Eating More to Lose: OMG!!! It's actually working for ME!

Healthy_4_Life2

So I weighed in this morning and I have lost over 3 pounds this week. The only thing different I did was to increased my calories from 1400 to 1600. Well, to be honest, I ate over 1800-2000 on several of those days. I burned between 400-500 calories with the exceptions of two rest days. I didn't eat junk food though. I increased my protein, fiber and drank lots of water too.

What the heck, right!! I have always been a person that was difficult to get to increase the calories, but decided to just do it. It just didn't make sense to me at first. Like most people, I have always thought that eating less and working out more is the best way to lose weight. Well, it worked for me for the first 30 pounds, but became harder.

Am still somewhat hesitant, because am not sure if this is just a one time thing or if this will continue the next week. Am sure it will not be a 3 pounds loss next week, but any loss will be good. Am happy for sure as I was at a stand still before, but just SMH at the fact that I was eating more than ever and lost over 3 pounds.

So now the dilemma is should I just increase from 1600-1800 since I was probably eating that or more. Am starting to think this eating more thing might actually work for me.

I wish I would have know this before instead of causing myself so much frustrations by eating 1200 and dealing with times of losing and gaining the same 3-5 pounds over and over again.

I realize that everybody is different, but am so glad I gave this eating more a chance. I was sooo resistance to this for fear of gaining. If you try it, give it a chance and try not to give in too soon if you don't see a lost or gain the first week.

Last week, my weight was the same well actually gained 1.5 pounds. I weighed in several times and it remained the same on a couple of times and went up to a gain several times. It was somewhat discouraging, but I told myself that I would stick with it to the end of April to really get a good feel for it.

Am just glad I tried it and it worked!

cmriverside

You should be good at 1600. Leave it that way for at least a month. Then increase again if you want to. Too fast of an increase can lead to a gain.

Eat your exercise calories. You can't afford not to at your weight.

chelljo12

Congrats!!! I was told to increase my calories from 1200 due to my exercise burns. So I upped it to 1350 last week. My brother in law who is a personal trainer told me that I was sabotaging myself by not eating the exercise cals back, which I find very difficult to do at times. So this week I upped my cal intake to 1576and will decrease my cal burns to about 400 and see what happens. Wish me luck and again thanks for accepting me. Michelle

becalee26

I really have to give this a try, I've been gaining and losing the same 5lbs for 4months and I am on the verge of a mental breakdown! I just have a hard time putting more food in my mouth! I guess it doesn't hurt try! I have been eating around 1500 cals and working out 5x a week burning about 600 cals each time.

shiseido_faerie

Awesome, I increased to 1700 last week! I went up about 3lbs over the first few days (yikes!) but by the weekend I was down to what I started at. Going to give myself a couple of weeks before I weigh in again, but i'm hopeful! Great job, i'm excited for you!

sandiki

excellent!. refreshing to see ppl realizing that our bodies are like engines and if we do not fuel them they will become useless and lead to poor performance results! Happy for you OP!

Vonnie2006

I recently increased mine. Hadn't loss in a while. lost 1.4 or something like that last week. Figure I'd give it a good month to see what it does. I have been losing inches like crazy though.,

jessicaoliver79

Way to go!

swallowit

Well done. Keep uo the good work. You can do this xx

BeetleChe13

Welcome to the club of eaters! :drinker: Lol. Seriously though, isn't it nice to eat as much as your body feels like it needs and still lose weight?

Jenjaz1910

Well done I upped mine 4 weeks ago and I'm now 2.3lbs down AND 10.5 inches down too well done again and keep at it x

emptyplate

I like how this sounds, it makes sense because we need fuel and if your low on calories and energy you aren't goign to be moving as much or putting as much effort into everything . I'll try and eat about 1600 i think and carry on doing my bits of walking.


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cheshirequeen

i did it too. lost another 2 pounds after plateauing, which is fine, because i reached my goal weight.

lauranell79

that's awesome!!! I am in the same boat... I was stuck at 1400 calories and not even adding my exercise calories and eating under...basically starving myself. can't wait to see how much it helps.

thinclo

thanks so much for sharing you look great !

Lesliecs

I've read these types of posts so many times and I, too, was one who didn't want to increase. I've been at 1200-1300 forever. So I decided to increase my calories last week to 1375..... and I gained 1.6 lbs. Now I scared to stay there because I don't want to keep gaining instead of losing. :huh:

thomassd1969

I increased my calories from 1200 (suggested by MFP) to 1640 on another calculator and Im not tired, grouchy or irritable and I am losing weight. Slowly but still losing.
I do find now that I am about 90 days into the change in habits that I concentrate more on fueling my body than eating for entertainment purposes (just cause it tastes good) I like the new habit.

ambitious01

Cool!! Good for you!!

poulingail

I really have to give this a try, I've been gaining and losing the same 5lbs for 4months and I am on the verge of a mental breakdown!

I was in the same boat. I had to change things up when Mom went in the hospital for a week. I was eating at different times, even before bed which I hate to do. I missed workouts for the week or so as well. Wasn't I surprised with a five pound loss! Since then, I've gotten back to working out and eating more routinely, I've found the set point is locked once again but this time it's at a lower point.

Tink_889

Well done! It's great to read that it does work

I am in the early learning stages and still keep thinking in my head "Less calories = more weight loss" but the more topics I read, the more I'm learning and realising that I do need to eat a good amount of calories and eat back the exercise ones.

googsgirl

I am two weeks into eating more-1900-2000 calories a day of good healthy food ( and some treats). I have maintained my weight (I have only 5 or so pounds to lose) and my energy has increased a lot. I have noticed that I feel more generally positive and my sleep has improved dramatically. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night, whereas for years I was prone to that.



I am hopeful that eating more will help me meet my goals, but I am over all just happy that I can eat great food, lots of it and stop stressing about food. I exercise 5 days a week and am active most other days with at least a walk. For me, this is the way to go.

Dont get me wrong, I do wait for the scale to go down, but as long is it isnt going up too much ( so far, not at all) then this feels healthy and balanced...and something I can easily do forever.