eating more to lose more?

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china_doll_15
china_doll_15 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Good Morning Ladies and Gents...

I just joined MFP less than a week ago, and I am loving it, I love how I am able to track my exercise and calorie intake. This tool has helped keep me motivated because I feel guilty when there is nothing on my exercise log. or negatives on my calorie intake. I have a goal to eat only 1200 calories a day to lose 1.1 lbs a week. and I exercise almost everyday for 30 minutes on the ellipitcal, couple of random weights and Pilates when I watch TV. Days when I just feel lazy, I go on walks with my boyfriend.

No results so far... actually, that is mainly because I never did an official weigh-in I am more of a qualitative than quantitative person, I wanted to see visual improvements to my body. My goal, however, is still to lose 10 lbs in 2 months.

To the main subject of this thread, I have read a lot of people eating more calories and losing more. What are the particulars of this technique, because I can see it going REALLY south if I just eat and eat and eat. there must be restrictions on what you can eat and how you exercise to balance that out. My initial presumption is that, because you eat more calories, you need to exercise more, so in the end you are still balancing out to eating the right level of calories. Am I far off?

Anyways, I love how supportive and realistic everyone is in this site and good luck to all of you!

Thank you,

Elaine

Replies

  • china_doll_15
    china_doll_15 Posts: 2
    Options
    Good Morning Ladies and Gents...

    I just joined MFP less than a week ago, and I am loving it, I love how I am able to track my exercise and calorie intake. This tool has helped keep me motivated because I feel guilty when there is nothing on my exercise log. or negatives on my calorie intake. I have a goal to eat only 1200 calories a day to lose 1.1 lbs a week. and I exercise almost everyday for 30 minutes on the ellipitcal, couple of random weights and Pilates when I watch TV. Days when I just feel lazy, I go on walks with my boyfriend.

    No results so far... actually, that is mainly because I never did an official weigh-in I am more of a qualitative than quantitative person, I wanted to see visual improvements to my body. My goal, however, is still to lose 10 lbs in 2 months.

    To the main subject of this thread, I have read a lot of people eating more calories and losing more. What are the particulars of this technique, because I can see it going REALLY south if I just eat and eat and eat. there must be restrictions on what you can eat and how you exercise to balance that out. My initial presumption is that, because you eat more calories, you need to exercise more, so in the end you are still balancing out to eating the right level of calories. Am I far off?

    Anyways, I love how supportive and realistic everyone is in this site and good luck to all of you!

    Thank you,

    Elaine
  • menjivas
    menjivas Posts: 124 Member
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    You need to eat sufficient calories for your body to maintain itself. If you eat to little calories, then your body is going to start thinking it's going into starvation mode and start storing the fat and calories. this basically stops any moment for you to lose weight. When I talked to my nutritionist she told me that 1200 calories for someone that was 158 lbs was too little. It was causing my body to start depleting my muscles, because I didn't have enough calories. You can reduce calories and continue to work out to get that negative calories, but if you cut too many calories than your hurting yourself. You should check online resource to see what your intake should be.
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
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    patience is a virtue, young grasshopper :)

    give the new lifestyle a little time to kick in.

    the whole eating more to lose more has alot to do with the indivudal person.

    It is generally intended for people who may be consuming to little, therefore putting their body in starvation mode... Or someone who exercises 2 hours a day or more, who requires more fuel for their body.

    I know there are other people on this site will explain this in more detail and give you some links...so I will let them do that, as I have a hard time explaining techincal stuff, but i just wanted to let you know that sticking with it is all you need!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    The theory of eating more to lose more on this site would be to select the "1lb per week" loss instead of "2lbs per week" loss. You certainly don't want to "eat, and eat, and eat" but you don't want to go into starvation mode either.

    I got stuck at a serios plateau when I was on the "2lb per week" setting, but then started losing again when I switched to "1lb per week" and was eating and exericising more, but all withint the limits of the program.

    Good luck!!!
    :flowerforyou:
  • thyme31
    thyme31 Posts: 5
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    As everybody said above, there is a certain point where your body thinks its starving if you don't get enough calories. Also, some people say that when you do the 5-6 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones, your body burns more calories because your metabolising more. Also digestion is better in the smaller amounts, and then you don't overeat because your never hungry since your eating every 3 hours.

    One thing I can say that is great about this, is that although I restrict my calories, you can eat more on days and just balance it with exercise. Of course you still can't eat a lot of junk, but it shows just how much exercise can do.
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    Options
    The theory of eating more to lose more on this site would be to select the "1lb per week" loss instead of "2lbs per week" loss. You certainly don't want to "eat, and eat, and eat" but you don't want to go into starvation mode either.

    I got stuck at a serios plateau when I was on the "2lb per week" setting, but then started losing again when I switched to "1lb per week" and was eating and exericising more, but all withint the limits of the program.

    Good luck!!!
    :flowerforyou:

    i switched to 1lb per week last week, beceause at 2lbs i wasnt losing a thing...so i finally came to the conclusion that it is not for me... I will let you know if the increase in calories works for me.... my problem is that i indulge in sweets to often. I always make it fit in my calorie range, but i feel like i may be doing it too often.

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