Losing weight at 1800 cals per day?

naonah

Im loosing at 2600... 5'10 183lbs. Thats about a pound a week for me.

Wow! Impressive!

cakeums

I agree to give it a few weeks - you may gain a little bit at first, or stall out, but give it a month and it should come off and then some as your body adjusts. Really, what's a couple of pounds up in the grand scheme of things?

HCBsChica

I'm so afraid of upping my daily cal intake in fear of gaining weight! I stay between 1300-1350. Ive been at a plateau for FOREVER! I've upped my exercise hoping for a breakthrough. Nothing's happened thus far. I'm 33yrs old, 5'6-7" and have 45 more to lose. Maybe I should just up my cal intake and give it a try. Not giving up! Let us know how it works for you!

AntWrig

Everybody is different and it can't hurt to try for a few weeks and see what happens, right?
For me personally I always did well on the "wendy plan".... instead of eating the same cals every day, a few days of the week are below, some are right at, and one is WAY high (but works out to same number as if you ate the same on every single day). Tends to keep the body guessing, and the high cal day qualms your body's fear of starvation and allows it to let go of fat.
Right now I'm losing with what I'm doing but if that stalls a while I'm totally going back to the wendy plan.

There is no such thing as "keeping the body guessing". It doesn't work like that. Zig-zagging, carb cycling and the like have NO impact on the metabolism. Most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

High calorie day don't "qualms your body's fear of starvation".

Irregardless of the impact on metabolism, I enjoy zig-zagging because then I can save calories to eat at social events and not go over my weekly target. You said "most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place." Is there a reason why you say that? Not trying to argue. Just curious and willing to learn.

When you get lower levels of body fat, 9% below for men ( comparable female %) your overall calories are low. The cycling of CHO(carbs) and FATS allow the person to have more energy on training and less energy on rest days.

Most people on here don't require that. Especially if your above 9%. On top of that, having your macros consistent improves your mood and hormone levels.

AntWrig

I'm so afraid of upping my daily cal intake in fear of gaining weight! I stay between 1300-1350. Ive been at a plateau for FOREVER! I've upped my exercise hoping for a breakthrough. Nothing's happened thus far. I'm 33yrs old, 5'6-7" and have 45 more to lose. Maybe I should just up my cal intake and give it a try. Not giving up! Let us know how it works for you!

You're problem is you're not eating enough. Increased exercise makes things worse. When you increase exercise you increase your TEE. That means your metabolism require more fuel (FOOD) to function. When there is not an ample supply of food,your body will break down muscle proteins in order to use amino acids.

Skinny fat anyone?

heybales

There is no such thing as "keeping the body guessing". It doesn't work like that. Zig-zagging, carb cycling and the like have NO impact on the metabolism. Most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

High calorie day don't "qualms your body's fear of starvation".

Sure it does, if done correctly.

The problem is - you must enter dieting with a full burning metabolism and then do these things.

If you've been already underfeeding your BMR as you have mentioned several times, the metabolism just slows.

Start doing zig-zag and spike days doesn't fool your body to start increasing the BMR usually. Body just looks at each increased calories as a gift and stores it as fat, with metabolism staying low.

But if you come into dieting with those things, it basically keeps you from undercutting your BMR on a constant basis.

So what would have taken 2-6 weeks to start lowering BMR, is allowed to stay high.

Of course, the smarter method as you have mentioned is just don't net below your BMR in the first place. Or correct that part now. Same effect, while learning NOT to pig out 1 day a week.

70davis

bump

magerum

Im loosing at 2600... 5'10 183lbs. Thats about a pound a week for me.

Wow! Impressive!

It's the exercise that's creating the deficit for me at this point. ~90 minutes of cardio a day allows me to eat a ton and maintain a 500+ calorie deficit.

Exercise, who knew it was so cool?! Knowing is half the battle. Go Joe!

-M

palmerig88

I'm 5'6" 171 pounds losing on 1580 net or less. I eat 1/2 or more of my exercise cals ate over1900 cals ((yesterday) diary is public or friend me if u want (anyone)

funkycamper

When you get lower levels of body fat, 9% below for men ( comparable female %) your overall calories are low. The cycling of CHO(carbs) and FATS allow the person to have more energy on training and less energy on rest days.

