does eating more food really help weight loss???

milla2001

I've been Crossfitting for the past year and 4 months; 5 - 6 days a week. When I started Crossfit, I weighed roughly 195 pounds. I quickly lost weight and currently, I fluctuate anywhere between 165lbs and 170lbs. I've tried the Zone diet, the Paleo diet, the chicken and broccoli diet but my body fat never changes. And let me clarify by saying that I don't care about the number on the scale but my percentage of body fat. I've been busting my butt in the box and have become so strong, yet my hardwork doesn't reflect on the outside.
When entering my stats into a macro calculator, it tells me that my TDEE is 2,514 calories. If I want to burn fat, my daily calories should be 2,011 (aggressively). The fat is just hanging around no matter what I seem to do and lately, I've been skipping out on dinner in hopes that I might kickstart some fat loss. (I know, I know.. I need to be eating dinner.)
I know I definitely dont consume 2,514 calories. So, do I really need to be eating that many calories just to maintain and if I do, will the fat honestly start to melt off??
Please help!!

Here are my stats:
30 years old
165 - 170 pounds
25% body fat
117.4 LBM
167.1 BMR

Strict Press: 95lb
Push Press: 120lb
Overhead Squat: 115lb
Deadlift: 235lb
Back Squat: 175lb
Floor Press: 110lb
Front Squat: 120lb

ami5000psu

Have you been accurately tracking what you're eating? Your diary is private and I see no mention of your average intake.

HerpDerp745

First of all, always calculate your TDEE as sedentary -- Exercise should be subtracted from what you consumed for the day for the final calculation.

And to answer your question, no. Eating more food doesn't help lose weight regardless of what the general consensus of MFP says.

Tamira12

Yes and no, eating more calories make you gain weight regardless, but small meals through out the day or eating more frequently helps maintain you metabolism.

trogalicious

I've been Crossfitting for the past year and 4 months; 5 - 6 days a week. When I started Crossfit, I weighed roughly 195 pounds. I quickly lost weight and currently, I fluctuate anywhere between 165lbs and 170lbs. I've tried the Zone diet, the Paleo diet, the chicken and broccoli diet but my body fat never changes. And let me clarify by saying that I don't care about the number on the scale but my percentage of body fat. I've been busting my butt in the box and have become so strong, yet my hardwork doesn't reflect on the outside.
When entering my stats into a macro calculator, it tells me that my TDEE is 2,514 calories. If I want to burn fat, my daily calories should be 2,011 (aggressively). The fat is just hanging around no matter what I seem to do and lately, I've been skipping out on dinner in hopes that I might kickstart some fat loss. (I know, I know.. I need to be eating dinner.)
I know I definitely dont consume 2,514 calories. So, do I really need to be eating that many calories just to maintain and if I do, will the fat honestly start to melt off??
Please help!!

So first, stop focusing on all of the different diet plans. Just eat food.
How much are you eating already? You left that part out. That's a big deal.

HerpDerp745

Yes and no, eating more calories make you gain weight regardless, but small meals through out the day or eating more frequently helps maintain you metabolism.

http://examine.com/faq/do-i-need-to-eat-six-times-a-day-to-keep-my-metabolism-high.html

You're welcome.

trogalicious

Yes and no, eating more calories make you gain weight regardless, but small meals through out the day or eating more frequently helps maintain you metabolism.

no.

meal timing has no effect.

eating more than the TDEE (above maintenance) will eventually cause gain, but the rest of the information there is just wrong.

HerpDerp745

Listen to the warrior dash guy. He has horns and he's right.

bajoyba

Since it sounds like your goal now is to build muscle and reduce body fat, maybe you should check out the Eat, Train, Progress group. I'm sure the people there could give you lots of great information.

timesinfinityplus2

"Eating More" is generally speaking to the people who plug in numbers and think that they need to eat 1200 calories per day to lose weight. Sure, you'll lose weight but you'll be miserable until you give up and binge. It refers to finding your BMR and TDEE and eating what you need to eat to lose.

