Eat More to Lose More, Is that Possible?
emmaleigh47
Posts: 1,670 Member
Ok my attempt at the spreadsheet did not work -- so I will post the averages (Sunday - Saturday / 7)
Average Exercise Calories: 674
Average Calorie Burn According to Body Media: 3127
Average Daily Intake: 2174
Im not sure how this will come out - but this my attempt to share my spreadsheet with you guys! Emma's plan says eat more to lose more .... as you can see just because I am eating more doesnt mean I dont have a deficit.
My BMR according to the Harris-Benedict formula is 1899 so I make sure to always eat above that. For someone who is lightly - moderately active I should be eating about 2100-2400 per day which is what I aim for. So you say ... eat more... I wont lose any weight if I do that. I should continue with my 1200 calories per day because I will lose faster... well you are right in a way ... and wrong in a way.
Today I weighed in at 241.4 pounds... look at that picture. I dont LOOK that weight. I am exactly the same weight today as when I married by husband almost 4 years ago...... But 4 years ago I was in a size 22 pushing a 24 ... and my gut was 9 inches larger!This weekend I bought size 18 pants from a NON-obese store (Kohls) .... and I can get the 16s on and buttoned.
Therefore... I propose that I have lost alot of fat and gained alot of muscle. So yes... eating 1200 calories you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle. Besides, the more you eat to lose, the more you can eat to maintain for the rest for your life.
So I invite you ... try it! What do you have to lose (haha)! Give it 3 weeks of eating more... lots of my friends have tried it with success (check out www.fat2fitradio.com/bmr to figure out your BMR)
Average Exercise Calories: 674
Average Calorie Burn According to Body Media: 3127
Average Daily Intake: 2174
Im not sure how this will come out - but this my attempt to share my spreadsheet with you guys! Emma's plan says eat more to lose more .... as you can see just because I am eating more doesnt mean I dont have a deficit.
My BMR according to the Harris-Benedict formula is 1899 so I make sure to always eat above that. For someone who is lightly - moderately active I should be eating about 2100-2400 per day which is what I aim for. So you say ... eat more... I wont lose any weight if I do that. I should continue with my 1200 calories per day because I will lose faster... well you are right in a way ... and wrong in a way.
Today I weighed in at 241.4 pounds... look at that picture. I dont LOOK that weight. I am exactly the same weight today as when I married by husband almost 4 years ago...... But 4 years ago I was in a size 22 pushing a 24 ... and my gut was 9 inches larger!This weekend I bought size 18 pants from a NON-obese store (Kohls) .... and I can get the 16s on and buttoned.
Therefore... I propose that I have lost alot of fat and gained alot of muscle. So yes... eating 1200 calories you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle. Besides, the more you eat to lose, the more you can eat to maintain for the rest for your life.
So I invite you ... try it! What do you have to lose (haha)! Give it 3 weeks of eating more... lots of my friends have tried it with success (check out www.fat2fitradio.com/bmr to figure out your BMR)
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Replies
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I wholeheartedly agree. I've proven it to myself. It works everybody, just do it and see. It is so cool.0
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bump0
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1200 calories a day isnt enough, you body will think you are starving on you will hold onto the fat, you will tone as you lose so ignore the scale, 2100 a day sounds about right with execise0
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Being on a 1200 calorie diet isn't really a bad thing as long as you are maintaining a net of 1200 calories.
It's when people eat 1200 calories and burn a bunch with exercise and don't eat any of those calories back that you run into problems.
And 1200 net is more than enough to keep you from the dreaded "starvation mode".
In fact your not really at risk of starvation mode unless you are netting less that 300-400 calories on a consistence basis.
I personally do 1500 calories day but I'm only about 2 pounds overweight at this point and only 15 - 20 pounds away from my goal. I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, a combination of cardio and strength training and eat back enough of my calories to maintain a minimum net of 1000 - 1200 calories. I honestly would find it hard to get much more calories but that's just me.0 -
YOu should check out this post:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/208407-how-to-repair-a-damaged-metabolism-stavation-mode
Also anything by Tom Venuto - he wrote an awesome book called Body Fat Solution and the article contained in the aboce link talks about another program where you focus on caloric intake.
From experience, I have eaten a lot and worked out a lot and lost weight...but then I ate less and worked out less and I merely maintaned - but lost a ton of muscle. I become a bigger advocate for weight lifting and more calories every day...all from learning and experience.
