More information about "Eating more to lose more?"

amselby81
amselby81 Posts: 150 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Eh, I was okay with 1,500 calories a day, but now my calorie count has gone down to almost 1,300 calories per day. I only have a couple hundred left after lunch time. I admit that I eat a lot of processed foods. I'm kind of in a rut about that. It's just so easy! And sometimes it can be really hard to make it to the grocery store, so if a week's gone by w/o going shopping, my produce from the week before is either eaten or rotten.

I want to find out how "eat more, lose more" works. Is it eating more fruits and vegetables? Is it eating back the calories you burned while exercising? There has to be a system, I'm sure. Obviously just eating more doesn't help you lose weight, otherwise I wouldn't have a weight problem. So how is it done w/o eating too much?

Thank you!

Replies

  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    I admit that I eat a lot of processed foods.

    Your fat loss journey could be 99.9% more easier if you simply didn't do this...

    You can buy frozen fruit/veg which you can eat when you need it and the nutritional value is the same.
  • schicksa
    schicksa Posts: 123 Member
    Looking at your food diary from the past day or two, definitely looks like you could give yourself some more on the fruits/veggies side as opposed to processed stuff. That would help keep your calorie count lower and still keep you full. Frozen works for veggies (not sure where you're located but in the states you can get frozen veggies in single-serving packs that go in the microwave). Baby Carrots come in single serve packs and stay good a long time; so does celery, cucumbers, apples, oranges, pears, etc. You can also get frozen fruit that goes well into smoothies, just watch that it doesn't have added sugar/syrup in it.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Eh, I was okay with 1,500 calories a day, but now my calorie count has gone down to almost 1,300 calories per day. I only have a couple hundred left after lunch time. I admit that I eat a lot of processed foods. I'm kind of in a rut about that. It's just so easy! And sometimes it can be really hard to make it to the grocery store, so if a week's gone by w/o going shopping, my produce from the week before is either eaten or rotten.

    I want to find out how "eat more, lose more" works. Is it eating more fruits and vegetables? Is it eating back the calories you burned while exercising? There has to be a system, I'm sure. Obviously just eating more doesn't help you lose weight, otherwise I wouldn't have a weight problem. So how is it done w/o eating too much?

    Thank you!

    This is a good place to start:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    The "eat more to lose more" idea is explained there. There are also lots of useful threads here:

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    The whole "eat more to lose more" or eat more to weigh less as the group on MFP is named, isn't just about eating more in general, it's about eating the right amount of food/nutrition for your body. Basiclaly finding your BMR and TDEE (basal metabolic rate and total daily energy expenditure) and eating in between those two numbers.

    Typically, MFP gives most people 1200 calories when they sign up and enter their info, and os many enter that they want to lose 2lbs a week - so out comes the 1200 formula. Glad to see your number is higher, but not by much. The EM2WL crowd and the IPOARM (in place of a road map, another thread or title you may have seen here on MFP) both help with setting up numbers, not eating below your BMR (which is basically coma calories, and none of are in a coma, right?), and taking a percentage from the TDEE number to get your daily goal.

    So it's a matter of knowing your high and low numbers and eating in between them. The body is fueled and nourished, it functions properly and is happy to burn fat rather than store it due to over eating or under eating.

    More detailed info here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
    And here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    ^ yep go to the group!

    Also watch this.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi9xjIRvbY
    :flowerforyou:
  • amselby81
    amselby81 Posts: 150 Member
    Thank you so much! Whew! That one post that explains it is really long. I've booked marked it and will check it out when I have some time to sit down and read something. :) I went ahead and joined the MFP group too. And I'll watch that video later.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Also, I cook in huge batches, and freeze individual portions to eat during the week. Still just as fast (well, if you put in the time on the weekend), and none of the processed foods, and far less salt and preservatives. I'll do it with chicken (easiest frozen meal as I do it in the crockpot over night, shred, then portion and freeze), roasted veggies, and some kind of "main dish" (currently italian "chili", also have done chili, stir fry, stew, soup, etc.).
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    A lot of people believe they must drastically reduce net calories to lose fat mass - that isn't necessary. The whole premise of the idea is to eat the maximum amount of calories, below what's needed to maintain weight, of course, for steady and sustainable weight loss. This approach also happens to be less taxing on one's endocrine system and mental health.

    I need 2850 calories to maintain my weight when considering a lightly active job while lifting heavy five days a week. I can eat 2000 calories and feel miserable, tired, strain my endocrine system and run into a quick stall; or eat 2500 calories and not encounter any of those problems while still losing fat mass.
  • susiepet
    susiepet Posts: 68
    Hi

    I had a quick look at your diary - and noticed it isn't filled in regularly, so it's hard to see what you eat over a period of time. I know it's the one thing that keeps me accountable - and helps keep track that I don't eat too many processed foods.
    Hope you find the roadmap useful - I upped my cals after reading it and talking to my trainer and it's definitely helped!

    Good luck
    S
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    Eating more basically means finding the amount of calories it takes to maintain your weight and eat 500 cals (or even 250 for some) less. It means eating great quality food. It means getting rid of the scale and checking for progress infrequently (monthly is a good idea). It means incorporating some strength training (bodyweight or otherwise) to preserve muscle as much as possible. It means recognizing that your goals are to lose fat, not to only lose weight.

    Lots of great resources on MFP to learn more. It's a great way to eat and to live. It's also a great way to feel confident in maintaining the losses.
  • janetteluparia
    janetteluparia Posts: 318 Member
    I just dont see it as reality. I have been on MFp long enough to have tried 1400, 1500 and higher. It doesnt work. My TDEE is 1798 and I sat at 500 below that for 7 months and lost nothing. (Net calories). 8300 calories a week and I lost a half pound. I excercise and eat protein and no sugar and light resistance training and no starchy carbs, lots of fruits and vegetables and if I eat more than that I gain....period. I have to hit a measley 7000 calories a week to lose a pound a week. Ridiculous I thought until I thought seriously about my younger years. When I was 140 pounds and hot. I hardly ever ate. I walked and danced all the time but my life did not revolve around food. I ate to live and not the other way around. For some of us it is reality. Eat what you want but only a little.

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