Not Eating Enough Calories to Lose Weight

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electricmoogaloo
electricmoogaloo Posts: 5 Member
edited February 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm by no means overweight but last year I was on SSID's which pushed my weight up past what I'm comfortable with. I'm trying to loose it now, but my weight will not budge and I think it's because I don't eat enough calories, on a normal day I usually only eat about 1,400. Can anyone suggest ways increasing my calorie intake (like foods I should be eating for example) or suggest anything I could be doing to stop my body being in starvation mode?
Thanks!
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    No that's not right. You can't increase calories to lose weight .. what you can do is tighten up on your logging, weigh everything, log it carefully, never use cups, check calories against packages and other calorie databases, never use other people's homemade recipes and don't overestimate your exercise burns using the MFP database (cut them in half)

    That's general advice .. if you want specific you will need to set your diary to public

    PS it's Lose weight... and when you do your clothes will become loose
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    PPS Starvation mode doesn't exist (well something like it does but not in the way dieters like to use the term)... it's unfortunately one of those bro-science made-up myths that is constantly perpetuated by media and well-meaning friends

    Also see .. carbs make you fat, good carbs and bad carbs, sugar is bad for you, meal timing matters, breakfast is important .. all nonsense

    Count calories with care to eat at a defecit and move more

    If your numbers don't work over a month or 6 weeks and you're not losing weight, cut your calories or increase your exercise
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    No that's not right. You can't increase calories to lose weight .. what you can do is tighten up on your logging, weigh everything, log it carefully, never use cups, check calories against packages and other calorie databases, never use other people's homemade recipes and don't overestimate your exercise burns using the MFP database (cut them in half)

    That's general advice .. if you want specific you will need to set your diary to public

    PS it's Lose weight... and when you do your clothes will become loose

    Sometimes you can increase calories to lose weight. I have seen it work several times when people are eating very little and exercising too much. OP...if you are exercising a lot and never eating more than 1400 it could be your problem. How much do you exercise and how much do you weigh?
  • electricmoogaloo
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    I exercise most every day, walking around half an hour each way to work and when I'm not sick (like now) I do interval cross training for half an hour most mornings. I weigh 10st 10 and I'm 5"11. The cross training has made no difference so far and I think my body is kind of used to my normal eating habits and walking. I'm not really sure where to turn next!
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Try taking one day and eating 2800 calories. Your weight will probably swing up but disregard the scale for a few days. Your calories are a bit low and this 'spike' day should get you moving. If you are going to maintain 1400 calories, do this spike day once a week. If this doesn't work, please message me and I will help.
  • electricmoogaloo
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    Thanks for the advice! In the past I've found I've only really lost weight inadvertently through eating nutritionally dubious foods or not enough of anything so if I could lose a few pounds in a healthy way that would be awesome. On days where I spike my calories does it matter what I eat?
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    How do you eat on a normal day?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    4theking wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    No that's not right. You can't increase calories to lose weight .. what you can do is tighten up on your logging, weigh everything, log it carefully, never use cups, check calories against packages and other calorie databases, never use other people's homemade recipes and don't overestimate your exercise burns using the MFP database (cut them in half)

    That's general advice .. if you want specific you will need to set your diary to public

    PS it's Lose weight... and when you do your clothes will become loose

    Sometimes you can increase calories to lose weight. I have seen it work several times when people are eating very little and exercising too much. OP...if you are exercising a lot and never eating more than 1400 it could be your problem. How much do you exercise and how much do you weigh?

    Nope .. You can't .. cos Science!
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
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    I scrolled back through a couple weeks and you don't eat 1400 or under very often, so I don't think starvation mode is a concern. I'd suggest tightening up logging to weigh everything and eat only half your exercise calories for a while to see how it goes. Doesn't look like you've been at this all that long yet, so give it a little time. I see you've only identified 10lbs to lose, so that will and should go slowly... I also note you eat a lot of carbs and not much protein. While it's doesn't always matter where you get your calories, some bodies don't like carbs much in weight loss (mine is one of them). If things aren't working, try lowering your carbs (not necessarily very low carb or keto or anything--just a lower % of your macros) and upping your protein to see if that helps.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    No that's not right. You can't increase calories to lose weight .. what you can do is tighten up on your logging, weigh everything, log it carefully, never use cups, check calories against packages and other calorie databases, never use other people's homemade recipes and don't overestimate your exercise burns using the MFP database (cut them in half)

    That's general advice .. if you want specific you will need to set your diary to public

    PS it's Lose weight... and when you do your clothes will become loose

    Sometimes you can increase calories to lose weight. I have seen it work several times when people are eating very little and exercising too much. OP...if you are exercising a lot and never eating more than 1400 it could be your problem. How much do you exercise and how much do you weigh?

