Too much of a deficit??

[vcdc]

According to my Fitbit I am doing 12-15k steps per day. Being a construction worker with an extremely physical va , my Fitbit has me burning  4500-5500 calories per day.  I am consuming under 2000 calories per day. (accurate calorie tracking).  I am actually gaining weight!  Not muscle weight because I call feel it in my stomach area.

I am convinced that too much of a deficit will backfire and your body will store anything you eat as fat.

I know this sounds crazy but it is happening .

Has anyone had any experience or care to chime in?

Thanks,

vc

[A_Lurker]

When I first started losing weight last year this was not uncommon for me.  I would under eat for a couple of weeks and I would lose nothing or gain slightly.  The next week I would eat more and lose weight.  Although I decided that my tracker was off by a little more than 10% I could eat more and still lose weight.

As a good double-check, try this site and put in your information, using a mid-point goal if you have a lot to lose.  http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

It will give you a BMR, along with various eating levels based on activity.  I've worked with some guys doing a very physical day who would eat more food than you would think possible and not gain weight.  If you've been eating under 2000 for a period of time you might want to raise your calories slowly.

[vcdc]

Thanks for reply.

I went last yr. For a V02 test. They had me breath into a computer for 20 + minutes and determined my bmr was 3355 calories per day. 

I'm going to experiment with daily calorie intake and see what happens.

Thanks again.

[A_Lurker]

No problems, with your BMR verified I would say that for a couple of week (as many as 4) eat higher, then adjust based on results.

[Dominique · Accepted solution]

If your BMR really is 3555 (which sounds very high, and is likely quite higher than the implied calculated one used by Fitbit) and you have a very active job (construction certainly qualifies), then you’re definitely eating way too little at < 2000.

[vcdc]

I don't think I could consume 3000 calories a day unless I switched to extreme calorie foods. I'm 290lbs at 30% body fat, if my monitor is correct.

This week I was doing 12000 - 16000 k steps per day, burning at 4200- 4800 calories per day according to Fitbit.

Usually no appetite until 3:00pm.  I plan to slowly increase my intake and monitor the progress.

Thanks to all for the advice.

[A_Lurker]

@vcdc- sure you can.  I find it quite easy to eat 2500.  I'm not a breakfast person, but I take some kind of baked egg thing and fruit as a morning snack (morning break if you're working).  Then I take a good solid lunch, don't usually have an afternoon snack, a good dinner, and I allow myself 300-500 calories of some kind of snack at the end of the day.  (This is only good if you can stop, I can.)

Break down your calories by meals to see where you are.  If you're doing a very physical job it's likely that you need more calories during the day.  Last place I worked it wasn't unusual to see the guys having lunch type portions at morning break, lunch, afternoon break, etc.

It can be hard to find good, healthy choices, but consider a smoothie to start your day (protein powder, dairy, fruit, etc.).  I don't bother with them much myself at the moment in the AM, but it's not unusual for me to have one after lifting 3x a week.  My go to shake (just over 400 cals):

10g raw cacao powder

20g hemp hearts

40g protein isolate

10g oat flour

100g fruit

truvia (natural sugar substitute)

If you're a dairy person (I'm not) you can add calories with milk and/or yogurt.  If you're a dairy person then google recipes for overnight oats.

Morning snack (I'm assuming you don't have access to a microwave on the site) could be cheese, bread, peanut butter, nuts, fruit, whatever.

Lunch could be the go to wraps/sandwiches,etc.  You'll have to look for stuff that travels well.  Add raw veggies and fruit to it as well.  Or again, milk products - greek yogurt - avoid the processed stuff.

Afternoon snack could be anything you've packed during the day that you haven't eaten yet.

Dinner - lean protein, veggies/salad, and since you're working with a higher calorie count add in pasta / rice / potato.

Evening snack - balance our what you've maybe missed during the day.  I enjoy cheese, crackers, hummus, fruit, and yes... a little junk food some nights.

I do understand that it can be hard to get a higher calorie count in without resorting to a lot of crap,  but if your BMR is that high and you work an active job, it's probably a good idea to start off higher.  You can always drop your calories later.  Oddly enough, I'm eating more than I did 100 lbs ago.  However, my activity levels have also gone up as I've lost weight.

[Esya]

@vcdc

It will be a struggle at first (I just did it this week as well, eating more, and no it is really not comfortable at first), but your body does get used to it. Our stomaches adapt to how much food we offer it. To slowly increase it is the way to go. And there are healthy calorie dense foods too like nuts, protein etc.

[vcdc]

Thank you for the information.
Congratulations on a 100lb weight loss! I know how difficult it can be.

I'm going to increase my calories starting this week with clean, healthy foods. I think I need to monitor the calories and find the right range.

Thanks again,
VC

[glitterNfunk]

First of all.....I am so jealous of that daily calorie burn!  lol.....says the desk job chick.

I switch up my calorie deficit anytime I hit a plateau but I have definitely found that I do best with no more than a 1000 calorie deficit and if I eat every four hours or so.

It doesn't make mathematical sense.....but my body doesn't give a hoot about math......lol. 

I am so not a nutritional or any kind of medical professional.....but just as a regular 'ol person who has successfully lost 70+ pounds, I'd suggest trying some healthy snacks throughout the day and see if a smaller deficit kicks your metabolism into gear.  Don't give your system a chance to hit empty.  You have a big deficit to work with......don't be afraid to try a few things out and see what works best for you.

Good luck!  Let us know how you do!