[pinupdreams]

for the prior 2 weeks life had been hectic for me, with back to school shopping for my kid and trying to get everything ready.. as soon as i would get home, i would spend all my day sleeping and forgot about eating. this went on for about those 2 weeks. at the end of each week i would get on the scale and i hadnt lost anything! i started thinking to myself how could that be happening if i was barely eating if anything each day & i was doing tons of walking for excercise. one of my friends recommended i try adding 500 more calories to whatever i was eating. at first i laughed because how can adding more calories make you LOSE weight? but this last week that is exactly what i did. now i dont know if it was exactly 500 cals that i added but i sure enough ate my 3 meals in comparison to before where i wasnt even eating 1 full meal. well come to find out im back to losing weight! this week i lost another 2 lbs! just thought id share this crazy experience.

[Mini-Me]

The weight you lost this week (if it's fat), isn't related to what you ate this past week. Bodyfat doesn't move that fast.

Hopefully things will settle down for you soon

[Schmoodle]

minime, how fast does it move? I have wondered about that. Water weight is pretty quick to come and go, I think, but if you are burning body fat, how long does it take to show on the scale?

[JayEll]

Hey!

You can't tell whether you are losing body fat, muscle, etc. from the numbers on the scale. Water weight can cause fluctuations of up to 4 pounds a day, sometimes more!

That's why weighing every day doesn't always tell you what's going on.

It does seem to be true that if you eat too low, weight loss slows or stops. Some people say that this is because the body thinks starvation is on, and so metabolism slows down for survival. In that case, eating more really can lead to pounds dropping.

The safest general rule is to go by your daily calorie burn, which is based on age, size, and activity, and then subtract 500-1000 cals for an average loss of 1-2 pounds a week over time; and, don't go below 1200 cals for an extended period.

Jay

[FlabbyHarry]

jay thats some excellent advice i was wondering the same question thanks for the advice!

[mom2fivesweeties]

This DOES sound crazy but it's the same way with me. We only have one vehicle right now due to my dh being in a bad accident in December of '06. We just can't afford another vehicle. Anyway, I have been in the house since December with the exception of weekends when he is home. I tend to hibernate in 100 degree weather which we have been having too much this summer. Anyway, I sit and read and just drink tea, coffee, whatever. Since I haven't been active, I haven't been hungry. I was living on about 800 calories a day. NO WEIGHT LOSS! I think it was Jay who told me the formula - I've upped my calories and not only am I losing weight, I have flushed out all the water! My body was holding onto everything, including the water!!

Strange but true!!
Lori

[JayEll]

Hey again!

Good to hear about your success, mom2fivesweeties!

I wanted to add that physical activity increases your calorie burn--and generally increases your metabolism! That's why folks are most successful if they have a food program AND an exercise/activity program.

Cheers,
Jay