finally realizing I need to eat more to weight less.

prettymomma16
prettymomma16 Posts: 92
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel so silly at this point. I started MFP on Nov 1st. I put in my weight and height (5'3 215 pounds, desk job)and it calculated me at 1200 calories. I am the first to admit that I am not very knowledgeable on weight loss and how the body works, and I really should have done my research before starting. So 3 weeks go by and I lost 13 pounds on 1200 calories. I was thrilled. You can guess what happened next.. I have been completely stalled out the last couple of weeks. Tears of frustration have been steaming down my face every night because of it.I have been so hungry, grump and tired. My poor husband went as far as asking me" are you pregnant" because of how moody I have been. I want this to be a lifestyle change and 1200 calories just isn't realistic for me.

So this is where I have come to all of you knowledgeable people for help... I am just not sure what to do.

my BMR is1653 calories. and my Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure Is: 1983 (not based on exercise days) Where should I place my calorie intake at? Does it need to be more gradual? Any experiences with someone who has gone from 1200 calories to a higher calorie level and lost weight? I can sure use all the motivation and information I can get!

Thanks!!!!

Replies

  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I was on 1200 for a long while till I was told it wasn't enough by my doctor so I changed to eating 15% below my TDEE and lost just the same without any problem. You could be eating 1685 on days you don't exercise and more on days you do so eat up and enjoy losing weight the healthier way!
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    Do you have your MFP goal set to lose weight? What does MFP suggest? I'm maintaining (I lost way before Internet or MFP back in the olden days lol) but I have my job set to light activity (I drive a school bus, including sweeping and fueling it and steering the damn thing) and rarely sit down (besides driving the bus and eating) till evening and I log my workouts so I've been pretty much sticking with MFP's goals and so far it hasn't steered me wrong.
  • LadyRhodes01
    LadyRhodes01 Posts: 88 Member
    I started at 1200 as well, but I was still always hungry and cranky. In order for me to eat what I needed and wanted to eat 1200 wasn't enough. I increased to 1350 then up again. Once I started increasing, I started losing more and easier and my moods improved tremendously. I increased gradually to give my body time to adjust. I didn't want to suddenly go from 1200 to 1800 all in a day out of fear of gaining weight. You could even try adding 100 every week or biweekly, whatever works for you. Congrats on your weight loss thus far! That's still a huge accomplishment!
  • poeco76
    poeco76 Posts: 139 Member
    I jumped from about 1400 to about 1900 a day pretty much overnight with no adverse affects. I think everyone is different though, so be patient. I'm currently experiencing a two month (& counting) plateau. I think sometimes our bodies just need a break. You may need to experiment a bit now and as you continue your journey.
  • prettymomma16
    prettymomma16 Posts: 92
    Thanks everyone! I tried to go from 1200 to 1800 calories today.. I am sure I will see some weight on the scale because of it. I just want to be sure, do you think 1800 is where I should be based on my numbers? as you lose weight your BMR changes and you readjust, correct?
  • orangelobster
    orangelobster Posts: 151
    t.I have been so hungry, grump and tired.

    The word you are looking for is "hangry" (a port-monteau of hungry and angry)

    It seems to fit for me. I am nearing my goal so I've changed my expectations to 1/2 pound a week (and upped my exercise slightly).

    I made great strides at the beginning (I was at 1500 or something) but then my losses have stalled for about the last 2 weeks (as well as being incredibly "hangry"). I've upped it a bit hoping that it will help.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Thanks everyone! I tried to go from 1200 to 1800 calories today.. I am sure I will see some weight on the scale because of it. I just want to be sure, do you think 1800 is where I should be based on my numbers? as you lose weight your BMR changes and you readjust, correct?

    I jumped up from 1200 to between 1500 and 1900 overnight depending on my exercise each day and my weight didn't go up at all. Not sure how your body will react though. Work out your TDEE INCLUDING exercise then deduct 15% to know if 1800 is suitable for you or not.
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    Don't feel silly, I was right there with you - started MFP in May and took off with 1200 cals! Works great at first... :grumble:

    But the boards are really great and people are so helpful! I bumped up right away to 1450 for a few weeks now I'm at 1650, still eating at a deficit, and added weight lifting. And still losing weight, it's a bit slower, but I'm very happy with the results.

