Eating more and Losing weight

nrbromert

I'm having a weird thing going on. Over the last month, the weeks where I eat more and think I am going to gain weight I am actually losing more than the weeks I think I am eating less. I'm kinda confused by the whole thing. I am taking in about 1500 calories a day or so, so I don't think I am in starvation mode be any means. For instance last week I had 3 thanksgivings and still managed to lose 5 lbs, according to the scale.

Has anyone else experienced this?

cedarghost

1500 is probably way too low for you. I started out around 1800 and hit a wall pretty quick. Currently eating 2300 a day and losing again. I am 6'4", 216 pounds.
Where did you get the 1500 figure from? I notice looking at your diary that it seems to be set around 2200 per day? That actually seems a more likely number.
There are lots of calculators online that should tell you pretty close how many calories to eat. Or you can use MFP to do that. Your choice. Your goal should be to find your TDEE and you can only do that through consistently logging and eating the same amount (or damned close to it) for at least a month, then adding back in the calories for weight lost over that month (or subtracting calories for weight gained) at a rate of 3500 per pound. Then dividing by 30 to get your daily calorie intake.
Once you find your true TDEE, you have this thing whipped. You will have to adjust is slightly as you lose more and more weight and you may have to adjust your calorie goals the closer you get to your ultimate goal to ensure you don't eat below your BMR.

nrbromert

Thanks. I didn't necessarily get that 1500 number it was just an estimate. I'm glad to hear that its not just me. I will try to eat more calories since I am currently around 340 I probably need to eat more and pay close attention like you said.

psuLemon

I am with cedarghost. When I started at 1800 calories, I hit a wall really quick. When I decreased my exercise and increase my calories to 2600, I lost 16 lbs in 13 weeks. If you fuel your body properly, then your body does't release as many hormones to prevent weight loss. I think what you can take away from this is you need more than 1500. 2000 calories might be better for your weight loss.

BrittneyT2

My husband is 5'10 and started at approx 190lbs. He ate about 700-900 cal/day plus one cheat day a week for several weeks and dropped about 20lbs, but then stalled out and stayed within 168-170 for several weeks still eating the same. After we read a lot of stuff about eating more to lose more, especially if you're not eating enough, he increased his calories to 1700-1800/day a week ago and has lost a little over 2lbs since then, even though he's eating twice as much food as he used to eat.

I'm 5'4 and did the same diet he did and stalled out about the same time. Started at 119, dropped to 110 pretty fast, then went right back up to 112 and stayed between 111-112 for weeks. Last week I was at 111.8, increased my calories from 1100-1200 to 1300-1400 and today had dropped down to 110! So yes, eating more does work if you're stalled out and aren't eating enough!

Davina_JH

3 thanksgivings?! sign me up! :happy: