Success stories by upping calories PLEAS

SnicciFit

Well, I changed the way I eat (no more junk, no sugar/artificial sweeteners, no more gluten and no more dairy). I eat a lot of meat, veggies, healthy fats and fruits. I eat way more calories now than I did before. So, I'm not convinced that just eating more calories is the key, so much as eating more QUALITY calories, maybe. I lost 2.9% bodyfat in 26 days. I eat 1700-2000+ cals a day and about 65% of that is from fat. Good fat like: coconut oil, avocado, butter, grass-fed animal fats...etc.

If you're looking to increase calories and lose weight, start by eating more nutrient dense food (for example, trade cereal or toast in the morning for eggs and avocado...). Your calories will go up as a result of eating more "whole foods", but your body will react in a way that will shock you! (weight loss, muscle gain, more energy, less acne... the list goes on).

Thank you so much, this makes so much sence. You look wonderful btw!

THANK YOU!!!! :flowerforyou:

lesleychev

bump

WendyTerry420

You can peek at my profile pictures. I'm down almost 60 pounds and averaging 2200 calories a day. And no, I don't burn a zillion calories in cardio. In fact, I do very little cardio. The only purposeful exercise I do on a regular basis is strength training. I do pushups, squats, and planks, for a total of about 15 minutes every other day. (And I have a desk job!)

WendyTerry420

As long as you eat clean, you're body needs more calories. 1800 calories of processed low fat foods, cheeseburgers, and sugar is different than 1800 calories of fruits, veggies, and lean protein as far as fuel for your body.

You got that right...feel like I don't stop eating all day

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I always challenge the so-called "clean eaters" to peruse my diary. Clean eating is fine if you enjoy living by common-sense-defying strict rules and such. But I prefer to eat what I enjoy and watch my macros.

tooliebell

I'm not even sure if I should reply but I have an experience in the last couple weeks with a change in my net caloric intake that I think is similar to eating more.

I hit a slowing loss trend the beginning of the year. My normal day is to eat about 1200 calories, and I would workout for about an hour. Mostly cardio, walking and Biggest Loser videos, but also some strenght training (not big weights though). I would burn on the average at least 400 calories during my workouts sometime upwards of 700. I wasn't seeing a lot of changes on the scale, some on the tape but not much. Life got real busy in the last two weeks and my workout schedule slowed down ( you wanna talk about adding anxiety to your life, try not working out after that has been your life for 8 months!) I still have been eating my 1200 calories, and on a couple days a bit more (lazy tracker) and not working out for the past week. My weight has dropped more quickly in these last two weeks than it has in the last month.

The short version of my story is that I think I wasn't eating enough for what I was doing, which is why I was stuck and losing at a much slower pace. Since my body has become accustom to the workout schedule I had, it was really needing more fuel from me. So while I didn't intentionally try to eat more to lose weight, my life circumstances took me in that direction and I got to understand a bit more about what my body needed.

My advice is to take a good look at what your BMR is, look at how active you are and decide if you need to eat more. I honestly would have never believed before I started this journey that if you were very active, you should eat more, but it is true. Your body needs it.

LorinaLynn

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I always challenge the so-called "clean eaters" to peruse my diary. Clean eating is fine if you enjoy living by common-sense-defying strict rules and such. But I prefer to eat what I enjoy and watch my macros.

Same here. I'm perfectly happy with my progress that sometimes includes pizza and cheeseburgers.

Maybe I'd have a slightly flatter stomach if I gave up my bagels for breakfast. My love of bagels trumps my desire for a 6 pack.

SnicciFit

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I always challenge the so-called "clean eaters" to peruse my diary. Clean eating is fine if you enjoy living by common-sense-defying strict rules and such. But I prefer to eat what I enjoy and watch my macros.

Same here. I'm perfectly happy with my progress that sometimes includes pizza and cheeseburgers.

Maybe I'd have a slightly flatter stomach if I gave up my bagels for breakfast. My love of bagels trumps my desire for a 6 pack.

I'm not sure how "clean eating" qualifies as common-sense-defying, but I don't think ANYONE eats "clean" 100% of the time. I would consider myself a "clean eater", but I still eat things like french fries and candy occasionally. I just choose to fuel my body with foods it can actually use rather than crap that it just literally craps out without using or that, worse yet, causes inflammation.

HopetoFaith

Started MFP at 1,200 calories and doing way too much cardio. Lost 20 pounds quickly then came to a screeching halt and plateaued for weeks. When I upped to 1,600 and cut back my cardio, I started losing again. After another plateau over the summer I upped to 1,800 and started strength training. The fat started melting off again.

I'm now eating 1,800-2,000 calorie per day weekdays and usually as high as 3,000 on weekends and doing P90X. My weight is staying fairly stable, but I am still losing fat. I'm 20.3% now with a goal of 18%.

Edit to add- I'm 37 yo, 5'4". The 131 lb pic is from before I started P90X. I've got much better looking arms now and my abs have firmed up.

you look fab well done

HopetoFaith

Thanks everyone for share it makes so much more since to me now I'm on my second week of eating at 1700 and before I was eating 1400 ish while doing insanity 5-6 times a week I wear stuck at around 64 kg for a few month with 1kg going up and down. Anyway it's my second week of eating 1700 first week I haven't lost anything but today my scale moved down by 500 g so maybe it's a sign that I need to eat more to weight less

jrompola

Thanks everyone for share it makes so much more since to me now I'm on my second week of eating at 1700 and before I was eating 1400 ish while doing insanity 5-6 times a week I wear stuck at around 64 kg for a few month with 1kg going up and down. Anyway it's my second week of eating 1700 first week I haven't lost anything but today my scale moved down by 500 g so maybe it's a sign that I need to eat more to weight less

Are you still doing Insanity. If the answer is yes then most likely you are burning more calories because you are getting better at the moves and being able to do more reps. Gotta love those side to side abs and pushup jacks

miranda_mom

I don't have pics (sorry) although I do enjoy looking at all the fantastic pics of high cal folks - you guys all look great! Anyway, a week ago, I was totally frustrated, feeling like I was stuck or even going up in weight. BF% was pretty much the same. So a friend suggested to go up from 1800 to 2000 cals per day. I've lost six pounds! FWIW, I do Stronglifts 3 times per week and C25K three times a week.

MirjaH79

I hear that we should give the upping at least a few weeks, preferably 1-1,5 months, before giving up on it. I'm looking forward to seeing how much has come off this week, since my last weeks loss was 0,9 kg (ca. 2 lbs)! :bigsmile:

HopetoFaith

Are you still doing Insanity. If the answer is yes then most likely you are burning more calories because you are getting better at the moves and being able to do more reps. Gotta love those side to side abs and pushup jacks
[/quote]

Yes I'm on month two now, I do burn between 400 and 600 cal per workout some days I add cardio abs on the top. Actually most of days lol love that one

jrompola

Yes I'm on month two now, I do burn between 400 and 600 cal per workout some days I add cardio abs on the top. Actually most of days lol love that one

Awesome...I do P90X and use the Max Insanity on Cardio Days.

I'd watch out working abs every day. Your muscles need to time to recover. I've never done cardio abs, but I do Ab Ripper 3 times a week

HopetoFaith

I don't have pics (sorry) although I do enjoy looking at all the fantastic pics of high cal folks - you guys all look great! Anyway, a week ago, I was totally frustrated, feeling like I was stuck or even going up in weight. BF% was pretty much the same. So a friend suggested to go up from 1800 to 2000 cals per day. I've lost six pounds! FWIW, I do Stronglifts 3 times per week and C25K three times a week.

Wow what a Loss in a week great

HopetoFaith

Awesome...I do P90X and use the Max Insanity on Cardio Days.

