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pinktulip528
pinktulip528 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had lost 8 lbs and now I have gained back 5. I have not been eating more than 1200 calories a day and I'm exercising. What am I doing wrong? Is it bc I was eating probably less than 1200 calories when I lost the 8 lbs and now that I am eating 1200 it's too much?

Replies

  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 661 Member
    edited July 2023
    Weight naturally fluctuates on a day-to-day basis. Some days you retain more water or more waste, sometimes you don't. Exercising can retain more water as it repairs muscles. Try not to be discouraged with small weight fluctuations. Using an app like Happy Scale helps show your weight loss trends.

    As for calories, 1200 is usually a very low number for most people unless you are very short and/or very sedentary. If you're exercising you will need more to fuel your body. That said, I have a feeling you are eating more than you think. If you aren't already using a food scale, get a $10-$20 one off amazon and weigh everything you eat, then log it honestly. It's surprising how off you can be in either direction.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,729 Member
    In what time frame did you lose the 8 pounds? If it was in a week or two, odds are that most of that was water weight. I once lost 14 pounds in 2 weeks doing Atkins with almost no carbs. It took weeks before I lost enough fat to lose any more weight. Weight loss and fat loss are not the same. Reducing carb intake can allow your body to release a lot of water. When you eat carbs again, the weight comes right back as the body uses water to process the food. Some of your weight regain may also be water retention due to exercise. Muscles use water to help heal tears.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,885 Member
    Are you weighing at the same time when you do it (IE morning, evening)? You'll normally weigh less in the morning than the evening by a few pounds.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • pinktulip528
    pinktulip528 Posts: 4 Member
    I am weighing myself at the same time in the morning. I lost 8 lbs in like 10 days by basically starving myself but now that I am eating 1200 calories for a few days now I am gaining weight. It could also be bc I don't each much during the day bc I am not hungry and I am eating most of those calories after dinner in snacks.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,684 Member
    You need at least a month (or one menstrual cycle, if applicable) to evaluate your true progress beyond normal water weight fluctuations.

    You've lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks so far, that's progress. And if the exercise is new, it could be causing water retention on the scale (for muscle repair).

    Patience is key.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,621 Member
    pinktulip528 wrote: »
    I am weighing myself at the same time in the morning. I lost 8 lbs in like 10 days by basically starving myself but now that I am eating 1200 calories for a few days now I am gaining weight. It could also be bc I don't each much during the day bc I am not hungry and I am eating most of those calories after dinner in snacks.

    If you were severely undereating, keep in mind that when you start eating a much more reasonable amount, there will be (on average) more food residue in your system on its way to becoming waste. That has a weight. That effect can cause a small scale jump when you start eating more, but it isn't fat gain. After a bit (timeline varies), the ongoing fat loss will outpace that increased weight in your digestive tract, and you'll see the scale start dropping again as your new calorie goal is accurate/correct.

    On top of that, eating a little more food usually means eating a little more salt, and a little more carbohydrates. There's nothing wrong with that inherently . . . but those two things can make your body need to hold onto a little extra water weight as part of how those things are digested/metabolized. That weight, too, is not fat, so not worth worrying about. Here, too, the ongoing fat loss in the background will eventually outpace that added water retention.

    Lietchi is right: Evaluated a new routine requires at least a month (whole menstrual cycle, if not two) to evaluate effectiveness. Hang in there!

    While you're waiting, I'd recommend reading this (especially the article linked in the first post) because it's very informative about this sort of thing:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

    Best wishes!
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 857 Member
    edited July 2023
    @pinktulip528 Just for context if you don’t have much to lose .5lbs a week (yes, .5) is actually a great rate of loss. If you’re practically starving yourself like that it’s mostly water so you might as well eat an appropriate amount of calories to reach your goals, right?

    I know what it feels like to be in a hurry to lose weight. But at the end of the day do you want to yo-yo diet your whole life or eat food you enjoy and reach your goals with consistency? You got this.
  • cjuker1
    cjuker1 Posts: 6 Member
    0.5 - 2 lbs a quick is a normal range for weight loss, so if you are down 3 bs in 10 days, you are doing really well. Keep up the good work!
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 857 Member
    edited July 2023
    cjuker1 wrote: »
    0.5 - 2 lbs a quick is a normal range for weight loss, so if you are down 3 bs in 10 days, you are doing really well. Keep up the good work!

    If I reduced my calories by 1000 a day to lose 2 lbs a week (when I don’t have much left to lose) I would be dangerously below what is needed to function day to day. This is why .5lbs would be a great steady rate for those of us close to our goal weight. Losing weight + still eating = winning. But I agree, for those with more than 50lbs to lose, 2lbs a week is perfectly fine 😊

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