Need help. Trying to up my calories

schmorla
schmorla Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

Really hoping someone can help me with this.

This time last year I started my weight loss journey and the pounds were flying off me. Due to unforeseen circumstances, getting ill etc I've put back on the weight I lost. I'm trying to lose it again but am finding it so difficult. I haven't lost anything in the last 2 months since I've started back.

I lose a lb every so often and then put it back on a few days later. I haven't got lower than 127 (currently 130).

I'm trying to up my calories in the hope that this will help but my weight loss is still plateauing. I'm also afraid of this not working and me putting on even more weight.

I wear a HRM in the gym so all my calories burned are accurate. I weigh my food before cooking it so I'm logging correctly.

How long before I can see some changes? Any advice ? I've opened up my diary.

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    The first thing I see in your diary is a light yogurt. The biggest thign I find with people with this problem is they still use low fat/low calories versions of food, but can't reach calorie goal. Start using the full flavor versions of these foods. There are tons of yogurts.
    Same with the milk you used to make your protein shake.

    Other things that can bump up calories without adding a lot of food - olive oil (on salads, cook with it, etc.), avocados, nuts and nut butters ,seeds, whole eggs.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    I agree with you regarding the light yogurt. I just actually really like the taste of that particular yogurt. Can't find a full fat coconut yogurt.

    I don't usually have any 'low-fat' products. I had a protein shake yesterday for the first time in months to up my calories but I would prefer to be eating real food.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    How tall are you? Are you working out, how often? Do you account for those calories or do you only eat 1200 or less?

    You don't have a lot to lose so the weight loss is going to be slow.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I actually agree with you regarding the light yogurt. I just actually really like the taste of that particular yogurt. Can't find a full fat coconut yogurt.
    I can understand that. But there are a few other things you use that are low fat too. Just switch out where you can.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    I'm 5'2.

    I work out 4/5 days a week.

    Usually burn about 500-700 calories a day in my workouts. They vary from Spinning to kettlebells to crossfit to weight lifting.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    How tall are you? Are you working out, how often? Do you account for those calories or do you only eat 1200 or less?

    You don't have a lot to lose so the weight loss is going to be slow.

    I've found that if I do eat my exercise calories that I don't lose weight at all.

    How I lost the weight the first time was working out 4/5 days, burning 250-350 calories and eating between 1200-1300 so I'm wary about eating them back.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I'd bet money at your weight and activity level your metabolism has now slowed down to adjust for the lack of calories you have been feeding it.

    Based on your stats, your BMR is closer to 1400 than 1200..this is the very FEWEST calories you should ever eat if you were laying in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. Your TDEE is your total number of calories that you will use for your daily activities including any exercise that you choose to do -based on what you said yours is around 2100. Most people who have been successful in losing weight here and most importantly KEEPING IT OFF will tell you that eating at 10% below your TDEE is what will work if you have less than 20 lbs to lose and not just eating 1200 or whatever MFP tells you. You should aim for .5 lb/ week loss and up your calories.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    How tall are you? Are you working out, how often? Do you account for those calories or do you only eat 1200 or less?

    You don't have a lot to lose so the weight loss is going to be slow.

    I've found that if I do eat my exercise calories that I don't lose weight at all.

    How I lost the weight the first time was working out 4/5 days, burning 250-350 calories and eating between 1200-1300 so I'm wary about eating them back.

    Depending on your age, you approximately BMR is around 1200-1300. That is what your body needs to survive, if you did nothing all day. And that's all your are eating, sometimes less. Factor in what your body uses everyday just moving around, then on top of that you are burning 500-700 calories most days on top of that, leaving your body little to nothing to survive on.

    I'm not saying you have to eat all your exercise calories back, but you should be eating more. There are tons of threads on "eat more, weigh less". I suggest checking them out.

    Good luck.

    ETA - also, with a smaller weight loss goal, your goal should be .5 lbs a week. 1lb max.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    I'd bet money at your weight and activity level your metabolism has now slowed down to adjust for the lack of calories you have been feeding it.

