people who have had success by upping their calories!

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  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
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    I got these results in 2 1/2 months by eating 6-7 meals, and 1700-1900 cals/day on average. My first couple of weeks I tried that 1200 calorie stuff, and I've never been so cranky and miserable. I'm 5' 7", and I've lost 3 lbs since the "during" picture (currently 149), and I will lose about 15 more. I will do it by EATING and training hard. Others may choose a different path and that's fine, but I feel FANTASTIC eating like this, and I can maintain this forever! LOVE IT!!

    152lbsphotobucketbackview-1.jpg

    Hubba Hubba and WOW!! You look amazing!!

    You look awesome! I upped my calories about 2 weeks ago and I have started losing again. My question is, I'm eating close to 1600 on my exercise days, but should I eat that amount on rest days also? Thanks for sharing!!!
  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    I got these results in 2 1/2 months by eating 6-7 meals, and 1700-1900 cals/day on average. My first couple of weeks I tried that 1200 calorie stuff, and I've never been so cranky and miserable. I'm 5' 7", and I've lost 3 lbs since the "during" picture (currently 149), and I will lose about 15 more. I will do it by EATING and training hard. Others may choose a different path and that's fine, but I feel FANTASTIC eating like this, and I can maintain this forever! LOVE IT!!

    152lbsphotobucketbackview-1.jpg

    Hubba Hubba and WOW!! You look amazing!!

    You look awesome! I upped my calories about 2 weeks ago and I have started losing again. My question is, I'm eating close to 1600 on my exercise days, but should I eat that amount on rest days also? Thanks for sharing!!!



    well, i recommend eating at least your BMR, so make sure everyday you have AT LEAST a 1200 net...depending on your BMR i would set it like 200 calories above it..read the thread i posted at the very beginning to find an amount of calories to eat per day to build muscle..hopefully this helps:p
  • bgirly55
    bgirly55 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thank you! This is very helpful! Though, I will say that the way I make popcorn, with a small amount of olive oil and sea salt, I feel is okay. I have pretty much eaten popcorn nightly for the duration of my diet, within my calories and dropped the weight till now. I do eat lots of fruit and veggies and whole grains, yet it just seems like way too much fruit/veggies to me as they are so low in cals. to add on several hundred of them, if this makes sense? I don't like huge portions of meat for protein either, and otherwise alternatives are protein bars etc. which I'm not crazy about, and don't think they are very clean either... any ideas?
  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    Thank you! This is very helpful! Though, I will say that the way I make popcorn, with a small amount of olive oil and sea salt, I feel is okay. I have pretty much eaten popcorn nightly for the duration of my diet, within my calories and dropped the weight till now. I do eat lots of fruit and veggies and whole grains, yet it just seems like way too much fruit/veggies to me as they are so low in cals. to add on several hundred of them, if this makes sense? I don't like huge portions of meat for protein either, and otherwise alternatives are protein bars etc. which I'm not crazy about, and don't think they are very clean either... any ideas?

    i love to make myself a protein shake after a workout
    www.dashingdish.com
    has the most amazing shake recipes where they taste like milkshakes!
    i love zone bars..they are probably the best tasting protein bars out there..my favorite is chocolate peanut butter, and cookie dough..but add this on top of breakfast, lunch, and dinner..
  • jenalderman
    jenalderman Posts: 411 Member
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    I up my calories to maintenance level or just a little below every time I plateau. I don't care about all the arguement against it.... for me it works like a charm. It somehow helps my body to "reset" and get comfy at the new weight. When I lower them back down in a couple of days, voila! Just like magic.
  • Saffyra
    Saffyra Posts: 607 Member
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    I started at 1200 and lost 20lbs.

    On my last fifteen pounds, I went UP to 1500 and lost four pounds in two and a half weeks. WHOA!

    So I'm eating between 1400--1600 now and have now lost 25lbs total.

    On the last 8lbs and thinking of moving to a solid 1600, maybe 1800.

    I work out five to six days a week, currently doing Insanity.

    Im 5'1" and 34 years old.

    Increasing calories worked for me and I was SUCH a non-believer! I'm converted now.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I started last week and am up 4 pounds this week. Will hang on 2 more weeks to see if my body adjusts as they say it will. If not I am going back down to the 1200 calories I was initially on.

    Just curious did anyone else experience a weight gain after increasing their calories?? I am 5'11 and was only on 1200 cal a day... I thought I would die. I went up to 1400 and am eating back my exercise calories... I am so worried my weight will skyrocket!

    Do you know what you were eating before that caused weight gain or maintained your weight before you want to lose?

    That's what you would have to eat more than to start gaining real weight.

    Otherwise you'll be gaining energy stores finally topping off, which holds water too. All needed and safe.

    What you should do if concerned is the week you eat at 1400, don't exercise except for walking. Don't have to eat back walking 3mph or slower, because that is just more daily activity, which is exactly where the deficit is coming from anyway.
    This lets body see it is getting energy it needs for normal BMR, and no exercise, so BMR can go up.
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    Before i was at 1350, last week upped it to 1800 and lost 3lbs. last week. i don't expect to lose that much every week, but i say it looks promising for now.
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    For those of you who have upped your calorie intake to 1800 or more, are you eating back your exercise calories?

    Sometimes i do and other days i don't feel like it. Just depends on my appetite......
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
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    I stagger my calories to keep my body in confusion and keep me from plateau. I also eat a ton though =)
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    ok people help me...I want to lose around 10 lbs. and I would like to average at least a 1lb a week. It tells me I should stick to 1200 calories which I have been trying to do. I also exercise 6 days a week usually run 3 days a week and do a brisk walk on the other 3 burning probably about 300-400 calories a day. What calorie intake should I shoot for? What is the bmr and amr that I see mentioned?

    Taht's because if you only have 10lbs to lose, the most you should aim for in a week is 1/2 pound...you need more food.
    It will never tell you less than 1200 ---

    Use the tools on the site and modify your goals for 1/2 lb a week.
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    ok people help me...I want to lose around 10 lbs. and I would like to average at least a 1lb a week. It tells me I should stick to 1200 calories which I have been trying to do. I also exercise 6 days a week usually run 3 days a week and do a brisk walk on the other 3 burning probably about 300-400 calories a day. What calorie intake should I shoot for? What is the bmr and amr that I see mentioned?

    BMR= Basal Metabolic Rate and it's the amount of calories your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day long doing nothing but breathing etc. It's been said that you should never eat under your BMR. Go to the 'TOOLS' tab, and use the BMR calculator there.

    And i have no idea what AMR is, but would like to know if that should be the upper limit on calorie intake!
  • witrixie2011
    witrixie2011 Posts: 224
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    For those of you who have upped your calorie intake to 1800 or more, are you eating back your exercise calories?

    I always try to NET at least 1700 calories a day, which is about 150 above my BMR. So yes, I am eating back my exercise calories. Some work out days I'll eat 5-600 extra calories and other times only 200. All depends on how much effort I expend.
  • runbyme
    runbyme Posts: 522 Member
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    Here is a copy of the post I made a month ago! Don't be afraid to eat! I have lost another 2% body fat since then! Good luck to you all!

    Good morning! I just had to post about the success I have had with eating a higher calorie diet!

    I started here at MFP the 1st of January and was given the 1200 calorie plan most of us get set up with. I exercised 4 times a week and at the end of the month, I had gained 3#! Sooo discouraged!

    I read through the forums, looking for clues. Looking for hope. I read a few peoples posts about eating enough to lose weight and I thought they had lost their minds. I mean, you have to starve to lose weight right? Even at 1200 calories, I was only netting about 800-900 because I wasn't eating back my exercise calories. In my mind, I figured the weight ought to be falling off of me! How wrong I was!!

    I contacted helloitsdan and had him run my numbers to see what was up. He immediately set me up with the minimum of 1800 calories and said my TDEE was 2250. No way! I cried most of the night. It seemed so absurd to think that if I wasn't losing wieght at 800-1000 calories a day, that I would at 1800. Thankfully, I listened and was a good student!

    Today marks my 1 month of eating this higher calorie diet and I won't ever go back! As of today, I have lost 4.4#, 6" off various measurements, most off my hips and thighs, and my BF% went from 28% to 24.6%!! Just think what next month may hold!

    Anyone who is struggling with a VLCD and isn't finding sucess, please up your calories. You'll have more energy to work out and you won't be hungry!

    Good luck to all of you on your weightloss and fitness journeys!

    Kathy
  • rorae
    rorae Posts: 34 Member
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  • vguynes
    vguynes Posts: 794 Member
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  • rbrannock
    rbrannock Posts: 169
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    I haven't upped my calories yet, but when I started in January, I only ate my 1200 calories, or less, and never ate back any exercise calories. I was losing but started slowing down....so I started eating back my exercise calories, or at least most of them, the past few weeks and have lost a bigger amount each week. Before it might be like .8 lbs lost, where now its like 2.4 lbs lost. I noticed before if I had a "cheat day" or basically went over on my calories then the next day the scale would be down, so I am now a believer that you have to fuel your body to lose weight.
  • jeanybeaniexox
    jeanybeaniexox Posts: 2
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    i am trying to lose about 20 pounds or so (i'm about 145-150 right now) and it reccomended i eat 1200 a day so do you think i should up this? or just eat more on a day that i am working out?
  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    thats what would happen to me! on my cheat day i'd feel slimmer, so i've decided to up my calories in order to kick this plateau(:
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
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