I'm lowering my calories back down
OAS5
Posts: 376 Member
About 2 to 3 weeks ago I upped my calories to 2,000-2,100 from 1,500-1,600 after being down 70 pounds with just 12 to go.
Well I'm going back down to 1,600 to 1,700. I just do not like what is going on with the scale, especially this week. I have an extremely active job so I especially do not like what is going on with the scale in the morning.
2 days ago I was back down to 204.6 and the last 2 days 205.2 and 205.4 after hitting a low of 202.6 when I upped my calories. I did see 202.8 with the upped calories about 5 or 6 days ago but I think I'm still gonna lower my calories down.
What do you guys think? Am I just panicking? Any advice would be great. I will say I am freaking pissed this morning at the last 2 weigh ins and today's in particular. Thanks in advance.
Well I'm going back down to 1,600 to 1,700. I just do not like what is going on with the scale, especially this week. I have an extremely active job so I especially do not like what is going on with the scale in the morning.
2 days ago I was back down to 204.6 and the last 2 days 205.2 and 205.4 after hitting a low of 202.6 when I upped my calories. I did see 202.8 with the upped calories about 5 or 6 days ago but I think I'm still gonna lower my calories down.
What do you guys think? Am I just panicking? Any advice would be great. I will say I am freaking pissed this morning at the last 2 weigh ins and today's in particular. Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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You're describing random meaningless fluctuations. What's the actual trend over that 2 or 3 weeks? Since you're now looking at a rate of half a pound per week, it's easy to miss what's actually going on in the 'noise' of scale fluctuations.28
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You're describing random meaningless fluctuations. What's the actual trend over that 2 or 3 weeks? Since you're now looking at a rate of half a pound per week, it's easy to miss what's actually going on in the 'noise' of scale fluctuations.
Yeah I thought of that too. Guess more just freaking annoyed. The trend over the last month is more fluctuating better 203 and 206 roughly. I thought I'd see 199 by now. I really want to see 199 on the scale really bad. Thanks for the reply. What you say makes sense.5 -
I weigh daily and take a weekly average. I have read that you can weigh daily and as long as you hit a new low sometime during the week, you are on track.
Have you always weighed daily?
Also, does the higher calorie target still leave you with a deficit?5 -
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
If you weigh your food and log accurately you need to trust that you are in a deficit and the bathroom scale will show your weight loss when the fluctuation noise dies down for a moment.
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I weigh daily and take a weekly average. I have read that you can weigh daily and as long as you hit a new low sometime during the week, you are on track.
Have you always weighed daily?
Also, does the higher calorie target still leave you with a deficit?
I started weighing every day any 3 months ago and I knew it would be an up and down thing.
By MFP .5 pounds a week they have my calories target at 2,500 and change. I usually do 2,000-2,100, maybe 2,200.
Maybe it's the change to weighing everyday and upping calories and I just need to get used to ask that?1 -
Can you compromise and back off just some of what you added vs. going all.the way back? Maybe do this for a couple of weeks and then decide where to go from there?2
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Cavallaro65 wrote: »I weigh daily and take a weekly average. I have read that you can weigh daily and as long as you hit a new low sometime during the week, you are on track.
Have you always weighed daily?
Also, does the higher calorie target still leave you with a deficit?
I started weighing every day any 3 months ago and I knew it would be an up and down thing.
By MFP .5 pounds a week they have my calories target at 2,500 and change. I usually do 2,000-2,100, maybe 2,200.
Maybe it's the change to weighing everyday and upping calories and I just need to get used to ask that?
You either have to get accustomed to it or return to your previous system. My bathroom scale never needs entertainment because it is always on a roller coaster.8 -
I`ve been at 0.5lb for a number of months now. it`s a hard slog and requires patience and constant reminders to focus on the process. it's a mind game.
I don't see drops weekly. in fact it can be 2-3 weeks before I see one (though it's usually 1lb at that point - so ON AVERAGE looking back my progress is ok but i don't see that for months). And yes i can have "gone up" for a week sometimes before dropping back down. when things look bleak i double down on weighing, logging, double checking entries. i've fixed most issues by now so it's mostly a water fluctuation. Pretty sure i had a major hold back due to stress. or maybe it was adding the cycling.3 -
I guess I'll just push through. I'll give it about 3-4 weeks and see what's going on. I'm still not going over 2,000. I think I'll cut it off there.2
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setting limits isn't helpful. your body needs what it needs. just play around and see what works for your body without random limits. (not saying jump to that number but as you test and adjust you may find you indeed need to be over 2000 and there is nothing wrong with that). There is no random reason women shouldn't eat 2000+ if that is what that particular woman needs given her activity level.Cavallaro65 wrote: »I guess I'll just push through. I'll give it about 3-4 weeks and see what's going on. I'm still not going over 2,000. I think I'll cut it off there.
