Upping my diet to 1500Cal
Medilia
Posts: 230 Member
So a friend of mine who lost 35 kgs a couple of years ago (And kept it off) suggested that I up my calories to 1500 to see if this helps me lose weight.
It started two days ago, day one I did not hit my allotted calories, day two I did but I ate junk food and now on day three I am at 1,000 Calories and need 500 more and just can not seem to think of how to eat it.
Can someone please look at my diary and give suggestions?
In my house I have:
Lots of fruit and vegetables
Antipesto foods like olives, feta cheese, chilies in oil
Meat
Nuts
Cheese
I am just also worried about going over my fat and sugar macros.
It started two days ago, day one I did not hit my allotted calories, day two I did but I ate junk food and now on day three I am at 1,000 Calories and need 500 more and just can not seem to think of how to eat it.
Can someone please look at my diary and give suggestions?
In my house I have:
Lots of fruit and vegetables
Antipesto foods like olives, feta cheese, chilies in oil
Meat
Nuts
Cheese
I am just also worried about going over my fat and sugar macros.
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Replies
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You can eat anything you want. Sugar doesn't mkae you gain weight, so unless you are diabetic there is no reason to track it. Fat won't make you gain weight unless it makes you eat above your maintenance calories. So... eat whatever of these foods you listed you are interested in eating right now.0
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Don't worry about your fat and sugar macros at the moment. I'm usually over my sugar levels by lunch time most days due to milk and fruit. The macros set by mfp are pretty low!
If you have any peanut butter, have a couple spoon fulls or a cheese sandwich0 -
All natural peanut butter is an easy way to add calories.
FYI: As a rule of thumb, I try to limit the majority of my fats for the early day and carbs for the late day; Protein throughout.0 -
Okay, I see lots of people suggesting peanut butter. I don't do the whole peanut butter thing to up my calories.FYI: As a rule of thumb, I try to limit the majority of my fats for the early day and carbs for the late day; Protein throughout.
Why does it matter when you eat fat or eat carbs?0 -
Why not eating PB to increase your calories? Nothing wrong with it unless yuo just dislike the taste. In which case I'd recommend something else like Nutella, a chocolate nut spread, another nut butter, maybe some cheese, avocado, full-fat yogurts, etc. Anything high fat will quickly up your cals. Or go eat a donut - I just ate a donut and 6 crackers.Okay, I see lots of people suggesting peanut butter. I don't do the whole peanut butter thing to up my calories.FYI: As a rule of thumb, I try to limit the majority of my fats for the early day and carbs for the late day; Protein throughout.
Why does it matter when you eat fat or eat carbs?
As for timing, it really doesn't matter outside of personal preference. I find that I need to limit my fat before my workout which is usually after lunch so my lunch is usually low fat. But I can eat high fat or low fat in the AM, doesn't really matter. Same for carbs. If I don't eat enough protein with my carbs during the day though I will get really hungry, but that's just about macro ratios.
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There's nothing magic about 1200 or 1500. What does MFP recommend as your daily calorie goal when you input your numbers? What are your stats (height/weight/age/activity level) and what did you set as your weight loss goal?
If you're trying to lose weight, then obviously you have had a time in your past when you had no problem eating at a surplus... that's how we all gained the weight in the first place, after all.
I think the challenge you're having is that you have this idea in your head that it's not okay to eat "junk food". While I agree that it's good to aim to eat healthy, there's nothing wrong with adding some of the foods you love into the mix. Calories are just calories, after all, whether they come from kale or pizza. And if you try to restrict or completely cut out all the foods you love, it's unlikely you'll be able to keep that up for very long.0 -
There's nothing magic about 1200 or 1500. What does MFP recommend as your daily calorie goal when you input your numbers? What are your stats (height/weight/age/activity level) and what did you set as your weight loss goal?
If you're trying to lose weight, then obviously you have had a time in your past when you had no problem eating at a surplus... that's how we all gained the weight in the first place, after all.
