I just dont feel good about this

Reckabek
Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
Ive been told and read everywhere to eat back my excersise cals. And since the scale isnt budging, altho i look better...i am fighting in my mind to try eating some back. Usually im under 1250. I lost 95 lbs on my own, joined my fitness pal, started working out more as of 2 mnths ago and nothings going down on the scale if not moving up. Sooo....two days ago i ate back some cals, and yesterday i didnt and today, i am trying to up my intake at meals. I just however dont like the idea of expanding my stomach when i worked so hard to shrink it! Its really really bothering me. But i do want the scale to move down again......ohhh just venting, noone needs to reapond if u dont wanna....lol.

Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    It worked for many of us, in fact there is a thread about it right above yours:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/500870-eating-to-lose-and-i-broke-through-my-plateau?page=1#posts-6972408


    There is nothing to be scared of. You will still be in a calorie deficit, therefore you will not gain weight. Getting stuck in a certain mindset can be damaging in all areas of life. Always be open to different possibilities!
  • okerachel
    okerachel Posts: 45 Member
    The most weight I ever lost, 3.4 lbs in a week (I went from 142 to 138.6) was the week I chilled on my well-rounded tush because I had just injured my calf AND shamelessly ate all my calories everyday. Taking it easy and eating all my calories was exactly what my body wanted.
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
    The most weight I ever lost, 3.4 lbs in a week (I went from 142 to 138.6) was the week I chilled on my well-rounded tush because I had just injured my calf AND shamelessly ate all my calories everyday. Taking it easy and eating all my calories was exactly what my body wanted.


    Agreed, when i didnt work out i lost like crazy, but now that im working out nothing. Sux!
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    You don't have to eat mass quantities of food to up your calorie intake. Exchange some of what you are eating for higher calorie foods. Example-nuts, nut butters, full fat cheese, olive oil, avocado. These things are all good for you, don't take up much in the way of volume (so you're not increasing the amount you eat) but they are more calorie dense. You must fuel your body if you are exercising. Simple as that!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
    Thank u guys! Imma grab some nuts right now!
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    Another thing to note - when you workout you're essentially tearing your muscles. In order to rebuild them, your muscles will hold on to water to aid in the repair. You might just be seeing a bit of excess water weight, especially if you say that your body is looking better.
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 350 Member
    Ive been told and read everywhere to eat back my excersise cals. And since the scale isnt budging, altho i look better...i am fighting in my mind to try eating some back. Usually im under 1250. I lost 95 lbs on my own, joined my fitness pal, started working out more as of 2 mnths ago and nothings going down on the scale if not moving up. Sooo....two days ago i ate back some cals, and yesterday i didnt and today, i am trying to up my intake at meals. I just however dont like the idea of expanding my stomach when i worked so hard to shrink it! Its really really bothering me. But i do want the scale to move down again......ohhh just venting, noone needs to reapond if u dont wanna....lol.

    I had the same fears, but don't worry, just give it a try. PS, our stomachs don't shrink and then stay there, or expand and then stay there... They expand to accept food, and then shrink when the food passes through. Your actual stomach is the same size 'empty' as it was when you were heavier. People seem to think that when we get used to eating more, our stomach stays stretched out, like a pair of pantyhose after you've worn them all day. It's not like that at all. It goes back down to the same size once it's empty. What HAS changed is your body's hunger/satiety signals, and their effectiveness.

    And yeah! Add some almonds, throw a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on some toast, add a couple of apples or something, and you've got some easy ways to tack on 100-300 cals. :)
  • mayaeberhard
    mayaeberhard Posts: 27
    Reckabek - A few things come to mind when I read your post. You have lost a lot of weight (AWESOME) and it is always easier to loose more when you have more to loose. You are considerably smaller now and cannot expect to see huge changes on the scale each week (this said while guessing that you are pretty close to your goal).
    I would like to suggest that :
    1. You may want to invest in a body composition tester like Omron to measure your body fat% as loosing weight is not your focus at this point as much as loosing body fat and building muscles: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FYZMYK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00715CF9G&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0FWNWCG8Y55E8KRCNX8P
    2. If you work out harder now you may be building muscle and replacing fat....this will not be reflected by the scale, but rather how your clothes fit, how energetic you are, how much stronger you gotten. Do a fitness test like this: http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/resources/testbooklet.pdf
    3. Set a Non-scale related goal like: Be able to walk 1 mile under 13 min, do 5 perfect pushups, hold plank pose for 3 min.....any of these will show you how greatly you have improved! Do not let the scale rule your life!

    I am so inspired and impressed with you!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
    Reckabek - A few things come to mind when I read your post. You have lost a lot of weight (AWESOME) and it is always easier to loose more when you have more to loose. You are considerably smaller now and cannot expect to see huge changes on the scale each week (this said while guessing that you are pretty close to your goal).
    I would like to suggest that :
    1. You may want to invest in a body composition tester like Omron to measure your body fat% as loosing weight is not your focus at this point as much as loosing body fat and building muscles: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FYZMYK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00715CF9G&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0FWNWCG8Y55E8KRCNX8P
    2. If you work out harder now you may be building muscle and replacing fat....this will not be reflected by the scale, but rather how your clothes fit, how energetic you are, how much stronger you gotten. Do a fitness test like this: http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/resources/testbooklet.pdf
    3. Set a Non-scale related goal like: Be able to walk 1 mile under 13 min, do 5 perfect pushups, hold plank pose for 3 min.....any of these will show you how greatly you have improved! Do not let the scale rule your life!

    I am so inspired and impressed with you!


    Thank u so much, i think ur right! I def see that i can ride my bike wayyyyyy longer, and the way im doing my work out videos have improved. I do believe im building muscle. Cause since i had to go down in jean sizes. Woohoo. I am letting the scAle rule my life i guess. Obsessed. I tellya
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
    Another thing to note - when you workout you're essentially tearing your muscles. In order to rebuild them, your muscles will hold on to water to aid in the repair. You might just be seeing a bit of excess water weight, especially if you say that your body is looking better.


    Cool did not know this thank u!
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
    I think many put too much emphasis on what the scale reads. If we'd all toss the scale and just take measurements we'd all likely be better off.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    The best way to get over your fear is to move from "weight loss" mindset to "fitness" mentality. Find some friends/mentors on here who don't mind sharing diaries, and watch them progress...while eating 1800-2200 cals. Watch their weight come off as they get faster and stronger. You'll gradually realize that it works, and at some point, you'll look back and wonder why you ever questioned it!

    That's what happened for me, and I hope it happens for you too! Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Every body is different. I will not lose an ounce if I eat back all my exercise calories, but have lost as much as a pound a week when I didn't. Most days I eat 50-75% of them, which makes my weight loss slow but steady.

    I recently read about an interesting study which infers that our brain's energy stores are depleted after exercising, but increase dramatically if we eat some carbs after working out. Do this once and the energy stores will return to their normal levels in a few hours, but if you regularly exercise and eat afterward the baseline for your brain's energy stores will rise. This leads to a greater ability to concentrate and remember things.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I think many put too much emphasis on what the scale reads. If we'd all toss the scale and just take measurements we'd all likely be better off.

    Probably not all. I'm bloated most of the time so it's hard to get useful measurements.
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