Eating more to lose weight - Does it work?

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Sipah
Sipah Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yup it is counter-intiuative, doesn't make much sense to me. But a vocal group seems to be advocating it. Now while I am assuming they have used it themselves, has anybody tried it with success?

Basically has someone tried this whole eating more bit and lost weight?

Edit: For grammar and English.
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Replies

  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
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    Yes, I have.

    5 years ago, I set out to l lose 102 lbs after my second child was born. About 30 lbs into it, I started not losing. I figured out that I was eating abut 500 less than I should have been. I upped my food back up to 2300 from 1700 and within a week I was loosing 2 lbs a week again.

    It really is a precarious situation in which you cant go too high or too low, or your body will balk.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Yup it is counter-intiuative, doesn't make much sense to me. But a vocal group seems to be advocating it. Now while I am assuming they have used it themselves, has anybody tried it with success?

    Basically has someone tried this whole eating more bit and lost weight?

    Edit: For grammar and English.

    Um, eating more than what? It's not a case ot just eating more than you are eating now, or more than your daily needs, it about eating enough to fuel your body correctly, giving it adequate nutrition,

    The groups you are looking for advocate eating more than your BMR, but less than your TDEE.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more?
  • MrsSpinks
    MrsSpinks Posts: 274 Member
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    I have continued to lose weight after upping my calories gradually! I now eat around maintenance and still lose!
  • Sipah
    Sipah Posts: 31 Member
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    Sorry if I wasn't clear. That is what I meant. More than your BMR but less than your TDEE. The question is has this method worked and so far from the rather quick replies (thanks btw) it has worked.

    So I will give it a shot. Thanks.
  • Hungry_Tuna
    Hungry_Tuna Posts: 361 Member
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    No this doesn't work, apparently. I'm back up to my starting weight so forget that *kitten*.
  • lind3400
    lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
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    yeh I think that people forget that now they're exercising more and speeding up their metabolism they require more food becasue their BMR has increased as well...thats why they stall after a certain point
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    you are going to get all KINDS of differing opinions based on real life personal situations.

    When I first lost my weight, I ignored my net calories and didn't eat a morsel OVER my MFP allowance of 1,200 calorie allowance, despite burning at least 1,000 calories a day.

    This time around, I experimented and decided to eat back my calories so I have a NET of around 500 calories. to my horror, I piled on 8 lbs inside of almost 3 weeks.

    Eat back exercise calories? not for me, as i wish to lose weight.
  • lind3400
    lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
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    Also if you want more proof on increasing cals ...here is a thread I started on the topic and all the responses to it :) Very positive!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/546227-for-the-500-000-time-eating-more-works
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
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    I upped my calories by 300 a day from 1200 a day last week as I am happy to maintain at the moment.

    I lost 1lb.

    So will carry on at 1500 a day this week and see what happens.

    PS I always eat all my exercise cals back also.
  • firefly171717
    firefly171717 Posts: 226 Member
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    YES!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT STARVE URSELF you need food to lose :-)
  • firefly171717
    firefly171717 Posts: 226 Member
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    I upped my calories by 300 a day from 1200 a day last week as I am happy to maintain at the moment.

    I lost 1lb.

    So will carry on at 1500 a day this week and see what happens.

    PS I always eat all my exercise cals back also.

    YES DO THIS! :-)
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    It worked for me! I had my net calories set to 1830 when I first started losing. As I lost, I had to drop the net incrementally down to 1700 as I weighed less and less.

    I'm working on figuring out maintenance mode now - but most days I eat anywhere from 2200 - 2700 calories. Even at that level, I'm still losing about a half pound a week.
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
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    you are going to get all KINDS of differing opinions based on real life personal situations.

    When I first lost my weight, I ignored my net calories and didn't eat a morsel OVER my MFP allowance of 1,200 calorie allowance, despite burning at least 1,000 calories a day.

    This time around, I experimented and decided to eat back my calories so I have a NET of around 500 calories. to my horror, I piled on 8 lbs inside of almost 3 weeks.

    Eat back exercise calories? not for me, as i wish to lose weight.

