At a bit of a rough point...please help...

bodyrollin

Ok so for those of you that don't know me, I started this whole weight loss, and fitness gimmick I was 323 lbs...last weekend I weighed in at 249, my weight loss (at least the part that I've been on MFP for) has averaged out to be about 1lb every 2.5 days...I'm well pleased with those results, but as I get nearer to my goal weight of 220 I am starting to exercise more...so my question is this...for "2lb/week weight loss" it says I should eat like 2200 calories...I've eaten considerably less for all this time (between 16-1800 per day) and have never eaten back the calories from my workouts...so if at the very least I eat back my workout calories will I still lose? Or am I at a point where I've eaten so little for so long that adding more would pile on weight due to lack of metabolism?

Keep in mind this is still only eating 1600-1800 calories, but also eating back workout calories...so part 2 of this question would be what would happen if I actually ate all 2200+ calories, plus my workout calories?

Thanks in advance for any help.

jennifer_417

I'm always an advocate of eating back exercise calories, because, unless you put working out in your original profile, you are already eating at a deficit BEFORE you work out; working out increases that deficit, possibly to an unhealthy level. You might experience a slight gain when you start to do this, but it should be followed by loss. However, everyone is different, these are all only general guidelines. If you feel satisfied, are losing, and are in good health, then just keep doing what works.

jamiem1102

Check out the group: Eat More to Weigh Less (I think that's the name of the group...). They tell you how to calculate how much you should eat. I'm sure you've heard about it on here quite a bit: TDEE, BMR, etc.

In short, yes you should be able to eat at the very least 1600-1800 after you calculate exercise. I'm 5'5" 175lbs, and my net after exercise is something like 1765. The reason I don't know right now is because I haven't been exercising regularly (I recently moved to go back to school). So... you should definitely be higher than that. Good luck to you and congratulations on all the weight you've lost thus far!

AllonsYtotheTardis

If it means suddenly jumping up 600 calories... I would probably go up by 100 each week, instead of all at once.

jrmartinezb

First of all, congratulations on your progress!

If your exercise calories, your food calories and your normal activity calories are all correctly assesed, you should still lose weight eating back your exercise calories. You'll notice that there are three rather big ifs in there. From my experience MFP's numbers are a good guideline but you have to adjust them through trial and error as you change your exercise, weight and diet.

I started "dieting" at a caloric deficit of about 1000cal. It is now about 500cal. I too began exercising more as I lost weight, and was also anxious about increasing my intake. What I've done is increase it gradually, by 100 or 200 cals over two weeks.

Hope this helps

*edited for spelling

RunMyOregonBunsOff

Try eating back at least half back but start adding them in gradually. Maybe eat 10% or 20% back for a week or so and then work your way up to at least 50% oooooor slowly increase your calorie goal/intake by 50 to 100 cals (a day) for a week at a time...1800 this week, 1850 or 1900 next week...and don't eat back the exercise cals.