How do I Eat More To Weigh Less??

I think it has to do with WHAT you eat. You could eat 1200 calories in twinkies and not be allowed very many OR you could eat 1200 calories of fruits, veggies and lean proteins and be allowed much more. Also, how divide your calories throughout the day makes a difference. Three 400 calorie meals as opposed to six 200 calories meals. (you can divide the numbers anyway you like) The more small meals the less time you have to feel hungry and the more your metabolism works. Exercise! the more you exercise, the more you burn, therefore, the more you can eat.

Seems like the phrase "eat more to weigh less" is open to such wide interpretation that it really doesn't help anyone.

Seems like the phrase "eat more to weigh less" is open to such wide interpretation that it really doesn't help anyone.

It's not open to wide interpretation. Some people just interpret it wrong. It simply means eating between BMR and TDEE. That's all.

It's also not true that it doesn't help anyone. It helps everyone who does it correctly.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them

The concept is to more healthy foods, mainly fruits and veggies. For example, you can have several servings of veggies and fruit for the same amount of calories in the average protein bar or diet microwave meal. It's not about eating more calories it's about eating more food.

I don't consume many calories and I eat up to 3x a much as most people on here. I eat all day! I'm just choosing foods high in nutrients instead of the typical diet stuff or a few crackers with an oz of cheese.

If you eat a whole plate of food for the same amount of calories in a small plate you will better off. You will get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

You are what you eat so choose wisely.

The concept is to more healthy foods, mainly fruits and veggies. For example, you can have several servings of veggies and fruit for the same amount of calories in the average protein bar or diet microwave meal. It's not about eating more calories it's about eating more food.

I don't consume many calories and I eat up to 3x a much as most people on here. I eat all day! I'm just choosing foods high in nutrients instead of the typical diet stuff or a few crackers with an oz of cheese.

If you eat a whole plate of food for the same amount of calories in a small plate you will better off. You will get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

You are what you eat so choose wisely.

That is incorrect. It IS about eating more calories, albeit as nutritious as you can. Just not more than maintenance level.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them

I concur... That is incorrect. I myself and many other friends on here still eat stuff other then fruits and veggies and have had fabulous success.

There is an Eat More to Weigh Less community on MFP. Go there. Tons of answers, success stories, and advice.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

The blanket statements regarding this topic are maddening at times as everyone is different. Telling someone that has a significant amount of weight to lose, say 50+ lbs, to "eat more to weight less" might not be the best suggestion for that individual. Whereas someone looking to lose 5-10 vanity lbs it might absolutely be the right recommendation.

There is really no rulebook to follow unfortunately. Think about these things for a moment:

- BMR is calculated as an estimate from some scientific formula(s) which typically takes into consideration your current body weight. In reality, how much of that weight is fat and how much of that is muscle are key considerations are they not?

- MFP database of foods. Unless you precisely enter the foods that you eat there can be large variables in the calories added to your diary. If I had "Chicken Stir Fry" from the data base that may have one #, "Chicken Stir Fry" from P.F. Chang's is another and 'Chicken Stir Fry" with the individual ingredients that I've weighed and added is another. True statement that accuracy is a key when entering foods?

- MFP exercise calorie burns. Similar to above overestimation of calorie burn can be an issue no?

So you have a BMR estimate that is age, height and current weight related; you have a estimate on the foods entered unless you're religious and you have an estimate of caloric burn which unless you use a HRM with chest strap you may (or may not be) even in the ballpark.

Bad estimate x bad estimate x bad estimate = "Why am I not losing weight?" posts


There is truth to not eating below BMR as eventually you will get sick from starving yourself however there is plenty of examples where eating below BMR as a NET. BMR is a guideline for people to use and frankly is not a hard and fast rule given the issues I stated above.

So the argument that will follow this post is that BMR is the calories required to keep your organs working properly. The problem that I see is isn't fat a major organ per se and isn't your BMR estimated based on your total weight (i.e. fat). Isn't the better method be figuring out the number of calories you need based on your lean body mass (the vital organs), muscle and bones?

I believe that those with a significant amount of weight to lose could eat under BMR as a NET until they're at a healthy weight. (Controversy ensues I'm sure). Use the current BMR as your target number without creating a weekly deficit. Eat that number, No more, no less and don't eat exercise calories unless you're hungry and consider them calories in the bank for you to use as needed. If you have fat to lose are there not ample calories in the bank to burn and you'll be eating at maintenance BMR so there's plenty of fuel available to avoid the dreaded "starvation mode".

