<3 support group for women eating 2000+ calories per day <3

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!! I am at a loss and dont know what to do! I started trying to lose again in February after I gained about 4 pounds going from 158 to 162. Since Feb I have tried increasing cal, decreasing calories. Low carb, high protien, zig zaggging, paleo. You name it, I tried it. I am now up to 164.8:sad:
I have done a round of insanity with no results. Did a round of p90x, no results. Doing my second round of p90x right now. In the begining of october I tried weight watchers again and continued to track calories and when doing WW I was taking in about 1350-1700 calories. I lost 2.8 pounds. Then I stalled out and increased my calories with goal of 2000 and now I am back up 2.8 pounds. I weigh/measure EVERYTHING!! I drink 90 ounces of water per day. I eat clean. According to my BMF my daily average burn is about 2500 if I am not doing alot of running (which I am not right now due to p90x). If I calculate my TDEE it comes out to 1800 plus exercise. According to MFP my maintenance cals are about 1700, so if anything, even if my workout burns are off, I should at least be maintaining. Should I eat even more?? I dont know what to do anymore other than cut back even more to 1500 or below because that is the only time I seem to see a loss. Interestingly from feb through april I averaged about 1900 intake and my weight was between 161-162. My goal is 148, but I would be happy to get back down to 158 and stay there. My clothes are getting tight and I am getting really depressed with this plateau.
This has got to be the longest plateua ever!!!! Please someone help me. Even the past week I started doing p90x in the moning, and some walking on the treadmill in the evening just to add some movement.
also I have had hormones/thyroid checked and its not that.
Thanks.

((hugs)). I cannot figure this one out. I would say that maybe you could try a "zigzag" approach but eat low cal for 2-3 days and then follow that with 2 high calorie days. So maybe 1400-1500 for 3 days and then 2 days at 2000-2100...the average is 1690, still low enough to lose and it might shock your body. I would TRY this for 10 days or so...so 2 cycles of it. Then see if your weight has budged. the 2 days at 2000-2100 will allow you to mentally recover from the lower calorie days. I have done something like this in the past and I did lose, albeit only 1-2 pounds but I didn't have much to lose. I hope this helps.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Love this thread! Love being active, love feeling good, and I LOVE eating! I plan what I'm gonna eat the night before, including dessert (which I have every single night). Everything in moderation, and planning it out helps me to make great choices!

I felt this same EXACT way today. I was running around like a crazy person in bra and panties because I was late and I just felt AMAZING! I caught a glimpse of my body in the mirror and I felt happy! Im not starving myself to be here, I'm strong, I feel sexy, my clothes fit! IT's awesome!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

haha...even when I TRY to do less, I wind up doing enough to eat 1900+ calories. Today will be a 1950 day..so still right on track! my workout was great though, less running, more strength! awesomeness!

I hope you're all having a great day!

TluvK

Just returned from the morning workout. FUN!

Warm up:
16 burpees
16 scorpions
3 lap sprints

Workout:
3 - 90 sec planks
30 push press - 42 lbs
45 kettle bell swings - 35 lbs
60 lunge pass throughs - 35 lbs
75 tri-cep dips
30 pull-ups
3 lap sprints
8 miles spinning
15 minutes - ABS

I feel great! I didn't wear my HRM though, so I'm not sure what to estimate my burn at.
But, I just at a turkey meatloaf cupcake with mashed potato frosting! It's going to be a good day!

Hope you are all great!

cutmd

It seems like so of you eat 2000+ because of your lifestyle/high metabolism, and everyone else is putting in crazy burns to get to a certain calorie burns of 1000+. This generates a few questions I hope some of you will answer:

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?
Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?
How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I am jealous, wish I could do this but working out 2+ hours a day doesn't fit into my schedule, takes me about an hour to burn 500... Plus I think I would be wasting food, so unless th body fit I have en route has some good news, I doubt I would be able to join. :frown:

spoiledwife12

It seems like so of you eat 2000+ because of your lifestyle/high metabolism, and everyone else is putting in crazy burns to get to a certain calorie burns of 1000+. This generates a few questions I hope some of you will answer:

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?
Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?
How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I am jealous, wish I could do this but working out 2+ hours a day doesn't fit into my schedule, takes me about an hour to burn 500... Plus I think I would be wasting food, so unless th body fit I have en route has some good news, I doubt I would be able to join. :frown:

I, for one, am NOT metabolically blessed! If I didn't exercise, I'd probably have the metabolism of a turtle. However, I don't exercise a ton. I usually do about an hour a day, 4-5 days a week, sometimes less, sometimes more. I try to get a lot of variety i.e. cardio, weights, running, etc. I don't consider myself athletic at all. I just have developed a really good exercise habit!

As to eating/exercising a lot or a little, I find it hard to pin down with data.To me, the most important element is eating when you're hungry, and quitting when you've had enough. If you feed your body enough to keep up with your activity level, your metabolism will meet the demands placed on your body.

When I was eating 1000-1200 cals, I lost weight but didn't have much energy or enthusiasm for anything. Once I started eating a variety of healthy, NORMAL foods, and enough of them, I lost MORE weight and had ten times more energy and optimism!
Currently, I eat around 2200 cals average.

Stick around, this thread has some amazingly good advice!

Just my $0.02

TluvK

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?

I think there are people who are metabolically blessed from birth, but I also believe that you can obtain an efficient metabolism from consistent, eclectic exercise routines coupled with proper macro ratios. It takes time, but having never been overweight, I don't believe my metabolism has ever been bad, but I also don't feel as though I'm blessed - I've just always fed and treated my body well.

Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?

I don't have data and I don't know the answer to this. I like to eat, so I work out a lot.

How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I've read a lot about this issue and have come to the conclusion that unless I'm training for the Olympics or the Tour De France, overtraining just isn't an issue. I burn between 500-900 calories/day - I typically don't workout much more than an hour each day. If I feel fatigued during the week, I take it down a notch.

stubbysticks

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?

I don't think there's a difference. Sure, some people are "blessed" with a high metabolism, but you can improve your metabolism by exercising & increasing your muscle mass.

Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?

Absolutely. The difference is that the exercise you do does more than just burn fat. It builds & strengthens muscle & improves your cardiovascular health. As I mentioned, increased muscle mass improves your resting metabolism & you can't get that without exercise, specifically strength training. If you want data, look up clinincal studies on the relationship between muscle mass & metabolism.

How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I'm not one of the 2hr/day exercisers. I prefer efficiency, so I do full-body workouts 3x a week (45-60 min tops) alternated with running 3x a week (30-90 min) & one complete rest day.

OAN, the latest news with me is that I'm trying something new this week. After averaging 2000+ calories for over a year, I'm going to drop them to 1350 on my 3 cardio days & do 1850 on my strength training days. I'm keeping my beloved >3600 calorie Spike Day. I've had issues with appetite lately for no apparent reason so I read my Spike Diet book & I'm going to try it as written to see if it's a good fit. I think the lowest I've gone since I started my weight loss was 1600, but I figure worst case if 1350 leaves me starving I'll eat more. Problem solved.

caveats

Happy Monday morning!

I've got some catching up to do. o.O Just got back from a weekend of camping ... and NO FOOD LOGGING, hurray! I'm not great at logging everything I eat anyway (it's just so TEDIOUS, ugh), and while I see it as a necessary evil to keep myself accountable, it was nice to take a break from MFP and just enjoy being in the great outdoors.

I'd like to throw my 2 cents in on these questions:

It seems like so of you eat 2000+ because of your lifestyle/high metabolism, and everyone else is putting in crazy burns to get to a certain calorie burns of 1000+. This generates a few questions I hope some of you will answer:

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?

I think that yes, some people do have it easier when it comes to metabolism. It's just a fact of genetics. What I don't believe is that it's an excuse to NOT strive to be healthy, fit, and happy. We come in all shapes and sizes, and it's just a matter of finding what's realistic and happy for you, based on what genes and your own effort can build.

My bf is also trying to get back into shape, and he's one of those types that never had to try when he was in his 20s. He ate fried food and drank beer, and he was still this skinny ski bum with nice abs. It was sickening, from what his sister tells me, since I didn't know him back then. Definitely one of those genetically blessed. Now, in his mid-30s, he's still just as athletic -- but he's got a bit of a beer belly and he's put on 20+ lbs. from his old fighting weight. But I'm really proud of him -- however grudgingly (he hates to admit he's getting older), he's learning how to adjust his workout activity and making small steps toward eating healthier.

