Up my calories for a few days?

MorganLange508

I have been eating 1200 calories for about a month now. Lately I've been feeling sluggish and a big deprived from not eating a lot, so would I the bad if I upped my calories to around 1400 or even 1500? I don't want to gain any weight I would only do it for like 3-4 days!

diannethegeek

It sounds like a good idea to me. Especially given the lack of energy you're describing. Just be aware that you might see a small jump on the scale, but it's just the additional food & waste in your body and some additional water retention with it. It won't be a real gain of fat, just one of those pesky scale fluctuations we see so often when we change things.

ElizabethOakes2

You don't mention your height and current weight, but 1200 is very low. Unless your in the obese BMI category, you should probably be eating more. You can use a calculator like this one to figure out your BMR and TDEE, and see what's actually a healthier number to be eating.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Also look at your macros and make sure you're getting the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats, too.

MorganLange508

If it helps I'm 5"3 130lbs

callsitlikeiseeit

you can eat more than 1200 and still lose. im shorter than you and eat 1500 and lose consistently.

LHWhite903

MorganLange508 wrote: »

If it helps I'm 5"3 130lbs

I'm 5'3" and approx. 133.5! I'm trying to get down to 125, so, I'm trying to net somewhere around my goal BMR, which is about 1275. Oftentimes, this means I'm eating about 1500-1800, due to exercise. It's better for me to net 1275 than to just eat 1275 because, like you, @MorganLange508, I would feel awful going that low and exercising. I used to be able to do that, but, since I lost a good deal of weight, I found I couldn't do it anymore. Maybe it's because I just don't have all that much untapped energy as I'd had, I suppose.

bellabonbons

You should increase your calories from time to time. I learned from a professor of a nutrition class I took in college, that by fluxuating our calories stimulates metabolism and prevents plateaus. I lose 2 pounds per week on approximately 1400 per day. Plus you should feel a lot better.

upoffthemat

Since they say it takes 3500 calories to lose a pound if you just add 300 a day for a week it won't even mean a pound of difference. If it helps you psychologically it can be huge for you. Your mental health is a huge part of this process.

yourhiddengem

makingmark wrote: »

Your mental health is a huge part of this process.

This is majorly important. My biggest problem I've had when I was eating too little calories was all mental. Like it messed with my head until I realized that I could totally eat more and still lose (And then maintain) my weight.

6502programmer

MorganLange508 wrote: »

I have been eating 1200 calories for about a month now. Lately I've been feeling sluggish and a big deprived from not eating a lot, so would I the bad if I upped my calories to around 1400 or even 1500? I don't want to gain any weight I would only do it for like 3-4 days!

what's your loss set to? If you're close to goal, sustaining the deficit for losing a pound or two every week gets to be rough. This is why the closer you get, the lower your rate needs to go.

rileysowner

If you are within 10-15 pounds of your goal, anything more than 1 pound per week is too aggressive and will result in a loss of more lean mass. The less fat you have to lose, the less fat your body can burn in a day. When you calorie deficit is bigger than that, energy has to come from somewhere, and it will come from lean mass. That is not good. Even 1 pound a week is likely too aggressive, but if you are on two pound a week as your goal, dial it back to one pound a week.