Eating more to lose weight

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Shellvis
Shellvis Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

When I have previously lost weight using MFP I have always eaten the bare minimum of 1200 cals but I now have a very active job and also run (half marathon training) and go to the gym and I have been trying 1200 cals but just cannot stick to it and am not losing. I have re entered all my data and it says I can have 1600 cals a day, this to me feels like so much because I have always restricted. Has anyone else eaten more calories to lose weight? I just can't get my head around letting myself eat more!


Thanks :)
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Replies

  • soapsandropes
    soapsandropes Posts: 269 Member
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    You will not be able to stick to 12000 if you are also active, that is the minimum recommendation for a sedentary lifestyle. You have to eat more food to help fuel your body.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    If you don't eat enough, you'll feel weak/lethargic and won't stick to it. Not to mention your half training will suffer.

    You need a deficit to lose weight - but having a reasonable deficit (1600 calories in will have a smaller deficit for you than 1200) can help you stick to it long term and be successful with your goals. If you feel like 1200 is not working for you - then the reasonable options are give up and eat like you did to gain weight, or try eating slightly higher (1600 sounds like a good place to start) but at a sustainable level where you can be successful.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    Of course! As above says if your active then you can eat many more cals and still lose.
    For me to lose 1/2lb a week I can eat 1900 cals gross because I'm active.
    Give it a go :smile:
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    1600 doesn't sound like much with the type of activities you are doing. Unless you are pretty short you could probably eat even more than that any lose.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    You aren't eating more to lose weight. You're eating more to have fuel for your activities.

    If you can't get your head around eating more than 1200 calories while training for a half marathon, you might want to talk to a professional about your view of food.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    soapsandropes wrote: »
    You will not be able to stick to 12000 if you are also active, that is the minimum recommendation for a sedentary lifestyle. You have to eat more food to help fuel your body.
    Ummm, I think you may have added one too many zeros lol. I wish 12,000 was the amount for sedentary individuals!!!
  • mannymoo5
    mannymoo5 Posts: 7 Member
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    I have been trying to loose weight by sticking to 1200 cal a day and doing about 1.5 hrs brisk walking everyday, and possibly 2 swims of an hour a week min but I cannot cope with the food deprivation and I feel weak walking the dog but the pounds are not shifting - please send me some sound advice so I feel physically better and emotionally more happier !
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Shellvis wrote: »
    Hi,

    When I have previously lost weight using MFP I have always eaten the bare minimum of 1200 cals but I now have a very active job and also run (half marathon training) and go to the gym and I have been trying 1200 cals but just cannot stick to it and am not losing. I have re entered all my data and it says I can have 1600 cals a day, this to me feels like so much because I have always restricted. Has anyone else eaten more calories to lose weight? I just can't get my head around letting myself eat more!


    Thanks :)

    If you're not losing weight, you're eating more than you realize.

    Do you weigh all your food and ensure you are choosing correct entries? Do you log exercise calories? If so, where do you get those burns from?

    If you're not losing weight, you do not randomly increase your calories. You need to eat less calories, which can be resolved with getting your logging habits under control and becoming accurate in what you eat and exercise burns.

    The only time you increase calories is when you are already losing weight and you want to lose at a slower rate. That's it, no other time unless you are bulking (want to gain weight).



  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    [quote="DeguelloTex;33678496"You aren't eating more to lose weight. You're eating more to have fuel for your activities.

    If you can't get your head around eating more than 1200 calories while training for a half marathon, you might want to talk to a professional about your view of food.[/quote]

    And, this.
  • Shellvis
    Shellvis Posts: 5 Member
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Of course! As above says if your active then you can eat many more cals and still lose.
    For me to lose 1/2lb a week I can eat 1900 cals gross because I'm active.
    Give it a go :smile:

    Thanks that's really reassuring ( and not judgemental which some people seem to be on here!!) it's just hard when it goes against what you've previously done but I will certainly give it a go and hopefully reap the rewards and feel like I've more energy. Thanks again
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    You aren't eating more to lose weight. You're eating more to have fuel for your activities.

    If you can't get your head around eating more than 1200 calories while training for a half marathon, you might want to talk to a professional about your view of food.

    This
  • Shellvis
    Shellvis Posts: 5 Member
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    mannymoo5 wrote: »
    I have been trying to loose weight by sticking to 1200 cal a day and doing about 1.5 hrs brisk walking everyday, and possibly 2 swims of an hour a week min but I cannot cope with the food deprivation and I feel weak walking the dog but the pounds are not shifting - please send me some sound advice so I feel physically better and emotionally more happier !

