Major sucess with higher calories!

lilsassymom

I was just using "lightly active" because of my kid aspect. So since I also exercise 5-6 days I should at least use "moderately active" instead (moderate exercise 3-5 days a week) which says it is 2010 calories? Today I customized my MFP goal to 2010---and right now it looks like this for example:
Goal 2010
Food 1994
Exercise -377
=Net 1617.
So since I am NOT going for a NET calorie of 2010---then technically I only have 16 calories left correct?

That is correct dead on.
So nice easy goal to keep in mind.

Now you might record in Check-in those other measurements that got you to this goal figure.
That way 10 lb down the road, or drain, you go back and get new values to confirm still at good goal level.

You may have noticed the paragraph above the table values mentions they are doing all this at goal weight, so it really won't change.

Thanks again for all your help. How soon do you think we would see a change on the scale after we up our calories? If we have been under-eating will we see results almost immediately or will it take a few days?

heybales

Thanks again for all your help. How soon do you think we would see a change on the scale after we up our calories? If we have been under-eating will we see results almost immediately or will it take a few days?

How long did it take for the metabolism to drop? 3 days to 3 weeks or more?

Could take a couple weeks to come back up. At first the body is going to think this is a gift to store, in case the insanity really continued.
First week of small increase usually sees benefit from NO exercise, just walking during your normal workout time.
Why?
Body isn't trying to repair and recover, sees the energy it is getting is fine for what it needs, and allows metabolism to come up.
Besides which, on first week slight increase of maybe 200 daily, you still aren't at BMR level perhaps. And walking is mainly fat burning.
Like others, you may actually burn fat during this increase.

loves03

This sounds great but I'm one of those who is scared to up my calories I've been at 1200 calories and adding exercise (not eating back calories) and the scale hasn't been moving. Just a few days ago I started eating my exercise calories back. I did the tools and here is what I got:

BMR: 1676 sedentary lifestyle
TDEE: 1984

So I should be eating around 1600 calories a day plus my exercise calories? Am I doing this right? Thanks in advance

heybales

This sounds great but I'm one of those who is scared to up my calories I've been at 1200 calories and adding exercise (not eating back calories) and the scale hasn't been moving. Just a few days ago I started eating my exercise calories back. I did the tools and here is what I got:

BMR: 1676 sedentary lifestyle
TDEE: 1984

So I should be eating around 1600 calories a day plus my exercise calories? Am I doing this right? Thanks in advance

Don't be scared, you caused your own stall by your diet/exercise routine already. You can only go 2 directions now, hopefully you know now which way is wrong.

And if you really will eat back exercise calories, you want the daily ABOVE your BMR by an amount - so 1700.

Otherwise, the method that is being discussed is:
From helloitsdan profile page.

>>>>>IMPORTANT!!! To get your numbers right please visit http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Do the Military Body Fat Calc first, then the BMR tool.
The BMR tool will give exact calories to eat on a daily basis when you select the correct activity level.
Add 20% to this number to get your TDEE. TDEE - eating = deficit you would have.
For Fat loss plans set up macros at 30% Protein/Fat each.<<<<<<<

Lesa_Sass

This sounds great but I'm one of those who is scared to up my calories I've been at 1200 calories and adding exercise (not eating back calories) and the scale hasn't been moving. Just a few days ago I started eating my exercise calories back. I did the tools and here is what I got:

BMR: 1676 sedentary lifestyle
TDEE: 1984

So I should be eating around 1600 calories a day plus my exercise calories? Am I doing this right? Thanks in advance

I took this picture today, I am 43 years old and just got to my goal! I did it by eating. I would say trying anywhere between 1400 and 1600 would work. Good luck, I swear I could not believe it either, but I promise it does. The proof is this picture and another one of my back in my profile.

Cclancaster

Ok so I am still a little confused I want to make sure I am getting this.
I am 5 foot 2 I weight 127lbs
my fat percentage is 36.1 according to the military tool on fat 2 fit
I then plugged that into the BMR and for moderate I have kids and work out 5 days a week using Chalean extreme a combo of weight training and cardio. It says I should be consuming 2072 calories a day. Is this correct? Now my question is do I need to net 2072 calories? Which means I need to eat back all my exercise calories or do I just need to consume this many calories in food and then my work out will be my deficit calories? I would like to get back down to 115lbs but if I don't lose pounds I am okay with that as long as I lose inches and body fat? So will someone please clarify all this for me and make sure that I am on the right track. Thank you all for your input and help.

JenaePavlak

Everyone needs to read this!!

JAllen32

:drinker: Woohoo! :drinker:

Welcome to the dark side, where we really do have cookies, and have enough calories to eat them.

