Upped my calories

penelopeyvonne
penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, after reading lots of posts on MFP and elsewhere about BMR and TDEE - and after reaching a very long plateau!! - I decided two weeks ago to up the 1215 calories that I have been on as long as I have been with MFP (January last year) to 1700. Sometimes I wasn't even eating up to the 1215.

I found it very hard indeed to get my head around eating more for the first week - averaging about 1400, and that was a bit of an effort - and ignoring the exercise calories I could eat back, although still exercising (of course!).

Had a really good result at the end of Week One with 4lbs loss. Much less of a result this week with a 5lb gain :noway:

However, I do know that it's going to take a good couple of weeks for my body to realise that I'm eating more on a regular basis, and not just cling on to the calories I'm eating as though it's just an extended One-Off feast.

So, I'm sticking with this new regime for another four weeks, seeing how it goes, and if it all goes a big fat pear-shape then I shall Shock & Awe it back to the 1200.

Oh, on the plus side, lot an inch around my waist this week! :blushing:

Wish me luck!

Replies

  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
    Great progress and well done on taking the long view. It's always easier said than done for me!
    Good luck and fingers crossed you get to have more than 1215 calories and no shock and awe is required!!
  • Super_Amy
    Super_Amy Posts: 97 Member
    I finally lost my last few pounds after upping my calories. It can work.
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    Thanks to both of you for your replies and encouragement. I'm feeling pretty positive about it, though do feel somewhat guilty that I am sometimes stuffing myself just to eat those extra calories. That, I know, is simply that I've been on a low number for such a long time.

    It's quite fun, though, planning meals UP rather than DOWN :devil:
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
    Can someone please put it in an easy to understand way how upping calories will give you a loss. Isn't high calories what got us all here in the first place. I would love to grab on to this since extra calories seems fun but I can't wrap my mind around it! If we could all up our calories and lose weight then why are we here? Why are some of us still overweight? I have read a lot of stuff on here but I don't understand most of it. Is there an easier way to understand how more cals=weight loss?
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    Can someone please put it in an easy to understand way how upping calories will give you a loss. Isn't high calories what got us all here in the first place. I would love to grab on to this since extra calories seems fun but I can't wrap my mind around it! If we could all up our calories and lose weight then why are we here? Why are some of us still overweight? I have read a lot of stuff on here but I don't understand most of it. Is there an easier way to understand how more cals=weight loss?

    I read a really excellent explanatory post on this just two weeks ago that was my inspiration for giving this a try, after finding the whole thing really really confusing. I've just tried looking for it to show you but just can't find it. If there's anyone out there reading this or wasthe original writer of that post ... Do please reshare ... I'd definitely like to make a proper note of it, and to share it with the lady above.

    Yes, it was the Eating Too Many Calories got us here in the first place BUT I guess I didn't care what sort of calories they were ... too much rubbish, too many "empty" calories and certainly no exercise whatsoever. Now it's much less cr@p, less wine, and a darn' sight more moving around! But also realising now that if I don't eat much more above the bare minimum, my body is going to hold on to more of it just to maintain itself. That's why, I guess, there's been a bit of an increase this week. Disappointed in that, but not overly concerned. Yet.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Can someone please put it in an easy to understand way how upping calories will give you a loss. Isn't high calories what got us all here in the first place. I would love to grab on to this since extra calories seems fun but I can't wrap my mind around it! If we could all up our calories and lose weight then why are we here? Why are some of us still overweight? I have read a lot of stuff on here but I don't understand most of it. Is there an easier way to understand how more cals=weight loss?

    Ultimately upping your calories doesn't lead to more rapid fat loss. It's possible to cause your body to retain water by eating too little while trying to burn off additional calories through cardio, essentially stressing your body out and elevating your cortisol levels. In such a situation, eating a bit more or backing off the cardio could produce a "weight loss" by reducing the stress on your body (note I said weight, not extra fat loss) and getting rid of that water weight - but that's water weight loss, and not additional fat loss.

    The reason why people typically recommend eating more than 1200 calories is because most people don't find it sustainable to stick with such a small amount of calories for a lengthy period of time. The whole notion that your body will "hold onto more calories" and that will slow down your fat loss, relative to eating more calories, is nonsense. Metabolic adaptation is real but it's much more likely to lead to diminishing returns rather than plateaus; in short, you'll still lose faster over time at 1200 calories than 1700 calories. But, if eating 1200 leaves you hungry and miserable, then odds are you won't sustain it and that faster loss won't do you much good. So, in that situation, you're better off in the long run eating more than 1200 calories and dealing with slower weight loss.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
    Your body is adjusting to your new calorie level. You will still lose weight on 1700; just have to give your body time! Also, you could be up water weight due to PMS. A lot us were probably up in weight around Easter; I know I ate 600 more calories than I normally do!

