Eating more to weigh less????

I saw a video of this on YouTube n it made some sense to . The idea was to eat more calories than ur bmi but less then ur energy expenditure so ur body doesn't store as much fat thinking it's starving . I do cardio n strength training so tht would put me at 1400. It sounds logical to me. Has anyone else heard of this, or did this before. The reasoning to this idea is still fuzzy to me
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Replies

  • missjeevious
    missjeevious Posts: 83 Member
    yes, there is a whole board here devoted to the topic. It's not nearly as magical as it sounds at first, as you said you just undercut your calories burned in a day by a tiny amount and get on a slow boat to weight loss- a happy, energetic, well-fed boat. I'm currently doing this in conjuction with heavy weights- loving the results. Only weighing myself once a month. You should check out the board for eat more to weigh less!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Glance around here. That phrase is used often. There's a group here by that name that you could search for and join. There's also a number of people who make wonderfully helpful threads about TDEE and BMR and explain how much to eat.

    Here's one such thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    Awesome!!!
  • Yes. This works for me. Three pounds in a week. Use this site as a tool, but really also as a guide. I listen to my body. Teaches me where I overeat and what aspect of nutrition I am not paying enough attention to.
  • simplythebaz
    simplythebaz Posts: 33 Member
    I've been on a plateau for 3 weeks eating 1480 calories a week (based on MFP) and running 2 or 3 times a week (lost 4.25 stone in 6 months following this, so it had been successful). Started Insanity last week, upped my calories to 2000 a day based on their formula, have lost 1.75 pounds this week (an an inch off waist and well, and half an inch of thighs). So yes, eat more, do more intense exercise, it's all gravy...
  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
    Tis true! Not loosing much on the scale but I'm definitely loosing inches!!! Pants fit looser. :D

    I do intense workouts 3 - 5 times a week and I lift heavy. I eat about 1600 on non-workout days and up to 2100 on days I do.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
    This is a subject of hot debate. I am venturing that way to see if it will work for me, although it never has in the past. But nonetheless, I am giving it another chance.
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  • HotrodsGirl0107
    HotrodsGirl0107 Posts: 243 Member
    It worked for me!! Down over 125lbs and maintaining on over 2000 a day. I was able to lose weight on a smaller deficit which means the number on the scale went down slowly but I lost tons of inches and I am leaner and less flabby. The first time I was 150lbs via starvation diet (less than 1000 cals a day) I was a size 10 with a 29in waist 30% fat. This time I weigh 147lbs and I am a size 6 with a 25 inch waist just under 20% fat. The biggest difference has been the differences in body composition between the two.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    I'm a firm believer in the Eat Less, Move More way to lose weight, but whatever works for you...is a good thing.
    so was I and it truly worked in the beginning but hit a plateau . I found I've had to double my workout n my body wasn't Changing anymore. I moved even more and ate less but little to no results. I have a feeling this might work for me though. I'll find out if I get off this plateau
  • ctinawilson
    ctinawilson Posts: 127 Member
    Glance around here. That phrase is used often. There's a group here by that name that you could search for and join. There's also a number of people who make wonderfully helpful threads about TDEE and BMR and explain how much to eat.

    Here's one such thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    This!!! Enjoy!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    The 'eat more' part of the concept is eating more than the fairly standard 1200 calories that most of us end up with as a goal when we sign up for MFP. :tongue: We ended up here because we generally have no problem eating more, more than we should on a daily basis, and in my case, more ice cream, more potato chips, more junk food than I should have. :tongue:

    I lost a little doing the 1200 plan, upped it a bit along the way because I was so hungry, and eventually found the EM2WL crowd, as Dan's In Place Of A Road Map thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    The best success I've had has been over the past year, when I upped my cals to 1800 according to the road map. Fat and inches started coming off, weight finally dropped. I'm now eating 1950 a day since hitting goal weight, but still working to lose a bit more fat (it's still coming off!), and loving that this a way I can eat for the rest of my life.

