Did raising your calories help you break a plateau?

aeckels616

I'm doing a little amateur research on this topic because it seems to work for some people and not for others. I'm skeptical about it because I can't find any actual scientific research that supports it, or the idea that people stop losing weight because they're not getting enough calories. Nothing beyond personal anecdotes and testimonies.

I'd like to see if there is some correlation that isn't getting mentioned. So if you have tried eating more to break a plateau, please comment here with the following:

1. Weight at the time of plateau
2. Weight you had lost before plateau
3. Calories you were eating before plateau
4. How many calories you increased
5. Did it work? If so, for how long?
6. Did you make any other changes at the same time, like eating different kinds of foods or changing your exercise routine?

kirstinkrueger

I hit a plateau at about every 20-30lbs. What i do to get over it is for a week I go 500cal ones day, my normal cals the next. I normally lose about a pound that week then when i go back to my normal calories my regular 1.5-2lbs a week starts to come off again.

GolfLady10

very good question, can't wait to hear other peoples answers. Thank you

thcri

It sure helped for me. I am on a business trip so I can't answer tor questions other after fighting a three month plateau increasing helped. Others here will post some.pretty good links about it for you to read.

ShellyMacchi

i was so impressed with the info in this blog i bookmarked it for myself to remember when i do hit a plateau *S*

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

Losing2Live69

I hit a plateau at about every 20-30lbs. What i do to get over it is for a week I go 500cal ones day, my normal cals the next. I normally lose about a pound that week then when i go back to my normal calories my regular 1.5-2lbs a week starts to come off again.

Do you mean you eat only 500 calories in one day???

wolfchild59

1. Weight at the time of plateau
--> 140
2. Weight you had lost before plateau
--> 41lbs
3. Calories you were eating before plateau
--> 1200/day + 1/3 of my exercise calories (varied)
4. How many calories you increased
--> 150-200 on non-workout days, 100% of exercise calories + 200-300 on exercise days
5. Did it work? If so, for how long?
--> Yes, every weeks weigh-in for over a month now.
6. Did you make any other changes at the same time, like eating different kinds of foods or changing your exercise routine?
--> No

melodyg

1. Weight at the time of plateau: 211ish
2. Weight you had lost before plateau: about 25-30 pounds
3. Calories you were eating before plateau: 1300ish + exercise
4. How many calories you increased: I increased calories to my BMR (1550) + most of exercise calories
5. Did it work? If so, for how long? YES! I had my settings to lose 1 pound a week and lost maybe a pound in 6 weeks. I rarely saw a loss of one pound a week. When I upped the exercise calories I started losing around a pound or more each week (though MFP was saying I'd lose about .7-.8 pounds a week). I haven't weighed since the beginning of March, but I lost weight consistently for the 6 weeks since I made that change. I lost 10 pounds in about 9 weeks... it had taken 17 weeks to lose the 10 pounds before that (yes, I do lose weight at an infuriatingly slow pace).
6. Did you make any other changes at the same time, like eating different kinds of foods or changing your exercise routine? I did start exercising a little more... which I have slacked off on over the past couple of weeks. Since I am not weighing in right now, I can't say how that affected the scale.

Losing2Live69

1. Weight at the time of plateau-238 (Feb. 10, 2011)
2. Weight you had lost before plateau-11 pounds
3. Calories you were eating before plateau - a net of 1200, not eating exercise calories
4. How many calories you increased-incresed 200 calories to a net of 1400 plus my exercise calories
5. Did it work? If so, for how long? Yes...it still is working. I have dropped down to 222 (3/31/2011)
6. Did you make any other changes at the same time, like eating different kinds of foods or changing your exercise routine? Try to stay under sodium goal, eat more fresh fruits and veggies, watch my carbs, kept exercise the same.

suzooz

bump

Mommyof3texans

I'm doing a little amateur research on this topic because it seems to work for some people and not for others. I'm skeptical about it because I can't find any actual scientific research that supports it, or the idea that people stop losing weight because they're not getting enough calories. Nothing beyond personal anecdotes and testimonies.

I'd like to see if there is some correlation that isn't getting mentioned. So if you have tried eating more to break a plateau, please comment here with the following:

1. Weight at the time of plateau - 140-141
2. Weight you had lost before plateau - 7lbs
3. Calories you were eating before plateau - avg 900-1000
4. How many calories you increased - 200-300
5. Did it work? If so, for how long? I've lost 2 lbs in the last week since upping to 1200
6. Did you make any other changes at the same time, like eating different kinds of foods or changing your exercise routine?

I started jogging/walking, but was already exercising anyway just usually on the elliptical. I didn't change my foods

sue26

in short - no:ohwell:

Jenlynphi

I was stuck on 12 pounds for three weeks until I zig zagged my calories for a few days. I would eat my normal 1200 one day and then maybe 1800 the next day and then I would eat about 1000 the next...... I lost 1.5 pounds at the end of that week. That was last week and I haven't weighed in for this week yet. I have stuck to my 1200 daily so hopefully, I'll see good results. I have now lost 13.5 pounds.

taso42_DELETED

These links might be of interest: "Clinical significance of adaptive thermogenesis": http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v31/n2/full/0803523a.html
http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/2007/02/adaptive-thermogenesis-can-impede.html

I have steadily increased my calorie intake since joining here 75 days ago. I have been steadily losing or plateuing (short plateaus, around 7-14 days long). Closing in on goal now. Exercise intensity and life activities have stayed about the same.

When I started on MFP the daily calories recommended to me by MFP me were 1,510. I consumed that plus exercise. After bumping them up periodically, they are now at 2000, plus exercise. My rough average exercise is around 250 cal/day so therefore I end up eating about 2250 per day. I was averaging greater than 1 lb per week loss up until the last 2 weeks or so. I've slowed down a bit now, as to be expected since I'm about 4 lbs away from goal. I'm currently considering another small increase in daily calories consumed.

In short: yes, works for me. I think there is science to back it up. It certainly makes sense intuitively - if you give your body less fuel, it will slow down. Give it more and it will speed up.

danielled6875

bump

LovelySnugs

i was so impressed with the info in this blog i bookmarked it for myself to remember when i do hit a plateau *S*

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

this.

tellybelle

I'll be watching this! Great information!

K9Lover

Good info. Bump.

zandhmom75

Bump

aeckels616

Thanks for the input! I'm hoping we'll get some more feedback. I'll try to post back what I find out from my other sources too soon. Also, I think I'll modify the original question a bit, to add things like body shape.

aeckels616

Ok, for some reason it won't let me edit the original, so here are two more questions:

7. Are you an apple (tend to store fat around the middle) or a pear (store fat in butt, thighs hips, etc)?
8. How many times (approximately) have you dieted in the last 10 years?