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Increasing Calories

HazelElfwand
HazelElfwand Posts: 83
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone- Ive read a lot of the posts on this topic but didnt quite find the answer I was looking for. I think I need to start increasing my calories. Ive lost 9lbs and 8lbs away from my goal weight (17 from ultimate goal - but Ill see how that seems along the way!) Im 5 foot 5 and 157lbs currently. I currently have my settings to lose 2lbs per week and my calories are set at 1200 even tho my BMR is 1525. I did 30DS and now Im running for 30 mins 5 times per week. Everything Ive been reading says to change my goal to .5lbs per week and eat all those extra calories. Is this a good idea....its so weird how petrified I am of increasing calories!!! Help please!!!

Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Why don't you try changing from 2 lbs to 1 lb and see if you continue losing?
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    You should increase your calories. You may be more comfortable doing it gradually, but regardless, you should up them. You are nowhere near heavy enough to push 2/week unless you want to lose a good amount of muscle mass.
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    Yes, change your settings. :smile: When you're that close to goal eating too little doesn't work in my experience. Try upping them gradually, good luck!
  • JoDeeD
    JoDeeD Posts: 391
    I have actually lost more and felt better eating more and healthier stuff. I also have more energy for stamina during exercising. I was having difficulty getting to 1200 calories and was staying still on my weight loss! Now I am losing a pound to 1.5 lbs a week.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Im 5 foot 5 and 157lbs currently. I currently have my settings to lose 2lbs per week and my calories are set at 1200 even tho my BMR is 1525...

    At your size a deficit large enough to lose 2 lbs a week would drop you well below 1200 calories if the software allowed it, which it doesn't. I don't think you'll see a huge difference in the number of calories if you change the setting to 0.5 lb per week.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    change my goal to .5lbs per week and eat all those extra calories. Is this a good idea....its so weird how petrified I am of increasing calories!!! Help please!!!

    This is how I lost weight. I'm 5'9",dropped from 161 to 149 in 16 weeks netting 1800-2000 calories a day (meaning I ate that AND exercise calories).
  • meex
    meex Posts: 135 Member
    i started on 1200 calories, never ate back exercise calories, exercised 7 days a week (30ds plus gym, weights, yoga, bikram and cardio) and i barely lost anything for 3 weeks (600g total). This weel i have upped my calories to 1300 and had to stop 30ds from an injury, decreased cardio for same reason, mostly eating back exercise calories and doing lots of weights and i have lost 700g in 3 days! My personal trainer said to aim for 1600 cals and 40% carbs and Protein and 20% fat. He also said if i hit a platue to increase calories for 3-4 days then significantly decrease for a few days which should help.

    Im not game enought yet to increse to 1600 but the small increase i have done has hugely helped
  • eddyca
    eddyca Posts: 153 Member
    i started on 1200 calories, never ate back exercise calories, exercised 7 days a week (30ds plus gym, weights, yoga, bikram and cardio) and i barely lost anything for 3 weeks (600g total). This weel i have upped my calories to 1300 and had to stop 30ds from an injury, decreased cardio for same reason, mostly eating back exercise calories and doing lots of weights and i have lost 700g in 3 days! My personal trainer said to aim for 1600 cals and 40% carbs and Protein and 20% fat. He also said if i hit a platue to increase calories for 3-4 days then significantly decrease for a few days which should help.

    Im not game enought yet to increse to 1600 but the small increase i have done has hugely helped

    Kudos to you! Sounds like you found a smart personal trainer :)
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    I'm shorter than you and heavier (5'4" and 168) and I just started this week with upping my calories. I set my goal to lose 0.5 lb per week and I am eating back some of my exercise calories. I plan to eat them all back if I really feel hungry. I'm a little nervous, but I'm also not nearly so hungry all the time! This is a huge relief and I think I will be more likely to stay with the program and not go insane and pig out on something really fattening, just because I was always so hungry!

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