Does eating more calories really work?

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Neliel
Neliel Posts: 507 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm afraid i've reached a bit of a plateau as I have been battling with the same 2 pounds for about 3 weeks. I lose the 2 pounds and then all of a sudden it goes back up again. On average I eat about 1000 - 1300 calories a day but i'm afraid if I try eating more than that i'm just going to put the 'Christmas weight' back on. I'm still waiting for the 30 day shred video to arrive which i'm hoping will confuse my body a bit.
I'm just really worried that i'll be stuck here now.
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Replies

  • craek
    craek Posts: 201 Member
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    I always find that if I have been eating well for a few weeks..one day of bad food choices actually helps me lose. But, everyone is different.
  • testepp
    testepp Posts: 15
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    Eating so little may make your body go into "starvation mode" ... which can very well make you gain. You should be eating at least 1200 a day, no matter what. I find that MFP's suggestions are very good, however.

    I used to eat too little, too. Since starting MFP I've lost 13 lbs ... at a daily caloric intake of anywhere from 2000-3000(!) calories depending on exercise, because I'm extremely overweight. I was actually GAINING weight when I was eating too little - because of the starvation aspect I was talking about !

    You should also be consistent. If you eat 1000, then 500, then 2500 or something even less drastic, your body assumes that you're starving and will try to save calories. You need to make sure it knows you're not starving. ;)
  • lushy20
    lushy20 Posts: 215 Member
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    if you are exercising you should be eating at least half of your exercise calories back or your body will go into starvation mode therefore making it harder to lose, your body need 1200 at least a day if you burn 500 of them off your body is only functioning on 700. i dont eat all my exercise calories but i do try to eat half
  • Genie30
    Genie30 Posts: 316 Member
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    I used to have my goal set to 2lb loss a week. After Christmas i was really struggling to lose weight and I found that I was always going over my calories goal by 100 cals or so. To stop me feeling like a failure every day I changed my goal to 1lb loss a week and have lost over half a stone since. I think my body must like the amount of food I'm eating and therefore feels safe enough to lose some excess weight.
  • tameka1220
    tameka1220 Posts: 517 Member
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    Eating so little may make your body go into "starvation mode" ... which can very well make you gain. You should be eating at least 1200 a day, no matter what. I find that MFP's suggestions are very good, however.

    I used to eat too little, too. Since starting MFP I've lost 13 lbs ... at a daily caloric intake of anywhere from 2000-3000(!) calories depending on exercise, because I'm extremely overweight. I was actually GAINING weight when I was eating too little - because of the starvation aspect I was talking about !

    You should also be consistent. If you eat 1000, then 500, then 2500 or something even less drastic, your body assumes that you're starving and will try to save calories. You need to make sure it knows you're not starving. ;)

    I agree!! I didnt believe it at first. But i tried it and my plateau is broken!
  • TammyK777
    TammyK777 Posts: 230 Member
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    I always find that if I have been eating well for a few weeks..one day of bad food choices actually helps me lose. But, everyone is different.

    me too! plus extra water
  • RosieB405
    RosieB405 Posts: 150 Member
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    Eating works trust me anytime I don't eat my calories I don't loose anything at all and once I start eating them again I start losing again. Some people think calories are like money and you should save as many as you can but instead they are like vacation days (the use them or loose them kind). Which means you need to use them for you overall well being and you shouldn't try to not use them all because your body needs those "vacation days" if not it gets grouchy just like you.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    I'm afraid i've reached a bit of a plateau as I have been battling with the same 2 pounds for about 3 weeks. I lose the 2 pounds and then all of a sudden it goes back up again. On average I eat about 1000 - 1300 calories a day but i'm afraid if I try eating more than that i'm just going to put the 'Christmas weight' back on. I'm still waiting for the 30 day shred video to arrive which i'm hoping will confuse my body a bit.
    I'm just really worried that i'll be stuck here now.

    Bump up your calories for a few days. You can do it in a healthy manner simply by adding an additional piece of fruit and an extra serving of complex carbs (sweet potato, brown rice, etc.). It's actualy not a bad idea to do that every 3-4 days to keep your body guessing.

    What does your diet look like? Lots of different foods can lead to water retention, especially salt. Speaking of water, if you are exercising a lot, try drinking a few extra glasses of it. The air around us is really dry @ this time of year, so it can be difficult to stay well hydrated.
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
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    All comments are really really appreciated folks!
    I just need to know i'm doing the right thing and a bit of reassurance that i'm not going to be stuck here for the next 4 months.
  • lrd444
    lrd444 Posts: 1
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    Amen!
  • SkinnyScripty
    SkinnyScripty Posts: 42
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    Starvation mode is a myth, I can't believe people honestly still believe it!

