Eating MORE to weigh less success stories...pls.

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  • BluthLover
    BluthLover Posts: 301 Member
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    I'm not sure if I qualify as a success story *just* yet (smiles) but I can give you my experience. I recently had metabolic testing done (very similar to calculating your TDEE, but done in a doctor's office with oxygen masks and electrodes and all sorts of stuff). Turns out my daily needs (if I woke up and never moved - just my daily needs) are 1441 calories. I burn fat calories at a heartrate between 125 and 139 during exercise. Now - compare that my past - when "dieting" I ate 1200 calories a day. I killed myself with aerobics - insanity, kickboxing - you name it, I've tried it. And yes, I would lose weight, painfully slowly, and put it back on the instant I stopped. And since that kind of lifestyle (for me) was very hard to sustain - I always stopped at some point.

    This is my second week on doing it the "right way." I eat back most of my exercise calories so I am eating in the 1700-1800 daily calorie range. I have energy. I feel better. I am sleeping better. My emotional mood is better. The first week I lost 1 pound. This week I am on target to lose 1.5. This thing is - I don't feel like I'm even working hard to do it. It's just - easy. It might be slow - a pound a week - but that's a good, healthy and sustainable goal for me. (As an aside, I still do Insanity, but it's probably hilarious to watch because I do it veeerrrrry slowly and I do it low-impact to keep my heartrate in fat-burning range - however, I'm not exhausted and I actually look forward to doing it. According to my heartrate monitor, I'm still burning 350 calories a workout.

    So to sum up you are eating more and working out at a lower intensity and youre losing? Mind if I friend you to follow your progress ? I'm doing the same !!
  • dianesheart88
    dianesheart88 Posts: 111 Member
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    I went 5 weeks with no weight loss because I was not eating enough. It wasn't until I started eating -15% OF TDEE that I have actually begun to see any loss. Now since then I am slowly losing. Good luck!
  • Lose30by2013
    Lose30by2013 Posts: 4 Member
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    Awww thanks (blushes) :)
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
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    You should join the group on here eatmore2weighless

    Personally, if you have been eating low calorie for a while, slowly (or all at once, lol) work your way up to your TDEE and forget weight loss for a few months while you rev your metabolism back up. After you are eating TDEE for a few weeks then you can cut down to -20%.

    My success has not taken the form of scale weight, but in muscles and body recomposition. I LIKE what I see! The number on the scale really isn't an indicator of my personal success.
  • markbolch
    markbolch Posts: 24 Member
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    When I started eating more after stalling out my scale weight didnt drop in big numbers BUT my body fat started dropping, Fat mass weight going down and lean muscle weight started going up even though my total scale weight wasnt moving like it did at the start of my journey. Eating more which was a leap of faith for me helped me to maintain or build muscle and lose fat. It freaked me out to start eating more but it got me over the hump when low calorie and aerobic exercise was no longer working for me. Of course I also started lifting too. In retrospect I should have started that sooner.

    58c49ccf-91c0-4701-a2de-acc44027c198_zps9d1cb5f7.jpg

    050a994b-4ce0-4a55-b664-e1149130b9c0_zps0acebc9c.jpg
  • janupshaw
    janupshaw Posts: 205 Member
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    It sounds like you're getting the idea now, but to make it easy for you, just eat between 1600-2000 calories a day. That's above your BMR but below your TDEE. And you're right, it's scary to eat more! I started out eating 1200 calories then learned about BMR & TDEE from the forums. Every time I think my weight loss is slowing, I up my calorie intake and it takes off again. The opposite of what I've been led to believe my whole life!
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
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    11 lbs and counting lost from eating a whole lot more. I started with 2100, and have whittled it down to 1800 due to activity and exercise changes. :3
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I started at 1200 & lost weight, but was tired & not quite right. I then hit a weight loss plateau. I calculated my TDEE (confirmed with Fitbit One) & BMR and adjusted by calories accordingly with TDEE-20% deficit. I've continued to lose weight & now feel great & have tons of energy. I have spent most of the summer doing heavy gardening, landscaping, etc. That has included moving 20 yards of topsoil & mulch by the wheel barrel load, lifting heavy concrete pavers to build retaining walls & edge beds, plus planted a ton of shrubs, trees & perennials. I could never have done that last summer, as I didn't have the energy & did NOT tolerate heat. This year it has been hard work, but not impossible. I've actually been quite proud of myself, as I've out worked my 18-20-something year old nieces many times over. They dropout & I keep going. We've completely redone/rebuilt my parents' yard & deck. I'm 54-y.o. & feel better than I have in more than a decade! It works!!!!

