Has anyone increased calories eaten per day & lost more weig

ClaireElanB

Just wondering - there was an debate here last week about 'starvation mode' if its a myth or not.

I'd like to know if anyone has actually increased their calorie intake & lost more weight?

Thanks!

lordofultima

The only time I lose weight is when I eat a certain number of calories. When I don't eat enough, I don't lose weight. Starvation mode is not a myth, people say things like this to justify the very small amount of calories they consume in a day. They think they're going to lose healthy weight and feel good eating 500 calories a day.

TateFTW

Same thing happened to my wife. She was undereating and couldn't lose. I finally convinced her to eat within 100 calories of her goal, and she started losing.

themommie

I would like to know the same thing. I did lose 1.8lbs the week of thanksgiving and only ;5 the week before. thanksgiving week I obviously ate a bit more. But I dont think one week is enough to tell...............but I am also curious

bhelmreich

All through summer, I was doing Insanity. I stuck to the exercise program and was frustrated when I did not see any weight come off. Granted, I did lose some inches and tone up a tiny bit. Once I increased calories (1200-1400 a day), I lost 9lbs in about 2 months.

Lindsay7360

Bump!

I've been wondering the same thing!

murf19

When I first did P90X I was eating 2500 calories a day and lost 15 lbs. It was hard core workouts plus the right foods

I do 2000 now and still work out 5 - 6 days a week but just to sty fit so, I had to cut back on calories. I could actually cut a few more.

When I do P90x again in January I'll need the calories again so i don't lose the wight.

nellajane24

I was on 1000 cal for the past two weeks until thanksgiving, where I ate WAY too much. I gained, of course, but now I am back to my regular routine and also eating my 1200, plus some (but not all) of my exercise calories. And the thanksgiving weight quickly shed. Perhaps it was just water weight, but I am feeling good again. I wouldn't deprive yourself of the calorie plan that is already set for you with a built in deficit, and if you do, don't do it for too long or you will plateau.

A little rule I set for myself, (don't know if it actually works or not, but it seems to), is I don't eat anything after 6 pm, unless it's my fiber supplement, water, or a protein shake after my workout. I tend to go to bed a little hungry, and the next morning, I am usually thanking myself for that after the weigh in.

murf19

Remember you want to eat foods that are good and burn fat!

edorice

Just wondering - there was an debate here last week about 'starvation mode' if its a myth or not.

I'd like to know if anyone has actually increased their calorie intake & lost more weight?

Thanks!

Yes, I have.

JessicaPahl

yes that happend to me!! i was eating like eight hundred calories and wondering why nothign was happening.. then i decided to eat my 1200 calories and the weight started falling off.. along with drinking lots of water ! its odd but it took me quite a while to figure this out!! good luck!

meggonkgonk

I've been losing pretty consistently for about 3 months and I try to be w/in 100 calories under or over my goal (including exercise calories). I've never gone under it, but my mom constantly complains that she can't lose weight and she eats, in my opinion, dangerously low (and then "binges" when eating normal amounts of food).

JessicaPahl

also i didnt exersize a whole lot.. and it still came off.. i think it has alot to do with why ppl dont lose weight cause ethey r eating to little or too much..

alantin

I'd like to know if anyone has actually increased their calorie intake & lost more weight?

If by this you mean "lost weight faster", that won't happen. Trying to lose fast is only a quick way to misery anyway.
I have the same story as many others. I seem to have been eating too little at 1400-1500 Kcal a day and ended up in a plateau after a very successful couple of months losing at the average pace of about 1.5 lbs a week. At last I broke it by gradually increasing my calories to 1800 but didn't reach the same pace as before. Good thing too. It was pushing healthy anyway and it just wasn't possible for me anymore. Now I'm tweaking and doing all possible tricks trying to get rid of the last pounds, but that's another story..

Btw. Those are just the base calories of my diet! I have always eaten my exercise calories too.

ClaireElanB

Thanks for replying everyone. It's reassuring to hear your real results.
Alantin - I dont mean 'faster' - I mean losing anything

I am going to up my calories by 300 a day and see what it does. I cant do any worse than plateauing, if I gain from an extra 300 cals a day my thyroid or something is seriously off!!!!
I also need to drink more water and I like the 'not eating after 6' idea! Thats hard for me though, lol.

kewkdb

Just wondering - there was an debate here last week about 'starvation mode' if its a myth or not.

I'd like to know if anyone has actually increased their calorie intake & lost more weight?

Thanks!

No idea but I will be putting the question to the test in a few months. Right now I am eating ~1k calories a day (it is actually difficult for me to eat more!) and I am burning at minimum 900cal a day and up to 2000cal a day just depending on how I feel when im out running.