    A lot of things can cause water weight... PMS, a sodium filled day, not pooping, weighing yourself before peeing, and your body gaining water from eating more than what it is used to, even if you're still at a deficit. Sometimes I wouldn't lose any weight for a couple weeks back when I was on a large deficit ( eating like 1300-1400 calories and burning 600 or more calories ) right after ovulation and the weight always dropped off when my period started. It was a cycle.

    I would weigh in next week and the weight will probably drop off.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Can someone please put it in an easy to understand way how upping calories will give you a loss. Isn't high calories what got us all here in the first place. I would love to grab on to this since extra calories seems fun but I can't wrap my mind around it! If we could all up our calories and lose weight then why are we here? Why are some of us still overweight? I have read a lot of stuff on here but I don't understand most of it. Is there an easier way to understand how more cals=weight loss?

    It isn't eating a "high" calorie goal or as much as you want, you still have to eat under your TDEE, but it is a higher calorie goal than you were.
    There is a group here with a ton of stickies regarding it
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Eating too few calories can have a negative impact on your progress for a number of reasons. Many people have found success by upping calories while still staying under their TDEE.

    Here is one article that deals with really low calorie goals and lots of cardio
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    I don't have the exact answer, but I do believe that there needs to be a balance.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Sorry OP, I meant to reply to you. Congrats and good luck. You have a great attitude about it. I was prepared for a freak out. Hang in there.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Oh, on the plus side, lot an inch around my waist this week! blushing
    You lost an inch - who cares what the scale says?? This should be an eye-opener for you - THE SCALE LIES! :tongue: Well, it doesn't lie, it tells you how much you weigh at any given time, BUT - it's not the best way to see progress. An inch off means fat loss, smaller waistline, visible results. A pound or two off the scale could be water weight, hormonal, any number of things. I went about six months with the scale showing me up and down the same few pounds, week after week. But during that time I lost inches galore, and was out buying jeans a size smaller than what I had been wearing. :drinker:

    Become good friends with your tape measure and stick with the higher calorie intake. Don't let the scale mess with your head. Take progress pics so you have a visual comparison. And be patient. Stick to the plan - it works!
  • Alphonse
    Alphonse Posts: 3
    I am. 225 pounds and want to lose 30 pounds. I workout 5 days a week and burn 550-750 calories a day. How many calories do I need to eat to reach my weight lose goal?
  • enchantedgardener
    enchantedgardener Posts: 214 Member
    I started off doing 1200-1300 calories a day for the first few weeks. It was a great kickstarter for my weight loss, losing at the rate of about 2 lbs per week. It was not sustainable. I was hungry quite often and found it difficult to meet my calcium/iron requirements.

    I have been eating 1700 calories for the last few months. I find it *is* sustainable. I am almost always satisfied with the number of calories I now consume. Some days I even have to push myself to eat a little more because I want to get fairly close to 1700 most days. I have enough calories to allow myself a few treats now and again: a glass of wine, a hamburger, a cookie. I'm losing at a rate of 1 lb per week and loving the fact that I don't ever feel like my eating is 'restricted' in any way.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I am. 225 pounds and want to lose 30 pounds. I workout 5 days a week and burn 550-750 calories a day. How many calories do I need to eat to reach my weight lose goal?

    MFP does all the math for you. Put in your stats, selected your daily activity level (this is your day job, etc. It does NOT include exercise. Also keep in mind few people are truly sedentary so most should pick lightly active), then your weight loss goal. For 30 lbs you should be around 1 lb a week goal. Log your exercise and eat at least a portion of them back.

    Or you can go to a site that will figure your TDEE. like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
    These levels DO account for activity. Take the number and subtract 20% and that is your goal. You do not log exercise calories and eat them back with this method as they are already included.

    A good post explaining everything I just talked about
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?
  • skittlesnhoney
    skittlesnhoney Posts: 651 Member
    Well for me I was losing 2-3 lbs. a week. I have done that before and it's just not sustainable. When I got close to the weight I wanted to be, I just kind of gave up and got complacent, and the weight started coming back on.

    I was just reading an article recently that said when you eat at a low calorie level and do high cardio (which I was doing), 6 of your 13 lbs. lost will be muscle mass. That's almost 50%! And when you regain the weight, you gain it all back in fat! Rinse-repeat if you have yo-yo dieted or lost and gained, lost and gained over time. No wonder I have so much body fat!

