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More calories to lose weight?

Tricia_ruby
Tricia_ruby Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
Can someone explain to me why you need to eat more calories to lose weight? Also, why does the calorie count decrease as you lose weight? Thanks.

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited September 2017
    Tricia_ruby wrote: »
    Can someone explain to me why you need to eat more calories to lose weight? Also, why does the calorie count decrease as you lose weight? Thanks.
    You don't need to eat more calories to lose weight. Energy doesn't work that way. You need to consume at least enough calories to get in your required nutrition while consuming fewer calories than your body uses.

    As for the decreasing calorie count, smaller bodies require less energy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Tricia_ruby wrote: »
    Can someone explain to me why you need to eat more calories to lose weight? Also, why does the calorie count decrease as you lose weight? Thanks.

    Your calorie requirements get smaller as you shrink...basically, you're smaller...so your "gas mileage" is better. A Honda Civic is going to get better mileage than an F250...your body is the same.

    More calories to lose weight depends on context. To lose weight you just have to eat below a maintenance level of calories...so If I maintain on 2800 calories, I can lose eating anything below that, but the issue becomes sustainability and whether or not I can stick to something long run. Like I would go nuts on 1800 calories per day to lose 2 Lbs per week...I'd be miserable and I'd be inconsistent...with a 500 calorie deficit eating 2300 calories per day, there's not really an issue...so I'm more consistent in what I'm doing and actually lose faster over the long haul because I'm actually sticking to something.

    Also, large calorie deficits raise stress levels and increase cortisol levels which can impede fat loss. Really low calories can also result in more fatigue and less movement...particularly involuntary movements like twitching and whatnot which further lowers your calorie requirements. Large calorie deficits also result in the loss of more lean mass than smaller deficits...losing lean mass also decreases your resting metabolic rate.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    With a higher calorie/closer to maintenance, I have significantly more energy, so I work out harder, move more etc which in turn burns more calories
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    With a higher calorie/closer to maintenance, I have significantly more energy, so I work out harder, move more etc which in turn burns more calories

    Well said!

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