Question re: increasing calories to break plateau

eates
eates Posts: 334 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm thinking of increasing my calories to try & break through a 5+ week plateau. I have my goals set at 1 lb a week and was losing at an average of 1.25lb per week until I hit this plateau. My MFP calorie goal is 1550. I almost always eat back most to all of my exercise calories.
My workout schedule is: M/F 60 minute Bootcamp followed by 60 minute Zumba. T/Th 60 minutes of "Just Weights" followed by 30-45 minutes of Zumba Toning. Sat. 60 minute Zumba. Weds and Sunday are my rest days. About 3 weeks ago I added in the 2nd class on M/F and then this week I changed from Core Fusion to Bootcamp hoping the change to an interval class might help.
So...my question is, if I increase my calories- how much should I increase them and how long should I leave them at the new level in order to give it an honest try?
If it helps any, My SW was 198 and I'm currently 180. My GW is 145ish.

Replies

  • skinnyhappy
    skinnyhappy Posts: 152 Member
    I'm in the same boat with loads of exercise. If I can get over the anxiety about eating extra cals I'm going to try upping my intake. I've heard it works, I think our bodies have reached stasis. Good to know we've mastered maintenance, though!

    What is your basal metabolic rate? I'd say increase it to that if it's higher than your intake. If you don't know or if your intake is already higher just add cals slowly. Or cut out a workout or two and give your body a rest!
  • MommyofBoys
    MommyofBoys Posts: 75
    I would also like to know as I have not lost any weight or inches since April 4th!
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    Please go and read the link in my signature about breaking through a plateau... the lady who wrote it is brilliant. and it is brilliantly written in lamens terms so that it is easy to understand.

    *** Actually I will post it here

    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    GO! NOW! and READ IT! You will benefit from it greatly
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
    I read that link when I saw it in your siggy on another post. It's actually what got me started thinking about upping my calories.
    So I figured my "final number" (I think) and right now I'm about 8-900 short of that. How much should I increase it? How long should I expect until I see changes if this is going to help?
  • mzjandiace
    mzjandiace Posts: 162
    I sat at 18 lbs for 2 weeks! I started zig zagging my calories 1400 on Wed/Sat and 1200 all other days. I'm know where near the exercise level as you ladies, but I bike about 5 miles a day! This morning I got on the scale and I had lost the 1.2 lbs which put me in the 20lb loss section, I don't know if this will help, but google zig zag calories!
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    I read that link when I saw it in your siggy on another post. It's actually what got me started thinking about upping my calories.
    So I figured my "final number" (I think) and right now I'm about 8-900 short of that. How much should I increase it? How long should I expect until I see changes if this is going to help?

    I am unsure about what your "final number" is... is this your daily calorie intake?
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
    I read that link when I saw it in your siggy on another post. It's actually what got me started thinking about upping my calories.
    So I figured my "final number" (I think) and right now I'm about 8-900 short of that. How much should I increase it? How long should I expect until I see changes if this is going to help?

    I am unsure about what your "final number" is... is this your daily calorie intake?

    I'm guessing it's BMR- it's a term she uses in her blog and gives the formula to figure it out in a different blog (bug gives the link during her John scenario).
  • kristinwalker
    kristinwalker Posts: 100 Member
    Please go and read the link in my signature about breaking through a plateau... the lady who wrote it is brilliant. and it is brilliantly written in lamens terms so that it is easy to understand.

    *** Actually I will post it here

    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    GO! NOW! and READ IT! You will benefit from it greatly

    Thank you very much for this link. I hope what it suggests will help me to break my plateau of 4 months!!!
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    I read that link when I saw it in your siggy on another post. It's actually what got me started thinking about upping my calories.
    So I figured my "final number" (I think) and right now I'm about 8-900 short of that. How much should I increase it? How long should I expect until I see changes if this is going to help?

    I am unsure about what your "final number" is... is this your daily calorie intake?

    I'm guessing it's BMR- it's a term she uses in her blog and gives the formula to figure it out in a different blog (bug gives the link during her John scenario).

    Ah I found it... That was a little confusing to me.. haha I re read it again... I think basically what she is saying is that you want to keep the deficit to lose weight, but bump it up to match the level of exercise you are doing...

    If you are working out hard core... like it sounds like you are doing, definately bump up your calories... I would start with 150-250 calories more than you are eating now... try that for 2 weeks before you give up or think that it is not working, the first week people have been known to "gain" a little weight. and it is mostly water weight. because you aren't eating over your maintainence there is no way you are gaining FAT. so Just stick with it... If you don't notice a change after about 2 weeks then its time to adjust it again. either back down on exercise, add more of either strenght or cardio or adjust your calories... its all about keeping your body away from equalibrium (or in equalibrium) what ever view point you are looking at.

    Let me know how it goes! =)
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
    Thanks! I think I'll try increasing it by 200 for a couple weeks and see how that goes! I really appreciate your help!
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Please come back and post how it goes for you after two weeks. I've been at my plateau for 3 wks now (ironically or not, my situation is pretty much spot-on with her article).

    Here are my calculations:

    BMR = 1632 cals x 1.55 (light activity most of the day with an avg burn of 300-600 cals of exercise 7 days a wk) = 2530 (rounded to make it easier)

    Here's where I get confused:

    My daily caloric expenditure is 2530 calories...so this is what I'm supposed to eat every day, or am I supposed to knock off 500 calories to make a 3500 cal/wk deficit to lose 1 lb?

    And to make matters worse:

    I've been averaging 1300 to 1500 cals per day for weeks...it's gonna be tough (mentally and physically) to up it that much with high quality food.
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    Please come back and post how it goes for you after two weeks. I've been at my plateau for 3 wks now (ironically or not, my situation is pretty much spot-on with her article).

    Here are my calculations:

    BMR = 1632 cals x 1.55 (light activity most of the day with an avg burn of 300-600 cals of exercise 7 days a wk) = 2530 (rounded to make it easier)

    Here's where I get confused:

    My daily caloric expenditure is 2530 calories...so this is what I'm supposed to eat every day, or am I supposed to knock off 500 calories to make a 3500 cal/wk deficit to lose 1 lb?

    And to make matters worse:

    I've been averaging 1300 to 1500 cals per day for weeks...it's gonna be tough (mentally and physically) to up it that much with high quality food.

    That is how many calories you are burning per day according to her numbers.. that does not calculate in your deficit, so you need to subtract your calories for weight loss 500 per day per pound you want to lose per week.

    Start upping your calories slowly if needs be, don't do it all at once.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I upped my calories to break my almost 2month long plateau, as I detailed here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/melsinct/view/goodbye-plateau-don-t-let-the-door-hit-ya-107662

    I went from 1200 then to 1400 for a couple of weeks which didn't do anything, then I set MFP to lose 0.5 pounds/week which puts me at 1700 calories. After I went to 1700 calories, things started moving for me.
  • carmenstop1
    carmenstop1 Posts: 210 Member
    Bump!
This discussion has been closed.

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