Going to try upping calories, anymore tips and tricks?

RachFace1000

Hi! I'm Rachel and I'm a couple weeks new to this site. I'm 5'9 and weigh 150 (which is a healthy weight, I know but I'd like to lose some body fat).

When I first started with this site they put me on the 1200 calorie plan. Then I read in several message boards that 1200 cals stunts your weight loss, and that it would be a good idea to up my calories.
I'm now eating about 1450 cals, playing volleyball for 90 minutes three days a week, and going to the gym to do the elliptical (30 mins) and do some light weight training (20 mins) two or three days a week. I'm still not seeing any less inches or pounds!

Any tips, tricks, work outs, or foods that would help me burn fat more efficiently? I would greatly appreciate it! (:

amysj303

I am trying the same. I am at goal weight and want to gain some muscle. Someone gave me the New Rules of Lifting calorie estimator and it suggested me eating 1800 on rest days. I will find it and paste the details here if you want.

RachFace1000

Thank would be fantastic! Thanks!

amysj303

That plans says:
1. Step 1 - weight in kg
2. resting metabolic rate - run this equation: 795 + (7.18 x body weight in kilograms) = resting metabolic rate
3. Step 3 - body mass index - Google this there are calculators for BMI
4. Daily activities multipliers - If your BMI is under 25, your multipliers are: a) no workout = 1.6, b) active workout day = 1,8, c) strenuous work and active workout day = 2.0. HERE IS WHAT YOU EAT: on a non workout day, multiply your Step 2 number by 1.6 and on a workout day, multiply your Step 2 number by 1.8. Those are your calories (for non-workout and workout days, respectively).
5. Eat like that for ONE MONTH. Then, you can add in a small deficit, perhaps 300 calories per day.

Heathervescent

How Long have you been eating this way so far asjerven? Have you gained any weight back?

amysj303

I upped the cals last week but I haven't weighed. I suppose I should, for experiments sake, but I figure it will be a lot of water weight from eating more and lifting. I meant to go into to 24-hour fitness and have my body fat measured, but I didn't.

kikih64

I want to follow this thread. I just had my first week of upping my calories according the the New Rules. No change on the scale, but I think adding in HIITs and weights will help. I started strength training at a gym about a month ago, and am now trying to break myself from long bouts on the machines - treadmill, ARC, etc. Trying to be more intense!

amysj303

saw this on another thread, it has a little more info on the NROL4W calorie plan:
New Rules of Lifting for Women suggests using these guidelines for calculating how many calories to eat each day:

Step 1: Find your weight in Kilograms
Take your weight and divide it by 2.2 = your weight in kilograms.
For example, I weigh 131 lbs, so in kilograms I weigh 59.55 kg

Step 2: Calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate
Multiply your weight in kilograms by 7.18
(MY example:) 59.55*7.18 = 427.54

Now add 795
795+427.54 = 1222.54
We'll call that number X

Step 3: Calculate your BMI
Use this chart: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf
For example, I am 68 inches and 131 lbs, so I am about a 20 BMI.

Now:

If your BMI is 18-24.9:
Multiply X by:
On non-workout days: 1.6
On workout days: 1.8


If your BMI is >25
Multiply X by:
On non-workout days: 1.5
On workout days: 1.7

So for me, I'll do
Non-workout days: X = 1222.54 * 1.6 = 1956 calories
Workout days: X = 1222.54*1.8 = 2201 calories


Now, the book says that if you are also trying to lose lbs, you can subtract up to 300 cals from both days.

*this is the OP notes about her own stats, not mine, BTW

Heathervescent

Omg, according to that I would eat 1800+ cal a day!! That is way too scary!! I feel like that is way too many and when I lift I feel like I'm being lazy because I'm not huffing and puffing and sweating. I realllly want to gain muscle and tone up, though!!!! I am just so scared of undoing all of my hard work!!

kikih64

Heather - I'm scared too, but the book stated that this is a guideline and to try for a few weeks and adjust if necessary. I am also having trouble giving up the cardio, but am definitely enjoying that I only do HIIT on the treadmill now for 20 mins. I also feel better now that I'm eating a little more. It worries me because I am not lifting heavy yet, but I guess it's heavy to me, so that's what matters. Just try - you can always go back.

jsapninz

When I first started with this site they put me on the 1200 calorie plan. Then I read in several message boards that 1200 cals stunts your weight loss, and that it would be a good idea to up my calories.
I'm now eating about 1450 cals, playing volleyball for 90 minutes three days a week, and going to the gym to do the elliptical (30 mins) and do some light weight training (20 mins) two or three days a week. I'm still not seeing any less inches or pounds!

1,200 does NOT stunt your weight loss (Starvation mode is largely a myth). Uneducated people on MFP FREAK OUT about it yeah, but depending on your weight and height, less than 1,200 might be appropriate (ok for 5'4" girl, bad for 6'4" man).

For example: the last 7 weeks I had a daily goal of 1,150 and I was losing 1.41 lbs a week (I have since upped it to 1,300 because I only want to lose a pound a week since my bmr turned out to be higher than average, but that is beside the point). But I was not tired during those 7 weeks and didn't notice any other ill effects...but then again I am in my healthy range and want to lose weight for vanity's sake, and am 5'5". So it worked for me, you just have to be aware of what you are doing and really eat right.

If you are not losing weight, it's because:
A) you haven't waited long enough (at least two weeks) to see changes
you aren't logging everything diligently and are cheating
C) (and MOST LIKELY) your daily goal is too high.

You only lose weight by having a caloric deficit. THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT, THAT IS IT!! If you aren't losing, it's because you are eating too much for what you are burning. It's really pretty simple.