    Based on your stats, your BMR is closer to 1400 than 1200..this is the very FEWEST calories you should ever eat if you were laying in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. Your TDEE is your total number of calories that you will use for your daily activities including any exercise that you choose to do -based on what you said yours is around 2100. Most people who have been successful in losing weight here and most importantly KEEPING IT OFF will tell you that eating at 10% below your TDEE is what will work if you have less than 20 lbs to lose and not just eating 1200 or whatever MFP tells you. You should aim for .5 lb/ week loss and up your calories.

    I was attempting to up my calories from yesterday onwards. Today I won't be going to the gym (absolutely in bits from a crossfit workout from yesterday). So you reckon I should be eating 1400 while not training?
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    Yeh see I think one of my problems is the fact that last year I was the same starting weight and the weight had no problem coming off whereas now I'm finding it really really difficult to even shed .5lb.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I'd bet money at your weight and activity level your metabolism has now slowed down to adjust for the lack of calories you have been feeding it.

    Based on your stats, your BMR is closer to 1400 than 1200..this is the very FEWEST calories you should ever eat if you were laying in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. Your TDEE is your total number of calories that you will use for your daily activities including any exercise that you choose to do -based on what you said yours is around 2100. Most people who have been successful in losing weight here and most importantly KEEPING IT OFF will tell you that eating at 10% below your TDEE is what will work if you have less than 20 lbs to lose and not just eating 1200 or whatever MFP tells you. You should aim for .5 lb/ week loss and up your calories.

    I was attempting to up my calories from yesterday onwards. Today I won't be going to the gym (absolutely in bits from a crossfit workout from yesterday). So you reckon I should be eating 1400 while not training?

    That depends.
    I don't know your exact numbers.
    If you follow MFP, I would go through the set up, choose .5lbs a week and follow that. In that case you "eat back" part or all of your exercise calories (it depends on how accurate you feel they are). So on days you don't work out, you don't eat extra.

    or

    You can figure out your BMR and TDEE, then create a deficit from that. You eat that number everyday, whether you go to the gym or not.

    I usually find they end up pretty much in the same place.

    This is a really great explanation of option 2 and explains why it is so important to eat enough.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    If that is a current picture you look fabulous! You need to stop focusing on the number on the scale and start thinking about body recomposition if you want to see a change. Upping your calories is the first step. Eat bigger portions, full fat foods, avoid anything that says 'light'. Peanut butter, olive oil, nuts and avocados are calorie heavy, add those to your diet. Swap out two days off cardio and lift weights and strength train instead. And once again stop obsessing about a few pounds and start feeling good about yourself and your level of fitness!!!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I'd bet money at your weight and activity level your metabolism has now slowed down to adjust for the lack of calories you have been feeding it.

    Based on your stats, your BMR is closer to 1400 than 1200..this is the very FEWEST calories you should ever eat if you were laying in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. Your TDEE is your total number of calories that you will use for your daily activities including any exercise that you choose to do -based on what you said yours is around 2100. Most people who have been successful in losing weight here and most importantly KEEPING IT OFF will tell you that eating at 10% below your TDEE is what will work if you have less than 20 lbs to lose and not just eating 1200 or whatever MFP tells you. You should aim for .5 lb/ week loss and up your calories.

    I was attempting to up my calories from yesterday onwards. Today I won't be going to the gym (absolutely in bits from a crossfit workout from yesterday). So you reckon I should be eating 1400 while not training?

    1400 is closer than 1200 but if you work out you should eat back some of your exercise too. If you've been netting less than 1200 for a while you will likely see a gain unless you go up slowly over a month or so but even if you do gain a little it will come off eventually (don't panic if it takes a month though) You have very little to lose so it tends to be a lot tougher to get rid of it. try to add an extra 'snack' in your day - something dense..some nuts, peanut butter, granola.. not a lot of food for a good chunk of calories and you shouldn't feel 'stuffed'.

