To the mean people of MFP... You can say "I told you so"

CountryGirl8542
CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been at my weight loss journey for 3 months tomorrow and I have lost 18 lbs. I started out eating between 1200-1500 calories a day and exercising regularly... but just recently I quit losing weight and to top it off I was hungry all the time! I asked myself how am I going to eat less than 1200 calories if I am as hungry as I am now! The answer: Don't! ....EAT MORE!

I got on here looking for answers and I didn't like that people were telling me that I wasn't eating enough... I was actually extremely defensive about it. How dare they tell me I am not eating enough when I have lost all the weight I have so far! Then someone directed me to this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13


I am now eating 2300 calories a day and exercising regularly and back to losing 1lb a week! The best part is... I am full! Yay! No more hunger! Thanks for the read! I hope this helps at least one person out there!
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Replies

  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    I'm glad all the mean people helped you.

    It takes guts to come on here and ask for help and I have to agree you need to be ready for it. The whole diet industry has brain washed people for years, telling them they had to eat like a rabbit, exercise hard everyday to lose weight. It's not the case. Your body needs fuel to run. So, figure out how much YOU burn, and do the math. Follow the program and trust the program not what you think you know.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Way to go!
  • reneeb816
    reneeb816 Posts: 60 Member
    The same thing happened to me. I think society has us convinced you have to eat less to lose weight so it's hard to change your way of thinking. Wait....I have to eat more??!! LOL.

    Congrats though!!
  • viglet
    viglet Posts: 299 Member
    How long ago did you up your calories?
  • heatherc369
    heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
    I am slowly adding the cals you suggested, like you said..it's scary at first but I too have hit a plateau after 23 lbs so lets see if it works!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Good job!
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
    How long ago did you up your calories?

    2-3ish weeks ago. I couldn't believe that I lost 2lbs after stepping on the scale after the first week! I have been consistently losing 1lb a week since.
  • ChunkyCharly
    ChunkyCharly Posts: 20
    Wish I had the balls to do this. I'm just never sure of my numbers.. Lol!
  • twooliver
    twooliver Posts: 450 Member
    Ugh...just hired a trainer and they are telling me to not eat back the calories...time will tell...
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    The same thing happened to me. I think society has us convinced you have to eat less to lose weight so it's hard to change your way of thinking. Wait....I have to eat more??!! LOL.

    Congrats though!!

    Mountains of scientific evidence show us that a calorie deficit causes weight loss.

    You can eat more than you have been eating (making the deficit smaller, which is more sustainable and better for diet adherence), but don't eat more calories than your body uses a day. That equals weight gain.

    "Eat more to weigh less" is a terribly misleading concept.

    For the OP, time will tell if she is eating over maintenance or not. 2-3 weeks is not sufficient time to see a trend.
  • viglet
    viglet Posts: 299 Member
    Well I am trying to "up" my calories to be around 1450 (have some trouble the past few weeks being consistent) .

    I guess I'm reluctant to fully commit because I usually only see people who claim success with this method after 3 or 4 weeks but I never see posts from people who have had long term success with this ( 30 or more lbs or more than a yr).
  • Kristine_7707
    Kristine_7707 Posts: 28
    Ugh...just hired a trainer and they are telling me to not eat back the calories...time will tell...

    Listen to your trainer
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    How long ago did you up your calories?

    2-3ish weeks ago. I couldn't believe that I lost 2lbs after stepping on the scale after the first week! I have been consistently losing 1lb a week since.

    Something isn't adding up. You ate 800 calories more for one week and lost weight? Then you could not have been eating too low before. If 800 more is a deficit, then you had to already be in a deficit.

    Or are you talking 800 more total calories, but actually less net calories?
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    This actually doesn't add up... perhaps you weren't logging accurately before or you're exercising more now?

    The 'eat more' message is more for those people who are attempting around 1200 calories a day and keep falling off the wagon and binging, because it's too great a deficit for them.

    But I'm happy for you! If it works - keep it up. :smile:
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    This actually doesn't add up... perhaps you weren't logging accurately before or you're exercising more now?

    The 'eat more' message is more for those people who are attempting around 1200 calories a day and keep falling off the wagon and binging, because it's too great a deficit for them.

    But I'm happy for you! If it works - keep it up. :smile:

    No it isn't. The 'eat more' message is simply: 'eat what your body needs'. It's telling people that they can eat a lot of food and still lose weight, as long as they burn more than they eat. It's telling people that losing weight shouldn't be a crash diet, it should be a lifestyle change.

    Well done OP :)
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Cheers from one former snowflake to another. Yay food!
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
    Well I am trying to "up" my calories to be around 1450 (have some trouble the past few weeks being consistent) .

    I guess I'm reluctant to fully commit because I usually only see people who claim success with this method after 3 or 4 weeks but I never see posts from people who have had long term success with this ( 30 or more lbs or more than a yr).

    There are TONS of people on here who have been successful with TDEE. Post a topic in the message boards and you will find them.
  • TIMv4
    TIMv4 Posts: 21 Member
    Ugh...just hired a trainer and they are telling me to not eat back the calories...time will tell...

