Eating exercise calories and...

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Aeilm
Aeilm Posts: 92
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm gaining weight! Should I lower my daily intake? it's set at 1500 and I usually earn about 200 - 300 extra cals a day.

Any advice or suggestions?

Thank you! :happy:

Replies

  • Aeilm
    Aeilm Posts: 92
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    I'm gaining weight! Should I lower my daily intake? it's set at 1500 and I usually earn about 200 - 300 extra cals a day.

    Any advice or suggestions?

    Thank you! :happy:
  • bmhbaby
    bmhbaby Posts: 8
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    If you go lower on your calories, then your body will go into starvation mode and that will slow down your metabolism, which will make it even hard to lose weight so i would just eat healthier things and exercise more.
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
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    Yea see if you can burn a few more calories exercises. It's different for everyone some people don't eat there exercise calories. I usually eat most of mine because they are from running so I need to refuel my body good luck and don't get discouraged.

    ~Leash
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
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    Fifteen hundred/day is for fairly active people. Twelve hundred/day is the threshold to "starvation mode". It's unlikely you're in starvation mode if you're gaining weight.

    If I were you, I'd increase the exercise or cut back to 1200 calories a day and see what happens in 2 weeks' time.
  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
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    Fifteen hundred/day is for fairly active people. Twelve hundred/day is the threshold to "starvation mode". It's unlikely you're in starvation mode if you're gaining weight.

    If I were you, I'd increase the exercise or cut back to 1200 calories a day and see what happens in 2 weeks' time.

    Thats not really accurate, if you go into starvation mode your body begins to hold onto every single calorie you consume, you lose the muscle and hold onto the fat then anything else you consume will be stored as fat causing you to gain weight.
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I would look into all your eating habits and your excercise, I was set to 1200 cals and lost, then stopped and went up to 1460 + excercise and after a stand still I am losing again. This is not an exact science, we are not all made from the same cookie cutter, what works for 1 may not work for the other. So maybe try 1200 cals.....see what happens. You won't go into starvation mode overnight by the way, just like you won't gain 50 lbs from 1 cookie. Try it out and see what happens....what do you have to lose? Weight?

    :flowerforyou:
  • thouse
    thouse Posts: 3
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    Have you been checked for thyroid disease? That's what I have and it causes you to yo-yo or gain weight instead of lose. I would start there if you haven't already.

    Even with that being said, and being on medication to bring my thyroid levels to normal I have found that the scale is not your friend and you cannot always rely on it. Are you still losing inches? How do you clothes feel? Don't get frustrated...change up your work out a little. I know that sometimes I just eat something like a hamburger or some mexican food and it causes me to jumpstart again. No one is the same,,,so try different things and see what works for you. The important thing is not to give up!


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  • swignal
    swignal Posts: 441
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    I think if you maintain your 1500 calories a day and not eat your excersice calories you should be okay.. but every now and then you have to change things around... but I am not an expert so all I can say is try that and see if it works
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I can only tell you what works for me your welcome to try it of course and consult your physician..1200-1400 calories per day all healthy items high in fiber and protein low in carb and sugars and fat...I work out for 2hrs daily mainly all cardio *which means i miss my fav shows at night but its worth it lol* ..Starvation mode from my research and understanding does not set in as easily as one might think..I do suggest you ask a health professional regarding starvation mode I did and really learned a lot as opposed to taking advice from others. ...You have to find what works best for you also how you consume those extra calories plays a HUGE part in your weight loss....watching your sodium intake as well would be a smart move. I wish you success ...and when in doubt always confirm with your doctor.:drinker: Also dont be quick to say your in a plateau..plateaus dont happen in 2 weeks they take time.
  • banfathi99
    banfathi99 Posts: 23 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about changing what you are doing quite yet. If you just had a baby on 2/12/09 your hormones are probably all over the place. 1500 shouldn't put you in starvation mode and with the exercise, you should be back to losing wieght.
  • banfathi99
    banfathi99 Posts: 23 Member
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    By the way congratulations on number four :flowerforyou:
  • pegm
    pegm Posts: 119 Member
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    If you are nursing, I would talk to your doctor or a nutritionist.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    The magic 1200 calorie starvation mode threshold is an arbitrary number. It might be the number for some people, but everyone is different. It all depends on your age, weight, body fat percentage (not to be confused with the BMI), level of activity, etc... There are so many factors to consider, the 1200 cal number should not be trusted.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    It's probably inapropriate for any of us to tell you that 1500 is too much or too little because we don't have any numbers on your weight, height, activity level body fat %, BMI...etc.

    What I can tell you is that what ever those numbers are, if you are eating below your maintenance calories, and still gaining weight (significant weight, not 1 or 2 lbs, that could be just daily fluctuation)

    then one of two things is probably happening.

    1) Your body is starving and it is panicking and storing fat, in which case a CAREFUL and slow rise in daily calories would help, checking every few days to see whether it's working.

    or

    2) your already close to normal BMI and Body Fat % and you are a small person and maybe incorrectly setting your goals or numbers, which could mean just about anything.


    Also it's ok to consider having metabolic issues (thyroid issues...etc) which could have a severe impact on your rate of calorie expendature. If you're SURE you're eating right, exercising right, and logging your portions correctly, then go get a metabolic test done and see if your thyroid levels are normal.
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
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    I wouldn't worry about changing what you are doing quite yet. If you just had a baby on 2/12/09 your hormones are probably all over the place. 1500 shouldn't put you in starvation mode and with the exercise, you should be back to losing wieght.


    Yes I have an 19mo baby and last year (he was 9mo old) I worked out for 2hrs and ate right and everything and didnt lose an inch or a pound. I asked my doctor about it and he told me that some women when they have babies their body remains in baby mode for awhile so they retain the fat and calories as if you are still carring the baby. He said it could take awhile for the body to figure it out and readjust. Jan I started working out again and eating right and started to lose quickly. So my body finally figured it out. It took me two years to lose my first childs weight too so now I know whats up..
    I just posted the same thing about a week ago. i quit eating all my excersise calories except for a few and I started to lose again. Also someone on my post said that when you start to build muscle that they might retain water so it could be all water weight.
  • Aeilm
    Aeilm Posts: 92
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    Thank you for all the advice!! Yes I did just have a baby 5 weeks ago. :) Exercise right now is just when and where I can fit in. At this point with 4 little ones at home (and I am either always holding the baby or my 19 month old) I just have to make sure I am moving around a lot. I only do cardio right now b/c it's easier for me to run in place for a while or do some jumping jacks here and there. So I think I am going to lower the calorie intake a little and see what that does. Then I will go from there.

    I appreciate all the help everyone! :bigsmile:

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