Quitting a diet

xabi

I was calorie counting for a few months quite successfully and lost a good few pounds. For various reasons and hitting a weight loss plateau, I fell off the wagon 3 weeks ago and stopped watching what I was eating, jumped on the scales this morning, and I have actually lost 2 lbs. how is this possible after 3 weeks of eating that should have added weight...

eladnova

What about exercise. Have you been walking or going to the gym at all.?

ford2600

xabi wrote: »

I was calorie counting for a few months quite successfully and lost a good few pounds. For various reasons and hitting a weight loss plateau, I fell off the wagon 3 weeks ago and stopped watching what I was eating, jumped on the scales this morning, and I have actually lost 2 lbs. how is this possible after 3 weeks of eating that should have added weight...

Are you male or female?

2lbs isn't much.

When dieting your body probably reacted to food reduction and fat loss by reducing your daily calorie expenditure. It's a complicated process involving a whole host of hormones.

Upping your intake most likely resulted in an increase in your daily calorie burn through the same hormones working in reverse.

It's really hard to manipulate a system in the long term which has evolved to survive famine in a time of plenty.

Lyle Mcdonald and Stephan Gueynet are among at least two current podcasts on sigma nutrition at the moment discussing the very topic. Be warned it's not simple; calories in/out isn't wrong but it's a very limited way of looking at things.

Episodes 65 & 68 I think

xabi

no extra exercise of note, im male.

Alf Veedersane

As ford said, it's only a relatively small amount and while calorie counting works, it cannot account for everything that affects weight. Things like how your body reacts to a different levels of calories; hormones etc.

You may not have been eating at a surplus either or as much of a surplus as you think just because you weren't counting.

xabi

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

As ford said, it's only a relatively small amount and while calorie counting works, it cannot account for everything that affects weight. Things like how your body reacts to a different levels of calories; hormones etc.

You may not have been eating at a surplus either or as much of a surplus as you think just because you weren't counting.

Thats what im thinking, although it felt like I was eating more, the fact that I wasn't counting could mean I was just eating enough for maintenance.

Alf Veedersane

xabi wrote: »

Thats what im thinking, although it felt like I was eating more, the fact that I wasn't counting could mean I was just eating enough for maintenance.

Sometimes there's the feeling that because you've stopping counting calories and stopped controlling your intake that your calorie intake is out of control and consequently excessive.

Greenmachine

2lb is nothing, unless you were doing it consistently without watching what you eat.
Something as simply time of day and hydration level and my weigh can vary by nearly 2kgs within a day, and I am someone not trying to lose weigh.

Why do you think you fell off the wagon? Are you sharing your weigh loss goal with anyone?
If you make yourself accountable to someone, like a family member or a trusted friend you are more likely to succeed.
Perhaps you could post up what diet, your on. If others are familar with it they can share their experience and might have suggestions on how to spice it up a bit with out changing the macros.

xabi

Greenmachine wrote: »

2lb is nothing, unless you were doing it consistently without watching what you eat.
Something as simply time of day and hydration level and my weigh can vary by nearly 2kgs within a day, and I am someone not trying to lose weigh.

Why do you think you fell off the wagon? Are you sharing your weigh loss goal with anyone?
If you make yourself accountable to someone, like a family member or a trusted friend you are more likely to succeed.
Perhaps you could post up what diet, your on. If others are familar with it they can share their experience and might have suggestions on how to spice it up a bit with out changing the macros.

I fell off the wagon because I was stuck weight loss wise, I was eating less than 1700 calories a day for aver a month with no loss (I was going great before that, lost 20lbs), then, hey presto, started eating more and lost weight.

Alf Veedersane

xabi wrote: »

I fell off the wagon because I was stuck weight loss wise, I was eating less than 1700 calories a day for aver a month with no loss (I was going great before that, lost 20lbs), then, hey presto, started eating more and lost weight.

As you lose weight, your calorie needs change. The lighter you are, the less you need. So while 1700 was a deficit when you started, at 20 lbs lighter, it might only be maintenance.

