Scared to increase calories..!

gjriddle

Hi everyone! I'm new to the discussion board and am very much intrigued by the idea of consuming MORE calories and LOSING weight! I have been a Weight Watchers member since Sept 2009, hit goal weight in April 2010 and since then about 5 pounds have creeped back on. I've been trying to lose those 5 lbs with WW to no avail and so here I am! I've heard great things about My Fitness Pal and since I both want to lose about 5 pounds and seriously tone up, I thought it would be great!

I've dug through all these threads about how to determine you BMR & TDEE and how much to eat.. and I'm just kind of terrified to eat that many calories!! WW gives you approximately 1200/day plus another 2450 to spread out over the week so a total of approx. 1550/day total. So when I came to MFP, I was giving myself 1200/day and then eating most of my exercise calories but I am NOT losing.

So according to the scoobysworkshop.com calculator linked from the TDEE explanation post, here are my numbers:
BMR: 1397
TDEE: 2165
TDEE -15%: 1840

So... does that mean I really should be eating 1800+ every day even when I don't work out??? Workout-wise, I typically do cardio 3-4 times per week, burning around 450 calories each session. I'm also starting to do strength training 2 times per week. Based on what I've read here, this is what I'm estimating I should eat:

Nonworkout days: 1800 calories
Cardio days: 2200 calories
Strength training days: 2000 calories



Can someone please provide some reassurance that I have these calculations correct?? It just sounds so scary as I've been trying to eat around 1200/day for so long!! Any insight or advice would be really helpful. Thank you!!

Grace

rebekahgo

hi, grace!

the numbers don't even have to be that complicated. you can choose to eat at your TDEE-15% every day, or you can choose to do a metabolism reset and eat your full TDEE every day for about 8 weeks.

either way, you set a calorie goal and eat that amount every day. the only time that you need to eat over your amount is if you burn so many calories that your net number goes below your BMR.

here is an example using your numbers.....

your calorie goal is set at your cut value of 1840. you do a cardio session on monday and burn 500 calories. 1840 minus 500 is 1340, which is 57 below your BMR. on this day, you need to eat an extra 57 calories above your 1840 goal. the next day, you do strength training and burn around 250 cals. 1840 minus 250 is 1590, still well above your BMR of 1397, so no eating over 1840.

does that make sense? i like to give examples because it really breaks it down

welcome to the group! you will love it here.

gjriddle

That definitely helps!! Thanks so much -- this is all just so different than what I've been doing in the past! I'm really excited to give it a try and see what happens, I'll certainly update.

fiveohmike

That definitely helps!! Thanks so much -- this is all just so different than what I've been doing in the past! I'm really excited to give it a try and see what happens, I'll certainly update.

Welcome to the group!

Please read all the stickiest. Once you have read them, read them again

I say this, because it helps going in to know what to expect. It a rough start for a lot of people, and takes Iron willpower (or a great support mechanism like this group). This process is a long process, but its a "rest of your life" process. This isnt a quick weight loss fix, fad diet ect but a sustainable long term change!

Mike

UponThisRock

The numbers look reasonable to me. If you're not losing weight after a while, just adjust them downward a bit.

secretlobster

That looks good.

My personal story, as quickly as I can type it: I've been doing 1200 calories for YEARS. Like, three years. Weight never budged. I'm not a bad weight but I could stand to lose 5-10lbs of fat. I started eating my BMR plus exercise calories (I am very active). About 1900-2100 calories a day. After an initial weight gain during the course of the first week (which I admit was difficult to experience), I finally see the numbers dropping.

It's scary but yeah, it does work.

gjriddle

That looks good.

My personal story, as quickly as I can type it: I've been doing 1200 calories for YEARS. Like, three years. Weight never budged. I'm not a bad weight but I could stand to lose 5-10lbs of fat. I started eating my BMR plus exercise calories (I am very active). About 1900-2100 calories a day. After an initial weight gain during the course of the first week (which I admit was difficult to experience), I finally see the numbers dropping.

It's scary but yeah, it does work.