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I am still on 2 pounds a week and even I often have to wait 2 to 3 weeks to see a new low weight.8
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setting limits isn't helpful. your body needs what it needs. just play around and see what works for your body without random limits. (not saying jump to that number but as you test and adjust you may find you indeed need to be over 2000 and there is nothing wrong with that). There is no random reason women shouldn't eat 2000+ if that is what that particular woman needs given her activity level.Cavallaro65 wrote: »I guess I'll just push through. I'll give it about 3-4 weeks and see what's going on. I'm still not going over 2,000. I think I'll cut it off there.
Yeah your right, I just had a moment of insanity. I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It's pizza night tonight and in not giving that up. Around 60 pounds down I started doing pizza night on Friday. My 6 year old son loves pizza party Friday.7 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »setting limits isn't helpful. your body needs what it needs. just play around and see what works for your body without random limits. (not saying jump to that number but as you test and adjust you may find you indeed need to be over 2000 and there is nothing wrong with that). There is no random reason women shouldn't eat 2000+ if that is what that particular woman needs given her activity level.Cavallaro65 wrote: »I guess I'll just push through. I'll give it about 3-4 weeks and see what's going on. I'm still not going over 2,000. I think I'll cut it off there.
Yeah your right, I just had a moment of insanity. I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It's pizza night tonight and in not giving that up. Around 60 pounds down I started doing pizza night on Friday. My 6 year old son loves pizza party Friday.
It's really important to look at trends over time and not tie your emotions to short term scale fluctuations. They are just data points along the way. I think it will help you if you can learn to just view them as an observer and not have any expectations. Weigh in, log it in a trending app. Look at it once a week or so. Adjust based on real world results over a 4 to 6 week trend.9 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »setting limits isn't helpful. your body needs what it needs. just play around and see what works for your body without random limits. (not saying jump to that number but as you test and adjust you may find you indeed need to be over 2000 and there is nothing wrong with that). There is no random reason women shouldn't eat 2000+ if that is what that particular woman needs given her activity level.Cavallaro65 wrote: »I guess I'll just push through. I'll give it about 3-4 weeks and see what's going on. I'm still not going over 2,000. I think I'll cut it off there.
Yeah your right, I just had a moment of insanity. I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It's pizza night tonight and in not giving that up. Around 60 pounds down I started doing pizza night on Friday. My 6 year old son loves pizza party Friday.
It's really important to look at trends over time and not tie your emotions to short term scale fluctuations. They are just data points along the way. I think it will help you if you can learn to just view them as an observer and not have any expectations. Weigh in, log it in a trending app. Look at it once a week or so. Adjust based on real world results over a 4 to 6 week trend.
Yeah usually I take everything in stride but the last week have annoyed me. I guess I just got a little too annoyed this morning and posted. 😁 I'll stick with the plan.2 -
Boy you guys are right, when you are right you are right. I started to panic and really get annoyed this week with the scale. I didn't change anything or lower my calorie intake because of this thread. last 3 days on the scale in the morning I was 205.2, 205.4, and 205.8 which really annoyed me. But this morning 203.4. 202.6 was my lowest. I'm in a plateau/whoosh effect thing which is fine. That scale and human body is crazy.10
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Cavallaro65 wrote: »Boy you guys are right, when you are right you are right. I started to panic and really get annoyed this week with the scale. I didn't change anything or lower my calorie intake because of this thread. last 3 days on the scale in the morning I was 205.2, 205.4, and 205.8 which really annoyed me. But this morning 203.4. 202.6 was my lowest. I'm in a plateau/whoosh effect thing which is fine. That scale and human body is crazy.
Congratulations on your whoosh!!2 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »Boy you guys are right, when you are right you are right. I started to panic and really get annoyed this week with the scale. I didn't change anything or lower my calorie intake because of this thread. last 3 days on the scale in the morning I was 205.2, 205.4, and 205.8 which really annoyed me. But this morning 203.4. 202.6 was my lowest. I'm in a plateau/whoosh effect thing which is fine. That scale and human body is crazy.
Congratulations on your whoosh!!
Thankn you. I'm not sure in ready to drop but I might be. It might be one of those get close to your low, go back up a bit and then drop. Never can tell right?1 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »Cavallaro65 wrote: »Boy you guys are right, when you are right you are right. I started to panic and really get annoyed this week with the scale. I didn't change anything or lower my calorie intake because of this thread. last 3 days on the scale in the morning I was 205.2, 205.4, and 205.8 which really annoyed me. But this morning 203.4. 202.6 was my lowest. I'm in a plateau/whoosh effect thing which is fine. That scale and human body is crazy.