HAHAHA! And wine.....

AMEN!!!

melbot24

Thanks! I was just advised/decided to up my calories today after having the same problem!
It's soo soo encouraging to read this!

marci423

bump )

miltonp50

Thank you for this post. It sure seems counterintuitive to eat less, but we need to eat what our bodies need to maintain and then not overdue it. Best wishes on your journey.

slimgal613

This is my first week of increasing my calorie intake from 1200 to 1500. Have to admit, after looking my diary, still having trouble hitting the 1500 mark. I think I need to incorporate more healthy snacks throughout the day to help me get to my 1500 cal intake. I am hoping that this will work; been stuck and its been slooooow going. Wishing all of you luck on your diet/calorie changes.

barefoot76

I also went to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ and my result was that I should be eating at least 1800-2100 calories a day. HOLY CRAP. I eat around 1200-1500 right now, and I can't imagine eating more.

That said, I know it isn't that easy, because before I joined MFP, I was eating around 2000 calories a day on average, and I wasn't losing weight, I was gaining it -- and I eat insanely healthy, no junk food, no fake food, very little processed food. And I was training for a half marathon four days a week, and doing strength training two days a week, and I have four kids -- so by definition, I was active!

It can't be as simple as "eat more calories" or "do more exercise." That means I was eating the wrong things and working out the wrong stuff.

What I'm hearing from folks who are having success after plateauing is that they:

1. Increased calories BUT ALSO changed their ratios so that they were eating significantly more protein than fat AND in most cases they ate more whole foods and less processed foods,

2. And they significantly changed their workout routines AND in many cases started lifting HEAVY things.

Does that sound about right? Because I am working my butt off to lose those last ten pounds, and it is taking F O R E V E R, LOL.

RebeccaRose55

I am new to this, did WW before. So, I eat the 1200 and if I am hungry I exercise and then eat those calories. If I am eating the calories I get from exercising, should I still be eating more? (I am hungry everyday so I exercise everyday.) Thanks!

mamapuddin17

BUMP

christenwypy

I am afraid to do that! Did he tell you what the reason was that more calories would help you lose weight? I have heard others say this as well but I can't wrap my head around it.

christenwypy

Yeah, I feel like there should be more to it as well. it seems like if you increase your calories but workout the same then you'd gain weight back?

kjpersich

To Dan, Bales, or Lemon,
I did my math...BMR 1347, TDEE 1616.4. I used the Fat to Fit calculator and it's telling me that I can eat 2007 calories to get to my goal weight. But that is above my TDEE? Is that right? I am 5'7'', 130lbs. I am trying to get nice and lean. I think I've gotten skinny fat from a 1200 calorie a day diet. I love to exercise. I'm currently doing 3 mile interval runs and 30 day shred 5 to 6 days a week. I know I'm not eating enough. I have only been netting 850 calories. I am big time lacking energy. And you are suggesting 30% fat, 30% protein, and (gasp) 40% carbs? Set me straight. I will follow it to the gospel! And Bales, I notice you say not to just start eating all the extra calories at once. Spread it out?
Thanks ahead of time!

amysj303

I am curious to hear more from people who are eating over what is considered maintenance levels, but at goal weight. All this is a very new idea for me.

heybales

I am curious to hear more from people who are eating over what is considered maintenance levels, but at goal weight. All this is a very new idea for me.

But it is not eating _over_ maintenance levels at goal weight, it is _at_ maintenance levels at goal weight.

And realize too, that estimate of maintenance levels is just that, really an underestimated maintenance level.

You could enter your goal weight same as your current weight to get current weight TDEE.
Subtract you BMR from that.
Total activity calories.

Now, if you have HRM estimates of calories burned on ONLY your workouts, I'll bet you'd find that you about suck up most of those activity calories by just the exercise. And that number was supposed to represent all the daily activity.

heybales

To Dan, Bales, or Lemon,
I did my math...BMR 1347, TDEE 1616.4. I used the Fat to Fit calculator and it's telling me that I can eat 2007 calories to get to my goal weight. But that is above my TDEE? Is that right? I am 5'7'', 130lbs. I am trying to get nice and lean. I think I've gotten skinny fat from a 1200 calorie a day diet. I love to exercise. I'm currently doing 3 mile interval runs and 30 day shred 5 to 6 days a week. I know I'm not eating enough. I have only been netting 850 calories. I am big time lacking energy. And you are suggesting 30% fat, 30% protein, and (gasp) 40% carbs? Set me straight. I will follow it to the gospel! And Bales, I notice you say not to just start eating all the extra calories at once. Spread it out?
Thanks ahead of time!

