Anyone eat more to lose more?

Veganvibesss
Veganvibesss Posts: 123 Member
edited November 27 in Food and Nutrition
I have lost alot of weight but now that I'm smaller It feels impossible to lose weight, I count calories, weigh and measure and I eat 1200-1500 a day. A few people have said that it's not enough and if I ate more I would lose weight again, and that eating more worked for them... I just ate a Lara bar for 230 calories and wanna throwup because it's so many calories for such a little thing but I wanna give this more calorie thing a shot if it's worked for some people...
Please let me know what has worked for you, how many calories you eat (also what height and weight you are) and anyone who has had success I would love to see pictures and know what your basic day looks like for food!
Thankyou!!!!!
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Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    What is your height, weight, age, and goal weight? Are you stuck right now?

    When you eat more, it gives you more energy. That is what is meant by eating more. Do you eat back your calories burned for exercise?
  • Veganvibesss
    Veganvibesss Posts: 123 Member
    I am 22, 155 pounds was 230lbs and have been stuck at my weight for almost 2 years eating 1200-1500.. I don't eat back my calories because Its the only exercise I get, I doubt my job burns alot I just make smoothies and clean and then I'm also in school and it's graphic design so I sit around doing projects on the computer and drawing
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Maybe the weight you are at is perfect. How tall are you?

    Do you use a food scale to weigh everything solid?

    Sometimes diet breaks are a good thing.
  • Veganvibesss
    Veganvibesss Posts: 123 Member
    I'm 5'6 and yes I weigh everything and even account for a few cherries or grapes
  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    edited June 2018
    there was only one time where upping my calories did kinda help me lose weight... BUT (big but) it was purely because I needed it to have the energy to up my exercise - so I went from 1300something kcal (and almost no exercise) to 1700-1800kcal a day (and about an hour of exercise 5x a week) to lose the last 5-10lbs (mind you, this was not my NET calories!) - I think it was mainly because I was in better shape physically and it probably increased my deficit a tiny tiny bit
    If you're already maintaining and not planning to also increase your activity along with your intake, then eating more is not gonna help you lose more
    Is 155lbs a normal weight for your height? I also (without exercise) maintain my goal weight (120lbs at 5'2) on only about 1400-1500kcal
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    edited June 2018
    No. No one does. Ever. If you think you do, please tell me at what point increasing your deficit decreases your deficit. People like to talk about it in the extremes, but in order to get between those extremes, there would have to be a crossover point. Say it is an 800 calorie deficit. that means at 799 calories you could still go down to 800, so at 800, you go back to 799 and at 799 you can go to 800; wash rinse repeat.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    No. No one does. Ever. If you think you do, please tell me at what point increasing your deficit decreases your deficit.

    As stated above, it's an energy thing. CI too low = sloth mode for me. Bump it up a little and I have more energy to fidget, clean house, play with the dogs, etc. It's that incidental increase in CO (which is much harder to measure than the CI) that *might* result in one thinking eating more = losing more.

    Same here.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    No. No one does. Ever. If you think you do, please tell me at what point increasing your deficit decreases your deficit.

    As stated above, it's an energy thing. CI too low = sloth mode for me. Bump it up a little and I have more energy to fidget, clean house, play with the dogs, etc. It's that incidental increase in CO (which is much harder to measure than the CI) that *might* result in one thinking eating more = losing more.

    Same here.

    Same thing that happened to me. I just had no energy or will to do anything on lower calories. But when I bumped up from 1600 to over 2000 I naturally had 100x more energy so was more active, thus burning more. It was easier for me to move more on higher calories making my TDEE the same even though I eat more now. I had no energy to really give my workouts my all, so wouldn't burn as much as I can now. I would park close to stores, not take the stairs, space out, not take the extra walk around to go get something, etc. It works for some but it is because it gives you the extra energy to burn more overall.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I went from avg 1400csl a day to 28-3000 over the course of the last two years; relatively weight stable but sooo much energy and I sleep like the dead
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Your actual amount of calories eaten may increase, but your net calories decreases.
    So yes, eat more, to burn more, to lose more. People seem to forget the middle part.

    Succinctly put.

    More CI = more CO, where CI<CO.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    No, eating less helps me lose more..But, eating more of my healthy snacks at work helps me avoid eating fries, donuts, and a bunch of other stuff that is always tempting.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.

    In other words you can't identify a point at which decreasing the deficit increases the deficit. Without that happening, it's not possible.

    I understand AT and non linear deficits. At some point, if you eat 100 calories less, your deficit may only increase by 70 or 80 pounds. But if you eat more, the deficit will decrease.

