Calories for "maintaining"

[Robotica]

I've been losing weight nicely last week, from my "official" weigh in date on Tuesday till Friday I'd lost 2 lbs, stayed the same on Saturday.
Ate out that day, couldn't count everything, but didn't go too much over my daily limit. Gained 1lbs that day.
Sunday I pigged out on some chips with cheese. That was over my limit too, but not too much. By Monday I was nearly back to Tuesday's weight.

Now I understood that 500kcal more a day is what you'd eat to maintain weight. On neither of those days have I gone over 500kcal extra, so why the weight gain?

 

[dd82]

Probably water from eating salty/ takeaway food I find ink drink lots of water the day after junk that should come back off, also if you exercise sometimes you hold onto some water for repairing muscles etc

 

[Robotica]

Hm I'll try drinking a lot of water today and see how it goes.. Don't think I ate anything too salty though, had some mexican food, didn't taste salty.. but then I don't really know much about these stuff. Thanks for the advice

 

[dd82]

I think it is to do with the sodium content ?? I find any processes food and takeaway does it I was two lb up but had eaten under calories but it was an Indian takeaway this weekend, I drank 2.5 litres of water yesterday and they have come of this morning, maybe it's coincidence but I always try it if I know I haven't eaten great foods even if they in allowance

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

As far as I'm aware mexican food has a lot of sodium so it's probably water retention.

I only pay attention to my weigh in once a week, same day and time, as my weight fluctuates massively day to day regardless of what I'm eating.

I once weighed myself every day over a week (same time each day) and I lost and gained 6lbs over the week, I ended up staying the same at the end of the week (I'm maintaining so that's what I wanted). I lost, then gained, then gained more and then lost again lol. I now don't weigh daily as it annoyed me.

Try not to worry about daily weigh ins. Do them if you want to by all means but just pay attention to the one day a week and always at the same time (weight also fluctuates throughout the day)

 

[teetiefunk]

yeah defo sodium...same thing happened to me last week I had a chinese but not too bad then next day bam! up 4lbs! I could have cried but it came off just as quick when I started guzzling the water

 

[Robotica]

I've been drinking at least a bottle of water a day, but still no luck, even eating less and moving more. Yesterday my Fitbit said I burned 2160 kcal, I ate 1060kcal, but still. +0.2lbs

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

How big are your bottles? I personally have to drink 3 litres of water a day for 2-3 days after eating high sodium. On sunday i was up a pound so had to drink lots then wednesday it was gone.

You could also be burning too many calories for the amount if calories you're eating. You're burning way way more than you are eating so your body is running on empty! Don't forget your body naturally burns quite a lot of calories just to keep you alive even if you done no exercise.

I can only give my figures but here goes:

My body burns around about 1480 naturally doing every day things so if i was to do over 2100 calories worth of exercise my body would be burning more than 3500 calories and if i was only eating just over 1000 calories my body would complain.

I am 5 ft and 114lbs so my body doesnt naturally burn as many calories as a taller or heavier person (i am not saying that you are taller or heavier as i cannot see your stats on my phone but most people who are trying to lose weight are heavier than me and most people in general are taller lol)

 

[teetiefunk]

i always eat above my BMR and eat back my exercise cals...if you dont at least eat your BMR which is what your body needs to function if you dont do any activity...then you run the risk of your body going into starvation mode. I have been doing this and losing oj.

 

[Robotica]

It's not that I exercise a lot, I believe that my FitBit gives me the overall burn, BMR + activity, I tried 1000 less than that so I could lose 2lb a week, and I try my best to be more active so I can reach a healthy stage at or above my BMR while still burning enough for a loss.
My bottles of water are 500ml, not big enough, but I usually drink none so thought it would make a difference. Ate quite a bit of Indian today, all the gain is just depressing me.. But I'll up my water to 2L+ a day for the next few days and see how that goes.

 

[teetiefunk]

water is the absolute key...I drink at least 2ltrs but probs more like 3.

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

I can't see your stats at the moment (on my phone). What's your bmi?

If it's quite low (in or near "healthy" range) then 2lbs may be too much to aim for. when you have a lower bmi your body probably wont like such a high deficiency as it sees itself as healthy. I know it's annoying (been there myself as my bmi got lower) but if you're not losing then your body is trying to tell you something.

Now you may tell me your bmi is obese and all what I have said above is a load of rubbish lol.

In terms of water 500ml isn't enough after eating high sodium. It's not enough to flush the sodium out of your system I wouldn't have thought. Give it time you will get used to water, I can't drink less than 2 litres now or I feel so dehydrated and dizzy with a dry mouth and I used to drink no water at all.