    What you are saying is that you were living on 200 calories per day????
  • kerriBB37
    kerriBB37 Posts: 967 Member
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    I am total proof that eating MORE does help you lose! A good rule of thumb is that, one should eat your weight x10 in order to LOSE weight.. my best friend has her doctorate in biochemistry and I always pick her brain.. I would consider myself very educated *now* on health and fitness but it's taken me a LONG time to learn! :) She always told me about eating more and I would just ignore her.

    I started on MFP in Jan of LAST year and I worked my BUTT off ALL year.. logged daily, worked out 5-6 days a week for a couple hours a day, ate 1200 calories.. From January to June I lost a couple pounds but afterwards I ended up gaining. In 2011 in totaly I lost only TWO pounds! =( I was so discouraged and I just kept thinking, "I am doing EVERYTHING right".. I broke down to my friend (she is a marathoner, triathlete, etc. and the biochemist) and we talked about what I was doing. Basically I was doing TOO much and eating way TOO little! SO in 2012 I promised her I'd try her scientific method.. I upped my calories to 1800 since I was 180 pounds and ate them. (I did not eat back all my exercise calories though, that is important to know) and I've done a lot less at the gym. I still go 5-6x a week but it's usually for 45-60 minutes instead of 2-3 hours. I do weights 3x a week and I do some cardio.. Interval training is the BEST for fat loss. I do treadmill workouts that are about 30-45 minutes. I run/walk or sprint/jog/walk.. whatever I'm feeling that day. Anyways, today I am 161#!!! IT HAS WORKED!!!! Almost 20 pounds just this year! Now my diary is set for 1600 calories a day and I've continued all that she has told me to do.

    I trust science and my friend.. I'm glad I FINALLY gave in to trying it. I have informed several women on here about what I've learned and the few that have given in, and ate more, always message me that they have started losing! One woman has been averaging 2.5# a week since she upped hers!
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
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    I lost about 5lbs on a 1200 cal diet
    I stalled out, lost barely anything last summer...
    UNTIL I bumped up to my BMR (about 1400)
    then I stalled out again...
    now I'm set to lose 1/2lb a week (about 1530) and I've lost another 5lbs this way.

    I'm pretty close to my goal weight so my 3.6lb loss just last month was prettyyyy good if I say so myself.

    & for the record I do eat my exercise calories :D
  • JoHola
    JoHola Posts: 43 Member
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    It also worked for me.

    I was at 1200, lost a few lbs pretty quickly but then slowed to nothing. I up'd to 1440 and lost 2lbs in the first week!

    I also eat my exercise calories back. :happy:
  • julesga
    julesga Posts: 17 Member
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    So, how do you explain the success of people who have had weight loss surgery and eat around 800 calories/day during their losing phase?
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
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    I lost about 5lbs on a 1200 cal diet
    I stalled out, lost barely anything last summer...
    UNTIL I bumped up to my BMR (about 1400)
    then I stalled out again...
    now I'm set to lose 1/2lb a week (about 1530) and I've lost another 5lbs this way.

    I'm pretty close to my goal weight so my 3.6lb loss just last month was prettyyyy good if I say so myself.

    & for the record I do eat my exercise calories :D

    I was pretty much going to write the EXACT same thing! The above has been working well for me too, and 4 (sloooow) lbs to go.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    No this doesn't work, apparently. I'm back up to my starting weight so forget that *kitten*.

    if it is not working for you then you have miscalculated as it is not possible to gain fat when eating under your TDEE.

    It is possible to gain some water, but that's just normal body fluctuations.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    you are going to get all KINDS of differing opinions based on real life personal situations.

    When I first lost my weight, I ignored my net calories and didn't eat a morsel OVER my MFP allowance of 1,200 calorie allowance, despite burning at least 1,000 calories a day.

    This time around, I experimented and decided to eat back my calories so I have a NET of around 500 calories. to my horror, I piled on 8 lbs inside of almost 3 weeks.

    Eat back exercise calories? not for me, as i wish to lose weight.

    What you are saying is that you were living on 200 calories per day????

    I ate the calories that MFP suggested for my weight loss goal of albs a week..which was around 1,200 calories per day.

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