people who LOST weight eating MORE

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Replies

  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Hmmm I could be confused after reading some of the replie. But I thought this "eat more/less" should be based on how much one self used to eat and how much he/she eats now. I bet most people have to eat less than before so weight loss could happen. I don't think it's a fair comparison if someone with starting weight at 200 lbs (just an example) says he/she is losing more by eating more than someone who has barely a few pounds to lose. People have different amount of weight to lose so the required calorie intake should be different to reach their goal. Am I confused or what...
  • strawberryromper
    strawberryromper Posts: 64 Member
    So should a person NOT eat their exercise calories? Im alittle confused on that part.

    My suggestion and the suggestion of most seems to be: eat back AT LEAST some of them. I eat back some or all of them and sometimes more, depending on how hungry I am. If you want to know why, there are numerous explanations on the forum but basically you need to be eating enough for your body to function.
  • strawberryromper
    strawberryromper Posts: 64 Member
    Hmmm I could be confused after reading some of the replie. But I thought this "eat more/less" should be based on how much one self used to eat and how much he/she eats now. I bet most people have to eat less than before so weight loss could happen. I don't think it's a fair comparison if someone with starting weight at 200 lbs (just an example) says he/she is losing more by eating more than someone who has barely a few pounds to lose. People have different amount of weight to lose so the required calorie intake should be different to reach their goal. Am I confused or what...

    I am reading this differently than you are.

    I am reading this as, "For those of you who were eating less food at the beginning of your diet than you are eating now..." e. g. people who did not net at least 1200 for the day, or didn't eat back their exercise calories, or whatever.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,897 Member
    I have upped my calories this week. I will see what it does over the next 6 weeks. I have changed my work-outs to focus more on weight-training - and yes, I am sacrificing some of my much-beloved cardio to fit this in.

    While it all seems very counter-intuitive, I am doing it.

    I trust that I will be STRONGER at the end of this, even if the number on the scale stays the same - and since "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY", I'm okay with this.
  • MrsNoir
    MrsNoir Posts: 236 Member
    I've not 100% sure if it works for me as my weight was mainly baby weight and I'm still breastfeeding, so perhaps my previous 6 kilos drop in 4 months might have been due to that, plain breastfeeding. I've been taking measurements seriously and I've lost 5cm from tummy alone, hardly anything from the waist, and only one or two from hips and chest since October the 20th! yes .. all that in less than a month...

    . But I started counting calories 6 weeks or so after giving birth, then managed to lose 6 kilos, but I've read an inspirational comment that woke me up, it's true I was very close from my goal so it was a bit too much unrealistic to try to lose 2lbs a week, when I've only got 4lbs to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. And only 6lbs to reach a possible goal, although now I'm quite happy with my weight and my achievement.

    My story with eating more and losing is now.. when I came to Spain again for a couple of weeks... I try to log the food but there is a lot of food that is simply not on the database. I'm talking about Churros con chocolate, loads of oil implied on that, plus a very very very thick chocolate, the breakfast itself may add up to 700 calories on it alone, if not more!. Then had on the same day a lunch on a chinese restaurant. Salad as a starter but special fried rice and lemon chicken.. plus the sweet for afters... wow.. I thought I would put on soooo much weight that day ... that well, I couldn't be bothered, I was on holidays and I did a bit of walking so I felt like I could balance it. Two days later I ate chinese again, and chocolate con churros again.. and tapas... like three tapas per night, including the alcoholic drink, wich I forget to be mixed with cocacola light, so that would add extra calories.. plus tapas usually imply french fries, mayonnaise, bread, cheese... and all kind of rich in calories sauces. Well.. these last few days I hardly had time for exercise, as opposed to last week... guess what? I've lost 2lbs this same crazy week of chocolate con churros, chinese food, plus loads of sweets that I'm addicted to while I'm staying at my parents, and so far I'm only losing. :D. I was scared I would go back to England a lot fatter, but instead I'm losing, so I'm not bothered any more to be over my limit of calories a day (I've put it up a couple of days ago, I was at 1200) and I know I should be around 1800 by now or even more given that I'm still breastfeeding, so I don't feel that guilty if I go over, as now I think it might be more beneficial, as I think I hitted plateau a couple of times while doing only 1200 and exercising loads just to eat back those calories! :D


    I
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    Yes, we eat our calories back and lose weight better and get to eat a lot more food. That way I don't feel deprived because I can eat whatever I want. This site is the best thing that could have happened to me. It encourages me to work out more so I can eat more and still lose. I eat anywhere from 1500 - 1900 calories a day, depending on how much I was able to work out. Please stop being afraid to eat, eat your exercise calories back.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Hmmm I could be confused after reading some of the replie. But I thought this "eat more/less" should be based on how much one self used to eat and how much he/she eats now. I bet most people have to eat less than before so weight loss could happen. I don't think it's a fair comparison if someone with starting weight at 200 lbs (just an example) says he/she is losing more by eating more than someone who has barely a few pounds to lose. People have different amount of weight to lose so the required calorie intake should be different to reach their goal. Am I confused or what...

