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Increasing calorie intake - possible weight gain
First of all - for the record, I am female, 5'7", and currently somewhere near 135 lbs. I don't really want to lose weight, but to maintain.
I started trying to lose weight about a year ago. I didn't habitually count calories at first, so I don't know exactly how much I was eating when the pounds started to come off. Around September '07, I started counting. I ate roughly 1200 calories per day from then until around February '08. At that point, I increased my intake to 1300 calories daily. I didn't gain any weight; if anything, I may have actually lost another pound or two. By that point, I had lost over 40 lbs total.
1300 still felt too restrictive. Just a couple of weeks ago, I decided to increase my intake to 1400 calories daily. I was burning 145 calories in my daily workout at the time. On Tuesday, I weighed myself and the scale said 136 lbs, in comparison to my usual 133-134. I became worried that my increased calorie intake had caused me to gain a few pounds over just two weeks or so.
I've come to terms with the fact that I was actually snacking on a lot of small things such as sugary popsicles and miscellaneous pretzels here and there. With those included, my intake was more like 1500 calories daily. I have slightly increased the length of my workout, and now burn 180 calories when I exercise each day. I've cut out the unnecessary snacks, so my intake is now at an actual 1400. :P
So that's the backstory. Now onto the questions.
1.) Could it be possible that I was in starvation mode before, and gained a few pounds from the adjustment?
2.) With the amount that I'm burning, am I still likely to gain more weight?
3.) Furthermore, if I want to increase my intake a little more (maybe back to 1500), should the amount that I exercise prevent weight gain?
33 Answers
- d cLv 51 decade agoFavorite Answer
When you lose weight you burn less calories in your day to day activities. This is due to needing less work to haul around less weight. Look at website below and see how it takes lighter people less calories to do the same exercises as heavier people.
For example
Walking (15 min/mile)
calories burnt in 10 minutes 44 weight of person 125lbs
calories burnt in 10 minutes 52 weight of person 150 lbs
calories burnt in 10 minutes 61 weight of person 175 lbs
calories burnt in 10 minutes 70 weight of person 200 lbs
This sample was taken from the website below.
Source(s): http://www.coolnurse.com/calories_burned.htm - ElizabethLv 41 decade ago
It's important to remember that a lot of things can contribute to a two- or three-pound difference. Drinking or retaining more water could make you heavier, as could having eaten later or more recently.
It's also possible that you're gaining muscle mass (given it sounds like you've got a regular workout routine going), and that could contribute to a slow but steady weight gain.
You might want to check out this calorie calculator: http://www.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html It says that, with your height, weight, and activity level, even if you're 50, 2000 calories a day should allow you to maintain your weight.
In direct answer to your questions, in order:
1) Doctors recommend 1200 calories a day for serious weight loss. You're supposed to still be taking in enough nutrition to stay healthy. So it's unlikely you were "in starvation mode."
2) and 3) That said, 1400 or 1500 calories a day, at your stage, should allow you to continue to lose slowly, with maintaining your current activity level.
- Anonymous5 years ago
Taking in 1000 extra calories every now and again isn't going to make you gain weight. However, you might be 2-5 lbs. heavier for the next couple of days due to water weight. The water weight WILL go away, so don't panic. You don't necessarily have to eat 3500 calories to gain a pound. I know, because I'm on a 3500 calorie diet and I'm still underweight. (But I'm also extremely active.) Don't worry about it. Just don't make this a habit.
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- 1 decade ago
Hrm,
Well, 'starvation mode' usually means the metabolism has slowed down so that you consume fewer calories on a daily basis, I don't think you were in that state at 1,200 calories anyway.
There's nothing unhealthy about 1,400 calories a day, but you will have to work out a little more to keep your weight stable. There's a big difference between having 135 lbs of fat versus 135 lbs of muscle. If you are toned your muscle will naturally consume more calories to sustain itself even when you're resting.
if you start adding on pounds, add a strength training component to your workouts to build a little bit of muscle -- it will probably stabilize your weight.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Burning 3,500 more calories than you consume will take off a pound. It is possible for you to increase your appetite, which will lead to more calories being consumed. The amount of calories you burn depends on how vigorous the activity is.
- 5 years ago
pick up a 5 or 10 pound weight at the gym and visualize that weight coming off holding the weight in your hands helps bring home just how heavy even 5 pounds of extra fat can be
- 5 years ago
Avoid eating while rading listening songs and watching tv at your home or keep by kepping your hands busy