I'd watch out working abs every day. Your muscles need to time to recover. I've never done cardio abs, but I do Ab Ripper 3 times a week
[/quote]

I was thinking while I'm doing insanity for so long now from oct. with breaks maybe my body got sue to it too much and that's why I'm not loosing, I do have p90x and also was thinking to do hybrid

osualex

I've eaten well over 1200 most of the time on MFP, and I lose (most of the time!) My body composition is getting better and better with proper macros and enough food. I'm nowhere near active enough to eat 2000+ a day, but I stay around 1500-1600 and it works for me.

inkysmurf

bump to keep an eye on this.

I only started the road map and eating more 2 weeks ago - but so far I am down 1lb and I am eating 1700-1900 a day - which is a big jump from my previous 1200 with my net used to be between 700-900

net now coming in between 1300-1500 as I am just walking at the moment for exercise

elissiara

For the past two months I had been loosing and gaining the same three pounds then this week after a lot of pushing myself I upped my calorie intake from 1200 to 1400 and I have already lost 4lbs this week!

Lupercalia

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I always challenge the so-called "clean eaters" to peruse my diary. Clean eating is fine if you enjoy living by common-sense-defying strict rules and such. But I prefer to eat what I enjoy and watch my macros.

Same here. I'm perfectly happy with my progress that sometimes includes pizza and cheeseburgers.

Maybe I'd have a slightly flatter stomach if I gave up my bagels for breakfast. My love of bagels trumps my desire for a 6 pack.

I'm not sure how "clean eating" qualifies as common-sense-defying, but I don't think ANYONE eats "clean" 100% of the time. I would consider myself a "clean eater", but I still eat things like french fries and candy occasionally. I just choose to fuel my body with foods it can actually use rather than crap that it just literally craps out without using or that, worse yet, causes inflammation.

^^^THIS!

I don't understand why the sneers and hostility at people who don't eat processed or junk foods on a daily basis. I eat whole foods. That doesn't make me a freak and it doesn't mean that when I'm at a friends party, for instance, I don't have a piece of her birthday cake because OMG SUGAR CARBS etc. No! I've just learned that I personally feel and look better eating the way I do. Reducing internal inflammation, as the poster I quoted mentioned, is a pretty big deal to me. Doing so has seriously changed my health both physically and emotionally, and made me feel about 1000 times better, period. I also have to deal with hormonal imbalances that aren't helped by eating sugar, processed foods, etc. So yeah, I'd honestly rather have a lovely breakfast of eggs and bacon than something like pancakes with syrup. Don't feel sorry for me, as I truly enjoy what I eat, just as I'm assuming you do.

As for the OP--I lost a bunch of weight eating less calories because I didn't know any better. I started out eating 1400-1600 calories, net. Another weight loss site recommended that as my daily calorie goal, so I just went with it. Now I realise that my BMR is around 1600, so eating that way wasn't doing me any favours. However, I was getting through my kettlebell workouts and was walking a bit, and generally feeling pretty good. Weight was falling off steadily. After losing about 25 lbs, I started lifting heavy in addition to my work with kettlebells, and suddenly found myself very HUNGRY, and even the dreaded HANGRY following my workouts. That was my big clue to eat more, so I did. I think I increased my calories by about 100 each day for the first couple weeks. It just seemed the natural thing to do at the time. I thought I'd better try to find out exactly how much I should be eating, and ran across IPOARM (in place of a road map) and Eat More to Weigh Less. After lots of reading and cross checking various statements, I thought it all made about as much sense as this stuff ever does. Fat loss is still somewhat mysterious, even to the researchers, experts, doctors, you name it!

I now eat 1800-2000 calories/day and feel much happier. I'm losing fat, and it seems I'm hanging on to my lean body mass. The scale moves much more slowly, but the inches are coming off at pretty much the same rate. Body fat is steadily decreasing, which is what I care most about, rather than the number on the scale.

I have those "whooshes" where I have remained at the same weight all month, then suddenly lose 6 lbs or something.