Should I increase my calories?

segacs wrote: »

If you're losing 1lb/week, that's a normal healthy rate and doesn't mean you've stalled.

It's normal to be losing at a faster pace when you're bigger, and for that pace to slow down once you're smaller. On a percentage of body weight basis, you're probably losing steadily.

I say keep doing what you're doing.

^^Agree.

If you are burning 2500 or greater calories a day then I would think you have room to increase your intake. Why did you decide on 1200? I know you said yout TDEE is 1700 but also say you're burning 2500? Again I would suggest EM2WL group. They seem to have good success with people that have been eating at 1200 for an extended period.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Aviva92 wrote: »

SergeantSausage wrote: »

By what fundamental misunderstanding of physics and reality do folks think eating more will result in greater weight loss?

I've been here since 1 Jan, and seen it every day. Multiple times a day. Every. Day.

You're bailing out a boat that is slowly filling up with water and sinking... or maybe you're just keeping up with the water flowing in and barely staying afloat ... and you think making the hole on the deck BIGGER (?!?) and letting more water come in at a faster rate will keep the boat from sinking ? Really?

smh ...

This was a hugely wide held belief a few years ago on myfitnesspal by many of the long time posters. I'm glad to see that it isn't really an accepted belief anymore overall.

No it wasn't....

You and others just have a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of eating more and still losing weight...you still have to be in a deficit of energy...anyone who knows anything knows that you have to be in a deficit.

I don't know any veteran posters who actually know what they're talking about actually talk about starvations mode and upping your calories if you're not losing...if you're not losing you're not in an energy deficit, whether you think you are or not.

OP, if you're not losing, you're eating more than you think you are or you're not burning as much as you think you're burning...something is off in your equation or your estimations. Also, slowing down is normal as you get closer to your goal...as you shrink, so does deficit because you don't require as many calories to maintain...so naturally, things would slow down.

Actually it was. I originally started in August 2012, and the idea of increasing calories to lose weight was a huge thing on these boards. Things have definitely shifted to encouraging consistent and accurate logging. Back then, if you came on the boards and said you were eating 1200 calories and not losing, the overwhelming majority of posters would have told you to increase calories.

Probably your wight loss is slowing down that's all. You have less to lose after you doing so great.
It is normal that it slows down when you have less to lose.
When you are still losing 1lbs a week i wouldn't change a thing.

Claairey1992 wrote: »

@SergeantSausage‌ .. It's only one tiny forum on one website, hardly has the ability to influence the entire world!!

You're obviously trying to make out what I belief is irrational which is simply not true .. Go to any dietician & they'll simply confirm what I'm saying then you can come back & try to argue with me. Infact don't bother I dont particularly want to talk to you again unless of course you've developed some manners by that stage.

Oh and fyi, would take ALOT more than a couple of harsh words from you to hurt my feelings was just trying to tell people to show some common decency ...

Whether you like what he has to say, or how he says it, he is not wrong. Sorry.

Dnarules wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Aviva92 wrote: »

SergeantSausage wrote: »

By what fundamental misunderstanding of physics and reality do folks think eating more will result in greater weight loss?

I've been here since 1 Jan, and seen it every day. Multiple times a day. Every. Day.

You're bailing out a boat that is slowly filling up with water and sinking... or maybe you're just keeping up with the water flowing in and barely staying afloat ... and you think making the hole on the deck BIGGER (?!?) and letting more water come in at a faster rate will keep the boat from sinking ? Really?

smh ...

This was a hugely wide held belief a few years ago on myfitnesspal by many of the long time posters. I'm glad to see that it isn't really an accepted belief anymore overall.

No it wasn't....

You and others just have a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of eating more and still losing weight...you still have to be in a deficit of energy...anyone who knows anything knows that you have to be in a deficit.

I don't know any veteran posters who actually know what they're talking about actually talk about starvations mode and upping your calories if you're not losing...if you're not losing you're not in an energy deficit, whether you think you are or not.

OP, if you're not losing, you're eating more than you think you are or you're not burning as much as you think you're burning...something is off in your equation or your estimations. Also, slowing down is normal as you get closer to your goal...as you shrink, so does deficit because you don't require as many calories to maintain...so naturally, things would slow down.

Actually it was. I originally started in August 2012, and the idea of increasing calories to lose weight was a huge thing on these boards. Things have definitely shifted to encouraging consistent and accurate logging. Back then, if you came on the boards and said you were eating 1200 calories and not losing, the overwhelming majority of posters would have told you to increase calories.

as i stated earlier, this is still the most common response on these thread...by people who don't know what the frick they're talking about. I pretty much never see an actual veteran poster (and I've been here since 2012) who knows their *kitten* ever tell anyone to increase their calories when someone isn't losing at all.

and OP...it's not that I or others think your maintenance is 1200...if you're still losing 1 Lb per week, that means your maintenance is around 1700-1800 calories or so...with estimation errors probably closer to 2000 calories or so. There is some adaptive thermogenesis that takes place when you diet for a long time, but it is rather insignificant.

You said your tdee is 1700 and your eating 1200, which should equal 1 pound per week. You're losing 1 pound per week. What's the problem?

Claairey1992 wrote: »

Firstly, when I say "drastically slowed down" I mean I'm losing a pound per week which for me is slow! You guys are gonna just have to trust me on that one, I know my metabolism & my body & usually when im eating at such a deficit I lose more.

You were losing more per week, because you had more to lose. For the 29 pounds you have left (and looking at your picture, I have to think "from where?!" because you look pretty damn good), it's going to be slower. One pound a week is PERFECT. When you get between 10-15 pounds of your goal, a half pound a week would be perfect. Also, as you get closer to your goal, focus less on the scale. Go by how clothes fit and progress photos.

Overall, I believe in Calories In, Calories Out. Because that's just math. But not eating enough and/or not eating properly can result in decreased energy, losing a disproportionate amount of lean mass vs. body fat, and generally make it much harder to stick to it.

I know myself, when I (foolishly) thought I had to eat under 1000 calories a day to lose, I felt like crap. I had no energy, so I'd go to work, come home, go to bed. Eating more than that (currently, I'm at 1500 + most of my exercise calories, so usually between 1700-2000 a day), I have more energy, so I'm a lot more active. Being more active, I burn more calories. I still lost weight when I was eating minimally, but I was also losing a good chunk of lean mass, because I wasn't strength training and getting enough protein. And most of all, I lost morale, because when I got to my goal weight, I felt like poop, looked like poop and thought, "I can't do this any more."