The past ten days I've totaled a 6500 calorie deficit... but I've gained a pound?!

Here are my stats: 5'9" 39 year old female. Current weight is 144.5, Goal weight is 140. I lost about a pound a week for the first four weeks of my "diet."

Okay, here are my daily deficts for the past ten days, starting the day I weighed in at 143.5 (the day I dropped my last pound):

-1050

-1050

-400

-1050

-600

-200

+200

-800

-800

-750

TOTAL: -6500

So I should be down almost two pounds, but I'm actually UP a pound to 144.5! What's going on???

My theories:

1. I overexercised to achieve those high 1000+ deficits. I have been working out for two hours at the gym six days a week. 90 min cardio, 30 min weights.

2. My deficit is too big for a person with normal BMI, so my body is clinging to calories/fat.

Does anybody know why my body would suddenly stall and backtrack like this? It is not my TOTM, and I am eating no more sodium than usual. Drinking tons of water.

What should I do to restart my weight loss??

Thank you!

You stated your deficits, but was was your actual calorie intake? If you are eating too little, your body could be in starvation mode, especially if you are working out extra and not eating extra to help fuel your body...

Could it be that due to your exercising that you have gained muscle which would make your weight go up? :)

Original Post by gymcoach79:

You stated your deficits, but was was your actual calorie intake? If you are eating too little, your body could be in starvation mode, especially if you are working out extra and not eating extra to help fuel your body...

 Good point, Gym Coach. Here are the numbers:

Ate/Deficit

1550/-1050

1550/-1050

1420/-400

1550/-1050

2000/-600

2400/-200

2900/+200

1800/-800

1800/-800

1800/-750

How does that look to you? I really appreciate your input!

Original Post by waley_bean:

Could it be that due to your exercising that you have gained muscle which would make your weight go up? :)

 I have been doing similar weight training for many years, there is no significant new muscle on my body. My pants fit the same, not looser :(.

Thanks!

I'm on the same boat...very interested in hearing other's opinions

Sounds like you are building muscle.  Are you giving your muscles a rest?  If you are working out everyday like that, your body may be resisting weight loss.  One other thought too.  When you get that close to your goal weight, it always gets harder to lose.  You might be on a plateau.  Here's a site that might help you.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm

This site explains zigzagging, which can help you get over a plateau.

How often do you way yourself?  Weight flucuates for the LITTLEST reasons..water, bloating, period...anything.  I wouldn't panic quite yet and see what the scale says in a couple days.

I measure myself too, because the scale is just a number. Usually I measure twice a month.

Remember, if you're at a healthy deficit, toning with exercise and counting everything and measuring all you eat to MAKE SURE you're accurate with your calorie intake, in time weight will come off.

Remember, if you're at a healthy deficit, toning with exercise and counting everything and measuring all you eat to MAKE SURE you're accurate with your calorie intake, in time weight will come off.

mperic81:  Thanks for your reply! I'm not sure if I'm at a healthy deficit. Are some of my days too steep? I did try to "undo" any starvation-mode by eating at maintenance for a couple of days. I wonder if one should have no more than, say, 700 cal deficit when at an already normal BMI. Like maybe the rules are different for losing "vanity weight" - meaning the last five pounds or so.

Sounds like you are building muscle.  Are you giving your muscles a rest?  If you are working out everyday like that, your body may be resisting weight loss.  One other thought too.  When you get that close to your goal weight, it always gets harder to lose.  You might be on a plateau.  Here's a site that might help you.

ribbon: Thank you for your post! I split my weightlifting, meaning I lift upper body one day and lower body the next. I do the elliptical (there are two different kinds at my gym) for all my cardio. Six days a week. Would my body be resisting weight loss with stats like this?

I've read on cc that 1000 deficit should be a max..and a couple day you're over. I honestly don't know if 2 days makes a difference. the other days seem perfectly reasonable, to me at least.

However, if you're already at a healthy BMI, your body could be rejecting you trying to lose more.  You sound like you're pretty healthy so maybe you shouldn't worry so much what the scale says, but if you want to tone up feel free to do so.

Salt intake can have a significant effect on your weight.  Water retention due to higher salt in your diet could easily account for the 2 pounds.  Have you been tracking the amount of salt in your diet?  Has it gone up for some reason?

In fact, if you had a true 6500 calorie deficit (total calories out - total calories in), then you should have lost about 2 pounds.  This means that the 2 pound gain which you see actually amounts to 4 pounds over what you should have been.

If you haven't been tracking salt, then try to reduce your salt intake and wait a day or two, or three.

