How many extra calories to put on weight

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David1406
David1406 Posts: 63
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just curious to know how many calories over and above the 1200 per day would it take to put on extra pounds. I've only been on here for 12 days and am sticking carefully to my 1200, but just wanted to know the likely effect of an occasional 'blow out'!! :smile:

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  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
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    1,200 is an extremely low weight which is - as a side note - the goal MFP suggests to most members as they register.
    I would recommend you do go to scoobysworkshop.com and work out what your TDEE is. The calculator pretty much explains what that it. Anything ABOVE your TDEE (remember that what the calculator tells you is only an estimate) will make you put on weight.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    500 calories over maintenance is suppose to make you gain a pound a week
  • XoChelsea2
    XoChelsea2 Posts: 7
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    I always look at this after a 'binge' http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/606721-after-a-binge-after-a-meal-out-read-this basically a lot to gain weight!
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
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    500 calories over maintenance is suppose to make you gain a pound a week

    500 cal a day. Sure you meant that, just pointing it out. :)
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    Well as a gainer, I was eating around 500 calories above my maintence level to gain on average 1lb a week so that was about 2400cals...but as you are eating at the lowest recommended calorie amount for an adult...I'm pretty sure a spike day now and then would be ok...I knew people that would schedule a spike (cheat) day each week and were still pretty consistent with losing weight.

    You may want to consider upping you calories a little though, 1200 is so low.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I'm just curious to know how many calories over and above the 1200 per day would it take to put on extra pounds. I've only been on here for 12 days and am sticking carefully to my 1200, but just wanted to know the likely effect of an occasional 'blow out'!! :smile:

    Some data at http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/48/2/240.full.pdf+html might be of interest. You can pick up a pound or two of water and glycogen replenishment that'll go away when you return to a calorie deficit.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    I'm just curious to know how many calories over and above the 1200 per day would it take to put on extra pounds. I've only been on here for 12 days and am sticking carefully to my 1200, but just wanted to know the likely effect of an occasional 'blow out'!! :smile:

    Depends on what your calories are to maintain.

    1200 is likely to be a large defict for you, so even a blow out once a week isn't likley to put you over your maintenance calories for the week, to make you gain fat.

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