Why Eat MORE calories?

Why does everyone say eat more calories and you will lose weight?
I could make my diary public if you guys want to look and tell me if it looks ok or not. I am trying to keep carbs down. Carbs just stick to me.
I just started 2 weeks ago and lost 2 lbs so far. It feels very slow......

Well, it is false that eating more directly leads to weight loss.

But eating more may help you continue long term rather than short term.

I do.not get why people say that....I'm with you trying to keep carbs down. But even though I am eating well and under what the site says....I'm not exactly dropping weight very fast either.

1 pound/week is not too slow, particularly if you don't have too much to lose. The general idea here is that slower weight loss is generally more sustainable, so many users opt for a smaller calorie deficit. With a smaller deficit, you're more likely to stick to your diet since you can still eat the foods you love, and you'll be better prepared for maintenance since it won't require a big jump in calories.

Mostly people don't say eat more in order to lose more weight. They see eat more to lose mostly fat (instead of mostly muscle) and to be healthy. But there is some evidence that eating at a more severe deficit leads to moving around less (to conserve energy). Eating more calories can provide the necessary energy to workout harder as well as increase daily activity like taking the stairs or walking to work.

For me personally that seems to be the case. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I can't handle much of a deficit before I'm too lethargic to get up and move around.

2 lbs in 2 weeks is good progress. Did you gain it all overnight? Probably not. Therefore, you will not lose it overnight. I have 8 lbs to lose. I upped my calories and am still losing - just a bit slower. I'm easing into maintenance so to speak. I probably could knock those 8 lbs out quicker by eating 1200 cals - but I wouldn't be fun to be around, ha!

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I think people like to use it as an excuse to make themselves feel better for eating just under their BMR. I also don't get people eating exercise cals back? I'd rather not exercise!

I am a die hard 1200 cal girl and Im going strong, and loosing at a great rate.

You're not supposed to eat under your BMR. Your BMR is the number of calories you need just to lay around in a coma. My BMR is several hundred calories below what I need to eat in order to lose weight, I don't need an excuse or need to feel better about eating enough to properly fuel my body. I lose 1-2 lbs per week and have seen performance gains in all my exercises.

You may want to check out these links, it may help you better understand calorie equations and why people eat the number of calories that they do:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1072049-thoughts-on-tdee-calculators-and-switching-from-mfp-to-tdee

It has taken me years to work this out. I never eat breakfast had hardly anything for lunch small night meal. Told by dieatation I'm not eating enough. Yeh that's why I'm fat I'm trying to loose it. Took advice changed to 3 meals increased my calories I've lost 14 pound in 4 weeks. The body needs the fuel to burn the fat fact it works.

I wish I could find the link but one of the reasons is your metabolism. Some people have always under ate and have a slowed metabolism and when you start to eat more( usually more often) you will gain weight at first and than once your metabolism speeds to what your normal should be you will start to loose weight. The body is crazy.

You have to look at it as if you where under eating your body will want to store more. So when you over eat at times it all goes to storage. If you keep fed your body will not need to store as it once did.

Why does everyone say eat more calories and you will lose weight?
I could make my diary public if you guys want to look and tell me if it looks ok or not. I am trying to keep carbs down. Carbs just stick to me.
I just started 2 weeks ago and lost 2 lbs so far. It feels very slow......

Well, it is false that eating more directly leads to weight loss.

But eating more may help you continue long term rather than short term.

Depends on what "eating more" is referring to. To the girl earlier today who decided to eat 900 a day and asked if that was good, many people told her no -it's not and she needs to eat more and will have better success if she does. To those who eat everything in sight and don't watch their diet at all, then of course eat more is not good advice for them.

Rather than just "eat more", most of us who offer that advice are meaning specifically, eat more than the standard 1200 that MFP spits out when everyone sets their loss goal for 2lbs a week, even if they only have 10-20lbs to lose. That's too aggressive a goal, and leaves them with too large a deficit.

So rather than just "eat more" - eat the PROPER amount of calories for your stats - m/f, height, current weight, activity level and goals. Basically in between your BMR and your TDEE. MFP works beautifully when used correctly - info and goals entered accurately and reasonably, and when exercise cals (at least a good portion of them) are eaten back, bringing daily NET cals at or very near goal, and you're still at a deficit for the day.

Those who are set at 1200 cals and refuse to eat a single exercise cal "because it's stupid after all that hard work" will get an "EAT MORE" from me every time. Food is fuel, and you will have your best success if you're properly fueling your body for your daily life and exercise. Fat comes off, lean muscle is preserved, and you get to your goals in a sustainable manner that you can stick with. Drastic calorie cuts and huge deficits lead to burn out and yo-yo dieting.

