How do I Eat More To Weigh Less??
JennKoz529
Posts: 144 Member
So, I've seen a lot of post / comments about eating more to weigh less. So I poss a few questions. I am new to all this and just looking for some answers......
1. I am 5'2 and really should only be eating 1200 calories a day.....so how do I eat more to weigh less with calorie restrictions???
2. What should I be eating????
3. Does this really work? Success stories please (and no fake ones)....
Thank you for all your help!!!!
1. I am 5'2 and really should only be eating 1200 calories a day.....so how do I eat more to weigh less with calorie restrictions???
2. What should I be eating????
3. Does this really work? Success stories please (and no fake ones)....
Thank you for all your help!!!!
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Replies
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Bump....I'm still looking for answers!!!!!0
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I'd like to hear the answer to this too. I'm in the energy in/energy out camp - eat more than you need and you WILL put on weight - eat less than you need and you WILL lose weight.
Some will talk about lean mass and starvation mode and metabolism ebla bla.
"Eat more to lose weight" is pure bollocks0 -
Bump0
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Go into the tools section of the website and find the BMR calculator. You want to be eating above that number because it's the minimum people of your gender, height, and weight need for all of the body's basic functions (heart beating, digestion, breathing, whatever spleens do, etc.).
Eat More to Weigh Less is really designed to combat the idea that you can keep on restricting calories further and further, and this will help your weight loss. In reality, it's more of a diminishing returns kind of thing: as you restrict further are further, your body gets more concerned about how little you are eating, and reduces your metabolism rate. This can lead to stagnated weight loss.
That said, there's no way you can eat more calories than you burn to lose weight.
You might want to check out the group for more info.0 -
Bump!
I would ALSO like to understand this. The closest I have come to accomplishing anything like this is by having a "cheat day" and then handling it appropriately afterwards (with meal and workout choices). It actually got me off a plateau. But it wouldn't work if I did that frequently...0 -
Everybody is different. There are no cookie cutter plans that work with everyone. I can tell you that after years of eating more, and of the "right" things, I didn't lose an ounce. But now, just cutting back on my caloric intake, I've lost around 22lbs. THAT works for me. You need to find what works for you.0
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Go to groups and search eat more to weigh less. Then read all the stickies. They should answer all your questions.0
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Bump0
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when i eat more, i gain more. plain & simple. even if i go from1200cal to 1800cal... i still seem to put on lbs0
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Here is my journey and how eating more has helped me lose
My Journey
2/27/12 started with myfitnesspal at 146 pounds eating 1000 calories a day
5/25/12 weighing in at 128.8 increased my calories to 1100 a day
6/8/12 weighing in at 126.4 increased my calories to 1200 a day
7/6/12 weighing in at 124.8 increased my calories to 1300 a day
7/20/12 weighing in at 124.6 increased my calories to 1400 a day
8/3/12 weighing in at 124.4 increased my calories to 1500 a day
6/11/12 started doing 20 lunges to tone my legs every day but one
6/13/12 started doing arm lifts 3 sets of 10 every other day
I walk about 25 minutes 4 times a week
I will be increasing again either this Friday or next (due to just getting back from vacation or I would have already increased it again)0 -
I'd like to hear the answer to this too. I'm in the energy in/energy out camp - eat more than you need and you WILL put on weight - eat less than you need and you WILL lose weight.
Some will talk about lean mass and starvation mode and metabolism ebla bla.
"Eat more to lose weight" is pure bollocks
Look at my pix...I eat 2000 cals per day on workout days and I'm 40 yrs old. No bullocks here lol. Friend me and look at my diary...I eat all throughout the day and primarily the "good" foods...0 -
Here is a link to the EM2WL group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
There is tons of information & plenty of people who will help you in any way!! Check out the videos as well - they really explain a whole lot!! Best of luck to you!!:flowerforyou:
ETA: To put it VERY basically for now: You just calculate your BMR & TDEE, then you eat between those 2 numbers to make sure that you are fueling your body enough to be healthy but still lose the weight. The stickies/videos will definitely give more detail for you.0 -
Everybody is different. There are no cookie cutter plans that work with everyone. I can tell you that after years of eating more, and of the "right" things, I didn't lose an ounce. But now, just cutting back on my caloric intake, I've lost around 22lbs. THAT works for me. You need to find what works for you.
THAT works for everyone0 -
The idea is you eat more than a big deficit goal would give you, like selecting sedentary and 2lb weight loss goal and exercising a lot and not eating those calories back.
But you still eat less than your maintenance level.
You of course don't eat more than you used to eat.
It was a probably poorly worded phrase in response to what I described above, big huge deficit compared to what you used to eat, wondering why weight loss slows down or stops after 6-8 weeks, and stalls for months - which many people find when taking big deficits.
Most people seem to accept as fact, than when they select sedentary as activity level outside exercise, that the computed value (1.25 x BMR) must therefore be fact. Usually is no where near fact. But they would have no idea.
Very rare is the person that actually logs what they used to eat when they maintained their undesired weight.
That would be maintenance for that level of exercise.0 -
I'm in your same situation. Its more of the good stuff such as proteins and veggies that will help or at least that is what has helped me. Im gonna go look at the suggested stickies to find out more too. Good Luck!0
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i would like to know too. all i know is when i started on here mfp set me at 1200 cals. I was losing slowly but losing. i am also 5.2ft. it worked for 2-2.5 months then i hit plateau. then i found out about bmr. and at that time it was 110 cals more then 1200, so i ate that as my base amount min, normally between 1400-1500 as i was suggested by so many and not to net under my bmr. . I started to lose again. now i am stuck again a few months later so i guess i am having to back lower as i have been gaining ... guess my body got adjusted to the higher amount and now i need to shock it again?0
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Not eating enough can force your body into starvation mode. Sure, you'll lose weight up front but eventually the more you restrict the more your body holds on to EVERY bit of food it gets because it doesn't know when it will be fed again. Simply put, food is fuel for your body. Feed it, burn the fuel & you lose weight. Simple! I lost 10 pounds fast at 1200 calories then nothing. I upped my calories based on a calorie calculator & began losing again. Do what works for you but keep in mind you HAVE to eat.0
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I was skeptical when I was told to snack during meals. I have always gained by snacking . . . but that's because I had the wrong snacks. Eat a good healthy breakfast. I like Kashi Go Lean cereal with fresh fruit - either a banana or strawberries. I also love eggs, so when I have the time, I scramble up one full egg with 2 egg whites, 1 oz of 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese, tomatoes & spinach. I have a whole wheat English muffin and an orange with it. It's very filling once you get used to eating less. For a snack, I love my carrots and hummus. I can either have 10 carrots with 3 tbsp of hummus or 10 carrots with 2 tbsp hummus with 1 oz of cheese (2 oz if it's 2% cheese). Once in a while, I'll trade that up with a Greek yogurt with fresh fruit or 20 peanuts. I found that eating protein/fiber bars end up putting the weight back on, so I try to stay fresh on everything.
So good snacking between meals is the key to eating more and still loosing. Veggies are always a freebie. If you don't like carrots, you can eat celery, which has no calories at all, but very healthy for you.
Hope that helps.0 -
Everybody is different. There are no cookie cutter plans that work with everyone. I can tell you that after years of eating more, and of the "right" things, I didn't lose an ounce. But now, just cutting back on my caloric intake, I've lost around 22lbs. THAT works for me. You need to find what works for you.
THAT works for everyone
Not Hardly0 -
It boils down to Eating MORE than your BMR, but less than your TDEE to lose weight. "Eat more" doesn't mean go crazy and eat everything, lol, which is probably why people are confused by the concept. I'm 5'6, 155 lbs and workout heavily 5 times a week. My BMR is 1530, so I don't eat or NET below that, ever. My TDEE(maintenance) is around 2400 calories. So as long as I eat anywhere between those two numbers, I will lose weight. I adjust the amount depending on my activities for the day. Generally I eat around 2100 and net 1600 on strenuous exercise days.
Find out your BMR and TDEE, like some people above have already mentioned, and just stick to eating between those two numbers. If you've been eating 1200 (too low for many people) for a long time, then expect some initial water weight gain as your body adjusts to the higher amounts. That will level out sooner or later, depending on how long you had been restricting. You will lose weight as long as you have accurately calculated your BMR and TDEE and stick to them.
Hope that all makes sense!0 -
its not 'eating more' as in being able to eat $hitloads and still lose, more that you don't need to cut cals QUITE as much as some people do - eg maybe you could still lose @ 1500, and not need to go down to 1200.
Helloitsdans post 'in place of a roadmap' explains it really well, basically all it comes down to is calculate the total energy you burn from normal daily activy and exercise (this is your TDEE and what you would need to eat to maintain), calculate your BMR (which is what your body needs to survive if you were in a coma), eat between the two and you WILL lose.
Example - my BMR is 1550. TDEE is 2800ish. I eat 2100cals which is 700 deficit - apx 1.5lbs a week (40 carbs / 30 protein / 30 fat), and try to get 5 fruit & veg a day. I do eat 'bad' things, but try to be healthy most of the time.
It WORKS, ive lost 60lbs in 10 months, have only had 2 0.5lb gains in that time - once following an injury and once following a car accident. Slow loss combined with exercise (heavy weights / moderate cardio) is far better than aiming for too much and ending up regaining the weight.0 -
Go here and calculate your TDEE. That'll give you an idea of how much you should be eating each day to "maintain." To lose weight, simply stay under that total. I say simply with tounge in cheek.
You should never consume less than 1200 calories a day.
I was eating around 2000 calories a day per MFP suggestions and stalled out as my workouts became more intense. Now that I have bumped my calorie intake to at least 2500 a day, I have steadily lost 1-2 pounds a week. I have been eating clean and around 2500 calories a day for about 5 weeks now and have lost almost 10 pounds (9.8 to be exact). On days that I have high activity levels, I add my "post workout" meal to be daily meals. It's just a meal I like to have that is higher in calories and high in all three macros. I usually eat it after hockey or after the gym. Eventhough it's 700 calories, I'm hungry about 60-90 minutes later.
