Eating more = losing weight?
Replies
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I am in the same boat as OP. I am a well seasoned MFP user and have been tracking for years now. At about 1.5years into it, I plateaued hard for 8 months at 210lbs. It was brutal as for 8 months I did not lose anything (no lbs, no inches, nothing!)
I tried everything to get that scale to move. I increased protein, lowered carbs, lowered calories, increased exercise, decreased exercise, changed my exercise from cardio to weights, changed cardio to difference cardio, tried IF...ugh. I knew that at 5'7 and 210 lbs I was not done...I had a lot left to lose, and thought that it should not be this hard...considering I was doing so well for 1.5 years.
I ended up purchasing a fitbit to more accurately track my TDEE. I was eating anywhere from 1300-1500 calories a day. After wearing the fitbit for a few days, I was shocked at how many calories I was burning a day, and realized I was under eating. I increased my calories to about 1900 a day and BAM! In 1 week after 8 long months...I lost 2lbs. I then purchased the bodymedia and have used a tracking device until about 6 months ago now.
That was 1.5 years ago, and I have gone down to 147lbs. I have recently been going through another plateau for the last 2 months. 1 week ago I increased my calories again and I ended up losing another lb.
Honestly, I think a lot of sheeple on MFP just go with the "you are not tracking properly" answer - which yes...that is the absolute 1st thing you need to tighten up if you are not losing. In my case, I had been tracking for well over a year (now 3years) and it had worked prior to the plateau so I knew my accuracy and technique with tracking was as accurate as it possibly could get.
If you do not have a tracking device, I would highly recommend one.0 -
Yes it's true, The lower you go more abrupt the faster your metabolism haunts then you can't wind down anymore because you've already dropped so low. That's why they tell ya to slowly decrease calories instead of in one big shot, ya u will lose weight but then you are a t a plateau when your at a 1000 calorie deficit, lucky for you this is heathy to be taking in 2000 keep at it and slowly decrease calories again, your body is happy it's back into the swing of things
I'm really sorry I've read this twice and I still don't understand what you're saying, could you rephrase it
It is outdated information of what this poster believes a 1000 calorie deficit will slow your metabolism so much. She is new so I can understand the misguided mainstream information being said.
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tiffanymariearpaio wrote: »I used to over eat and gained a lot of weight so I started exercising and eating less calories and only healthy foods and I lost weight. After a few months of losing 20 lbs I reached a plateau. I was eating 1200 calories a day and exercising but not losing any weight. Then I downloaded this app and it told me to eat 2,000 calories a day! I never thought that would help me lose weight, I thought it was too many calories. But I listened to the app and had about 1,800 a day. After that it was late at night and I wasn't hungry anymore. After a week of using this app, I was under my calorie goal everyday except one day, I went over. I chose too many high calorie foods on accident that day. Anyway so after a week of essentially eating more, I had lost 2.5 lbs in a week! After a month of not losing anything! I never thought that eating more would help. This app allowed me to cheat more and be flexible and not worry so much about what I ate and I didn't have to be strict. I am really grateful for this app! Losing weight won't be as boring as I thought eating wise, or as strict.
Good for you and welcome aboard!
I wouldn't consider it cheating, but "fueling with greater accountability".
Bodies are strange and there are far too many variables. You may have been holding on to water/glycogen for a time, or missing something in you logging. Either way you're doing something right and getting good results so congrats!0 -
dakotababy wrote: »I am in the same boat as OP. I am a well seasoned MFP user and have been tracking for years now. At about 1.5years into it, I plateaued hard for 8 months at 210lbs. It was brutal as for 8 months I did not lose anything (no lbs, no inches, nothing!)
I tried everything to get that scale to move. I increased protein, lowered carbs, lowered calories, increased exercise, decreased exercise, changed my exercise from cardio to weights, changed cardio to difference cardio, tried IF...ugh. I knew that at 5'7 and 210 lbs I was not done...I had a lot left to lose, and thought that it should not be this hard...considering I was doing so well for 1.5 years.