    I think it might have something to do with your water. Obsess about it for a few days and I promise you'll see a diff :) x
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
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    Dude i've been drinking more water than normal lately. So it's not that.
    Something's not right.
  • SkinnyScripty
    SkinnyScripty Posts: 42
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    Sodium?
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
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    Nope that's been relatively low. I don't know why i'm replying to you on here when you're talking to me on msn.
  • testepp
    testepp Posts: 15
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    http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/fewer-calories-stalls-metabolism.aspx

    It's not just a myth.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    Starvation mode is a myth, I can't believe people honestly still believe it!

    I think it might have something to do with your water. Obsess about it for a few days and I promise you'll see a diff :) x

    What are your sources? I'd love to believe you, I'm not judging but MFP is overrun by starvation-mode theory so is caloriescount.com etc, just more reasons to believe it’s correct. I'd love to say it doesn't exist so let me know if you have info on that.

    If starvation mode was 100% accurate, then why do people loose weight on VLC intake either due to illness or b/c they have an eating disorder? We are talking about healthy sized people becoming skinny. Yes, lean muscle mass is lost but enough to drop 20+ lbs? Seems like your muscles would atrophy if you lost that much lean mass and wouldn’t be able to move which only occurs in people with BMI of about 14 and people with various medical illnesses.
  • Shamrock40
    Shamrock40 Posts: 264
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    I used to have my goal set to 2lb loss a week. After Christmas i was really struggling to lose weight and I found that I was always going over my calories goal by 100 cals or so. To stop me feeling like a failure every day I changed my goal to 1lb loss a week and have lost over half a stone since. I think my body must like the amount of food I'm eating and therefore feels safe enough to lose some excess weight.

    BINGO!!

    Don't set yourself up for failure. I set my calories to reflect a 1.5 lb weight loss per week. I have lost 8.5 lbs in 16 days. I'm eating back all my exercise calories with maybe 100-150 leftover per day. Eating more, especially when you're exercising, DOES WORK!!
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    You should also be consistent. If you eat 1000, then 500, then 2500 or something even less drastic, your body assumes that you're starving and will try to save calories. You need to make sure it knows you're not starving. ;)

    I disagree, calorie cycling is a great way to boost your metabolism. Going from 500 to 2500 of course is extreme but eating 1200 one day, 1400 the next, then 2000 calories, then 1100 and so on tricks your body into thinking you are getting consistent amounts of food so it won't go into starvation mode for the 24 hour period you are eating less.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/fewer-calories-stalls-metabolism.aspx

    It's not just a myth.

    The #1 reason why people believe in starvation mode is b/c they binge at the end of a VLCD so therefore it must exists right? Not necessarily (that’s to address the very last second of the article you posted).

    It's like how our bodies used to be able to deject raw meat, we can't do that anymore so does our body really go into starvation mode? We may just be setting ourselves up for failure by consuming 1000 calories regularly then binging on a weekend full of fun and 6000 calories thereby causing an immediate fictitious gain (bloating) and starting a pattern of continuous over-eating b/c of saddening “what’s the point?” feelings after the sugar and fat overload triggers negative responses in our brains.

    Sincerely, Devils Advocate, LOL ;)
  • Shamrock40
    Shamrock40 Posts: 264
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    Starvation mode is a myth, I can't believe people honestly still believe it!

    I think it might have something to do with your water. Obsess about it for a few days and I promise you'll see a diff :) x

    What are your sources? I'd love to believe you, I'm not judging but MFP is overrun by starvation-mode theory so is caloriescount.com etc, just more reasons to believe it’s correct. I'd love to say it doesn't exist so let me know if you have info on that.

    If starvation mode was 100% accurate, then why do people loose weight on VLC intake either due to illness or b/c they have an eating disorder? We are talking about healthy sized people becoming skinny. Yes, lean muscle mass is lost but enough to drop 20+ lbs? Seems like your muscles would atrophy if you lost that much lean mass and wouldn’t be able to move which only occurs in people with BMI of about 14 and people with various medical illnesses.

    People on VLC intake are "normally" under the care of a physician, and, as such, are taking in additional supplements so their bodies are not deficient in the nutrients they need. I have experience with a family member who continues to battle anorexia. Extremely low calorie intake for an extended period of time, obsessive exercising, no menstrual cycle, no muscle mass ... not healthy.

    Set realistic goals for yourself, including some junk foods in moderation. Most people are trying to make a lifestyle change. You're not going to never eat junk food again. You are trying to do this in a healthy manner so you can maintain the weight loss and be healthy without medical problems.

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