Can CI/CO eventually stop working? (Long)
TheRealSlim_Shelly
Posts: 66 Member
I’m no stranger to losing weight. When I started over 15 years ago on my own journey I went from 190lbs to 125lb. Years later, with the help of MFP, I was able to maintain between 130-140lbs (very happy with that). I gave birth over a year ago and my new postpartum starting weight on MFP was 175. I’ve been on MFP for 70 days and got down to 155lbs (my goal is 148 which would put me just at normal BMI).
The problem is for almost 2 weeks my weight has stayed not only the same, but increasing the past couple days. I truly believe in calorie in/calorie out - I weigh and measure everything, accurately. If I can’t weigh it or log it, I don’t eat it. I don’t guesstimate, I don’t order takeout, etc. In the beginning of the 70 days, I was able to work in formal cardio and I would log that, but the truth is my life is very different now and the gym isn’t on the agenda for me (yet, but will be again). So far I’ve just been putting my trust in weight loss based on what I’m eating without the exercise part (which I’ve read on the boards will still work!). I’ve been having wonderful steady results so far - some weeks I would lose less than a lb but then the next week there was a big drop - but no matter what I was always “losing” each week. I keep waiting for my big “drop” but the scale is only going up. So frustrating.
The only other background information I can provide is that I’m mid-cycle and I actually do feel somewhat bloated despite my water intake (but not 2 weeks of bloating, just the past couple days). I don’t do anything special with my diet, I’m not low carb or doing IF or anything. I’m just a healthy eater and otherwise healthy individual. I had blood work done a month ago and everything is normal. My diet is naturally low salt so I’m not sure why I feel bloated. Maybe I’m being impatient because I do want to be in normal BMI range before I start trying to have another baby (which hopefully is very soon). (And no I am not pregnant!)
I also want to mention that 130-140lbs is my body’s “happy weight.” I figured setting my goal to just under 150 was going to be no problem hitting for me as I would be no where near close to trying to lose “the last 10”. I do still have a lot of fat on my body to lose, but I was settling on being satisfied with a normal BMI range before getting pregnant again.
This has never happened to me, and I’m at a loss for why the math stopped working on my CI/CO formula (what MFP gives you). I’m definitely still at *some* deficit (even if it’s not the same amount I started with) so I don’t know why I’m not seeing something. Any insights or similar anecdotal stories would be appreciated.
I haven’t been watching my macros (just making sure I meet all my vitamin and calorie requirements) but would a low carb/sugar intake help here? I always felt that stuff was nonsense because it always comes down to calories. But I obviously don’t know everything or else I wouldn’t be here. Otherwise, I really don’t have the wiggle room to lower my calories even more. I have never lost weight without exercising and now I don’t know if it’s even possible after a certain point. Is this normal?
The problem is for almost 2 weeks my weight has stayed not only the same, but increasing the past couple days. I truly believe in calorie in/calorie out - I weigh and measure everything, accurately. If I can’t weigh it or log it, I don’t eat it. I don’t guesstimate, I don’t order takeout, etc. In the beginning of the 70 days, I was able to work in formal cardio and I would log that, but the truth is my life is very different now and the gym isn’t on the agenda for me (yet, but will be again). So far I’ve just been putting my trust in weight loss based on what I’m eating without the exercise part (which I’ve read on the boards will still work!). I’ve been having wonderful steady results so far - some weeks I would lose less than a lb but then the next week there was a big drop - but no matter what I was always “losing” each week. I keep waiting for my big “drop” but the scale is only going up. So frustrating.
The only other background information I can provide is that I’m mid-cycle and I actually do feel somewhat bloated despite my water intake (but not 2 weeks of bloating, just the past couple days). I don’t do anything special with my diet, I’m not low carb or doing IF or anything. I’m just a healthy eater and otherwise healthy individual. I had blood work done a month ago and everything is normal. My diet is naturally low salt so I’m not sure why I feel bloated. Maybe I’m being impatient because I do want to be in normal BMI range before I start trying to have another baby (which hopefully is very soon). (And no I am not pregnant!)
I also want to mention that 130-140lbs is my body’s “happy weight.” I figured setting my goal to just under 150 was going to be no problem hitting for me as I would be no where near close to trying to lose “the last 10”. I do still have a lot of fat on my body to lose, but I was settling on being satisfied with a normal BMI range before getting pregnant again.
This has never happened to me, and I’m at a loss for why the math stopped working on my CI/CO formula (what MFP gives you). I’m definitely still at *some* deficit (even if it’s not the same amount I started with) so I don’t know why I’m not seeing something. Any insights or similar anecdotal stories would be appreciated.
