Question about eat more to lose more?

1234567kate9
1234567kate9 Posts: 87
edited December 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I've read a lot about it, but I was wondering, has anyone who has not too much to lose (10-15lbs) found success with this method? Ive seen plenty of success stories about people with 50-100lbs to lose upping their calories and watching the lbs drop off, but I'm wondering if because I'm so close to my goal weight, that might not work so well with me. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Definitely worked for me. I increase my calories from 1800 to 2600 calories and I lost % body fat, 11 lbs and 6". You have to fuel your body to cut fat. If you don't fuel it, then you lose muscle.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    I think it's more about chosing more nutrient dense foods which tend to be less calorie dense, so that you end up eating a greater volume of food throughout the day.

    Reguardless, I'm still losing faster than 1 lb per week right now at a net goal of 2900 cals (MFP wants to put me around 2300).
  • Kristierlong
    Kristierlong Posts: 163 Member
    I'm currently doing the RESET phase of EM2WL. When I started I was about 7 lbs away from my "goal weight". I'll begin the Cut phase in about 2 weeks. Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    It actually works better with people who have less to lose! When you don't have much to lose people tend to eat under their BMR, causing their body to slow down it's functions and they end up going up and down in weight.

    I just actually posted a YouTube Video explaining this. The link is on my profile page if you wanna check it out!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I spent years eating less than I am now and exercising more and gained weight steadily.

    Once I started eating more and adjusted my macros to include significantly more protein, I started losing weight faster than I ever managed to do so.

    Overall since starting MFP, looking to lose 19ish pounds. I say "ish" because as I get close to the goal, I may decide I am good to go before reaching it.
  • nlmillervt
    nlmillervt Posts: 242 Member
    It seems to work better for me, but it hasn't been a controlled study, so to speak. At the same time I started eating more, I also started concentrating on getting a higher proportion of protein in my diet (nearly double from prior) and drinking a ton more water. I don't know if the increased rate of weight loss was due to the increased calories, protein or water, or the combination of the three. I'm happy with the results, though!
  • mrs_french
    mrs_french Posts: 9 Member
    I've read a lot about it, but I was wondering, has anyone who has not too much to lose (10-15lbs) found success with this method? Ive seen plenty of success stories about people with 50-100lbs to lose upping their calories and watching the lbs drop off, but I'm wondering if because I'm so close to my goal weight, that might not work so well with me. Thoughts?

    i'm also curious about this! i've lost 20 pounds in about 6 months and still need to lose 30 pounds, but the scale will NOT move! if you increase your calories, what are you eating? are you eating larger portions of vegetables, fruits, and lean meats?
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    I wish this worked for me. I just don't understand it. My body does not work like that, and I work out ALOT. When I go up in calories I DO NOT lose. Wahaha. You can try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens - what can it hurt? Worst case you maintain I bet. Everyone is different. Good luck.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    I'm on the 'high end' of a 'healthy weight' which doesn't look good on me with my small bone structure.

    I'm just looking at losing the 20'ish pounds I gained in the last 10 years. Hopefully I'll figure out soon whether eating more or less will work for me. But for now, I will listen to my body
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I wish this worked for me. I just don't understand it. My body does not work like that, and I work out ALOT. When I go up in calories I DO NOT lose. Wahaha. You can try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens - what can it hurt? Worst case you maintain I bet. Everyone is different. Good luck.

    I wish it had worked for me as well. I must have done something terribly wrong as I actually GAINED more weight than I lost. I was at a record high when I tried to eat more and workout more.
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
    Ok, Just to clear a few things up here - eat more, lose more is not about just upping your calories randomly. You still need a deficit to lose. Some people will benefit from this, others will not. I did. I was stuck on the magic 1200 calorie number and never ate back my exercise calories. I figured if a small deficit will make me lose a 1lbs a week, then a huge deficit will make me lose weight quicker - right? Wrong! I now keep my calories at 1200, but eat back my exercise calories, so I am averaging at around 1500 calories a day. I am 5.5, 139 lbs now and losing inches, body fat like crazy. Weight is going down slower, but that is not an issue for me.

    That said, if you have been consistently eating MORE than you should (which is the reason most of us are here!) eating more on top of that will not help.

    So research your BMR, deficit and nutrition and go from there - Good luck.
  • Jennilynncoco
    Jennilynncoco Posts: 28
    I think this is actually my problem i am 5'11 and limit myself to about 1200 calories a day and i work out at least 4 times a week. I noticed i have not been losing weight but in fact gain a couple lbs and i am a pretty clean eater i usually dont eat any processed foods. So i am trying to up my calorie in take to 1500 i am going to try that and see if i see a difference and if that does not work maybe up it more or cut it more from 1200, any suggestions if this does not work??
  • smartfitmom3
    smartfitmom3 Posts: 11
    Eating 5-6 small meals a day every 2-3 hours speeds up your metabolism and gets your body in fat burning mode so yes.