Good luck to everyone out there!0 -
I KNOW this is true, but even now I STILL have a hard time wrapping my head around it. 0 -
I've been doing the same thing and it's been a challenge watching all these people crowing about losing a bunch of weight in a short amount of time and all the endless debates about eating exercise calories back. I set my calories to the maintenance level of a sedentary woman at my goal weight and eat back any exercise calories I burn. I lost 7 pounds in my first few weeks here, with my calorie goals ranging from 1200 to 1500, and the losses quickly stalled. I was starting to doubt I was doing the right thing until I put it all in a spreadsheet and saw just how much under my BMR I was going. I've been eating an average 2050 calories for the last three weeks, exercising 375 per day (avg) and I'm finally losing again. Hallelujah!0
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Fantastic..thanks for sharing this!!!0
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I am in the MIDDLE of this mental battle right now!!!! I need to eat more but when I do I start gaining. I'm just wondering how long I will gain until my body realizes that I'm doing something good and start loosing again. I just work out too much to eat 1,200 but I was loosing when I first started doing it.
Now I dont know how high to go...Dont know if I should trust MFP for my calories burned and eat those back too! So crazy.
Anyway if you would like to look at my journal I'd appreciate any help,0 -
doesnt my fitness pal have a bmr calculator?0
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Being on a 1200 calorie diet isn't really a bad thing as long as you are maintaining a net of 1200 calories.
It's when people eat 1200 calories and burn a bunch with exercise and don't eat any of those calories back that you run into problems.
And 1200 net is more than enough to keep you from the dreaded "starvation mode".
In fact your not really at risk of starvation mode unless you are netting less that 300-400 calories on a consistence basis.
I personally do 1500 calories day but I'm only about 2 pounds overweight at this point and only 15 - 20 pounds away from my goal. I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, a combination of cardio and strength training and eat back enough of my calories to maintain a minimum net of 1000 - 1200 calories. I honestly would find it hard to get much more calories but that's just me.
Hey Ziaki,
What do you mean by 1,200 net?
you mean net-deficit?
So burn 2,500 eat 1,300?
Starvation mode takes time to really be a factor, I've had 1000 times better success eating 6 days of a calorie deficit and one day of a surplus. Having a full 24-hour day where I eat more than I need does wonders for metabolism, hormones, and "diet morale"
Plus doing this it's ok to eat low days of 1,200 calories sometimes and as long as you have a surplus (Spike Day). Starvation mode won't be a factor.0 -
Okay so my BMR comes up to 1322 on the site. Doesnt seem much higher than MFP. Also do I then eat back the calories when I workout. Sorry for all the posts but I'm really struggling with this. This seems to be taking into consideration my activity level so do I not eat my calories burned
Everyone has different opinions and what works for one doesnt for another
Im so confused0 -
doesnt my fitness pal have a bmr calculator?
Yep, under Tools tab.0 -
Okay so my BMR comes up to 1322 on the site. Doesnt seem much higher than MFP. Also do I then eat back the calories when I workout. Sorry for all the posts but I'm really struggling with this. This seems to be taking into consideration my activity level so do I not eat my calories burned
Everyone has different opinions and what works for one doesnt for another
Im so confused
Might help to read these:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits0 -
Being on a 1200 calorie diet isn't really a bad thing as long as you are maintaining a net of 1200 calories.
It's when people eat 1200 calories and burn a bunch with exercise and don't eat any of those calories back that you run into problems.
And 1200 net is more than enough to keep you from the dreaded "starvation mode".
In fact your not really at risk of starvation mode unless you are netting less that 300-400 calories on a consistence basis.
I personally do 1500 calories day but I'm only about 2 pounds overweight at this point and only 15 - 20 pounds away from my goal. I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, a combination of cardio and strength training and eat back enough of my calories to maintain a minimum net of 1000 - 1200 calories. I honestly would find it hard to get much more calories but that's just me.
Hey Ziaki,
What do you mean by 1,200 net?
you mean net-deficit?
So burn 2,500 eat 1,300?
Starvation mode takes time to really be a factor, I've had 1000 times better success eating 6 days of a calorie deficit and one day of a surplus. Having a full 24-hour day where I eat more than I need does wonders for metabolism, hormones, and "diet morale"
Plus doing this it's ok to eat low days of 1,200 calories sometimes and as long as you have a surplus (Spike Day). Starvation mode won't be a factor.
No I meant you need to have a net 1200 to the good.
So for me I eat 1500 calories generally.
If i burn 700 calories at the gym then I would need to eat 1900 (400 of my exercise) calories to maintain a 1200 calorie total.0 -
Being on a 1200 calorie diet isn't really a bad thing as long as you are maintaining a net of 1200 calories.
It's when people eat 1200 calories and burn a bunch with exercise and don't eat any of those calories back that you run into problems.
And 1200 net is more than enough to keep you from the dreaded "starvation mode".
In fact your not really at risk of starvation mode unless you are netting less that 300-400 calories on a consistence basis.