I ended up purchasing a fitbit to more accurately track my TDEE. I was eating anywhere from 1300-1500 calories a day. After wearing the fitbit for a few days, I was shocked at how many calories I was burning a day, and realized I was under eating. I increased my calories to about 1900 a day and BAM! In 1 week after 8 long months...I lost 2lbs. I then purchased the bodymedia and have used a tracking device until about 6 months ago now.
That was 1.5 years ago, and I have gone down to 147lbs. I have recently been going through another plateau for the last 2 months. 1 week ago I increased my calories again and I ended up losing another lb.
Honestly, I think a lot of sheeple on MFP just go with the "you are not tracking properly" answer - which yes...that is the absolute 1st thing you need to tighten up if you are not losing. In my case, I had been tracking for well over a year (now 3years) and it had worked prior to the plateau so I knew my accuracy and technique with tracking was as accurate as it possibly could get.
If you do not have a tracking device, I would highly recommend one.
sorry, it does not work that way.
If underrating led to stalled weight loss, why are all the starving people in Africa thin and dying from starvation??
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What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.0
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comment removed by staff
It really doesn't matter in THIS particular post. I think you agree that eating more calories, in any form, is not the key to weight loss. Don't be so worried about defending donuts. They are doing just fine!0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
This, a million likes bestowed upon this....0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
That answer is for the non counters here. I think 90% of this site is or tries to count calories correctly.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
That answer is for the non counters here. I think 90% of this site is or tries to count calories correctly.
OP's post is only her 6th post here....so my hunch is that no, she wasn't counting correctly.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
That answer is for the non counters here. I think 90% of this site is or tries to count calories correctly.
OP's post is only her 6th post here....so my hunch is that no, she wasn't counting correctly.
Well we know she wasn't.
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yopeeps025 wrote: »yopeeps025 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
That answer is for the non counters here. I think 90% of this site is or tries to count calories correctly.
OP's post is only her 6th post here....so my hunch is that no, she wasn't counting correctly.
Well we know she wasn't.
So then what was your point? The deprive/cheat answer applies.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »yopeeps025 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
That answer is for the non counters here. I think 90% of this site is or tries to count calories correctly.
OP's post is only her 6th post here....so my hunch is that no, she wasn't counting correctly.
Well we know she wasn't.
So then what was your point? The deprive/cheat answer applies.
I got lost and thought someone else was the OP. Since OP has been so quiet in her own thread.
Also that poster knows why I said what I said.
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You missed this post:tannibal_lecter wrote: »Check out Eat to Perform's Wave Method for fat loss. It pretty much is what you describe.
Also, just because I and the OP are eating more it doesn't mean we are eating donuts. I only cheat for birthday cake so I don't feel like a jerk at parties. I eat way more whole foods, and don't eat bread or sugar anymore.
Bolded is where the donuts come in.
Glad OP found what works for her. Me, eating more doesn't equal weight loss, so my guess is you started to get more accurate with your food tracking and finally created a deficit.
Yes this app has helped me to track easier. Before I was just counting it in my head.0 -
Between the donuts and fried chicken I am totally confused.
Dieting is stressful to the body. Extreme dieting (overly large deficits) are more stressful. When your body is stressed, it produces more cortisol, which leads to water retention. Water retention masks fat loss. So you can lose fat but not see any movement on the scale because you are retaining a lot of water. Taking a diet break, or at least eating at a smaller deficit, can help relieve this situation. It's pretty common for people who are eating in an extreme deficit to take a week off and, whoosh, lose a lot of that water weight.
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/
* http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part.html
* http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part_28.html
But it sounds like the OP was not counting her calories accurately so that was more likely her problem (not water weight.)0 -
Oh yes. Thank you for saying my experience is wrong. Because you are just the almighty god of MFP and weight loss? I did not realize you are a specialist and qualified to make those determinations on MY experience.
Why dont you all just share your opinion or experiences and leave it at that? Why does it always have to turn into "no your wrong, im right" discussion. Let the OP decide from themselves.
Most of these forums are filled with people acting like 12-year-old girls...nothing to be proud of.0 -
dakotababy wrote: »Oh yes. Thank you for saying my experience is wrong. Because you are just the almighty god of MFP and weight loss? I did not realize you are a specialist and qualified to make those determinations on MY experience.
Why dont you all just share your opinion or experiences and leave it at that? Why does it always have to turn into "no your wrong, im right" discussion. Let the OP decide from themselves.
Most of these forums are filled with people acting like 12-year-old girls...nothing to be proud of.
There are several different conversations going on in this thread. Are you sure you are taking offense at something that was directed at you?
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TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
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@tiffanymariearpaio ... never mind the nay sayers who are dumping on your experience because it's not something that they have 1) done, 2) do, 3) think they know better.
Not knowing how active you are, or how you calculate calories ... I will focus on what I have personally experienced about this topic. ...
...If I cut too many calories I will stop losing weight after a couple of months ... in fact, the weight loss gets smaller and smaller every week until it stops all together and I have to fight to keep it down. When I eat a healthy amount of calories, my body is rarely, if ever, hungry or craving anything and the weight comes off at a steady, albight small, way ... like a pound a week. I'll take that! My calories range from day to day from between 1600 and 1800 with an occasional 2000 if there is something special going on or I eat a restaurant prepared meal instead of home cooking.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »What sometimes happens is that people deprive themselves and think they are eating less, but fail to count some "cheat" calories. Once they start eating more, they don't feel deprived, so they stop cheating and end up eating less than they were before.
I also think that people often cut their calories low and start working out like crazy. Then they are too tired to do much else. So their NEAT calorie expenditure takes a dive, which means that their overall calorie deficit is not as low as they think it is.0 -
dakotababy wrote: »Oh yes. Thank you for saying my experience is wrong. Because you are just the almighty god of MFP and weight loss? I did not realize you are a specialist and qualified to make those determinations on MY experience.
Why dont you all just share your opinion or experiences and leave it at that? Why does it always have to turn into "no your wrong, im right" discussion. Let the OP decide from themselves.
Most of these forums are filled with people acting like 12-year-old girls...nothing to be proud of.
You can't "decide for yourself" how the body uses energy. It doesn't work that way.0 -
dakotababy wrote: »Oh yes. Thank you for saying my experience is wrong. Because you are just the almighty god of MFP and weight loss? I did not realize you are a specialist and qualified to make those determinations on MY experience.
Why dont you all just share your opinion or experiences and leave it at that? Why does it always have to turn into "no your wrong, im right" discussion. Let the OP decide from themselves.
Most of these forums are filled with people acting like 12-year-old girls...nothing to be proud of.
People lurk and would try misguided information which is what the forums are for. To correct crap information.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »dakotababy wrote: »Oh yes. Thank you for saying my experience is wrong. Because you are just the almighty god of MFP and weight loss? I did not realize you are a specialist and qualified to make those determinations on MY experience.
Why dont you all just share your opinion or experiences and leave it at that? Why does it always have to turn into "no your wrong, im right" discussion. Let the OP decide from themselves.
Most of these forums are filled with people acting like 12-year-old girls...nothing to be proud of.
People lurk and would try misguided information which is what the forums are for. To correct crap information.
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tiffanymariearpaio wrote: »I used to over eat and gained a lot of weight so I started exercising and eating less calories and only healthy foods and I lost weight. After a few months of losing 20 lbs I reached a plateau. I was eating 1200 calories a day and exercising but not losing any weight. Then I downloaded this app and it told me to eat 2,000 calories a day! I never thought that would help me lose weight, I thought it was too many calories. But I listened to the app and had about 1,800 a day. After that it was late at night and I wasn't hungry anymore. After a week of using this app, I was under my calorie goal everyday except one day, I went over. I chose too many high calorie foods on accident that day. Anyway so after a week of essentially eating more, I had lost 2.5 lbs in a week! After a month of not losing anything! I never thought that eating more would help. This app allowed me to cheat more and be flexible and not worry so much about what I ate and I didn't have to be strict. I am really grateful for this app! Losing weight won't be as boring as I thought eating wise, or as strict.
The TL;DR version of the story is that you your logging was bad when you were at the lower intake level.
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