Increasing Calories - What to expect & why you need patience...
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Can someone address my question above about the 30% protein recommendation? Thanks.0
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Right, so hoping someone can explain why the 30% protein is important, and is it research supported?
Thanks!
It originally came from the Zone diet, 40/30/30 for every meal, as a means of limiting the insulin response and the negatives from that, and the potential that about 75% of the population has a not-great response, some worse than others.
But those meal sizes were also kept at 400 cal or less, because too many calories of even straight protein is going to kick off big insulin response. Only fat doesn't.
It seems to be used on the forum's as a quick and dirty ball park method to meet the normal recommended protein amounts.
But many times it can be a whole lot more than needed, meaning you are limiting perhaps desired carbs that would be mighty useful too.
2 g per kg LBM per day, which works out to 0.91 per lb, so it's usually said 1 g per lb LBM per day. If LBM isn't known, and you have a bit to lose, many will say use goal weight.
Many will say use current weight, but that results in almost no carbs during a deficit, and is way overkill for what is needed. When eating at maintenance and more calories to use that can work.
That's for lifters eating at maintenance and surplus, though many will go higher.
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-protein
That's also about the minimum that has been shown to help retain LBM during a reasonable deficit with no exercise to also help retain muscle mass.
I thought I had a link to that study but forgot to keep it, I kept the ones for lifting and reasonable deficit. Drat, see if I can find it.
The reason it's important, your body is breaking down protein all the time, muscle, used or not, and building it back. Problem is in a deficit, once broken down, you may not be eating well enough for the repair part. So what does get repaired is what is used or used most. Meaning with too steep a deficit, some muscle is always being burned off, slowly but surely. If constantly short of glucose stores and exercising cardio decently using them up, you can make it all worse.
So the idea is, throw all 3 things together that help retain muscle mass during a diet, and you should be able to take a max deficit without much problem, unless you just have a lot of other stresses in life hitting your body/mind.0 -
I've been up all night reading the eat more, weigh less threads and I am filled with more hope than I've had in a long time.
I started my weight loss journey very morbidly obese at 426 pounds. I lost 100 pounds in my first year by counting calories, and got down to 325 when I hit my first plateau wall. And my life has been hell since.
I've tried everything. I've fasted. I've upped my workouts to 6 (cardio-heavy) a week. I did low-carb/high-fat for two months (GREAT results the first three weeks, then nothing). No matter what new 'spin' I tried, though, I always kept my calories around 1500-1700 daily. For a year now I've sat at every party and holiday function and not eaten anything I wanted, and then cried when I still couldn't lose weight. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. How could my body, at such a high current weight, NOT lose anything with 1500/2000-a-day calorie deficits? The math didn't add up. Some weeks I even gained, while eating next to nothing. I was at my wit's end.
Reading these threads has given me a shred of hope again. It's absolutely terrifying to consider that I need to eat more, after three years of calorie cutting. But with so much input from other users who have gone through this, I am absolutely inspired.
The scooby calc puts my TDEE-20% at 2197, so I guess I am starting there?
I have a lot to learn. Thank you to everyone who has posted here and given the rest of us hope.0 -
So glad that this program is giving you hope! Since you have been eating at a deficit for so long you would probably benefit from a reset. You can aim for TDEE - 20% for the moment but a reset will help your metabolism heal and get things moving in the right direction when you do go back to a deficit. Don't forget your strength training too!0
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I am a week and a half in and gained less than a pound, but I read some gain is to.be expected as things get moving. I hope I can work my way up to.the reset value but I am increasingly slowly as I can barely reach 1900 daily. I just feel full. I am also having trouble reaching my macros. I can usually manage 80 g protein but I need way more. Is it that important? Does it matter if its protein from a shake? I am vegetarian so that limits options. I also have a sensitivity to day so I limit it0
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I am a week and a half in and gained less than a pound, but I read some gain is to.be expected as things get moving. I hope I can work my way up to.the reset value but I am increasingly slowly as I can barely reach 1900 daily. I just feel full. I am also having trouble reaching my macros. I can usually manage 80 g protein but I need way more. Is it that important? Does it matter if its protein from a shake? I am vegetarian so that limits options. I also have a sensitivity to day so I limit it
Protein shake just fine, and will probably be needed for you. Because in complete proteins isn't even going to help much.
