How Many Calories?

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Panda_Poptarts
Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks!

After a recent 6+ week plateau, in which I continued to lose inches but not scale weight, I've upped my calories closer to BMR. I went from 1400 - 1800 calories to eating 2000, and promptly dropped 5 pounds.

I figure that I have had water weight masking my progress.

Now that I've lost a few pounds of water weight, would you recommend continuing to eat at 2000 calories, or dropping back down to 1600 - 1800?
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Replies

  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Eat at what MFP tells you you should eat! :smile: The other appears closer to your maintenance so you might not see any additional loss eating that high.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
    edited April 2016
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    MFP actually puts me at 1990 net for a 1lb per week loss.

    2000 is several hundred below my maintenance :)

    I guess the question is moreso, should I be cycling? 1800 for awhile, then bump up to 2000 for a few days? Or stay closer to 2000 (or satiety if lower) long term?
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
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    Just go with what MFP gives u.
  • BelleCakes2018
    BelleCakes2018 Posts: 568 Member
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    I'd be surprised by you losing water weight by upping your calories unless you had lowered your carbs at the same time? If you are still losing on the higher amount you should stick with it. Why not!! I ate a higher amount for quite a while before I needed to reduce, and even then I would only do it by about 50cals at a time..
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Weight loss isn't linear. It probably wasn't just water weight you lost, especially if you upped your calories. Just use your own data and judgement. If you can eat more, great. See if you lose eating 2000. If not, drop them a little.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    @Mirabelle1983 I think I had a whoosh, but I have a feeling the upped calories may have triggered the whoosh? I've been steadily losing inches and body fat for the past 2 months, just no scale weight. It all fell off at once, and I'm okay with that!

    My carbs have been pretty steady. I'm rather religious with my carb macro.

    I'll see if I keep losing at 2k. I like food.
  • BelleCakes2018
    BelleCakes2018 Posts: 568 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Well you know what they say - if you eat too little to start with your metabolism slows down.. maybe the extra cals sped it up again and suddenly the weight came off again.. Alot of people disagree with what I just said, but I think there's truth in it. If you like food there's NO reason to cut the calories before you even know they're detrimental to your weight loss ;)
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    Mirabelle1983 wrote: »
    Well you know what they say - if you eat too little to start with your metabolism slows down.. maybe the extra cals sped it up again and suddenly the weight came off again.. Alot of people disagree with what I just said, but I think there's truth in it. If you like food there's NO reason to cut the calories before you even know they're detrimental to your weight loss ;)

    I really don't care if people disagree with you or not :) I've seen it happen to my own body! I was working out very regularly, not eating back exercise calories, and I weigh everything, liquids and solids, and still not losing weight, just some inches. If higher calorie gave me a boost, I'm good with that. I'll reassess in a week. Thank you!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
    Mirabelle1983 wrote: »
    Well you know what they say - if you eat too little to start with your metabolism slows down.. maybe the extra cals sped it up again and suddenly the weight came off again.. Alot of people disagree with what I just said, but I think there's truth in it. If you like food there's NO reason to cut the calories before you even know they're detrimental to your weight loss ;)

    I really don't care if people disagree with you or not :) I've seen it happen to my own body! I was working out very regularly, not eating back exercise calories, and I weigh everything, liquids and solids, and still not losing weight, just some inches. If higher calorie gave me a boost, I'm good with that. I'll reassess in a week. Thank you!

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.

    It's so random! There's clearly no science to it. Lol. I was down another pound this morning after several pounds suddenly disappearing yesterday. I figure I'll keep it up for a week and re-assess, and if I need to cut back again and just have a higher cal day cycled in once every week or so, that'll be my on-plan "cheat" day.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.

    It's so random! There's clearly no science to it. Lol. I was down another pound this morning after several pounds suddenly disappearing yesterday. I figure I'll keep it up for a week and re-assess, and if I need to cut back again and just have a higher cal day cycled in once every week or so, that'll be my on-plan "cheat" day.

    I don't think a weekly high day does much for weight loss, more so for adherence. Having a maintenance/high day after going for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time in a deficit is a different thing. I always have a maintenance/surplus day and has done nothing for my weight loss. Just brings me happiness and makes me feel less stressed on the weekends which is definitely a plus.

  • Jeffrey300050
    Jeffrey300050 Posts: 93 Member
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    I would just like to say that losing weight for me is always a Work In Progress. I continually shift my experimentation and fine tune until I am doing very well. The SECRET is to give yourself the time to experiment! Don't be in too much of a hurry because that leads to unhealthy, quick weight loss and yoyoing.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    Mirabelle1983 wrote: »
    I'd be surprised by you losing water weight by upping your calories unless you had lowered your carbs at the same time?

