How is Eating more and losing more weight working for YOU??

Healthy_4_Life2

Hello,

Would some of you lovely MFP people share your personal stories/tips about how eating more calories has worked for you. Yes, I realize that everyone is different, but am interested in hearing from anyone who's had great or not so great experience. Any information on what worked for you or not worked?? I see that there are other posts about eating more, but I would like to hear success or not so successful input.

Thanks so much for your input.

psuLemon

Hello,

Would some of you lovely MFP people share your personal stories/tips about how eating more calories has worked for you. Yes, I realize that everyone is different, but am interested in hearing from anyone who's had great or not so great experience. Any information on what worked for you or not worked?? I see that there are other posts about eating more, but I would like to hear success or not so successful input.

Thanks so much for your input.

It helped me cut to 12% body fat from 18% and i can eat over 3000 calories without gaining any weight. Also i continuous increase my weight during strength train. And it has work for the 100+ people i set up plans with.

ladyraven68

I'm 4ft 11, MFP says I should eat 1200 cals to lose 1lb.

Since upping my calories from 1200 to 1600 I have lost consistently higher than that, including 2.8lb this week.
I am not a major exerciser, I am running a few times a week and I do a bit of body weight strength exercises. I aim for 1g of protein per lb of lean mass, and that be has helped me maintain my lean mass, and just lose fat.

I love it, as it means if I do have a high cal day (3000) my metabolism is working well enough to cope with it and I still lose.

meggers127

I'm eating a lot less crappy junk food I used to eat, so overall, I'm eating way less than I used to. I'm on a "low carb" diet, and it's a diet for me, but in reality, this is what I should have been eating all along. So, technically it's a lifestyle change. But during this "lifestyle change", I've found that eating more in a day gives me a ton more energy and I've lost 20 pounds in 3 months, without exercise. I don't want to be a know it all and be like "well you have to do this or else you're wrong". But, what I've learned through personal experience is if you don't eat enough, your body's metabolism will slow down, which slows down the weight loss. Our bodies need food to function! And personally, if I don't eat enough, I'm soooo tired. And when this happens, I'm cranky. Good luck!

shesquats

I'm trying to do the same thing; eat more to lose. Can anyone tell me how to update MFP so that you can eat more than 1200 cals? I tought it would be in settings but I'm not seeing it there. Thanks MFPs! :huh:

chevy88grl

I dropped 17lbs in 5 weeks (after plateauing for nearly 4 months) by upping my calories. I've been maintaining my weight for almost 2 years by eating more.

naturerunner

I'm trying to do the same thing; eat more to lose. Can anyone tell me how to update MFP so that you can eat more than 1200 cals? I tought it would be in settings but I'm not seeing it there. Thanks MFPs! :huh:

Click on "My Home" and then GOALS. you can go with what mfp suggest or custom

fitmissbliss

I'm only in week 3...but, the first week I exercised little and calculated my own BMR using the Harris-Benedict equasion, which is a different equasion that MFP uses. It also provided me w/ even less calories that MFP recommended. That first week, I lost about 4 pounds. Nothing too shabby...but at my weight and the drastic calorie change from my normal diet, I was dissapointed. Week 2, I started reading more posts from the message boards and decided to start exercising 30 minutes 5 days per week, and eat EVERY SINGLE caloire that MFP recommended for me-including my exercise calories. Well, today is day 10 of doing that and I have consistently, like clock work, lost 1.5 pounds PER DAY.
Im still in shock a bit-I mean, my God, I ate homemade sloppy joes last night and had sherbert for dessert. And you know what...I was down 1.5 pounds this morning.

SmartAlec03211988

I've hit a plateau three times, and all three times it broke by increasing my calories. I've gone from eating 1200 from the start to eating 1700+ now, and I'm still losing weight.

Healthy_4_Life2

Wow. Thanks for your input everyone.

Healthy_4_Life2

I'm only in week 3...but, the first week I exercised little and calculated my own BMR using the Harris-Benedict equasion, which is a different equasion that MFP uses. It also provided me w/ even less calories that MFP recommended. That first week, I lost about 4 pounds. Nothing too shabby...but at my weight and the drastic calorie change from my normal diet, I was dissapointed. Week 2, I started reading more posts from the message boards and decided to start exercising 30 minutes 5 days per week, and eat EVERY SINGLE caloire that MFP recommended for me-including my exercise calories. Well, today is day 10 of doing that and I have consistently, like clock work, lost 1.5 pounds PER DAY.
Im still in shock a bit-I mean, my God, I ate homemade sloppy joes last night and had sherbert for dessert. And you know what...I was down 1.5 pounds this morning.

That's great. How much are you eating now?

mes1119

I hit a plateau. Kept fluctuating from 138-141. Took a break from cutting calories and ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted for about 10 days. I only worked out about 4 times during that time. I ended up losing 1.5 pounds during the time. And then another pound the next week. Now I eat about 1700 calories a day and still lose about a pound a week.

What is even better is I don't feel run down all the time, I have energy AND I know I'm preserving my hard earned muscles.

The thing about eating more calories: More importantly, you may lose weight SLOWER BUT the weight you are losing is more likely fat and less likely muscle. The closer you eat to your TDEE the less likely you are to lose muscle mass.

