When did you start increasing your calories?

abbeyjones1994

Hello maintainers!

I am still losing; I have about 12 lbs. to go to my GW and am currently set at 1 lb loss/week. However, I was considering upping my calories to the 0.5 lb loss/week range once I get down to only needing to lose 10 lbs. I know that I need to start upping them soon to hopefully make the transition into maintenance easier, so I was wondering if, from your experience, this sounds like a good plan? When did you begin to up your calories closer to maintenance, and why did you choose that weight to do so?

ana3067

I started upping them like 1-2 months into losing weight lol. I kept going back and forth on my intake. I was at 2000 (estimated 20% deficit) for almost 2 weeks and just decided to go up to 2150 for a 15%ish deficit. I have about 15-20lbs left to lose, but I am extremely concerned about body composition and my lifts at the gym. I also want to eat more food, man.

Sabine_Stroehm

I didn't. I eventually just found a sort of stasis.

RangedLunatic

I just did today, three years after I started losing and about one since kicking into high gear. I finally reached the point where 1 pound loss per week had me eating the same amount as 2 pounds/week did when I started, about 2000kC.

Eventually I suppose I'll settle at a weight where that 2000kC is maintenance. I'll just have to see what sort of weight that is and if that's where I want to stop.

MissJay75

Last month I was 10 pounds til goal. I upped my calories to 1/2 a pound a week. I wanted to ease into maintenance and I figured with the holidays coming up, It would be nice to have a few extra calories.

dopeysmelly

ana3067 wrote: »

I started upping them like 1-2 months into losing weight lol. I kept going back and forth on my intake. I was at 2000 (estimated 20% deficit) for almost 2 weeks and just decided to go up to 2150 for a 15%ish deficit. I have about 15-20lbs left to lose, but I am extremely concerned about body composition and my lifts at the gym. I also want to eat more food, man.

^^this is what I did. I gradually increased my calories over the months starting at 1200, up to 1500 and then accelerated the increases to 1700 net just about 5 lbs to go. It worked fine. It's essentially what MFP suggests for lightly active for maintenance for me.

RaspberryTickleChicken

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I didn't. I eventually just found a sort of stasis.

+1

I maybe adjusted my calories by 15-30 but I really didn't do much because I was effortlessly & very comfortably staying within my daily calorie allowance so I just figure why make a massive change to what is working.

Also, I'm one of those weirdos who believe that my body will eventually settle on a weight it wants to be at so I just continued to chug along. Add that I'm only 4'10" I'm well between my BMR & TDEE range depending if it is a workout day or not.