 

[Robotica]

My bmi is low, between 20 and 21. But it's like most my fat is accumulated in certain areas, so I don't really trust BMI.

I know exercise is meant to work better than diet here, but I got to much less than I am now on only a diet before, still in a healthy range too. Am just trying to get back to that, but I can't see why it's not working this time.. especially since am being a lot more active.

Just need to see a loss again and I can get back on the wagon.

Just to confirm, I know water has no calories, but say you drank 500ml after waking up, and weighed yourself 2hrs later. Would that make you heavier than you would've weighed when you woke up?

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

When you have a low bmi the more active you are the more you need to eat.

My opinion is that you're not eating enough and your body is protesting.

I know you probably want to do what worked before but it's not working now. You need to listen to your body, if you don't it will not lose the weight it will hold on to it.

I don't pay much attention to bmi either but I do listen to my body. Personally I think 2lbs a week is too much to aim for. Regardless what you think of bmi most professionals will advise 0.5lbs a week if you are at a healthy weight range. I know you're not happy with your body but you are at a healthy weight so you really need to give your body what it needs or it will burn out.

At the end of my weightloss I always ate 1200 calories a day and ate back all exercise calories (I didn't when I was heavier) if I didn't then I wouldn't lose. 1200 for me was very close to my maintenance so in theory I should only have lost 0.3 lbs a week but it was usually 1lb.

Obviously everyone is different and just because that's what I had to do doesn't mean it's the same for you but what you're doing isn't working....

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

And yes if you want a consistant result always weigh before you drink or eat anything after going loo.

Water in your system will make you heavier.

Do be absolutely consistant everything needs to be the same- scale in same place, same clothes, same time, same day, same scale, eat or drink same things and quantity that day before weigh in (which is why morning before you eat or drink is easiest)

And if you have to weigh every day expect the results to go up and down, that's normal! Only record a weekly result on same day.

Never weigh more than once a day, it will constantly change

 

[Robotica]

I usually do weigh everyday when I wake up, same attire, same place. I understand it going up a bit some days, it's just that it's been going up steadily everyday for a week now..

I guess I'll move my limit up to 1lb a week and make sure I drink 2L of water a day, and see how I do in a weeks time.

Thank you for all the help and advice.

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

It's all about trial and error to get the right balance for you

You may not always need 2 litres (although that is what is recommended even for someone not trying to lose weight) but definitely drink more after high sodium foods

I'm maintaining now and one Wednesday I was 113.4lbs, the next Wednesday I was 114.8lbs and the Wednesday after that I was 113.4lbs again. I do occasionally randomly gain and yes it does bother me, for about 5 minutes, and then I realise there was nothing I could have done about it.

I am at 113.4lbs this morning, happy with anything between 112 and 118. Maybe give yourself a range when you're nearer to goal so you don't get too foscussed on what the scale says.

I do understand why you're frustrated as you're at the stage of trying to find what's right for you but you will get there

Good luck with the nrw plan

 

[Robotica]

At the moment my goal is a range of under 110lbs but not too skinny, only using 110 as that's what I remember being at some point last year.

But this water is working like a charm.. Although am eating a bit more now, and I still haven't been able to finish the whole 2L yet, am back at my 115! In about 4 days, that's alright Not less than I was 2 weeks ago, but atleast not much more.

And am weighing less, although I like to know how am doing throughout, I'm giving myself a chance to make up for what I eat over a few days before weighing so as to not stress myself with it x

 

[TracyGWill]

I usually do weigh everyday when I wake up, same attire, same place. I understand it going up a bit some days, it's just that it's been going up steadily everyday for a week now..

I guess I'll move my limit up to 1lb a week and make sure I drink 2L of water a day, and see how I do in a weeks time.

Thank you for all the help and advice.

The recommended additional fluid intake is actually 1.2L per day, the rest comes from food, and it can be water, milk, juice or even tea and coffee, not just water (thank goodness as I hate the stuff, lol). If you drink a lot more you'll just wee a lot!

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx

Tracy xx

 

[Robotica]

Wow these water recommendations are always changing.. Hard to keep up. Someone posted a link in another thread like water is not even needed, drink coffee instead.

This 1.2 litres thing seems much easier though, I seem to finish a 500ml bottle in one go and just forget about it until the end of the day where I add a glass or so

Although reading that article and the signs of dehydration seem to hit 3/4.. Maybe water is the answer to all my problems.. Here's hoping lol