    I lost 18lbs within the last 2.5 months and close to having a 6 pack even though I just had my 3rd child in May. I wasn't trying to lose a lot either.
  • ghostrider1924
    ghostrider1924 Posts: 9
    I just started eating more to lose more and am now eating back ALL of my exercise calories. I only started ten days ago and when I did my weekly weigh in, I had gained the 1.4 lbs I'd spent the previous two weeks losing. I've been running and not doing much strength training and looking at my body, I don't think I've gained muscle, and of course it could be water weight, but that much?

    I am philosophical about it though and believe that I should stick with it for at least a couple of months to really tell what the results will be. My body may be in an adjustment phase, right? I do think it's WAY healthier to eat a decent amount of mainly very nutritious foods and fuel the exercise I do and believe that if it levels out eventually, my weight loss and fitness will be sustainable. I don't want to look and feel good temporarily, but for the rest of my life...

    Any hints or personal experiences are appreciated and feel free to add me as a friend. I'll be updating on my page regularly on how eating more to lose more is going!

    Hope you're all doing well on it, those of you who are! I REALLY want this to work as it seems the healthy way to lose weight and get fit!
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Eating 5-6 small meals a day every 2-3 hours speeds up your metabolism and gets your body in fat burning mode so yes.

    This is not always true...
  • 1234567kate9
    1234567kate9 Posts: 87
    I wish this worked for me. I just don't understand it. My body does not work like that, and I work out ALOT. When I go up in calories I DO NOT lose. Wahaha. You can try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens - what can it hurt? Worst case you maintain I bet. Everyone is different. Good luck.

    Yeah, I think I'll probably try it for the month of August and see what happens. Hopefully the scales start moving down!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I wish this worked for me. I just don't understand it. My body does not work like that, and I work out ALOT. When I go up in calories I DO NOT lose. Wahaha. You can try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens - what can it hurt? Worst case you maintain I bet. Everyone is different. Good luck.

    Some bodies need more than a few weeks. Its better to wait 4-6 weeks so your body can get used to the additional calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Eating 5-6 small meals a day every 2-3 hours speeds up your metabolism and gets your body in fat burning mode so yes.

    This is not true, the nih has already done studies on meal frequency and increased MF does not promote greater weight loss. Your body will burn as many calories if you eat 1 meal or 10 meals. What it does for some people is prevent cravings.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I think it's actually exercise more to eat more to lose more, make sure you extract the full story :-)

    As an example, someone who increases their calories and increases their protein is probably getting the benefit of the increased protein content, not the extra calories. A re-mix at the previous calorie level to more protein could have been at least as effective.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I think it's actually exercise more to eat more to lose more, make sure you extract the full story :-)

    As an example, someone who increases their calories and increases their protein is probably getting the benefit of the increased protein content, not the extra calories. A re-mix at the previous calorie level to more protein could have been at least as effective.

    This is what I believe the more I read about this theory/cult/trend/whatever, the more I believe often we don't get the whole picture...
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
    This is great topic! Thanks so much, albayin for asking the question and to everyone else for their input.

    I workout aplenty and have been struggling with a few pounds creeping on. Since I just joined yesterday, I can see that MFP wants me to eat more. Okay. Can't get any worse, right?
  • 1holegrouper
    1holegrouper Posts: 323 Member
    There is a sweet spot (total daily calories) for all of us and it is highly individual and is a moving target as well. Our natural tendency when we are determined to lose fat is to overreact which translates to not eating enough calories. I also agree with an earlier statement that we need to pack in the most nutrient rich food on our plates that we can. When we are running a calorie deficit we are in some ways more vulnerable and our need for good nutrition becomes evermore important.
  • MsSheri82
    MsSheri82 Posts: 16
    I remember awhile ago when I was doing weight watchers I was always under my daily points allowance and I couldnt figure out why i wasnt losing weight. So I did some research and read that maybe I wasnt eating enough. I was a bit shocked because I thought the less you eat the more weight you lose. But anyway, I started using ALLmy daily points and the weight started dropping. I dont know what the correlation is but there is some validity to it. It may be because I have ALOT of weight to lose.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Because it's on my clipboard.

    "The only scientifically proven method for losing weight involves burning more calories than are taken in.2 This fact, often called the "law of thermodynamics," has been shown time and time again in decades of rigorous scientific studies. One example of the hundreds of studies that exist was done in Switzerland. Fifty-four obese people had their calories restricted to 1,100 per day. Different combinations of foods and meal timing were tested. There was no difference in weight losses; it came down to the number of calories, not how they were provided, that accounted for the weight loss that the participants experienced.3

    At the end of the day, the only true way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories in food and/or burn more calories. Yet only 1/3 of Americans trying to lose weight try to do so by using the recommended method of eating less and exercising more; the fundamental foundation of weight loss.4"

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=20781&tabnum=1&sc=801&subnav=Science+Library:+The+Physics+of+Weight+Loss
  • Neecy_Pooh
    Neecy_Pooh Posts: 122
    I think it's more about chosing more nutrient dense foods which tend to be less calorie dense, so that you end up eating a greater volume of food throughout the day.