    I'm no expert, just going by what I have seen people say who have been where you are :) Good luck.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    If that is a current picture you look fabulous! You need to stop focusing on the number on the scale and start thinking about body recomposition if you want to see a change. Upping your calories is the first step. Eat bigger portions, full fat foods, avoid anything that says 'light'. Peanut butter, olive oil, nuts and avocados are calorie heavy, add those to your diet. Swap out two days off cardio and lift weights and strength train instead. And once again stop obsessing about a few pounds and start feeling good about yourself and your level of fitness!!!

    I do more strength training than cardio. (But it's not muscle that's weighin me down - I take measurements on my waist, tummy, hips etc and they aren't changing)

    I'll use that link above and work out my TDEE
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    It's always the same story, seriously, you could look through thread after thread on here of people saying 'I can't lose weight' and they are always eating 1200 cals or less, not eating back their exercise cals, etc. Not criticising you, just trying to get you to understand.

    I had the same situation as you recently, I was netting about 1600 cals after exercise, lost weight in the beginning and then it came to a halt. When I found out my BMR was over 1900 and the recommended 20% below my TDEE put me at over 2100 cals a day, I never thought I would lose weight eating that much. But I am, and I'm much happier for the extra!
  • amanda_gent
    amanda_gent Posts: 174 Member
    Check out the Eat More To Weigh Less group here on MFP (they also have their own new separate forum).

    My metabolism slowed down like crazy when I did a VLCD (netting less than 1200 every day and exercising like a nut) for only three months earlier this year. It happens and it can happen fast! Now I'm eating almost 2000 every day and maintaining and I'm 5'3" 118 lbs and 47 years old!
  • mulderpf
    mulderpf Posts: 209 Member
    Looking through your diary, most days end up in the 1000 to 1200 calorie range. How long have you been doing this for? You may need to look at getting your metabolism to fire up rather than forcing it to slow down. Also, do you take measurements and do you track body fat? It may very well be that you don't have that much fat to lose and by cutting your calories so aggressively, you are causing negative changes in your metabolism.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I agree with you regarding the light yogurt. I just actually really like the taste of that particular yogurt. Can't find a full fat coconut yogurt.

    I don't usually have any 'low-fat' products. I had a protein shake yesterday for the first time in months to up my calories but I would prefer to be eating real food.

    Liberte coconut yogurt.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
    Your not eating enough is why your not losing. Your burning a lot of calories and only eating around 1200. You need to eat at least half of those exercise calories back.
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    I agree with you regarding the light yogurt. I just actually really like the taste of that particular yogurt. Can't find a full fat coconut yogurt.

    I don't usually have any 'low-fat' products. I had a protein shake yesterday for the first time in months to up my calories but I would prefer to be eating real food.

    Liberte coconut yogurt.

    Coconut yogurt is the best :)
    Looking through your diary, most days end up in the 1000 to 1200 calorie range. How long have you been doing this for? You may need to look at getting your metabolism to fire up rather than forcing it to slow down. Also, do you take measurements and do you track body fat? It may very well be that you don't have that much fat to lose and by cutting your calories so aggressively, you are causing negative changes in your metabolism.

    I do take measurements yes. Haven't changed. The scales I have measures bf% and this has gone up.

    Been doing this for the last 2 months or so.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
    What I would suggest is up your calories by 100 more a day and eat half of your exercise calories back. It may take a week or two but you should see results. I started out at 1000 calories a day and I am now up to 1700 calories a day and I have reached my goal weight. I took baby steps by only increasing my calories by 100 more a day and stayed at the level for at least two weeks and each time I increase my calories I lost weight. I am trying to maintain but I have a feeling I will be upping my calories again in the near future. Just take baby steps and have patience and you will see results
  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    Thanks for all the replies guys :)

    I'll update this thread in a few weeks time letting you know how I get on.

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