    If you exercise more, then you need to compare it to what would occur if you exercised more at the greater deficit. I cook the books sometimes by logging less calories than I burn which can create the illusion of increasing loss by increasing net calories.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.

    In other words you can't identify a point at which decreasing the deficit increases the deficit. Without that happening, it's not possible.

    I understand AT and non linear deficits. At some point, if you eat 100 calories less, your deficit may only increase by 70 or 80 pounds. But if you eat more, the deficit will decrease.

    If you exercise more, then you need to compare it to what would occur if you exercised more at the greater deficit. I cook the books sometimes by logging less calories than I burn which can create the illusion of increasing loss by increasing net calories.

    There are a myrid of factors that come into play as it relates to energy expediture. Thinking in raw terms that a deficit of 500 vs 400 or whatever number is not how the body works. I increased my calories by almost 500 per day and saw more consistent weight loss. So i achieved a consistent 500 calorie deficit at 2300, while at 1800 calories i didnt. My TDEE increased due to the greater output of energy. When you cut calories, you can decrease EE, whether its from a TEF, TEA or NEAT.

    And if you read through the refeed thread, and even this thread, you will see the phenomenon of people increasing calories and still seeing consistent and often greater weight loss with increases in calories.

    The key ia finding a balance between calories in. Starving yourself is not the best option for anyone.

    Your experience sounds more like an outlier. That would be a difference in TDEE of 1000 calories just from you eating a bit more. That's quite a bit of more activity to say the least.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.

    In other words you can't identify a point at which decreasing the deficit increases the deficit. Without that happening, it's not possible.

    I understand AT and non linear deficits. At some point, if you eat 100 calories less, your deficit may only increase by 70 or 80 pounds. But if you eat more, the deficit will decrease.

    If you exercise more, then you need to compare it to what would occur if you exercised more at the greater deficit. I cook the books sometimes by logging less calories than I burn which can create the illusion of increasing loss by increasing net calories.

    There are a myrid of factors that come into play as it relates to energy expediture. Thinking in raw terms that a deficit of 500 vs 400 or whatever number is not how the body works. I increased my calories by almost 500 per day and saw more consistent weight loss. So i achieved a consistent 500 calorie deficit at 2300, while at 1800 calories i didnt. My TDEE increased due to the greater output of energy. When you cut calories, you can decrease EE, whether its from a TEF, TEA or NEAT.

    And if you read through the refeed thread, and even this thread, you will see the phenomenon of people increasing calories and still seeing consistent and often greater weight loss with increases in calories.

    The key ia finding a balance between calories in. Starving yourself is not the best option for anyone.

    Your experience sounds more like an outlier. That would be a difference in TDEE of 1000 calories just from you eating a bit more. That's quite a bit of more activity to say the least.

    I am certainly not the only one, either in this thread or board. If you want more examples, look at the refeed threads.

    And yes, its simple not just eating more.. but providing your body with adequate energy allows you to increase EE through transient increases in NEAT, TEF and TEA.
  • vgentile990
    vgentile990 Posts: 50 Member
    I eat when hungry stop when I full. I don’t snack or eat much fruit ... my body then regulates itself .. usually two meals a day occasionally three ... lost 55lbs doing this on average 1500 calories but now I eat around 1600 to 2000 but have days I don’t come close to those totals
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.

    In other words you can't identify a point at which decreasing the deficit increases the deficit. Without that happening, it's not possible.

    I understand AT and non linear deficits. At some point, if you eat 100 calories less, your deficit may only increase by 70 or 80 pounds. But if you eat more, the deficit will decrease.

    If you exercise more, then you need to compare it to what would occur if you exercised more at the greater deficit. I cook the books sometimes by logging less calories than I burn which can create the illusion of increasing loss by increasing net calories.

    Human bodies are dynamic systems. It wouldn't be "a point", it'd be more like a curve relating CI and CO at attempted constant intentional exercise, possibly with observable changes in slope at certain point(s), i.e. a "knee in the curve" or point where you get the best total deficit (within some reasonable range of potential calorie consumption that's compatible with a happy and reasonably productive daily life). These are not the right technical mathematical/statistical terms, I'm sure - I'm not a mathematician/statistician.

    Anecdotally, reading people's stories around here, some people seem to be more sensitive, i.e., have a greater energy output penalty for reduced CI, or a greater output benefit for increased CI, or both. In other words, another reason no one can name a point is that people differ: Some of us wilt faster in deprivation, or bloom more readily with better feeding.

