For the 500,000 time EATING MORE WORKS

stephl21uk

I know there are a million and one topics out there about this
But I feel there needs to be one more confirmation for those ppl struggling at 1200 calories and not losing
Here is my story of how increasing calories worked

I've been on this site 100 days and lost maybe 4 pounds in the first 40 days while struggling to only eat 1200 calories
after that nothing.....for 60 days I just stayed the same
1 week ago I took advice from another thread and found out my BMR and TDEE measurements and increased my calories to 1500
and this week lost 1.5 pounds....

So for those of you who "Can't stay under 1200 cals" it's really not necessary
Just thought I would share my success


i think it depends on the persons body i average 2-3 lbs loss a week but i normally eat under my 1200cals....i had a bad week and went over quite a bit, i still lost but only 1lb but the week proir i mixed it up a bit a day of high cals (1200) a day of low (1000) and did exersice and lost 3lb that week, ive discovered that eating around 900-1000 cals and then having somehigh days thrown in works the best for me personally....if i eat higher than 1200 i know id def gaine weight.....so i dont think everybody is the same and alot of people on here think that because they have lost weight thay are now nutritionalists and trainers and can tell you what to do *******not saying that ur doing this at all!!****** its just really starting to p*** me off when im getting comments from people saying you need to do this, you need to do that......good luck in ur weight loss :0))

Lyra89

Is 1300 net calories good if my 'myfitnesspal' calories are set at 1300?

I eat between 1450 - 1800 per day as I eat back exercise calories and 1300 is my average net calories

I'm new on here and only weigh in once per week (going to weigh in tomorrow) but last week this worked very well, just want to know if it is definitely healthy & maintainable & wont slow my metabolism!

x

rachmass1

Question on activity level: I walk slowly at work 3-5 hours around five days a week. Do I count that as exercise or Activity level? I don't really consider it exercise as my heart rate remains low and I don't sweat at all, but at the same time I am moving close to half the work day. Don't want to double count.

ili_s

I am amazed by everyone on here who wants to see immediate and quick results. If you are in a hurry to lose weight you are bound to put it all back on within a year or two of having reached your goal weight.

Nothing wrong with the slow and stead approach. Unless you have a very urgent medical condition caused by weight, there is no reason to lose weight real fast. It's about incorporating a healthy lifestyle change which will stick with you for life.

I'm also blown away by people who keep claiming they cannot possibly eat 2000+calories. How do you think you got into this predicament of needing to lose weight in the first place? It's from overeating and not expending enough calories.

I have no scientific data to back me up, but to me common sense seems to dictate that you cannot eat a lot of calories because your metabolism has slowed down because you do not eat enough and often enough in the first place. If you start forcing down a few extra 100 calories and eat at regular times every 3 hours or so I bet you'd start feeling hungry again and feeding your body properly.

YcatsFursworth

bump

BerryH

Question on activity level: I walk slowly at work 3-5 hours around five days a week. Do I count that as exercise or Activity level? I don't really consider it exercise as my heart rate remains low and I don't sweat at all, but at the same time I am moving close to half the work day. Don't want to double count.

Stuff you do every day without breaking a sweat is best put into your daily activity level.

rachmass1

Question on activity level: I walk slowly at work 3-5 hours around five days a week. Do I count that as exercise or Activity level? I don't really consider it exercise as my heart rate remains low and I don't sweat at all, but at the same time I am moving close to half the work day. Don't want to double count.

Stuff you do every day without breaking a sweat is best put into your daily activity level.

Thanks, i just posted on that as I hadn't seen this. How would you figure if it was moderate or light? It is sustained and burns about 500 calories during the day.

defor5050

Hi I am quite new to this sight could you tell me what BMR and TDEE been dooing this for 30 days lost 7 lb I still have at least 14 to lose, I excercise everyday mainly line dancing two hours a day and zumba two hours a week
Thanks
Jackie

BerryH

Thanks, i just posted on that as I hadn't seen this. How would you figure if it was moderate or light? It is sustained and burns about 500 calories during the day.

Wen you put your settings in MFP it gives you general description and adjusts your pre formal exercise calories automatically depending on your selection:

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

So I expect you'd be lightly active or active. I sit at a desk all day so I'm sedentary.

lmnosser

are you guys eating over your BMR on days that you don't work out?

31prvrbs

Bumping to follow.....

But also want to say to those that feel that "eating more" is ramming a one size fit all approach down people's throats: How can eating according to your own personal nutrients REQUIRED by YOUR body, be one size fit all? But yet eating 1200 cals isn't? I don't get the logic. To me, telling people to eat 1200 cals is one-size-fit-all. It's a generic # that just gets tossed around aimlessly, because in medical/nutrition/fitness fields, we are told to never allow a client to drop BELOW 1200. Somewhere along the line it became a magic weight loss #....???? Where as each person, when BMR or TDEE calculations according to their personal stats receive an actual PERSONALIZED number, such as 1567, or 1798, or 3245, etc. Yet, no two are the same.

Which one sounds more "one size" approach?

And to those that feel completely satisfied on 1200 cals. Of course you do. Our bodies are an amazingly adaptive machine. It adapts to whatever you put it through. So even if you *should* be eating 2200 cals/day, but you choose to *actually* eat 1300, eventually your body will adapt to the 1300. So essentially, what you have done is made your body adapt to less than it needed.

Or rather, 1200 is the new 2000.

watersgirl

are you guys eating over your BMR on days that you don't work out?

If I'm reading right, you never ever want to go below your BMR - that is the number that your body NEEDS to function correctly.

freckledrats

WebMD has the most useful things to say about metabolism: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/make-most-your-metabolism

While I can't speak to eating more calories to lose weight (I have *always* gained eating 1500+, so maybe it just doesn't apply to me), I can speak to eating more often helping the process. I like to spread my 1200 out over 3x 300 calorie meals and inserting small snacks between those meals to keep my metabolism going.

Also, you feel less hungry during the day.

ladyraven68

are you guys eating over your BMR on days that you don't work out?

I never net below my BMR.

chachita7

Congrats on your loss...

Fourmenandalady28

Well done!! That is AWESOME!

Keefypoos

are you guys eating over your BMR on days that you don't work out?

I never net below my BMR.

I on the other hand never net above my BMR
what works for one may not work for another

wickedcricket

ok but doesn't work for me. I eat more, I gain. period. even if extra cals are mostly FRUIT. still gain

tiggergrrl23

I agree with you! Eating back my exercise calories and eating more has really helped me. Thanks for posting!

ladyraven68

ok but doesn't work for me. I eat more, I gain. period. even if extra cals are mostly FRUIT. still gain

Eat more than what?

If you eat more than TDEE then yes you will gain weight, but nobody has ever suggested that.