Greenmachine

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

As you lose weight, your calorie needs change. The lighter you are, the less you need. So while 1700 was a deficit when you started, at 20 lbs lighter, it might only be maintenance.

100% correct. Veedersane

OP,what is your activity level like at the moment. If your are not exercising you could start with gentle walking 20-30 a few times a week or look at C25K.
The same happen to the big rugby player but on the opposite spectrum, they were bulking up on the extra calories, not their weigh might stay the same.

xabi

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

As you lose weight, your calorie needs change. The lighter you are, the less you need. So while 1700 was a deficit when you started, at 20 lbs lighter, it might only be maintenance.

My maintenance is up over 2000

Alf Veedersane

xabi wrote: »

My maintenance is up over 2000

At your current weight?

Or was it 2000 when you started and lost 20 lbs?

xabi

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

At your current weight?

Or was it 2000 when you started and lost 20 lbs?

at my current weight, my confusion is why when i upped my calories did i kick start the weight loss

Alf Veedersane

xabi wrote: »

at my current weight, my confusion is why when i upped my calories did i kick start the weight loss

It might not be straight up weight loss. What did you use to calculate maintenance anyway.

xabi

is used this formula - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=4

Alf Veedersane

What kind of activity level did you use?

xabi

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What kind of activity level did you use?

the lowest, multiplied by 1.4

31-60 (bw (kg) * 11.6) + 879

so - ((90kg * 11.6) + 879) * 1.4 = 2692

I was eating nearly 1000 calories less than my maintenance for over a month with no loss, then ditched it and lost weight..

Alf Veedersane

Fair enough.

Anyway, it's only 2 lbs so it could be down to a variety of factors. But ultimately, if calories out > calories in, you'll lose weight.

xabi

I'm back on the wagon again from today so hopefully the loss continues.

FAILSAFE 00

The increased calorie intake over the past few weeks has probably sparked your metabolism.

I know a good few people that alternate their calorie intake to achieve the same effect. 1500 calories one day and over 2000 the next.

Sometimes following a restricted calorie pattern of eating for a long duration can slow your metabolism and if your calorie intake is too low you wont lose weight.

Many a plateau has been broken through by increasing intake.

Alf Veedersane

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

The increased calorie intake over the past few weeks has probably sparked your metabolism.

I know a good few people that alternate their calorie intake to achieve the same effect. 1500 calories one day and over 2000 the next.

Well, alternating calorie intake between one day and the next is probably different to what the OP has described, which is probably linked to an increase in leptin levels. You won't get the same response when you alternate on a daily basis.

But yeah, bringing back up towards maintenance after a period of dieting is good for leptin and for weight loss.

But it could also be a host of other factors since it's a relatively small amount.

fussyonion

I am losing weight at the moment but with a few personal things going on in my life right now, I fell off the wagon a little bit this week.

Usually my lunches are salad-based and my dinners are meat/fish with vegetables; snacks are fruit or yogurt/nuts, and no chocolate or crisps unless it's Saturday when I'll have one of those with some wine. (Saturday is when I allow myself a little of what I fancy).

Anyway, eating a few bad things this week and haven't been to the gym once.
I also had half a bottle of wine one night and the rest the next night, I drank very little water, lots of tea and a few biscuits here and there.
Not only did I feel sh*te, I felt I'd gained tons.

Hopping on the scales it's showing I've lost 2lbs too.
I'm not being complacent though.
I didn't deserve that loss; I would kill for a steady 2lb every week with me putting the effort in, so this week's a fluke.

Thing is, when I return to the gym next week and eat better, I will probably see this week's damage on the scales next week.
My point is; eating the sh*te has left me feeling awful. So if anything, it's taught me not to do it again.

Losing weight is great but being healthy actually makes me feel healthy.

If you're trying to lose weight, OP, don't quit.
I keep thinking to myself "Imagine what it would be like to go back to that life?" and I had a taster of it this week.
It scared me and I hated it.

Don't quit, no matter how many blips you have...just keep going.
It's so worth it.