Most people on here don't require that. Especially if your above 9%. On top of that, having your macros consistent improves your mood and hormone levels.

Interesting. I no longer need an anti-depressant and this is the first winter in years where I haven't been impacted by SAD (seasonal affective syndrome) which used to get me horribly down even when I was on anti-depressants. And I've been zig-zagging since October. And, yes, I'm still well above the normal and healthy fat range, much less under 9%.

Of course, the exercise and better nutritional eating could account for most of that. However, trying to eat a static number of calories each day was very stressful to me and zig-zagging removes that stress. Also, going to social events, restaurants, etc., was also stressful for me until zig-zagging allowed me splurge during those times and take the pressure off. So, mood-wise, I know I'm better off zig-zagging. Of course, I don't know how it's impacting my hormones but I'll take those being a little erratic considering how successful and happy this has made me as I never feel deprived or even like I'm trying to lose weight. It's a good thing, imho.

I also question whether the variances in my calories are big enough to impact hormones that much. After all, my body isn't on a 24-hour time clock with hormones just effected by what I ate today. It's all part of a continuous process. And my low days aren't that terribly low. Today I ate just over 1600 calories but still have about 300 left due to a relatively high calorie burn. I'm full so I'm banking them for the weekend. It's not like I'm netting way under 1200 calories on my low days or anything like that. I'm guessing that might make a bit of a difference.

funkycamper

There is no such thing as "keeping the body guessing". It doesn't work like that. Zig-zagging, carb cycling and the like have NO impact on the metabolism. Most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

High calorie day don't "qualms your body's fear of starvation".

Sure it does, if done correctly.

The problem is - you must enter dieting with a full burning metabolism and then do these things.

If you've been already underfeeding your BMR as you have mentioned several times, the metabolism just slows.

Start doing zig-zag and spike days doesn't fool your body to start increasing the BMR usually. Body just looks at each increased calories as a gift and stores it as fat, with metabolism staying low.

But if you come into dieting with those things, it basically keeps you from undercutting your BMR on a constant basis.

So what would have taken 2-6 weeks to start lowering BMR, is allowed to stay high.

Of course, the smarter method as you have mentioned is just don't net below your BMR in the first place. Or correct that part now. Same effect, while learning NOT to pig out 1 day a week.

I can only say what my body is doing. Like many, when I first started here at MFP, I was eating 1200 calories with no exercise calories. I started zig-zagging in October. Then, in January, I became convinced that I should eat more based on the many excellent posts on the subject (including some of yours). I started eating back my exercise calories most days (but still a bit low some days to allow me to keep zig-zagging). After I had gotten used to this for awhile, I raised my net by 100 calories/day for several weeks. Then another 100 calories/day so I am now netting above my BMR. Even on my lower calorie days, I don't go below my BMR as I usually have big enough calorie burns to bank some to eat later that week. (I just really like saving those calories for splurges at social events. It makes this not even seem like any kind of diet, no deprivation. I never thought it was possible to lose and not feel deprived so this is a great thing for me.)

Anyway, each time I raise my calories, I stall my weight loss for a few weeks but then start losing again after my body adjusts to it. I'm actually thinking of upping my calories 100/day in another month or so and to keep doing this every month to see how high I can push this and still lose.

I'm a 54yo, post-menopausal woman who has been battling my weight since my first pregnancy (and she's almost 30). And did a lot of yo-yo dieting and dumb stuff (like MediFast) during those years and know I had a severely damaged metabolism when I started this. Heck, it took me 3 weeks to lose my first 1# when I started at 1200 calories, at a time when most people lose considerably. And, for years, I've never been able to eat what others can eat. Example: spending the day with a thin friend who ate three full meals during that day while I only ate one meal and a very small snack. We ate the same breakfast but she was starving at lunch. I was so full from breakfast that my stomach still hurt from fullness. When she ate dinner, I had soup (my snack). Anyway, I'm digressing....