Do you mind if I ask how long it took before you started to lose? It looks like just the first week you gained, but how long did it take before you saw real results?

secretlobster

Do you mind if I ask how long it took before you started to lose? It looks like just the first week you gained, but how long did it take before you saw real results?

I started on a saturday; saw weight go up 2-3 lbs over the course of the first week. By monday on week 2, weight was back to normal starting weight (139). Wednesday, I had lost an extra half pound (and it had been a LONG time since my weight got below 138). Then another half by the end of week 2.

I know that other people have different results; for some people it takes a few weeks for the weight to come off. I didn't do a full "reset" but even so, the biggest accomplishment I've made so far is proving to myself that I don't need to eat like a tiny baby bird in order to lose weight

hoosmi

I know how you feel! This is my third week eating more. I'm trying for the TDEE at 15% number- for me it's about 2100. I try to eat at least close to 2000-2100 each day regardless of exercise. My BMR is about 1450- so on the days I get in a long workout, I log it and then try to get my net up to the 1450 (or more).

Before EM2WL, I spent a month charting at 1200 calories (or less) and running probably 7-8 hours per week. In that month, I gained 1 pound. Hello!

So, here I am at 3 weeks-- I've run slightly less (kids out of school) and eaten a ton more and I've gained 3 or 4 pounds... BUT I just bought a new running shirt and pair of shorts in my usual size without trying them on-- turns out they actually are a bit too BIG. (Ok, not so big that I should go down a size, but I really didn't see that coming). My other clothes are fitting a little better too.

Whenever I get scared of the increased calories or the scale (which I'll admit is often), I read the stickies and think about how deprived I must have been on a low calorie/high cardio routine- I thought I felt fine at the time, but looking back on it, I caught a lot of colds/flu/whatever... This feels a lot more sustainable.

Good luck!

mommamuscles

I just want to add that everyone is a little different with the way they respond to upping calories. Read the what to expect sticky. It seems like there is a basic pattern that alot of people follow, with the weight starting to come down around week 5. However, I think this depends on a lot of factors, like how long you've been following a low calorie diet, how much of a deficit you've been eating at, food choices, and the biggest one...consistency.
There are people who don't see the scale turn around for 8-12 weeks and others who see a turn around immediately. Just be patient, take advantage of the amazing support on here, and enjoy the journey!

gjriddle

Thanks for all the support, everyone! I'll keep going back and re-reading the stickies and your notes to keep myself motivated.. today is day 1 for me eating 1800 calories (ahh!). I'll probably post updates as soon as there are some!

ben_running

bumped for reference

harlanJEN

Just popping in to say WELCOME and to reiterate the good advice you've received. it's early in the change for you. Stay consistent with your intake and activity per your calculated TDEE. Continue to educate yourself. The stickys within this group contain great information.

We are here for support ...you will find some great folks and support. Don't hesitate to ask.

gjriddle

Thank you everyone!!! Yesterday, day 1, went great for me. I was able to eat all my calories with mostly "real" food - only a little processed stuff in there.

I have gone back and looked at my past diaries (yes, the low-cal/high-cardio "diet") and I simply don't get enough protein. Yesterday I ate just over half the protein I should have, and went over on my carbs!! I'm interested in trying to out protein shakes.. but I've heard that some brands use a lot of filler. What do you all use and recommend??

rebekahgo

i heard really good things about optimum nutrition brand. i've ordered some but haven't received it yet.

you can browse through diaries to get ideas for high protein foods. i actually don't use the powders most days, but i will be using them more often now that i started lifting.

hoosmi

I have a hard time getting my protein too. I haven't tried the protein shakes that are pre-made, but I do make my own: ice, frozen banana, greek yogurt, almond milk (or whatever milk), a little cocoa powder, peanut butter, and a scoop of chocolate whey protein (I use the Jay Robb one, but I've never tried the others). I play with the amounts. Sometimes I have it for breakfast, sometimes at night when I realize I've totally missed my protein/calorie goal. Keeping cooked chicken breasts in the fridge has worked well too-

Glad your first day went well!