This link helped him (and me) define how our bodies are different, because when he first started his weight-loss journey, we were both getting frustrated when the things that worked for me wouldn't work for him: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html

We learned that while weight lifting works really, really well for me (I'm a mesomorph), it was slow progress for him (he's an endomorph). So he went back to doing more cardio to balance SOME strength training, and he's starting to see progress pick up again. For me, I do a little cardio to increase my ability to keep up with him on long hikes (my cardio ability is nowhere near as good as his, so I run out of breath faster), but that's about it. I don't want to train for a marathon, I don't need to run long distances. I can, however, leg press more % of my body weight than he can -- and HE'S the skier.

Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?

Gut reaction, yes. But again, that's from my experience, and yours may be different if you have a different body type. For me, I need to eat more and burn more in order to lose fat -- my ultimate goal -- but not through cardio, necessarily. It'll happen through weight lifting and building more muscle mass and letting my increased muscle mass burn more passively. Plus, since I'm trying to build mass, I have to eat a caloric SURPLUS anyway (I aim for 130g of protein/day ... hard, but if I watch what I eat, I can hit it regularly). A deficit will cause me to LOSE the muscle I'm trying to build. Counter-intuitive, I know, but trust me -- I am seeing the results *I* want -- not necessarily a number on a scale, but some definition along my stomach and some not-so-flabby arms.

How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I don't do that much cardio, really, so I'm not worried about overtraining in that department at all. I only do like 30 min. of elliptical on days that I go to the gym specifically for cardio (which isn't often). On weekends, my bf and I like to go bike-riding or hiking for a couple of hours at a time, so that usually takes care of my cardio needs for the week.

For strength training, I let my muscles tell me if I'm overtraining. I space my workouts apart by at least 2 days, but if a day comes up and I feel weak or still really, really sore, I eat a giant steak and put off the workout for another night. Besides, sometimes, I don't get much of a choice. Last week, for example, work was really, really busy, so I only got 1 strength workout in before we left town for the weekend. Big deal. I'll get back on the wagon this week (if work doesn't crash my plans again). I don't stress about not being able to stick to a regimented schedule.

So that was a little long-winded, sorry. But I think the bottom line is that you need to figure out what body type you are, learn how your body gains/loses weight, and what would be more effective to target fat loss for your body type rather than worry about whether your metabolism is fast enough or if you're overtraining (because like someone else said, unless you're aiming for the Olympics, I don't think that'll be an issue). Your body will get to where you want it to be (healthfully and realistically) -- you just need to learn what the right "tools" are for YOU.

stubbysticks

QUESTION

Do you pre-plan your food for the day or take it as of comes?

Since I try to hit a minimum protein intake, if I want to get there then I have to plan. Otherwise I end up with a bunch of protein grams at the end of the day & can't eat them all. I've successfully hit >190g protein 6 days a week for almost a year, & only recently started eating less. I'm still calling 150g a bare minimum & that's going fine.

scarletleavy

It seems like so of you eat 2000+ because of your lifestyle/high metabolism, and everyone else is putting in crazy burns to get to a certain calorie burns of 1000+. This generates a few questions I hope some of you will answer:

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?
Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?
How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I am jealous, wish I could do this but working out 2+ hours a day doesn't fit into my schedule, takes me about an hour to burn 500... Plus I think I would be wasting food, so unless th body fit I have en route has some good news, I doubt I would be able to join. :frown:

For the first two questions I think the answer is definitely yes. Don't have any hard data to support conclusions, but my feeling is that you can't make up for a bad diet by working out a lot. I'm healthiest, mentally and physically, when I eat enough food and work out enough. I think it's a combination of the right kinds of exercise and the right kinds of food.

I definitely am on the lower end of the exercise burns in the group. I work out 6 days a week usually for 45-90 minutes and rarely burn more than 500, but I still eat a lot. I think I'm lucky to have a super fast metabolism, but I'm not sure it's genetics. Both my parents are overweight, but my brother and I both grew up super active, always involved in sports and athletics since we could walk. So at least for me, I attribute my metabolism to a lifetime of activity.

