Upping Calories to Lose Weight?

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lbrown73
lbrown73 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I'm a 29 year old female, and I currently weigh 153. Started MFP weighing 180, and I'm really pleased with my progress. I'd like to get down to 145, but I've been stuck at 153 for several weeks. I work out 4-5 times a week, 30-40 minutes on the elliptical each time OR doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, along with a kettle bell workout 2 days/week (mostly Kettlebell swings). Some days I go over my calories by over 200 or so. MFP currently has my calorie goal at 1310. I have a desk job and am sedentary most of the day until I go home to work out. My question is: is this calorie goal too low with the amount of exercise I'm doing? I eat back some of my exercise calories, but not all. I'm just wondering what I can do to get the scale to move again. Thanks for any support and advice you can give!

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Why would 1310 have worked well for you at a heavier weight, but now be too little at your lighter weight? That makes no sense.

    1 - be more patient
    2 - make sure you are logging accurately/correctly/completely
    3 - increase the intensity of your workouts
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Typcially the reason you don't lose weight is one of two things or a combination of them....

    Over estimate of burns and/or under estimate of intake.

    Do you weigh your food?
    Do you use a chest straps HRM?

    If you answered No to both of these see above.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I think a couple weeks of no change is perfectly normal and you should just keep doing what's been working.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    As you get closer to your goal weight, weight loss slows down. Make sure you're weighing and measuring your food and not overestimating your exercise burn, and just be patient.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I think a couple weeks of no change is perfectly normal and you should just keep doing what's been working.

    This. It is perfectly normal once you get closer to goal weight. Now is the time to just be patient.
  • ctnyc57
    ctnyc57 Posts: 2 Member
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    There are a lot of variables. Below are a few questions that I don't have enough info to answer:

    Are you stressed out recently?

    Are you getting enough sleep (7-8 hours every night)?

    It sounds like you are complying with the amount of calories you think is adequate, but are they quality calories? For example, 1300 empty calories or 1300 calories of processed foods is a lot different than 1300 calories of whole foods.

    Good luck!
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    It sounds like you are complying with the amount of calories you think is adequate, but are they quality calories? For example, 1300 empty calories or 1300 calories of processed foods is a lot different than 1300 calories of whole foods.

    They're actually the same in terms of weight loss. A deficit is a deficit, no matter what you eat. I'm all for eating nutrient dense food but you don't need to cut anything out or eat a certain way to be successful.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    There are a lot of variables. Below are a few questions that I don't have enough info to answer:

    Are you stressed out recently?

    Are you getting enough sleep (7-8 hours every night)?

    It sounds like you are complying with the amount of calories you think is adequate, but are they quality calories? For example, 1300 empty calories or 1300 calories of processed foods is a lot different than 1300 calories of whole foods.

    Good luck!

    There is no such thing as "quality" to a calorie. And from a weight loss perspective it makes zero difference between a calorie from nutritious food and a calorie from junk food.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    Typcially the reason you don't lose weight is one of two things or a combination of them....

    Over estimate of burns and/or under estimate of intake.

    Do you weigh your food?
    Do you use a chest straps HRM?

    If you answered No to both of these see above.

    I second this.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    There are a lot of variables. Below are a few questions that I don't have enough info to answer:

    Are you stressed out recently?

    Are you getting enough sleep (7-8 hours every night)?

    It sounds like you are complying with the amount of calories you think is adequate, but are they quality calories? For example, 1300 empty calories or 1300 calories of processed foods is a lot different than 1300 calories of whole foods.

    Good luck!

    Sorry, no such thing as an empty calorie.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1146238-question-about-the-quality-not-the-quantity-of-calories
  • lbrown73
    lbrown73 Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks for the responses! Here are some answers to the questions you guys have asked:

    -I measure my food, but I don't weigh it. If that makes sense. However, I try to overestimate my calories if I'm not sure, and underestimate calories burned during workouts.

    -I've been less stressed out lately than I was earlier in the year, and I've been getting plenty of sleep.

