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Increasing Calories - What to expect & why you need patience...

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  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    Hi! I could use some help- I'm confused by the numbers.

    My BMR is 1430
    I exercise probably 5 days a week, always cardio with strength training 2-3 times/week. My cardio daily is 400-900 cals/day, from walking, running and using an elliptical. Where I am confused is which multiplier to use- I have always thought that you EITHER put your workouts in to your TDEE OR you use the sedentary multiplier and add each workout. To me it seems like you are double counting workouts if you choose the "active" multipliers and add your workout calories.

    Anyway, today I did an 800 cal workout plus strength training, and I had to add peanut butter just to get to the Net of my BMR, 1430 cal. And this was with a splurge pizza dinner. My total cals today are 2071, and it feels really really wrong!!

    I know I've done some serious damage.I'm 29 now- I was an athlete in HS and a distance runner in college, and then with a combination of medications and depression have managed to gain like 60 lbs, but I somehow did it with alternating binge eating and starving. I was never ever someone who ate a diet of fast food. I've been a vegetarian since I was 11 y/o. But when I was in HS I thought eating 7 blueberries a day and half an english muffin with fat free butter spray and diet coke and coffee by the gallon was a legit healthy diet. I did that for years.

    Mentally I don't know if I can gain any more weight, but 1200 cals a day (with my exercise schedule) isn't getting me anywhere. None of my summer clothes fit and I'm not buying new fat clothes this year. I'm off all the medications that were plumping me up- so I feel like I have a chance.

    Oh- Surprise Surprise I also developed a thyroid condition, which is currently stabalized with synthroid.

    You guys seem like the diet whisperers- so any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks!
    -Maureen

    LOL...funny the diet whisperers...lol

    Use the moderate act level to calc your tdee - 15% and eat that every single day. On high burn days eat enough to make sure you net your bmr. Eat 1gr protein per lb of your body weight.

    Trust me your body needs the fuel and will thank you for it.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Hi there~

    I must admit that I am intrigued as well as "skeered to death":noway: :noway: to do this!

    I am age 51 and have been "dieting" since age 10 so what have I got to lose?

    I KNOW I've been "starving" my body for years~ lower and lower calories then a binge day or two, lose some, gain some, lose more, gain more. I raise and lower my calorie goals on here routinely but am consistantly UNDER most of the time.
    I've been in MFP for over a year now and at one time was down 20 pounds~ then, over Christmas, gained some but at least not ALL of it.

    Can you tell me how to set up my Food Diary for my calories and macros? I want to keep my sodium and fiber where they are for now.
    My stats:
    age 51
    wt: 200
    ht: 5'0"
    BMR: 1440

    I do Jillian Michaels Body Revolution~4 days weights, 2 cardio, 1 day off AND a 60 min class at the gym of Yoga and/or Pilates, and an aerobic dancy class called Swing Lo. So I am doing SOMEthing approx 6 days a week.:tongue:

    I should note that I have MS and although I am high functioning, I do not work and usually have to "rest" (aka nap) for most afternoons. So although I exercise each morning, I am NOT active for about half a day.:yawn:

    I look forward to hangin out with the "diet whisperers":flowerforyou: ~I think I am going to stay OFF the scale for at least a month but take measurements. And like someone else said, I think I will read the opening post here EVERY day!!
    Thanks for any suggestions~
    Rosie
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    Hi there~

    I must admit that I am intrigued as well as "skeered to death":noway: :noway: to do this!

    I am age 51 and have been "dieting" since age 10 so what have I got to lose?

    I KNOW I've been "starving" my body for years~ lower and lower calories then a binge day or two, lose some, gain some, lose more, gain more. I raise and lower my calorie goals on here routinely but am consistantly UNDER most of the time.
    I've been in MFP for over a year now and at one time was down 20 pounds~ then, over Christmas, gained some but at least not ALL of it.

