Eating More Calories to Lose Weight

daisybug72
daisybug72 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All - I have been trying to lose weight off and on for years, but in the last few years really seriously. In the past when i counted calories and exercised, I'd always lose weight...and then gain again when i stopped counting and exercising (imagine that! lol)

For the last two years I have struggled...I've gained 15 pounds and cannot lose it...not even a pound. I go down then back up all the time. I eat healthy - some whole grains, almond milk, lean meats, lots of veggies and fruits. I eat very few processed foods and rarely eat out. I trained for a half marathon in the spring and did it (yay!) but gained 4 lbs in the process. I then stopped exercising altogether. So basically my system is a wreck. I cannot figure out what to do to lose pounds. It's not just the weight - my clothes are tighter, my belly is bigger and I feel awful weight wise. I am getting older (41) and know that age doesn't help, but I don't think that is the only factor.

So, I am starting something I have never done before...I am going to eat more. For the last few years, I have eaten between 1200-1400 calories daily - closer to 1200 most days (and eating back exercise cals). I have been doing a lot of reading and decided to increase my calories to 1650 for a few weeks... If I don't see a change, I'll be going up to 1800 cals... Hopefully I'll actually see my weight start to move the right direction again.

I'm already struggling, because I am just not that hungry, but am determined to see if I have been underfeeding myself and that's why I am holding onto pounds.

I am terrified. The idea of adding more calories is so anti-weight loss in my mind...but I can see why it might actually work. Anyone else have to do that?

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Do you measure/weigh all your foods? Or are you eyeballing portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat? That extra crust left over from little Jimmy's pizza... That 1 little cookie you grabbed on your way out the door... the olive oil you cook with, the coffee and creamer you drink, etc etc?
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    Do you measure/weigh all your foods? Or are you eyeballing portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat? That extra crust left over from little Jimmy's pizza... That 1 little cookie you grabbed on your way out the door... the olive oil you cook with, the coffee and creamer you drink, etc etc?

    maybe you are eating closer to maintenance than you think. Eating at a deficit of your maintenance calories will result in weight loss unless you have some underlying medical condition or are some specific medication that hinders weight loss.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    The whole "eat more to weigh less" thing means to not starve yourself or go on some kind of crazy fad diet. That you can eat like a normal human being and still lose weight. It's meant to cut down on binge eating or over restricting yourself, and just making the whole weight loss experience less stressful. It's basically a way to still enjoy life & the foods you love while still losing weight.

    That being said, 1650 is probably a good number. BUT if you haven't been losing at 1200, that means you've been underestimating your intake, and/or over estimating your calorie burns. Track accurately, use a food scale, and a heart rate monitor when determining how many calories you burn via exercise. Make sure you're actually eating 1650!
  • daisybug72
    daisybug72 Posts: 8 Member
    I do measure...I tend to eat similar foods a lot so I move to eyeballing, but then measure again when i've been eyeballing awhile. I can generally get a bang on measurement. And yes - I even add in the 6 chocolate chips I sneak in now and then. lol
    This is why I am so frustrated - I really am only taking in an average of 1300 cals...but I can't lose an ounce.

    I also moved away from soft drinks, artificial sweeteners etc. I no longer put sugar in a coffee, I don't eat dessert most days, I drink lots of water. We shall see - this could fail miserably, but it could be what my body has been telling me...I need more food! lol
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I've had my best success since "eating more", or more specifically, eating the right amount for my height, weight, activity level and goals. I set my cals and macros according to the info here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

    Excellent info, and I've had steady progress since switching to this method. Really loved it through the holidays last year - knowing my upper and lower limits was very freeing - I stuck to my goal most of the time, but also knew that as long as I stuck close to the high end TDEE number, I wouldn't gain - and it worked like a charm. I enjoyed all my favorite goodies through the holidays and didn't gain at all.

    Just make sure though this process that you take photos and measurements along the way - don't rely on the scale to show you progress, because it's a dirty little liar and will mess with your head. :bigsmile: Give any changes to your calories a good 4-6 weeks before making any changes up or down.

    Good luck to you!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    How long are you sustaining any 1 approach? You're doing a lot of jumping around... are you giving any single approach sufficient time to really be able to evaluate it's effectiveness?

    How is your body telling you that you need more food?

    Also, how are macros? Do you have a decent balance of fats, carbs and proteins, or are you pretty heavy on 1 and light on another?