I've lost 8# in the two months since I really started focusing on upping my calories. And I zig-zag. So I don't think I'm just packing on fat those days as you claim should be happening. And that time-frame includes a vacation week where I ate way over my calories as I didn't even try to stay within my calorie range, just enjoyed myself, and only gained 2# doing it which, for me, is amazing because I used to be able to gain 5# (yeah, I know it wasn't all fat) just from one big meal. Of course, I'm sure my exercise program (heavy lifting, HIIT, with more limited steady-state cardio) is helping with that.

It's late. I'm tired and rambling. Sorry.

jj3120

Hi, Go for it! I have just started myself this week upping my calories to 1800 up from 1430. Do check out the Eat more to weigh less group, link already posted, there is some great information there explaining everything and offering reassurance!

zeuse

Everyone is different, there are no cookie cutter diets that work for one, but not the other - you need to go through trial and error, find what works and what doesn't - when you know what your body can take you adjust in small increments to find the sweet spot in the middle of gaining and loosing. Bump and jump till you find that happy medium.

I know guys who can cut while taking in 3000 calories and some who need to take in 1000 a day, it's genetics, body type and lifestyle.

AntWrig

Everyone is different, there are no cookie cutter diets that work for one, but not the other - you need to go through trial and error, find what works and what doesn't - when you know what your body can take you adjust in small increments to find the sweet spot in the middle of gaining and loosing. Bump and jump till you find that happy medium.

I know guys who can cut while taking in 3000 calories and some who need to take in 1000 a day, it's genetics, body type and lifestyle.

The problem is most people don't have the patience to go through the whole process. They just want a set of macros, a meal plan and ripped in 30.

AntWrig

There is no such thing as "keeping the body guessing". It doesn't work like that. Zig-zagging, carb cycling and the like have NO impact on the metabolism. Most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

High calorie day don't "qualms your body's fear of starvation".

Sure it does, if done correctly.

The problem is - you must enter dieting with a full burning metabolism and then do these things.

If you've been already underfeeding your BMR as you have mentioned several times, the metabolism just slows.

Start doing zig-zag and spike days doesn't fool your body to start increasing the BMR usually. Body just looks at each increased calories as a gift and stores it as fat, with metabolism staying low.

But if you come into dieting with those things, it basically keeps you from undercutting your BMR on a constant basis.

So what would have taken 2-6 weeks to start lowering BMR, is allowed to stay high.

Of course, the smarter method as you have mentioned is just don't net below your BMR in the first place. Or correct that part now. Same effect, while learning NOT to pig out 1 day a week.

I believe we're in agreement here. Did you not read my next statement?

zeuse

And that in itself is where the problem lies, people want to be told exactly what to do to get things done, it's in my opinion the greatest thing about a healthy lifestyle, its not easy! You need discipline, commitment and a drive to really stick with it, it'll not only get you healthy, but it'll build a will of steel!

AntWrig

There is no such thing as "keeping the body guessing". It doesn't work like that. Zig-zagging, carb cycling and the like have NO impact on the metabolism. Most people doing such things shouldn't be doing them in the first place.

High calorie day don't "qualms your body's fear of starvation".

Sure it does, if done correctly.

The problem is - you must enter dieting with a full burning metabolism and then do these things.

If you've been already underfeeding your BMR as you have mentioned several times, the metabolism just slows.

Start doing zig-zag and spike days doesn't fool your body to start increasing the BMR usually. Body just looks at each increased calories as a gift and stores it as fat, with metabolism staying low.

But if you come into dieting with those things, it basically keeps you from undercutting your BMR on a constant basis.

So what would have taken 2-6 weeks to start lowering BMR, is allowed to stay high.

Of course, the smarter method as you have mentioned is just don't net below your BMR in the first place. Or correct that part now. Same effect, while learning NOT to pig out 1 day a week.

I can only say what my body is doing. Like many, when I first started here at MFP, I was eating 1200 calories with no exercise calories. I started zig-zagging in October. Then, in January, I became convinced that I should eat more based on the many excellent posts on the subject (including some of yours). I started eating back my exercise calories most days (but still a bit low some days to allow me to keep zig-zagging). After I had gotten used to this for awhile, I raised my net by 100 calories/day for several weeks. Then another 100 calories/day so I am now netting above my BMR. Even on my lower calorie days, I don't go below my BMR as I usually have big enough calorie burns to bank some to eat later that week. (I just really like saving those calories for splurges at social events. It makes this not even seem like any kind of diet, no deprivation. I never thought it was possible to lose and not feel deprived so this is a great thing for me.)

Anyway, each time I raise my calories, I stall my weight loss for a few weeks but then start losing again after my body adjusts to it. I'm actually thinking of upping my calories 100/day in another month or so and to keep doing this every month to see how high I can push this and still lose.

I'm a 54yo, post-menopausal woman who has been battling my weight since my first pregnancy (and she's almost 30). And did a lot of yo-yo dieting and dumb stuff (like MediFast) during those years and know I had a severely damaged metabolism when I started this. Heck, it took me 3 weeks to lose my first 1# when I started at 1200 calories, at a time when most people lose considerably. And, for years, I've never been able to eat what others can eat. Example: spending the day with a thin friend who ate three full meals during that day while I only ate one meal and a very small snack. We ate the same breakfast but she was starving at lunch. I was so full from breakfast that my stomach still hurt from fullness. When she ate dinner, I had soup (my snack). Anyway, I'm digressing....

I've lost 8# in the two months since I really started focusing on upping my calories. And I zig-zag. So I don't think I'm just packing on fat those days as you claim should be happening. And that time-frame includes a vacation week where I ate way over my calories as I didn't even try to stay within my calorie range, just enjoyed myself, and only gained 2# doing it which, for me, is amazing because I used to be able to gain 5# (yeah, I know it wasn't all fat) just from one big meal. Of course, I'm sure my exercise program (heavy lifting, HIIT, with more limited steady-state cardio) is helping with that.

It's late. I'm tired and rambling. Sorry.

It appears your slowly adding calories, and your body is adapting. You're still losing weight so, that mean you're still in a deficit. There are some many factors. Regardless, who gonna complain about eating more food?

douglasmobbs

On loads of food packets in the UK it is stated that the RDA for a woman is 2000 calories.

So adjusting things for height, weight and activity 1,800 should give weight loss for most woman.

1,800 calories is higher than most diets but then its lower than what most woman eat when not trying to lose weight. You should get a slow and steady weight loss on 1,800 but be aware that a woman's weight changes through natural cycles so you may put on a little bit some weeks but this will be compensated by a greater loss other weeks.

jillybean0123

I recently upped my calories from about 1400 per day to 1775. I had been on weight watchers and lost 49.5 lbs in 6 months then stalled out that close to 50. Toyed with the same 3 lbs, gained 3 then lost 2 then lost another one just to gain the three back again. Never getting to 50 lbs lost and never gaining back more than three. After 5 months of that I decided to try MFP and was on here I guess a little over a month and a half. Still the same results. Upped my calories last week and weighed in this week. 50.2 lbs lost. So far, so good.

JadeRabbit08

I've been watching what I eat for 7 years now. Lost 70 lbs in my first 1.5 yrs with Weight Watchers. Then gained some back...but I have always been aware/conscious of what I was eating. I've tried to lose the weight I've regained, but over the past 2 - 3 yrs, all I've managed to do is maintain my weight. Been on MFP for over 230 days and have, on average, simply maintained my weight once again.

Recently I've been contemplating eating more calories...sounds moronic, but according to the BMR calculator on Fat2Fit, it's what my body needs...approx 1800 cals! (I'm 5'6'' and have a light to moderate activity level).

Has anyone lost weight with such a high calorie intake?

Yeah I went up to 1800 and it got me past a stall. I was seeing no weight loss at 1500 (some weight loss at 1200 but I had health issues and knew I had to go higher than that.) and within a week of doing 1800 I dropped 3.3 pounds. I am playing around with even higher at 2090 at the moment but its only been a few days so I am not sure how this will go yet. Dont go by the avatar pic , as thats my inspiration. I am currently trying to lose 84 pounds. I calculated my TDEE and for my deficit went 15% lower than that. (Which is 2200 net).