I think the challenge you're having is that you have this idea in your head that it's not okay to eat "junk food". While I agree that it's good to aim to eat healthy, there's nothing wrong with adding some of the foods you love into the mix. Calories are just calories, after all, whether they come from kale or pizza. And if you try to restrict or completely cut out all the foods you love, it's unlikely you'll be able to keep that up for very long.
MFP recommended 1200 but after almost 6 weeks I have only managed a kg and I have been trying really hard. So as I said I spoke to my friend who lost 35kg and he crunched some numbers for me and suggested I go up to 1500 and we changed my intake percentages slightly.
As for eating in surplus I used to eat a lot of high calorie, high sugar junk but not a lot of food. So that's where my problem is I am not used to eating so much food.
I actually don't have a problem eating junk food but I am trying to reduce the amount I eat. I will eat junk food about once a week these days. If I keep telling myself it is okay to let some slip in I tend to find that a lot comes in quickly and then of course I don't lose weight.Okay, I see lots of people suggesting peanut butter. I don't do the whole peanut butter thing to up my calories.
Why not eating PB to increase your calories? Nothing wrong with it unless yuo just dislike the taste. In which case I'd recommend something else like Nutella, a chocolate nut spread, another nut butter, maybe some cheese, avocado, full-fat yogurts, etc. Anything high fat will quickly up your cals. Or go eat a donut - I just ate a donut and 6 crackers.
I don't like spreads haha and I don't eat much bread. So I won't just have a spoon of spread. If I was to have spread it is always olive oil butter and Vegemite.
I am thinking I might go for cheese and olives for my snack.0 -
I'm falling to understand... You weren't losing weight at 1200... How is going to 1500 going to fix that? Are you planning on exercising more?0
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If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
^ This.
You probably weren't eating 1200 calories before; you just thought you were.
Read this: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p10 -
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dougpconnell219 wrote: »I'm falling to understand... You weren't losing weight at 1200... How is going to 1500 going to fix that? Are you planning on exercising more?
I don't get it either. But My friend who lost weight insisted on me trying this and so I am going to give it a shotTimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
^ This.
You probably weren't eating 1200 calories before; you just thought you were.
Read this: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
I am really tired of this one. I weigh everything I eat. I am counting as accurately as I possibly can. On 1200 calories I was often still eating under my goal counting at around 1000 and not worrying because I figured I must be inaccurate but I really don't think that is the case.
Since I started back up here I have binged twice, both times just after Christmas when there was an excess of chocolate in my house.
I am getting really frustrated with that being everyone's go to answer "You must not be counting right" I am sorry. Give me some zen advice of how weighing everything I eat to the point of obsession is not counting right?
The only time I don't weigh food is when eating out but even then I give an estimate and try to find it on MFP.
On a date I counted the approximate calories of sushi and added those calories in for added accuracy. I really don't know what magical method there is to calorie counting if what I am doing is not right.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
Yeah I have to agree. How can you lose weight by upping your calories further? Did your friend explain his reasoning behind his suggestion?0 -
christinev297 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
Yeah I have to agree. How can you lose weight by upping your calories further? Did your friend explain his reasoning behind his suggestion?
He calculated it himself (Not sure how I was not physically with him when he did it)
And I questioned him immediately about why he was upping me like that and his explanation was for one I am not allowed to eat back calories and I don't record a lot of the exercise I do. (Which is true I usually only count my walks and sometimes my weights. I don't count my sword fighting practice or my shorter walks)
Oh! forgot to add my personal thoughts (I haven't asked if he agrees) but because I tend to eat under 1200 I am probably not losing because my body is not getting enough calories.0 -
I think you should make sure to get at least 1200 every day.0
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christinev297 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
Yeah I have to agree. How can you lose weight by upping your calories further? Did your friend explain his reasoning behind his suggestion?
He calculated it himself (Not sure how I was not physically with him when he did it)
And I questioned him immediately about why he was upping me like that and his explanation was for one I am not allowed to eat back calories and I don't record a lot of the exercise I do. (Which is true I usually only count my walks and sometimes my weights. I don't count my sword fighting practice or my shorter walks)
Oh! forgot to add my personal thoughts (I haven't asked if he agrees) but because I tend to eat under 1200 I am probably not losing because my body is not getting enough calories.