When I started, I was eating 2000 calories per day and not eating back my exercise calories because I was scared I'd keep getting bigger. But once I got edu-ma-cated, I learned what my BMR and TDEE were and I generally eat anywhere from 3000-3500 calories per day and am still losing 2 pounds per week.

JustJennie1

Yes and no, eating more calories make you gain weight regardless, but small meals through out the day or eating more frequently helps maintain your blood sugar so you don't get the high and low swings

Fixed it for ya.

Achrya

First of all, always calculate your TDEE as sedentary -- Exercise should be subtracted from what you consumed for the day for the final calculation.

And to answer your question, no. Eating more food doesn't help lose weight regardless of what the general consensus of MFP says.

If you're going to do TDEE as sedentary and then log exercise you might as well just do the MFP method since...that's basically the MFP method.

OP: I calculate my TDEE at moderately active then subtract 15%, which gives me about 1950 calories a day. I lose about half a pound a week, which is fine for me because I'm on the last bit. Eating more doesn't technically make you lose more weight, but it does help with compliance for some. I find that eating to my goal and not worrying about the rest worked best for me, where as following the MFP method at 1350 and then trying to workout of to eat more left me frantic to work out more, solely so I could have more good, and fretting on days I didn't work out, and it also takes the guess work out of exercise calories. In this regard it's right up my alley.

However the trick to losing fat is a moderate deficit, and working to maintain LBM, which it seems like you're doing anyway.

jadedone

How long have you been "dieting?" You should give your system a break. Eat at your TDEE for a couple of weeks as a reset, and then go back to reducing your calories at a 20% deficit.

I am assuming that you have no other potential issues that can impact your metabolism (like an underactive thyroid). Might be worth checking out as well.

You also might be working out too hard. This can cause your body to think it is stressed and can keep your weight constant and hold on to the pounds. Try lowering the intensity of your exercise for 1-2 days a week.

cwolfman13

First of all, eating more doesn't mean you just willy nilly eat more. If you eat more and it's above and beyond your TDEE then you will gain...if you eat more and it is more or less on par with your TDEE you will maintain. When people say eat more to lose they're saying that, for example, if you're eating 1200 calories net and hating life...you could bump that up and eat say 1400 net or 1500 net or whatever.

Here's my experience and how eating more helped me to lose....

Nine months ago, I started out like most people...most aggressive approach MFP will allow...2 Lbs per week. The fact that I only had 35-40 Lbs to lose never crossed my mind...I wanted it gone yesterday. I struggled mightily...I was hungry...I didn't have the energy to really do my workouts properly...I was grumpy and generally just no fun to be around. I was also prone to "closet bingeing"...those binges where I'd say, "I'm doing everything right but this isn't working" but completely leave out the part where I consume 1500 calories in ice cream because I was starving and or drunk or whatever.

Bottom line, it was unsustainable for me...my calorie goal was 1,400 net (but I didn't understand to eat back exercise calories) and I'm a 5' 10" male...I was flippin' hangry as all hell. So, someone came along and said dude...you need to eat more...set it for 1 Lb per week...eat food...exercise...eat back most of your exercise calories and be an achiever. So, I did...guess what? Much more manageable...now I was netting around 1850 and grossing between 2100 - 2200 depending on exercise...and I ate real food...the stuff in my pantry and fridge...not some weird diet. I stopped bingeing because I wasn't feeling hungry and deprived...I was satiated and happy...and steadily losing about 1 Lb per week. Slow? Yup...but totally sustainable and it was consistent.

Moral of the story...people get derailed with VLCDs because they are completely unsustainable. Even when you have as little as 35 - 40 Lbs to lose, you have to be in for the long haul, not the quick fix. This also allows for a lot of reflection and analysis of where you are and where you're going. Nine months ago I couldn't imagine being where I am now...honestly, it wasn't even a thought in my mind...I just wanted to be at a reasonably healthy BF% and weight and somewhat fit...now I'm signing up for triathlons and ****. It's amazing...especially when you can start looking at the bigger picture and taking the longer view.

