eating more & exercise to lose more question

neverstray

I guess your age at 23.

Based on that, your TDEE is 2397. If you take off 20% to lose 1lb per week, you would be at 1917 calories per day, assuming you workout 4 to 5 days a week.

So, if you do that, you should lose weight. 1200 cals is not enough. The reason you stopped losing was because the combination of exercise and your low calories, you were starving your body to death. Feed it more, and you will lose.

mmapags

I guess your age at 23.

Based on that, your TDEE is 2397. If you take off 20% to lose 1lb per week, you would be at 1917 calories per day, assuming you workout 4 to 5 days a week.

So, if you do that, you should lose weight. 1200 cals is not enough. The reason you stopped losing was because the combination of exercise and your low calories, you were starving your body to death. Feed it more, and you will lose.

This! You were not eating even close to enough for your activity level, height and weight! Losing weight and getting fit is a marathon not a sprint.

TrailRunner61

I do better if I eat SOME but not all and I only eat them if I'm actually hungry. I tried eating more of them 'just because I should' and I stalled for a MONTH after going back up to 150lbs after I had dropped to 146. I cut back and now only eat about 200-300 of them and I've started dropping the lbs again. Happily I'm now down to 145. I'd also like to add that I'm 5ft3, SW179 CW145 GW125. I exercise a lot but mostly walking. 4-10 miles per day, 25 per week, 100 per month with 1,000 goal by Oct 31st. If I walk 10 miles I will end up with over a 1,000 cal deficit and I'll eat some ex. cals but I won't force myself to eat if I'm not hungry anymore!

Eat if your hungry but experiment and see what works for you. We are all different. Good luck and <hugs>

BeachBobbie

I agree with this. Eating more calories isn't the problem for getting fit anyway. Chosing the right foods is

I would eat back your exercise cals especially if ou have set your limit at 1200. If you don't eat back your body isn't getting enough "fuel" to cope with the exercise so you don't lose.
I have recently uped my cals and stuck with my 3/4 times a week exercise - mix of cardio and strength - and I am losing again.

Stick with it! Good luck x

neverstray

I agree with this. Eating more calories isn't the problem for getting fit anyway. Chosing the right foods is

I would eat back your exercise cals especially if ou have set your limit at 1200. If you don't eat back your body isn't getting enough "fuel" to cope with the exercise so you don't lose.
I have recently uped my cals and stuck with my 3/4 times a week exercise - mix of cardio and strength - and I am losing again.

Stick with it! Good luck x

But you have to eat the proper amount of calories. 1200 is pretty much starvation. Her BMR is 1547. So, eating 1200 cals without exercise, she's starving her body. Add working out, and she's really doing damage. No wonder she stopped losing. As I said, her minimum is 1547 her max is 1917. probably stay closest to 1917 everyday, and the weight will come off.

microburst20

I went to fitness frog and my tdee is 2469 and my bmr is 1795. Isnt tdee based on the idea that you are going to consistantly exercise since you dont eat exercise calories back.? My exercise is spotty. Some days I do but some days i am a slug. I am trying to get at least a little in everyday. MFP has my calories at 1720 to lose 1 pound a week and then I can get exercise calories to eat back. Does that sound right?

neverstray

I went to fitness frog and my tdee is 2469 and my bmr is 1795. Isnt tdee based on the idea that you are going to consistantly exercise since you dont eat exercise calories back.? My exercise is spotty. Some days I do but some days i am a slug. I am trying to get at least a little in everyday. MFP has my calories at 1720 to lose 1 pound a week and then I can get exercise calories to eat back. Does that sound right?

If your BMR is 1795, MFP has you eating less than BMR. Since you're not lying in a hospital bed, you need to eat more than your BMR. You could calculate your TDEE based on no activity, or minimal activity, and then eat back the calories when you exercise.

mmapags

I went to fitness frog and my tdee is 2469 and my bmr is 1795. Isnt tdee based on the idea that you are going to consistantly exercise since you dont eat exercise calories back.? My exercise is spotty. Some days I do but some days i am a slug. I am trying to get at least a little in everyday. MFP has my calories at 1720 to lose 1 pound a week and then I can get exercise calories to eat back. Does that sound right?

That does sound reasonable. Try that for a few weeks and see how you do. If nessesary, make small tweaks up or down. Small as is 5% or 10% at a time.

I agree with neverstray, the OP was severely undereating.

microburst20

Thanks neverstray and mmapags! I'll be glad to have this figured out so I can just enjoy socializing with MFP' ers.

CoderGal

I've had the same thing happen to me (I lost more when I ate the same cals and exercised less). I researched BMR and TDEE. I started eating to net at least my BMR everyday and started losing again.

I've found I lose more on the scale when I exercise less. However, I lose more in inches when I work out more. Plus, I like the way I feel and look from exercising. For me, it's a matter of finding the right balance.

^This, I'd rather go up and look skinnier then be a light flab ball. I got to goal doing the light flab ball thing, my butt has increased it's hotness 10 fold since I started hiking :P

^^^^AGREE WITH THESE^^^
I exercise and started to eat 20% less my TDEE about 6 wks ago and havent lost lbs but have lost inches, and I get compliments on my new toned arms & legs. I dont want to be "skinny fat".

