Gaining weight when increasing calories

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michellekicks
michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,

Just wanted to post this because I'm reading about people trying to change things up by eating more. When you're not losing with low calories, it might be that you're just not eating enough. I agree with trying to eat more - I'm an avid EM2WL gal because I'm an endurance athlete.

Having said that, at first when you increase your calories you will gain a few lbs. This is completely normal; it is also temporary. But temporary may mean a few weeks. We didn't add extra pounds overnight and we're not going to take them off overnight either.

Just want to share this illustration with you:

My daily net goal is 1640 calories. I eat that plus all my exercise calories (which is about 3500/week most weeks). Since that is a deficit for me (about 1.5 lbs/week loss) I don't run as well as I could eating that. I had a huge race last week (10 miles; 4370' altitude gain) and wanted to race well. So for 2 weeks beforehand I ate at my estimated TDEE (maintenance) calories, netting 2000 daily.

In those 2 weeks I gained 4.5 lbs at the highest. On Tuesday (just 6 days ago) I went back to my cut netting 1640. Those 4.5 lbs are gone, plus about 2 more IN THOSE 6 DAYS.

Those lbs are temporary. Don't be afraid of eating more for a week or 2 in order to let your body chill out (or to fuel some athletic event, race, competition or whatever). The pounds will come back off again.

Anyway, just wanted to share in case it will ease someone's fears about the few lbs you gain when you increase calories.

Replies

  • wasveganvictoria88
    wasveganvictoria88 Posts: 249 Member
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    I worry about it...I worked out that my TDEE is like...1500kcals (I'm 5' 3") so my loosing is 1300kcals - you thin kthat is still too low?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I worry about it...I worked out that my TDEE is like...1500kcals (I'm 5' 3") so my loosing is 1300kcals - you thin kthat is still too low?

    Do you work out?

    I plugged your info into this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ with a completely sedentary lifestyle (no exercise at all) and got (assuming from your ticker your weight is about 136):

    BMR: 1428
    TDEE: 1713
    Cut 15%: 1456

    I would aim to net 1456 if I were you. Eat 1456, and if you exercise, eat those calories back since you didn't add the exercise into the calculator. You may gain a pound or two at first, but as I said before, it will be temporary.

    And the idea that someone with 16 lbs to lose should aim for 2 lbs/week is quite ridiculous. I know it would be nice, but it's not realistic. A 15% cut from your TDEE will see you losing about 2.1 lbs/month... but if you just keep that up you will attain your goal.
  • wasveganvictoria88
    wasveganvictoria88 Posts: 249 Member
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    I'm not aiming to loose 2lbs/week, if it says that its wrong lol! I may go up in cals a little bit at a time till I'm at 1450...then I won't feel like I'm cheating. I think I do need to add more protein to my diet though...I know thats where I'm going wrong! Thanks for your help :)
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I'm not aiming to loose 2lbs/week, if it says that its wrong lol!

    Sorry, no. That was just a general statement. Many who get at 1200 calorie goal are those who have very little to lose but set their goal at 2 lbs/week. For smaller people, they may get that target with setting their goal at a 1 lb loss, which I think is aggressive, but not inconceivable.
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
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    Thanks for posting this, I raised my goal to 1670 with:

    BMR 1565
    TDEE 1878
    15% cut 1597

    These came from scooby using Desk Job with little exercise. I have been logging my exercise, and keeping my calories close to net. Is this about right?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Thanks for posting this, I raised my goal to 1670 with:

    BMR 1565
    TDEE 1878
    15% cut 1597

    These came from scooby using Desk Job with little exercise. I have been logging my exercise, and keeping my calories close to net. Is this about right?

    Looks like you're combining two systems. Normally you use the Scooby numbers, include your exercise in the calculation and eat the cut number it gives you, every day.

    If you aim to eat 1670 every day, that will probably work for you unless you're burning a lot of calories. It may work for you to net 1670 (it sure slides off me at that net). Just try it and see what the results are. I think that has to be part of figuring out what works :)
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
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    I guess I just figured that netting Bmr was to low. Someone said last night that he was consistently netting a little bit under each day when he did that and thought that might be to low. Then you suggested putting my MFP profile to sedentary and lose 1/2 lb each week and it came out saying to eat 1670 which is 110 over my bmr. It seemed reasonable enough, since before my 15% cut on scooby seemed to close to my bmr. I had considered trying to net 1597 but wanted to be on the safe side with my limited knowledge of this. Do you think 1597 is to close to bmr to use as my net?

    Just to clarify, I like recording my exercise each day. It makes me feel good.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Yeah I think you probably will lose at net 1670. I don't know your height, but my weight is only a little less than yours and, as I said, the weight slides off me with that net. So try it :) I figure if you can lose weight eating more, why wouldn't you... especially during BBQ season :D
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
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    I am 5' 1.5" 195 lbs and 47 yo.

    I love BBQ Season, and this is when we visit family more too. To many mountain passes to cross during winter for the most part! Today is my first day of 1670, feeling pretty full. Still not sure if I should count all the cleaning I did today, only counted 1 hour because I did so many stairs and walking and vacuuming. We shall see if I end up on my gazelle!
  • awoutlaw
    awoutlaw Posts: 86
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    Mrsbigmack, can you please explain a little more to me? I'm sorry if I don't understand all of this and I really appreciate any help you can offer. My current weight is 218 lbs. This is up from 215 lbs just a week and a half ago. I thought it was because I was retaining water and I was getting really flustered about it so I went to the Dr. and there I weighed in at 221!!! Needless to say, I was quite upset! I have recently started (over the past 2 weeks) being very diligent about eating well and ensuring that I eat all of my calorie allowance each day (1200 is what MFP recommends) and getting in some exercise daily. 99% of my weight loss has come from food intake solely so over the past week my niece and I have started Jillian's 30 day shred. OUCH! :bigsmile:

    I am almost half way towards my goal and don't want to get discouraged and every bit of information would be helpful! I am 5'3" and I have a sit down idle job.

