Why am I putting on weight?
smith176
Posts: 27 Member
I've been limiting myself to 1000 calories a day for eight days now, and in the first five days I lost six pounds. Weight was simply dropping off every day. But the last two days I've put on weight. I've put on three pounds in two days! Why am I putting on weight when I'm still eating only 1000 calories?
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Replies
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Because you aren't eating enough.0
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I agree with cheryl. 1000 cals isnt enough. try sticking with the target amount recommended by mfp. it will never recommend less than 1200 net cals to you.0
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You need to eat more. Your body is in starvation mode. Eat more and your body will begin burning calories from your body's fat stored instead of from your muscle which it is doing now.0
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but it's so hard to eat more than that, just to reach 1000 calories I've had to not only eat dinner tonight but also two puddings - it's enough to make me sick. It's getting to the stage where I can't stand to weigh myself in case I've gained again. Gaining makes me not want to eat, but not eating is making me heavier.0
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You wouldn't be needing to lose weight if you didn't eat too much before you decided to start here (in theory)
So just go halfway back to your 'original' eating habits...
Munch on a few nuts throughout the day, or have a slice of cheese. Increase the size of your breakfast... Point is, don't try and cram all the calories in at night if it is making you feel ill...0 -
Try eating peanut butter, nuts, or use oils when cooking.0
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Because you aren't eating enough.
BINGO!0 -
You need to eat more. Your body is in starvation mode. Eat more and your body will begin burning calories from your body's fat stored instead of from your muscle which it is doing now.
I hate to open up this can of worms, but I also hate seeing incorrect information posted. Her body is NOT in starvation mode in eight days. I agree that she should be eating more than 1,000 calories a day but it is certainly not starvation mode.0 -
Your body's gone into starvation mode so it holds onto all the fat as it thinks it not going to get anymore...u need to eat more to lose weight but the right foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.0
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I made the same mistake the first two weeks that i started. I limited to 1000 cals/day. Not only was i in starvation mode but i couldn't exercise to my full potential because my body was too weak.
I did some research about how all that works, it helped me understand this whole fat loss process better.0 -
I've been limiting myself to 1000 calories a day for eight days now, and in the first five days I lost six pounds. Weight was simply dropping off every day. But the last two days I've put on weight. I've put on three pounds in two days! Why am I putting on weight when I'm still eating only 1000 calories?
In the first FIVE days you lost SIX pounds of WATER.....and then your body wanted to balance itself and kept the water back....
It's to early to yell starvation, just keep on doing what you are doing, except for jumping on the scale every day, and then expecting miracle weight loss....
You will lose more, but a heck of a lot slower than six pounds in five days.....0 -
For shorts periods of time, our bodies can handle little amounts of food (as this is how our bodies were designed in case of famine). Becauce u are eating so little calories over a longer period, your body is probably going into survival mode and hanging onto as many nutrients (inc calories, fat etc) as it can. So increase ur calorie intake and make sure ur not just losing fluid (drink plenty of water).0
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Spread your calories about through the day....If you are eating too much, too early, then you won't be hungry later on...0
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I agree you are not eating enough calories. It is not reccomended that females go under 1200 calorie per day because its dangerously low. Your body needs at least 1200 calories to continue functiong day to day like breathing and sleeping. I suggest a 1200 calorie diet and if you increase your physical activity make sure you are adding more calories to your diet to make up for the energy loss you will experience. Let me know if this advice helps. Good luck!0
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Try adding peanut butter, nuts and cheese. Eat full fat yogurt instead of light. I had to increase my calories to keep losing, and it helped. If increasing the amought of food is hard just try and find things that are higher in calories.0
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I've been limiting myself to 1000 calories a day for eight days now, and in the first five days I lost six pounds. Weight was simply dropping off every day. But the last two days I've put on weight. I've put on three pounds in two days! Why am I putting on weight when I'm still eating only 1000 calories?
1. Eating a 1000 calories per day is dumb
2. Learn the difference between water weight and fat.0 -
Can't be starvation mode.
But metabolism can easily slow down in 3 days if severely undercut from what was being done previously.
Not being hungry to even eat the 1000 shows that has happened.
Exercise not even mentioned in the comments, but could be making things even worse.
And one day of eating more carbs in that 1000 calories could have topped off glucose stores that are severely low. In that low state, that means muscle is being broken down to provide amino acids for conversion to glucose, what your brain requires and the body will provide, if nothing in the tank.
So you probably had a day of more carbs, and each g of carbs stored has 2.7 g of water.
Over course of several days, if you topped off the 1500 calorie easily lacking from the tank, you could add 3.3 lbs of weight.
Not fat, but good, needed weight.
So eat more, start with dense stuff.
Or stay on this route, keep breaking down muscle, and then see how fun it is.
You could accelerate that fun by keeping your carbs reduced, throw in some long walking, and really feel the muscle melt away.
And since it only takes a 600 cal deficit to burn a pound of muscle, you could actually lose weight much easier.
And yes, i'm being sarcastic, but totally honest as to what you could do to your body. Reread that if you don't get it.
Research it if you don't understand it or believe it, basic physiology - that's your homework.0 -
I agree, it's too soon to cry "wolf" or "starvation," but what you're doing will NOT get you where you want to go.
Look what eating less than 1000 calories got me at ~130# five years ago vs how eating twice that amount got me at ~130# now.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore0 -
Instead of wondering why this isnt working anymore after a week- check out some of the sources of your symptoms. If 1000 calories is too much food- see how much of it is fiber and protein, etc. You can choose a food that is less in volume and has a lot of calories if its super packed with nutrients. Like certain kinds of sandwiches (not necessarily even on bread- in case you're a low carber))- instead of a gargantuan bowl of salad or nuts and berries and celery. Work on getting your calories up higher each day.
There is really no way to tell if something has stopped working after a week- because a week isnt really long enough to see how your body's natural cycle works with something. Consistency with your body in the beginning can be really helpful to lots of people more than anything. Get your calories higher so your body can afford to expend the necessary energy to burn off excess. Then work on spending yo0ur day building up an apetite and if there is no changes after a month or two- reassess the situation.
There is only one shortcut to losing weight and getting healthy and that's to be smart.0 -
It's true that you're not eating enough calories. You should be at least at 1200 per day.
BUT that's not why you're gaining weight. Not this early on. I doubt your metabolism has shifted at all yet.
The first 6lbs was fluid weight lost, not fat. That's why it came off so quick.
The gained 3lbs is either
1) fluid weight going back on (if you have been eating high sodium and not drinking enough water)
2) fluid and fat going back on because you are underestimating your food cals and overestimating your exercise cals.
I'm inclined to guess it's #1.
Back to the issue of eating enough - If you're eating 1000 cals and want to get up to at least 1200 per day you could simply eat any of the following:
1) a handful of nuts
2) a banana and an apple
3) a protein bar with approx 200 cals in it
4) a tablespoon of peanut butter and jelly on a slice of bread
5) a glass of 2% milk
Seriously, 200 more calories isn't that much. you can even 'accidentally' add it by cooking something in a tad too much olive oil!0 -
I agree with it being too low. Your body is in starvation mode and is storing it, because it doesn't get enough food and doesn't know when it will get food again. If you add lean protein (chicken, fish and lean ground beef) good fats (coconut oil, olive oil, unsalted nuts.) and a good carb (oatmeal,brown rice,qunioa and low carb fruits ( berries,grape fruits and kiwi.) at every meal you should be good to go. You have to fuel your body! Good Luck0
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