So I started off eating around 1200 calories, which I know is extremely low for someone of my age and activity level, but I regularly lost weight. When I had lost 10 lbs, I decided to boost it up to 1500 and gradually increase it from there. But the problem is, as soon as I boosted my calorie intake up to 1500, I stopped losing, and instead, gained. What's the deal here?
You might want to try boosting your metabolism... either by the kinds of calories you're consuming (e.g. all low fat, lean foods, lots of fruits and veggies)... and eating several small meals each day instead of the traditional 3 meals.
You might need to increase your activity level, too... your body may have gone into a slow metabolism mode since you were consuming so few calories per day.
That's the thing. I eat a ton of fruits and veggies and I work out at least 45 minutes 3-4 days a week. I'm not sure what I should do.
Original Post by xxheysarah:
So I started off eating around 1200 calories, which I know is extremely low for someone of my age and activity level, but I regularly lost weight. When I had lost 10 lbs, I decided to boost it up to 1500 and gradually increase it from there. But the problem is, as soon as I boosted my calorie intake up to 1500, I stopped losing, and instead, gained. What's the deal here?
I have done the same thing in the past. The thing is when you come off of a diet your body is not used to your increased calorie level. You have to bring up your calories slowly or you will find yourself gaining weight. I usually increase my calories by 100 every week after I come off a diet. 1700 week one, 1800 week two, etc. Your metabolism with adjust over time if you are exercising and you won't gain the weight back.
Aim for 1500-1800 on sedentary days, 1800-2100 on active days. It will take your body a while to adjust, probably a couple of weeks and then you can gradually reduce, but not below 1500 and not a deficit over 1,000 calories. Plug your stats into some calculators for a more accurate amount, but remember not less than 1500 and no deficit over 1,000.
That's classic adaptive thermogenisis, or "starvation mode" Here's what Ask Mary has to say about what has happened to you
The body burns muscle to meet the needs of the central nervous system. That system, which accounts for at least 20% of calories burned, can only burn glucose, a carbohydrate The body doesn't really store glucose, but protein, from the muscles, organs tissues, and cells, can turn into glucose, while fat cannot. Protein breakdown continues until the metabolic rate shifts to burn fewer calories from all sources. That shift is familiarly called "starvation mode" and it is a life-sustaining adaptation. To forestall starvation mode, lose weight slowly, do muscle building exercise to offset muscle loss, and eat about 20% of your calories from protein.
Also, from the Q&A: ...very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight.
In other words, you have taught your body to get along on fewer calories and to make up for it your body is burning muscle instead of fat. That means that the minute you eat more you will gain weight.
There is an answer, but you are not going to like it. Here goes anyway.
You need to increase your calories to your normal maintenance level (use the CC tools to find this out from the burn meter). Eat at that level for at least 3 months. You will gain weight but it will level off. Once it's leveled off, begin cutting calories by 100 a day each week until you begin to lose again. This might take a while so be patient. What will happen is that you will begin to lose at a more reasonable level of calories. Then all you have to do is keep to that level to lose and increase it to maintain.
I did it under the direction of a nutritionist and it worked, but it took 6 months. It was worth the trouble. I didn't want to be one of these people who has to starve for the rest of her life to be thin.