Have you worked out your bmr and tdee0 -
Get a food scale, weigh and measure everything you consume and then log it accurately. If you weren't losing at 1200, likely it's because your eating more then you think.0
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Thorsmom05 wrote: »Get a food scale, weigh and measure everything you consume and then log it accurately. If you weren't losing at 1200, likely it's because your eating more then you think.
As said above I do weigh and measure everything on my food scale
christinev297 wrote: »Have you worked out your bmr and tdee
I have done my BMR previously I think I am 28 (Can't remember off the top of my head)
I don't know what TDEE stands for?
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Your Bmr is not 28. Your probably thinking of bmi. Bmr is an estimate of how many calories your body would been in a coma. Tdee stands for total daily energy expenditure. It's an estimate of how many calories you burn in a typical day (Bmr + exercise + non exercise movement + calories burned through processing food also called thermic effect of food.) I agree with all the rest, any time eating more causes weight loss it's because you were retaining water and the eating more caused you to release the retained water. Eating more will not cause more fat loss. Why would it?Thorsmom05 wrote: »Get a food scale, weigh and measure everything you consume and then log it accurately. If you weren't losing at 1200, likely it's because your eating more then you think.
As said above I do weigh and measure everything on my food scalechristinev297 wrote: »Have you worked out your bmr and tdee
I have done my BMR previously I think I am 28 (Can't remember off the top of my head)
I don't know what TDEE stands for?
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Look up a tdee calculator and put in your stats. Tdee stands for total daily energy expenditure, which are the calories you need to eat to Maintain your weight.0
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If your diary is to be believed you seem to be logging well, I only went back a few days but can't see any issues. Some days you ate under but it seemed counteracted by days you went over.
F, 20, 68kg ...what's your height and activity level and what have you set as your goal loss per week
What's your weight loss over the last month? You say a kg lost ...what time period
Are weighing at the same time and under the same conditions?
If you've recently changed up your exercise and aren't logging it that could result in water retention, as could sodium of hormones
If you are exercising you need to log and eat back 50-75% ...MFP is a NEAT method for calorie allowance0 -
Someone mentioned that if you are not losing at 1200 cal/day, how do you expect to lose at 1500 cal a day, which is probably the first thing you should look at. I've seen people have perfect diaries, but they are fiction because they aren't truly accurate.
Are you weighing and measuring your intake? Even without exercising, a consistent deficit of 800 cal a day, which is what 1200 cal is, will put you in weight loss of over 1 1/2 lb a week at the beginning.
1lb loss/wk = 3500 cal
2000 cal/day = approx. maintenance for people in general.
-500 cal (deficit)/day x 7 day/wk = -3500 cal/wk (1lb) = 4lb/month
And while it's not all math, because our bodies are not machines, this really works if you are honest with yourself.
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I get the impression that you are weighing most of your food. Nobody is perfect about it, though.Thorsmom05 wrote: »Get a food scale, weigh and measure everything you consume and then log it accurately. If you weren't losing at 1200, likely it's because your eating more then you think.
As said above I do weigh and measure everything on my food scalechristinev297 wrote: »Have you worked out your bmr and tdee
I have done my BMR previously I think I am 28 (Can't remember off the top of my head)
I don't know what TDEE stands for?
In order to reach your calorie goal you can eat anything you like, just eat it in moderation.
Upping your calories will cause you to lose weight slower, but I believe slower is better because it's more sustainable.
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure. It's the amount of calories to maintain your weight. If you go over that amount on a consistent basis you will gain weight. If you eat less than this amount, you will lose weight.
How much are you trying to lose? The bigger you are, the more you can eat and still lose weight.
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So much information to go through here.
MFP gave me 1700 as my usual daily calorie thingy and then gave me a 500 defecit (The most it could give me because that takes me down to 1200 calories)
I know MFP is one where you are meant to eat back calories which I was doing on 1200, as I said above my friend told me to bump up to 1500 and stop eating back the calories I work off.