    I am reading this differently than you are.

    I am reading this as, "For those of you who were eating less food at the beginning of your diet than you are eating now..." e. g. people who did not net at least 1200 for the day, or didn't eat back their exercise calories, or whatever.
    Ah, I see the possibly misinterpretation here now. :)
  • IvyEinstein
    IvyEinstein Posts: 8 Member
    Wow, I have read all these posts and must say I too for about a week followed the reccomendations of MFP with the 1200 calories and almost fell out from starvation!
    I upped mine to 1500 at the reccomendation of my personal trainer and POW...I lost 3 pounds in one week...now mind you, I work out 6 times a week and yes, I do eat some of my exercise calories but, hey the bump up in calories is working for me...just TWO more pounds to go :)
  • So, were you undereating initially and then wised up? What was your intake? What did you raise it to?

    How was weight loss before/after raising your calories?

    I think this might help people who are afraid to up their calories--despite netting less than 1200...sometimes substantially less while working out.

    i had an anxiety feeling to it which i can see this is most peoples problems, its a mental thing, but i just made myself eat more, its all about willpower, the same as eating less. in the end, do you really want to be unhealthy you can get caught up in feeling good about yourself the less you eat, feeling so in control which is what i hear lots of ed sufferers/ex-sufferers say. this kind of anxiety can lead to eating disorders and such.. i can see why these things happen, if i wasnt so headstrong and i didnt make myself eat more, you know it could have happened to me. with most people it doesnt lead to this and i may seem to be going in to hard, but guys you just pplain need to eat more. before i found mfp, i was focussing on 'eating healthy & less to lose weight', i had no intention of starving myself, but iwas only eating about 1000cal a day but didnt know it! and i only had 10kg(22lb) to lose. when i got on here i was eating 1300 (to lose one pound a week, i didnt get that was too much then), then before i knew it or even realised what was going on i had lost the weight, then i started eating 1400, got hungry and kicked through the anxiety of eating more, at 1500, got hungry kicked through it again, was eating about 1600-1800 and i think that was ok for a bit but then i started exercising more so i had to eat even more. up to 2000. now i workout heaps and have realised i burn even more doing day to day things. i now eat about 2100-2300 a day including exercise!

    i am 5'1 and 105-110 lbs (158cm 48-50kg)

    we are so similar..I eat 2100-2300 too...I'm 4'11 and ~100 pounds. awesome to find someone so much like me!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
    I'm pretty sure I'm eating a larger quantity of food now than I was when I gained weight. Possibly even more calories. But it's better food and I'm a LOT more active.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I just find it hard to believe. When I ate 1200 cals net a day, I lost around 0.8 lbs a week. When I upped to 1340, I lost about 0.6 lbs a week. I upped again to 1500 cals net (where I am now) and I have been maintaining for 2 months on that (bear in mind I have lost around 30 lbs altogether, so my caloric requirements are a lot lower now than they were when I started - I started off maintaining on 1700 cals). So raising calories has had exactly the expected effect on me - my weight loss slowed and stopped as I ate more.
    I'm with you. I guess it depends on what stage one is at during the weight loss process...
  • lucyhoneychurch
    lucyhoneychurch Posts: 576 Member
    I have upped my calories this week. I will see what it does over the next 6 weeks. I have changed my work-outs to focus more on weight-training - and yes, I am sacrificing some of my much-beloved cardio to fit this in.

    While it all seems very counter-intuitive, I am doing it.

    I trust that I will be STRONGER at the end of this, even if the number on the scale stays the same - and since "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY", I'm okay with this.

    ^^^THIS^^^ is the attitude that anyone who is contemplating increasing their calories from 1200 to *whatever* should take. I applaud you. :smile:

    I was at 1200. I was so cranky and irritable. I upped to 1400. The anxiety of trying to be under 1200 was gone.

    Same with eating back my exercise calories. Was I scared to try it? Sounded crazy? Sure, I was scared, didn't want to gain. But I tried it for a week. I STILL LOST WEIGHT.

    Especially if you're closer to goal, 10-20 or even 30 pounds, give it a try. And give it time.
  • Well I'm sure my MFP friends are sick and tired of me questioning this, at 1200 cals it's telling me I'll only lies 0.6 LB a week so I guessed working my butt off, not eating back exercise cals, drinking at least 10 glasses of water gym EVERY night I'd lose heaps but this week I put ON!!