The extra protein is another method of retaining muscle mass in face of a diet.0 -
I am a week and a half in and gained less than a pound, but I read some gain is to.be expected as things get moving. I hope I can work my way up to.the reset value but I am increasingly slowly as I can barely reach 1900 daily. I just feel full. I am also having trouble reaching my macros. I can usually manage 80 g protein but I need way more. Is it that important? Does it matter if its protein from a shake? I am vegetarian so that limits options. I also have a sensitivity to day so I limit it
Protein shake just fine, and will probably be needed for you. Because in complete proteins isn't even going to help much.
The extra protein is another method of retaining muscle mass in face of a diet.
Okay thanks, I have been lifting so I drink one on those days but I should probably add in my off days so I can make my protein goals0 -
I am only one week into eating more (1900 to 2000 cals per day) but I have to say that for the first time in months (no... a little over a year) I have energy! Since about Thursday, I've gotten out of bed actually feeling refreshed and feeling as though I got a good night's rest. And I have energy to last me through the day. I had been running out of gas by mid afternoon and was beginning to think something was seriously wrong with me. I don't plan to step on the scale for a month so that I don't become discouraged by any weight gain from giving my body what it needs. This change in my energy levels is enough for me at the moment to keep me going.
PS. When I started dedicating myself to losing weight in March 2011, I did a round of P90x and Insanity and was able to lose 35 pounds. I completely ignored the advice of the Beachbody diet guides and limited myself to 1200 calories every day with eating the occasional exercise calorie back. I went on vacation for 10 days in August 2011 and ate like a normal human being and then came back home to restrict myself to 1200 cals per day and haven't been able to lose a single pound since. The usual 5-pound fluctuations, but no marked weight loss since then and no change in my body composition despite working out. As I said above, the only thing I had going was complete lack of energy and having to drag myself out of bed every morning.
I am very happy to be here and to read all of the information you've provided!0 -
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I am only one week into eating more (1900 to 2000 cals per day) but I have to say that for the first time in months (no... a little over a year) I have energy! Since about Thursday, I've gotten out of bed actually feeling refreshed and feeling as though I got a good night's rest. And I have energy to last me through the day. I had been running out of gas by mid afternoon and was beginning to think something was seriously wrong with me. I don't plan to step on the scale for a month so that I don't become discouraged by any weight gain from giving my body what it needs. This change in my energy levels is enough for me at the moment to keep me going.
PS. When I started dedicating myself to losing weight in March 2011, I did a round of P90x and Insanity and was able to lose 35 pounds. I completely ignored the advice of the Beachbody diet guides and limited myself to 1200 calories every day with eating the occasional exercise calorie back. I went on vacation for 10 days in August 2011 and ate like a normal human being and then came back home to restrict myself to 1200 cals per day and haven't been able to lose a single pound since. The usual 5-pound fluctuations, but no marked weight loss since then and no change in my body composition despite working out. As I said above, the only thing I had going was complete lack of energy and having to drag myself out of bed every morning.
I am very happy to be here and to read all of the information you've provided!
Glad you mentioned this, many experience it.
And from studies this is exactly how the body protects enough calories for a slightly lowered BMR - by slowing you down.
I'll bet you not only have more energy, I'll bet it's being used.
And while you might burn 500 during a workout, and seem to be eating most of that back in reality, you also are now burning 200-300 more daily that your slower non-energy body was conserving.
So by eating more, you actually can burn more now. Even above and beyond the metabolism speeding back up.0 -
Hello,
I'm new to the group and to the idea of eating more to lose weight! For years my weight has ballooned, and then a few years I went on a very restrictive 1000-1200 cal diet and lost 60 pounds. I'm happy with my weight now, but losing a few extra pounds wouldn't hurt. The thing is, I'm sick of maintaining at 1000-1200 cals, and would like to reset my metabolism.
A quick question: has anyone found that birth control interferes when you cut? I just went on a hormonal bc pill for the first time, and am worried that might mean I'm not able to lose weight.
Also, I have some confusion about what kind of diet to eat while resettting. I'm a pescatarian who eats vegan 80% of the time (mostly dairy intolerant), so protein has always been an issue. Any advice would be great!
Oh, and my TDEE is 2017, TWICE the amount of my usual net calories. Scary....