Congratulations on your whoosh!!
Thankn you. I'm not sure in ready to drop but I might be. It might be one of those get close to your low, go back up a bit and then drop. Never can tell right?
Usually when I start going down unless I do something that is sure to make me retain water again I am within days of a new low. But what is usual for me may not apply to you. I think it is best to keep yourself from thinking about it too much. It is harder when you get close to a milestone number even for me and you are close to a century change.4 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »Cavallaro65 wrote: »Boy you guys are right, when you are right you are right. I started to panic and really get annoyed this week with the scale. I didn't change anything or lower my calorie intake because of this thread. last 3 days on the scale in the morning I was 205.2, 205.4, and 205.8 which really annoyed me. But this morning 203.4. 202.6 was my lowest. I'm in a plateau/whoosh effect thing which is fine. That scale and human body is crazy.
Congratulations on your whoosh!!
Thankn you. I'm not sure in ready to drop but I might be. It might be one of those get close to your low, go back up a bit and then drop. Never can tell right?
Usually when I start going down unless I do something that is sure to make me retain water again I am within days of a new low. But what is usual for me may not apply to you. I think it is best to keep yourself from thinking about it too much. It is harder when you get close to a milestone number even for me and you are close to a century change.
Thank you for the suggestions. Yeah best not to over think or just think about it too much at all. Easy to say, harder to do.0 -
I'd like to share another piece on this,..... I, too, readjusted my caloric intake about 3-4 months ago. I had been on a deficit for a while and my body had adjusted to it (meaning it didn't need many calorics to function). The problem with caloric deficit is that, because your body finds a new set point (how many calories it can function on by adjusting its own metabolism) my metabolism (I feared) was starting to slow down. You might say, it takes a lot to slow it down, but I had been on the lower end for about 9 months and had lost 100 lbs. So, to be proactive, I had increased my calories to between 1,500 - 2,000 and sometimes even more. All the while, I still watched my CARBS (between 20-35 NET) because I am keto. In a month, I picked up about 5 lbs. but I'm not worried. I have reset my metabolism back up to expecting to burn about 1,800-2,100 calories so when I practice some more calorie restriction for my next 35 lbs. I should see a great whooshing effect. PS: My labs are all great, no meds, and doing this wisely. Glad for your pizza night with your son - it would throw me backwards for about a week, just sayin', Is there any way you can just eat the toppings when you get your pizza. Bring the crust to a pond to feed the ducks with your son (if you aren't worried it will hurt the ducks-hehe). Congrats on getting healthier - you can move around better now with your boy!
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PPS: I also pick up water weight when I don't get a solid 8 hrs sleep. Something to consider maybe.0
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promisesstandin wrote: »I'd like to share another piece on this,..... I, too, readjusted my caloric intake about 3-4 months ago. I had been on a deficit for a while and my body had adjusted to it (meaning it didn't need many calorics to function). The problem with caloric deficit is that, because your body finds a new set point (how many calories it can function on by adjusting its own metabolism) my metabolism (I feared) was starting to slow down. You might say, it takes a lot to slow it down, but I had been on the lower end for about 9 months and had lost 100 lbs. So, to be proactive, I had increased my calories to between 1,500 - 2,000 and sometimes even more. All the while, I still watched my CARBS (between 20-35 NET) because I am keto. In a month, I picked up about 5 lbs. but I'm not worried. I have reset my metabolism back up to expecting to burn about 1,800-2,100 calories so when I practice some more calorie restriction for my next 35 lbs. I should see a great whooshing effect. PS: My labs are all great, no meds, and doing this wisely. Glad for your pizza night with your son - it would throw me backwards for about a week, just sayin', Is there any way you can just eat the toppings when you get your pizza. Bring the crust to a pond to feed the ducks with your son (if you aren't worried it will hurt the ducks-hehe). Congrats on getting healthier - you can move around better now with your boy!
Set points are not real. It takes quite a bit to slow down your metabolism. Your 100 pound loss was about 2.5 pounds per week which is only slightly aggressive for a person with more to lose. The myth behind "set points" I believe comes from people in a very long wait for a new low weight because normal body fluctuations are masking it. I once had to wait 7 weeks for one but it came because I maintained a calorie deficit.
Diet breaks are a sound strategy though for people in a long term deficit or people close to goal.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p17 -
Remember when you first cut calories, and you had that first big loss the first week or so? Well, paybacks are ——.
