How low should I go?
KDBisme
Posts: 49 Member
I’ll try to make this brief and clear as possible. MFP has “assigned” me a daily caloric intake of 1500 per day. (I’m 5 feet tall, 47 years old and very active: I’m a fitness instructor and work out pretty much every day.) I lost the 9 lbs I wanted to lose, (and then some) ... and now I’m REALLY hungry. Like all day long. What now? Ps. I never burn more than about 400 calories/hour in any workout, no matter how intense (160-185 bpm HR), because I’m just not very big.
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Replies
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If you lost the weight you wanted to lose, then your next step is maintenance. You can start by setting MFP to maintenance and increasing your calorie intake to that level. If you eat that number of calories for a few weeks and your weight doesn’t stabilize within your maintenance range, then add or subtract calories as needed.
Keep in mind that your weight will vary from day to day, which is normal. That’s why maintenance is a range of around 5 pounds (give or take, based on your preference) rather than one number. You will probably also see temporary fluctuation upward on the scale when you increase calories, due to additional water/waste.12 -
I did put on a pound over the weekend... I think I’m probably obsessing when I shouldn’t be. But my eating got really out of control this past summer so I just wanna keep a lid on things! Thank you, I will change my settings to maintenance.0
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I did put on a pound over the weekend... I think I’m probably obsessing when I shouldn’t be. But my eating got really out of control this past summer so I just wanna keep a lid on things! Thank you, I will change my settings to maintenance.
You didn’t put on a pound of fat over the weekend unless you have reason to believe you went over your maintenance calorie goal by 3500 calories. Sudden weight fluctuations are almost always water/waste. This is why maintenance weight is a range.8 -
That’s true. No I’m sure I didn’t consume anywhere near that much. I do have a scale that supposedly measures water, fat and muscle (sensors I stand on) ... I don’t know how accurate it is but I try to weigh first thing every day and pay attention to water and muscle.2
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That’s true. No I’m sure I didn’t consume anywhere near that much. I do have a scale that supposedly measures water, fat and muscle (sensors I stand on) ... I don’t know how accurate it is but I try to weigh first thing every day and pay attention to water and muscle.
Those body fat/muscle measurements aren’t very accurate, unfortunately. I would not worry about water weight unless you have a clear medical reason to do so; everyone experiences water weight fluctuations for all sorts of reasons. I would recommend a trend weight app like Libra or Happy Scale, which help “smooth out” those fluctuations.6 -
The most accurate way to work out your maintenance calories is to use the data you already have. MFP is a great starting point but is based on averages and your accuracy with logging. On average, how much were you losing a week? If it was 1 pound then you would add 500 calories to the 1500 you have. If it was 1/2 pound then you would add 250 calories. Some add all of the calories in one hit while others add 100 or so calories every week or two until they are up to what they need to eat at maintenance.3
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Have a look at the threads in the maintaining weight forum.
Think you need to work on changing your perspective from short term to long term. BIA scales generally need to be treated with some scepticism and understanding of their many limitations.
I'd also flip from "how low should I go?" to how high can you go!
Hope you are accounting for your high activity and exercise properly with the correct activity setting and logging/eating back your exercise calories?
Setting new goals helps replace the reward of seeing your weight come down.
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Lillymoo01 wrote: »The most accurate way to work out your maintenance calories is to use the data you already have. MFP is a great starting point but is based on averages and your accuracy with logging. On average, how much were you losing a week? If it was 1 pound then you would add 500 calories to the 1500 you have. If it was 1/2 pound then you would add 250 calories. Some add all of the calories in one hit while others add 100 or so calories every week or two until they are up to what they need to eat at maintenance.
At first I was losing a pound per day! Then it evened out to maybe a pound or 2 per week.
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That’s true. No I’m sure I didn’t consume anywhere near that much. I do have a scale that supposedly measures water, fat and muscle (sensors I stand on) ... I don’t know how accurate it is but I try to weigh first thing every day and pay attention to water and muscle.
Those body fat/muscle measurements aren’t very accurate, unfortunately. I would not worry about water weight unless you have a clear medical reason to do so; everyone experiences water weight fluctuations for all sorts of reasons. I would recommend a trend weight app like Libra or Happy Scale, which help “smooth out” those fluctuations.
I only track water because I want it within a certain range. If I’m dehydrated it massively affects my performance in the classes I teach.
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Thank you, I will look at those threads. I use my Apple Watch to tell me what I burned after each workout. I don’t know how accurate it is... it definitely tells me I burned less than my Garmin VivoFit used to report. I’d rather err on the side of under-reporting exercise and over-reporting food.Have a look at the threads in the maintaining weight forum.
Think you need to work on changing your perspective from short term to long term. BIA scales generally need to be treated with some scepticism and understanding of their many limitations.
I'd also flip from "how low should I go?" to how high can you go!
Hope you are accounting for your high activity and exercise properly with the correct activity setting and logging/eating back your exercise calories?
Setting new goals helps replace the reward of seeing your weight come down.
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That’s true. No I’m sure I didn’t consume anywhere near that much. I do have a scale that supposedly measures water, fat and muscle (sensors I stand on) ... I don’t know how accurate it is but I try to weigh first thing every day and pay attention to water and muscle.
Those body fat/muscle measurements aren’t very accurate, unfortunately. I would not worry about water weight unless you have a clear medical reason to do so; everyone experiences water weight fluctuations for all sorts of reasons. I would recommend a trend weight app like Libra or Happy Scale, which help “smooth out” those fluctuations.
I only track water because I want it within a certain range. If I’m dehydrated it massively affects my performance in the classes I teach.