    .
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    The whole "eat more to weigh less" thing means to not starve yourself or go on some kind of crazy fad diet. That you can eat like a normal human being and still lose weight. It's meant to cut down on binge eating or over restricting yourself, and just making the whole weight loss experience less stressful. It's basically a way to still enjoy life & the foods you love while still losing weight.

    That being said, 1650 is probably a good number. BUT if you haven't been losing at 1200, that means you've been underestimating your intake, and/or over estimating your calorie burns. Track accurately, use a food scale, and a heart rate monitor when determining how many calories you burn via exercise. Make sure you're actually eating 1650!

    agreed. Good post.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    I do measure...I tend to eat similar foods a lot so I move to eyeballing, but then measure again when i've been eyeballing awhile. I can generally get a bang on measurement. And yes - I even add in the 6 chocolate chips I sneak in now and then. lol
    This is why I am so frustrated - I really am only taking in an average of 1300 cals...but I can't lose an ounce.

    I also moved away from soft drinks, artificial sweeteners etc. I no longer put sugar in a coffee, I don't eat dessert most days, I drink lots of water. We shall see - this could fail miserably, but it could be what my body has been telling me...I need more food! lol

    But that just isn't how the body works. Have you had your thyroid checked?

    Think about scenarios where people are deprived of calories...they lose weight.
  • daisybug72
    daisybug72 Posts: 8 Member
    I haven't jumped around a lot in the last year. Just my exercise has changed - training for a half was tough and intense. Now I am back to cardio and strength 6 days per week. I have been eating mostly clean for a long time (and feeling so much better for it), and avoid most flour and white sugar. I know that if I have been under eating, this new approach of added cals will take awhile, so for now i am taking the approach of making sure I get my 1650 daily and seeing what happens.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I haven't jumped around a lot in the last year. Just my exercise has changed - training for a half was tough and intense. Now I am back to cardio and strength 6 days per week. I have been eating mostly clean for a long time (and feeling so much better for it), and avoid most flour and white sugar. I know that if I have been under eating, this new approach of added cals will take awhile, so for now i am taking the approach of making sure I get my 1650 daily and seeing what happens.

    Cardio + weights + 1650 cals per day is a good place to start. If you're good with that then go for it.

    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?
  • skinny4me2be
    skinny4me2be Posts: 358 Member
    Back in mid Sept. I decided to buckle down. I logged every morsel that went into my mouth-worked out 5x a week (3x lifting), I had a fitbit and thought I knew what my TDEE was so I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing. A whole month of dedication and no weight loss. Very depressing. I combed through the TDEE and the 'eat more to lose' threads.

    I shared my frustration and numbers with someone who knew TDEE - 20%. I found out I was underestimating my TDEE due to my activity level, and still was eating with too large of a deficit, so I wasn't losing. I used the spreadsheet that is found on the In Place of Road Map thread and recalculated everything. Its been close to two weeks, I'm eating more, doing the same work outs and I've lost thus far. I just have to remember to recalculate my numbers every so often. I haven't re-measured yet, but I can already tell things are going to be a bit different.

    You can friend me if you want. :-)

    Good Luck!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?

    That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle. If you were eating at a deficit you would have been losing unless you have some medical condition that makes it hard. If you are not losing then eating more isn't going to help you.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?

    That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle. If you were eating at a deficit you would have been losing unless you have some medical condition that makes it hard. If you are not losing then eating more isn't going to help you.

    Right, and that's largely why I asked. If you don't understand why something isn't working (or at least have a reasonable idea as to why), then making changes is little more than making an educated guess. I prefer to understand what's going on so the changes I make are more strategic/intentional and have a better chance at being effective.
  • daisybug72
    daisybug72 Posts: 8 Member
    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?

    That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle. If you were eating at a deficit you would have been losing unless you have some medical condition that makes it hard. If you are not losing then eating more isn't going to help you.

    I am not sure how to answer this. I am healthy, have had recent physical and bloodwork. All normal (except weight and low thyroid which I have had for 19yrs). Thyroid levels are medicated to normal level - T3 & T4.
    Other than that, if I start to lose when I increase calories, that will be my answer. So yes I care, but that is why I am making the step I am. I think we are too conditioned to think that if we are not losing, we should eat less as a one size fits all answer. I am just trying to go the other way, knowing I cannot eat less. I could increase exercise, and considered hiring a trainer and going hard core, but I know me, and that doesn't fit with my life long term. It's not an excuse, just a fact. And again, the issue of calories would still exist.

