So much calorie confusion!!!!

MrsH78

The last 6 months of my weight loss have been very very very slow going and i have a big tummy again, from bloating... I have looked into calorie cycling and was looking into what amount of calories i would need in general in order to subtract 500. I used a number of calorie calculators online and have worked out the average which is 2355 so a 500 cal deficit including exercise expenditure is 1855. BUT... mfp says that to lose a pound a week i should be having around 1400 cals. So i wonder if my slow down/stall in loss has been because i'm not eating enough.

Do you have any advice on this? Should i just try it or could i risk putting weight on if i up my calories (albeit zigzaging them).

Please help. I am so sorry if this info is elsewhere. I'll delete this and go away if no one replies

Thanks

Josephina57

I would try eating the 1850 for a week or two and see what happens. If it doesn't work subtract another 100 and see how it goes. Keep doing that till you hit the right amount.

Whitezombiegirl

I would risk gaining weight if I upped my calories. Eating more to lose just does not work for me. I calorie cycle and find it helps me lose.

kiangel

I would try it , even a couple of days may be enough to confuse your body and shift those scales

fankyskag

You could try what Dan says in this topic - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

My calorie intake increased by around 400 by following those instructions. I've only been doing it a few days so can't really comment on the results, but it would tie in with the increase you've already found.

cmriverside

Yeah, you are near enough to your goal that it is going to be very slim margins to reach a weight loss balance.

I don't know how much you are currently eating, but make changes slowly, like 100 - 250 cals a day at a time. Calorie cycling is tedious, I just have a "general" number I try to stay close to now (I'm also too close to goal weight to worry about it.)

So give yourself a range of 400 cals and aim for that. For instance, my set number is 1600. I range all around it, but usually end up around 1700-1900, and rarely, 1300 ...I maintain at that range. SO if I wanted to lose, I'd drop that by 200, try it for a month, then drop it by another 100 if nothing happened.

MrsH78

Thanks guys, that's all really helpful.

I am currently eating between 1200 and 1500 including exercise calories (another confusing issue - do you or don't you?)

I will have a look at that post link and have a shuffle with my numbers.

Thanks again.

cmriverside

Thanks guys, that's all really helpful.

I am currently eating between 1200 and 1500 including exercise calories (another confusing issue - do you or don't you?)

I will have a look at that post link and have a shuffle with my numbers.

Thanks again.

At your point in your weight, if you are using MFP's numbers, you absolutely have to eat all your exercise calories. If you go to a "set" number, like the majority of calculators use (Like scooby, or "In place of a road map") then you would not eat them. At your point, you need to pick one or the other, stick to it for at least a month before making other changes. You are so close that now it's about consistency and tiny tweaks, not big ones.

You are at the point where the "Eat more to lose" Group would be a great place for you. Go to Groups and type it in the search box, then spend some time there. Otherwise, you'll get advice all over the map in the general forums. People in the general forums can be new to weight-loss/oldtimers to dieting and set in their ways/heavy/light/ anorexics/ etc. You need a targeted group.

MrsH78

Thanks cmriverside.

I have bookmarked all relevant eat to lose pages and will have a look tonight. Seems like such a foreign concept to eat more to lose - goes against what i've been doing the last 20 months!!!