I never heard this one before but I do disagree, respectfully. This isn't what the group is about I know that for sure, plus the fact that eating a well, rounded diet is best for a body imo. I eat proteins, carbs(complex), and fats(unstaturated, mono and poly's with omega 6 and omega 3's).

Once I started eating these foods 99% of the time I don't get hungry or even have any cravings for sugar or "junk foods". Yes, I'll have something sweet on occasion but I no longer worship food of any kind.

Denise:drinker: :drinker:

The concept is to more healthy foods, mainly fruits and veggies. For example, you can have several servings of veggies and fruit for the same amount of calories in the average protein bar or diet microwave meal. It's not about eating more calories it's about eating more food.

I don't consume many calories and I eat up to 3x a much as most people on here. I eat all day! I'm just choosing foods high in nutrients instead of the typical diet stuff or a few crackers with an oz of cheese.

If you eat a whole plate of food for the same amount of calories in a small plate you will better off. You will get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

You are what you eat so choose wisely.

I get in all my food groups. I can't do gluten and only very little dairy. I can't eat red meat either. So for people like me it is about choosing wisely. I couldn't eat 2700 calories a day with my food restrictions, my stomach would explode.

I don't walk around feeling hungry all day. My diet is well rounded, the only difference between my diets and most others would be I don't have certain food groups and very little bad foods. Add bread to each meal and my calories would skyrocket.

Also, I'm 42. I don't need to eat as much as a person in their early 20's. And I doubt I ever ate as much as some of these people do while dieting. I don't care if anyone likes the way I eat, I'm not forcing it one anyone. But when I look at people who tell me I'm wrong and I don't know what I'm doing I often see they eat very few vegetables, lots of red meat and protein shakes every day, not to mention daily desserts. I'll stick to my way and skip all of that.

No one is going to discourage me from choosing healthy foods

I don't think it's eating MORE per se. It's eating more of the right things at the right time. I used to NOT each breakfast, had a big lunch and average dinner. I was within the daily calorie intake but was getting fatter and fatter and felt more and more sluggish.

Now, I'm having my 3 normal meals a day, with snacks and feel so much better. I still don't "eat" breakfast, but I do drink a diet shake for breakfast to give me something plus calcium and iron I need these days.

I am now never bloated and sluggish. I have more energy which I guess is what is helping me burn more calories during the day because I don't slow down. So, the more I am eating of the "right things" at the "right time", I'm actually losing weight.

The way I look at eat more to weigh less is eating a ton of food, but it's all low cal. I can eat 3 cups of broccoli half of a chicken breast and some fruit for under 400 calories. That is a lot of freaking food! I can also eat an entire head of cauliflower for about 200 calories. I guess I kind of think of eat more to weigh less as an off shoot of clean eating coupled with volumetrics

Nope. That's not the idea at all.

Because there is a big difference between you feeling full, and your body being fed fully for the level of activity you put it through.

You can get all your nutrients in 800 calories if you try real hard. But your body could be starving for energy, calories.
You could get all your energy needs in 2000 calories by eating crap. But your body could still be starving for nutrients.

Either extreme is going to lead to stress on the body, non-optimal performance in whatever you do, and for weight loss, setting yourself up for failure sooner or later.
All to be repeated again down the road.

^This

bump

I was always of the idea that the eat more to weight less meant to eat more filling, fibrous foods so you are eating a larger volume of foods (not more calories) so you are eating/chewing more and staying full longer. More salads, veggies, fruits, soups.

Has anyone read Fit or Fat? It's a semi-old nutrition book, but still really good I think. He has this great comparison of the smart vegetarian versus the stupid one (maybe different labels). But shows how to make better chcoices and get a better calorie bang for your buck.

I never heard this one before but I do disagree, respectfully. This isn't what the group is about I know that for sure, plus the fact that eating a well, rounded diet is best for a body imo. I eat proteins, carbs(complex), and fats(unstaturated, mono and poly's with omega 6 and omega 3's).

Once I started eating these foods 99% of the time I don't get hungry or even have any cravings for sugar or "junk foods". Yes, I'll have something sweet on occasion but I no longer worship food of any kind.

Denise:drinker: :drinker:

The concept is to more healthy foods, mainly fruits and veggies. For example, you can have several servings of veggies and fruit for the same amount of calories in the average protein bar or diet microwave meal. It's not about eating more calories it's about eating more food.

I don't consume many calories and I eat up to 3x a much as most people on here. I eat all day! I'm just choosing foods high in nutrients instead of the typical diet stuff or a few crackers with an oz of cheese.

If you eat a whole plate of food for the same amount of calories in a small plate you will better off. You will get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

You are what you eat so choose wisely.

