All my life I had always been chubby. So I decided to put a stop to it, and started hitting the gym about a year ago! Since that point, I did alot of cardio and weight lifting, aswell as cutting out soda, fast food, junk, etc. I lost lots of baby fat everywhere! I weighed in at about 150 lbs at 5'10. Then for reasons unknown, I became obsessed and started counting calories, to keep my weight off. Unknowingly, I was eating kinda low in calories I guess, anywhere between 1200-1400 a day. I didnt realize at the time it was low. More weight came off, and now I am completely happy with my body, weighing in at 140 lbs!! Now Im beginning to read that 1400 calories a day isnt healthy, will ruin my metabolism, etc etc. Im concerned and want to kick up my calorie count, but Ive become so comforted and "Safe" with my diet plan that Im afraid to get off it, plus I heard now I mightve ruined my metabolism, and more calories will result in rapid weight gain! I had been eating like that for maybe 2-3 months. Is it possible to add a few hundred calories more of maybe whey protein drink, and other healthy snacks, and keep the weight off and not gain more weight? To me, more calories= more weight! Or is it possible to stay at the calorie count Im at now, and maybe my weight loss has or will plateau, and Ill just stop losing weight, as my body has adjusted itself to it?
Please help me out!
**Id also like to add, that I did not know I was technically "Starving" my body, as all the food I am eating is extremely healthy, no junk food, its all rich in nutrients. I didnt even feel hungry alot, unless I was craving junk! I also take two multivitamins every morning. So would it be ok to stay at a diet of maybe 1500 calories for a long while, and be ok? (Meaning no weight gain/ no more rapid weight loss?)
Everyone is different, calorie needs are an estimate. Everything I've heard is that you shouldn't be below 1200 calories, that' That's the bottom limit. Not 1400. If you were starving your body you'd be hungry all the time.
i dont think youve been at it long enough to have "permanent metabolic damage"
that being said, as soon as you start eating at maintenance levels, you will gain back the first few pounds you initially lost. They were just water weight, not fat, and you will put that water weight RIGHT BACK ON-- no matter what-- as soon as you start eating at maintence. Its nothing to be afraid of, but it cant be avoided, unless you want to be in a caloric deficit for the rest of your life, which WILL mess up your metabolism.
ETA: if you like the way your body looks at 140, an dyou are scared of putting the water weight pounds back on, then i suggest you diet down PAST 140, to maybe 136 or 137, and THEN start eating at maintenance, and possibley you will settle in around 140?
What makes you think you did permanent damage to your metabolism? Don't worry, metabolisms don't get ruined - they change throughout the course of a life and that's perfectly normal. You didn't ruin anything.
If you WERE to gain weight if you were to add back more calories to your daily caloric intake, it wouldn't be because YOU did anything wrong or bad, it would be because you're taking in more calories than you burn.
You can experiment with adding in more calories, perhaps 100 calories a day for 2 weeks and monitor the results by stepping on the scale. If you don't gain anything - great, try adding in another hundred for another couple of weeks.
And you have absolutely not been starving yourself - not technically or otherwise. As long as you're eating nutrient rich foods, are energetic and lively there would be no reason to believe that you are *starving* yourself by taking in 1500 healthy calories. Many people can survive and THRIVE on way less. Different bodies require different things.
Thanks for all the replies guys! Im gonna start my gradual calorie increase very soon! A couple things I need clearing up on though:
--You guys say that no matter what I will gain water weight, if I do, should I ignore it since it is unavoidable, and continue increasing calories every week? Will that water weight basically fall back off eventually if Im eating healthy foods and exercising during this increase period?
--Next week, Im going camping for a week with some friends. Obviously, friends+camping= not a great diet! If I consume some rather unhealthy foods for a week after all these months of low calorie dieting, will I gain substantial/noticeable amount of weight within a week? Any tips? I just wanna let go for a week and enjoy great food!!
Thanks in advance guys! This is all very new to me
Thanks for all the replies guys! Im gonna start my gradual calorie increase very soon! A couple things I need clearing up on though:
--You guys say that no matter what I will gain water weight, if I do, should I ignore it since it is unavoidable, and continue increasing calories every week? Will that water weight basically fall back off eventually if Im eating healthy foods and exercising during this increase period?
--Next week, Im going camping for a week with some friends. Obviously, friends+camping= not a great diet! If I consume some rather unhealthy foods for a week after all these months of low calorie dieting, will I gain substantial/noticeable amount of weight within a week? Any tips? I just wanna let go for a week and enjoy great food!!
Thanks in advance guys! This is all very new to me
I never said that you will definitely gain water weight - because you WON'T DEFINITELY gain water weight. You may gain nothing, you may gain something, but it won't necessarily be water, it MAY be some water, some fat. Only time will tell.
As far as camping, is that the really "great food" that you're looking to enjoy and let go with ??? I can't imagine that it would be. Not the best or finest or most delicious of food to be had while camping, lol. No, to me that would be a nice meal in an Italian restaurant or sushi or well almost anything but canned baked beans and hot dogs. But of course that is an individual thing.
If you let go, you WILL gain weight and I think lots of it. And I don't think it would ALL be fat, I think there would most likely be some water retention from the less than nutrient rich, sodium packed foods. Depending on the amount you *let go* and *enjoy yourself* it could be a large amount, who knows - 5 lbs, 7 lbs?? I do find though when I put on weight quickly from those type foods ,I can get it off *fairly*quickly - like within two, three weeks.
I would try and keep it balanced. As much fruits and veggies as possible. Get some good walks in. But again, it's an individual thing and in the end you must decide. Remember, there's letting go and than there's LETTING GO. Decide what you would really and truly ENJOY the most. Letting go and piling on some pounds or finding a balance and dealing with a small gain.
Whatever it is, just make sure that you're right back to your healthy eating plan the second you're back home as it's so important what you do AFTER an indulgence.
Your right, I think maybe I thought I could over indulge, without thinking about the bad side effects Ill have once I get home from vacation and the fun is over haha! Not to say I wont enjoy it atleast a bit, as it is my only summer vacation this year!
Do you think the weight I gain will be hard to shed off this time around, if I go back to my normal eating habits/exercise routine?
HELP!Lost my weight, now Im lost!