    -My typical breakfast is a cup of coffee with a tablespoon of 1% milk. I don't add sugar to it. Along with Greek yogurt and a banana. Typical lunch is turkey slices, 1 stick of string cheese, strawberries, apple, carrot sticks, and a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter if it fits into my calories for that day. Dinner is usually chicken or fish, with various veggies such as broccoli, tomatoes, fresh green beans, and/or fresh bell peppers & onions. Occasionally I have spaghetti with lean ground beef and whole wheat pasta. I do allow myself on Fridays to have something like pizza for dinner.

    -I've been interested in getting an HRM for a while, but I haven't decided what kind to get. I've heard a lot of great things about the Polar FT4.

    -I definitely need to practice more patience. I got so used to seeing a change on the scale every week, even if it was a half pound or less. Now that I'm not seeing that, I'm getting antsy. I will definitely practice more patience!
  • ctnyc57
    ctnyc57 Posts: 2 Member
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    Actually, the type of calories really do matter.

    http://www.dietdoctor.com/overeating-carbs-worse-overeating-lchf-diet

    "Sam Feltham carried out an experiment a few months ago that caught a lot of attention. For three weeks he pigged out on low-carb LCHF foods, 5,800 calories a day. According to simplistic calorie counting, Feltham should have gained 16 lbs (7.3 kg). But in reality, he only gained less than 3 lbs (1.3 kg). Now Feltham has repeated his experiment with exactly the same amount of calories, but from carbohydrate-rich junk food. On the same amount of calories he gained more than five times as much weight: almost 16 lbs (7.1 kg)! The difference in waist circumference was even more significant: 5,800 calories of LCHF food for three weeks reduced his waist measurement by 1 1/4 inches (3 cm). The same amount of junk food led to a 3 1/2 inch (9.25 cm) increase in his waist."

    http://live.smashthefat.com/5000-calorie-carb-challenge-day-21/http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/ Only n=1 of course. Wish he had sprung for bod pod results to see the impact on muscle as well. Anyone here at /r/bodybuilding want to take it on?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    And that study so accurately reflects real life...
  • lknjohnson
    lknjohnson Posts: 351 Member
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    I would say switch up your workout routine a bit. And when it come to eating, maybe try carb cycling for about 2 weeks and see how it goes.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Hi all! I'm a 29 year old female, and I currently weigh 153. Started MFP weighing 180, and I'm really pleased with my progress. I'd like to get down to 145, but I've been stuck at 153 for several weeks. I work out 4-5 times a week, 30-40 minutes on the elliptical each time OR doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, along with a kettle bell workout 2 days/week (mostly Kettlebell swings). Some days I go over my calories by over 200 or so. MFP currently has my calorie goal at 1310. I have a desk job and am sedentary most of the day until I go home to work out. My question is: is this calorie goal too low with the amount of exercise I'm doing? I eat back some of my exercise calories, but not all. I'm just wondering what I can do to get the scale to move again. Thanks for any support and advice you can give!
    You only have 8 lbs left to your goal, so that right there makes it harder.
    MFP has you set to 1310, but at what rate of weight loss? If you have it set to anything higher than .5 lbs per week, then that number is too low. Also, that is the number you should be netting AFTER exercise. Eat back all of your exercise calories, and make sure MFP is set to no more than .5 lbs per week.
  • lbrown73
    lbrown73 Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks! I decided to go back and look at my settings and it was indeed set to lose 1 lb. per week. I changed it to .5 lbs per week, and it adjusted me to 1550 calories. I've also been mixing up my exercise this week; I had gotten into the same routine and figured it would help to change it up.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Thanks! I decided to go back and look at my settings and it was indeed set to lose 1 lb. per week. I changed it to .5 lbs per week, and it adjusted me to 1550 calories. I've also been mixing up my exercise this week; I had gotten into the same routine and figured it would help to change it up.
    Great, now just make sure to net 1550 and you should see a change! Good luck!
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
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    Now you have sdet it to lose 0.5lbs per week the margin for error is alot smaller. You have a deficit now of about 200 cals a day, wheres as you might have had 400/600 cals deficit depending of loss rate. Now you have a smaller deficit you have to be 100% with your weighing and logging, you can easily poor 200 cals extra of milk and ceral without even noticing, and that will wipe out your daily deficit.

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