SkinnyMozza

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

trogalicious

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

milla2001

I haven't been tracking my intake at all. I just started back on MFP last week... but I would say I probably consume around 1200 - 1500 calories. I've never tracked based on how many macros I should be consuming so I'm attempting to try to meet my macros and see what comes from that.

KAS0917

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

The calculator tells me the same thing if I select 'moderately active'. (I do Focus T25 6x a week, plus at least (1) 60 minute strength class, and (1) yoga class, and usually a walk a couple of nights). But if I eat 2,000 calories a day, I gain weight. Maybe the calculation isn't accurate? Maybe she's 'lightly active' instead of 'moderately active?' I wouldn't advocate 1200, but 1500 doesn't seem that far 'off' to me.

katorihanzo

Right, meal timing (or snack timing) has no effect on metabolism - though it does have an effect on how often you feel hungry and how hungry you get. I eat 6 small meals throughout the day, simply because that way I am never hungry and find it easier to walk past the chips and cookies at the grocery store. I also find it easier to get all the food groups in there when I am snacking more often (almonds, cheese, and fruit are all healthy things I love to snack on but don't often fit into meals).

So really, for your purposes, unless you're eating so far under your TDEE that you're starving yourself, you shouldn't need to eat more.

wilsoje74

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

If I ate at 2500 or even 2000, I would gain weight.

trogalicious

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

If I ate at 2500 or even 2000, I would gain weight.

which is fine, since you aren't the OP and don't have the same stats... my point was this. If the OP has a TDEE of 2500, why would someone tell them to eat at a 1000 calorie per day deficit

doesn't make sense.

cwolfman13

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

If I ate at 2500 or even 2000, I would gain weight.

But are you doing crossfit like a maniac? OP is using the TDEE method which includes all of that very high intensity exercise. My wife trains her *kitten* off...she's 38, 5'3" and 120 Lbs...Her TDEE is right around 2400 with all of her exercise. it's very possible..it just depends on the activity level. The more active you are, the bigger that number will be.

wilsoje74

Your stats are similar to mine and I am eating 1200 calories per day and eating back my exercise. 2000 seems very high for your weight unless you are very short - which you dont seem to be from your pic. I am 5.5 and 31 yo and 160 lbs.

Try cutting your calories significantly to 1500 or 1200 on rest days and record your exercise and eat back your calories on other days.

Goodluck :flowerforyou:

If the OP says their TDEE is 2500 and would be needing to eat at 2000 for a strict reduction, what benefit is there for her to eat 1200 or 1500?

If I ate at 2500 or even 2000, I would gain weight.

But are you doing crossfit like a maniac? OP is using the TDEE method which includes all of that very high intensity exercise. My wife trains her *kitten* off...she's 38, 5'3" and 120 Lbs...Her TDEE is right around 2400 with all of her exercise. it's very possible..it just depends on the activity level. The more active you are, the bigger that number will be.

Yep I work out quite a bit. I run and lift. I'm actually very similar in size to your wife. I am 2 inches taller and about 5# heavier. I think everyone is different. I could not eat 2500 cals and maintain. My workouts are mainly running 3-6 miles every other day and weight training 1 hr 2x per week. Maybe that's not as much as your wife or the OP.

milla2001

I Crossfit 5 - 6 days a week with 2 - 3 days of strength training thrown in prior to the actual workout. So, when I'm calculating my macros and putting in my activity level, my TDEE is 2500. For a 1.5 lb fat loss per week, the calculator says I should be eating around 2,000 calories. But If I'm eating around 1200 - 1500 calories, is it too much of a deficit and now my body is just clinging to the fat left because it thinks I am starving it??