I'm a bit concerned with overtraining at the moment actually and I don't even work out that much. I try to rest when I feel like my body needs it, but I've found that exercise is a bit like an addiction, it's hard to stop doing it. I've been an athlete pretty much all of my life and I've struggled with serious injuries before, so I always try to stay away from overtraining because I don't want to go down that road again.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Morning ladies. So my new plan is 1800 weekdays and 2500 weekends. I will be averaging 2000 minimum and I can ease up on exercise during the week. This past week I logged probably 75-80 miles running. My knees need to rest.

QUESTION

Do you pre-plan your food for the day or take it as of comes?

Wow, lots of running! Are you training for something, or do you just like running? (I do not mean to imply that the two are mutually incompatible, just some people like to have targets and/or enjoy racing, while others just like to run.)

I have quite a routine when it comes to food on working days, so don't "plan" as such, but I do know what I'm going to eat, if that makes sense...

I just like to run!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

It seems like so of you eat 2000+ because of your lifestyle/high metabolism, and everyone else is putting in crazy burns to get to a certain calorie burns of 1000+. This generates a few questions I hope some of you will answer:

Do you think there is a difference between being metabolically blessed and working out a ton when it comes to high calorie intake?
Do you think there is a difference between eating a lot and burning it vs eating a little and burning less when it comes to your metabolism? Do you have data?
How do you know you won't go into overtraining working out so much a day?

I am jealous, wish I could do this but working out 2+ hours a day doesn't fit into my schedule, takes me about an hour to burn 500... Plus I think I would be wasting food, so unless th body fit I have en route has some good news, I doubt I would be able to join. :frown:

Well, for me I think my metabolism is where it should be according to the numbers. I just don't get satisfied eating the portion that someone my size "should" eat. I am 4'11 and ~100 pounds so I MUST exercise if I want to eat like someone twice my size.

I think that there is a definite difference between burning a lot and eating a lot vs. eating a little and burning a little. For example, someone with a sedentary burn of say 1500 can create a 1000 calorie deficit by eating 500 calories. They would get very little nutrition and be lethargic, weak, and lose their muscle mass.

Another person can workout..say doing plyometrics for an hour and weights for 30 minutes...incinerating 800 calories during the workout and several hundred after. They can eat their 1500 calories (sedentary) and get their deficit solely from working out. They will get adequate nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc) and not compromise their muscle mass. Their metabolism will stay elevated.

The benefits of working out go beyond being able to eat more, although that's one of my favorite perks. When I feel overtraining coming on then I switch my workout. Do something low impact, more weights, less running, less jumping, so I don't fear overtraining!

Hope this helps. I don't have "data" but I've read loads of research studies to arrive at this conclusion!

tameko2

I don't eat frequently (unless I want to) and nutritional science does not support the theory that several meals a day is better so I'd say its entirely personal preference. the best diet is the one you are happy to stick with, afterall.

Oishii - I figure estimate the amount of beans then add in a few teaspoons of sugar (depending on how much you eat)

Delicious food lately: Cheese bagel with ham, egg, and cheddar
filet minon, grilled prawns, and half a bottle of syrah (that was yesterday - went over 2k calories but REALLY shouldn't have since I did NOTHING yesterday but sit/lie down)

QUESTION

Do you pre-plan your food for the day or take it as of comes?

take it as it comes - I LOVE food, pre-planning takes out the joy.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

@tameko...really? I don't find that preplanning takes any of the joy away! I will always love to eat what is syrah?

Mallory0418

I would love to be a part of this! I've been trying to figure my body out for a long time and I feel like I'm finally making a break through. While this is still a new concept for me, I made the change to eating more than the ridiculous 1200 cals a couple weeks ago, but just found this group today. I've read through this thread some and it's already clearing some lingering doubts I had about this. I lost track of how many times I've change my calorie goal in the last couple of weeks because every time I check my BMR, it just seemed like it couldn't possibly be that I had to eat that much to start losing again! Here is my story:

I'm 5' 8" and currently weigh 172 lbs. Now when anyone I know finds this out they do not believe me! They tell me there's no way I weigh more than 150 lbs. I can't really make this call myself because I still see the flaws in my body that I've been working hard to work off, so maybe they're right, who knows... Anyway, I have been at 172 dead on, no fluxuation what so ever, for 5 months. It's been very frustrating!! I kept myself at a strict 1200 - 1350 cal diet for those 5 months and was working out (HARD) for 90 - 120 mins 5 - 6 days a week. So yes, I'm sad to say I was netting roughly 500 - 750 cals a day. It has been about 2 weeks since I drastically upped my caloric intake and was warned that for the first 4 - 6 weeks, I would probably gain but to keep at it. I weighed myself this morning and sure enough...173. I wasn't dissapointed though. I wasn't planning on looking at a scale for another 3 weeks but I just had to know. HOWEVER, the difference I've seen in my body and endurance during my workouts is SUBSTANTIAL. My clothes are more loose than they were 2 weeks ago and I've found that I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY through out the day, as well as during my workouts!

I'm so excited that this group exists!! Please feel free to add me as a friend as well! I need a lot of motivation for this because it is very discouraging to look at so many other food diaries and see such low caloric intake, causing those doubts to creep up again.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I would love to be a part of this! I've been trying to figure my body out for a long time and I feel like I'm finally making a break through. While this is still a new concept for me, I made the change to eating more than the ridiculous 1200 cals a couple weeks ago, but just found this group today. I've read through this thread some and it's already clearing some lingering doubts I had about this. I lost track of how many times I've change my calorie goal in the last couple of weeks because every time I check my BMR, it just seemed like it couldn't possibly be that I had to eat that much to start losing again! Here is my story:

I'm 5' 8" and currently weigh 172 lbs. Now when anyone I know finds this out they do not believe me! They tell me there's no way I weigh more than 150 lbs. I can't really make this call myself because I still see the flaws in my body that I've been working hard to work off, so maybe they're right, who knows... Anyway, I have been at 172 dead on, no fluxuation what so ever, for 5 months. It's been very frustrating!! I kept myself at a strict 1200 - 1350 cal diet for those 5 months and was working out (HARD) for 90 - 120 mins 5 - 6 days a week. So yes, I'm sad to say I was netting roughly 500 - 750 cals a day. It has been about 2 weeks since I drastically upped my caloric intake and was warned that for the first 4 - 6 weeks, I would probably gain but to keep at it. I weighed myself this morning and sure enough...173. I wasn't dissapointed though. I wasn't planning on looking at a scale for another 3 weeks but I just had to know. HOWEVER, the difference I've seen in my body and endurance during my workouts is SUBSTANTIAL. My clothes are more loose than they were 2 weeks ago and I've found that I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY through out the day, as well as during my workouts!

I'm so excited that this group exists!! Please feel free to add me as a friend as well! I need a lot of motivation for this because it is very discouraging to look at so many other food diaries and see such low caloric intake, causing those doubts to creep up again.

This is awesome! I am so happy for you! How much did you up it to?? So, you gained only one pound total in the past 2 weeks?

TavistockToad

1787 lovely calories today, yum yum!

Mallory0418

This is awesome! I am so happy for you! How much did you up it to?? So, you gained only one pound total in the past 2 weeks?

I was quite surprised when I had only gained one pound! When you've conditioned your mind to think anything over 1300 cals a day is a terrible thing, upping your caloric intake the way did was very overwhelming at first. It took me the first week to get my mind in the right place and convince myself it was ok to eat this much. The second week I ate anywhere between 1800 - 2200 cals a day. Right now I have my goal set to net at 1700 no matter what, but I'm not sure if this is right yet either...

xcjumper

Hi Ladies!
Well, I'm on call today so I haven't gotten to the gym yet since I need to stick kinda close to the house. As long as they don't call my plan is to go to the gym about 4pm. I've been working off some cals doing yard and house work.

Mallory-welcome! I was on 1300 for a while and was literally dying! I was so fatigued and could barely finish a workout. I upped them right away to 2K and had immediate loss. Not much but i felt tons better! Now I'm going between 1800-2200 depending on the day. It's nice to have energy even though I'm not seeing a huge loss just slow and steady Hopefully it will work for you too!

Can't remember if there was a question of the day today? Hmm