    All that said, if I don't lose after increasing calories for several weeks, then I will have to investigate more. But for now, the simplest approach might actually be what will get me answers. I guess time will tell.
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?

    That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle. If you were eating at a deficit you would have been losing unless you have some medical condition that makes it hard. If you are not losing then eating more isn't going to help you.

    Right, and that's largely why I asked. If you don't understand why something isn't working (or at least have a reasonable idea as to why), then making changes is little more than making an educated guess. I prefer to understand what's going on so the changes I make are more strategic/intentional and have a better chance at being effective.

    I wholeheartedly concur that this needs to be more than an educated guess.

    Dear OP - did you know that you can figure this out definitively? I.e., no more guessing, no more wondering?

    Go to this website, plug in the parameters it requests from you, then plug in how much weight you'd like to lose (on average) per week. The calculator spits out exactly how many calories a day you need to eat to lose that amount of weight.

    I did this in January of 2012 and lost 68 lbs by December of that year. I have kept it off for almost one year as well.

    The calculator was so accurate, that I was able to predict the date I would reach my next 10 lb goal within days of actually reaching it. It's that simple - calories in, calories out.

    If you'd like more information and specifics, please feel free to private message me. Best of luck!
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    Whoops! Here's the calculator (blush).

    http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/tools/Calculator-Daily-Calorie.html
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    But you still haven't figured out why you haven't been losing to this point. Do you care?

    That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle. If you were eating at a deficit you would have been losing unless you have some medical condition that makes it hard. If you are not losing then eating more isn't going to help you.

    I am not sure how to answer this. I am healthy, have had recent physical and bloodwork. All normal (except weight and low thyroid which I have had for 19yrs). Thyroid levels are medicated to normal level - T3 & T4.
    Other than that, if I start to lose when I increase calories, that will be my answer. So yes I care, but that is why I am making the step I am. I think we are too conditioned to think that if we are not losing, we should eat less as a one size fits all answer. I am just trying to go the other way, knowing I cannot eat less. I could increase exercise, and considered hiring a trainer and going hard core, but I know me, and that doesn't fit with my life long term. It's not an excuse, just a fact. And again, the issue of calories would still exist.

    All that said, if I don't lose after increasing calories for several weeks, then I will have to investigate more. But for now, the simplest approach might actually be what will get me answers. I guess time will tell.

    That is why I asked early on about your thyroid. I know women with hypothyroidism that have a very difficult time losing weight in spite of the medication.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    OP, sounds like you've got your mind pretty well made up, which is fine as it sounds like you've got a pretty healthy and reasonable approach in mind. So back to your original question...

    Many people will say they have increased cals and suddenly lost weight. But the vast majority of them, I'm betting, didn't do what they think they did.

    Most of them had a highly restrictive diet, ate low/clean cals for a few days, then binged. In the long run, the binging counteracted any good they did on the other days. So while they will sit there and tell you they ate well most of the time with an occasional cheat day, that's largely misrepresenting what was actually happening.

    Then, when they increased cals they found that being less restrictive made it easier for them to stay on plan and the binging stopped. This consistency kept them at the calorie intake they needed to be at and thus they lost weight.

    So their approach may have changed, but what they thought was happening wasn't what was actually happening.

    .
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    OP, I've had to add calories, several times to maintain weight loss.

    In addition to weighing all solids and measuring all liquids I would only increase your calories by 100/day/week to not shock your body. Going from 1200-1300 to 1650 is quite a jump. I also agree that you should get a heart rate monitor.

    I use this site: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    to track my TDEE, eat at my TDEE - 20%. I like this site because it includes your activity by hours there is less guessing involved. I also use my TDEE because all of my activity is in the afternoon/evening with a second manual labor job and that's the only time I can workout is right after my day job so it helps me plan my day better.

    Also, make sure you are drinking enough water. I aim for a gallon a day to prevent water retention because of my workouts and activity. That may be why your clothes are feeling tighter.

    I haven't seen if I can see your diary but watch your sodium. I am 40 and that can be a major player in my water retention as well. And this is just me but I have to make sure I get enough protein or my weight loss stalls when I am lifting. These last few things have been my personal experience and by no means are recommendations but things you can play with and try.
  • frostyfenton
    frostyfenton Posts: 12 Member
    Bump for later

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