    If no one's CO increased with increased CI (i.e., if you could only decrease deficit by eating more), we wouldn't see as many stories in the maintenance forum as we do about people maintaining on more calories than predicted from their weight loss data (though that effect seems not to be universal).

    That's my observation/opinion, anyway.

    What's interesting is that Menno Henselmans talks about this phenomenon in one of the series on adaptive thermogenesis. Menno maintains his weight at 3000 calories. But in order for him to lose 1 lb per week, he needs to cut to 1800 calories. Mathematically, it doesn't make any sense or seem logical.

    So I definitely agree with your additions. There are several people who add significantly more calories than predicted when it comes to maintenance or even when it comes to calculating deficits. With the clients I have worked with, I tend to see people lose more steadily at 1600 to 1800 vs 1200 to 1400. Maybe it's total energy levels driving NEAT/TEA changes... maybe it's compliance... or maybe it's a myriad of factors. But our bodies aren't closed systems, so there are many variables that effect CO.

    Hell, there is a reason why there is an Eat More 2 Lose More group; in fact, it's one of the more populated groups. Because it can be liberating when people (especially women) find out that they don't always have to cut to 1200 calories to lose weight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Another reason people lose more weight when they eat more is that 1200 calories is undereating for them, which is unsustainable, and they end up overeating to compensate, and wiping out their deficit.

    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

    Scroll down to 1. It’s Not Sustainable In the Short-Term
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Sadly anyone who doesn't think one can increase calories and lose greater amounts of weight is highly misinformed and don't understand the impact of additional calories in energy output. They certainly don't understand how refeeds work or how regulation of hormomes work. If you really want to see the science look at the refeed threads. Not only am i an example of what you are describing but there are tons of people who meticulously tracked calories and increases them by as much as 1000 calories and saw equivalent weight loss as when they were eating less.

    Please identify the point at which increasing the number of calories consumed increased the deficit. If it crosses over, there has to be a point - a specific deficit amount or a specific number of calories - at which it does.

    Energy expediture is a non linear number. Often increases in CI allow for people to increase EE. If you look at the refeed studies you might understand the impacts. There is also adaptive thermogenesis as you get more lean.

    In other words you can't identify a point at which decreasing the deficit increases the deficit. Without that happening, it's not possible.

    I understand AT and non linear deficits. At some point, if you eat 100 calories less, your deficit may only increase by 70 or 80 pounds. But if you eat more, the deficit will decrease.

    If you exercise more, then you need to compare it to what would occur if you exercised more at the greater deficit. I cook the books sometimes by logging less calories than I burn which can create the illusion of increasing loss by increasing net calories.

    Human bodies are dynamic systems. It wouldn't be "a point", it'd be more like a curve relating CI and CO at attempted constant intentional exercise, possibly with observable changes in slope at certain point(s), i.e. a "knee in the curve" or point where you get the best total deficit (within some reasonable range of potential calorie consumption that's compatible with a happy and reasonably productive daily life). These are not the right technical mathematical/statistical terms, I'm sure - I'm not a mathematician/statistician.

    Anecdotally, reading people's stories around here, some people seem to be more sensitive, i.e., have a greater energy output penalty for reduced CI, or a greater output benefit for increased CI, or both. In other words, another reason no one can name a point is that people differ: Some of us wilt faster in deprivation, or bloom more readily with better feeding.

    If no one's CO increased with increased CI (i.e., if you could only decrease deficit by eating more), we wouldn't see as many stories in the maintenance forum as we do about people maintaining on more calories than predicted from their weight loss data (though that effect seems not to be universal).

    That's my observation/opinion, anyway.

    What's interesting is that Menno Henselmans talks about this phenomenon in one of the series on adaptive thermogenesis. Menno maintains his weight at 3000 calories. But in order for him to lose 1 lb per week, he needs to cut to 1800 calories. Mathematically, it doesn't make any sense or seem logical.

    So I definitely agree with your additions. There are several people who add significantly more calories than predicted when it comes to maintenance or even when it comes to calculating deficits. With the clients I have worked with, I tend to see people lose more steadily at 1600 to 1800 vs 1200 to 1400. Maybe it's total energy levels driving NEAT/TEA changes... maybe it's compliance... or maybe it's a myriad of factors. But our bodies aren't closed systems, so there are many variables that effect CO.

    Hell, there is a reason why there is an Eat More 2 Lose More group; in fact, it's one of the more populated groups. Because it can be liberating when people (especially women) find out that they don't always have to cut to 1200 calories to lose weight.

    you can take a look at Eat to Perform for example - this is basically their premise - eat more to lose more - by eating more your NEAT occurs, stress on the body decreased, sleep better (all variables that contribute to weight loss)
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