Success stories by upping calories PLEAS

I'll let you know in a few weeks!!

I've been stuck at 188-190 for a few weeks now eating around 1800 calories a day. I'm bumping that up to 2100 a day and we'll see how it goes. Just started yesterday.

Was 220 and now down to 188 in 75 days or so

I'd also like to point out I'I'm pretty sure I lost body fat during those 2 weeks and my clothes are fitting a little looser, but I didn't specifically measure my body fat

A jrompola says! I've really plateaued this month whilst eating around 1400 and netting around 1000 - 1100 calories, so I've upped my net goal to 1400 (whilst eating 1800-2000) and we'll see how it goes.

I also started yesterday and it is a scary move, but I'll give it a few weeks and if needs be I'll change back down again!

Would love to hear others' success stories

Started MFP at 1,200 calories and doing way too much cardio. Lost 20 pounds quickly then came to a screeching halt and plateaued for weeks. When I upped to 1,600 and cut back my cardio, I started losing again. After another plateau over the summer I upped to 1,800 and started strength training. The fat started melting off again.

I'm now eating 1,800-2,000 calorie per day weekdays and usually as high as 3,000 on weekends and doing P90X. My weight is staying fairly stable, but I am still losing fat. I'm 20.3% now with a goal of 18%.

Edit to add- I'm 37 yo, 5'4". The 131 lb pic is from before I started P90X. I've got much better looking arms now and my abs have firmed up.

Upped my calories to eating back all my exercise calories i.e. 1200-1300 to around 1500-1600. It's only been two weeks but I've lost 0.3 lbs but 1% BF! Btw, I'm only 5-8 pounds from where I want to be. My goal is also to put on muscle and lose body fat % because losing weight can lead to losing muscle too (happened to me a year ago). As long as you eat clean, you're body needs more calories. 1800 calories of processed low fat foods, cheeseburgers, and sugar is different than 1800 calories of fruits, veggies, and lean protein as far as fuel for your body.

As long as you eat clean, you're body needs more calories. 1800 calories of processed low fat foods, cheeseburgers, and sugar is different than 1800 calories of fruits, veggies, and lean protein as far as fuel for your body.

You got that right...feel like I don't stop eating all day

Well, I changed the way I eat (no more junk, no sugar/artificial sweeteners, no more gluten and no more dairy). I eat a lot of meat, veggies, healthy fats and fruits. I eat way more calories now than I did before. So, I'm not convinced that just eating more calories is the key, so much as eating more QUALITY calories, maybe. I lost 2.9% bodyfat in 26 days. I eat 1700-2000+ cals a day and about 65% of that is from fat. Good fat like: coconut oil, avocado, butter, grass-fed animal fats...etc.

If you're looking to increase calories and lose weight, start by eating more nutrient dense food (for example, trade cereal or toast in the morning for eggs and avocado...). Your calories will go up as a result of eating more "whole foods", but your body will react in a way that will shock you! (weight loss, muscle gain, more energy, less acne... the list goes on).

but really am not trying not to think about the numbers on the scale. I go by the tape measure and how I have to keep pulling my scrubs up, tightening the drawstring, and every weekend getting to wear another pair of jeans or a shirt I hadn't fit into for a very long time.

The scale is a crappy indicator of success anyway. Way to go on the smaller clothes!

The scale is a crappy indicator of success anyway. Way to go on the smaller clothes!

Thank you! THAT is better than the scale number dropping! Well, to ME, anyway...

Well, I changed the way I eat (no more junk, no sugar/artificial sweeteners, no more gluten and no more dairy). I eat a lot of meat, veggies, healthy fats and fruits. I eat way more calories now than I did before. So, I'm not convinced that just eating more calories is the key, so much as eating more QUALITY calories, maybe. I lost 2.9% bodyfat in 26 days. I eat 1700-2000+ cals a day and about 65% of that is from fat. Good fat like: coconut oil, avocado, butter, grass-fed animal fats...etc.

If you're looking to increase calories and lose weight, start by eating more nutrient dense food (for example, trade cereal or toast in the morning for eggs and avocado...). Your calories will go up as a result of eating more "whole foods", but your body will react in a way that will shock you! (weight loss, muscle gain, more energy, less acne... the list goes on).

Thank you so much, this makes so much sence. You look wonderful btw!

Well, I changed the way I eat (no more junk, no sugar/artificial sweeteners, no more gluten and no more dairy). I eat a lot of meat, veggies, healthy fats and fruits. I eat way more calories now than I did before. So, I'm not convinced that just eating more calories is the key, so much as eating more QUALITY calories, maybe. I lost 2.9% bodyfat in 26 days. I eat 1700-2000+ cals a day and about 65% of that is from fat. Good fat like: coconut oil, avocado, butter, grass-fed animal fats...etc.

If you're looking to increase calories and lose weight, start by eating more nutrient dense food (for example, trade cereal or toast in the morning for eggs and avocado...). Your calories will go up as a result of eating more "whole foods", but your body will react in a way that will shock you! (weight loss, muscle gain, more energy, less acne... the list goes on).

Thank you so much, this makes so much sence. You look wonderful btw!

THANK YOU!!!! :flowerforyou:

You can peek at my profile pictures. I'm down almost 60 pounds and averaging 2200 calories a day. And no, I don't burn a zillion calories in cardio. In fact, I do very little cardio. The only purposeful exercise I do on a regular basis is strength training. I do pushups, squats, and planks, for a total of about 15 minutes every other day. (And I have a desk job!)

I'm not even sure if I should reply but I have an experience in the last couple weeks with a change in my net caloric intake that I think is similar to eating more.

I hit a slowing loss trend the beginning of the year. My normal day is to eat about 1200 calories, and I would workout for about an hour. Mostly cardio, walking and Biggest Loser videos, but also some strenght training (not big weights though). I would burn on the average at least 400 calories during my workouts sometime upwards of 700. I wasn't seeing a lot of changes on the scale, some on the tape but not much. Life got real busy in the last two weeks and my workout schedule slowed down ( you wanna talk about adding anxiety to your life, try not working out after that has been your life for 8 months!) I still have been eating my 1200 calories, and on a couple days a bit more (lazy tracker) and not working out for the past week. My weight has dropped more quickly in these last two weeks than it has in the last month.

The short version of my story is that I think I wasn't eating enough for what I was doing, which is why I was stuck and losing at a much slower pace. Since my body has become accustom to the workout schedule I had, it was really needing more fuel from me. So while I didn't intentionally try to eat more to lose weight, my life circumstances took me in that direction and I got to understand a bit more about what my body needed.

My advice is to take a good look at what your BMR is, look at how active you are and decide if you need to eat more. I honestly would have never believed before I started this journey that if you were very active, you should eat more, but it is true. Your body needs it.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I always challenge the so-called "clean eaters" to peruse my diary. Clean eating is fine if you enjoy living by common-sense-defying strict rules and such. But I prefer to eat what I enjoy and watch my macros.

Same here. I'm perfectly happy with my progress that sometimes includes pizza and cheeseburgers.

Maybe I'd have a slightly flatter stomach if I gave up my bagels for breakfast. My love of bagels trumps my desire for a 6 pack.

I'm not sure how "clean eating" qualifies as common-sense-defying, but I don't think ANYONE eats "clean" 100% of the time. I would consider myself a "clean eater", but I still eat things like french fries and candy occasionally. I just choose to fuel my body with foods it can actually use rather than crap that it just literally craps out without using or that, worse yet, causes inflammation.