I ate more to lose weight - i put on and now can't lose
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I have 2 people in my friends list that tried the "eat more to lose more" and ended up going back to lower calories. Just follow the MFP plan and you should be fine. Don't starve yourself. Just log your food and your exercise and eat what MFP tells you to.0
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you can't lose weight and fix your metabolism at the same time.0
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Age: 30
Height: 5'4''
Weight: 153
I was a steady 140-145lbs for years until I tried to 'fix' my metabolism a few months ago. I did all the tests and found my TDEE and ate 20% under it. I gained. I haven't cheated and have weighed everything.
I do have polycystic ovaries which causes a few issues too.
I am now eating around 1300 calories a day. I'm going to try and be stricter with myself and stick below 1300 and also am going to try to eat primal.
That is crucial information. PCOS might require you to eat at a lower level than the standard calculators (including MFP's) will give you.0 -
OP, you might ask your question in this group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-
You'll get knowledgeable advice there. Make sure to provide all the information you gave here, including the PCOS bit.0 -
you can't lose weight and fix your metabolism at the same time.
THIS!
The problem with all of these people saying that they gained weight and then went back to eating below their BMR is a lack of patience. It takes several months (if not longer) for most people to fix the damage they have done with prolonged periods of undereating.
I know it's cliche, but, are you going to eat 1300 calories or less for the rest of your life? A lot of people have this idea that they'll get to their goal weight/size and magically be able to eat "at maintenance" and maintain their losses. The problem is that if you are in a state of semi-starvation to get to your goal you are going to experience adaptive thermogenesis, and what you think your maintenance is will likely have you gaining weight.
What then? Go back to 1300 calories just to maintain? That hardly sounds like the life for me.
If you want to really make progress you need to think about your HEALTH and back away from the extreme dieting for a while.
Whomever said that there is nobody losing weight in the EMTWL group is terribly wrong. Search the forums and you'll find a ton of people who have seen great success with it, including myself. I ate 1200-1300 calories for YEARS, and it did work for a long time, until one day it didn't. Suddenly I was unable to even maintain on that amount and was gaining massive amounts of weight if I ever deviated from that plan... to the tune of 30 pounds in about 6 months. Don't think that I was giving up and just eating whatever either; I was still doing hours of cardio, lifting HEAVY 4 times per week, eating "clean" and doing all the 'right' things.
Now having done a reset and eating at TDEE for a while, I have been eating in a slight deficit at 1750 calories, not doing cardio, and still lifting (and hitting personal records every single workout) and am losing about a .8 to 1 pound of FAT each week. My weight is going down slowly, but the inches are coming off like crazy. The best part is that I'm healthy and I feel good again! I got my period back after THREE YEARS without it, I eat more and I really enjoy it (I regularly have chocolate, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, enchiladas, etc.) and the nagging injuries have healed up.
You'll probably take this all with a grain of salt, but I promise you that patience has it's rewards. All of these other people who are jumping in and saying that EMTWL is bull**** are doing it wrong; it takes time, it takes patience, and it takes effort. You have to calculate your requirements accurately and adjust them as needed, and then STICK TO THE PLAN in order to see things work.0 -
ETA: Clearly there's a miscalulation of your energy needs and/or your consumption. More than likely both. Plus this method is normally only recommended if you've hit a stalling point on a low calorie approach. Re-run your numbers, weigh all your food, measure your exercise as accurately as possible and it works. The laws of thermodynamics apply to everyone.
THIS. I ate more for 8 weeks, gained 12 pounds, then cut my calories. After a few weeks of bouncing around, I realized I was still eating too much for my activity. I set MFP to lightly active, giving me 1640 base calories. I eat back exercise calories instead of reaching for a solid number. Since I changed this, I have lost 2 pounds in two weeks. I found that I was overeating when reaching for that number. Eating back calories makes me feel like I'm getting just enough each day, so it works for me. Plus I'm logging more accurately.
They call it "Eat more to weigh less" but it doesn't really just mean "eat more." It means eat more than your BMR, but less than your TDEE.
^ See? Another fine example right there. It can work if you do it right, and the benefits encompass so much more than just a number on the scale.0 -
Timing of you meals DOES matter, because if your body is digesting food while you sleep, it isnt focusing on sleep. Lack of sleep is a huge contributor to weight gain. I didnt mean that there was anything necessarily wrong with eating at 8, only if she was also trying to go to bed shortly after that because it would affect her sleep cycles.
Its not perpetuating myths, its perpetuating what research shows.
And I said to lay off the nuts, because while I LOVE healthy fats, people's bodies react to different foods different ways. Seriously. My friend suffered no noticeable problems from nuts, but her weightloss suffered negatively from her eating them. When she stopped she lost weight. I have no problems with nuts. but if you are stalling out its worth re-evaluating some of your food.
Why do people get so aggressive on this website?0 -
Timing of you meals DOES matter, because if your body is digesting food while you sleep, it isnt focusing on sleep. Lack of sleep is a huge contributor to weight gain. I didnt mean that there was anything necessarily wrong with eating at 8, only if she was also trying to go to bed shortly after that because it would affect her sleep cycles.