Something didn't work right.
That page that reports your BMR and the chart for Activity Levels and Daily Calories. There is only 2 sets of figures, not 3.

There is no way your suggestion was 1616, unless you are looking at Sedentary level, and you would be at Very Active level with that workout routine.

Dan's method is picking that level that applies, and as the site mentions, you eat there, and because that includes exercise in the total already, you don't eat back exercise calories logged, or log them as 1 cal.

To calc what your real deficit would be, you add 20% to that level figure to get your estimated real TDEE.
Now you have TDEE minus what you are eating, and for you that is almost 1lb weekly.

You will be shocked at the Very Active level, but you can pick a number inbetween Moderate and Very Active if you aren't 6-7 days, but more 5-6.

And yes, the case studies I've seen on suppressed metabolism had them adding back about 200 per day for a week.
If the gap was as big as yours, they also stopped exercise for a week and just walked. Letting the body figure out it could raise metabolism, rather than storing it as a gift in case the insanity continued.

heybales

Yeah, I feel like there should be more to it as well. it seems like if you increase your calories but workout the same then you'd gain weight back?

There is more to it.

You gain weight being at a surplus over ALL your daily activity calorie burn.

Most people have easy 600-1000 daily activity. If their metabolism was not slowed down anyway.

You might read some of my past posts, and those of others. It really was explained in this thread. If you are interested, doesn't long to scan past all the "it worked for me" posts.

babygurl48

it's true.. i was at 1240 calories and the scale wouldn't budge. I upped the calories to 1540 and lost over a lb in a week.

cheshirechic

Bump to read later

Cclancaster

Heydales,

Would you look on page 16 and see if my calculations are correct? Thanks

lds72

I am one that also was at 1200 cal a day (or less) and yes I lost 55 lbs eating on a VLCD over 1.5 yrs but would get so frustrated b/c I lost better when I didn't exercise. I started running and loved doing so but running would really slow my loss down and I could not understand why. It got to the point that I was afraid to run or exercise b/c I would either gain or stay the same.

I have a Body Fit armband and now know that on days I run/ exercise my TDEE is around 2500 yet I was only eating 1200 and never ate my exercise cal back. I should have been eating 1500 and then eating my exercise cals back on days I exercise.

The light bulb finally went off!! I ran all my numbers on Fat2Fit and WOW!

I started upping my calories 2 wks ago and the first week I did the scale went up, I freaked out but stuck with it and this week it went down 3 lbs!!! I am so excited! It all totally makes sense to me know!

Thank you helloitsdan and heybales!! We are listening!

Mochadog

eenoi28....

thank you.... I just was coming on to say that I'm freaking out because after upping my calories over the last two weeks I've gained a little. I really needed to know someone else had that experience as well and that it DID turn around and go back in the right direction.

I can't say that I'm not still a little freaked out with this, but I've known mentally for a long time that I needed to eat more but it sure can cause a bit of anxiety after so many years of 'eating less to lose weight'.

I keep telling myself: Lean bodies need more fuel! Lean bodies need more fuel! Repeat...

Here's hoping I can finally get rid of this last ten pounds or so.

rubysphoto

I had mine set to 1200 a day and never put in my exercises and would always be under my goal. So in fact most days I was taking in only 500-800 calories a day. I did lose 45 lbs over the last 5 months but I was at a stand still for the last 3 weeks and only losing a half pound. I moved my calories up to 1430 and I track my exercises and eat back darn close to all of them back since the last 5 days I have lost 1.6 lbs. Crazy.

lewdug

Eating enough calories is a major thing in weight loss. If you don't end up NETTING at least 1200 (although, I think you should be eating at least 1500 calories a day to lose weight healthfully), you'll be setting yourself up for failure. 800-900 calories a day is basically low enough to signal to your body that you're starving, which tells it that it needs to conserve energy and hold onto every calorie. That's why you were gaining. Evolution has made the body that way for survival, since we couldn't always get enough food when we were hunter-gatherers originally. We have to think about the remarkable human body and how it does all it can to preserve our lives and take care of us, to keep us functioning. If we think that way, I think more of us will be less likely to mistreat it and treat it like the precious treasure it is.

lewdug

Yes, since your metabolism has slowed down because of the lack of calories before, it will need a period of adjustment. You may or may not gain weight back for a little bit, but it will adjust back, and you'll lose again. The body's metabolism is tricky like that. Not eating enough calories, though, will just sabotage you, and it's also detrimental to your health because the body also will begin to break down muscle to make up for nutritional deficiencies of protein and energy. This includes your heart muscle, so be very careful about not eating enough calories.