You can track your hydration by the color of your urine. If it’s dark other than first thing in the morning, drink more water.7 -
hi KDBisme, just wanted to chime in with friendly advice. You should know what weight you should be, be comfortable in your own skin. as one little person to another.( im on here not for first time after medical problems right now at 111, usually always around 100) some people criticize me and say that is to little, but i am only 5ft 2 and have always been that except before, during or after pregnancys lol. So find what makes you feel good, dont ask how low you should go, best wishes:)3
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I did put on a pound over the weekend... I think I’m probably obsessing when I shouldn’t be. But my eating got really out of control this past summer so I just wanna keep a lid on things! Thank you, I will change my settings to maintenance.
Where are you in your menstrual cycle? I gain water weight at ovulation and right before my TOM, and have a subsequent loss afterwards. Because of this, I compare myself to the same point in my cycle last month, not last week.
There's lots of other factors that can cause water weight fluctuations.4 -
That’s true. No I’m sure I didn’t consume anywhere near that much. I do have a scale that supposedly measures water, fat and muscle (sensors I stand on) ... I don’t know how accurate it is but I try to weigh first thing every day and pay attention to water and muscle.
Those body fat/muscle measurements aren’t very accurate, unfortunately. I would not worry about water weight unless you have a clear medical reason to do so; everyone experiences water weight fluctuations for all sorts of reasons. I would recommend a trend weight app like Libra or Happy Scale, which help “smooth out” those fluctuations.
I only track water because I want it within a certain range. If I’m dehydrated it massively affects my performance in the classes I teach.
You can track your hydration by the color of your urine. If it’s dark other than first thing in the morning, drink more water.
Lol I don’t know why I didn’t think about that... I get so wrapped up in numbers... I knew that but I kinda didn’t think of it. Duhhh and thank you. Lol
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Thank you Lynney!! I get hyper-focused. I want to be 106. Not 105 and not 107. 😂😜🤓hi KDBisme, just wanted to chime in with friendly advice. You should know what weight you should be, be comfortable in your own skin. as one little person to another.( im on here not for first time after medical problems right now at 111, usually always around 100) some people criticize me and say that is to little, but i am only 5ft 2 and have always been that except before, during or after pregnancys lol. So find what makes you feel good, dont ask how low you should go, best wishes:)
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Haven’t had a period in 14 years. 😅 So... quite late I guess??kshama2001 wrote: »I did put on a pound over the weekend... I think I’m probably obsessing when I shouldn’t be. But my eating got really out of control this past summer so I just wanna keep a lid on things! Thank you, I will change my settings to maintenance.
Where are you in your menstrual cycle? I gain water weight at ovulation and right before my TOM, and have a subsequent loss afterwards. Because of this, I compare myself to the same point in my cycle last month, not last week.
There's lots of other factors that can cause water weight fluctuations.
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Thank you Lynney!! I get hyper-focused. I want to be 106. Not 105 and not 107. 😂😜🤓hi KDBisme, just wanted to chime in with friendly advice. You should know what weight you should be, be comfortable in your own skin. as one little person to another.( im on here not for first time after medical problems right now at 111, usually always around 100) some people criticize me and say that is to little, but i am only 5ft 2 and have always been that except before, during or after pregnancys lol. So find what makes you feel good, dont ask how low you should go, best wishes:)
Weight does not work like that. You're not going to be 106 every day. Some days you're going to be 108, some days you'll be 104. You need to have a maintenance range, rather than one number that you must see on the scale every day, or else you're going to be really unsatisfied.19 -
Thank you Lynney!! I get hyper-focused. I want to be 106. Not 105 and not 107. 😂😜🤓hi KDBisme, just wanted to chime in with friendly advice. You should know what weight you should be, be comfortable in your own skin. as one little person to another.( im on here not for first time after medical problems right now at 111, usually always around 100) some people criticize me and say that is to little, but i am only 5ft 2 and have always been that except before, during or after pregnancys lol. So find what makes you feel good, dont ask how low you should go, best wishes:)
THere are many posts I have read that seem to support the idea that we should accept a fluctuation in daily weight, as much as 5# sometimes.
I know I'm a lot more at ease with the scale reading, now that I accept that.
My personal gauge for how well I'm doing is the fit of my clothes. I don't care if the scale shows me a few pounds over goal weight if my jeans fit (which is not the same as fitting into my jeans).
I can suggest trying to ease up on yourself a little bit and get rid of a goal weight that is one number that doesn't change.
good luck!2 -
Thank you Lynney!! I get hyper-focused. I want to be 106. Not 105 and not 107. 😂😜🤓hi KDBisme, just wanted to chime in with friendly advice. You should know what weight you should be, be comfortable in your own skin. as one little person to another.( im on here not for first time after medical problems right now at 111, usually always around 100) some people criticize me and say that is to little, but i am only 5ft 2 and have always been that except before, during or after pregnancys lol. So find what makes you feel good, dont ask how low you should go, best wishes:)
You're never going to be a singular weight. Body weight isn't static...it fluctuates naturally. Your body is comprised of roughly 55-65% water and that's always going to fluctuate...you're always going to have variable levels of inherent waste in your system, etc. Trying to be exactly XXX Lbs isn't going to happen because that's not how the human body works.
Maintenance weight is a range, not a specific number.4 -
Just for fun, here's a few months of what seems to me like normal weight maintenance, for me, as shown in Libra:
The solid line is the 60-day trend (calculated by Libra). The vertical lines connect my actual daily weigh-ins to the trend. I'm sharing a past period because my weight crept up a little, and I'm now creeping it down ultra-slowly (0.5lb per week or less), so I have a gentle-hill trend now, across a few months. I was at 133-point-something this morning.4
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