Its not perpetuating myths, its perpetuating what research shows.
Please link to this 'research'...And I said to lay off the nuts, because while I LOVE healthy fats, people's bodies react to different foods different ways. Seriously. My friend suffered no noticeable problems from nuts, but her weightloss suffered negatively from her eating them. When she stopped she lost weight. I have no problems with nuts. but if you are stalling out its worth re-evaluating some of your food.
Why do people get so aggressive on this website?
Your friend's case is not everyone's... N =/= 1, know what I mean? When people perceive advice given (especially something that sounds that rediculous) as someone touting absolutes, it can be irritating. There is so much misinformation here it boggles the mind.
If your friend suffered no noticeable problem from nuts other than a lack of weightloss which was then remedied by excluding nuts, one could just argue that your friend cut some calories and lost weight. There are too many possible variables here and one person's perception of something that was effecting them (even if it wasn't at all related) does not translate to everyone.0 -
Why do people get so aggressive on this website?
Well in their defense, there's a lot of misinformation that goes around. So sometimes if you say something without explaining, people jump to the wrong conclusions. I think people just get defensive when they want the truth out there
Especially on hot-button topics like EMTWL.
To the OP: it does work but the TDEE method needs patience above all else. If you don't think you can handle it then by all means go back to what was working.0 -
Timing of you meals DOES matter, because if your body is digesting food while you sleep, it isnt focusing on sleep. Lack of sleep is a huge contributor to weight gain. I didnt mean that there was anything necessarily wrong with eating at 8, only if she was also trying to go to bed shortly after that because it would affect her sleep cycles.
Its not perpetuating myths, its perpetuating what research shows.
This is simply not true. I eat my biggest meal of the day within 1 - 1.5 hours of going to bed every night. I have no trouble sleeping or losing weight. I have energy for a stressful detailed job in data analytics and 45-60 min of moderate to intense exercise daily. I've been eating this way for years. Decades in fact.
Eating late can interupt sleep if you have reflux issues from lying down with a full stomach.0 -
Ok, what I found is within 1-2 days of reducing cals and carbs I started losing again immediately at a rate of half a pound a day. I had 2-3 meals last week which made my carbs go up to over 100g for that day and I saw no loss but it meant that in total for the week I lost 2 lbs as most of the time I had under 50g.
I eat nuts every day and mainly protein from meat, fish and dairy with some vegetables and very little other carbs except wholegrains at breakfast in small quantities.0 -
Great post Jossfit.
Re meal timing: where is justsomerandomgirl with the studies?
The take home point is that if YOU have issues sleeping on a full stomach then obviously you shouldn't eat too close to bed. I however, sleep best with a belly FULL of carbs. So that is what I do.0 -
OP, you might ask your question in this group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-
You'll get knowledgeable advice there. Make sure to provide all the information you gave here, including the PCOS bit.
The best piece of advice on this thread. So much bad advice on here it's sad. I'm not going to add my opinion as well. Just use the link posted in the quote above and get advice from people who actually know what they are talking about rather than people just intent on starving themselves.0 -
It's all very well saying that but it's not bad advice as everyone is different. Lucky for some they can eat more and lose weight but I am proof of the fact that we are all different. I tried eating at TDEE -15%, 20% and I even ate at what was supposed to be maintenance and each time I either gained weight or weight loss stalled.
The 'average' figures quoted on calculation sites don't suit me, probably because my BMR and TDEE are overestimated. As soon as I realised this, ate less and lowered my carbs I started to lose again after seeing NO loss at all for 4 months!
I am now losing by training a little less so I don't get so hungry but I am still lifting weights 4 times a week and doing a little cardio on the other days but not for as long as before.0 -
I do have polycystic ovaries which causes a few issues too.
I am now eating around 1300 calories a day. I'm going to try and be stricter with myself and stick below 1300 and also am going to try to eat primal.
Yeah, PCOS changes the way that you have to approach eating and for me "eating more" (TDEE-15-20%) doesn't work. You might also want to have your doctor check your thyroid, if that hasn't already been done. I was doing great for a year losing weight and we adjusted my med and I stalled. We are readjusting it and hopefully I can start to lose and get to my goal. Because PCOS causes your body to process food differently keeping the carbs down and protein up helps a lot (sorry I didn't look at your diary to see if you were doing that.)0 -
Eating more to lose is unproven junk science. There are no medically sound studies that have ever found a point at which decreasing calories does not increase the deficit. There is a point where the relationship is less than 1:1 and eating 100 less calories might only increase the deficit by 60, but it will always increase it.0
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I really didn't read much in the responses. I want to also point out that its "POSSIBLE" (not saying definite) that you gained some in muscle too! Make sure you are looking at pictures, because although the measurement went up it may actually be a good thing!0
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Eating more to lose weight depends on the situation. I know myself specifically, I bought the bodymedia fit armband and since have had to eat way more to keep up with the calories I didn't know I was burning and I'm looking way better already after only a few weeks! Had a 4k calorie day last week... couldn't imagine burning 4 thousand calories and only eating 1500 like I had been... eating more has helped my body let go!0
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HELP! I ate more to lose weight, and it really didn't work and I put on a inch around my stomach and hips, and now my favourite jeans don't fit...... after 2 months of eating more than I ever have, three weeks ago I went back down to what I was eating before but I don't seem to be losing anything :-(
I follow James Duigan's method, although I maybe eat a bit late (I commute 1,5 hours to work) and I often end up having yogurt, some berries and nuts just before I go to bed - should I stop this?
I've recently started doing HIIT class once a week, and kettlebell class once a week, and run 2-3 times a week.
What should I do?? It's 10.5 months until my wedding, am I doing all the right things?
"Eating more than i ever have" makes me think you were A. Eating too much (at a surplus) or B. ...were eating too much.
Meal timing doesn't matter. I eat from the time I wake up to the time I hit the bed with no issue. Meal sizing and frequency also mean little.
As others have said your stats are needed before any advice can be given.
Edit: I went all the way back to April in your diary. You have a lot of days missing or partially filled (unless you really eat 300 calories some days) and you only ate more when eating exercise calories; I can't see where you ever increased above the 1200's.
Just quoting myself here because i can't believe advice is still being giving like the OP actually ate more. At best she at back her workout calories for a while, but was still netting around 1200, usually less, and this goes back to March at least. This is without considering not filled in/half filled days.0 -
If you read that "Eat more to lose" thread..no one is every losing!!! It is just a nice idea. Poor thing.. it is so hard to lose right after you've gained if you were dieting before.
Just relax.. set you calories where they need to be on mfp and get back to it.. it will come off.
No one is ever losing on the EMTWL threads is completely wrong. There are plenty of people who find great success with it. It isn't a quick fix and it takes patience to do a metabolic reset. It can take take months for this process to work amd those who are doing it correctly and are well informed (they also know that a reset usually does not result in weightloss). Your body has to have the time to repair it's metabolism. If done right some people (me included) lose massive amounts and easily maintain.0 -
Ok, what I found is within 1-2 days of reducing cals and carbs I started losing again immediately at a rate of half a pound a day. I had 2-3 meals last week which made my carbs go up to over 100g for that day and I saw no loss but it meant that in total for the week I lost 2 lbs as most of the time I had under 50g.
I eat nuts every day and mainly protein from meat, fish and dairy with some vegetables and very little other carbs except wholegrains at breakfast in small quantities.
In 1-2 days, you were losing water weight, not fat.
Time and patience, people. It's what matters.0 -
It doesn't matter what your intake is, if over a period of time you don't lose weight, you are consuming calories equal to, or over your total dietary energy expenditure. If you have eaten at a lower calorie level for a period of time, your metabolism will slow to accommodate the lower intake. With proper nutrition and exercise your body will adapt to a higher calorie intake over time, however you would probably gain weight initially. The whole point behind EMTWL is to adapt your body to a higher calorie level. Our is undeniable that it is easier to hit your macro nutrient goals when you have more calories to use, at 150 pounds and 1200 calories, it's is harder to hit your macros than it is with, say, 1800. It does work, it isn't junk science. However, it isn't for someone who isn't willing to work it. There is some serious nonsense in this thread. I'm not doing anything special, I eat better than I ever have and I get some exercise. I have lost almost 40 pounds eating 2000-2100 per day. Sometimes I can go e a couple of weeks without the scale moving, but it always eventually moves. Weight loss isn't linear, someone said earlier that they lose 1/2 pound per day. I doubt that. That's a deficit of 1650 per day. It works if you work it. Period.0
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It's all very well saying that but it's not bad advice as everyone is different. Lucky for some they can eat more and lose weight but I am proof of the fact that we are all different. I tried eating at TDEE -15%, 20% and I even ate at what was supposed to be maintenance and each time I either gained weight or weight loss stalled.
The 'average' figures quoted on calculation sites don't suit me, probably because my BMR and TDEE are overestimated. As soon as I realised this, ate less and lowered my carbs I started to lose again after seeing NO loss at all for 4 months!
I am now losing by training a little less so I don't get so hungry but I am still lifting weights 4 times a week and doing a little cardio on the other days but not for as long as before.
I've read your threads......This one isn't about YOU....0 -
It's all very well saying that but it's not bad advice as everyone is different. Lucky for some they can eat more and lose weight but I am proof of the fact that we are all different. I tried eating at TDEE -15%, 20% and I even ate at what was supposed to be maintenance and each time I either gained weight or weight loss stalled.
The 'average' figures quoted on calculation sites don't suit me, probably because my BMR and TDEE are overestimated. As soon as I realised this, ate less and lowered my carbs I started to lose again after seeing NO loss at all for 4 months!
I am now losing by training a little less so I don't get so hungry but I am still lifting weights 4 times a week and doing a little cardio on the other days but not for as long as before.
I've read your threads......This one isn't about YOU....
Preach!0
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