Lighter after a Calorie Overload? Confused . . .

I'm here to lose a few pounds and mainly just get back into a trim, athletic shape.  I work out regularly, but I've been having some struggles with overeating/underestimating my calorie intake.  So I bought a scale to do daily weigh ins, which in the past has helped me to be more accountable for what i actually eat.  I've also started religiously using the food log.

I've had success with the combination of the scale and log, and in the past few weeks, i have been seeing a slow (but steady) progression downward.  however, twice now, i've lost weight on days that i over ate.(!?)  usually, my calorie total has been around 1,300 to 1,500.  however, on the few days that it's closer (or even over) 2,000 (my daily allotment according to calorie count), the scale has gone down 1 or 2 pounds the next morning, as opposed to the usual half a pound (or none).  even more interesting, these are often on days that i'm too busy to work out.

thoughts?  i'm leaning toward the idea that maybe it's the zigzag calorie effect i've heard people talking about, but i don't know much about it.

I've had the same thing happen at least twice and I've read about that calorie intake theory too. It goes something like every other day in a given week you have your normal, light calories, then one day you go over your usual amount, then the next go light. I think the idea is it stops your metabolism from getting used to running at a certain level and shakes it up.

I'll be curious to see if it happens in the next couple days because I just ate a little over 2200 kcal where I usually eat around 1600 on average. I had a little pizza indulgence night and tomorrow I plan on going light to help make up for it. Plus because (believe it or not) I've been to the gym twice for the first time ever and the weighing, measuring, learning to use the gear has eaten up the time I'd normally be actually walking or swimming, so my exercise this week has been abnormally absent. There's irony for you!

It could be the changing input of calories or maybe it's the bodies entropy...it expects to operate at around 1600 and when overloaded works to get rid of the "excess"? I really don't know. All I can say is yeah, I've had that experience too. If I recall correctly, it took two days, not just the next day, to drop to the same or lower weight as before. I just weighed myself so I guess I'll find out in the next day or two!

I've also had similar results from "overeatting" or eatting a lot closer to maintainance calories for a day instead of my normal lower amount.  I think what I started to realize or believe this is true in my case anyways, that I was overworking my body without taking in enough calories to be losing weight and was on the border of starvation mode.  (Otherwise my weight loss seemed really slow but steady, maybe a lb. a week, or sometimes it wouldn't seem like even that, but then I had a "rest" day where I maybe ate 2000-2500 calories, and bam, the next day the scale would drop 1-2 lbs.).  I think when you finally give your body those extra few calories it was probably needing then it relaxes and doesn't think your starving and allows your body to shed that extra lb.  After a time I started making a point to have at least one day a week like this, while I also zig-zagged the calories other days.  It's nice to be able to eat more "normal" instead of feeling so restricted all the time. :)

thanks!  and let us know what happens, jad12.

Yup, this has happened to me twice as well.  On two different mornings I was reluctant to get on the scale because of the overload the day before.  I had to remind myself that neglecting the scale is how I stayed in denial about my weight prior.  I was rewarded twice with a loss...the theory hcannon23 expresses that the body "relaxes and doesn't think your starving and allows your body to shed that extra lb." was a thought that I had as well.   Hmmm...??  I for one am just gonna enjoy and roll with it! 

Do you find the weight stays off once you have a drop like that though?

This has happened to me a couple of times too - in fact, just this morning actually I am down 2lbs and yesterday I had thai for lunch as well as normal dinner and ate around 2000 cals whereas I usually eat around 1600.

Hoping the weight will stay this low but I know when it has dropped before, it has gone up again the next day.

What's your experiences?

that's a good question, katecam.  i've found that my weight does go up the next day.  i think it's because my surprise weight loss has relaxed me so much, i am a little lazy when it comes to the calorie counting the next day.  however, my weight never goes higher than the previous day's.  example: i weighed 134, dropped down to 132.5 after the calorie overload, and the next day go back up to 134.  i try not to get discouraged, though.  i take hope in the fact that my weight can get that low, and simply strive to keep it there.

I did notice it would tend to go back up slightly but then within just a few days, if I stayed good, that would become the new regular weight, so I was still seeing a downwards trend...part of the slow and steady process of my weight loss.

Yep, increasing your cals for a short time will rev your metabolism, even reset it. Our bodies are very adaptable can adjust to receiving low calories. When you up your calories, your body is able to stop hoarding fat and extra water. I've experienced it many times during this journey.

Original Post by katecam:

Do you find the weight stays off once you have a drop like that though?

This has happened to me a couple of times too - in fact, just this morning actually I am down 2lbs and yesterday I had thai for lunch as well as normal dinner and ate around 2000 cals whereas I usually eat around 1600.

Hoping the weight will stay this low but I know when it has dropped before, it has gone up again the next day.

What's your experiences?

 Katecam,

My weight stayed where it was.  I don't know about the others but I always weigh at the same time...well in the morning about an hour after I get up.  I do this for consistency and the fact that my weight is always up at the end of the day.  I do not experience a 1.5 lb weight loss as pattid85 though.  But I did have a 3/4 pound weight loss and it stayed there.  Gotta say...I do LOVE those days!!

Thought I would report back. No sudden drop this time, alas. But again, like I said I've been exercising a bit less than usual too. Not much gain either though, so that's good. I won't know for sure until tomorrow morning (I weigh in the mornings) but it looks like I'm pretty much back to right where I was pre-pizza.

The other two times, by the way, it stayed off. The last time it helped me un-plateau and hit my goal weight.

Update two: Yep, right back to where I was pre-pizza, right on the nose.