You just inspired me to make a post. I didn't think the pics would come out much different in a few weeks but they did:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/603357-120-lbs-weeks-of-no-loss-activity-level-change-pics
sedentary->active
Net 1650->net over 2000
no waist or butt measurement changes

50ishFoodie

I've had a similar problem. I've been stuck at a plateau for about 2 years. I've tried eating less, exercising less, eating more, exercising more, and all possible combinations of those two. I lost about 22 pounds, and then hit a wall. I will be 52 soon, and post menopausal. The plateau began when I hit menopause. My BMR is 1454 and TDEE is 2254. I average around 1350 calories, and work out an average of 6 hours a week. I mix up my workouts which include walking, interval jogging, spinning, elliptical and the occasional Zumba class. I also lift weights or do strength training 2 x a week and two yoga classes on most weeks.

It seems that every time I eat more, I gain within a week. If I eat less, I run out of energy by the end of the week....

Any advice would be welcome!

CoderGal

I've had a similar problem. I've been stuck at a plateau for about 2 years. I've tried eating less, exercising less, eating more, exercising more, and all possible combinations of those two. I lost about 22 pounds, and then hit a wall. I will be 52 soon, and post menopausal. The plateau began when I hit menopause. My BMR is 1454 and TDEE is 2254. I average around 1350 calories, and work out an average of 6 hours a week. I mix up my workouts which include walking, interval jogging, spinning, elliptical and the occasional Zumba class. I also lift weights or do strength training 2 x a week and two yoga classes on most weeks.

It seems that every time I eat more, I gain within a week. If I eat less, I run out of energy by the end of the week....

Any advice would be welcome!

Of course your going to gain within a week, you're body is starved and every time you eat more your glycogen levels are going to get back to normal (which weighs more). However, if you stick it out and eat your TDEE for a couple weeks, your weight and then some will drop off again.

neverstray

I've had a similar problem. I've been stuck at a plateau for about 2 years. I've tried eating less, exercising less, eating more, exercising more, and all possible combinations of those two. I lost about 22 pounds, and then hit a wall. I will be 52 soon, and post menopausal. The plateau began when I hit menopause. My BMR is 1454 and TDEE is 2254. I average around 1350 calories, and work out an average of 6 hours a week. I mix up my workouts which include walking, interval jogging, spinning, elliptical and the occasional Zumba class. I also lift weights or do strength training 2 x a week and two yoga classes on most weeks.

It seems that every time I eat more, I gain within a week. If I eat less, I run out of energy by the end of the week....

Any advice would be welcome!

Read the info here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

You are eating less than your BMR AND exercising on top of that. No wonder you have hit a wall. If you are averaging 1350, but your BMR is 1454, your body has you in survival mode. You should be eating 20% or so less than TDEE. That puts you at about 1803 a day to lose 1 lb per week. With this, don't eat back exercise cals. See how that works. Make small adjustments monthly up or down depending on what's going on.

mmapags

I've had the same thing happen to me (I lost more when I ate the same cals and exercised less). I researched BMR and TDEE. I started eating to net at least my BMR everyday and started losing again.

I've found I lose more on the scale when I exercise less. However, I lose more in inches when I work out more. Plus, I like the way I feel and look from exercising. For me, it's a matter of finding the right balance.

^This, I'd rather go up and look skinnier then be a light flab ball. I got to goal doing the light flab ball thing, my butt has increased it's hotness 10 fold since I started hiking :P

^^^^AGREE WITH THESE^^^
I exercise and started to eat 20% less my TDEE about 6 wks ago and havent lost lbs but have lost inches, and I get compliments on my new toned arms & legs. I dont want to be "skinny fat".

You just inspired me to make a post. I didn't think the pics would come out much different in a few weeks but they did:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/603357-120-lbs-weeks-of-no-loss-activity-level-change-pics
sedentary->active
Net 1650->net over 2000
no waist or butt measurement changes

Way to go girl!! Awesome job!! You are looking hotttt!!

50ishFoodie

Thanks for the advice. I will try it, starting today!

em9371

I've had a similar problem. I've been stuck at a plateau for about 2 years. I've tried eating less, exercising less, eating more, exercising more, and all possible combinations of those two. I lost about 22 pounds, and then hit a wall. I will be 52 soon, and post menopausal. The plateau began when I hit menopause. My BMR is 1454 and TDEE is 2254. I average around 1350 calories, and work out an average of 6 hours a week. I mix up my workouts which include walking, interval jogging, spinning, elliptical and the occasional Zumba class. I also lift weights or do strength training 2 x a week and two yoga classes on most weeks.

It seems that every time I eat more, I gain within a week. If I eat less, I run out of energy by the end of the week....

Any advice would be welcome!

Of course your going to gain within a week, you're body is starved and every time you eat more your glycogen levels are going to get back to normal (which weighs more). However, if you stick it out and eat your TDEE for a couple weIeks, your weight and then some will drop off again.

This.
You will gain the first week or two of increasing cals as your body has to adjust to the new levels. Stick with it at least 3-4 weeks.
Take 20% from tdee and eat that, you should lose around 1 a week once your body has adjusted

50ishFoodie

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/501511-great-read-on-plateau-ing

50ishFoodie

Thanks! Changed my numbers today and will start eating more. Yikes!

CoderGal

Thanks! Changed my numbers today and will start eating more. Yikes!

while you're eating more you should totally try my chocolate peanut butter protein pancakes in an avocado hole
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/604069-28g-protein-chocolate-pancake-in-an-avocado