Lost weight, gained it all back and now the same deficit doesn't work and just lost.

[fattofame3]

Hello folks, back again to square one.

*This April I have started to workout again going 4x a week and still nada, nothing is dropping. Ate 1500-1700 calories.

Stats: M, 25, 174.5cm(5'8"), 88kgs(193.7lbs), Natty.

Back around 2019 I went from 78kgs(171.6lbs) to 60kgs(132lbs). Doing F5 Novice, tracking my calories, going to the gym 3 days a week (full body workouts) and doing the elliptical after every session for around 300 calories or 30 minutes. This was also ontop of my walking and some lifting labour work that I was doing at the time. I was using MFP to track my calories using a scale and all, know about macros etc but just focus on CICO as I find that easier and follow ITFYC.

After that success CoronaVirus hit and well gyms closed etc and I ballooned uptown my current weight of 88kgs(193.6lbs). This is not the heaviest I have been, heaviest I have been is 110kgs(242lbs) at a shorter height I think and took me a while to get down to 78kgs over a few years through various methods (not good).

Now the issue I have is that I have been eating 1800-1500 calories over the last 4-5ish months and my weight was just stuck. I was eating 1800 calories the first two months of Jan-Feb, noticed my weight is not moving and dropped to 1500 calories and still nothing. Kept trying this over the months to see what was going wrong and have now reached around May-June where I just said fk it and am eating at maintenance at 2,000 calories.

I have looked at the following to see my TDEE etc which it states is around 2,000-2,200. I know I was gaining at 2200 at .25kgs(0.55lbs) a week so my TDEE is 2,000 calories.

Now I am wondering why this is and if anyone would have any insights etc, I have read posts it may be health issues etc but mainly the consensus was CICO but I don't know anymore. For some reason the law of thermodynamics as they say is not applying here. Before anyone states, I am not using a scale properly. I know how to use a scale and that's how I tracked my food prior when I first lost weight.

I am thinking that when I first went from 78kgs(171.6lbs) to 60kgs(132lbs) I did it with a caloric deficit, working out, cardio and working which placed me in a server deficit in which I may have ****ed up my body as I was not eating back the calories I was burning.

I know do think that my caloric deficit is maybe 1300 calories a day, which seems way to ****ing low for a dude. But could it be? but how as my mainteince is 2,000 calories, I should be cutting at 1,500. Should I cut or eat at maintenance and lift? My strength is at the same level as when I was at a deficit but is going up but with no muscle definition or changes. **** ****ing sucks and now lost.

Resources looked at:

https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

https://tdeecalculator.net/result.ph...73&act=1.2&f=1

https://www.freedieting.com/calorie-calculator

Hoping those that have done it like I have or those that have hit this road block could offer some insights, thoughts or recommendations?

If this violates anything, which I don't think it does, let me know and I will remove this post.

Cheers.

[SuffolkPunch]

You can't damage your metabolism, it's much more likely that there is some problem with measuring your intake or your bodyweight. Both are prone to error and if you really want to get a handle on your TDEE, forget calculators, you simply need to eat exactly the same calories every day for at least 2 weeks, probably more like 4. Then weigh yourself every morning before breakfast and keep a log. If there isn't an obvious trend, the post those numbers here and I can analyse them for you.

Weigh and measure all portions.

[TolerantLactose]

Now the issue I have is that I have been eating 1800-1500 calories over the last 4-5ish months and my weight was just stuck. I was eating 1800 calories the first two months of Jan-Feb, noticed my weight is not moving and dropped to 1500 calories and still nothing. Kept trying this over the months to see what was going wrong and have now reached around May-June where I just said fk it and am eating at maintenance at 2,000 calories.

You were eating at maintenance this entire time.

If you are not losing weight, eat less. There is no condition which prevents you from losing weight if you lower your calories enough.

[Tommy W.]

You’re relying too much on numbers which you are not always correct due to calculators being inaccurate and your calorie counting and tracking being inaccurate

Your body doesn’t know numbers, only if it’s being given energy to either gain mass,lose mass or maintain mass.

In order to lose mass you must have a lower energy input than output.

[fattofame3]

You can't damage your metabolism, it's much more likely that there is some problem with measuring your intake or your bodyweight. Both are prone to error and if you really want to get a handle on your TDEE, forget calculators, you simply need to eat exactly the same calories every day for at least 2 weeks, probably more like 4. Then weigh yourself every morning before breakfast and keep a log. If there isn't an obvious trend, the post those numbers here and I can analyse them for you.

Weigh and measure all portions.

Glad to see you guys are good, well and still in the forums.

I will try this again as per your say. However, I did weigh my portions during those months and flopped around 1500-1800 calories. I ain't no special snowflake, hopefully not but could it be that I do cut at 700 calories? I will do as you have sated but interested in my question.

Follow up question, I doubt I can re-comp as per say. I have high BF% and no to little muscle mass.

[fattofame3]

You were eating at maintenance this entire time.

If you are not losing weight, eat less. There is no condition which prevents you from losing weight if you lower your calories enough.

This is understandable, but I am just wondering that would I be an outlier that cuts on 700 compared to the typical 500?

There was this one week were I did not eat that much as I woke up late and missed some meals. For the week I saw that I only ate an average of 1,300 calories a day and lost 0.6kgs.

This is why I am confused.

[fattofame3]

You’re relying too much on numbers which you are not always correct due to calculators being inaccurate and your calorie counting and tracking being inaccurate

Your body doesn’t know numbers, only if it’s being given energy to either gain mass,lose mass or maintain mass.

In order to lose mass you must have a lower energy input than output.

That's totally understandable and correct. Even someone eating at maintenance is exactly eating at maintenance as it it near impossible to track to the T. But I am wondering if what I did track was not 1,500? E.g., how some people have said that xyz products can remove or have their caloric information be as much as 20% up or down from what is given to the consumer. Maybe that is why I can't cut on 1,500, seems rubbish to me but just trying to figure out the best approach.

[SuffolkPunch]

Do you have actual numbers for the period in which you were eating at 1800 / 1500 calories?

What about in the period where you went back to what you consider to be maintenance (2000)?

[lsiberian]

I personally don't count calories. I just eat like 1k calories 2 days and normal the other 5 days. I don't really count them either. If I'm in maintenance it's fine because in the novice and earl intermediate phase I'm recomping slowly anyway.

Eat only 1 normal meal twice a week. Then eat normal the other days.

Make sure you weigh at the same time daily and track waist measurement the same time at your belly button

[air2fakie]

I am thinking that when I first went from 78kgs(171.6lbs) to 60kgs(132lbs) I did it with a caloric deficit, working out, cardio and working which placed me in a server deficit in which I may have ****ed up my body as I was not eating back the calories I was burning.

Eating properly & getting in shape doesn't **** up your body. The only people who think like this & treat weight loss like a big mystery are those that like to seesaw back & forth. You got your weight down before & can do it again. Once you figure out your tracking/deficit & get down to where you want to be, stick with the nutrition side of things (& hopefully still exercise in some manner) whether gyms close, pandemic, life/work issues, etc.

[fattofame3]

Do you have actual numbers for the period in which you were eating at 1800 / 1500 calories?

What about in the period where you went back to what you consider to be maintenance (2000)?

Yes, was using MFP and HappyScale to track my weight and caloric intake.

[fattofame3]

Eating properly & getting in shape doesn't **** up your body. The only people who think like this & treat weight loss like a big mystery are those that like to seesaw back & forth. You got your weight down before & can do it again. Once you figure out your tracking/deficit & get down to where you want to be, stick with the nutrition side of things (& hopefully still exercise in some manner) whether gyms close, pandemic, life/work issues, etc.

I have spent quite the time on these forums when starting out and devoured the content and don't want to be like the people you are suggesting. It is just that I am wavering because for some reason the fundamentals were not working for me, aka being in a 500 caloric deficit. So I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I am going to try it again as per the other commentator and see if I lose at 1500 calories eating the similar food for 2-4 weeks. I may be that special snowflake that cuts at 1300 a day, which would be ****. The only exercise I like doing is lifting heavy things and putting them down again, as one day I want to have abs and a amateur Greek dime-god or natural bodybuilder physique.

[Tommy W.]

I have spent quite the time on these forums when starting out and devoured the content and don't want to be like the people you are suggesting. It is just that I am wavering because for some reason the fundamentals were not working for me, aka being in a 500 caloric deficit. So I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I am going to try it again as per the other commentator and see if I lose at 1500 calories eating the similar food for 2-4 weeks. I may be that special snowflake that cuts at 1300 a day, which would be ****. The only exercise I like doing is lifting heavy things and putting them down again, as one day I want to have abs and a amateur Greek dime-god or natural bodybuilder physique.

most people that struggle have very low NEAT. They don’t have a lot of movement outside of the gym and structured exercise. When you get older you tend to move around less and this is most likely your problem

[xsquid99]

I have spent quite the time on these forums when starting out and devoured the content and don't want to be like the people you are suggesting. It is just that I am wavering because for some reason the fundamentals were not working for me, aka being in a 500 caloric deficit. So I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I am going to try it again as per the other commentator and see if I lose at 1500 calories eating the similar food for 2-4 weeks. I may be that special snowflake that cuts at 1300 a day, which would be ****. The only exercise I like doing is lifting heavy things and putting them down again, as one day I want to have abs and a amateur Greek dime-god or natural bodybuilder physique.

The only way you would know if you're in a 500 cal deficit is if you were losing 1 pound per week. If you're not losing 1 lb per week then you're not in a deficit, its not what some calculator or app tells you. Remember food labels are only accurate to within +/- 20%, so what you think is 1500 cals may actually be 1800 cals, and I definitely would add another 20-25% on top of any advertised restaurant calorie numbers as well.

Only actual weight loss proves that you're in a calorie deficit (assuming its been a few weeks of consistent deficit in order to rule out water weight retention).

[fattofame3]

most people that struggle have very low NEAT. They don’t have a lot of movement outside of the gym and structured exercise. When you get older you tend to move around less and this is most likely your problem

Agree 100%, so would you say then I do need to decrease calories further to the point where I notice weight loss? Logically yes.

[fattofame3]

The only way you would know if you're in a 500 cal deficit is if you were losing 1 pound per week. If you're not losing 1 lb per week then you're not in a deficit, its not what some calculator or app tells you. Remember food labels are only accurate to within +/- 20%, so what you think is 1500 cals may actually be 1800 cals, and I definitely would add another 20-25% on top of any advertised restaurant calorie numbers as well.

Only actual weight loss proves that you're in a calorie deficit (assuming its been a few weeks of consistent deficit in order to rule out water weight retention).

Glad to see you're still on these fourms and well after me being here around 2ish years haha.

I guess it's exactly that as per what I had mentioned prior and you re-stating that the calories I am consuming are probably mislabeled by around 20 or so percent. I am going to follow what the other commenter mentioned and try 1500 calories again, eating clean and see what happens. If that does not work then 1300 calories a day it is.

[SuffolkPunch]

Yes, was using MFP and HappyScale to track my weight and caloric intake.

Well... if you were to post them, we could give you our opinion on what is happening...

[air2fakie]

Agree 100%, so would you say then I do need to decrease calories further to the point where I notice weight loss? Logically yes.

Or add in a buttload of regular cardio. Either way, you can't be eating 1300, 1500, or 2000 in prolonged cycles over the course of 4-5 months & never see any movement on the scale. Even if your weight is mostly the same, that'd be harder to do than having slight deviations in weight over that amount of time unless you have a spouse/roommate playing a prank on you with your scale.

[faithbrah]

Agree 100%, so would you say then I do need to decrease calories further to the point where I notice weight loss? Logically yes.

yes

i'm at the end of my cut and just had problems losing weight on 1800 calories a day, hovered around the same weight for 3 weeks, so i dropped down to my version of 1500 calories (could be 1700 in reality as i'm not that strict with counting) and now i'm seeing progress again. the solution was not to eat more, it was to eat less. whatever amount of calories i thought i ate for those 3 weeks, i was not in a deficit because my weight didn't budge. sure, it seemed unrealistic and confusing, but the only solution was to eat less

[Tommy W.]

Agree 100%, so would you say then I do need to decrease calories further to the point where I notice weight loss? Logically yes.

or add cardio. People with low NEAT should be doing it to compensate. If you’re active during the day then lower calories. It may be best to do both cardio and lowering calories a bit.

[fattofame3]

Well... if you were to post them, we could give you our opinion on what is happening...

I can post Happyscale I think but not MFP cause they be asking for premium and ain't nobody paying for that.