    1800 that you calculated is with "sedentary" or "light exercise"? Because as I understand, you won't eat back calories if you added the exercise component in.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    welcome to the dark side.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Thanks everyone! I tried to go from 1200 to 1800 calories today.. I am sure I will see some weight on the scale because of it. I just want to be sure, do you think 1800 is where I should be based on my numbers? as you lose weight your BMR changes and you readjust, correct?

    Congrats on your revelation! The more I've eaten the more I've lost, basically. 1800 might be a bit high. A 15% cut from your TDEE would be about 1680, so why not try around there for a little while, and try it consistently through until February 1st and then evaluate.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Thanks everyone! I tried to go from 1200 to 1800 calories today.. I am sure I will see some weight on the scale because of it. I just want to be sure, do you think 1800 is where I should be based on my numbers? as you lose weight your BMR changes and you readjust, correct?

    Congrats on your revelation! The more I've eaten the more I've lost, basically. 1800 might be a bit high. A 15% cut from your TDEE would be about 1680, so why not try around there for a little while, and try it consistently through until February 1st and then evaluate.

    But she said that the TDEE was without exercise~!
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Stay at or above BMR. And yes, you are right that it will change as your weight changes (or if other things like your activity level change.) If you weren't exercising, 1,800 would probably be too high to lose much. For a pound a week, you need to eat roughly 500 calories a day below your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure including exercise). You can even out the exercise calories over the whole week, if you want. Sometimes only 1/2 pound per week is realistic and sustainable. I like the MFP guidelines based on the goals I entered, and that works for me, but others have suggested good techniques (like 15% under TDEE) that work too.

    I've collected a bunch of the posts that I thought had good advice at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/how-to-use-myfitnesspal-427993

    Good luck! And congratulations on your success so far!
  • floopysandi
    floopysandi Posts: 138 Member
    The video FAQs for the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group can be found here:
    http://www.youtube.com/user/EatMore2WeighLess?feature=mhee

    Helps make sense of what to do when you are starting out.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    But she said that the TDEE was without exercise~!

    Oh! So that's actually her PDEE, with P standing for partial.
  • prettymomma16
    prettymomma16 Posts: 92
    I think it's safe to say I need help. I didn't calculate my work outs because I just do them when I can. I do work from home on a computer and then take care of an 18 month old. I sit, but I get up and down LOTS with her lol. I would say I only make it to the elliptical 2 x a week but that is because she still doesn't sleep through the night and I am exhausted from regular daily activities most days (hoping that changes soon) So do I just subtract 20% from my 1982 to get what I should be eating? I was thinking of aiming for around 1700 cals a day.

    Thanks for all your help!!
    I am happy I can eat more lol.. I wish everyone knew this when they first started!!
    It's day 2 of eating more than 1200 calories and already I have seen the scale go down slightly, so maybe I will be lucky and see no gain from upping cals! here is hoping :) feeling much more motivated now!! (and less cranky lol)
  • TheRealMrsRobinson
    TheRealMrsRobinson Posts: 10
    I've decided to jump on the eat-more-and-lose-weight bandwagon. I feel like I've tried everything during my years of gaining/losing/maintaining my weight -- Atkins, WW, HCG, low-calorie, natural weightloss supplements, and even prescription diet pills years ago -- nothing seems to work for any length of time for me. About a year ago, I lost 29 lbs. using HCG injections. Since that time, my weight has bounced around between 143-156 and I had been eating low carb the whole time in my attempt to maintain. I got down to a personal low of 142 two months ago prior to my wedding, but I've struggled again since then and my weight has skyrocketed -- I need to get control of things before it gets any worse. I gain pounds at a time within just a couple of days, even when I don't feel like I've eaten all that much! I started using MFP about two weeks ago and I like the convenience of it...when my daily calories are gone, I'm done eating...fairly simple, right? Well, not necessarily, because, although I've dropped a few pounds and I'm not hungry throughout the day (actually, I'm enjoying the variety of foods I can eat after going for a year of eating low carb!), I'm really just bouncing around with what seems to be gaining and losing water weight. I originally decided to follow what MFP recommended and only eat 1200 calories per day. However, I've been reading a lot on these forums and I think that it makes sense to up my caloric intake a little bit, because maybe 1200 calories is too low.

    My stats are as follows: 5'7", 153 today, 44 years old, BMR = 1419.95, TDEE = 1819, BMI = 23.6. I've decided to up my caloric intake per day to 1400 and to see how it goes. Yesterday was my first day of 1400 calories and I woke up today having gained two pounds since yesterday...yikes! I know that I need to spend more time doing this before I see some real results, but is there anything you can suggest that I might be missing?

    Take care...
    C
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i would try NET 1600 for 3-4 weeks and see how you go. i was losing on that and i am smaller than you OP.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    Do you have your MFP goal set to lose weight? What does MFP suggest? I'm maintaining (I lost way before Internet or MFP back in the olden days lol) but I have my job set to light activity (I drive a school bus, including sweeping and fueling it and steering the damn thing) and rarely sit down (besides driving the bus and eating) till evening and I log my workouts so I've been pretty much sticking with MFP's goals and so far it hasn't steered me wrong.

    I do the same thing and I put myself at sedentary but reading how you describe maybe I am lightly active...LOL...
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I'm at 1360. If I eat back my exercise calories I'm typically fine (not super hungry or grumpy). Taking a 1/2 hr walk at a normal pace should give you an extra 200 or so calories. A nice cardio workout should give you about 500-600 extra. Use a heart rate monitor to determine how many calories you are burning.
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    Yesterday was my first day of 1400 calories and I woke up today having gained two pounds since yesterday...yikes! I know that I need to spend more time doing this before I see some real results, but is there anything you can suggest that I might be missing?

    Give it more time. You cannot gain two pounds of fat in a day on 1400 calories. That's just water and normal fluctuation. - I can vary from 160-167 depending on the time of day, but it centers around 161.
  • nturner612
    nturner612 Posts: 710 Member
    im at 1200 cals as well and have been doing this for almost 3 months (i must admit the first few weeks i was over my cals because i was gettin used to all this) and the first 8lbs came off pretty quick...and then i started to drag...i took a "closer" look at what i was eating...and guess what...i was still cheating! i wasnt loggin in everything i ate and once i stopped cheating, im losing again. i do cardio and lift weigths as well. i will continue to stick to my 1200 for now....well see what later brings.! good luck!!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    I went from 1200 cals a day and getting stuck ..I upped them to 1530 ( maintenance according to MFP) I eat back some of my exercise cals and I'm losing again..I'm 5 ft 0 and 106 lbs..so if I lose again this week I shall up them a bit more
  • prettymomma16
    prettymomma16 Posts: 92
    Well I am happy to report that after several days of upping to between 1600-1700 the scale has started to move again in the right direction, yay!! I feel less grumpy too! I understand if you are 5'3 and 100 pounds that 1200 might be enough for you but I weight 205 and even though I have a desk job at home, I also chase around an 18 month old and do daily house hold chores. So putting "sedentary" wasn't entirely accurate for me. So happy I finally decided to give this a try! And for the people who gained a little while upping cals, not to worry, it's probably just water weight and everyone is different. Give it time :)
  • prettymomma16
    prettymomma16 Posts: 92
    Don't feel silly, I was right there with you - started MFP in May and took off with 1200 cals! Works great at first... :grumble:

    But the boards are really great and people are so helpful! I bumped up right away to 1450 for a few weeks now I'm at 1650, still eating at a deficit, and added weight lifting. And still losing weight, it's a bit slower, but I'm very happy with the results.

    1800 that you calculated is with "sedentary" or "light exercise"? Because as I understand, you won't eat back calories if you added the exercise component in.

    Yeah I put sedentary because I do have an at home desk job however I do chase around a toddler and perform house hold tasks. So lightly active is what I should have put lol.. I only get on the elliptical 2-3 times a week and 20 minutes at a time. I do have an ASD (hole in my heart) which makes exercise slightly more difficult, but I am getting that repaired soon so hoping I can then get gym membership :) I lost some weight after upping my cals after 3 weeks at a stand still..woo hoo :)

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