Every time I take a few days of higher calories, it comes back. I go back to low calories, it goes away quickly again. Just part of the game.0 -
promisesstandin wrote: »I'd like to share another piece on this,..... I, too, readjusted my caloric intake about 3-4 months ago. I had been on a deficit for a while and my body had adjusted to it (meaning it didn't need many calorics to function). The problem with caloric deficit is that, because your body finds a new set point (how many calories it can function on by adjusting its own metabolism) my metabolism (I feared) was starting to slow down. You might say, it takes a lot to slow it down, but I had been on the lower end for about 9 months and had lost 100 lbs. So, to be proactive, I had increased my calories to between 1,500 - 2,000 and sometimes even more. All the while, I still watched my CARBS (between 20-35 NET) because I am keto. In a month, I picked up about 5 lbs. but I'm not worried. I have reset my metabolism back up to expecting to burn about 1,800-2,100 calories so when I practice some more calorie restriction for my next 35 lbs. I should see a great whooshing effect. PS: My labs are all great, no meds, and doing this wisely. Glad for your pizza night with your son - it would throw me backwards for about a week, just sayin', Is there any way you can just eat the toppings when you get your pizza. Bring the crust to a pond to feed the ducks with your son (if you aren't worried it will hurt the ducks-hehe). Congrats on getting healthier - you can move around better now with your boy!
Thanks for the reply. I'm not in Keto so carbs are not a problem for me. I'm sticking with what I'm doing. Yesterday I was 205.8 and today 203.4 so who know what the heck is going on. Just push through it.4 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »promisesstandin wrote: »I'd like to share another piece on this,..... I, too, readjusted my caloric intake about 3-4 months ago. I had been on a deficit for a while and my body had adjusted to it (meaning it didn't need many calorics to function). The problem with caloric deficit is that, because your body finds a new set point (how many calories it can function on by adjusting its own metabolism) my metabolism (I feared) was starting to slow down. You might say, it takes a lot to slow it down, but I had been on the lower end for about 9 months and had lost 100 lbs. So, to be proactive, I had increased my calories to between 1,500 - 2,000 and sometimes even more. All the while, I still watched my CARBS (between 20-35 NET) because I am keto. In a month, I picked up about 5 lbs. but I'm not worried. I have reset my metabolism back up to expecting to burn about 1,800-2,100 calories so when I practice some more calorie restriction for my next 35 lbs. I should see a great whooshing effect. PS: My labs are all great, no meds, and doing this wisely. Glad for your pizza night with your son - it would throw me backwards for about a week, just sayin', Is there any way you can just eat the toppings when you get your pizza. Bring the crust to a pond to feed the ducks with your son (if you aren't worried it will hurt the ducks-hehe). Congrats on getting healthier - you can move around better now with your boy!
Thanks for the reply. I'm not in Keto so carbs are not a problem for me. I'm sticking with what I'm doing. Yesterday I was 205.8 and today 203.4 so who know what the heck is going on. Just push through it.
Meh, water weight fluctuations can happen and even more of a swing than you are experiencing. As I said above, don't put too much stock in day to day readings. Look at the overall trend over time.4 -
Cavallaro65 wrote: »promisesstandin wrote: »I'd like to share another piece on this,..... I, too, readjusted my caloric intake about 3-4 months ago. I had been on a deficit for a while and my body had adjusted to it (meaning it didn't need many calorics to function). The problem with caloric deficit is that, because your body finds a new set point (how many calories it can function on by adjusting its own metabolism) my metabolism (I feared) was starting to slow down. You might say, it takes a lot to slow it down, but I had been on the lower end for about 9 months and had lost 100 lbs. So, to be proactive, I had increased my calories to between 1,500 - 2,000 and sometimes even more. All the while, I still watched my CARBS (between 20-35 NET) because I am keto. In a month, I picked up about 5 lbs. but I'm not worried. I have reset my metabolism back up to expecting to burn about 1,800-2,100 calories so when I practice some more calorie restriction for my next 35 lbs. I should see a great whooshing effect. PS: My labs are all great, no meds, and doing this wisely. Glad for your pizza night with your son - it would throw me backwards for about a week, just sayin', Is there any way you can just eat the toppings when you get your pizza. Bring the crust to a pond to feed the ducks with your son (if you aren't worried it will hurt the ducks-hehe). Congrats on getting healthier - you can move around better now with your boy!
Thanks for the reply. I'm not in Keto so carbs are not a problem for me. I'm sticking with what I'm doing. Yesterday I was 205.8 and today 203.4 so who know what the heck is going on. Just push through it.
Meh, water weight fluctuations can happen and even more of a swing than you are experiencing. As I said above, don't put too much stock in day to day readings. Look at the overall trend over time.
And today I'm down again to 203.0. I'm hoping tomorrow I go past my lowest time if 206.4. of course you never know where that scale will go. 🤣2
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