My problem is trying to figure out how much to eat. It seems like no matter what I do I lose and gain the same few pounds, but gradually gaining. I lost 120 pounds and have kept it off for 10 years through low cal dieting (avg 1600-1800 cals per day and not eating back exercise calories (i usually run 20-25 miles per week) so I am trying the 'reset the metabolism" but I seem to just keep trending up. I have a Bodymedia fit device and this is data for the past 3 weeks:

3/6-3/13 average burn 2339, ate 2130, deficit 209, lost .2
3/14-3/21burn 2489, ate 2269, deficit 220, gained 2.6 pounds:noway: :noway: :noway:
3/21-3/27 burn 2235, ate 2115, deficit 117, lost .6:huh:

In January and febuary I probably netted 1800-2000 cals and my weight fluctuated 1-2 lbs

I am just dumbfounded because I have been eating quite a bit (at least 1800 for at least 6 mos now, so isnt that resetting my metabolism?? How do you know what maintenance is, if you gain and lose at so many different intakes?? I was maintaing 162 pounds eating 1900 cals last year, this year I gain eating 1800 weight 169 pounds????

Thoughts? suggestions??? HELP!

Metabolism raises or lowers to meet your eating levels. So, essentially, those were all "maintenance," seeing as your body adjusted to a certain amount of cals, and plateaued. We hit plateaus at high or low levels, so when we under-eat, our body responds by lowering metabolism to meet it, giving us a lower "maintenance." once the body adjusts to that level, anything that we eat above it will be considered surplus. Until we continue to eat that amount consistently, then the body adjusts to the new level and *it* becomes our maintenance. So, when a person undergoes a metabolism reset, it's usually recommended that they get the cals as high as possible, and allow the body to plateau at the higher amount. Weight gain is an expected casualty during this process. Once the body stabilizes at the new level, cals can be lowered, and loss will re-occur at higher levels than before. Then the person is recommended to take diet breaks (a week of maintenance eating) every 12 weeks or so throughout the duration of their weight loss journey in order to prevent it from re-occurring.

So the weight will fluctuate, but you have to ride it out until it stabilizes, or at least a month or two, so that when you lower cals again, you will begin losing.

Also, if you've always fluctuated 2 lbs or so, then that is just your natural trend. Maintenance still involves fluctuation. You never actually stand completely still.

Here are some links that you may want to check out:
http://www.leighpeele.com/lose-8-gain-8-the-diet-stand-still
http://www.leighpeele.com/diet-break-plan

Also, the author of the the above blog, Leigh Peele, has a book called the Metabolism Repair Manual. You may want to look into it, as she goes in to much more detail than I have here.

Metabolism raises or lowers to meet your eating levels. So, essentially, those were all "maintenance," seeing as your body adjusted to a certain amount of cals, and plateaued. We hit plateaus at high or low levels, so when we under-eat, our body responds by lowering metabolism to meet it, giving us a lower "maintenance." once the body adjusts to that level, anything that we eat above it will be considered surplus. Until we continue to eat that amount consistently, then the body adjusts to the new level and *it* becomes our maintenance. So, when a person undergoes a metabolism reset, it's usually recommended that they get the cals as high as possible, and allow the body to plateau at the higher amount. Weight gain is an expected casualty during this process. Once the body stabilizes at the new level, cals can be lowered, and loss will re-occur at higher levels than before. Then the person is recommended to take diet breaks (a week of maintenance eating) every 12 weeks or so throughout the duration of their weight loss journey in order to prevent it from re-occurring.

So the weight will fluctuate, but you have to ride it out until it stabilizes, or at least a month or two, so that when you lower cals again, you will begin losing.

Also, if you've always fluctuated 2 lbs or so, then that is just your natural trend. Maintenance still involves fluctuation. You never actually stand completely still.

Here are some links that you may want to check out:
http://www.leighpeele.com/lose-8-gain-8-the-diet-stand-still
http://www.leighpeele.com/diet-break-plan

Also, the author of the the above blog, Leigh Peele, has a book called the Metabolism Repair Manual. You may want to look into it, as she goes in to much more detail than I have here.

The Metabolism Repair Manual isn't out anymore...she's rewriting it. Checked the site. Boo. It should be out in a few months.

Hey, if anyone's interested, there's a group about this metabolism stuff here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4455-metabolism-repair-mode

I just saw that! What an awesome idea for those that are in it for the long haul. It helps to have others going through it as well. There was a thread on bodybuilding.com a while back where a group of ladies went through it together. Makes for a very interesting read if anyone wants to see how the process plays out, and the emotions felt along the way. I'd highly recommend anyone going through the process to bookmark the thread and take time reading it through. Much easier to equip yourselves for the journey

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135324371&highlight=metabolism+repair

I have received this question quite a few times so hopefully this will help (ofcourse please plug in your own numbers).

Let's say your TDEE is 2300 then you subtract 15% so that you now have your cut value of 1955.

Let's say your BMR is 1500.

Ok, so now you know the numbers, I suggest you then go into MFP Goal custom settings and change daily calorie goal to 1955, carbs 40, prot 30, fat 30, and fiber 30.

So, this takes into account your exercise so you shouldn't have to eat back any extra calories UNLESS (as in this example 1955-1500= 455) you burn over 455 calories. If you burn lets say 655 calories then you would need 200 extra calories on top of the 1955 to NET BMR.

If you make that change to your MFP goals then you can input your exercise and on your homepage of MFP it will show you where you stand with your NET calories...as long as it is higher than your BMR on that workout day you are good to go...if not, then eat calories until you at least NET your BMR.