Original Post by mardix:

Salt intake can have a significant effect on your weight.  Water retention due to higher salt in your diet could easily account for the 2 pounds.  Have you been tracking the amount of salt in your diet?  Has it gone up for some reason?

Thanks for your reply.

As I mentioned above, my sodium intake has not increased any more than usual, that's why this is so odd. The math is jut not adding up, which makes me wonder if my lower BMI  (21-ish) plus higher deficits is equaling stalled weight loss. I've heard that losing "vanity weight" -- the last 5-10 pounds when already within a healthy weight range -- is more complicated than just accruing the biggest deficits. Hmmmmmm...

Instead You should do have an average in take of calories.My minimum is 1600 but I usually stay below that (1400 or 1500).Also Only exercise 5 days a week,Your body needs rest.

Also dont drink Tons of water,6 to 8 Cups of Water a day is good.I usually have 4 or 5 Cups of Water a day because I think 4 to 6 is good enough.

I have similar stats except I don't workout near that much, yikes.  I know if I had a deficit that big for more than a day or two you can bet your sweet butt I am going to be up a pound or two.  I would ease up on the exercise and keep your intake the same.  No need to be killing yourself at the gym like that. 

Original Post by agana:

I have similar stats except I don't workout near that much, yikes.  I know if I had a deficit that big for more than a day or two you can bet your sweet butt I am going to be up a pound or two.  I would ease up on the exercise and keep your intake the same.  No need to be killing yourself at the gym like that. 

Thanks for your reply!

With similar stats, what kind of deficits do you aim for?

I did 20 minutes less of cardio today... feel a lot better.

My deficits are usually only 200-300.  I am nearing my goal so weightloss is extremely slow but I don't mind.  I usually burn around 2200 and eat around 1900.  I don't keep track everyday though.  I just check a few times a week to make sure I am eyeballing things right. I have learned to go with the flow of weightloss.  I used to be obsessive about it and the smallest slip-ups would make me give up all together.

It took me a long time to figure out how much I need to eat so I don't feel like crap.  I tried WW once and it was horrible.  It did not allow me to eat enough and I lose some weight and then stalled really fast and then gained a few pounds.

I'm so glad I read this thread!! I just started on cc this past monday~ and I'm very confused about the whole calories thing...i think im not eating enough calories, but im not sure..

i weigh 292 im 5'5 oh, im 26 and i just started walking 1 hr. daily. how much should my cal. in take be daily to lose weight? :S thanks in advance 4 the advice..:)

Original Post by waley_bean:

Could it be that due to your exercising that you have gained muscle which would make your weight go up? :)

you cant gain muscle on a deficit, its extremely hard, why do people on here think that if your weight goes up its muscle? to build even half a pound of pure muscle in aweek takes serious work and a surplus of calories. by the way op, id say cut out the cardio completely and search up HIIT, do it twice a week, 20 mins tops, and 1 session of normal cardio. keep cals the same, im sure you will lose it.

UPDATE: Today, 12 days since my last pound and maybe a 7500 calorie deficit later, I lost ONE pound to weigh 143. Phew. The math says I should be 142, but whatever.

I am going to ease up on the cardio, maintain the weight lifting and not go over 800 cal deficits. I'll keep zig zagging my deficits. And tomorrow is a maintenance day, hurray! Tapas and wine, mmm mmm.

Thank you to everybody who posted, I learned a lot from you guys.

the math is never perfect.  ever.  it's always an estimate.  calories in can be estimated reasonably closely; calories out are a best guess. 

if you consistently calculate a significant deficit and it doesn't show on the scale, you're probably over-estimating your general activity level or your exertion during one or more of your extra activities. 

think of it this way: if the scale and the math don't agree, chances are the scale is correct, and the math needs adjustment.

I question the tons of water your drinking...I think your over working your kidneys...or they and your colon are not working properly.  So you maybe retaining a lot of water in your fat and colon, which can equal a lot of weight. 

For me, I sip water all day but do not over do it.  My concern was if I eat 10 pounds of solid food should I not expect nearly ten pounds to come out?  I read where the colon can hold up to 40 pounds of waste in chronic cases.   I started doing a natural colon cleansing ..using more  grains, like bran and psyllium husks.   Now  I am losing weight, sleeping well, am happy, have stamina and energy and I getting my vitamins from food not from a pill.   I check my Blood Pressure daily and keeping it logged in a diary.  I use a wrist monitor, $20 to $50 at any Drug store or on line.

My stats so far:  I was 202lbs Jan 09, am 174lbs now and aiming for 167 by May 31st 09