I personally do 1500 calories day but I'm only about 2 pounds overweight at this point and only 15 - 20 pounds away from my goal. I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, a combination of cardio and strength training and eat back enough of my calories to maintain a minimum net of 1000 - 1200 calories. I honestly would find it hard to get much more calories but that's just me.
Hey Ziaki,
What do you mean by 1,200 net?
you mean net-deficit?
So burn 2,500 eat 1,300?
Starvation mode takes time to really be a factor, I've had 1000 times better success eating 6 days of a calorie deficit and one day of a surplus. Having a full 24-hour day where I eat more than I need does wonders for metabolism, hormones, and "diet morale"
Plus doing this it's ok to eat low days of 1,200 calories sometimes and as long as you have a surplus (Spike Day). Starvation mode won't be a factor.
No I meant you need to have a net 1200 to the good.
So for me I eat 1500 calories generally.
If i burn 700 calories at the gym then I would need to eat 1900 (400 of my exercise) calories to maintain a 1200 calorie total.
I see so not factoring BMR just a 1,200 base. I like how you do that.0 -
Being on a 1200 calorie diet isn't really a bad thing as long as you are maintaining a net of 1200 calories.
It's when people eat 1200 calories and burn a bunch with exercise and don't eat any of those calories back that you run into problems.
And 1200 net is more than enough to keep you from the dreaded "starvation mode".
In fact your not really at risk of starvation mode unless you are netting less that 300-400 calories on a consistence basis.
I personally do 1500 calories day but I'm only about 2 pounds overweight at this point and only 15 - 20 pounds away from my goal. I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, a combination of cardio and strength training and eat back enough of my calories to maintain a minimum net of 1000 - 1200 calories. I honestly would find it hard to get much more calories but that's just me.
Hey Ziaki,
What do you mean by 1,200 net?
you mean net-deficit?
So burn 2,500 eat 1,300?
Starvation mode takes time to really be a factor, I've had 1000 times better success eating 6 days of a calorie deficit and one day of a surplus. Having a full 24-hour day where I eat more than I need does wonders for metabolism, hormones, and "diet morale"
Plus doing this it's ok to eat low days of 1,200 calories sometimes and as long as you have a surplus (Spike Day). Starvation mode won't be a factor.
No I meant you need to have a net 1200 to the good.
So for me I eat 1500 calories generally.
If i burn 700 calories at the gym then I would need to eat 1900 (400 of my exercise) calories to maintain a 1200 calorie total.
I see so not factoring BMR just a 1,200 base. I like how you do that.
Actually I do take into account my BMR.
In fact I keep a deficit diary so at the end of the week I can see roughly how much I should have lost.
Like today I ate 1447 calories. My BMR is 1831.77.
So my deficit for food for the day is 384.77.
Now I didn't exercise today but for the sake of the example lets say I burned 300 calories.
So my total deficit for the day would be 684.77 calories and I still would have maintained a 1200 calorie food total which is the recommended minimum.0 -
In any case I'm not debating the fact that eating more can help you drop weight, especially if you have hit a plateau.
I'm just saying that 1200 calories is more than enough especially for people with lower a lower bmr and is not at all going to cause 'starvation mode'.0 -
Okay so my BMR comes up to 1322 on the site. Doesnt seem much higher than MFP. Also do I then eat back the calories when I workout. Sorry for all the posts but I'm really struggling with this. This seems to be taking into consideration my activity level so do I not eat my calories burned
Everyone has different opinions and what works for one doesnt for another
Im so confused
Definitely read the posts Ladyhawk provided. From personal experience following the advice in those topics is working for me. I started just over a week ago. The first couple of days were tough. I wasn't use to eating that much food and so I didn't eat enough. But I caught on pretty quickly. I try to get close to my MFP recommended goals and I eat back my calories. I've been waiting to see if I would gain weight since I abused my body pretty badly over the years by eating once a day most days. Well, I weighed myself today and I actually lost 3 pounds. When I signed up I guesstimated my weight and actually weighed just a little over a pound more, so my ticker only reflects 2 pounds lost. So, not everyone will gain weight when they first implement the increase.
Have you found someone to friend who has already succeeded and is pretty much in maintenance now? I found someone like this. I'm kinda like a tag a long. LOL I look at her diary daily to get a feel for what she eats and burns working out. Now she's a personal trainer, so I won't be able to keep up with her tempo. But it gives me an idea of how and why she is successful. I know it's scary to consider eating those calories burned. But you can do this!0 -
I KNOW this is true, but even now I STILL have a hard time wrapping my head around it.
