Increased calories, still losing

mandymae40921

I have been dieting and exercising (T25 - love it!) since October and have lost 63 lbs. I ate a 1200 calorie/day diet. I reached my goal and increased my calories to maintain 2 weeks ago. I have lost another 4 pounds. I am still exercising daily (6 days a week) 30 minutes a day. What is going on???

miztrezzlyn

You're not eating enough.

KylaDenay

Your still eating below maintenance. When you were eating at 1200 you didn't need to. How much you are eating now is probably your deficit to lose weight and not have to eat at that sucky 1200 calories a day. Recalculate your tdee to include your 6 days a week workouts. If you are using MFP method put in your new numbers, select maintenance and if you workout eat back your calories I guess.

TavistockToad

You're not eating enough.

This. Eat more.

MityMax96

You're not eating enough.

This. Eat more.

Yep, my thoughts also.
enjoy

ksy1969

I have been dieting and exercising (T25 - love it!) since October and have lost 63 lbs. I ate a 1200 calorie/day diet. I reached my goal and increased my calories to maintain 2 weeks ago. I have lost another 4 pounds. I am still exercising daily (6 days a week) 30 minutes a day. What is going on???

Out of curiosity, what is your "maintenance" calories?

Each individual is different. as others have said, you were probably eating at to huge of a deficit to begin with and you are still eating at a deficit. That is the only way you lose weight.

mblair1968

Congratulations! Increase your calories some more.

mandymae40921

Thanks for that advice. I guess I'll try eating back exercise calories because I'm eating 1800 which MFP says is my maintenance level.

mandymae40921

I really should get a heart monitor that gives me calories burned because I'm just guessing at that. I could be burning a lot more than I think.

PaulJRaymond

Your still eating below maintenance. When you were eating at 1200 you didn't need to. How much you are eating now is probably your deficit to lose weight and not have to eat at that sucky 1200 calories a day. Recalculate your tdee to include your 6 days a week workouts. If you are using MFP method put in your new numbers, select maintenance and if you workout eat back your calories I guess.

If you calculate your TDEE with workouts, you shouldn't eat back your workout calories, as they are already factored in.

diannethegeek

Thanks for that advice. I guess I'll try eating back exercise calories because I'm eating 1800 which MFP says is my maintenance level.

^This is your problem exactly. MFP calculates your maintenance calories without taking any planned exercise into account. When you exercise on top of that you're creating a caloric deficit if you don't eat those calories back. Just make sure that you're getting an accurate estimate of calories burned while you're exercising. Gym machines and MFP may overestimate certain activities.

ksy1969

Thanks for that advice. I guess I'll try eating back exercise calories because I'm eating 1800 which MFP says is my maintenance level.

Awesome, better than I thought it would be. Yes, eating back those exercise calories would be the best. If your maintenance is 1800 and you exercise, then you have put yourself back into a deficit by excising.

Do know, that no matter what MFP says it is not an exact science. Sometimes you may have to manually adjust. I see plenty of women on here claiming they are eating in the mid 2,000 to maintain. Some even higher. They discovered their metabolism was much higher than the average which is what MFP bases their calculations off of.

KylaDenay

Your still eating below maintenance. When you were eating at 1200 you didn't need to. How much you are eating now is probably your deficit to lose weight and not have to eat at that sucky 1200 calories a day. Recalculate your tdee to include your 6 days a week workouts. If you are using MFP method put in your new numbers, select maintenance and if you workout eat back your calories I guess.

If you calculate your TDEE with workouts, you shouldn't eat back your workout calories, as they are already factored in.

I know that.....Please read what I said again. I said calculate your tdee to include your workouts.....If she is using the MFP method then eat them back. I know the difference.

lrmall01

Every week increase your daily goal by 100 calories. Continue to do this until you stop losing weight.

When this happens you have found your TDEE. Just eat at this level, keep exercising, live your life and be happy!

albayin

wish I had this "problem"...*sigh*

Murph1908

I really should get a heart monitor that gives me calories burned because I'm just guessing at that. I could be burning a lot more than I think.

I agree with this idea. I got my HRM a month or so back, and started eating back about 80% of what it said I was burning. I am still dropping weight.

Before I got the HRM, I was afraid to eat them back. My workouts weren't easily estimatable. My main workout is pickup basketball 2 nights a week. How long was I actually playing? Was I burning what MFP called 'game' calories? I had no idea, so I just let myself go a couple hundred over on Saturday. My goal was set a 2 pounds a week, and I averaged 2.8 over several months.

Now I have the HRM and get an accurate calorie count. I eat back 80% of it (to give myself some room for error), and have seen drops over the past 3 weeks.

Even better, I have seen my muscle mass increase on my new scale over that time as well, so I know I am not burning muscle. I didn't have that scale during that 2.8 a week run, so I don't know how much muscle I might have lost.

Anyway, get one. You'll not regret it.

Mine is a Polar Flow with an HR7 monitor. The combo gives me both the HRM and the activity tracker. Total cost about $150.