    And yes, moving more - weights and reasonable cardio, along with good rest, is part of the equation as well. :smile:
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Yup-yup-yuppity-yup-yup. Eating around 2150-2200 average per day and still losing slowly.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    I'm a firm believer in the Eat Less, Move More way to lose weight, but whatever works for you...is a good thing.
    so was I and it truly worked in the beginning but hit a plateau . I found I've had to double my workout n my body wasn't Changing anymore. I moved even more and ate less but little to no results. I have a feeling this might work for me though. I'll find out if I get off this plateau

    Same here. I did the 1200 cals daily + exercise a couple years ago and plateaued at something like 164 or so for months, got frustrated and gave up. (Didn't know a thing about BMR or TDEE at that point.) Came back last summer and really didn't care enough to stick with it (my bad...thought I could do it on my own.) After the first of the year, weighing in at my all time heaviest, 192 (yeah, obviously doing it on my own worked, huh? LOL), I started out on 1200 + exercise calories, started dropping, (through hunger and crankiness, LOL), then actually read the RoadMap information, calculated my BMR, TDEE, started lifting heavy and am happily losing regularly on an average of 1800 calories on lift days, and less (some days WAY less) than that on rest days. I got on the scale yesterday at 167.4 and in another few pounds will be where I was two summers ago, and only 10-15 pounds from maintenance.

    I'm not starving, cranky, craving stuff simply because I'm hungry...really the only change is that I measure and track calories on most of the stuff I used to eat and drink to ensure I'm not blasting by my TDEE.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Yes it definitely works for me. To be honest your 1400 still sounds very low especially with 30lb still to lose, I'm around the same and losing steadily on 1800 without exercise :flowerforyou:
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    Yes it definitely works for me. To be honest your 1400 still sounds very low especially with 30lb still to lose, I'm around the same and losing steadily on 1800 without exercise :flowerforyou:
    really??? im only 5 feet short so i didn't wanna go tooo overboard ya know
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Yes it definitely works for me. To be honest your 1400 still sounds very low especially with 30lb still to lose, I'm around the same and losing steadily on 1800 without exercise :flowerforyou:
    really??? im only 5 feet short so i didn't wanna go tooo overboard ya know

    I'm taking you do regular cardio and strength training? With only 30lb to go I would think TDEE - 15% is a healthier way to lose and taking your exercise into account http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ suggests 2008 calories a day :smile:

    ETA:Your BMR is 1524
  • talisamb
    talisamb Posts: 65 Member
    I was stuck at 140 for the longest doing heavy lifting 3 times per week and cardio 4-5 days. I was eating around 1300-1400 with no weight loss! Started eating 1800-2000 and instantly started losing. I went from 140 to 130 in two months after raising my calories. The scale will reflect heavy the first few days or weeks but you will slowly see the change.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    Yes it definitely works for me. To be honest your 1400 still sounds very low especially with 30lb still to lose, I'm around the same and losing steadily on 1800 without exercise :flowerforyou:
    really??? im only 5 feet short so i didn't wanna go tooo overboard ya know

    I'm taking you do regular cardio and strength training? With only 30lb to go I would think TDEE - 15% is a healthier way to lose and taking your exercise into account http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ suggests 2008 calories a day :smile:

    ETA:Your BMR is 1524
    i like tht number :happy:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I saw a video of this on YouTube n it made some sense to . The idea was to eat more calories than ur bmi but less then ur energy expenditure so ur body doesn't store as much fat thinking it's starving . I do cardio n strength training so tht would put me at 1400. It sounds logical to me. Has anyone else heard of this, or did this before. The reasoning to this idea is still fuzzy to me

    Yes...the whole idea behind it is that you don't have to crash diet to lose weight like so many seem to think you do. There are two numbers you need to know...

    BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate...this is the number of calories your body burns in a day just to operate your system...this is the calories you would burn if you were to sleep all day long or if you were in a coma...yes...you burn calories doing absolutely nothing.

    TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure...This is the number of calories you burn in a given day total..it is your BMR + all activity.

    If you eat at a calorie level below TDEE you lose weight. But here's the deal...everyone likes to sign onto MFP and select the most aggressive weight loss approach possible...2 Lbs per week...they get a calorie goal of 1,200 net calories (the MFP method uses your NEAT not your TDEE so exercise is extra and you're supposed to eat those calorie back and net to your goal of 1,200...but your gross will be higher). All fine and dandy, except, 1,200 calories net is below most people's BMR. You're not in a coma...so why would you want to eat a calorie level that is less than what your body would need in a coma just for proper organ function?

    Eating below your BMR doesn't put you into "starvation" mode...that is overused and completely misunderstood...but, what it does do, particularly if you don't have a lot to lose...it stalls your metabolism. You're not getting enough calories for basic functions, so your body basically shuts down anything non-essential, thus slowing your metabolism down. This is why many who do the 1,200 calorie thing lose weight at first, but quickly come to a screeching halt and plateau. Obese individuals can eat below their BMR for longer with minimal problems due to the fact that they have so much fat stored up for energy...individuals who don't have much to lose...less than 50 Lbs...will stall out pretty quickly.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    thanks everone!:flowerforyou: ! im super excited!! :happy: i just started strength training and i love it ...even more than cardio but i know i have to keep my cardio to. i hope this works more calories but still im gnna try my best to eat healthy
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm a firm believer in the Eat Less, Move More way to lose weight, but whatever works for you...is a good thing.

    You still eat less and move more...you still eat at a calorie deficit, just not as large of one. Why is this so hard for people to understand...it is very simple and basic mathematics.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    Glance around here. That phrase is used often. There's a group here by that name that you could search for and join. There's also a number of people who make wonderfully helpful threads about TDEE and BMR and explain how much to eat.

    Here's one such thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
    loved it!!!! im figuring it out now
  • heatherforever222
    heatherforever222 Posts: 26 Member
    I think it depends on the person. I dont have that much to go but I am losing about a pound of week just by going on the 1200 cal schedule. Before I chose 1200 max, I calculated my height and weight and age and thats what it came up with. However, when I work out, I use a hrm so I know how many calories I can eat back to keep losing. I believe the concept of calories in and calories out will determine if you lose weight.
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

    Explains it in very plain english and the explanation I wrote seems to really help many understand it.................hope this helps!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Glance around here. That phrase is used often. There's a group here by that name that you could search for and join. There's also a number of people who make wonderfully helpful threads about TDEE and BMR and explain how much to eat.

    Here's one such thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    There is a new version, i rewrote the new one.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    i also wrote a summary of it, made it shorter here..
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    OP: yes, but you have to figure out HOW MANY calories to cut. It depends on how fat you are. The entire ting you said is not true. about starvation mode and storing fat. It doesn't work that way. It's true that if you don't eat enough you will stall out. Read this and apply it. It tells you how much to eat, how to do everything correctly.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    That's a very bold claim.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Glance around here. That phrase is used often. There's a group here by that name that you could search for and join. There's also a number of people who make wonderfully helpful threads about TDEE and BMR and explain how much to eat.

    Here's one such thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    There is a new version, i rewrote the new one.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    i also wrote a summary of it, made it shorter here..
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    OP: yes, but you have to figure out HOW MANY calories to cut. It depends on how fat you are. The entire ting you said is not true. about starvation mode and storing fat. It doesn't work that way. It's true that if you don't eat enough you will stall out. Read this and apply it. It tells you how much to eat, how to do everything correctly.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

    That's a very bold claim.

    yes and it's a true claim.

    You have the credentials to back this up? Peer reviewed studies as well as advanced degrees in nutritional and physiology? Your weight loss isn't credential enough, a nice achievement to be proud of, but not credentials.

    IPOARM is fine, but to claim it tells you how to do everything right is ridiculous. By that statement everything else or any other way is wrong. I did not follow anything on there & have had some pretty good results.

    4_24_11-1_zps2c695874.jpg
    Me_zps0732b7d0.jpg
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member


    You have the credentials to back this up? Peer reviewed studies as well as advanced degrees in nutritional and physiology? Your weight loss isn't credential enough, a nice achievement to be proud of, but not credentials.

    IPOARM is fine, but to claim it tells you how to do everything right is ridiculous. By that statement everything else or any other way is wrong. I did not follow anything on there & have had some pretty good results.

    4_24_11-1_zps2c695874.jpg
    Me_zps0732b7d0.jpg

    I have never seen your before pics and even though I see your ticker it's always more impactfull to see pics - awesome progress!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member


    You have the credentials to back this up? Peer reviewed studies as well as advanced degrees in nutritional and physiology? Your weight loss isn't credential enough, a nice achievement to be proud of, but not credentials.

    IPOARM is fine, but to claim it tells you how to do everything right is ridiculous. By that statement everything else or any other way is wrong. I did not follow anything on there & have had some pretty good results.

    4_24_11-1_zps2c695874.jpg
    Me_zps0732b7d0.jpg

    I have never seen your before pics and even though I see your ticker it's always more impactfull to see pics - awesome progress!

    Thanks Sara :blushing: