Major sucess with higher calories!

bakingmadness

I just calculated my numbers on the website and I am customizing my MFP goals now and will start this tomorrow. It's worth a try!

luvmydog2

Bump !

AmberFaith90

I'll have to keep this in mind for when my weight loss starts to slow down! I started my weight loss journey not very safe. I was consuming about 600-900 calories for the first two weeks. Yes, I lost weight, but I would go to bed starving. Then I signed up for MFP and upped my calories to 1200. Some days I don't make it, but I try not to stress out too bad. I feel a lot better than I did previously (both before I started my weight loss journey AND when my calories were dangerously low). I guess I can always just have more homemade fruit smoothies

Thanks so much for sharing!

heybales

Hmmm.. I must be a real anamoly then. I lost weight MORE when I was on a VLCD. I'm now on 1600 to 1800 a day (net above 1300) and losing consistently but much slower than before. Granted I'm down to my last few pounds before GW but still... *shrug*

Considering 1 lb of muscle only contains 600 calories compared to 3500 cal in a lb of fat, it is easy to lose "weight" with VLCD because you end up burning off muscle.

Glad you raised the level back up safely. That's usually the kicker.

luvmydog2

Yes i am on higher calories and my friends are passing me , but my dietician told me ...the longer it takes to loose my weight ....I have a better chance of keeping it off .
I have lost and gained 4 times in my life time and always yo yoed back . This time i want to stay the way i was meant to be and keep healthy
Watching people on less than 1200 cal a day ...scares me some what .
I dont look at other peoples diary now ...for that reason .

Tempe729

That's awesome! It's a mind-game because eating more calories - isn't that what got us here in the first place? I have had slow but good success since Jan 1 (10 lbs) but that's on the 1200. But how long can I sustain this? I am just starting to work out now, and am hungry! Think I will up my calories and give it a try! Thanks for the info!

I actually used to eat an easy 2000 calories a day before joining MFP in early January. I have my daily cal-intake at 1400 and I've actually lost 20pounds (15lbs are since I joined MFP) within 2 months and several inches. I think it depends on your body type and exercise level too.

pattan59801

So if MFP sets my calories at say 1900 and I go to the gym and burn 2200 cals I an supposed to eat 4100 cals for that day????? that sounds crazy! and please some one tel me calorie deficit is

jj3120

Add me to the list - I had my numbers ran by Helloitsdan on the 18th Feb, and I went from 1200 to 1750.

I thought - HUH???? I'm just about 5ft, how am I going to lose weight on that many calories?

But I was prepared to give it a go, and I am so glad I did. in 3 weeks I have lost over 5lb, but I am more excited about the inches off my waist.

Apparently your body needs fats to burn fat.

According to MFP I should be maintaining at this level of calories.

That's good to know I'm 5ft 0 as well and have been thinking about going over 1430 mfp calories.

I always eat back my calories but I've always worry because I'm short about going any higher.

Elleinnz

Love, love this post - great job - so happy for you, and thanks for sharing!!

Trinketona

I was consuming only 1340 calories wasnt losing an inch. It was so discouraging because I was working out almost everyday and nothing was coming off. Well I also contacted Helloitsdan and he helped me with my calories. He said to up them to 1800 I also thought it was crazy. It took a while for any weightloss to show but finally dropping the pounds. I have lost 10 pounds and I also started on the first of January. Excited to see what will happen from now until summer.

tommo99

Awesome post to read. I am in this for the long haul, so won't be returning to "normal" eating once I have lost the weight I want to lose. I have been doing really well so far and I don't mind if the weight loss slows. It is important that I don't feel like I am cutting anything from my diet because otherwise I cheat and stress and then get in a bad mindset.

I have increased my calorie limit after reading this (and doing the calculators on Fat 2 Fit) and will see how I go.

Thanx.

ChunkySpice

I'm 5'2, 206lbs, and losing at net 14-1600 with only exercising 3x/wk for about 45minutes. According to the bmr thing, mine is 1602. Does that mean I should actually increase, or that I'm good where I am? I'm trying to get to 160, regardless of how long it takes.

FreshKrisKreash

I'm 5'2, 206lbs, and losing at net 14-1600 with only exercising 3x/wk for about 45minutes. According to the bmr thing, mine is 1602. Does that mean I should actually increase, or that I'm good where I am? I'm trying to get to 160, regardless of how long it takes.

If you're eating 1600 a day and losing 1600 a day, you will maintain. If you're losing 1600 more calories per week, that's only half a pound a week. But if you're losing 1600 a day, JEEPERS! you should up them calories.

Inebriated

Bump

ChunkySpice

Ack! No, I'm only most days 1-300 calories under what I set it at. But I exercise 30min/day 3 days a week (walking) and do a 55 min DVD once a week. (I'm set at 1600 and the reason I'm asking is it seems like I'm not working very hard at all for my roughly 1lb/wk loss.)

msespresso

Very interesting topic, I've been hearing a lot about eating higher calories and changed my goal to lose 1.5lbs a week instead of 2, which is much better... haven't been at that long enough to see the results, though.

Question- when you decide to up your calories, do you change your settings to reflect that number? I've only tweaked percentages (carb/fat/protein) and my fiber goals, it hadn't even occurred to me to change the calories.

QuintinV

I was consuming only 1340 calories wasnt losing an inch. It was so discouraging because I was working out almost everyday and nothing was coming off. Well I also contacted Helloitsdan and he helped me with my calories. He said to up them to 1800 I also thought it was crazy. It took a while for any weightloss to show but finally dropping the pounds. I have lost 10 pounds and I also started on the first of January. Excited to see what will happen from now until summer.

I have struggled with the cal total per day since I started and have slowly but surely increased my calorie intake. I have a goal set by MFP of 1800 but burn off +-400 cal doing exercise 4-5 times a week. Does this mean I should up my cal intake to aim higher than 1200 (I've been trying to just stay over 1200 as I understand this is the minimum); so my net should be 1800 a day?

lisa28115

Ack! No, I'm only most days 1-300 calories under what I set it at. But I exercise 30min/day 3 days a week (walking) and do a 55 min DVD once a week. (I'm set at 1600 and the reason I'm asking is it seems like I'm not working very hard at all for my roughly 1lb/wk loss.)

if your BMR is 1600...you need to eat at least that much everyday
3 days a week walking is good
does your dvd include strength training like squats and push ups

this is what dan advised me to do

lisa28115

I was consuming only 1340 calories wasnt losing an inch. It was so discouraging because I was working out almost everyday and nothing was coming off. Well I also contacted Helloitsdan and he helped me with my calories. He said to up them to 1800 I also thought it was crazy. It took a while for any weightloss to show but finally dropping the pounds. I have lost 10 pounds and I also started on the first of January. Excited to see what will happen from now until summer.

I have struggled with the cal total per day since I started and have slowly but surely increased my calorie intake. I have a goal set by MFP of 1800 but burn off +-400 cal doing exercise 4-5 times a week. Does this mean I should up my cal intake to aim higher than 1200 (I've been trying to just stay over 1200 as I understand this is the minimum); so my net should be 1800 a day?

yes...

1200 is very low for a man
a man should eat at least 1600

ChunkySpice

Ack! No, I'm only most days 1-300 calories under what I set it at. But I exercise 30min/day 3 days a week (walking) and do a 55 min DVD once a week. (I'm set at 1600 and the reason I'm asking is it seems like I'm not working very hard at all for my roughly 1lb/wk loss.)

if your BMR is 1600...you need to eat at least that much everyday
3 days a week walking is good
does your dvd include strength training like squats and push ups

this is what dan advised me to do

No, its one of those dancey type ones they have infomercials for. But I do a lot of lifting (transferring 115lb people) and twisting at my job. I'm not even walking that fast. :-/

yogibella

thank you for this! I'm trying to educate myself here but still a little confused, so bear with me...

tried the recommended calculations and it gives me:
BMR = 1464 (Harris-Benedict)
TDEE = 1756 (sedentary-light)

to lose weight, 1756 (TDEE) - 500 (1lbs/week) = 1256

should I net 1256 or my BMR? (I'm currently set at that proverbial 1200 and upped a whopping 50 cals this week!)

So in my case, is this right?

I should note, I'm a petite 5'2". I've been losing at a steady & SLOW 1 lbs-ish per week since joining MFP. I eat back most of my exercise cals. Before joining, I ate anywhere between my BMR and TDEE and maintained, which makes sense. So I'm doing the deficit and concentrating on a workout regimen. I make sure to get my protein. Haven't hit a plateau yet but I was gonna try lifting heavy and upping my cals to fuel my muscles when I do. Am I doing this right??? I'm just afraid that I'm being inefficient about it?

lisa28115

Ack! No, I'm only most days 1-300 calories under what I set it at. But I exercise 30min/day 3 days a week (walking) and do a 55 min DVD once a week. (I'm set at 1600 and the reason I'm asking is it seems like I'm not working very hard at all for my roughly 1lb/wk loss.)

if your BMR is 1600...you need to eat at least that much everyday
3 days a week walking is good
does your dvd include strength training like squats and push ups

this is what dan advised me to do

No, its one of those dancey type ones they have infomercials for. But I do a lot of lifting (transferring 115lb people) and twisting at my job. I'm not even walking that fast. :-/

challenge yourself to do some squats and push up
8-12 push ups and 3-5 squats holding for 30 sec each time

Dan told me his challenge room is the basement, every time he goes to the base ment he does chin ups

mine is here at work...every time I go to the bathroom i do push ups aganist the wall and squat by the sink

Elizadolots

Glad for you that it works! I am just about 6ft tall, and decided to follow advice from other websites to up my calories to 1500 (plus exercise cals). Unfortunately it seems to have turned around and bit me in the backside! I has taken me a while to lose 7 lbs, and with upping my calories I have put on 4lbs. So now lowering it once again and hoping to lose. So very very fed up with it all! :sad:

lisa28115

thank you for this! I'm trying to educate myself here but still a little confused, so bear with me...

tried the recommended calculations and it gives me:
BMR = 1464 (Harris-Benedict)
TDEE = 1756 (sedentary-light)

to lose weight, 1756 (TDEE) - 500 (1lbs/week) = 1256

should I net 1256 or my BMR?

I should note, I'm a petite 5'2". I've been losing at a steady & slow 1 lbs-ish per week since joining MFP. I eat back most of my exercise cals. Before joining, I ate anywhere between my BMR and TDEE and maintained, which makes sense. So I'm doing the deficit and concentrating on a workout regimen. I make sure to get my protein. Haven't hit a plateau yet but I was gonna try lifting heavy and upping my cals to fuel my muscles when I do. Am I doing this right??? I'm just afraid that I'm being inefficient about it?

sounds good to me

i have been told never to eat under 1200 and i have also been told never to eat under my BMR..so i would eat in that range if you are losing and maybe up it when you hit a plateau
you definitly need to eat back your exercise calories as your body needs it for the burn

lisa28115

I am only 5'1 and I still need to lose about 70 lbs

i eat 1800 calories regardless if I exercise or not that day
my BMR is 1575 and my TDEE is 1800


my routine looks like this:

sunday - rest day
monday - strength training dvd 15-30 min
tuesday - cardio 20-30 min
wednsday - strength training dvd 15-30 min
thursday - rest day
friday - yoga 20-30 min
saturday - cardio 20-30 min

almonds1

I was consuming only 1340 calories wasnt losing an inch. It was so discouraging because I was working out almost everyday and nothing was coming off. Well I also contacted Helloitsdan and he helped me with my calories. He said to up them to 1800 I also thought it was crazy. It took a while for any weightloss to show but finally dropping the pounds. I have lost 10 pounds and I also started on the first of January. Excited to see what will happen from now until summer.

I have struggled with the cal total per day since I started and have slowly but surely increased my calorie intake. I have a goal set by MFP of 1800 but burn off +-400 cal doing exercise 4-5 times a week. Does this mean I should up my cal intake to aim higher than 1200 (I've been trying to just stay over 1200 as I understand this is the minimum); so my net should be 1800 a day?

yes...

1200 is very low for a man
a man should eat at least 1600

wow, thats low.... I was eating 1850 at 160lbs and now I am up to 2300 day.. 1850 seemed low.

FireSwan

Thank you for this!

I've been at a stall and have been so frustrated. I'll try upping my calories and protien. I'm already on a Slow Carb diet (4hr body) and I know they say not to track calories, but I like to write down everything I eat so I know what I'm doing wrong and right. And since MFP has set 1200 calories for me I decided to keep it at around 1200 calories. I eat back most of my exercise calories and on days I don't work out, i've kept it at 1200. +/- 100 cals.

I'm 5'6" and my BMR is 1652 cal/day I've got about 70 lbs to lose

I changed my settings to lose 1lb/week and MFP has me at 1560 cals/day. So that's what I'll start with now and see what happens!

ninjalaura5

I wonder if this is whats wrong for me? I eat about 1000 cals and exercise everyday, and im not even losing one pound, im scared to eat more though now, i need to lose 3stone

FireSwan

I wonder if this is whats wrong for me? I eat about 1000 cals and exercise everyday, and im not even losing one pound, im scared to eat more though now, i need to lose 3stone

Yeah, I'm a little worried too, but the way I see it is like this:

What I'm currently doing isn't working, what I've done before didn't work. I'll try this for 2 weeks and see how it goes. If I lose, then I know what to do! If I stay the same or gain, then I know I need to do something else. Every BODY is different so what works for some doesn't always work for others. It takes experimentation to see what works for you. :happy:

lisa28115

I wonder if this is whats wrong for me? I eat about 1000 cals and exercise everyday, and im not even losing one pound, im scared to eat more though now, i need to lose 3stone

You need to eat at least 1200 calories a day

Do you know what your BMR and TDEE numbers are?

message heybales and he can help you figure out your numbers