I would listen to MFP if it told you to eat 1,200 and you gave it accurate information (sedentary, lifestyle etc). OR if you don't trust it, you could calculate your own TDEE and then figure out your defecit goal (500 cals a day for 1 lb a week) and go from there (which is an exercise I reccomend for everyone because it is good to understand what/how MFP does it for you). If you don't have that much to lose though, DON'T attempt to be losing at too quickly of a pace, 1 lb a week is plenty.

Side note: I personally think the whole "Eat more to lose more" is a crock, I think women especially get on it after they attempt eating too little because they are in a hurry to lose and then they can't keep at the goal so they think their goal isn't working when really they are going over daily on calories. At least this is what I have seen amongst my MFP friends.

jsapninz

I am trying the same. I am at goal weight and want to gain some muscle. Someone gave me the New Rules of Lifting calorie estimator and it suggested me eating 1800 on rest days. I will find it and paste the details here if you want.

1800 is A TON of cals. I would GAIN weight if I ate that every day, even at my original weight!! I hope you are super tall and/or active.

amysj303

I don't know janns, I have been eating at the higher levels (1800 on rest days, 2000 on lifting days and no cardio) for a week and there has been no change in the scale. I am 5'4" and 113 and I don't want to lose weight, but I would like to lose body fat. There are a million threads about eating more and I think it makes sense. I also saw this:
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g1555/build/g1555.pdf
and it also seems to suggest that 1800 is about maintenance for me, and my exercise is creating the defecit. Also, as I build more lean muscle, it needs a lot of calories to support.

jsapninz

I don't know janns, I have been eating at the higher levels (1800 on rest days, 2000 on lifting days and no cardio) for a week

A WEEK. I fluctate a pound every day due to water weight and "time of the month" alone.:grumble: It's hard to see REAL changes in pounds for a couple weeks at least.

My MAINTENANCE at 135 lbs (5'5") is a hair under 1,800 cals a day, and my BMR is 200 cals a day HIGHER than average (I think because I have a higher muscle percentage than most, not because I work at it but because my family is pretty muscular). If you are 113 lbs and eating this...watch out! I would be interested to see how this works for you...I would suspect you should be packing on the fat after a just a month, hope I'm wrong. :frown: Of course, I am assuming you live a sedentary lifestyle like most people. If you are a professsional dancer or something, 1,800 a day could be right.

I know, I know, people say eating more "revs up your metabolism"....but I think this is a fantasy. And frankly, from a scientific standpoint, it doesn't make sense as far as I can tell, and I have found no research to argue otherwise.

Your body only burns a little bit (like 8%? I think) on digestion, the rest goes towards heart beating, thinking, staying warm. This takes a certain amount of calories (energy) according to how efficient your body is and its size (BMR)......additional calories HAVE to go somewhere if they aren't burned up from living (as in, I either work it off with exercise or welcome it to being a permanent fixture on my HIPS AND BUTT)!

Yeah, if you start eating like HALF your BMR (900 cals a day for me) and stay that way for like A YEAR your BMR sill slow SLIGHTLY as a defense mechanism (so called (and unreasonably feared), "starvation mode"). But it can only slow a little bit (which is why people die from anorexia). Side effects are being tired and depressed, and other nasty things. As far as I know this is the ONLY case when you can actually influence your BMR. And it is a defense mechanism to STARVING TO DEATH.

Eating MORE than your body burns DOESN'T have a defense mechanism...it's called obesity.

amysj303

I agree that a week does not tell us much at all, and I am sedentary except for the three strength training workouts.
Intuitively, I think you cannot build muscle AND lose fat. You have to eat at a surplus to build muscle and a deficit to lose fat.
Have you read through the Cosgrove (NROL4W) calculations for determining calorie needs?
There have been a ton of threads lately on the topic:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/536603-lost-7-lbs-since-last-thursday-by-eating-more
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539980-people-who-have-had-success-by-upping-their-calories
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/518533-major-sucess-with-higher-calories
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/541091-tossing-my-scale-out-the-window-pics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/534457-before-and-after-pics-no-starvation
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/541385-terrified-to-increase-my-calories
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/540701-nsv-i-upped-my-calories-from-1200-to-1456-i-m-gonna-eat-m

But I can see that most people, who are trying to lose, could eat more and still lose, like, just eating at maintenance for their goal weight. It might be slower but more sustainable ultimately.
I am trying to change body composition-more weight is ok if it's muscle, but maybe some will be fat too.
I don't really understand why MFP has my maintenance cals much lower than other sources, though...

jsapninz

Intuitively, I think you cannot build muscle AND lose fat. You have to eat at a surplus to build muscle and a deficit to lose fat.

I don't know awhole lot about science but from my understanding: your body builds muscles when you exhert them. Which is why if you AREN'T working out and you are losing weight your body will eat your muscles along with the fat because it thinks you don't need them. ( and you also need plenty of protien to build muscles). But if you are working them it will keep/build them (depending on how hard you work them). Yes this will take energy, but this shouldn't really affect burning fat. In fact, it probably helps.

It might be slower but more sustainable ultimately.

I think THAT is the main reason the whole "eat more to lose more" thing is so popular. Like I said, I know alot of girls just blindly drop their cal intake to 1,200 and then either cheat or can't consistently stay under that goal and then think it's because they "aren't eating enough." I mean do whatever you need to do to lose weight, and if that means SUPER slow and steady, go for it. But I personally think that people who are losing less than a pound a week are going to get discouraged MORE easily because they don't see changes fast enough. I find slow imperceptible progress to be MUCH more difficult to hang in there than just eating at a 500 cal a day deficit. I mean honestly, eating little enough to lose a pound a week REALLY is not that hard.

It just takes diligence.