Whole foods are the only way to go. I hate chicken with a passion with how much of it I eat, but, it's vital to my diet. I try to work in a steak or two throughout the week and fish when I get a chance.
I could go on and on. Any ?'s, just message me.0 -
I'd like to hear the answer to this too. I'm in the energy in/energy out camp - eat more than you need and you WILL put on weight - eat less than you need and you WILL lose weight.
Some will talk about lean mass and starvation mode and metabolism ebla bla.
"Eat more to lose weight" is pure bollocks
Dude, REALLY?0 -
The way I look at eat more to weigh less is eating a ton of food, but it's all low cal. I can eat 3 cups of broccoli half of a chicken breast and some fruit for under 400 calories. That is a lot of freaking food! I can also eat an entire head of cauliflower for about 200 calories. I guess I kind of think of eat more to weigh less as an off shoot of clean eating coupled with volumetrics0
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EM2WL is a nice catch phrase, but it's really about eating the RIGHT amount for you, which is typically somewhere between your BMR (the amount of calories your body burns completely at rest, just staying alive) and your TDEE (the total amount of calories you burn in a day including your BMR, normal daily activity and exercise).
For instance, my BMR at 5'5, 40 years old and 134 pounds, is estimated to be 1,279. I personally think that's low because it's based on statistical averages and I've been working damn hard to have a little more muscle and a little less body fat than the statistically average 40 year old.
My TDEE is estimated around 2327. Which means, as long as I eat less than 2327, I'll lose weight. How much I lose depends on how I eat. Losing two pounds a week would put me at 1327, which is more than my BMR, but I don't have enough excess body fat to support that kind of a deficit and I'd be tired and miserable and not be able to perform as well. I lost best eating around 1800-2100 calories total, which was around 1350-1500 plus exercise calories.0 -
Yeah, I read the BMR article and got a little confused, besides I am generally not a numbers crunchers. I drink a lot of water, so I am not hungry enough to keep eating more, I drink water and I keep up with my three meals two snacks a day routine. IF I am hungry for more, then I will eat but only after I drink a glass of water to see if I was truly hungry. If I eat, I try to eat fruits and/or veggies. What works for me is eat less, exercise more. From my own experience, I am not the type that will lose steadily on a daily basis. I ultimately lose the inches first then the weight falls off. So, I avoid the scale like the plaque becuase it will only discourage me. What I do is, keep up with my calorie intake and make sure I stay within that number or a little below depending on my excerise activity. So far, I've lost about 7 pounds, and a bunch of inches. I have been at a stand still on my weight for over a week, but I have lost more inches which means, the weight will drop off real soon. This is the key, FOR ME!0
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Like mentioned earlier everyone is different, I have always cut calories too lose weight to the extreme, I have an eating disorder and it was normal for me to go 3 or 4 days on a banana and water. After having my second baby I just want to be in shape and healthy, I was eating 600 to 800 calories and doing Jillian Michael workouts an hour a day and didnt lose any weight for almost 1 month. In the last 2 weeks I have bumped my calories to 1200 and started insanity, I feel better and have lost 3 lbs! I am 5' 4" and before my pregnancy was 117, now 9 weeks postpartum I am 130. Still would like to lose 5 to 10 lbs but I also want to build muscle this time. I can say with a eating disorder it blew my mind to eat more but its working. I honestly think my metabolism had slowed down so much that my body was holding on to the food I ate for energy, I was really starving my body.0
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Also, do strengthening exercises every other day. 15 minutes worth should be enough. Those muscles will be the ones to get your metabolism going . . . and they need the snacks to keep them going. Do your regular form of exercise on the other days. You should be losing about 2 pounds a week then. After 12 weeks of dieting, eat what you normally would until you gain 3 pounds and then go back on the diet. Keep doing this in increments until you've lost the weight you want . . . by then, it may be habit, so you'll be eating healthy anyway - it's a life style. Good Luck!0
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The way I look at eat more to weigh less is eating a ton of food, but it's all low cal. I can eat 3 cups of broccoli half of a chicken breast and some fruit for under 400 calories. That is a lot of freaking food! I can also eat an entire head of cauliflower for about 200 calories. I guess I kind of think of eat more to weigh less as an off shoot of clean eating coupled with volumetrics
Nope. That's not the idea at all.
Because there is a big difference between you feeling full, and your body being fed fully for the level of activity you put it through.
You can get all your nutrients in 800 calories if you try real hard. But your body could be starving for energy, calories.
You could get all your energy needs in 2000 calories by eating crap. But your body could still be starving for nutrients.
Either extreme is going to lead to stress on the body, non-optimal performance in whatever you do, and for weight loss, setting yourself up for failure sooner or later.
All to be repeated again down the road.0
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