My story on adding more calories and seeing results

LupitaWins12
LupitaWins12 Posts: 92
in Health and Weight Loss
Thank you so much for reading this and I so appreciate your feedback. Ok, so last year it was very dificult for me to eat at 1300 calories...that was when I was really informed of how this whole thing worked. With eating only 1300 calories, in a way that lead me to binge eating almost every weekend..! It got pretty bad, I wasn't really loosing and more like maintaining...And now I told myself this is a lifestyle and if I can lose 1 pound per week, that's awesome. I started at 230 pounds, and now i'm back to 165...my goal is to be around 145-150, I'm 5'8. Okay so what I'm doing new is eating more, yes, a lot more. Now I eat between 1800-2200 calories per day with exercise 4-6 times per week. I'm now loosing 1 pound per week and I am so happy b/c now it's a lifestyle and I know I will reach my goal weight in time. :-) Just wanted to share that and to tell you that it's true...slow weight loss is better, that way you don't feel pressured to eat less and even though it will be at a slower pace, it will be definite. <3 We got this, lets rock 2013!!!


What about you guys..? Have you had something similar happened? Are you satisfy with your daily calorie requierments?
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Replies

  • LupitaWins12
    LupitaWins12 Posts: 92
    bump.. :-)
  • TracyJeffers
    TracyJeffers Posts: 2 Member
    This is really awesome b/c I got on here and it stuck me at 1200 calories per day. I'm starting at 224 lbs and its sooooo hard to stay under 1200 calories. Then I run over and then feel bad and give up. I've been reading all over the message boards that you need more like 15-1800 calories to sustain yourself in a healthy way, so I upped my calorie goal to 1500 to start off with and that's a much more attainable goal. Thanks for the advice :)
  • LupitaWins12
    LupitaWins12 Posts: 92
    This is really awesome b/c I got on here and it stuck me at 1200 calories per day. I'm starting at 224 lbs and its sooooo hard to stay under 1200 calories. Then I run over and then feel bad and give up. I've been reading all over the message boards that you need more like 15-1800 calories to sustain yourself in a healthy way, so I upped my calorie goal to 1500 to start off with and that's a much more attainable goal. Thanks for the advice :)

    Yay, good for you!! I know you can do it and you will..day by day, you got this! <3
  • EvaD12
    EvaD12 Posts: 49
    This is great!

    I've just started at around 1800-2000 instead of 1400 and so far I'm still the same weight but it's only been a week so I'll stick with it and see how it goes.
  • glitteredgrave
    glitteredgrave Posts: 194 Member
    I went from 1200 to 1700 and am losing much faster now :)
  • ladycoy
    ladycoy Posts: 41 Member
    Same for me, i actually put weight on with the 1200 recommended limit andwas so dissapointed, am increasing to 1500 to if that helps,
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...
  • Meg_Rothermel
    Meg_Rothermel Posts: 2 Member
    THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS FOR ME!!!

    I keep getting disappointed also because I either keep going over my limit (1200), or it discourages me from eating period and tells me I'm in starvation mode.

    I'm going to give this a try and change mine to 1500.

    Crossing my fingers!
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.

    ah okay. So rather than it be 1370 - but-changes- daily - depending - on - excercise i'm best to just whack it at 1800 and ignore what i burn?
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    at 1200 i lost 5 gaiend 5 lost 5 gained 5...you get it. So I was up 5 and increased to 1400 and lost 6 and kept it off but I am not lsoing anymore than that so far. It is aggrivating but I am trying to have patience. I work out 30 mins a day or more (mostly cardio and free weights/body resistance) but i want to get a gym membership once money is less tight in the next couple months. I hope to lsoe more then. Blah! I have been the same for almost 2 weeks!
  • LupitaWins12
    LupitaWins12 Posts: 92
    Don't give up...you can do it!!
  • brit_ks_89
    brit_ks_89 Posts: 433 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.


    RIGHT!!!!
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.


    RIGHT!!!!

    so I do this...


    So rather than it be 1370 - but-changes- daily - depending - on - excercise i'm best to just whack it at 1800 and ignore what i burn?

    ?

    Thanks, there are some lovely helpful people in this thread. I got totally put off even considering TDEE/BMR the other day but you guys are awesome.
  • RockaholicMama
    RockaholicMama Posts: 786 Member
    I was eating from 1200-1500 daily, working out 6x a week and have been stuck in a plateau since Nov 27. I recently upped my cals to 1800 a day and I'll see where that gets me. I'm weighing after my TOM ends, so we'll see :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Congratulations on your success so far and good luck with the rest - you definitely seem to be going about it the right way.
  • james1299
    james1299 Posts: 19 Member
    It's impossible to gain weight if you're eating below maintenance, also impossible to maintain your current weight.
    The energy difference for your daily needs will come directly from your fat stores, there are no two ways about it.
    The bigger the deficit, the faster it will come off.

    You can keep your energy up with some smart snack planning.
    So many people are afraid to eat fruit these days because of the sugar, fructose has an excellent GI rating
  • stefosaurusrawrrrr
    stefosaurusrawrrrr Posts: 44
    I wish I could add more calories :( psychologically something stops me, I always net around 1,200 despite wishing I could increase to ~1,500. It's like I default to restricting my intake to as low as healthily possible (I am 5'1" and ~102 lbs). Did anybody experience this, or have advice to overcome this? Intellectually I know that eating more will be good for me, but psychologically I'm finding it hard to do this.

    And before anybody asks, yes, I have a diagnosed eating disorder but have been in recovery for about 2 years now.

    It's not that I'm terrified of gaining weight, it's more..the numbers...the food itself, I don't know. I know that I won't gain weight even though I've probably screwed my metabolism from years of disordered eating.
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.

    ah okay. So rather than it be 1370 - but-changes- daily - depending - on - excercise i'm best to just whack it at 1800 and ignore what i burn?

    Yes, it is slower, but it does work out to be a deficit for the week as a whole.
  • Jojan_neke
    Jojan_neke Posts: 44 Member
    I wish I could add more calories :( psychologically something stops me, I always net around 1,200 despite wishing I could increase to ~1,500. It's like I default to restricting my intake to as low as healthily possible (I am 5'1" and ~102 lbs). Did anybody experience this, or have advice to overcome this? Intellectually I know that eating more will be good for me, but psychologically I'm finding it hard to do this.

    And before anybody asks, yes, I have a diagnosed eating disorder but have been in recovery for about 2 years now.

    It's not that I'm terrified of gaining weight, it's more..the numbers...the food itself, I don't know. I know that I won't gain weight even though I've probably screwed my metabolism from years of disordered eating.

    I kind of have the same problem. I have been treated for a short while for an eating disorder. It was not full blown anorexia or something, but I seem to love to control the things around me.
    When I do not watch my food I am ok (and eat very unhealthy), but the moment I decide to watch my eating habbits I get obsessed! Now I can't seem to eat enough. Daily I am around 600 - 900 calories. If I exercise I try to eat some more, but it happens a lot that I have a 1000 calories left to eat that day. I am affraid that I will not lose weight anymore because my body will go into starvation mode, but at the same time I get anxious seeing calories adding up.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    When I started I followed MFP and their 1300 calorie goal.. I was 254lb and starving! Gained some knowledge and upped my calories to 1900 and have been around 1800 since then.. I did have a few horrible months when I stupidly changed my goal to 1600 and stalled. I am finally getting back to where I was before.
  • LupitaWins12
    LupitaWins12 Posts: 92
    When I started I followed MFP and their 1300 calorie goal.. I was 254lb and starving! Gained some knowledge and upped my calories to 1900 and have been around 1800 since then.. I did have a few horrible months when I stupidly changed my goal to 1600 and stalled. I am finally getting back to where I was before.


    good job, u got this!!!!
  • SmileyFaceGuy
    SmileyFaceGuy Posts: 201
    I upped my calories to 1850 for almost a month and didn't lose anything, despite my Katch-McArdle BMR supposedly being 1813. I'm going back to very slowly losing at 1550 I guess. Perhaps I'll get a RMR test to see what the problem might be because this is getting depressing.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    okay, upped my calories for the last couple days... feels like i'm constantly eating lol. hopefully it works
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    Not exactly. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.

