Upping calorie intake to lose weight?

3furballs
3furballs Posts: 476 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to lose 10-12lbs that I've managed to gain, mostly in December. I weighed myself at the beginning of the month and was 148 at the gym with clothes on. Was at the naturopath yesterday and she weighed me and I was 150 with clothes! Now, she thinks it's hormonal as I'm having some issues but I want this weight gone! I had my calories set to 1300 a day and usually burned 500 cal 6 days a week in exercise so would actually eat 1700-1800 a day. I've just changed my goals to 1667 net calories, do you think this will help or is it basically just moving the numbers around but not changing much? I used a BMR of 1344 and TDEE of 2084 -15%. Does that sound right?

I know I probably get more sugar than I should but I'd like to enjoy some of the treats I like. I've upped my calories at lunch by switching to a quinoa and veggie salad rather than just veggie with a hardboiled egg in an effort to up my protein as well.

Any thoughts on the numbers? To those that have more familiarity of BMR and TDEE, does that sound right? I work in an office, I walk to work (about 30 min at a fast pace) and workout 7 times a week over 6 days (3 times is kettlebell and 4 is cardio kickboxing against the heavy bag).

Replies

  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
    edited January 2015
    Do you have a food scale? Calorie dense things can add up, if you're eyeballing. Do you take cheat days? If you're gaining weight, I wouldn't be upping calories. I'd keep them where they are and tighten up logging first, if that's an issue.

    I know excess cortisol from stress can mask loss but not over a length of time.

    You only gained two pounds. Could thethe clothes you were wearing from one visit to the next been heavier? Different shoes? Had you had a bowel movement recently?

    It could be you're maintaining, not gaining and you took a weight that happened to be higher one day then the next. Also, you will weigh differently on different scales. There can be a few pound difference from one scale to the next. Only use one scale to judge weight and make sure all circumstances are the same.

    Eta:also, beware wrong or generic entries in the database.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    The numbers don't matter.

    What you put into your mouth does.

    Start there.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    The numbers don't matter.

    What you put into your mouth does.

    Start there.

    Oh okay. Guess my 53 lb loss while eating ice cream, fast food, and pizza while drastically reducing body fat and gaining fitness was all a fluke, then.

    Thermodynamics is broken ladies and gentlemen. We can pack our bags and go home.

    That's a sweet blanket statement that helps no one.

    It absolutely matters "how much". Now, sure getting your nutrient intake is important for overall health and body composition but it still doesn't disregard thermodynamics. CICO
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    edited January 2015
    3furballs wrote: »
    I had my calories set to 1300 a day and usually burned 500 cal 6 days a week in exercise so would actually eat 1700-1800 a day. I've just changed my goals to 1667 net calories, do you think this will help or is it basically just moving the numbers around but not changing much? I used a BMR of 1344 and TDEE of 2084 -15%. Does that sound right?

    Any thoughts on the numbers? To those that have more familiarity of BMR and TDEE, does that sound right? I work in an office, I walk to work (about 30 min at a fast pace) and workout 7 times a week over 6 days (3 times is kettlebell and 4 is cardio kickboxing against the heavy bag).

    When you're working with TDEE - it's total calories, not net. Otherwise you're double-counting your exercise.

    I don't know that I'd give much credence to two weights taken on different scales, with different clothing and probably at different times of the day. Start weighing in regularly - on the same scale, in the same condition, at the same time of day.

    I wouldn't adjust your calories upward at this point. I'd keep them flat until you have a month of data, then see where you are. My guess is actually that you're overcounting your exercise, if only by the amount that is included in your baseline calories.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    The numbers don't matter.

    What you put into your mouth does.

    Start there.

    That isn't how science works.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    Okay, so you weighed yourself at your gym a month ago, and you weighed yourself somewhere else and you gained two pounds? I could lose several pounds right away just using the scale in my bathroom instead of the Wii!

    I recommend that you either a. buy a scale, or b. weigh yourself at the gym. Your weight is going to be most accurate first thing in the AM after using the bathroom but before you eat or drink.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited January 2015
    You won't lose more weight. But you may experience better gym performance, better overall energy, feel better, better diet adherence, etc. Perhaps better body compositional changes as well. I'm currently on a weighing-in break and eating 2200 (~10% deficit or near my estimated maintenance for my goal weight) because I"ve been too numbers focused. My gym performance was not ideal either, yet I was still eating 2000 calories. I'm clearly not going to lose faster but I may end up preferring my body comp, especially since I expect improved lifting sessions now and won't risk expending less energy and deloading more.

    Also... you weighed yourself with clothes on. Your clothes could easily have been upwards of 8lbs heavier. especially if you wore your shoes.
  • 3furballs
    3furballs Posts: 476 Member
    Thanks guys. I'll keep my net calories the same as I have been. I think I was more upset about not seeing a positive difference. Not a big deal to have the weight fluctuate by a pound or two, but the fact that I've been back on track for three weeks and there was no positive changes was depressing.

    Chouflour, I actually have a fitbit charge hr on the way, I'm hoping that will help with accuracy on the burn for my workouts.
  • Jroque12014
    Jroque12014 Posts: 6 Member
    I believe that the scale should be your last resort on reading into changes. try to measure your waste and thighs to see how much your body is changing. perhaps you are gaining lean muscle and cutting fat

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