Eating more to loose more

mzco14

So when I started MFP I restricted everything and only ate around 1250 calories a day. I did lose weight and the inches fell off. Most people think I weigh much less that I actually do. Here's the thing- the weight loss has slowed drastically and I was out of energy all the time. Things that were easy even when I was heavier were becoming difficult. After speaking with my doctor we've uped my calories. I know know the key now is to eat clean and really watch what I'm putting into my body. Anybody else out there uped their calories and still lost weight??? Over the past 2 years I've dropped about 53 lbs and I'm looking to drop around 30 to 35 more.

Greenrun99

Yes

sfbaumgarten

Also yes

RunHardBeStrong

Another yes! I gross 1800-2200 cals/day and still lose.

gieshagirl

i had to do the same thing....some one told me to walk 2 miles a day....lots of water and 800 calories a day....i was dumb and listened and ....gained. i was crazy with sorrow and i got on MFP and some friends told me to eat more and to eat most of my exercise calories....i lose steady weight....it has been slow but steady....and over time you will probably keep off what you lose slowly.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

To the OP: Yes, we have to make sure we are nourishing our bodies so we feel good and have energy to do the things we have to do and want to do.

Good luck, you are at the tail end of your weight loss journey!!

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Yes....as long as you are still in a deficit. Set your goal to 1lb or a week (or something reasonable for the amount of weight you have to lose), pay attention to your macros and don't restrict yourself.

SezxyStef

I eat on average 1700 a day and yes I still lose about 3/4lb a week.

Your goal should be to eat the max number of calories and still lose weight...not the min to keep you alive.

@Qarol.......:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I love grammer/spelling police that fail.

mzco14

Thanks to all those who have repsonded. I'm going to work really hard and stick to the plan. To the hater who has childhood issues with his spelling teacher - do us all a favor and grow up.

auddii

OP, I lose on 1800 calories (with cheat days). And it's awesome to eat all the foods. And much easier to not "fall off the wagon" because 1800 just isn't that low, so it's pretty easy to hit.

ChriJMitch

MFP should be calculating the calories you are supposed to eat based on your weight loss goal. You need to eat all of them, or pretty darn close to it. I think the most MFP will let you eat at deficit is ~500 calories a day.

You can actually mess up your hormones if you eat too little; Your body will ramp up cortisol production, which will actually be counterproductive to losing weight. Cortisol causes your body to store EVERYTHING you put in your mouth as fat, as well a bunch of other nasty things like decreasing immune system function and bone density; it is a stress hormone released to help you survive bouts of famine. Always remember our bodies are programmed to store fat and help us survive; they are not equipped to deal with our new world full of plentiful food.

Small, frequent meals with lots of water, at a controlled deficit. That is your recipe for success right there.

beastmode_kitty

I increased my calories from 1200 to 1700-1900 a day. I'm still losing, might be slow, but at least its staying off

broox80

OP, I am in the same shoes as you right now!! I have lost 60 and still have 40 more to go!! Le sigh!!! I exercise quite a bit (crossfit 3 days a week and cardio 5 days a week). I overlap Sunday with cardio and crossfit. Many weeks I don't take a rest day. I was netting about 1200 for quite some time and lost pretty quickly then BAM, nada!!! I have lost nothing for 6 weeks!!! I recently increased my cals to 1850 and increased my protein. I make sure I get that bad boy down to 0 or in the red EVERY DAY!!! I just started this last week and I am a scale *kitten*, so I am going to wait until May 1st to weigh again!! We shall see!!! Good luck to ya toots!!!!

psuLemon

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Dedshot

It's encouraging to see success from upping calories. Lately I've had no energy, and have been eating between 1200-1300. I'm going to up my intake to 1400 and see if I feel any better, and to determine if I need to eat even more. It's nice to know it can work!

krawhitham

Yes, absolutely. This journey is not about deprivation at all, like a lot of "diet" books and plans would lead you to believe. Being mindful of what you're eating and logging *everything* is the key!

konerusp

Yep,thats me,I was at 1200 and crazy cardio maniac two years ago.I did a bulk for 4 months eating 2300 calories(gained 15 pounds) and then did a cut at 1800 ish calories over the past year I have lost 14 pounds retaining muscle and eating 1800 or more calories.I eat clean and healthy and workout 5 days a week but not more than 30-45 minutes a day both weights and cardio.My goal is to get better body composition,im more lean now than I have been at 147 my lowest weight.Ive also fixed my volatile weight issue doing this.

One piece of advice though,while increasing calories do it slowly ie 100-200 calories a month,I did end up with some digestive distress jumping from 1200- 2300.Good luck.

scubasuenc

I too have seen success upping my calories. I was steadily losing at 1230 per day, but wasn't recovering from exercise very well. Per my doctor's recommendation I was not eating back my exercise calories. I used one of the TDEE calculators and discovered I was eating less than half my TDEE. So I increased by 100 calories per week until I got to 1700. I still have a pretty big deficit, because I still have a lot of weight to lose. I continue to lose steadily and feel much better.

I do recommend increasing slowly if you do so. I was so used to restricting that it was mentally challenging to increase my calories. Also, it allowed me opportunities to add small healthy items to my routine. For example the first week I added some fruit and Fiber One cereal to my morning yoghurt. The next week I added some fruit to lunch, etc.

terridyment

Big thank you for posting this, I lost 50 pounds 3 years ago and struggled to lose another 15-20. I have been netting around 1360 calories a day., and working out by walking 30-40/4-5 times a week as well as working the weight machines at the gym for 30-60 minutes. And not seeing the weight drop off. I am now seeing I should rethink the number of calories I consume and up them .My question is this, do you use the MFP weight loss calculator or do you use a weight loss calculator site to determine calorie net?