Increasing calories - but I'm scared!

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  • YoYoSyndrome
    YoYoSyndrome Posts: 10
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    Hi All -

    I recently started back with myfitnesspal and I am finding it hard to hit my calorie intake of 1200 per day. I am trying to stay within 50 or less on carbs as that is my choice altho I am allowed more according to the site. I am ok with my protein but hitting 1200 calories is impossible for me.

    I know according to the site I'm in starvation mode and I haven't been losing any weight and I'm sure it's due to this issue. Can anyone tell me how to reach my calorie intake for the day without going over in carbs?

    Would appreciate any insight and thank you!
  • langsyne
    langsyne Posts: 106 Member
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    Hi All -

    I recently started back with myfitnesspal and I am finding it hard to hit my calorie intake of 1200 per day. I am trying to stay within 50 or less on carbs as that is my choice altho I am allowed more according to the site. I am ok with my protein but hitting 1200 calories is impossible for me.

    I know according to the site I'm in starvation mode and I haven't been losing any weight and I'm sure it's due to this issue. Can anyone tell me how to reach my calorie intake for the day without going over in carbs?

    Would appreciate any insight and thank you!

    Nut butter and cheese.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    I upped from 1200 to 1400 and broke a 3 week plateau and I have reduced bf% by 2% in 2 weeks.
  • jsbieniek
    jsbieniek Posts: 76 Member
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    This is exactly the thread I needed! I am 5'9", female and started out on January 7 at 228. I have lost 33 pounds. I started out at 1200 calories and working out. I ride my exercise bike daily and zumba/toning 4 days a week. My weight loss has slowed down and this week I have felt sluggish and bloated. I've tried increasing my water intake and I hope that will help. Last week I increased to 1300 calories and just upped it to 1400 today. My biggest concern was getting under 200 pounds. Now that I'm there I'm freaking out about going back over!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Did the same thing! I upped my intake about 200 calories at a time for a few weeks to get to 1700 (TDEE -20%) from 1200. I did not gain in the middle, and almost immediately began to lose again after a 4 month plateau riddled with headaches and fatigue.

    Currently I eat 1850 a day because my workout routine has gotten more strenuous and it is working well for me.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    OP...personally, I prefer the TDEE method...but I do have a question for you...were you eating back exercise calories with the MFP method.

    If you're eating back exercise calories with MFP vs using TDEE - 20%, it often comes out 6 of 1...essentially, I gross the same calories now as I did with MFP when I ate back my exercise calories. If you were eating a flat 1300 and not eating back your exercise calories, I can definitely see why you plateaued.

    Here's how it looked for me..

    MFP method to lose 1 Lb per week: 1,750 + 300exercise = 2050 calories

    TDEE method - 20% = 2020 calories

    See what I mean...just easier to plan around a set number of calories everyday rather than eating back various exercise calories every day. I switched to TDEE when I really got locked into a consistent workout routine and burn and din't have to think about it anymore.

    If you're truly upping your gross calories, I'd suggest doing so 50-100 calories at a time per week to allow your body to make metabolic adjustments rather than all at once.
  • carenjd
    carenjd Posts: 40 Member
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    This is absolutely terrifying. Pretty sure I've been starving myself though.

    So let me see if I have this right.

    I am 5"4, 250-252 lbs (weight fluctuates) and I consider myself moderately active NOW. In the past I was completely sedentary. I do zumba for 45 minutes for 4-5x per week, and began doing Yoga 3x per week. This would be considered moderately active yes? The rest of the time I'm a stay at home mom, and go on walks with my 21 month old son, but let's face it, we go at a snail's pace.

    Going of MFP I was eating the 1300 - 1450 cals to lose 2lbs per week - but no weight loss and I'm sweating my butt off during my exercises like I've never worked out before - even when I was a teenager. No weight loss.

    So, according to the TDEE Calculator my calories in a day needed are 2962 - 20% = 2370.

    Thats a TON of calories! But during the days I workout, according to the zumba calories calculator and MFP, I burn almost 1000 calories on the days I work out, which as I previously mentioned are 4-5x a week.

    Does this sound correct?

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