    So as from tomorrow raised mine to 1400, being honest scares me as still can't grasp that eating more makes you lose, also really interesting about netting 1200 day, would love any advice take a look at my diary don't eat wheat and been trying higher protein but just MADD me feel bit sick, so is upping your cals really going to make you lose it???? Should I be upping mine or not??
    Good luck guys!!!

    This is exactly why I started this thread! I know it's scary to eat more but what do you have to lose? You're not making progress eating so little and you're working out, eating the bare minimum, and drinking loads of water. Give it a shot, if it doesn't work then you're not any worse off that you are now! Good luck :)
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
    One thing I know for certain after wearing my bodymedia fit for four months.. I was NOT eating enough to lose weight. I think most people underestimate their activity level, or MFP has the levels set low. When I was working out three plus days a week, I would have to set my actvitity level to high to even get the MFP numbers to come close to what I was burning overall on an average day so my deficit was reasonable.

    Unfortunately I've been restricting calories for so long that I've had a hard time losing because my metabolism is so screwed up.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
    Also - try whatever change you are going to make for a four to six week period of time. Please! Because if you only do it for two weeks, its not going to work. You might see a gain at first as your body levels out and realizes "hey I am not being starved anymore, I can let go of some of this excel crap I've been holding on to" and that can take a month or so to happen. Be patient. Stick with it.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I must be doing something totally wrong. When I was at 1200, I was losing...like 4 pounds a month. When I up'ed my calories, my weight loss stopped and actually I am gaining, slowly. This is really scary.
  • rose_mortem
    rose_mortem Posts: 147 Member
    before MFP, I was eating 800-900 calories a day, was always hungry, and wondered why I wasn't losing. I currently eat around 1300 a day, and maintain if I eat anything more than that. However, I am extremely lazy, and have not yet worked out, at all. I strongly recommend working out and all that good stuff, and a normal person could probably eat more than 1300 a day without it being an issue, as long as exercise is a top priority :flowerforyou:
  • anelahm
    anelahm Posts: 237 Member
    So, were you undereating initially and then wised up? What was your intake? What did you raise it to?

    How was weight loss before/after raising your calories?

    I think this might help people who are afraid to up their calories--despite netting less than 1200...sometimes substantially less while working out.

    i had an anxiety feeling to it which i can see this is most peoples problems, its a mental thing, but i just made myself eat more, its all about willpower, the same as eating less. in the end, do you really want to be unhealthy you can get caught up in feeling good about yourself the less you eat, feeling so in control which is what i hear lots of ed sufferers/ex-sufferers say. this kind of anxiety can lead to eating disorders and such.. i can see why these things happen, if i wasnt so headstrong and i didnt make myself eat more, you know it could have happened to me. with most people it doesnt lead to this and i may seem to be going in to hard, but guys you just pplain need to eat more. before i found mfp, i was focussing on 'eating healthy & less to lose weight', i had no intention of starving myself, but iwas only eating about 1000cal a day but didnt know it! and i only had 10kg(22lb) to lose. when i got on here i was eating 1300 (to lose one pound a week, i didnt get that was too much then), then before i knew it or even realised what was going on i had lost the weight, then i started eating 1400, got hungry and kicked through the anxiety of eating more, at 1500, got hungry kicked through it again, was eating about 1600-1800 and i think that was ok for a bit but then i started exercising more so i had to eat even more. up to 2000. now i workout heaps and have realised i burn even more doing day to day things. i now eat about 2100-2300 a day including exercise!

    i am 5'1 and 105-110 lbs (158cm 48-50kg)

    ^this has encouraged me a lot. im 5'0 and 98lb. ive always been eating 1200 ish. sometimes way under. dont exercise much. other than work (standing up for 4-8 hrs as a cashier) i am sedentary. the thought of gaining weight freaks me out. but i really wanna start upping my calories and getting exercise in. i dont plan on eating 1200 for the rest of my life!
  • rose_mortem
    rose_mortem Posts: 147 Member
    I must be doing something totally wrong. When I was at 1200, I was losing...like 4 pounds a month. When I up'ed my calories, my weight loss stopped and actually I am gaining, slowly. This is really scary.

    yes, as soon as I went from 1200 to 1300 I stopped losing completely. I temporarily went insane, and am currently back to 1200 after a month and a half without losing anything. I'm almost afraid that I might have somehing wrong with me, if I can't eat more than 1200 cals a day without maintaining :indifferent:
  • natini
    natini Posts: 347 Member
    bump. need to read later.