Calorie Confusion!

there is no such thing as starvation mode..and its physiologically impossible to gain weight on a calorie deficit.

from there i suggest not going with what MFP says...look up the 'harris benedict formula' its the most accurate calculator/formula..remember to always factor in your activity level.

i am 5'2" and weigh...roughly 128 lbs (i'm a size 4, but i weigh so much cuz its all muscle)..anyways..my BMR without activity level is around 1300..with activity level my TEE is around 1800. i've been eating around that much and maintaining my weight...

Hi hun the 1250 is the recommend amount of calories before your work outs. Why dont you try putting in an average of what you would work out because that will then give you extra calories. I'm new to this but I think that could be the answer...for example my base rate is 1280 + 600 ish I work out in the gym = 1880 per day...

LauraLoo xx

a deficit of 500 is 1lb, thats a bit much if you only have a few lbs to lose. Id go with a 250 / 0.5lb deficit so eat 1950.

... I'm now going between 114-117lbs on any given day. ...

If this is day to day variation - weighing once per day at the same time & under the same conditions - this amount of variation is not unexpected. That is why you should always look at the long term trends instead of the individual values. Look at your change over a week or a month. All measurements have some variation - in the profession we call it measurement uncertainty. It would not be surprising if a household scale has a measurement uncertainty of +/- 1 kg (2.2 pounds). That alone can cause the variation you are seeing.

If this is variation within the same day, then you are weighing far too often. Once a day is enough, for several reasons. One reason, of course, is the measurement uncertainty of the scale that I just mentioned.

The other big reason for weight variation during the day is what you eat and drink. For example, 1 liter of water has a mass of about 1 kg (2.2 pounds).When you drink it, you are immediately adding 1 kg to your body weight. Likewise, if you eat a large banana you are immediately adding another 125 grams (approximately) to your body weight. For most people it takes 24 to 48 hours for food and drink to be processed by the body - digested & burned as fuel, stored as new muscle or fat, or eliminated. Only the part that is stored contributes to weight gain, and that only shows up over a period of several days.

Do not be concerned over small day to day changes. Record the values - preferably on a chart - and move on. Once a week or so, look at the overall data for the past few weeks and see what the long-term trend is. If the trend is going down, that is good (if that is what you are looking for.) If it is going in the wrong direction for your goals, adjust what you are doing and evaluate the data again in a week or three. (If possible, adjust only one thing at a time. For example, adjust your eating OR your exercise, not both at once.)

Your weight loss (or maintenance) is a measurable process, just like whatever you may be doing in your professional life. In evaluating a process for quality improvement, it is bad practice to make a decision until you have 25-30 measurements - that's about a month of weighing yourself daily. The process performance must be evaluated over time - never on the basis of individual data points.

There's no such thing as instant results - they always take time and work.

I have a delima. I lost 100lbs on my own all over 2010-2011, and started maintaing my weight around 110lbs in November of last year. In Janurary, without upping my calories or stopping my workouts, I gained about 4lbs out of the blue. I'm now going between 114-117lbs on any given day. Could I possibly not be eating enough calories? I'm so confused. MFP says 1250 calories (which is what I have been eating for the past 2 years), but every other calorie counter I try on the web says between 1500-2200 calories with my intenisty of workouts. I don't want to be in starvation mode, because that will put on weight. But I am also terrified of upping my calories that much and gaining as well. I have no clue how to maintain my weight! I just want to get back down to 110 and maintain my weight. I started doing distance running, Crossfit, and this week I am doing my first round of Insanity. Any insight on this?

doing all that activity you should eat your 1250, but eat all of the cals you burn from exercise back. Or set your intake at 1700+ caloires, and don't eat the exercise cals back.

I think you are over thinking things. You know how to lose weight it would seem since you lose almost half yourself. Don't panic over the weight gain keep working out, eating right; it's a balancing act. Again, don't panic; maintenance is not easy because it's forever.

Another neat tool for you to look at is located here :

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/health/cron1.html