Thanks!0 -
Hello,
I'm new to the group and to the idea of eating more to lose weight! For years my weight has ballooned, and then a few years I went on a very restrictive 1000-1200 cal diet and lost 60 pounds. I'm happy with my weight now, but losing a few extra pounds wouldn't hurt. The thing is, I'm sick of maintaining at 1000-1200 cals, and would like to reset my metabolism.
A quick question: has anyone found that birth control interferes when you cut? I just went on a hormonal bc pill for the first time, and am worried that might mean I'm not able to lose weight.
Also, I have some confusion about what kind of diet to eat while resettting. I'm a pescatarian who eats vegan 80% of the time (mostly dairy intolerant), so protein has always been an issue. Any advice would be great!
Oh, and my TDEE is 2017, TWICE the amount of my usual net calories. Scary....
Thanks!
I hate to tell you, but if you are maintaining on 1200 calories for a while - that is your TDEE right now.
You likely lost enough muscle mass too that you'd never get metabolism up to 2000 calories, so don't attempt it, you'll gain weight bad.
Start increasing your calories by 100 daily for 2 weeks at a time, and start lifting, no cardio. At least that way extra calories will be put towards muscle use.
You should gain some fast water weight, as you are probably living on slightly depleted glucose stores, and those will finally top off.
Just keep increasing until you get no fast water weight gain after increasing.0 -
Thank you! I'll try that.0
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Thanks for this. I just started this lifestyle change on July 4th after stumbling onto some threads about TDEE. I have been the "1,200 cals or less" and "fasting" dieter for years. I have lost weight twice in my life, this is my third attempt. I was able to achieve "success" with those other methods, but as you can see I gain it back once I start "eating" again. This is my second week and I feel like i'm already seeing results. I didn't loose a pound on the scale, but I did maintain and that means something to me. I am in this for the long haul, I dont feel hungry ever...I get through my workouts easier...and I actually don't see it as a diet. I'm hoping to see some weight loss later on, but I am willing to be patient with my body so that it can trust me again lol. I've been starving it for a long time. NO MORE!
Anyone that's starting on this campaign and wants to add me feel free, i'm ALL ABOUT THIS!
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I started reading and watching videos this morning on the subject of metabolic damage and haven't stopped! I feel like I have finally found the truth about why I'm having such a hard time losing weight. I've dieted and regained nearly my entire life and in doing so, have completely screwed up my metabolism and body composition to the point where I cannot lose weight!
I've cried several times today, realizing what I have done to myself and realizing that there is hope for me!
I used several different sites to figure my BMR and TDEE, and got different answers, of course, so I'm not sure exactly where to start, but I THINK my first steps should be:
1. up my calories to somewhere around 1900-2100
2. get a personal trainer and start lifting heavy weight
3. walk for exercise
I weigh 300 lbs. My goal for now, is 230. At that time, I will set a new goal.
Questions:
Am I on the right track?
How in the WORLD does someone eat 2000 calories (of healthy food) in one day? It seems impossible at this time. I've been full all day and dinner is approaching. Will it get easier when I start building muscle?
I have all the patience I need! I've lost 80 lbs with low calorie, low carb, high protein, etc. You name it, I've done it! And I managed to lose some weight, but nothing is working now. My body is empty and I know I need to nurse it back to working right.
Thank you for being here! Thank you! Thank you!0 -
I started reading and watching videos this morning on the subject of metabolic damage and haven't stopped! I feel like I have finally found the truth about why I'm having such a hard time losing weight. I've dieted and regained nearly my entire life and in doing so, have completely screwed up my metabolism and body composition to the point where I cannot lose weight!
I've cried several times today, realizing what I have done to myself and realizing that there is hope for me!
I used several different sites to figure my BMR and TDEE, and got different answers, of course, so I'm not sure exactly where to start, but I THINK my first steps should be:
1. up my calories to somewhere around 1900-2100
2. get a personal trainer and start lifting heavy weight
3. walk for exercise
I weigh 300 lbs. My goal for now, is 230. At that time, I will set a new goal.
Questions:
Am I on the right track?
How in the WORLD does someone eat 2000 calories (of healthy food) in one day? It seems impossible at this time. I've been full all day and dinner is approaching. Will it get easier when I start building muscle?
I have all the patience I need! I've lost 80 lbs with low calorie, low carb, high protein, etc. You name it, I've done it! And I managed to lose some weight, but nothing is working now. My body is empty and I know I need to nurse it back to working right.
