Who didn't lose weight until they upped their calories?

bump. Still looking to hear from people who upped their calories when they couldn't lose weight on lower calories.

I did.. I was stuck like you and I upped my calories so that way it was above my BMI and I lost weight and I continue to increase when I get stuck and it works!!

I am about 9-10 days in and I have lost a pound in the first couple of days and now as of this morning I have put on 2lbs. So I'm not sure what to do. I am going to stay the course for another week and then I am going to rework it all again.

So the low calorie thing didn't work for me. Maybe I need to cut lower, say to 800 a day and if that doesn't work I WILL start sitting around on my *kitten* and eating cupcakes and pizza all day. Maybe that will work. If not I am off to Ethiopia to walk 4 miles a day for my household water.....:sad:

bump. Still looking to hear from people who upped their calories when they couldn't lose weight on lower calories.

I still need to be convinced of this whole "not enough calories" thing. I still go back to the cliche "you don't see any fat Etheopians". It just doesn't make sense. If you don't have enough calories, your body will use what it has for energy. This is why professional atthletes, college athletes, high school athletes, people in third world countries who have to walk 4 miles a day just to get water for their family, active children, marathon runners, gym rats, etc. etc etc. are all lean. This whole concept of having too much of a caloric deficit is rediculous, and another excuse for people to eat more and sit on their *kitten*. Move, move, move. That's all there is to it. You can't be a highly active person, eat a clean diet, and be fat. Our bodies just don't work like that. As long as you are getting enough nutrition and working your butt off, you will be lean. Period. If your not losing fat, move more, lift more. Eat enough to meet your macro and micro requirements and stay the course. It will come off. It can't not.

Interesting...because I lost 35 Lbs eating more to lose...and I don't sit on my *kitten* at all as you can see from my photo. Perhaps you miss the whole point of it all...eating more to lose is all about having enough of a deficit to lose FAT, but preserve lean body mass and have more consistent and steady weight loss rather than just trying to dump a bunch of pounds over night.

Also, you can have a calorie deficit that, at least temporarily, stalls your metabolism. Yes, eventually you will start losing again, but people plateau for a very long time. Eat more weigh less isn't about stuffing yourself with **** and sitting on your *kitten*...if you look at the individuals who practice this, they are some of the fittest and leanest on MFP.

OP...I'd also suggest that you really take a look at your calories in/out estimates. Many people just underestimate consumption because they eyeball servings and don't weigh and measure food...also over-estimating calorie burn when you're using the MFP method and eating back those exercise calories...you should leave a margin of error in there...my rule when I was doing MFP was no less than 50% and up to 75% of my exercise calories to make sure that activity was being properly fueled, but not overestimating the burn from that activity.

Wonderful. Thank you.

how would it be if I ate back 100 calories from my workout today? that's 20%

If you do TDEE-, do you calculate your exercise hours? If you do then you do not eat back your calories.
How can 100 calories be 20%? That means that your TDEE is 500!

I started at 1200 calories/day & was able to eat that amount without difficulty. Initially I lost weight, but plateaued for 4-6 weeks without any change in weight. I did all my calculations & was eating more than 300 calories below my BMR. I upped my calories to TDEE-20% and started resistance training in addition to my previous cardio workouts. I also upped my protein intake to 1 gram/pound lean body weight. I'm usually over that protein goal on most days & below my carb goal. My weight started dropping off again. My weight loss has been a bit slower this past month (3 pound loss), but I'm down by >5 inches & 2 dress sizes in that same period. My % Body Fat is also down significantly. I just upped my diet another 130 calories again 2 weeks ago, after recalculating my numbers for current changes & I'm down another pound & more inches. I'm currently 53 y.o., height 5-8 and weight 176 pounds, down from 217 (that's down 41 pounds since the middle of January).

I should add, I'm a physician & don't know why I let myself get sucked into the 1200 calorie goal. I should have calculated my BMR & TDEE from the beginning! I'll give myself a little break, as I'm a neonatologist, so know "baby nutrition" backwards & forwards, but not as great with adults. The idea of consuming below your BMR makes absolutely no sense! Why would you take in less calories than your body needs for basic existence???! Plus, the whole point of successful weight loss is develop a true lifestyle change. There is no way folks are going to stick to 1200 calories/day in the long term. It's just not sustainable! The minute you start eating more, having met your weight goal, your weight will creep back up, as you let your guard down. Better to learn to eat, exercise & move at correct levels that are sustainable in the long term. You also learn to cook & eat healthy foods & quantities, which you can continue to enjoy. I love everything I'm eating now & I don't miss the junk & extra sweets. That doesn't mean you can't occasional indulge, (i.e. I celebrated a graduation & 2 birthdays last week requiring restaurant dinners & desserts, but still lost a pound!) I also find the use of a Fit Bit One to be very important. My calculated TDEE is within 50-100 calories of my weekly Fit Bit calorie burn average. The Fit Bit also keeps you moving, so you can acquire steps & calorie burn. I've bought Fit Bit Zips for all my family members, who have been shocked at how little they move! Competition is a great incentive!!!

Our whole extended family has a weight loss challenge going on this year, and they all had also plateaued on seriously restricted calories & WW. I've since done all their calculation & upped their calorie consumption accordingly. They are losing weight like crazy again. My dad, who is 76 y.o., has lost >12 pounds in the last 4 weeks with his dietary changes, including the extra fluid in his lower legs & feet! I have him drinking one protein shake/smoothie & eating one protein bar/day, in addition to his lean meats, fruits, vegetables, etc. I had to hunt some for a protein bar he would enjoy, as he was a sugar junkie! I ordered a sampler package from the My Bariatric Pantry website, and he discovered the Oh Yeah bars. He gets his "candy bar fix" without it being unhealthy, and he's no longer disturbed by not getting desserts!