I am serious that I weigh and measure everything as accurately as I possibly can.
I lost that 1kg over two months. At one stage I put on a kilo and at another I had dropped two but the 1 is the only one that has stuck.
I work at a desk, drive to work because it is too far to walk and far too hot. However for everything else I work to try and burn extra calories. So I think that still counts as a "sedative" life style by MFP standards, as I live in a small town it is never far to walk anywhere I need to go (apart from work)
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christinev297 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »If you aren't losing weight at 1200, you won't lose anything at 1500 either. You should be looking for inaccuracies in your calorie counting.
Yeah I have to agree. How can you lose weight by upping your calories further? Did your friend explain his reasoning behind his suggestion?
He calculated it himself (Not sure how I was not physically with him when he did it)
And I questioned him immediately about why he was upping me like that and his explanation was for one I am not allowed to eat back calories and I don't record a lot of the exercise I do. (Which is true I usually only count my walks and sometimes my weights. I don't count my sword fighting practice or my shorter walks)
Oh! forgot to add my personal thoughts (I haven't asked if he agrees) but because I tend to eat under 1200 I am probably not losing because my body is not getting enough calories.
If your body was not getting enough calories you would be losing weight rapidly. It can't store calories it's not getting. The main reason people increase their calories from 1200 is because they have found slower weight loss easier to stick to and are less likely to binge.
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Okay, if you're not losing at 1200, why would you lose by eating more? It doesn't work this way.0
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My suggestion would be to keep logging the way you do, bump your intake to 1500 and not "eat back" the exercise calories as you are planning to do, for a month or 6 weeks. That will give you some good data. It may be that before, you were over-estimating the calories you could eat back, and at a 1500 firm daily intake you will create the deficit you are aiming for. If you DON'T show a loss, or you show a gain, then you can adjust accordingly.0
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So much information to go through here.
MFP gave me 1700 as my usual daily calorie thingy and then gave me a 500 defecit (The most it could give me because that takes me down to 1200 calories)
I know MFP is one where you are meant to eat back calories which I was doing on 1200, as I said above my friend told me to bump up to 1500 and stop eating back the calories I work off.
I am serious that I weigh and measure everything as accurately as I possibly can.
I lost that 1kg over two months. At one stage I put on a kilo and at another I had dropped two but the 1 is the only one that has stuck.
I work at a desk, drive to work because it is too far to walk and far too hot. However for everything else I work to try and burn extra calories. So I think that still counts as a "sedative" life style by MFP standards, as I live in a small town it is never far to walk anywhere I need to go (apart from work)
I'm saying screw it and go for it. I've done basically the same recently, what you're saying is that your not really 'increasing' drastically depending on your TDEE. Example: MFP had me set at 1300. I lost 40 lbs, but I have been stuck on my last 20 with only losing 2 lbs in a month. I'm trying to get out of this plateau desperately and calculated my TDEE, and with a large deficit it has me about 1500-1600 calories. (I did this with http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ if you want to give it a look yourself). Now I don't log my exercise calories. I'm only a few days in on this so I'm unsure of what to expect, but I also switched my exercise routine to try to help as well.0 -
I know MFP is one where you are meant to eat back calories which I was doing on 1200, as I said above my friend told me to bump up to 1500 and stop eating back the calories I work off.
I think this is key. Your friend might have been concerned that you are eating back more calories than you're actually burning, thus netting more than you think. He's basically recommending a different system than MFP, whereby you factor in exercise in your base calories and then don't eat any extra, no matter what you do that day. Just a different way of accomplishing the same thing. Play around with systems and the calories that you're eating and see which way is the most comfortable and successful for you. Good luck!0 -
Go to iifym. com and work out your calories on that. It is a TDEE calculator ( I think this is what your friend was basing his recalculation on)that includes your exercise level, as opposed to MFP's calculator that doesn't.
Eat at the calories iifym gives you for a month and see what your results are.
Be honest on your exercises.
Cheers, h.0
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