Sister_Someone

It isn't. I'm so over even giving that approach the benefit of the doubt anymore. In the two years I've been trying to lose weight, I've tried to eat 1700-1800 (high for me) for up to two months at a time on at least four separate occasions, and not once has it worked. Me, if I'm not losing, it means I have to eat less. So, what works is eating my BMR (1425 calories) and not eating my exercise calories back unless they put me under 1000. Now, that isn't an easy thing for me to achieve, but I've found it works. I maintain at 1800 and I'm comfortable with that level, but I'm over wasting my time with attempting to up the calories for weight loss.

I do have a chronic thyroid condition, so that might have something to do with this approach not working for me.

ygrad2001

bump

frugalmomsrock

It's working for me! I upped my calories and started eating back exercise calories, and finally got back on track. I dropped 3 pounds this week by eating at 1390 net, consuming exercise calories--putting me between 1800 and 2400 daily. I may need to up my calories even more if I keep losing this rapidly. I'll up it to 1500 if I have another week of big loss. I think it will even out though.

I should add that my exercise consists of lifting heavy and doing HIIT cardio (including c25k every other day, and HIIT on the elliptical machines every other day. Strength 3-4 days a week).

GB333

I upped my daily calories from 1200 to 1500 and I'm losing about 1/2 a pound a week. Slower than I'd like, but I'm almost at "those last 10 pounds" so I won't complain! Plus I'm enjoying those extra 300 calories!

fitmissbliss

It really depends on the day-and I think that is part of what is helping. My calories are varied every day. My base is set at around 1500, then I jog every morning and earn about 300-400 calories...so, Im eating around 1700-1900 calories/day-and 1 day per week I allow myself to meet my parents at our favorite steakhouse and I eat whatever I want-on those days, my intake is usually around 2500. And I'm dropping weight like it wasnt really attached in the first place. This has been SUCH a revelation to me and SO incredibly exciting. I can EAT. I still track, like crazy, and as long as I dont go over what MFP tells me to eat other than my 1 "cheat" day per week...I keep losing.

Best of luck on your journey!

AmandaCaswell1982

Just like everyone above me, eating more has helped me! I too have broken 3 plateaus by increasing cals. I eat 1600 net- with the way I work out is usually 2000-2300/ day. I was losing alot of weight in the beginning of my journey (I had alot to lose) as I lose more weight, i have had to set my weight loss goal from -2 lbs a week to -1 lb a week and now I have it at - 1/2 a lb a week. When I increase I almost always lose more than I have my goal set at. When I first up my cals, it takes my body a few days to a few weeks to start losing, but once I do it's consistant. I don't feel tired and crappy and my body is strong.

So, that's how it's worked for me!

MsTanya77

I upped my cals in one day from 1400 to 1800 calories. I lost 3.6lbs the first week, and I lost 13 inches the 1st month. I am still steadily losing inches and fat. I eat 1800-2000 cals per day, I workoiut 6 days a week, 3 days of cardio, 3 days of strength training.

em9371

I'm trying to do the same thing; eat more to lose. Can anyone tell me how to update MFP so that you can eat more than 1200 cals? I tought it would be in settings but I'm not seeing it there. Thanks MFPs! :huh:

its in my home > goals > change goals > custom.

eating more is working well for me, i started in October last year on 1900 cals, and reduced as i got smaller as thats what i thought you were meant to do to lose weight. By January I was on 1650 (1200 net), MFP settings to lose 2lb/week.
I injured my knee in january so i could do NO exercise at all for 2 weeks, so i continued to eat 1650 total which was also 1650 net due to no exercise, MFP said i would lose 1lb/week doing this.
The first week i gained 0.8, then lost 3,2,3,1.5 in february, i used to lose 1.5 or 2 eating 1200 net. Ive since started back at gym on limited exercise (boxercise / hill walking on treadmill / swimming / weights / kettlebells), so not burning huge amounts like i used to, so ive increased cals to keep my net around 1600-1650. I currently eat 1950 per week, and lose 1.5 most weeks, same loss as when i was eating 1650!!! Ive altered my macros to 45% carbs / 25 protein / 30 fat.
I dont plan on eating any less than this now, as i get smaller if my intake should reduce, ill just do a bit more exercise to make my deficit.

BTW im female, age 30, 5'5, 207.4lbs, BMR 1579, clothes size UK16, BF 38%. I started 11 October last year @ 244.8lbs, size UK18-20, BF around 47%.

this is a fabulous post to work out how much you should be eating, it gave me 1950-2215 to lose:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

dsjohndrow

It isn't. I'm so over even giving that approach the benefit of the doubt anymore. In the two years I've been trying to lose weight, I've tried to eat 1700-1800 (high for me) for up to two months at a time on at least four separate occasions, and not once has it worked. Me, if I'm not losing, it means I have to eat less. So, what works is eating my BMR (1425 calories) and not eating my exercise calories back unless they put me under 1000. Now, that isn't an easy thing for me to achieve, but I've found it works. I maintain at 1800 and I'm comfortable with that level, but I'm over wasting my time with attempting to up the calories for weight loss.

I had a similar experience.

I am 6'1" (53-y-o) and MFP had me at 1200-1400 calories + exercise calories and I lost 60 pounds. I hit a plateau, and upped it to 1800-2000 for 3 months and gained 14 lbs. I cut it back to 1600 and lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks.