increasing calories as weight is lost?

twostepsforward

Hi
I wondered about starting at low calories at the beginning of weight loss, then for every half stone lost, increase it by say 100 a day. So slowly bringing up the daily calories to a reasonable maintenance level, and if I started gaining again then I would know my limit.
Anyone tried this and had good or bad experiences please?

katherine_startrek_fan

Seems somewhat counterintuitive to be upping your calories as you loose weight...

jenncornelsen

Think u have it backwards... gets harder to lose the less u weigh. Most people up theyre calories once they have actually reached maintenence. Then they may do it slowly say 100 cals per week

Mr_Knight

Or you can just figure out what your maintenance level will be at your target weight, and just start eating there. Then there's nothing to change when you're done.

SergeantSausage

Yeah ... ummm ... you've got it backwards.

You need *fewer* calories as you get lighter.

Barbs2222

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I'm 54, married with 2 kids, if it takes a year to get the last 15 pounds off who cares. Although, I may have a different attitude when I get to 135. I've lost 11 pounds and I feel I'm going strong. But 1200 is kind of tough to do some days. I'm looking forward to eating 1800 calories.

jenncornelsen

1200 is very hard to maintain. why not bring it up to 1400? i would agree that if u are eating at a deficit u feel u can't maintain then yes up it some. but not 100 cals each day like the OP is suggesting

Zedeff

I actually think that this idea has merit. It's easy to sustain a deep deficit for a short time and hard for a long time. This technique will let you maximize your early losses and ease out of it without a total binge-inducing failure. It's like a crash diet with an exit strategy. Maximal losses, minimal unsustainability (it's planned failure).

sheldonklein

I'm increasing my calories as I lose weight. Of course I will lose more slowly, but I'm not willing to make the same sacrifices I was willing to make 60 pounds ago.

Sabine_Stroehm

Mr_Knight wrote: »

Or you can just figure out what your maintenance level will be at your target weight, and just start eating there. Then there's nothing to change when you're done.

To me this makes good sense.

segacs

I just increased mine today. I've lost 25lbs since October, and have about 15lbs to go. But I ran the numbers and my rate of loss was actually faster than I had anticipated, and faster than I was comfortable with. (It seems I'm more active than the calculators think I am.)

So I increased my calories a bit so I could deliberately lose the last 15lbs slowly and steadily. And I might do it again when I have 5lbs to go. Easing into maintenance and all that.

There's no race. I don't mind losing weight slowly if it means I will keep it off.

segacs

Mr_Knight wrote: »

Or you can just figure out what your maintenance level will be at your target weight, and just start eating there. Then there's nothing to change when you're done.

Yeah but this method is VERY slow for most people. In theory it will work, but in practice, people are likely to get discouraged losing weight this slowly.

Mr_Knight

segacs wrote: »

Mr_Knight wrote: »

Or you can just figure out what your maintenance level will be at your target weight, and just start eating there. Then there's nothing to change when you're done.

Yeah but this method is VERY slow for most people. In theory it will work, but in practice, people are likely to get discouraged losing weight this slowly.

It certainly won't be slow for anybody obese.

And anybody not obese isn't (according MPF wisdom) supposed to be losing fast anyway.