Me too!! It doesn't make ANY sense in my head.. but every time I try not to eat at least half of my exercise cals back I put on weight and feel tired all the time.0 -
am trying this out right now but am waiting 3 weeks to give mt body a chance to adjust. I do think that it will work though. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for posting this
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Interestingly enough, on the days that I eat more and just know that I am going to either gain or maintain, I actually lose. Still difficult for me to wrap my head around though as many of you have stated. It just seems counter-intuitive.0
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Today I weighed in at 241.4 pounds... look at that picture. I dont LOOK that weight. I am exactly the same weight today as when I married by husband almost 4 years ago...... But 4 years ago I was in a size 22 pushing a 24 ... and my gut was 9 inches larger!This weekend I bought size 18 pants from a NON-obese store (Kohls) .... and I can get the 16s on and buttoned.
I bet this felt great! What awesome accomplishments you've made. I had to peek at your pics. You look VERY determined in the one that looks like you are speed walking. You look like you're having a lot of fun too! I have no doubt you will reach your destination. :bigsmile:0 -
Actually I do take into account my BMR.
In fact I keep a deficit diary so at the end of the week I can see roughly how much I should have lost.
Like today I ate 1447 calories. My BMR is 1831.77.
So my deficit for food for the day is 384.77.
Now I didn't exercise today but for the sake of the example lets say I burned 300 calories.
So my total deficit for the day would be 684.77 calories and I still would have maintained a 1200 calorie food total which is the recommended minimum.
Your deficit is actually based of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) not your BMR. I suppose it would be your BMR if you were bed ridden all day and literally could not do anything. That is why you use the activity factor (1.2-1.5 from memory depending on activity level to estimate TDEE)0 -
Actually I do take into account my BMR.
In fact I keep a deficit diary so at the end of the week I can see roughly how much I should have lost.
Like today I ate 1447 calories. My BMR is 1831.77.
So my deficit for food for the day is 384.77.
Now I didn't exercise today but for the sake of the example lets say I burned 300 calories.
So my total deficit for the day would be 684.77 calories and I still would have maintained a 1200 calorie food total which is the recommended minimum.
Your deficit is actually based of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) not your BMR. I suppose it would be your BMR if you were bed ridden all day and literally could not do anything. That is why you use the activity factor (1.2-1.5 from memory depending on activity level to estimate TDEE)
I use x1.2 to get 1831.77 which is assuming I would be sedentary. I use it knowing that I'm probably going to be burning some at work.0 -
Hello my friend.
I am just actually trying it. It broke my first plateau, and now I am in maintenance, but secretly hoping it will go down 2lbs more (really, why am I so crazy about numbers?).
But I must warn everyone I am eating pretty healthy...0 -
I am in the MIDDLE of this mental battle right now!!!! I need to eat more but when I do I start gaining. I'm just wondering how long I will gain until my body realizes that I'm doing something good and start loosing again. I just work out too much to eat 1,200 but I was loosing when I first started doing it.
Now I dont know how high to go...Dont know if I should trust MFP for my calories burned and eat those back too! So crazy.
Anyway if you would like to look at my journal I'd appreciate any help,
I have the same dilemma!!
All I know is I had 2 weeks free of exercise, birthday parties a camping trip which included copious amounts of alcohol and picnic treats and I lost 1.5 ib. Then I came home was eating my 1200 calories and put ON weight. I thought it was the previous 2 weeks catching up on me but now I'm starting to think it could be because I ate less. This is so interesting and I want to give it a go but I'm scared I will start gaining.0 -
Bump as I need to wrap my head around this
) 0 -
I am in the MIDDLE of this mental battle right now!!!! I need to eat more but when I do I start gaining. I'm just wondering how long I will gain until my body realizes that I'm doing something good and start loosing again. I just work out too much to eat 1,200 but I was loosing when I first started doing it.
Now I dont know how high to go...Dont know if I should trust MFP for my calories burned and eat those back too! So crazy.
Anyway if you would like to look at my journal I'd appreciate any help,
I have the same dilemma!!
All I know is I had 2 weeks free of exercise, birthday parties a camping trip which included copious amounts of alcohol and picnic treats and I lost 1.5 ib. Then I came home was eating my 1200 calories and put ON weight. I thought it was the previous 2 weeks catching up on me but now I'm starting to think it could be because I ate less. This is so interesting and I want to give it a go but I'm scared I will start gaining.
I'm in exactly the same boat - mentally this is hard to accept BUT I am doing it and I'm not weighing for about 3 weeks so hopefully I'll pass over the apparent gain and begin to see a loss.
I think Tom Venuto was right when he said burn the fat (as apposed to trying to starve it through severe calorie restriction)0 -
Okay so my BMR comes up to 1322 on the site. Doesnt seem much higher than MFP. Also do I then eat back the calories when I workout. Sorry for all the posts but I'm really struggling with this. This seems to be taking into consideration my activity level so do I not eat my calories burned
Everyone has different opinions and what works for one doesnt for another
Im so confused
AGREE!!! I love all the info, but my brain says info overload!! LOL0
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