I go as it will not automatically change. I do this like once a month or so but you could do it weekly on weigh in days. This is my experience at least!

richardkarate · June 2018

Hi joined 10 days ago just looking around and read this good look with your loss

heybales · June 2018

Floydo2014 wrote: »

Thanks all for great insights! Does mfp adjust the calorie
allowance as you loose weight?

After you have logged a 10 lb total weight loss - it asks if you want to adjust calorie goals.

Any less than that is so minor in calories just not worth the hassle.

psychod787 · June 2018

First off, cortisol release is acute with exercise. While dieting history is important, but not as much as diet as a whole. As above, when you cut carbs, such as cake and pizza, along with adding exercise, you can and do use muscle glycogen. When you shed glycogen, you shed water. Are you weighing and measuring food? I understand eating clean, but when you hit a plateau.... then what? Eat cleaner? quoting layne norton btw.

Confused!

Replies

Categories