    I can only speak from my own experience but my most successful weight loss has come from when I have been enjoying food and discovering new recipes and seeing the changes that a healthy lifestyle can give you. I've been where you are and it is miserable and makes you want to quit and eat all the food in the world. Maybe look at what you are using your calories on? Ensure the foods are good for you and going to keep you full up and give your body what it needs- maybe you need more calories like I'm trying? I don't know the answer but don't give up just look at the bits that aren't working and tweak them until they work for you. Maybe there are some similar threads with some answers you could look at.
  • Shellvis
    Shellvis Posts: 5 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    1600 doesn't sound like much with the type of activities you are doing. Unless you are pretty short you could probably eat even more than that any lose.

    I am super short!
  • Shellvis
    Shellvis Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your replies- it's been helpful but I really didn't ask for judgement or comments to do with my relationship with food and suggesting I need to talk to a professional! I just wanted reassurance that it's normal to eat more calories than 1200 which is what I've previously been used to and is a bit engrained in me.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    I eat 2100ish cals and am losing weight after following the eat more to weigh less protocol. I did a reset for 10 days and then reduced by 500 cals. 1200 isn't enough to fuel your training and you may find that 1600 is too low.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    OP how tall are you?

    I'm 5 feet tall, female, and right around 118 pounds. MFP sets me at 1250 calories to lose 0.5lb/week, and that's before exercise. If I get in 8-10k steps a day (this is just walking), I can eat more like 1600 to lose. When I was training for my half, some days I was eating over 2000 calories (and that was delicious :) )

    Set MFP to 0.5lb/week if you have 25 pounds or fewer to lose. Log your exercise & eat back 50% of those calories initially, more if you're feeling really hungry.

    The winners eat the most and still lose ;)

    ~Lyssa
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,964 Member
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    Shellvis wrote: »
    Hi,

    When I have previously lost weight using MFP I have always eaten the bare minimum of 1200 cals but I now have a very active job and also run (half marathon training) and go to the gym and I have been trying 1200 cals but just cannot stick to it and am not losing. I have re entered all my data and it says I can have 1600 cals a day, this to me feels like so much because I have always restricted. Has anyone else eaten more calories to lose weight?

    Lots of people, I'm sure.
    I'm 5'4", currently around 178 lbs, in my 50s, do not have an active job, and am not nearly as ambitious in my training goals as you are. I lose weight eating 1900 calories a day net (that means if I exercise, I can eat even more and still lose). Of course, I'm not trying to lose 2 lbs a week. (MFP projects I'll lose about half a pound a week at 1900 calories, but I usually lose between 3/4 and one lb. a week if I stick to 1900.)
  • neversummer589
    neversummer589 Posts: 31 Member
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    Depends on what "weight" you are trying to lose..super low calorie diets and lots of physical activity typically means your losing fat,yes, but also muscle and will eventually feel very tired and not healthy.. i wear a Fitbit HR daily to count my calories burned and finish in a surplus everyday but still able to lower body fat % while having energy from eating.. It was hard to learn at first and takes time, but if you learn how to balance macros(carbs,fat,protein) it can be done effectively. At the end of the day, just make sure your surplus is 250-500 at max so it doesn't convert to fat.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Shellvis wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Of course! As above says if your active then you can eat many more cals and still lose.
    For me to lose 1/2lb a week I can eat 1900 cals gross because I'm active.
    Give it a go :smile:

    Thanks that's really reassuring ( and not judgemental which some people seem to be on here!!) it's just hard when it goes against what you've previously done but I will certainly give it a go and hopefully reap the rewards and feel like I've more energy. Thanks again
    I have been trying 1200 cals but just cannot stick to it and am not losing. I have re entered all my data and it says I can have 1600 cals a day, this to me feels like so much because I have always restricted.

    You don't raise your calories if you are not losing weight because you are already eating more than 1200 calories without realizing it. If you weren't, you would be losing weight. Therefore, you must figure out a way to make sure you are accurate with calories in/calories out before raising your calories to lose at a slower rate, which will better fuel your body as well. You must still stay in a deficit, though.

    Do you weigh your solid food and measure your liquids?

    Do you log everything you consume, including drinks, condiments, etc.?

    Do you log your exercise calories? If so, where do you get your exercise burns from?


  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    Shellvis wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for your replies- it's been helpful but I really didn't ask for judgement or comments to do with my relationship with food and suggesting I need to talk to a professional! I just wanted reassurance that it's normal to eat more calories than 1200 which is what I've previously been used to and is a bit engrained in me.
    If you need reassurance that it's normal to eat more than 1200 calories while training for a half marathon, you might want to talk to a professional about your view of food.

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