    Can you tell me how to set up my Food Diary for my calories and macros? I want to keep my sodium and fiber where they are for now.
    My stats:
    age 51
    wt: 200
    ht: 5'0"
    BMR: 1440

    I do Jillian Michaels Body Revolution~4 days weights, 2 cardio, 1 day off AND a 60 min class at the gym of Yoga and/or Pilates, and an aerobic dancy class called Swing Lo. So I am doing SOMEthing approx 6 days a week.:tongue:

    I should note that I have MS and although I am high functioning, I do not work and usually have to "rest" (aka nap) for most afternoons. So although I exercise each morning, I am NOT active for about half a day.:yawn:

    I look forward to hangin out with the "diet whisperers":flowerforyou: ~I think I am going to stay OFF the scale for at least a month but take measurements. And like someone else said, I think I will read the opening post here EVERY day!!
    Thanks for any suggestions~
    Rosie

    Hi Rosie,

    I would say use the light activity multiplier to calc your tdee and eat 15% less than that every day. Since you rest half the day I think that would be a good level.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Lucia- Thanks! I guess even though I thought I was upping my calories I still wasn't coming close!

    Per your instruction I will be upping my calories to 1884 cal/day and upping my protein. I'm going for the "taking the plunge" approach and I'm going to just do it all at once. I'm also going to read The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women. Its on its way to my kindle right now. :smile:
  • mom24littleones
    mom24littleones Posts: 58
    Hi everyone just wanted to ask If Im not lifting should i still up my calories I workout 5 days a week do Jillian Micheal's and do the Tread Mill I have some weights but not many I do all my workouts from home I upped my calories from 1410 to 1800 ...So should I keep them up there even though I don't lift and with the weights I do have what should I do I have 10lb dumbbells and 20lbs and a bar with that has 40lbs

    upping cals works for everyone :wink: , any type of exercise qualifies. We just recommend weight lifting for the purpose of body composition changes, that most of us want, but just don't get from cardio alone. I also workout from home to DVDs, and it sounds to me like you have the beginnings of some pretty good weight lifting w/the weights you have already. Put those babies to good use, now :tongue:

    Today is an on my feet all day baking day....no work out...do I eat 1939, my TDEE or 1600? Do you think "ripping the band aid off" and just going up is best, or gradual upping? I'd love to hear other opinions...oh, and someone to double check my numbers:

    age:39
    weight: 146
    height: 5'6
    activity: 1-3 workouts a week (how do you factor if you are on your feet most of the day? Is this a fine choice?)

    Thanks!

    You would eat your TDEE -15% which I'm assuming is your 1600 #. Your calculations look about right for moderately active.

    The upping process has been personal for everyone. Some just rip, others inch, lol. You have to know yourself, and now you know what to expect, so I'd say if you can handle it....RIP, lol

    Also...just wanted to let you know that I'm a homeschool mom as well, as well as many of my MFP friends, and do not have a gym membership at all. I workout exclusively from home (and so do they). So it can still work for you w/o the gym :wink:


    ~Kiki

    Thanks Kiki! That helps...not sure I'm QUITE brave enough to RIP yet :laugh: but I will definitely consider it...it would seem the "gain period" would come and go a lot quicker if you just jumped in, both feet first!

    And, so nice to meet another homeschool Mom on here :) How many "others" of us are on here? We should start a little group too...I have to say I have always detested working out from home because it always got interrupted and we have no where quiet enough for me to work out before they get up...but, as you know, that doesn't mean it can't be done...hopefully, with Summer approaching, I can do some walks with the kids again (on their bikes) on days I don't get to Lifetime...

    Also, what workouts do you do at home? I'd love to hear some good suggestions...and when you do it? Morning? When kids are in bed? When they are around??? Fill me in :)

    Thanks for the help!
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,321 Member
    I have for 6 weeks been in the process of upping and giving my body a month to get used to higher calories. Today I am excited that I am finally lowering to what should be close to a 15% deficit from my truer maintenance. Yes each time I raised calories I gained a bit but each time I settled back down. Since I never continued to gain I really still can not be sure I have found the top of my true maintenance. However I have gotten my body to respond to not being starved and I feel I will have better success now. For those anticipating this step or starting it let me just say I now do not weigh more than I did when I started this process. I am doing better with my weight and eating so many more calories and I have been for 6 weeks of upping and maintaining at higher calories. I have gone from a 1340-1550 calories range to a net 2200 and am eating back exercise calories. The only difficulty I found was at first being able to eat all the calories. This thread and this group has helped alot as well as some relatded threads and sites. I plan to take rests from my deficit for a week every 3 months or so.

