Upping Calorie Intake?

slammy1079

I've seen a lot of posts lately about this so I hope you won't mind one more! MFP has helped me lose almost 25 lbs. so far this year. I've been following the 1,200 net calorie guidelines and I am wearing much tinier clothes, feel great, I have way more fitness and stamina, and want to lose just another 7-10 pounds to get my body fat down around 23% (currently 26.8%).

I've been playing with the idea of upping my calories as a way to do this. According to to Fat 2 Fit Radio (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/) my BMR alone is more than 1,400, and I play roller derby and exercise intensely at least five days a week.

My theory is that upping my calories (with healthy foods) could help me shed the last few pounds, but since this 1,200 net calorie plan has worked so well so far I'm afraid to try it. Any advice or experiences to share?

yarwell

If it isn't broken don't try to fix it.

As you get closer to your goal you could reduce the loss rate by increasing the calorie intake, to get a soft landing.

If it's working, stick at it.

all4derby

I've seen a lot of posts lately about this so I hope you won't mind one more! MFP has helped me lose almost 25 lbs. so far this year. I've been following the 1,200 net calorie guidelines and I am wearing much tinier clothes, feel great, I have way more fitness and stamina, and want to lose just another 7-10 pounds to get my body fat down around 23% (currently 26.8%).

I've been playing with the idea of upping my calories as a way to do this. According to to Fat 2 Fit Radio (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/) my BMR alone is more than 1,400, and I play roller derby and exercise intensely at least five days a week.

My theory is that upping my calories (with healthy foods) could help me shed the last few pounds, but since this 1,200 net calorie plan has worked so well so far I'm afraid to try it. Any advice or experiences to share?

I kind of just said something about this on the derby post, but I'll add a little more detail here. I started out eating 1400 calories a day (I was netting like 700-800 cals a day) and I dropped 15lbs pretty quickly, but then I hit a wall. I even "gained" a couple pounds, which is really impossible when you do the math, so I started eating back my exercise and immediately dropped 2 pounds. Then I hit another plateau and calculated my BMR and set my goal 200 above. It took a week, but then I have been losing since then.

Sooo.. if what you are doing is working for you, I can see why you don't want to stop, just be prepared that you might hit a wall. I couldn't exist at those levels and you might be depleting your body of nutrients because you are eating below the level your body needs just to function (not the greatest for an athlete). I have found that I perform better on the track when I give my body the fuel it needs.

Lastly, think of your favorite athlete or just a famous one and look up their regimen. I guarantee they're not training their bodies on 1200 calories a day.