I haven’t been watching my macros (just making sure I meet all my vitamin and calorie requirements) but would a low carb/sugar intake help here? I always felt that stuff was nonsense because it always comes down to calories. But I obviously don’t know everything or else I wouldn’t be here. Otherwise, I really don’t have the wiggle room to lower my calories even more. I have never lost weight without exercising and now I don’t know if it’s even possible after a certain point. Is this normal?
6
Replies
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2 weeks staying the same weight and then increasing isn't really enough time, you could be holding on to water.
You've got around 20lbs to lose so loss is going to be slow enough, 0.5-1lb a week.
If you are doing all you say then you will lose, our bodies don't always drop weight when we expect. Stick with this and you will get there.
I think you are probably being impatient, happens to us all.
All the best.10 -
I'm honestly surprised you've never had this happen before.
Your weight includes the weight of everything in your body, not just the fat. All that other stuff constantly fluctuates as your body does all the stuff it's constantly doing in there. My weight can go up or down 3 or 4 lbs per day, probably usually due to water weight fluctuations.
CICO is about fat gain/loss/maintenance. It has nothing to do with water retention, digestive contents, and all the other random stuff inside of you that is included in your scale weight.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/14 -
2 weeks is not enough time to know much. Plateaus are only established after 6+ weeks precisely because so many things influence your scale weight: poop, glycogen, water, bigger meals than usual, exercise... etc. The less you have to lose, the longer these flat periods can last. Women in particular see jumps during that TOM.
If you feel bloated and it's that time, you probably are holding a lot of water. You can try low carb for a bit to see if it helps the bloating, I hear keto-ers see a big initial drop due to water weight loss. You can try drinking more water too, see if that flushes it through.
Mostly though I'd say wait it out. See how you feel when Aunt Flo is gone.4 -
Agree with what the others have said.
If you're worried/focused on weight changes over relatively short periods of time like days and weeks, consider a weight trending app.
And tangent for context/clarity...
CICO is NOT calorie counting. CICO is the balance (or lack there of) of between the energy metabolized by your body compared to the energy spent by your body that dictates change in weight (fat/muscle/tissue gain or loss). We simplify this in terms of calories eaten vs calories burned. But calorie counting is not a necessary part of CICO. CICO exists regardless of how you estimate/track calories in or how you estimate/track calories out.
CICO always works, for everyone, all of the time. It only stops working when you're dead and have no CI nor CO.7 -
I'm honestly surprised you've never had this happen before.
Your weight includes the weight of everything in your body, not just the fat. All that other stuff constantly fluctuates as your body does all the stuff it's constantly doing in there. My weight can go up or down 3 or 4 lbs per day, probably usually due to water weight fluctuations.
CICO is about fat gain/loss/maintenance. It has nothing to do with water retention, digestive contents, and all the other random stuff inside of you that is included in your scale weight.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
Sorry I should clarify I have had this happen to me but only when I was at a much smaller weight, when I was in the 130’s trying to get more fit. That was an incredibly long process. I wasn’t expecting it at the weight I am now. But I’ve never lost weight without exercise so this is all new territory for me. I usually only weigh in once per week so I’m not sure what normal fluctuation looks like for me specifically but this past week I’ve been weighing daily in hopes to see something move ... and it’s been disheartening to say the least. Thank you for the links and in the mean time I will try to take it easier on myself mentally.
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2 weeks is not enough time to know much. Plateaus are only established after 6+ weeks precisely because so many things influence your scale weight: poop, glycogen, water, bigger meals than usual, exercise... etc. The less you have to lose, the longer these flat periods can last. Women in particular see jumps during that TOM.
If you feel bloated and it's that time, you probably are holding a lot of water. You can try low carb for a bit to see if it helps the bloating, I hear keto-ers see a big initial drop due to water weight loss. You can try drinking more water too, see if that flushes it through.
Mostly though I'd say wait it out. See how you feel when Aunt Flo is gone.
Thank you for the insights ... I had no idea plateaus were a 6 week thing, and that gives me hope. I’m not due for my TOM for at least two weeks but I’ve been curious if being mid-cycle is playing into this somehow.
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TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »2 weeks is not enough time to know much. Plateaus are only established after 6+ weeks precisely because so many things influence your scale weight: poop, glycogen, water, bigger meals than usual, exercise... etc. The less you have to lose, the longer these flat periods can last. Women in particular see jumps during that TOM.
If you feel bloated and it's that time, you probably are holding a lot of water. You can try low carb for a bit to see if it helps the bloating, I hear keto-ers see a big initial drop due to water weight loss. You can try drinking more water too, see if that flushes it through.
Mostly though I'd say wait it out. See how you feel when Aunt Flo is gone.
Thank you for the insights ... I had no idea plateaus were a 6 week thing, and that gives me hope. I’m not due for my TOM for at least two weeks but I’ve been curious if being mid-cycle is playing into this somehow.
Yes, many of us do retain at ovulation as well as premenstrually.
When you compare your weight to this point in last month's cycle, what do you get?2 -
CICO can definitely stop working...
...when you die.
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TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
CI = Eating brains. CO = slowly chasing more brains. Science. <nods>30 -
Give it longer. CICO works, it’s the way weight is lost, no matter the program you follow.
There’s something to say for weighing once a month. May be a clearer picture.3 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
CI = Eating brains. CO = slowly chasing more brains. Science. <nods>
Would CO also include rotting? I feel like decomposing would increase burn rates.9 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.15 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
Comparing apples to oranges. Totally different nutritional requirements.
Example: I'm a yeti according to my wife (sasquatch according to the daughters, but...semantics, ya know?) and contrary to popular belief, we're herbivores, who enjoy the odd treat now and then.
So I stuff a whole porcupine down my gullet (maybe sodium in your case) and it blocks me up and makes me retain fluids...so I try to keep it in moderation. More water helps it pass.
Zombies are dumb though. They just go for the brains which clearly is not enough to meet their minimum daily requirement. HUGE deficit. Hence the wasted appearance so common with them. Oh, they're cold too, so not really "burning" calories per se...as much as just dropping flesh.
Hope that helps.
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TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.
Given a certain blood supply, vampires maintain a perfect energy balance effortlessly. More study is needed. Who want to help me write the research grant proposal?4 -
kshama2001 wrote: »TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.
Given a certain blood supply, vampires maintain a perfect energy balance effortlessly. More study is needed. Who want to help me write the research grant proposal?
That's a big assumption, though. What happens when there's a shortage of human blood--say, if you're a vampire in a rural area? Does the vampire then turn to animal blood, and if so, is it metabolized in the same way? I agree, we need a grant to study this.3 -
I have to update my profile every 10 lbs lost or so to see if my calorie allotment needs to be lowered. I think a lot of people forget to make this adjustment.4
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For a small cut I'll help with the application process! 😇1
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I have to update my profile every 10 lbs lost or so to see if my calorie allotment needs to be lowered. I think a lot of people forget to make this adjustment.
I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing but MFP automatically does this (so I thought?). I’ve seen my calories automatically change based on whatever weight I’ve entered (at least MFP did in the past). Unfortunately I don’t have much wiggle room to play with as far as reducing my calories even further.
2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.
Given a certain blood supply, vampires maintain a perfect energy balance effortlessly. More study is needed. Who want to help me write the research grant proposal?
That's a big assumption, though. What happens when there's a shortage of human blood--say, if you're a vampire in a rural area? Does the vampire then turn to animal blood, and if so, is it metabolized in the same way? I agree, we need a grant to study this.
Do vampires need to follow the Blood Type Diet?
4 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »I have to update my profile every 10 lbs lost or so to see if my calorie allotment needs to be lowered. I think a lot of people forget to make this adjustment.
I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing but MFP automatically does this (so I thought?). I’ve seen my calories automatically change based on whatever weight I’ve entered (at least MFP did in the past). Unfortunately I don’t have much wiggle room to play with as far as reducing my calories even further.
And you don't need to reduce them.
A. your stall has not gone long enough and
B. you started on mfp 70 days ago and are down 20lbs!!!
Re B.
How much had you lost already the six months before joining MFP?
20lbs in 70 days? I'll let everyone explain why it would not be surprising to see a stall given this very aggressive loss rate... especially if it is coming on top of previous losses.
And to cover all angles... you're using a weight trend app or web site to gauge your progress?2 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »I have to update my profile every 10 lbs lost or so to see if my calorie allotment needs to be lowered. I think a lot of people forget to make this adjustment.
I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing but MFP automatically does this (so I thought?). I’ve seen my calories automatically change based on whatever weight I’ve entered (at least MFP did in the past). Unfortunately I don’t have much wiggle room to play with as far as reducing my calories even further.
Maybe I updated the day it would have done that? Don't know but I'll watch for that. Thanks.0 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »2 weeks is not enough time to know much. Plateaus are only established after 6+ weeks precisely because so many things influence your scale weight: poop, glycogen, water, bigger meals than usual, exercise... etc. The less you have to lose, the longer these flat periods can last. Women in particular see jumps during that TOM.
