The relationship between fat loss and weight loss: I am confused.
 

So since I made my goal thread (about 2 weeks ago), I had a bunch of water weight built up that I'm wooshing away now, apparently. Got as low as 148.5 about a day or two after I made that thread, then week before TOM shot my weight up to 153.5 and now I'm back down to 151 with the start of my period. -breaths-

I guess weight maintenance is working? I don't know. I upped my calories to 1750, and I workout on MWF for about an hour (usually 25-40 min on the elliptical, at least 20min weight/resistance exercises, and 10 for stretching/random yoga poses) and I eat back whatever MFP says I burned. I'm kinda waiting to see what the scale says after TOM is said and done to determine if I make a move. While I don't know what the scale is doing yet, though, what IS happening is lost inches/fat as I've gone down an inch in my hips and places that aren't really measurable (like my back) are starting to look LOTS better. My backs almost completely flat now -- the only "roll" is the line where my ribcage ends where there's a little bit of loose skin.

Which brings me to my question: if you're not really losing weight but losing inches and continue to lose inches, shouldn't you lose weight too, eventually? Am I still technically eating at a deficit? I'm kinda scared to go higher than what I'm doing right now cause I don't want to start gaining. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, and I'm hoping she can direct me to a nutritionist tomorrow to make sure I'm doing what I should be doing, cause I don't really know what I'm doing and I definitely don't want to gain weight.

What do y'all think?

The thing one must consider is muscle. The more muscle you have, the smaller you will get while still possibly weighing about the same on the scale. With regards to calories, you'll have to experiment and see what is the most you can eat while still maintaining. There are some formulas, but ultimately, since you're an individual, you'll have to try it out. Usually, you'd want to give yourself 2 weeks or so before you can decide if it's working or not.

Finally, be cautious when eating back burned calories. People often overestimate how much they burn and underestimate how much they eat. If, for example, you're using measuring cups to get calories, that's not nearly as accurate as weighing. Also, when you workout, sure, you burn x amount of calories during a workout, but really, you'd still burn some calories had you stayed home and rested. If you're eating them back and it's all working out, then awesome...but if you encounter any issues, that could be something to experiment with.

As far as calories, I weigh and use measuring cups, whichever is easier for what I'm eating or according to serving sizes on nutrition labels. It seems to have been pretty accurate all this time as I've lost pretty steadily all this time, lol.

As for exercising, I never could afford one of those fancy heart rate monitor things so I just went by MFP, and idk, so far it seems to be doing okay but I often wonder about how accurate that is. However, I'm pretty active; I'm definitely not sedentary. I work retail where I'm on my feet and constantly on the go for at least 7 hours, 5 days a week. And then I work out on top of that for an hour for 3 days a week. And on days I don't work, I might not do any formal exercise, but I make myself get up and go do something. Even if I don't have anything to do, I create things for myself to do so I'm not just sitting on my butt all day. My thing is I don't know if I'm eating enough for my activity level.

Mimsy, I just have to say I remember messaging you awhile back (last year I think?) about how you were losing weight, and am ecstatic to see that you've met your goal!! That's so exciting!!!

Anyway, don't want to derail this thread or anything, but I couldn't find your goal thread to post on it!!

Congrats girl! :)

Obviously things are working because you have done so well! Congrats to you! I know that when I hit goal in the past, it was a very confusing time for me, but I have a very unhealthy relationship with food and my addiction makes it hard for me to make good decisions for any extended period fo time.

If you keep dropping weight, then you're not eating enough. If you feel hungry or weak then you might not be eating enough. Based on what you stated above, I'd even try 2,000 calories a day to see how that works for you. It's not unreasonable for an active woman to eat that many calories.

I maintain at 2000+ a day on average and my exercise time weekly is similar to yours but with less cardio and more weights. My weight hasn't changed in almost a year but I look different if that makes sense, and I've lost inches in some places.

It sounds like you are at a deficit right now and doing great - if you have energy to do everything just keep doing that. If you start gaining, cut back a little.

I agree with Krampus. I wouldn't worry about it unless you are actually losing weight. Your body is so use to getting smaller that trying to stay the same size is going to be a little weird. The loss of inches is probably your body adjusting. I've read about that happening to several ladies on here.

But if you do continue to lose weight, up your calories by 100 every couple of weeks until you can see where your body needs to be.

Yeah I don't think I'm actually losing. I measured myself today and the inch I had lost in my hips magically came back, lol; I was probably measuring in the wrong spot or something. That's the only thing about measuring -- you can hit the same spot 3 times and get a different measurement each time! But I am looking better and feeling smaller and maybe it's just my body working itself out for the better, lol.

The doctor told me today just to stay on plan during the week and then ease off on the weekends a little bit. Not going crazy, of course, but just not being as strict on weekends. That seems like a good plan for me. I don't really go crazy anyway but sometimes I just want to not have to worry about every little single lick of something I put in my mouth -- it gets grueling sometimes!

^ sounds like calorie cycling to me. You can do this for loss and maintenance.