I get in all my food groups. I can't do gluten and only very little dairy. I can't eat red meat either. So for people like me it is about choosing wisely. I couldn't eat 2700 calories a day with my food restrictions, my stomach would explode.

I don't walk around feeling hungry all day. My diet is well rounded, the only difference between my diets and most others would be I don't have certain food groups and very little bad foods. Add bread to each meal and my calories would skyrocket.

Also, I'm 42. I don't need to eat as much as a person in their early 20's. And I doubt I ever ate as much as some of these people do while dieting. I don't care if anyone likes the way I eat, I'm not forcing it one anyone. But when I look at people who tell me I'm wrong and I don't know what I'm doing I often see they eat very few vegetables, lots of red meat and protein shakes every day, not to mention daily desserts. I'll stick to my way and skip all of that.

No one is going to discourage me from choosing healthy foods

For YOU, and those with limited food choices, this works! yay!

But, for ME, I have no food restrictions and can eat anything I want. So im gonna have a peanut butter and banana sammich for lunch, k! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Yes it does work for ME. lol. I'm not walking around hungry either. I don't whine about not losing weight and convince myself it's because I need more calories and then add ice cream to my snack list everyday.

Not everyone needs to add calories. I see people all the time saying (claiming) they have been at a plateau for 6 months or more. Really? So everyone on here tells them to eat more whether they are eating 1200 or 2500 calories a day, eat more is always the answer. How about eating an apple instead of apple pie. You can have a lot of apples for the same calories and it's much better for your body.

---

Most people refuse to eat anything good for them and would rather eat bars or scoops of white powder mixed with liquid. To them it's only about calories and not health. My 6 yr old grandson is a picky eater and doesn't put up near the fuss when he has to eat vegetables.

These forums really show the difference between someone wanting to be healthy vs someone just wanting to wear a certain size. Let them all struggle for another 10 years and complain about weight while still eating bad. I don't even care anymore. My health is important to me and I'm not willing to ruin it because someone else would prefer me to eat less vegetables and fruit for the sake of calories. Regardless of calories, fat is still fat and heart attacks don't pick people by calorie consumption.

I'm not sure where you keep getting the idea that EM2WL means more eating ice cream and apple pie.

It just means eat more calories, and yes, healthy ones. Again, more than BMR, less than TDEE. You can eat 2000 calories a day of healthy food and lose weight. No one said throw in snickers bar every day to get to 2000 calories and no one is demonizing fruits and vegetables...

Maybe you have a thing against protein? o_O

Before I was using MFP, I started reading stuff about how much and when to eat. At around 270, I found a target caloric goal of 1975. I also found to eat back all calories burned from exercising. I did that for a while and lost over 30 pounds. Then I got the idea of "Hey, I'm going to reduce my calories because eating less is how you lose weight, right?" Wrong! I decreased my calories to around 1500-1600. I stopped losing weight and think I even gained a few pounds back. I got discouraged and gave up and gained all the weight back.

Then I made a re-commitment and have been using MFP every day. I read the forums, read stuff online, and learn learn learn. Now I only eat my BMR which is around 1775 plus extra to compensate for my growing baby, and I change my goal according to weight loss/gain. I'm still losing weight while pregnant (I got the ok from the doctor). And I eat back all my exercise calories.

And with this, I realized why I never lost weight when my parents put on diets as a kid - I was starving myself. My dad forced the mindset on me that if you don't eat, you'll lose weight. I'd lose a couple pounds then it would completely stop. I'd get discouraged and stop. Now as an adult, once I started eating to compensate my size, the weight has been coming off consistently and the only time I've "plateaued" was before I had an HRM and was riding my bike. The online calculators were wayyyy off (by the hundreds) and I was eating back all of those calories and the weight loss stalled. I got my HRM so I would know exactly what was going out to know exactly what I needed to put in. Guess what? The weight started dropping off again.

Eating more WORKS!

Oh gods, I can remember the time my mother started putting me on diets (33yrs old and still scarred, but no longer accepting that this is just the way it is!). She wouldn't let me have any money for the tuck shop. I felt like an outcast eating so differently to other kids, and it didn't work. I have been doing 1200 calories the last 3 weeks, but my weight has stalled a bit and it isn't working for me. I have eaten over on a couple of days, and I believe it's my backlash result of feeling deprived at 1200 calories. So I'm upping, and seeing how I go. I'm a big girl, 206lbs at the minute, so 1500 calories seems ok for me, I think. Getting into the strength training at the gym tomorrow, and once kids are back at school I shall be at the gym each day. I want the healthy life style, not the fast food junk and body feeling hideous. I'm going to make the most of my calories, not perfect, but not throwing them away.
Watch me lose it! hehe