I am on my 3rd week of this and will continue for a few months. After that I will start eating more calories and see how it affects my weight loss.

I am not one to say starvation mode does not exist but I believe that it is extremely exaggerated on MFP. So I will find out on my own what is fact and what is forum gossip.

Unknown

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bsoxluvr

I was eating 1000-1200 calories a day and working out 4-5 times a week. I had lost a good 20 pounds and then hit a wall. A trainer at the gym asked to see my food log and instantly said I wasn't eating enough. I increased my calories to 1500 a day and started loosing again. In my opinion, the amount of calories you eat does effect how much you loose, or gain, of course. I also think I hit plateaus with my calories. If I haven't lost in a few weeks and change what/how much I eat, I start seeing the numbers change.

binary_jester

I'll let you know. I was averaging 1300 to 1400 net calories a day. I am going to cut back my workout and increase my caloric intake to 1700 net calories a day and see how that works.

MISTTIMG

I know every time I consume my extra exercise calories I don't loose weight or loose it very slow. Also when I used to go to WW's meetings the instructor said if we used all the extra exercise points (calories) weight loss would slow down or stop.

thatklutzychick

I have definitely increased my calorie intake and lost weight, but the key was maintaining my workout schedule. My friend, who's a personal trainer and in much better shape than I am in told me the following advice:

Every now and then it's good to increase the amount of calories your body is consuming whether through exercising less or eating more. Our bodies are amazing at adapting and if you keep the same eating and working out schedule all the time, you can hit weight plateaus. The key is to only adjust things by adding 200-300 calories for about a week or two before trying to get back to a net zero or negative daily calorie goal. If you have too much of a calorie surplus for too long, you'll put back all the weight you worked so hard to take off.

ginnyroxx

I haven't read the other responses here yet, but ::raising my hand:: i have!

I started here just over 40 days ago. I quickly lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks. Then i gained 2 pounds. Then stalled. I started eating back about 98% of my workout calories (leaving a little room for measuring errors) and have lost the last 2 weeks. I'm still not at my lowest MFP weight, but that's b/c it's my TOM. I will be there and lower next week if this trend continues.

cardbucfan

I eat between 1400-1800 calories per day but I work out a lot and burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories each time. If you look at my nutrition report, it says I am coming in under 1200 net most days but I am still losing at the rate of 1-1.5 lbs. per week. I started doing this site because I ate too much while working out a lot so it's not the exercise that has changed.

I rarely eat all my exercise calories (maybe Sundays-my day off and the only workouts I get in are cleaning and walking the dog) but I intentionally leave a several hundred calorie deficit so I have room if I miscalculate a portion size, aren't exactly sure how many cals. are in something I eat and to leave room for when I'm tasting things as I cook. I only have 5 lbs. to go and know the loss will come slower but things are working well for me now so I'm not going to change anything.

shoegirl2

In the past when I had lost weight, when I did eat more I lost weight more steadily. Someone sent me this blog link yesterday that addresses this subject: http://www.debramoorhead.com/blog/index.php/how-i-lost-25-pounds-in-one-month/
It is very interesting!

naughtydoguk

Remember you want to eat foods that are good and burn fat!

What foods burn fat in particular?

binary_jester

Remember you want to eat foods that are good and burn fat!

What foods burn fat in particular?

Cayenne

naughtydoguk

Every week I have ensure I have a day where I am over my allowance, it helps stop you going into starvation mode. It's called the zig-zag method and is recognised fat loss method.

naughtydoguk

Remember you want to eat foods that are good and burn fat!

What foods burn fat in particular?

Cayenne

What!! As in pepper? How do you work that into your diet.

ClaireElanB

Every week I have ensure I have a day where I am over my allowance, it helps stop you going into starvation mode. It's called the zig-zag method and is recognised fat loss method.

- Weight Watchers has an unofficial version of this called the Wendie Plan, and I read in an awful article one time the anorexic version is the 2,4,6,8 plan - so no matter where you're at it seems to be universal that confusing the body & mixing up the calorie intake must work!

Any spicy food is good for revving metabolism As long as the calories are kept down of course No spicy creamy kormas.
:explode:

ginnyroxx

Remember you want to eat foods that are good and burn fat!

What foods burn fat in particular?

Cayenne

What!! As in pepper? How do you work that into your diet.

yummy! I add it to my crockpot chili
i also add it to my veggie soups!

mmmmm spicy!

MISTTIMG

Also, You can find cayenne pepper in a capsule called "cool cayenne" at any health food store.