    Reguardless, I'm still losing faster than 1 lb per week right now at a net goal of 2900 cals (MFP wants to put me around 2300).

    The reason it is like that because they calculate a 500 cal. deficit beforehand. So technically, they are putting you at 2800, you just don't see it because they assume the 500 calorie deficit. : )
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I've read a lot about it, but I was wondering, has anyone who has not too much to lose (10-15lbs) found success with this method? Ive seen plenty of success stories about people with 50-100lbs to lose upping their calories and watching the lbs drop off, but I'm wondering if because I'm so close to my goal weight, that might not work so well with me. Thoughts?

    I started doing it when I had about that much to lose I think. I started at 1200 and jumped to NETTING 1700 (often over 2000).

    I'm 5'7, 119 lbs.

    I've ate close to TDEE when I was sedentary and when I was active (higher#). I got to goal and I'm still using it. My thoughts are try it, I haven't seen it not work on anyone sensible who has given it a few months chance. I lost a pound a week straight to goal.

    This is how I turned out :P
    13599033_7284.jpg13599033_3693.jpg

    You might also want to check out this persons profile who's pretty slim, she has lots of result pics, this is her thread about 'what happened when I didn't eat enough':
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

    I also enjoy this persons story:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/572503-why-you-should-eat-more-a-lion-s-tale
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I think it's actually exercise more to eat more to lose more, make sure you extract the full story :-)

    As an example, someone who increases their calories and increases their protein is probably getting the benefit of the increased protein content, not the extra calories. A re-mix at the previous calorie level to more protein could have been at least as effective.

    This is what I believe the more I read about this theory/cult/trend/whatever, the more I believe often we don't get the whole picture...
    False.

    I started the TDEE thing when I was doing full time studies and working part time spending most of my time in bed or in a chair. My exercise was strolling to my car. In fact when I started it I was quite sick, probably from my immune system being so low lol so I was extra sedentary. I basically got straight to goal being sedentary (the last few weeks I was active when uni ended, but for months and months I was not).

    So, stop spreading rumours around please :smile: Though yes, most of the people who want to do this the healthy way advise you exercise. I'm not going to argue with that. Makes perfectly logical sense to me.
  • sabolfitwife
    sabolfitwife Posts: 423 Member
    So in all reality, you should just be eating back your exercise calories?? I burn anywhere from 220 (on a normal day) to 500 kcals/workout. MY BMR is 1,645 and I eat that plus a little daily. So if I eat back my exercise calories it'd be any where from 1,800-2,100 kcals/day? I've heard about this and am just nervous to try it. If it doesn't work, then it was all for not, and it's juts like a shot in the dark. I think I might try it though... 9 out of 10 people seem to get great results from this.
  • pandurbear77
    pandurbear77 Posts: 11 Member
    Because it's on my clipboard.

    "The only scientifically proven method for losing weight involves burning more calories than are taken in.2 This fact, often called the "law of thermodynamics," has been shown time and time again in decades of rigorous scientific studies. One example of the hundreds of studies that exist was done in Switzerland. Fifty-four obese people had their calories restricted to 1,100 per day. Different combinations of foods and meal timing were tested. There was no difference in weight losses; it came down to the number of calories, not how they were provided, that accounted for the weight loss that the participants experienced.3

    At the end of the day, the only true way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories in food and/or burn more calories. Yet only 1/3 of Americans trying to lose weight try to do so by using the recommended method of eating less and exercising more; the fundamental foundation of weight loss.4"

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=20781&tabnum=1&sc=801&subnav=Science+Library:+The+Physics+of+Weight+Loss


    I absolutely love that you said this! With all these crazy diets of eating less carbs or increasing your calorie intake to weight less are beginning to make my head spin, when a dog is overweight you feed them less and excersie them more and they loose weight. This is a natural process so why wouldn't it make sense for humans to do the exact same thing? Why do we have to complicate it with all these crazy diets...
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    I think it's more about chosing more nutrient dense foods which tend to be less calorie dense, so that you end up eating a greater volume of food throughout the day.

    Reguardless, I'm still losing faster than 1 lb per week right now at a net goal of 2900 cals (MFP wants to put me around 2300).

    The reason it is like that because they calculate a 500 cal. deficit beforehand. So technically, they are putting you at 2800, you just don't see it because they assume the 500 calorie deficit. : )

    First sentence was explaining what I take as "eat more to lose more"

    Secondly, the number I said for MFP was of course after the 500 cal deficit for "1 lb per week", which leaves me hungry and tired.
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