Advice on gradually increasing calories

ClaireLK1987

Hi all,

I started this 5 weeks ago and have lost 20 lbs (have a lot to lose; 3 stone 9 lbs more from now!). I have been doing 1200 Cals, not eating back exercise Cals but instead having a Saturday evening off.

I am thinking about increasing my daily calories (basically just staring to eat back some of my daily exercise calories) very gradually as I do not want to end up with my body getting used to such low calories and ending up having to maintain at 1200 Cals or less. I said I would start to increase them in another 8 lbs time.

However, I am so anxious I will increase them gradually and will just stop losing weight or even gain! I am short (5'1) with an under active thyroid although I am on thyroxine so technically my bmr should be ok?

Any advice on this please? Very very anxious about it.

cbihatt

I did something similar, although I do not have any problems with my thyroid. I am 5'3". I ate 1200 calories for the first 4 weeks with no exercise. The next 4 weeks, I added exercise. Instead of eating those calories back, I lowered my weight loss goal from 2 pounds a week to 1 pound a week which allowed me to eat a little more. The next 4 weeks, I lowered it again to 1/2 pound a week. I had a little gain in the weeks where I initially raised my calories, but it went away the following week.

I am thinking of raising my calories a little more, but I am just coming off a vacation so I need to get back on track before I can think about changing things again.