If you feel bloated and it's that time, you probably are holding a lot of water. You can try low carb for a bit to see if it helps the bloating, I hear keto-ers see a big initial drop due to water weight loss. You can try drinking more water too, see if that flushes it through.
Mostly though I'd say wait it out. See how you feel when Aunt Flo is gone.
Thank you for the insights ... I had no idea plateaus were a 6 week thing, and that gives me hope. I’m not due for my TOM for at least two weeks but I’ve been curious if being mid-cycle is playing into this somehow.
My weight plateaus for about 7-10 days during ovulation AND menstruation. I only see losses on the scale for maybe 5 days at a time, twice a month. It's incredibly annoying.4 -
TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »2 weeks is not enough time to know much. Plateaus are only established after 6+ weeks precisely because so many things influence your scale weight: poop, glycogen, water, bigger meals than usual, exercise... etc. The less you have to lose, the longer these flat periods can last. Women in particular see jumps during that TOM.
If you feel bloated and it's that time, you probably are holding a lot of water. You can try low carb for a bit to see if it helps the bloating, I hear keto-ers see a big initial drop due to water weight loss. You can try drinking more water too, see if that flushes it through.
Mostly though I'd say wait it out. See how you feel when Aunt Flo is gone.
Thank you for the insights ... I had no idea plateaus were a 6 week thing, and that gives me hope. I’m not due for my TOM for at least two weeks but I’ve been curious if being mid-cycle is playing into this somehow.
My weight plateaus for about 7-10 days during ovulation AND menstruation. I only see losses on the scale for maybe 5 days at a time, twice a month. It's incredibly annoying.
Thank you for sharing! This is actually really encouraging!
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TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »I have to update my profile every 10 lbs lost or so to see if my calorie allotment needs to be lowered. I think a lot of people forget to make this adjustment.
I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing but MFP automatically does this (so I thought?). I’ve seen my calories automatically change based on whatever weight I’ve entered (at least MFP did in the past). Unfortunately I don’t have much wiggle room to play with as far as reducing my calories even further.
And you don't need to reduce them.
A. your stall has not gone long enough and
B. you started on mfp 70 days ago and are down 20lbs!!!
Re B.
How much had you lost already the six months before joining MFP?
20lbs in 70 days? I'll let everyone explain why it would not be surprising to see a stall given this very aggressive loss rate... especially if it is coming on top of previous losses.
And to cover all angles... you're using a weight trend app or web site to gauge your progress?
I haven’t lost any weight prior to starting MFP this time around. I was pregnant and after giving birth stayed at 175lbs. I was well over a year postpartum at 175lbs. I wouldn’t say the full 20 is true “weight loss” because I lost at least 5lbs of water weight at the start. I don’t expect to lose 1.5lbs per week as I did before. My expectation is an average 0.5-1lb. I am still in a caloric deficit so to see a stall and then an increase is shocking and disheartening.
No I don’t weigh myself daily except for the past two weeks in hopes of seeing the scale move in a different direction. I weigh in only once per week. Thank you I will look into it. I didn’t know this was a thing!0 -
If CI CO eventually stopped working then famine victims wouldn't exist. As dramatic as it is, famine and anorexia are examples of CICO in action. Obviously very extreme examples.5
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The first time i lost 47 pounds, my loss was extremely consistent, a straight line down almost. This time, even when being consistent in my eating, I am the same weight for days, go up when I think I should go down, etc. What is helping me is using the Libra app to track my weight. It shows i am losing weight even when i feel like i am stuck by looking at my weight trend.1
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kshama2001 wrote: »TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.
Given a certain blood supply, vampires maintain a perfect energy balance effortlessly. More study is needed. Who want to help me write the research grant proposal?
That's a big assumption, though. What happens when there's a shortage of human blood--say, if you're a vampire in a rural area? Does the vampire then turn to animal blood, and if so, is it metabolized in the same way? I agree, we need a grant to study this.
Do vampires need to follow the Blood Type Diet?
No...they "Count" calories.14 -
kshama2001 wrote: »TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »
There are many types of undead. If you’re a vampire, your CI is obviously blood, and your CO is probably turning into a bat and looking for more blood. Let’s try to be inclusive of all undead beings.
Given a certain blood supply, vampires maintain a perfect energy balance effortlessly. More study is needed. Who want to help me write the research grant proposal?
That's a big assumption, though. What happens when there's a shortage of human blood--say, if you're a vampire in a rural area? Does the vampire then turn to animal blood, and if so, is it metabolized in the same way? I agree, we need a grant to study this.
Chupacabra1
This discussion has been closed.
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