Will upping my calories help me lose weight?

leanneconnolly975

I'm 5"5 140lbs, my job is active (on my feet 9hours a day) I go to the gym and strength train 5-6 times a week for 30-40 minutes. I eat 1200 and drink loads of water, I have yet to lose any weight ( 3 months in)
I've read that sometimes upping your calories will cause weight loss but I'm scared I'll just end up putting on more weight

Ready2Rock206

Eating more is never the way to lose more weight. More often the cure is more accurate logging. Be sure to use your food scale for ALL solids. Measuring cups/spoons for ALL liquids. Use accurate entries. Use the recipe builder. Log everything that passes your lips. Be careful with exercise calories (most people tend to greatly over-estimate these).

pinuplove

I'd suggest taking a long, hard look at your logging first. Are you weighing solids with a food scale and use cups/spoons for liquids? Choosing accurate database entries? Logging every food, every day, no exceptions or cheat meals or cheat days? Have you been logging the whole 3 months?

malibu927

If you aren't losing on 1200 calories, then you're already eating more than 1200. Start logging accurately.

fitmom4lifemfp

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

I'm 5"5 140lbs, my job is active (on my feet 9hours a day) I go to the gym and strength train 5-6 times a week for 30-40 minutes. I eat 1200 and drink loads of water, I have yet to lose any weight ( 3 months in)
I've read that sometimes upping your calories will cause weight loss but I'm scared I'll just end up putting on more weight

I don't think you are logging your food accurately.

leanneconnolly975

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

PrincessMel72

I agree with the rest of them. I'm on 1200 calories and do less physical activity than you and have lost 19lbs in 3 months. You're definitely eating more than you think. Get a food scale and weigh all solid foods, measure liquids and be sure you're tracking and logging every single bite.

Muscleflex79

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

can you open up your diary?? people here are usually pretty good at spotting some issues!

malibu927

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

kpeterson539

Are you using a scale?

I've also notice that you've just joined MFP today. Where have you been logging your food?

moonstroller

Up your calories and see what happens. The worst thing that'll happen is you'll gain a few pounds, but your question will be answered. Another thing you could try is keeping your current caloric intake and adding cardio into your workouts.

leanneconnolly975

malibu927 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

Hey, yeah I have been and any packages are barcode scanned

Muscleflex79

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

Hey, yeah I have been and any packages are barcode scanned

so there is issue number one - packages can be waaay off - you need to weigh stuff to get an accurate amount.

leanneconnolly975

kpeterson539 wrote: »

Are you using a scale?

I've also notice that you've just joined MFP today. Where have you been logging your food?

kpeterson539 wrote: »

Are you using a scale?

Ive been logging it in mvp but this is my first time using the community feature:)

pinuplove

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

Hey, yeah I have been and any packages are barcode scanned

so there is issue number one - packages can be waaay off - you need to weigh stuff to get an accurate amount.

And sometimes the entry associated with the barcode scan is just flat out wrong. I never trust the scanner!

ladyreva78

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

Hey, yeah I have been and any packages are barcode scanned

Depending on where you are, packaged food can be up to 20% off on what's listed on the label (sometimes more, sometimes less). Also, do you double check the nutrition facts on the label with what the scan brought up? The info is very very often user entered and can be wrong.

Your logging might be spot on, but the database entries might be wildly off (reason why people ask to look at your diary).

Edit: I'm ways to slow at typing today.

malibu927

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

leanneconnolly975 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I assure you all I have taken great care in tracking what I eat, weighing everything. I often feel tired and lack energy throughout the day, the reason I thought I might need to up my calories

Are you also making sure the entries you choose are correct? Being mindful of how many calories you burn/eat back exercising?

If so, the next step would be ruling out any possible health issues by seeing a doctor. With an active job and at a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is very low and you should easily be losing weight.

Hey, yeah I have been and any packages are barcode scanned

But you're also double-checking that the calories/macros associated with that barcode are correct? The database can often be wrong.

janejellyroll

It's almost certainly an issue with your logging. If you open your diary, we can probably help you pinpoint it.

leann8939

I will tell you from experience that when my trainer had me UP my calories, I lost weight!
Working out and eating too low of calories had my body all messed up.
It was hard to follow... but upping them and eating 5 times a day instead of 3 really helped.
I eat 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs

danigirl1011

I disagree with most the people on here. If you are eating 1200 calories a day and are active 9 hours a day PLUS gym time and weight lifting 1200 calories is not enough. You would have to be getting close to netting only a few hundred or negative calories every day? That is way too much of a deficit. If you are logging correctly (and that means EVERYTHING you are putting in your mouth) then from what i have read, you should be eating back half your calories. I would try to log your daily activity at work, as well as the gym, and see what your net is and go from there. I'm not sure where you ever got on 1200 calories? MFP asks you when you start if you are active, and if so, they don't start you at 1200. I am eating around 1500. Sometimes i go to the gym, sometimes i dont. Sometimes i have a walk on my breaks during the day and i am averaging a 10 pound weight loss per month. I would increase your calories.