Thank you for being here! Thank you! Thank you!
Try the spreadsheet referenced on my profile for best estimates of everything, because likely that TDEE is based on BMR based on age, weight, height, NOT bodyfat %.
And if you've been doing this for years, the difference in BMR is probably 200-400, which means you would have to actual deficit when you took a cut.
Good plan, increase 100 cal daily a week at a time, maybe 2 weeks at a time.
It's not hard to eat 2000 calories of healthy food. Actually, when you eat enough, you can practice the 80/20 method as long as it doesn't have you fall off the wagon - 80% of calories is healthy nutrition, 20% is stuff you enjoy that may not be great. When you know you get something every day, for some easier to hold out.
Almonds and peanut butter help a lot.0 -
Try the spreadsheet referenced on my profile for best estimates of everything, because likely that TDEE is based on BMR based on age, weight, height, NOT bodyfat %.
Thank you for that! I have a better idea now of where to go from here.0 -
Ok so I have more energy, but am gaining weight. I am 5 ft 5 and started at 175 then dropped to 173 now back to 175 again in just 2 weeks. I have also noticed that when I brush my hair it seems to be falling out.
So my question is ? Is my body just trying to figure out what I am up to? I have more energy and can finally sleep and think clearly so no complaints there.
A little history.....I broke my back in 1995 in a car accident 1 yr later another rear ended me. This created a spiral of no exercise and a lot of pain. I still worked and taught but not as vigorously. 2002 my mother had a stroke and so we did a medical on me and decided at 203 lbs or was time to do something. Dieting, nutritionalists, you name it and all I can say is I learned to eat less, eat no bread, rice, potatoes. I learned to log calories and food. 800 was normal with eating out on weekends and home meals I would "binge" up to 1200. No one can explain to me why I only weigh what I do. Some days drinking coffee all day and no food. Of course I was also moody, had chronic migraine headaches and was very forgetful. I will take any little success I can. I would so love to go to a pot luck or a party and be able to eat. I still remember crying at one pancake breakfast as the Dr. Had ordered no breads. Only protein, fruit, and vegetables.....of which none were served. Never again!
So how do I make sure I have my calorie intake right? My scale says 29% fat 38% lean mass and 1754 calories.
Please help!0 -
Ok so I have more energy, but am gaining weight. I am 5 ft 5 and started at 175 then dropped to 173 now back to 175 again in just 2 weeks. I have also noticed that when I brush my hair it seems to be falling out.
So my question is ? Is my body just trying to figure out what I am up to? I have more energy and can finally sleep and think clearly so no complaints there.
A little history.....I broke my back in 1995 in a car accident 1 yr later another rear ended me. This created a spiral of no exercise and a lot of pain. I still worked and taught but not as vigorously. 2002 my mother had a stroke and so we did a medical on me and decided at 203 lbs or was time to do something. Dieting, nutritionalists, you name it and all I can say is I learned to eat less, eat no bread, rice, potatoes. I learned to log calories and food. 800 was normal with eating out on weekends and home meals I would "binge" up to 1200. No one can explain to me why I only weigh what I do. Some days drinking coffee all day and no food. Of course I was also moody, had chronic migraine headaches and was very forgetful. I will take any little success I can. I would so love to go to a pot luck or a party and be able to eat. I still remember crying at one pancake breakfast as the Dr. Had ordered no breads. Only protein, fruit, and vegetables.....of which none were served. Never again!
So how do I make sure I have my calorie intake right? My scale says 29% fat 38% lean mass and 1754 calories.
Please help!
Body can easily have delayed effects from undereating for a while, and finally getting enough food.
Depends on what is the most pressing issue with body that it has been desiring to apply more energy too.
Might take a workout break too along with a diet break, make them difference weeks.
As to getting calorie intake right, look at posts right above yours.
Your scale, if actually using it properly, is hopefully within 5% estimate of truth, with the 1754 probably being your Katch BMR estimate.
Not sure what your scale is giving as stats though, as there is either LBM or fat mass, there is no other category, that should equal 100%. So might look at the manual for it, also to confirm proper usage. Like morning after rest day.
BMR is of course what your body would like to burn if you slept all day for basic life functions, nothing extra or higher level functions.
But if you've been eating way below that, you've probably lowered that a decent amount too.0