    Eating more with a .5 lb to 1 lb. a week loss is more sustainable and will be more body fat than muscle mass loss. I'm not willing to take the risk of losing more muscle mass, so I will definitely be eating at my TDEE - 15-20% and never, ever 1200 again!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Can someone please put it in an easy to understand way how upping calories will give you a loss. Isn't high calories what got us all here in the first place. I would love to grab on to this since extra calories seems fun but I can't wrap my mind around it! If we could all up our calories and lose weight then why are we here? Why are some of us still overweight? I have read a lot of stuff on here but I don't understand most of it. Is there an easier way to understand how more cals=weight loss?

    You still eat at a deficit...If someone puts in that they want to lose 2 Lbs per week on MFP and appropriately sets their activity level without including exercise then MFP will give them a 1000 calorie deficit to lose weight without any exercise. For many people this is unsustainable and they have serious issues with dietary adherence...it is also very aggressive and can lead to a lack of nutrition which in turn can cause hormonal imbalances and other issues which make it difficult to lose weight.

    Eating slightly more...say at a 500 calorie deficit, you're still going to lose weight and many people experience better dietary adherence and thus they ultimately lose the weight faster. They also tend to get better overall nutrition, particularly dietary fat requisites and protein.

    Eating more doesn't mean that you eat over your maintenance number...just at a smaller, and often more sustainable deficit of energy.
  • arcticqueen
    arcticqueen Posts: 15 Member
    So, I'm sticking with this new regime for another four weeks, seeing how it goes, and if it all goes a big fat pear-shape then I shall Shock & Awe it back to the 1200.

    You might need to give it more than a month, and you might have to adjust along the way. I started out at a very big deficit (1200 net) and lost quite a bit. But I felt hungry ALL the time, and hit a dead end after 50 lbs. After reading up on BMR and TDEE, I found that I should have been eating 1900 for my activity level (to maintain). I started out eating around 1800 each day and wasn't losing or gaining, so after two months of a plateau, I lowered my intake to 1700 and I lost (and continue to lose) about a pound a week.
    Don't give up! Really give it a chance, because if you go back to 1200, it will take you longer to get to where you want to be. Good luck!
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    <<Sorry OP, I meant to reply to you. Congrats and good luck. You have a great attitude about it. I was prepared for a freak out. Hang in there.>>

    Thank you - that's nice to hear. Someone at work said today she didn't think I needed to lose any more - I want to lose at least another stone (14lbs) and hopefully a stone & a half. At the moment, clothes-wise, I'm hovering between a UK 16 & 18 (I don't know what that is in North American, but I know you're different over there...)

    The thing is, I'm really pleased with the progress, and happy in the way I've done it. My brother-in-law would always say, "It ain't Rocket Science - Move More, Eat Less". Very easy for someone naturally active and sporty to say that... but you should see the chocolate he puts away (and gets away with, mostly!!).
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    Oh, on the plus side, lot an inch around my waist this week! blushing
    You lost an inch - who cares what the scale says?? This should be an eye-opener for you - THE SCALE LIES! :tongue: Well, it doesn't lie, it tells you how much you weigh at any given time, BUT - it's not the best way to see progress. An inch off means fat loss, smaller waistline, visible results. A pound or two off the scale could be water weight, hormonal, any number of things. I went about six months with the scale showing me up and down the same few pounds, week after week. But during that time I lost inches galore, and was out buying jeans a size smaller than what I had been wearing. :drinker:

    Become good friends with your tape measure and stick with the higher calorie intake. Don't let the scale mess with your head. Take progress pics so you have a visual comparison. And be patient. Stick to the plan - it works!

    AmyRhubarb (fantastic name!!)

    Thank you sooooo much, this is really REALLY lovely to read. The encouragement is wonderful.
  • penelopeyvonne
    penelopeyvonne Posts: 97 Member
    <<You might need to give it more than a month, and you might have to adjust along the way. I started out at a very big deficit (1200 net) and lost quite a bit. But I felt hungry ALL the time, and hit a dead end after 50 lbs. After reading up on BMR and TDEE, I found that I should have been eating 1900 for my activity level (to maintain). I started out eating around 1800 each day and wasn't losing or gaining, so after two months of a plateau, I lowered my intake to 1700 and I lost (and continue to lose) about a pound a week.
    Don't give up! Really give it a chance, because if you go back to 1200, it will take you longer to get to where you want to be. Good luck!>>

    ArcticQueen (and another great name). This is absolutely how I felt and feel - on 1200 a day, all of my thoughts seemed to be about food. On 1700, much less so (or, rather, to the extent that I'm thinking what to eat to achieve them :laugh: !!) I feel now that what I'm doing is absolutely right for me. And that perhaps you're quite right about giving it longer than a month...

    Thank you!
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
    Thank you, ill read these!

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