Eating More to Weigh Less vs. Restricted Calorie Diets

biogirl2011

Hello-

I am 236 and looking to lose 60 pounds. My old nutritionalist had me on a 1300-1400 calorie/day diet without eating back my exercise calories,except if my workout was strenuous. I lost 1-2 pounds per week using this diet.

Should I go back there...or is there truth to eat more weigh less..and is that based on working out every day?

So confused and apprehensive about eating 1800 calories per day.

Help Please!!

CharlieBarleyMom

Eat more, weigh less eventually. Lose more when you eat more... Absolutely. And, when you stay at a higher intake of calories during your weight loss you don't shock your body when you go to maintenance because you are not doubling the amount of food you eat.

Check out fat2fitradio.com and look at the tools. Talk to helloitsdan here on MFP. Talk to anyone in the group that supports women eating close to 2000 calories a day.

Eat more. Feel better. Lose more.

Sabine_Stroehm

Eat enough is my motto.
I haven't been here long, and I'm taking a wait and see (weight and see?) attitude with the whole emtwl approach. I see a lot of NEW posters there, but not many with 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 pound losses who are following the eat more approach.

I also wonder if some of it is a difference in logging, and "activity level" selection.

That said: EAT ENOUGH!

RandomMiranda

I'm not a nutritionist, but I've done my best to try to educate myself. What I've gathered is that at the beginning of weight loss you can have a pretty sizable deficit (eating 1400 net calories, for example) to drop the initial pounds more quickly, but after a while your metabolism will adjust to those levels and slow down. At that point you increase calories so your metabolism can readjust and to avoid "starvation" mode where your body holds on to every calorie it gets just to keep you alive. People with a significant amount of weight to lose can lose more quickly and sustain a bigger deficit, but you have to pay close attention to what your body is telling you. If you need more food to have sufficient energy to exercise, eat more.

amculver1

bump

sharleengc

I think it depends on the individual. I have mine set at 1200 cal a day for a 2lb a week goal. However, for me set at that, I loose closer to 1-1.5lb a week. If i set mine to 1lb a week, I loose about a .5lb a week. I loose less than what MFP says but I'm not in any hurry so that's okay with me. Slow is usually better anyway.

Anytime I up my calories, I struggle. I do eat back my exercise calories most of the time but I usually burn between 150-300. So it's really whatever works for you...for me, a lower goal is better.

harlanJEN

I'm not a nutritionist, but I've done my best to try to educate myself. What I've gathered is that at the beginning of weight loss you can have a pretty sizable deficit (eating 1400 net calories, for example) to drop the initial pounds more quickly, but after a while your metabolism will adjust to those levels and slow down. At that point you increase calories so your metabolism can readjust and to avoid "starvation" mode where your body holds on to every calorie it gets just to keep you alive. People with a significant amount of weight to lose can lose more quickly and sustain a bigger deficit, but you have to pay close attention to what your body is telling you. If you need more food to have sufficient energy to exercise, eat more.

Well said . There is an excellent group here that I would recommend your checking out. Eat More To Weigh Less. Lots of good information and support. Personally, that is how I roll ....

victoria4321

I always find that if you have a lot to lose then you should focus on healthy eating rather than restriction. You're going to lose weight if you go from being sedentary, eating processed and take out to more activity and home cooked meals, regardless. When you get closer to your goal, maybe 10-20lbs away, then its time to start fine tuning things. Try to look at losing weight as a side effect of living a healthier lifestyle rather than the only goal.

I did that initially and lost 30lbs. I had my calories set to 1200 just because it was the default setting but I didn't restrict calories. I would have some high days and some low. I always logged everything so I can just know what I was eating and see any trends. Like I can see "Okay the most unhealthy thing I'm eating daily is ice cream, instead of buying a pint I'll get a single serving" etc. That's not to say I never eat icecream, but now I know its something that if I have a lot of it around I'll tend to eat a lot at once. I'll just buy less when I go shopping or have some when I eat out. I'm the same with candy lol. Instead of buying the huge bag of minis or whatever I'll buy that once serving size package.

Realistically, you probably won't count calories for the rest of your life, but you can learn to eat healthy for the rest of your life.

harlanJEN

Hello-

I am 236 and looking to lose 60 pounds. My old nutritionalist had me on a 1300-1400 calorie/day diet without eating back my exercise calories,except if my workout was strenuous. I lost 1-2 pounds per week using this diet.

Should I go back there...or is there truth to eat more weigh less..and is that based on working out every day?

So confused and apprehensive about eating 1800 calories per day.

Help Please!!

Hey ! I started at 236 last year. I'm down pounds, inches and sizes (16 to an 8). I've done the 1200 cal gig. Doesn't work longterm, and is actually counterproductive to our metabolism and our efforts to lose weight. Please seek out the Eat More to Lose Weight forum group. And ....for kicks ... Read my blog. The link is within my profile.