That's why some of us say eat more. Besides - why limit yourself to 1200 when you can eat more (1800-2000 in my case) and still lose the fat and inches? I'd much rather enjoy life and the foods I love while dropping the weight than restricting myself and having to cut out so many things to try to stick to a lower number.

Why does everyone say eat more calories and you will lose weight?
I could make my diary public if you guys want to look and tell me if it looks ok or not. I am trying to keep carbs down. Carbs just stick to me.
I just started 2 weeks ago and lost 2 lbs so far. It feels very slow......

Well, it is false that eating more directly leads to weight loss.

But eating more may help you continue long term rather than short term.

Depends on what "eating more" is referring to. To the girl earlier today who decided to eat 900 a day and asked if that was good, many people told her no -it's not and she needs to eat more and will have better success if she does. To those who eat everything in sight and don't watch their diet at all, then of course eat more is not good advice for them.

Rather than just "eat more", most of us who offer that advice are meaning specifically, eat more than the standard 1200 that MFP spits out when everyone sets their loss goal for 2lbs a week, even if they only have 10-20lbs to lose. That's too aggressive a goal, and leaves them with too large a deficit.

So rather than just "eat more" - eat the PROPER amount of calories for your stats - m/f, height, current weight, activity level and goals. Basically in between your BMR and your TDEE. MFP works beautifully when used correctly - info and goals entered accurately and reasonably, and when exercise cals (at least a good portion of them) are eaten back, bringing daily NET cals at or very near goal, and you're still at a deficit for the day.

Those who are set at 1200 cals and refuse to eat a single exercise cal "because it's stupid after all that hard work" will get an "EAT MORE" from me every time. Food is fuel, and you will have your best success if you're properly fueling your body for your daily life and exercise. Fat comes off, lean muscle is preserved, and you get to your goals in a sustainable manner that you can stick with. Drastic calorie cuts and huge deficits lead to burn out and yo-yo dieting.

That's why some of us say eat more. Besides - why limit yourself to 1200 when you can eat more (1800-2000 in my case) and still lose the fat and inches? I'd much rather enjoy life and the foods I love while dropping the weight than restricting myself and having to cut out so many things to try to stick to a lower number.

love~

It has taken me years to work this out. I never eat breakfast had hardly anything for lunch small night meal. Told by dieatation I'm not eating enough. Yeh that's why I'm fat I'm trying to loose it. Took advice changed to 3 meals increased my calories I've lost 14 pound in 4 weeks. The body needs the fuel to burn the fat fact it works.

So essentially you were eating 2 very small "meals" a day? Good lord, that's why upping calories worked for you. Your body was starving, any calories you DID consume your body was turning to fat.

As for me, 1200-1300 is working pretty well now and wasn't what lead to me straying from a healthy lifestyle. I don't feel weak, I haven't had to cut many things from my diet so it hasn't lead to binges personally, and I don't feel hungry. However I do assume this has to do mostly with my size and activity level which isn't as much as I'd like yet since I'm working a desk job. Also assume that I'll have up the calories some as I increase the amount of time I workout (Still easing in and doing as much research as possible to do this right.)

I think the 1200 thing is too low in the majority of cases. Remember that the diet industry wants you to fail, so they make more profit.

Not even talking about starvation mode or any of that.... 1200 is a lot harder mentally than say, 1600. Its harder to stick to, you're more likely to mess up and cheat. If you bump it up to something more reasonable, you're less likely to feel deprived and miserable.

Mostly people don't say eat more in order to lose more weight. They see eat more to lose mostly fat (instead of mostly muscle) and to be healthy. But there is some evidence that eating at a more severe deficit leads to moving around less (to conserve energy). Eating more calories can provide the necessary energy to workout harder as well as increase daily activity like taking the stairs or walking to work.

For me personally that seems to be the case. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I can't handle much of a deficit before I'm too lethargic to get up and move around.

Smart lady right here.

I agree. Im trying to lose weight, but mostly fat specifically and maintain my muscles. If you eat too little your body begins to use muscle as a source of energy. I eat more on my days that I exercise more intensely.

Mostly people don't say eat more in order to lose more weight. They see eat more to lose mostly fat (instead of mostly muscle) and to be healthy. But there is some evidence that eating at a more severe deficit leads to moving around less (to conserve energy). Eating more calories can provide the necessary energy to workout harder as well as increase daily activity like taking the stairs or walking to work.

For me personally that seems to be the case. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I can't handle much of a deficit before I'm too lethargic to get up and move around.

+1, same for me. I started at 1200 calories then I upped to1500 and now I'm losing more, because at 1200 I become lazy and lethargic, skip workouts and occasionally binge.