    This^

    Also a lot of people don't choose a weekly goal rate that matches how much they have to lose. The more aggressive goal of 2lbs/wk is more suited to those with a lot to lose.

    _____
    There are also 2 ways to set up your exercise rate. You can either set the activity rate to match your daily life and then add in the exercise and eat the calories back OR you can set the activity rate a little higher to INCLUDE what you will do for exercise for the week. People who have committed routines often go the latter route. I do it the first way but now that I am more consistent, I may eventually change it. It is pretty much the same thing.

    MFP can be a bit off on the exercise calories so if I'm not wearing an HRM, I just change it to reflect about 75-80% of the value that MFP tells me to be on the safe side.
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    okay, upped my calories for the last couple days... feels like i'm constantly eating lol. hopefully it works

    Remember to give it at least a month before you adjust.
  • lmatney12
    lmatney12 Posts: 3 Member
    The problem with the MPF calculation is that is assumes your body is a certain % fat and muscle and calculates the calories from that. The more muscle you carry the more calories your body burns just by sitting around (BMR). If you go below the BMR on a consistent basis your body goes into survival mode/ starvation mode and holds onto any calories you eat, because, for lack of better words your cells are afraid they won't get fed again. My BMR when I first started this, as read in a Bod Pod was 1475, I lost no weight and gained 2.5% muscle and my BMR increased to 1554. I shoot for 1600 calories a day.

    I hope this helps. I'm not an expert in exercise physiology, but I like to think I understand this a little. :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    With exercise calories, I eat around 2000-2300 per day to lose.
    There is no need to eat at 1200-1300 in most cases to lose weight and in fact, it can prove detrimental.
    If you can lose with more food, why not do that? Unless you are a glutton for punishment or feel some sense of power from seeing the low number.
    It does and will lower your bmr if you consistently eat too little as your body will adapt to it, and that will be a real bummer once you decide you want to maintain.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    okay, upped my calories for the last couple days... feels like i'm constantly eating lol. hopefully it works

    Remember to give it at least a month before you adjust.

    i've lost 6 kg in 5 weeks the other way so this makes me a bit nervous...
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    so basically what MFP tells you is wrong? I worked out the TDEE/BMR thing tonight and my BMR is about 1800 but MFP told me 1370...

    well put it this way. I entered my data for MFP, selected the option to maintain my weight, and it told me to eat 1500 cals/day

    I actually maintain on more like 1800-1900 calories a day, and I lose weight on 1500 cals/day (based on real world results)

    There are different ways to calculate calorie needs, the Katch McArdle calculator predicts that I'd maintain my weight on 1870 calories a day, which is much closer to my real world results than the calculator that MFP uses - although as someone mentioned MFP expects you to log exercise then eat back exercise calories, so I can't really say that their calculator is wrong, just that basing my calorie goals on Katch McArdle (which includes exercise calories) plus not eating back exercise calories works best for me. (i.e. TDEE +/- 15% depending if I'm bulking or cutting)

    Also the MFP calculator will ask you how much weight you want to lose each week and will give you a number based on that answer so long as it's not less than 1200 cals/day, regardless of whether it's less than your BMR and regardless of whether this is a sustainble level of fat loss.

    If your BMR is 1800 cals/day you definitely want to be eating more than 1300 calories. So long as you stay under your TDEE number, you'll still lose weight.

    How much to subtract from your TDEE: for the last few lbs when you're already lean, 10-15%; for most people 20%; for the very obese 30%. This is because the more fat you have to lose, the less risk there is of losing lean tissue and slowing your metabolism, so the more you have to lose the bigger the deficit can be. If you're already fairly lean then you have to be very conservative about it.

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