    Wow...just W:love: W

    What an absolutely tremendous post. You are so my SHERO...you're my age too, and I love gardening with all of my heart and am (just finished today) in the process of redoing two of our gardens---BUT, unlike you (and your fabulous self), I've sat my lazy tail down and read and was playing the "arm chair general" and showing my hero like hubby and sons what I wanted and where ("pointing and clicking or "honey-dew" orders" as my beloved and wonderful boyfriendish hubby calls it) and sat and WATCHED while my handsome and fabulously slim & trim hubby and sons did ALL of the heavy lifting and hauling work in doing my gardens . :blushing: :embarassed: :noway:

    I am so VERY inspired by you and proud of you too. You ROCK, and though the gardens are now done...I'll do some extra push-ups and sit-ups and old school gymnastics this week to add some Ump and a bit more sweat to my exercise and will be thinking of you and your major league, old school and terrific work. YAY YOU!!!!!

    WOOT! :drinker: :love: :drinker:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I went 5 weeks with no weight loss because I was not eating enough. It wasn't until I started eating -15% OF TDEE that I have actually begun to see any loss. Now since then I am slowly losing. Good luck!

    Thank you for your encouraging reply. This was my first week trying and my 1st weigh-in. The Fabulous news is NO weight loss...BUT no weight gain either AND my body fat% is down by 2 whole percentage points. My bodyfat % is outrageously high, so though i have a LONG way to go...the Fasting and Feasting is going well so far. This is a long-haul deal though, so thanks for the heads up about 5 weeks to begin to see things/scale really move. :flowerforyou:
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
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    I have had good results with eating 20% less than my TDEE. You can check out my diary if you would like :)
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    You should join the group on here eatmore2weighless

    Personally, if you have been eating low calorie for a while, slowly (or all at once, lol) work your way up to your TDEE and forget weight loss for a few months while you rev your metabolism back up. After you are eating TDEE for a few weeks then you can cut down to -20%.

    My success has not taken the form of scale weight, but in muscles and body recomposition. I LIKE what I see! The number on the scale really isn't an indicator of my personal success.

    Thank you and congrats on your focus and results! Liking what you see and how you feel is a HUGE reward--YAY you! :drinker:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    When I started eating more after stalling out my scale weight didnt drop in big numbers BUT my body fat started dropping, Fat mass weight going down and lean muscle weight started going up even though my total scale weight wasnt moving like it did at the start of my journey. Eating more which was a leap of faith for me helped me to maintain or build muscle and lose fat. It freaked me out to start eating more but it got me over the hump when low calorie and aerobic exercise was no longer working for me. Of course I also started lifting too. In retrospect I should have started that sooner.

    58c49ccf-91c0-4701-a2de-acc44027c198_zps9d1cb5f7.jpg

    050a994b-4ce0-4a55-b664-e1149130b9c0_zps0acebc9c.jpg


    DUDE!!!!!!! You Rock sir, period. WOW!!!!! So so proud of you and thank you ever so very much for posting---WOOT!:drinker:
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    If you eat back your exercise calories, it all works out to be the same. I spent so much time doing all the math trying to figure out what I should be eating. When I averaged out my daily calories + eating my exercise calories it roughly equals my TDEE-20%. So I just eat back my exercise calories. However, it is important to note that there are 3 types of people on here. People who don't know they need to eat more and don't eat their exercise calories, people who do eat there exercise calories, and people who don't eat their exercise calories but have changed there goals to their TDEE-20%. Just be one of those second two and you will be fine.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    It sounds like you're getting the idea now, but to make it easy for you, just eat between 1600-2000 calories a day. That's above your BMR but below your TDEE. And you're right, it's scary to eat more! I started out eating 1200 calories then learned about BMR & TDEE from the forums. Every time I think my weight loss is slowing, I up my calorie intake and it takes off again. The opposite of what I've been led to believe my whole life!

    Yes, I'm actually eating pretty close to my new feasting day goals of 2122 cals...it's a lot and like a real life budget with money--it seems now that I'm eating more (like making more money), now I still must choose carefully because I find myself that I could easily go OVER this huge amount. Life is soooooo funny--who'd thunk I'd STILL need to be watchful and diligent about my new super high cals--once my "budget" went up significantly---so did my "taste" for more. Amazing and humbling for SURE, at least it is for me.
  • SavvyCake
    SavvyCake Posts: 150 Member
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    I've lost 31 pounds since I started being really committed to getting healthy, and I take in more calories than I did for the years before that when I was trying unsuccessfully to lose weight. I think the key is that while I eat more calories now, I eat BETTER calories. In the past, I'd restrict under 1200, under 1000, etc. most days, but I was getting nothing out of it either. I ate mostly processed foods that were empty carbs (ramen, macaroni, crackers, breadsticks, etc.), rarely got any protein each day, and I felt like total crap. I know for me it made a big difference that I got my thyroid and sleep apnea treated, but I also think that eating better is a big reason I feel better too. When my doctor told me that he wanted me to eat a lot MORE in order to lose weight, I truly did not believe him, but it has made a huge difference. Your body needs fuel!
  • biggirl1000
    biggirl1000 Posts: 189 Member
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    bump for future reference.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    11 lbs and counting lost from eating a whole lot more. I started with 2100, and have whittled it down to 1800 due to activity and exercise changes. :3

    How utterly encouraging and fabulous--you ROCK! Thanks for posting:drinker: :flowerforyou: :drinker:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I have had good results with eating 20% less than my TDEE. You can check out my diary if you would like :)

    Congrats and thanks so much for your reply! :flowerforyou: :smooched: :flowerforyou:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    If you eat back your exercise calories, it all works out to be the same. I spent so much time doing all the math trying to figure out what I should be eating. When I averaged out my daily calories + eating my exercise calories it roughly equals my TDEE-20%. So I just eat back my exercise calories. However, it is important to note that there are 3 types of people on here. People who don't know they need to eat more and don't eat their exercise calories, people who do eat there exercise calories, and people who don't eat their exercise calories but have changed there goals to their TDEE-20%. Just be one of those second two and you will be fine.

    Thank you so much for this! The program recommends I ONLY count my fasting days (Mondays & Thursdays). and NOT count my feasting days--just to eat what I want, when I hungry and of course, using moderation. This I haven't been doing, because it seems too "easy" or something (MUCH like eating more to weigh less, the though of eating whatever I want on my feasting days without counting cals is "too good to be true" or something). I haven't done it yet--so counting my feasting cals...I'm still really not eating 2122 cals--but have been eating lots more than 1250-1375. I've been eating 1700-1900 cals (not including exercise). So............we'll see when I weigh in on Sunday. I'm going to take a HUGE leap of Faith next week and start NOT counting my feasting days (5 days) cals and only counting my fasting days cals (500) and they recommend NOT eating my exercise cals on my fasting days too. So.........:indifferent: :wink: :indifferent: :love: :huh:
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
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    I started my journey back on 9/25/12 at 1500 cal a day..Was loosing good at first and then stopped...I then went down to 1300 and lost for maybe 2-3 wks and then got stuck and then started going up..I cldn't understand why I was gaining or not loosing if I had dropped my calories lower..?? A lot of my MFP friends kept telling me that I wasn't eating enough and I was like NO WAY that I am going to go from 1300-1700 (tdee-20%) and let me tell you since I have done so, I lost every week except the 2 wks that it was my fault I gained. It works!!!

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