    Thanks again for this thread and I will let you know how it goes.
  • mom24littleones
    mom24littleones Posts: 58
    I have for 6 weeks been in the process of upping and giving my body a month to get used to higher calories. Today I am excited that I am finally lowering to what should be close to a 15% deficit from my truer maintenance. Yes each time I raised calories I gained a bit but each time I settled back down. Since I never continued to gain I really still can not be sure I have found the top of my true maintenance. However I have gotten my body to respond to not being starved and I feel I will have better success now. For those anticipating this step or starting it let me just say I now do not weigh more than I did when I started this process. I am doing better with my weight and eating so many more calories and I have been for 6 weeks of upping and maintaining at higher calories. I have gone from a 1340-1550 calories range to a net 2200 and am eating back exercise calories. The only difficulty I found was at first being able to eat all the calories. This thread and this group has helped alot as well as some relatded threads and sites. I plan to take rests from my deficit for a week every 3 months or so.

    Thanks again for this thread and I will let you know how it goes.
    I appreciate that encouragement!! Thank you...my question is: what does "take a rest from my deficit" mean? What defecit? And, why do you eat exercise calories? I thought those were included in the TDEE??? So much great info throughout here, but I am still getting a LEE-TLE confused :)
  • candicejn
    candicejn Posts: 458 Member
    Hi :) I'm a newbie to the group, but I did start raising my calories about 3 weeks ago. I just wanted some feedback if possible, to make sure I'm heading the right way...

    CW: 233
    BMR (Harris): 1828
    BMR (K-M): 1421
    TDEE: 2507

    I exercise 5X weekly (3 days cardio, 2 days strength) - burn between 175 - 250 per workout (currently doing C25K so my cardio burns are increasing).

    I lost 8lbs in the month of March eating 1290 net. I upped my goals to 1600 net in the beginning on April and I've lost a total of 1.4lbs since then. This week I gained 0.6. But I ate a lot of junk, so that may be why. My average net this week was 1708, last week 1850. (having trouble keeping around 1600, it's like it's a mental thing that because I'm reading that I can eat more... I don't feel bad when I do - until I see the scale of course).

    I have 85lbs left to lose to hit my initial goal weight. Can I increase like this and still lose fairly well? I don't want to take 3 years to hit goal. But I don't want to gain it all back later, either.

    So what do you all suggest I do? F2F recommends I eat 2000 calories a day (lightly active). I'm afraid to do that.

    One more thing - I'm hypothyroid and on Armour to keep it balanced. Does that make any difference with this?

    Thanks for any suggestions or information. I would love to be able to eat more and lose steadily, but I'm scared I'll never get to goal :(
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,321 Member
    I have for 6 weeks been in the process of upping and giving my body a month to get used to higher calories. Today I am excited that I am finally lowering to what should be close to a 15% deficit from my truer maintenance. Yes each time I raised calories I gained a bit but each time I settled back down. Since I never continued to gain I really still can not be sure I have found the top of my true maintenance. However I have gotten my body to respond to not being starved and I feel I will have better success now. For those anticipating this step or starting it let me just say I now do not weigh more than I did when I started this process. I am doing better with my weight and eating so many more calories and I have been for 6 weeks of upping and maintaining at higher calories. I have gone from a 1340-1550 calories range to a net 2200 and am eating back exercise calories. The only difficulty I found was at first being able to eat all the calories. This thread and this group has helped alot as well as some relatded threads and sites. I plan to take rests from my deficit for a week every 3 months or so.

    Thanks again for this thread and I will let you know how it goes.
    I appreciate that encouragement!! Thank you...my question is: what does "take a rest from my deficit" mean? What defecit? And, why do you eat exercise calories? I thought those were included in the TDEE??? So much great info throughout here, but I am still getting a LEE-TLE confused :)

    Calorie deficit is any amount you eat under your TDEE. You are right that if you are eating at a deficit from your TDEE you shouldn't eat back exercise calories unless you have a much bigger than usual calorie burn that day/week. However I set my calorie goal to a net assumed maintenance amount not a gross TDEE. In fact since I didn't wait to see at what calorie setting I gained weight at I can't be sure that it isn't higher than what I have been eating. So realistically I may or may not have given my self from eating below my TDEE which would be giving myself a rest from eating deficit calories.