    Thank you for any help you can offer!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Mrsbigmack, can you please explain a little more to me? I'm sorry if I don't understand all of this and I really appreciate any help you can offer. My current weight is 218 lbs. This is up from 215 lbs just a week and a half ago. I thought it was because I was retaining water and I was getting really flustered about it so I went to the Dr. and there I weighed in at 221!!! Needless to say, I was quite upset! I have recently started (over the past 2 weeks) being very diligent about eating well and ensuring that I eat all of my calorie allowance each day (1200 is what MFP recommends) and getting in some exercise daily. 99% of my weight loss has come from food intake solely so over the past week my niece and I have started Jillian's 30 day shred. OUCH! :bigsmile:

    I am almost half way towards my goal and don't want to get discouraged and every bit of information would be helpful! I am 5'3" and I have a sit down idle job.

    Thank you for any help you can offer!

    Well, the intention of my post was to simply reassure those who have gained weight while increasing calories... the best thing you can do now is click on "Groups" up above and then search for "Eat More to Weigh Less" and join the group. Read all the stickies there... there is LOADS of great information on metabolism, coming off a VLC (very low calorie) diet and why you want to eat more to fuel your body during weight loss.

    I'm not an expert; just someone for whom this is working.
  • awoutlaw
    awoutlaw Posts: 86
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    Thank you!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    If you aren't an athlete like yourself can you still EM2WL? I have not lost since march and was eating about 1800 for a while with mod exercise 5-6 days a week. These last 2 weeks have been TERRIBLE ( eating worst stuff ever) and somehow I lost 2 lbs!! :noway: I was thinking maybe that meant I need to eat more but I am unsure :P Any advice??
    I am 5'6" 170.4lbs 21 yr old. BMR from what I hear is 1600
  • jenslife82
    jenslife82 Posts: 229
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    [/quote]

    I plugged your info into this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ with a completely sedentary ...[/quote]I went to this it says I need no be eating 2483 calories a day to lose 1.2lbs a week. Holy calories!! Maybe I'll try it at some point but that's a lot of food. Especially for a veg.. Unless I increased carbs, which is already an issue for me. I justify it by running for exercise but even then I'm losing like 2-6 oz a week and I'm feeling like its the carbs holding tight to the fat.
  • jenslife82
    jenslife82 Posts: 229
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    If you aren't an athlete like yourself can you still EM2WL? I have not lost since march and was eating about 1800 for a while with mod exercise 5-6 days a week. These last 2 weeks have been TERRIBLE ( eating worst stuff ever) and somehow I lost 2 lbs!! :noway: I was thinking maybe that meant I need to eat more but I am unsure :P Any advice??
    I am 5'6" 170.4lbs 21 yr old. BMR from what I hear is 1600
    When I have a few binge days (BBQ weekends kind of thing) I tend to lose that week too. Only issue is continuing to eat more will cause a gain or plateau. At least with my body.. And others I've talked to with similar habits.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    If you aren't an athlete like yourself can you still EM2WL? I have not lost since march and was eating about 1800 for a while with mod exercise 5-6 days a week. These last 2 weeks have been TERRIBLE ( eating worst stuff ever) and somehow I lost 2 lbs!! :noway: I was thinking maybe that meant I need to eat more but I am unsure :P Any advice??
    I am 5'6" 170.4lbs 21 yr old. BMR from what I hear is 1600
    When I have a few binge days (BBQ weekends kind of thing) I tend to lose that week too. Only issue is continuing to eat more will cause a gain or plateau. At least with my body.. And others I've talked to with similar habits.

    Okay but that "will cause a gain or plateau" if you continue, is the temporary thing I was talking about. You have to give it time. PLUS it's not an all-out abandon common sense binge... it's calculated.

    Net more than BMR; eat less than TDEE. Eat according to your goals. Slow and steady... able to survive BBQ season without excusing yourself from the festivities. Because after BBQ season is Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and...

    But anyway, yeah. The point of this post was to reassure that the gains that do inevitably come from upping calories most definitely are temporary.
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
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    Just a comment, but the reason I believe Eating more to Lose More works is that I lost 20 lbs without even realizing I had. I didn't know anything about this system but one day I said to myself that if I cut something I eat regularly from my diet then my body should drop weight, because I had been maintaining my weight for a while eating like I had. I chose something I ate every day, which was half and half in my coffee. I didn't really track anything (my mistake), but I lost. I continued on that path for a year and a half, and lost a few more pounds simply by dropping a few things from my diet till I stopped losing anymore. I gained this weight gradually, so why shouldn't I lose it gradually. The best part was since I lost it gradually, I was able to maintain that loss without any trouble at all. A few months ago I decided it was time to get serious about losing weight and dropped my calories to around 1200 to 1300 and thought I would starve to death, I felt horrible and had no energy at all. I did some research after hearing about BMR, TDEE, and cut calories. I started looking at how these numbers are determined, and then I stuck my height, weight, activity level etc into the scooby calculator and found out that the reason I felt so horrible was that I wasn't even feeding my body enough to support staying in bed all day! That is what BMR is based on. On top of it I was expecting my body to exercise, because I was "dieting" and that was supposed to help drop the pounds. I am not far into the initial "calorie cut" phase of this "planned" weight loss, but I am so sure it works that my biggest concern right now is simply making sure I am feeding my body enough to sustain it through all the things I do. The weight loss will come, I am certain. I do realize we are all different, but I hope you take the time to research what BMR, TDEE, and Cut Calories mean. Join the group that MrsBigMack suggested, it has great info!

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

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