    It's actually been noted before in research, for example Ansel Key's famous Minnesota starvation experiment on conscientious objectors during WW2. Often, even on severe calorie restriction, fat loss would continue but weight loss would stall, and a larger meal often triggered a sudden reduction in water.

    It's true that reducing carbs can cause some water weight to be lost, but there's a lot of places apart from glycogen that can affect water weight.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.

    It's so random! There's clearly no science to it. Lol. I was down another pound this morning after several pounds suddenly disappearing yesterday. I figure I'll keep it up for a week and re-assess, and if I need to cut back again and just have a higher cal day cycled in once every week or so, that'll be my on-plan "cheat" day.

    I don't think a weekly high day does much for weight loss, more so for adherence. Having a maintenance/high day after going for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time in a deficit is a different thing. I always have a maintenance/surplus day and has done nothing for my weight loss. Just brings me happiness and makes me feel less stressed on the weekends which is definitely a plus.

    I have had many a high day, and I have never ever weighed less the next day, or lost more than usual that week. I wish...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.

    It's so random! There's clearly no science to it. Lol. I was down another pound this morning after several pounds suddenly disappearing yesterday. I figure I'll keep it up for a week and re-assess, and if I need to cut back again and just have a higher cal day cycled in once every week or so, that'll be my on-plan "cheat" day.

    I don't think a weekly high day does much for weight loss, more so for adherence. Having a maintenance/high day after going for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time in a deficit is a different thing. I always have a maintenance/surplus day and has done nothing for my weight loss. Just brings me happiness and makes me feel less stressed on the weekends which is definitely a plus.

    I have had many a high day, and I have never ever weighed less the next day, or lost more than usual that week. I wish...

    I am mostly thinking back to my first diet break. I wasn't losing. I was stressed and tired. I upped my calories for a week or two and boom, back in action. It doesn't happen if I just have random high day.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    My personal viewpoint is to eat as much as you can with a loss you're happy with. No point in pointless restrictions.

    So if you're happy with losses at 2000, eat 2000. It's 400 more calories of food than 1600. Bonus.

    If after a few weeks you aren't happy with the losses you can always knock your calories down a little.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    Jeffrey300050 wrote: »
    I would just like to say that losing weight for me is always a Work In Progress. I continually shift my experimentation and fine tune until I am doing very well. The SECRET is to give yourself the time to experiment! Don't be in too much of a hurry because that leads to unhealthy, quick weight loss and yoyoing.

    Definitely not in a hurry. I've been at this for more than a year. It took me a hell of a lot longer than that to put this weight on, so I'm not expecting quick results.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »

    This happens to me after a high day as well. No idea why, unsure of the science, but it is definitely a thing for some people. Now it doesn't mean you'll continue to lose at that same rate but who knows...worth a shot.

    It's so random! There's clearly no science to it. Lol. I was down another pound this morning after several pounds suddenly disappearing yesterday. I figure I'll keep it up for a week and re-assess, and if I need to cut back again and just have a higher cal day cycled in once every week or so, that'll be my on-plan "cheat" day.

    I don't think a weekly high day does much for weight loss, more so for adherence. Having a maintenance/high day after going for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time in a deficit is a different thing. I always have a maintenance/surplus day and has done nothing for my weight loss. Just brings me happiness and makes me feel less stressed on the weekends which is definitely a plus.

    This makes sense. I have very little trouble adhering to 1600 to 1800 calories, as long as I'm eating enough fat. However, if I can lose consistently on 2000 calories I'm gonna go for it. I'd be happy even with .5 lb a week, as long as the weight loss is consistent. I haven't seen consistent loss at all this past year.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    cityruss wrote: »
    My personal viewpoint is to eat as much as you can with a loss you're happy with. No point in pointless restrictions.

    So if you're happy with losses at 2000, eat 2000. It's 400 more calories of food than 1600. Bonus.

    If after a few weeks you aren't happy with the losses you can always knock your calories down a little.

    If 2k will give me consistent loss, no matter how small, I'll take it. I've been struggling to have consistent loss. I suppose I'll have a better idea of where I'm going in a week or two.
  • frugalshrimp
    frugalshrimp Posts: 36 Member
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    You need to adjust your calories as you lose weight. Simple: lower body mass requires fewer calories. I would also change your exercise routine --if you typically do just cardio, add strength training. Try HIIT. Mix it up. I would increase protein, reduce carbohydrates.

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