    I was planning to post the above here before reading your post but after reading your post I did hope it would encourage (but not necessarily confuse) you and others. If nothing else if you (me) aren't losing and gaining I would rather be eating 2200 calories and getting better nutrition than 1340 calories. Now I am lowering staying between my estimated BMR and my estimated TDEE with a body that has had a rest from too low calories and is used to eating higher calories.
  • Lorriefire
    Lorriefire Posts: 1
    I'm trying to get to 1,200 K! This is more food than I am use to in a day! I don't know how long it will take me to get to 2,000 K! I hope the weight comes off or at least the boobs on my back get smaller!
    :blushing:
  • techmom29
    techmom29 Posts: 103
    Hi everyone just wanted to ask If Im not lifting should i still up my calories I workout 5 days a week do Jillian Micheal's and do the Tread Mill I have some weights but not many I do all my workouts from home I upped my calories from 1410 to 1800 ...So should I keep them up there even though I don't lift and with the weights I do have what should I do I have 10lb dumbbells and 20lbs and a bar with that has 40lbs

    upping cals works for everyone :wink: , any type of exercise qualifies. We just recommend weight lifting for the purpose of body composition changes, that most of us want, but just don't get from cardio alone. I also workout from home to DVDs, and it sounds to me like you have the beginnings of some pretty good weight lifting w/the weights you have already. Put those babies to good use, now :tongue:

    Today is an on my feet all day baking day....no work out...do I eat 1939, my TDEE or 1600? Do you think "ripping the band aid off" and just going up is best, or gradual upping? I'd love to hear other opinions...oh, and someone to double check my numbers:

    age:39
    weight: 146
    height: 5'6
    activity: 1-3 workouts a week (how do you factor if you are on your feet most of the day? Is this a fine choice?)

    Thanks!

    You would eat your TDEE -15% which I'm assuming is your 1600 #. Your calculations look about right for moderately active.

    The upping process has been personal for everyone. Some just rip, others inch, lol. You have to know yourself, and now you know what to expect, so I'd say if you can handle it....RIP, lol

    Also...just wanted to let you know that I'm a homeschool mom as well, as well as many of my MFP friends, and do not have a gym membership at all. I workout exclusively from home (and so do they). So it can still work for you w/o the gym :wink:


    ~Kiki

    Thanks Kiki! That helps...not sure I'm QUITE brave enough to RIP yet :laugh: but I will definitely consider it...it would seem the "gain period" would come and go a lot quicker if you just jumped in, both feet first!

    And, so nice to meet another homeschool Mom on here :) How many "others" of us are on here? We should start a little group too...I have to say I have always detested working out from home because it always got interrupted and we have no where quiet enough for me to work out before they get up...but, as you know, that doesn't mean it can't be done...hopefully, with Summer approaching, I can do some walks with the kids again (on their bikes) on days I don't get to Lifetime...

    Also, what workouts do you do at home? I'd love to hear some good suggestions...and when you do it? Morning? When kids are in bed? When they are around??? Fill me in :)

    Thanks for the help!
    I am a homeschool mom, too. But I am a "veteran"...2 have graduated and only one high schooler left at home. My oldest got married last weekend.
  • DyanCB
    DyanCB Posts: 138 Member
    Thank you for the mental readiness advice. After a lot research I am convinced of the value of eating more and look forward to being part of this group to continue to learn more.
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member

    Thanks Kiki! That helps...not sure I'm QUITE brave enough to RIP yet :laugh: but I will definitely consider it...it would seem the "gain period" would come and go a lot quicker if you just jumped in, both feet first!

    And, so nice to meet another homeschool Mom on here :) How many "others" of us are on here? We should start a little group too...I have to say I have always detested working out from home because it always got interrupted and we have no where quiet enough for me to work out before they get up...but, as you know, that doesn't mean it can't be done...hopefully, with Summer approaching, I can do some walks with the kids again (on their bikes) on days I don't get to Lifetime...

    Also, what workouts do you do at home? I'd love to hear some good suggestions...and when you do it? Morning? When kids are in bed? When they are around??? Fill me in :)

    Thanks for the help!