    I don't plan on hitting the 100lb lost club following that plan. Exercise is great for getting a good sweat on and getting fit again but I don't see it working well if the body is starved. It needs the nutrition to rebuild beyond just using the fat storage.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    This actually doesn't add up... perhaps you weren't logging accurately before or you're exercising more now?

    The 'eat more' message is more for those people who are attempting around 1200 calories a day and keep falling off the wagon and binging, because it's too great a deficit for them.

    But I'm happy for you! If it works - keep it up. :smile:

    It does add up. The eat more isn't just for anyone only eating 1200 calories (though the OP did state she was eating about 1200-1500 calories...)...The eat more is for ANYONE not eating what their body needs in order to fuel their workouts.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    This actually doesn't add up... perhaps you weren't logging accurately before or you're exercising more now?

    The 'eat more' message is more for those people who are attempting around 1200 calories a day and keep falling off the wagon and binging, because it's too great a deficit for them.

    But I'm happy for you! If it works - keep it up. :smile:

    No it isn't. The 'eat more' message is simply: 'eat what your body needs'. It's telling people that they can eat a lot of food and still lose weight, as long as they burn more than they eat. It's telling people that losing weight shouldn't be a crash diet, it should be a lifestyle change.

    Well done OP :)

    That works too. :smile:
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Well I am trying to "up" my calories to be around 1450 (have some trouble the past few weeks being consistent) .

    I guess I'm reluctant to fully commit because I usually only see people who claim success with this method after 3 or 4 weeks but I never see posts from people who have had long term success with this ( 30 or more lbs or more than a yr).

    I've lost 44 lbs in about 8 months or so.
  • Healthy_Hunnie
    Healthy_Hunnie Posts: 60 Member
    Great job and thank you for referencing the OP :)
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Awesome - I started following the road map in July 2012. I had 3 months of eating below 1200 calories and starving. When I upped calories - I did it by 100 a week. I was terrified. I'm so glad that I did. Now I'm eating around 1800 calories a day and feel fantastic.

    Congrats OP!
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    OP...High five! Awesome job!

    tumblr_m75r2r799m1qguiwb.gif
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    This actually doesn't add up... perhaps you weren't logging accurately before or you're exercising more now?

    The 'eat more' message is more for those people who are attempting around 1200 calories a day and keep falling off the wagon and binging, because it's too great a deficit for them.

    But I'm happy for you! If it works - keep it up. :smile:

    It does add up. The eat more isn't just for anyone only eating 1200 calories (though the OP did state she was eating about 1200-1500 calories...)...The eat more is for ANYONE not eating what their body needs in order to fuel their workouts.

    How does it add up exactly? A deficit is needed for weight loss. If the OP did not have a deficit at 1200 - 1500 then how does she have a deficit at 2300 calories?
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    Wish I had the balls to do this. I'm just never sure of my numbers.. Lol!
    Yeah. 2,300 calories is a lot! Plus, the amount of food that I would have to eat...I wouldn't be able to.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    If you aren't giving your body what it needs to function then it will hold onto what it has halting weight loss. If you give it what it needs and continue working out you'll still actually be at a deficit and be able to lose weight. Oh my. I know it doesn't seem logical when all you hear is to lose weight you have to eat less and move move, but really, you still need to eat more and give your body the proper fuel to function.

    If someone was eating 1200 calories a day and burning say 300, that would leave them at 700 net. 1200 - 500 = 700. 700 is not enough fuel for the body to continue to function properly.

    But if someone is eating 1900 calories a day and burning 500 they are eating what they need for their body to function and are at a deficit. 1900 - 500 = 1400. Less than what they ate = deficit.

    She is obviously at a deficit or how would she be losing weight...so yeah it does add up.
  • geminijo04
    geminijo04 Posts: 31
    Wish I had the balls to do this. I'm just never sure of my numbers.. Lol!
    Yeah. 2,300 calories is a lot! Plus, the amount of food that I would have to eat...I wouldn't be able to.

    I tried bumping up my calorie intake to over 2000 and ended up gaining weight, doing the same amount of exercise.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    I can't respond for the OP - only for myself. In my case I WAS at a deficit at 1200 and below (of course). I wanted to lift weights and I really wanted to run. After 3 months eating this low, I could not do it anymore. I was hungry all the time and had no energy to exercise at all.

    Upping my calories slowly, allowed me to see over time, how high I could go before I maintained. It took me about 6 weeks to see that even at 1800 I was still losing. I had a lot of weight to lose and I knew there was no way I could cut from 1200 calories. It's a slow process and I'm sure I would have lost like crazy at 1200 calories, but on top of everything else - my hair was starting to fall out too.

    The thing is I didn't have to. I am able to lose at 1800, lift heavy weights 3x a week & run a couple of days. This is my experience. I can not speak for anyone else - except to say that you should try it. Our bodies were not made to run on 1200 calories.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Wish I had the balls to do this. I'm just never sure of my numbers.. Lol!
    Yeah. 2,300 calories is a lot! Plus, the amount of food that I would have to eat...I wouldn't be able to.

    It may be a lot for you, but not for the OP. Each person has different needs.

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