    Nope .. You can't .. cos Science!

    I guess what I have seen didn't really happen then?
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    You are not losing weight, because you are eating too much, not too little. If you were indeed eating 1400, being active and not losing, it would have been weird. But your loggings so most days no exercise or slow paced walking and that you are eating closer to 1700 or more calories, which especially if you are not overweight or very tall, it is probably around maintenace for a lightly active woman.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    4theking wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    No that's not right. You can't increase calories to lose weight .. what you can do is tighten up on your logging, weigh everything, log it carefully, never use cups, check calories against packages and other calorie databases, never use other people's homemade recipes and don't overestimate your exercise burns using the MFP database (cut them in half)

    That's general advice .. if you want specific you will need to set your diary to public

    PS it's Lose weight... and when you do your clothes will become loose

    Sometimes you can increase calories to lose weight. I have seen it work several times when people are eating very little and exercising too much. OP...if you are exercising a lot and never eating more than 1400 it could be your problem. How much do you exercise and how much do you weigh?

    Nope .. You can't .. cos Science!

    I guess what I have seen didn't really happen then?

    See, everybody can learn :grinning:
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    PPS Starvation mode doesn't exist (well something like it does but not in the way dieters like to use the term)... it's unfortunately one of those bro-science made-up myths that is constantly perpetuated by media and well-meaning friends

    Also see .. carbs make you fat, good carbs and bad carbs, sugar is bad for you, meal timing matters, breakfast is important .. all nonsense

    Count calories with care to eat at a defecit and move more

    If your numbers don't work over a month or 6 weeks and you're not losing weight, cut your calories or increase your exercise

    ^^^ this ^^^
  • adnaram
    adnaram Posts: 44 Member
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    Try messing with your macros more. Increase your protein and fat and reduce your carbs (not cut them out- but make sure they're super clean and not processed). Sometimes it's all about balance. All calories are not created equal.
  • wyattj99
    wyattj99 Posts: 454 Member
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    I'm thinking of upping my calories since I workout too much...is that wrong?
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
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    adnaram wrote: »
    Try messing with your macros more. Increase your protein and fat and reduce your carbs (not cut them out- but make sure they're super clean and not processed). Sometimes it's all about balance. All calories are not created equal.

    Actually all calories are equal - 1kcal = 1kcal. It's a scientific unit of measurement!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited February 2015
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    wyattj99 wrote: »
    I'm thinking of upping my calories since I workout too much...is that wrong?

    to fuel workouts or lower weight loss rate - no

    to increase rate of weight loss - yes
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I only scrolled back to a few days, but I noticed on the order of 300 calorie burns for exercise and you're eating the full amount. For someone your size, that's an awfully high burn for the activity you've noted. Try cutting the calorie burn estimate for your exercise in half at least. If you're getting them from MFP, they are notoriously inaccurate.
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
    edited February 2015
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    OP - you are probably eating more than you think, or burning less in exercise than you think.

    If you eat less calories than you take in, then you will lose weight (unless you have an obscure medical condition). Simples.

    Edit - I see you log 45g of porridge oats for brekky. Do you have these with just water? If you have milk, then that needs to be logged.
  • adnaram
    adnaram Posts: 44 Member
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    snoringcat wrote: »
    adnaram wrote: »
    Try messing with your macros more. Increase your protein and fat and reduce your carbs (not cut them out- but make sure they're super clean and not processed). Sometimes it's all about balance. All calories are not created equal.

    Actually all calories are equal - 1kcal = 1kcal. It's a scientific unit of measurement!

    Right- but your body doesn't process all calories the same way.