    There are TONS of us on here :bigsmile:

    Most of us either get it done while the kiddos are asleep, or at some point during the day. I do a bit of both, I try to get it in before school starts, or during chore time. It's been a part of the routine for so long now (which was probably the hardest part was creating that routine), but it's accepted as "mommy's time." I started doing shorter workouts (like Jillian) until it became routine, and then slowly progressed to now where I can slip away for at least an hour.

    I workout mainly to DVDs by Cathe Friedrich (cathe.com) or do my own thing, I have a pretty fully equipped home gym that we've added to over the years, in our converted garage.

    Then of course there are the "regular" things added to our day, like gardening, a family game of basketball, or family bike ride for a little cardio boost here or there. don't be afraid to be active in front of the kids, it teaches them to do the same. My 14 year old is usually tapping his fingers waiting on me to get out of the "gym" so that he can have his turn ;)

    ~Kiki
  • mom24littleones
    mom24littleones Posts: 58

    Thanks Kiki! That helps...not sure I'm QUITE brave enough to RIP yet :laugh: but I will definitely consider it...it would seem the "gain period" would come and go a lot quicker if you just jumped in, both feet first!

    And, so nice to meet another homeschool Mom on here :) How many "others" of us are on here? We should start a little group too...I have to say I have always detested working out from home because it always got interrupted and we have no where quiet enough for me to work out before they get up...but, as you know, that doesn't mean it can't be done...hopefully, with Summer approaching, I can do some walks with the kids again (on their bikes) on days I don't get to Lifetime...

    Also, what workouts do you do at home? I'd love to hear some good suggestions...and when you do it? Morning? When kids are in bed? When they are around??? Fill me in :)

    Thanks for the help!

    There are TONS of us on here :bigsmile:

    Most of us either get it done while the kiddos are asleep, or at some point during the day. I do a bit of both, I try to get it in before school starts, or during chore time. It's been a part of the routine for so long now (which was probably the hardest part was creating that routine), but it's accepted as "mommy's time." I started doing shorter workouts (like Jillian) until it became routine, and then slowly progressed to now where I can slip away for at least an hour.

    I workout mainly to DVDs by Cathe Friedrich (cathe.com) or do my own thing, I have a pretty fully equipped home gym that we've added to over the years, in our converted garage.

    Then of course there are the "regular" things added to our day, like gardening, a family game of basketball, or family bike ride for a little cardio boost here or there. don't be afraid to be active in front of the kids, it teaches them to do the same. My 14 year old is usually tapping his fingers waiting on me to get out of the "gym" so that he can have his turn ;)

    ~Kiki
    That's great that you have so much equipment at home...I would love that! I really enjoy running so a good treadmill would be awesome...one of these days :)

    We do lots of walks/bike rides together...we love doing that together, again, it's just hard to (as you said) get the routine going...last Summer we belonged to a pool club AND Lifetime and, literally, we were at the pool all day everyday! It was awesome...it's once school starts that it's hard and I need to find something that works from home :)

    Again, I greatly appreciate the encouragement! BTW, how many kids do you have?
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 856 Member
    thank you for this post, and especially this:

    "*If you've been a low cal "binge-er" (eating low cals for an extended period of time, then having a "binge" ever so often in moments of "weakness"), then expect your body to react negatively at first. It will assume that this is just another one of your "binges" and that "starvation" is just around the corner, thus the desire to hold on to everything that comes through. Once it senses that it will receive regular feedings, it will react accordingly by actually letting go.. "


    I may need to come back and read THAT ^^^ a few times over the next month or so!!!
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    what a great way to word this!

    you made it very easy to understand!

    thanks much :)
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member

    Again, I greatly appreciate the encouragement! BTW, how many kids do you have?

    I only have one left :( , and now that he's 14, it's extremely easy (compared to earlier years) because he's self sufficient. But most of my homeschool pals on here have 4-5, so I continue to derive inspiration from them when they are posting their burns each morning before I've even had my coffee, lol :noway:
  • AngelAura777
    AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
    I just finished my first day on 1800 calories and omg im so full!! but im definitely nowhere near as moody as I was when my calories were too low!
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    I just finished my first day on 1800 calories and omg im so full!! but im definitely nowhere near as moody as I was when my calories were too low!

    LOL. I remember the feeling, it get's easier ;)
  • annabanana1786
    annabanana1786 Posts: 48 Member
    Saving this thread!!

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