Increasing calories as goal weight approaches

snowflakesav
snowflakesav Posts: 644 Member
I increased my calories so I will slow my weight loss to 1/2 pound per week. I have 9 pounds left to go.
Is that a good strategy? Should I continue trying to lose quckly?

It took me 9 weeks to lose the first 11 pounds with planning my calories to lose a pound a week.

Replies

  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
    I did the same thing. I raised my calories to higher than MFP suggested, so I'm at 1800 now and still losing. Adding exercise makes it even more doable (unless there is a Nestle Crunch bar in the house.) Slow & steady suits me (emphasis on slooooooowwww...)

    Congrats on your loss!!
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
    I did the same thing. I got sick and tired of the 1,200 calories MFP assigned me so I bumped it up and switched to .5 pounds per week from 1. I was happier and still slowly lost.
  • Fat4Fuel2
    Fat4Fuel2 Posts: 280 Member
    Sustainability! What ever you decide, make sure it's a choice you can stick with for the rest of your life! I've also read somewhere, I forget where :neutral: , that slow weight loss is maintained easier and longer than fast weight loss. Does the tortoise beat the hare once again?
  • RhondaNicole17
    RhondaNicole17 Posts: 17 Member
    I've been wondering this even though I'm just staring out. I'm hoping I figure out those type of calorie questions seeing as I hear about so many people hitting plateaus.
  • kristenveganvixen
    kristenveganvixen Posts: 87 Member
    edited May 2015
    I do this too as I struggle with 1200 for any more than a few days at a time. Going that low isn't sustainable for most people and as others have said, sustainability and lifestyle change is the name of the game.

    What I find helped was a variation on intermittent fasting and doing a couple of maintenence or cheat days, a couple very low cal days and the rest moderate cal days.
  • Roozumari
    Roozumari Posts: 2 Member
    MFP gave be a target of 1200 calories a day, I couldn't sustain that, so I've increased it to 1350, I'm losing weight slower but have found it a much more reasonable goal.
  • haibu
    haibu Posts: 67 Member
    What I find helped was a variation on intermittent fasting and doing a couple of maintenence or cheat days, a couple very low cal days and the rest moderate cal days.

    I do this, like a couple of 1000ish calorie days, a couple of 2000ish calorie days, and then three 1200-1600 calorie days, all split up within the week (aiming for an average of 1400/day). It seems to work out better for me. I have hungry days and I'm really hungry and then I have not hungry days and I'm busy and I don't think about it. This way, I can just fit those days in to a weekly average.
  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 644 Member
    Some great advice. I upped my calories at the same time as I started taking a new medication so it hasn't been a good experiment so far. Ended up gaining a bit over a pound instead of seeing a steady weight loss.
  • goosebeartalk
    goosebeartalk Posts: 39 Member
    How in the WORLD do y'all eat so little calories? I feel like I'm going to pass out if I get less than 1600 a day.
  • Thisdivaruns
    Thisdivaruns Posts: 11 Member
    I do this too as I struggle with 1200 for any more than a few days at a time. Going that low isn't sustainable for most people and as others have said, sustainability and lifestyle change is the name of the game.

    What I find helped was a variation on intermittent fasting and doing a couple of maintenence or cheat days, a couple very low cal days and the rest moderate cal days.

    What did your days look like when intermittent fasting, if you don't mind me asking.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    How in the WORLD do y'all eat so little calories? I feel like I'm going to pass out if I get less than 1600 a day.

    Breakfast: two eggs over medium, 1 cup of milk (in my coffee)

    Lunch: huge spinach salad with broccoli, red bell pepper, slivered almonds and a veggie burger in the salad, and a piece of fruit

    Snack: Quest bar or piece of pita bread (plain)

    Dinner: 2 chicken fajitas with low-carb (and low calorie) tortillas, steamed green beans, more salad

    After dinner snack: another serving of fruit. Sometimes 1 square of dark chocolate.

    This is on a day when I don't exercise or only go for a 30- minute walk. On days I exercise I eat a bigger breakfast, bigger dinner and sometimes 2 after dinner snacks.
  • Paulette0706
    Paulette0706 Posts: 46 Member
    I used to try and follow 1200 calories allowance set by MFP, I also don't think it's a sustainable lifestyle. I would have to eat some of my exercise calories back. Even then I ended up feeling a little burnt. Now I'm back working out, I thought I would look into the stuff about TDEE, BMR etc and the whole concept of eating more. I have increased my calories slowly from 1200 upto 2000 as of this week and will reduce down very slowly after eating at this level for a while. I won't go below 1350 calories which is my BMR....I feel better physically and mentally. Found lots of information about this on MFP group eat more to weigh less. It's not for everybody but it makes sense to me so I'm giving it a try.
  • MicheleStitches
    MicheleStitches Posts: 306 Member
    edited July 2015
    It took me 9 weeks to lose the first 11 pounds with planning my calories to lose a pound a week.

    WOW! That is pretty amazing! I'd love to know how you did that.


  • MrsSchimmy
    MrsSchimmy Posts: 255 Member
    I thought I would look into the stuff about TDEE, BMR etc and the whole concept of eating more.
    I won't go below 1350 calories which is my BMR....I feel better physically and mentally.

    Good for you! So many people don't understand the concept of "eating too little" when they eat at 1200 calories.

    OP, finding your BMR and TDEE is advice I give to everyone. Never eat below your BMR and calculate your own calories using your TDEE. TDEE takes into account how active you are and you can subtract calories for lbs you want to lose each week.

    Good luck!
  • Paulette0706
    Paulette0706 Posts: 46 Member
    MrsSchimmy wrote: »
    I thought I would look into the stuff about TDEE, BMR etc and the whole concept of eating more.
    I won't go below 1350 calories which is my BMR....I feel better physically and mentally.

    Good for you! So many people don't understand the concept of "eating too little" when they eat at 1200 calories.

    OP, finding your BMR and TDEE is advice I give to everyone. Never eat below your BMR and calculate your own calories using your TDEE. TDEE takes into account how active you are and you can subtract calories for lbs you want to lose each week.

    Good luck!


    Thank you MrsSchimmy!