Welcome !!! And EAT ....it's ok : )

theartichoke

It really depends on what you want to deal with now vs the future. You could most likely still pull off a pretty good deficit and still lose weight. Will you give up if the pounds don't come off fast enough? Do you have a health condition that requires weight loss as quickly as possible? If so, a LCD may be best for now.
If you're more focused on overall health and fitness, want more energy and slower weight loss is something you can live with then EMTWL may be best.
Read through Helloitsdan's In Place of a Roadmap and join the Eat More to Weigh Less group. Tons of fantastic information there and hopefully that will help you make the choice you can live with now and in the future. Good luck to you!

tangiesharp

I'm not a nutritionist either. I've lost 38 pounds on a restrictive diet over 5 months. BUT, if I had to do it over again, I would follow EM2WL. In my opinion, I think that I may have screwed up my metabolism during the restrictive calorie phase of my weight loss. I got to a point where my weight loss stalled and I couldn't eat any less or exercise any more. If I had started off eating a bit more at the beginning, then I would still be eating the same amount AND continuing to lose. It's about eating the way you will live for the rest of your life so its easily maintainable. Now, I am eating more, lifting heavy weighs, and reducing cardio. I think it would be less of a shock to your system if you start out eating more. But I had to go through a 6 week transition as I increased my calories. During that time my weight jumped up over 5 pounds and then (thankfully) down more than 5 pounds. I think you mentioned that you did receive information from a doctor/dietian to restrict your calories. You may have some other medical issues that I don't know about, but if you are in good health, I would recommend eating more. Check out http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/, the book New Rules of Lifting For Women, and the MFP Group Eat More to Weigh Less http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less. I wish you success with either method you choose.

deedah1216

I asked my Endocrinogist last week about the theory of eating back the calories I burn from excercising. His exactct words were "don't do that, at least while you're trying to lose weight". He suggested that I might want to try that once I'm maintaining my weight. Prior to talking to my doctor, I tired eating back the calories I burned. I found it hard to eat back the calories I burned after a four hour uphill, down hill hike let alone eat back a smaller amount burned on the treadmill. I didn't notice any difference in my weight loss. I just know I was making myself feel miserable and full trying to eat back calories. I've come to the conclusion the extra calories are there if I want a special treat that day, but if I feel full and content, leave the calories on the table. I understand we all have different metabolisms and what works for one my not work for another. The main thing is that we lose weight in what ever way we feel is best and healthy for ourselves.

2Bgoddess

Just throwing my own personal experience out there. Last summer I weighed 252. I did a quite restrictive diet in order to lose fast, to go from being obese, to overweight. Once I was just overweight (<191) I brought my calories up to about 1100. Now as I am nearing the normal range, and the weight loss is slowing, I am eating more, and eating back some of my exercise cals. I've lost a total of 88 pounds so far in 8 and a bit months. This was all done while under a doctor's care and monitored by a nutritionist as well.

lja20

Bump

trinoc

I always find that if you have a lot to lose then you should focus on healthy eating rather than restriction. You're going to lose weight if you go from being sedentary, eating processed and take out to more activity and home cooked meals, regardless. When you get closer to your goal, maybe 10-20lbs away, then its time to start fine tuning things. Try to look at losing weight as a side effect of living a healthier lifestyle rather than the only goal.

I did that initially and lost 30lbs. I had my calories set to 1200 just because it was the default setting but I didn't restrict calories. I would have some high days and some low. I always logged everything so I can just know what I was eating and see any trends. Like I can see "Okay the most unhealthy thing I'm eating daily is ice cream, instead of buying a pint I'll get a single serving" etc. That's not to say I never eat icecream, but now I know its something that if I have a lot of it around I'll tend to eat a lot at once. I'll just buy less when I go shopping or have some when I eat out. I'm the same with candy lol. Instead of buying the huge bag of minis or whatever I'll buy that once serving size package.

Realistically, you probably won't count calories for the rest of your life, but you can learn to eat healthy for the rest of your life.

I really love this post.

aggiesrar05

Well said . There is an excellent group here that I would recommend your checking out. Eat More To Weigh Less. Lots of good information and support. Personally, that is how I roll ....

@harlanJen - That is definitely how you roll! I read your blog post the other day and was amazed!! I just started the EMTWL a month ago and have struggled to not get on the scale everyday and cry. BUT took measurements this afternoon and in 1 month lost 3in off my waist (YAY) though the scale has not shown as much progress (BOO)!

Sabine_Stroehm

I asked my Endocrinogist last week about the theory of eating back the calories I burn from excercising. His exactct words were "don't do that, at least while you're trying to lose weight". He suggested that I might want to try that once I'm maintaining my weight. Prior to talking to my doctor, I tired eating back the calories I burned. I found it hard to eat back the calories I burned after a four hour uphill, down hill hike let alone eat back a smaller amount burned on the treadmill. I didn't notice any difference in my weight loss. I just know I was making myself feel miserable and full trying to eat back calories. I've come to the conclusion the extra calories are there if I want a special treat that day, but if I feel full and content, leave the calories on the table. I understand we all have different metabolisms and what works for one my not work for another. The main thing is that we lose weight in what ever way we feel is best and healthy for ourselves.

How was your daily calorie "requirement" determined?

JB5349

bump