If I eat more calories will I keep losing?

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sexymamadraeger
sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,

For the last 3 months I've been eating anywhere from 1,000 - 1,200 calories a day and only natural foods and carbs. I am getting tired of it and I am getting HUNGRY. I've lost 60 lbs total. 20 a year or so ago and 40 in the last 3 months. But I'm tired of eating such a narrow diet. Soooo... I started eating what MFP tells me to eat which is 1460. I also started eating a carb every so often. A pancake or a roll on occasion. I'm not trying to just eat junk. But I have to figure out a happy medium so I feel like I'm eating "normally" for the long run.

I read someone's post recently who had lost 100 lbs so far. He told me he started out eating like me. Very low cal and clean and narrow diet. He ultimately slowed his metabolism way down and started feeling deprived. I don't want to do that to myself. Here's my question: If I eat 1460 like I'm supposed to will I keep losing and just at a slower rate? That's what I want. Or since I'm eating 250 more calories a day am I going to gain? I don't want to rock the boat or sabotage myself but I have to LIVE, ya know?

Replies

  • kbeloved
    kbeloved Posts: 67 Member
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    My advice....definitely increase the calories, and then as your regain some of your energy increase the exercise and eat 75 percent of your exercise calories back. I'm not sure what your height and weight are but i'm sure if you net around 1400 calories this is for the most part reasonable for most women. Please never go below 1200 calories, as you can see it is not sustainable and will reek havoc on your body. I try to net 1600 calories but have had many cheat days and gone over...but I make it up and exercise. I've lost 18lbs so far.
  • sexymamadraeger
    sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
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    That's good to hear! Part of the reason I ate so low was trying to heal my gut. I was trying to figure out food allergies and my stomach was a wreck. I wasn't hungry. But now I'm pretty much healed, I have it figured out and I am hungry again! So I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm 5.6 and weigh 224.5 btw.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    With your height and weight you can eat significantly more than 1200 a day and still lose weight at a steady clip. There is a chance that you will see a stall for a couple of weeks, maybe even some weight gain as you increase your calories. PLEASE do NOT let that cause a panic, it is water and glycogen and it will go back down. I highly recommend you take some time to read this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    just do the fairly basic math.. if you're losing at around 10 pounds a month 1200 (meaning you are eating at a large deficit) it's impossible that you'd be gaining at 1450 (meaning that you'd be eating at a surplus).

    3500 calories in a pound..
  • tomee638
    tomee638 Posts: 64
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    Go here:
    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    And figure your Total Daily Energy expenditure with exercise included, and then subtract about 300 calories from that number and you'll lose weight. 1200 calories per day is not sustainable and you deserve to be eating more than that. Your body needs the fat and carbs to maintain the exercise that (I hope) you're doing to burn them off. Try that for a 2-4 wks and see what the scale says. Only weigh yourself weekly, I only do it on Monday mornings, avoids frustration with the daily fluctuations.
  • Supertact
    Supertact Posts: 466 Member
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    If 1460 is over your maintenance calories then yes you will gain,

    But I'm willing to bet no, you will not stop losing. You will lose slower but will be fuller, healthier and happier.
  • bubbly_charm2k9
    bubbly_charm2k9 Posts: 43 Member
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    When I started here in MFP... my calorie intake is 400-700 calories which is very under to my goal.. my metabolism gets slower and experienced weight plateaued.. Then my MFP friends advised me to eat more and hit my goal..Now I'm Healthier and Happier and still losing weight so far :)


    65725604.png
  • sexymamadraeger
    sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
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    Thank you! We'll see what my weight does. Yes, from what I've read from others who have eaten low calorie, they eventually stall out. So I was thinking it's time to re-think and go for a new plan. You're right about the math. It's not that many more calories a day. It's easy to forget how simple it is.

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