Gaining weight without going over calories? Why is this?

[rdelgallo]

I eat healthy all day and very low on my calories if I know im going out to dinner. Even with eating out, I am under say 1,200 calories. Get in a bit of cardio that day as well, not as much as usual since I was out. But yet, I put on some pounds! Is this truly the water weight everyone says? It is very de-motivating. I will admit, I am one of those avid scale readers. It is hard not to look everyday and I know I shouldnt.

So is this water weight and should not worry? How do you get all this water out or is sweating and pissing the only way?
My BMI went down, even though weight went up?

Also, many may not know my journey. I was 18 years old at 305 pounds. I got down to 169 pounds in about 9 months. Hell of a time, everyone told me I got to small so I listened, I am now at 220 and 19 years old. Currently working on getting to a happy medium at 190 pounds.

Any advice regarding my question on why I put on weight without eating a lot of calories?

[AlwaysTryin]

I eat healthy all day and very low on my calories if I know im going out to dinner. Even with eating out, I am under say 1,200 calories. Get in a bit of cardio that day as well, not as much as usual since I was out. But yet, I put on some pounds! Is this truly the water weight everyone says? It is very de-motivating. I will admit, I am one of those avid scale readers. It is hard not to look everyday and I know I shouldnt.

So is this water weight and should not worry? How do you get all this water out or is sweating and pissing the only way?
My BMI went down, even though weight went up?

Also, many may not know my journey. I was 18 years old at 305 pounds. I got down to 169 pounds in about 9 months. Hell of a time, everyone told me I got to small so I listened, I am now at 220 and 19 years old. Currently working on getting to a happy medium at 190 pounds.

Any advice regarding my question on why I put on weight without eating a lot of calories?

This is extremely unhealthy

chances are you're screwing your body and going to make it impossible to lose weight and you'll gain it easily

[rdelgallo]

Advice then? And that was just a number I put in there to show a point for if I go out to eat.

[determined4000]

losing 120+ lbs in 6 months was probably not the best route

[AlwaysTryin]

Advice then? And that was just a number I put in there to show a point for if I go out to eat.

I'd be eating about ~2000-2300 calories a day

[rdelgallo]

With eating that many calories, since I do not do hard work outs, i only walk a lot. Would that be about a pound a week loss?

and I wasnt thinking that much weight before would come off that fast, I just critiqued everything I was doing with a lot of research, hours upon hours, and it worked for me.

[AlwaysTryin]

With eating that many calories, since I do not do hard work outs, i only walk a lot. Would that be about a pound a week loss?

and I wasnt thinking that much weight before would come off that fast, I just critiqued everything I was doing with a lot of research, hours upon hours, and it worked for me.

What I suggest, increase your calories each week by say ~200 until you get to 2000-2200. Once there, eat at that for a few weeks.

[rdelgallo]

and can someone chime in my question regarding the water retention/weight?
and what does it mean if weight goes up but bmi goes down?

[rdelgallo]

What I suggest, increase your calories each week by say ~200 until you get to 2000-2200. Once there, eat at that for a few weeks.

Ok thank you! slowly putting them in sounds like a good idea instead of going right into it increasing them.

[alwaystranquil]

AlwaysTryin gave solid advice. Eat at least 2,000 calories.

Big tip is go buy crystal light or any low cal 0 drink drink (avoid diet pop for this, since it may bloat you, but then again it may work too) and drink 2 gallons in one day. It's a lot of liquids, hence why crystal light will help you drink all of it.

Why should you do this? You'll literally piss like 15 times, goto sleep, and take another giant piss, and will drop a lot of water weight.

I'll do this and the next day be 4lbs lighter.

[rdelgallo]

haha I just drank a gallon the other night for the first time, id piss, jump back on the couch and have to go again lol

question about that though, I know i didnt piss away a gallon... if i were to weigh in the day after that, (i drank it late) would some of that water of shown on the scale? that ran through my mind on why my weight increased a bit since i had recently drank so much.

[ThousandEyes]

You're honestly overthinking it man, relax a bit and start incorporating more calories as you're losing too quickly (I did something similar to a lesser extent)

Word of warning though when you add cals you'll probably see the scale jump up a bit again but this is normal because you have more food in your system, don't worry about it too much.

[AlwaysTryin]

and can someone chime in my question regarding the water retention/weight?
and what does it mean if weight goes up but bmi goes down?

BMI is stupid, ignore it

[determined4000]

BMI is stupid, ignore it

this plus BMI cannot go down if weight goes up

[foodandfitness]

To those giving OP suggestions to increase his intake of calories in order to lose weight, what is your rationale?

[AlwaysTryin]

To those giving OP suggestions to increase his intake of calories in order to lose weight, what is your rationale?

Severe calorie restriction and prolonged severe dieting decreases/slows metabolism. OP has been eating unhealthy amounts of calories (less than a 10 year old needs) and needs to increase his calories to bring his health/metabolism back to normal so he can restart weight loss again - lamen terms

[joeturner]

Im about to give you the best advice you can get, but if you do it or not is up to you


GO SEE A DOCTOR!!!

go see an endocronlogist and get teh following tested

- Metabolism
- Thyroid panel
- Total Testosterone
- Free Testosterone

Dieting for so long you may have messed yourself up.
I spun my wheels on these boards looking for the magic cure for months...before getting tested, and low and behold my T count was 40!!! (shoudl be like 800) and I'm working on fixing it now.

[MrMcgaw]

To low calories. Body can't burn fat for energy when it has to eat muscles to repair and feed vital organs.
My guess with a lot of agreeing with above posters is to at least raise your protein levels.
Go!

[micky27]

more training

[darkcloudcover]

Body can't burn fat for energy when it has to eat muscles to repair and feed vital organs

Can you please give more details here, and provide the references ?

[BananaMan12]

To gain anything but water weight while eating a caloric deficit defies basic laws of the universe.

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed.

Bsically you aren't eating at adeficit. 1200 cals sould be, but you fuked up your metabolism losing weigh so fast. Your body has now adjusted to such low calories. Its not longer a deficit.

[MrMcgaw]

Can you please give more details here, and provide the references ?

I do a lot of reading and try and take a bit from everything I read and form my own opinion. This is one article I've read on it. Sure tree are others.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/29...ries-in-a-day/

[darkcloudcover]

I do a lot of reading and try and take a bit from everything I read and form my own opinion. This is one article I've read on it. Sure tree are others.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/29...ries-in-a-day/

This is not a good reference.

Please post medical research backing up the claim that "if your calorie intake falls below 50 percent of your RMR, your body goes into starvation mode. As this occurs, fat metabolism stops and lean tissue and muscle mass metabolism begins."

[WonderPug]

Body can't burn fat for energy when it has to eat muscles to repair and feed vital organs.

I presume you're trolling, right?

Not only is "fat" a dense energy source, but it's the primary metabolic fuel when in ketosis.

[Jhuth13]

OP here's a scenario that might help you. I cut for probably about 6 months (give or take) before I started tracking my calories. When I decided to switch to a bulk fairly recently, I decided I needed to track my calories so I wouldnt get struck in a dreamer bulk and end up fat.

I started tracking for about 2 weeks eating as I normally did, and found I was only eating about 1800 calories (with a pretty intense exercise schedule). Every week, I bumped my cals up about 100 and kept my routine the same. 2 days ago I bumped up another 100, so I am now up to 2500 and have seen no weight gain yet.

If youre eating that few calories, you'll probably be able to bump your intake up a good bit without having to worry. I used to dread even moving 100 calories fearing I was going to turn into a fat slob overnight. Aint gonna happen. If youre on point with your calorie tracking and watch the scale, youll be able to fine tune. Fine line between eating right and it becoming an unhealthy obsession. Its still something that worries me a bit, but Im getting better about it.

[MrMcgaw]

Not trolling, was trying to help! I don't have a degree so what I read from 5 or so sources I consider to be at least a bit accurate.
Appologies if incorrect. From personal exp a friend o mine was trying to lose weight and had impossible time till I informed him to eat more protien and his weight started coming off.

Wonderpug do you have reference for basically opposite of what I though? Love to read it and correct my understanding.

[WonderPug]

Wonderpug do you have reference for basically opposite of what I though? Love to read it and correct my understanding.

References for ketones as metabolic fuel?

See here.

[MrMcgaw]

References for ketones as metabolic fuel?

See here.

Sweet mother...
Felt like I read a shampoo bottle with them ingredients.
What I basically got from that was:
Carbs are not needed
2000cal diet for example, more carbs = less HDL and less potential lean body mass.
Taking business not scientist101 sadly.
Thanks!

[WonderPug]

^^^ You asked for a reference.

Anyway, the point is that "fat" is most certainly burned for energy, in contradiction to your prior post, and that effect is most pronounced in nutritional ketosis as even the brain starts preferring ketones over glucose for the majority of its metabolic energy.

[ELLSKIES]

To gain anything but water weight while eating a caloric deficit defies basic laws of the universe.

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed.

Bsically you aren't eating at adeficit. 1200 cals sould be, but you fuked up your metabolism losing weigh so fast. Your body has now adjusted to such low calories. Its not longer a deficit.

Well said. Reps!