When is time to up my calories?

svanhoecke
svanhoecke Posts: 266
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
I realize I just posted a topic on here but it brought about a whole new question for me.

I have been doing 1200 calories or so a day since the beginning of May. So far I have lost 15 pounds and that seems to be about the right amount to make me full and satisfied. :smile:

I want to lose another 10-15 pounds. I am hearing that I should start increasing my calorie intake. Is it too soon to do that if I am still seeing results from the 1200 calories? Should I wait until the 1200 calories isn't working? I don't want to up my calories if it is going to stop the steady weight loss I have seen so far.

Any advice on this topic is appreciated. :) Thanks!

Right now I am 140 pounds and hope to reach either 130 or 125 eventually. I was thinking of maybe upping calories around 135?

Replies

  • suprfast
    suprfast Posts: 49
    When you reach your goal. If its working and you can maintain why change it.
    When you hit your goal add 500 calories per day and see where that leads you in a few weeks(the longer the better to ensure its not water weight). If you are adding cut, if you are still losing add more.
  • maysflower
    maysflower Posts: 180
    I'm not an expert but I think you should up your calories when hit a plateau and are unable to lose anymore weight. If eating 1200 calories is working for you right now, don't fix what isn't broke. Good luck!
  • michigandj
    michigandj Posts: 7
    Not sure who told you to up your calories. Personally, I'd drop your calories 50-100 and see what happens.

    Also, Have a skip day where you just eat what you want. I do it once a week and it seems to be working.
  • sonnyless
    sonnyless Posts: 142 Member
    I upped mine yesterday. I don't know if you also work out. But my calories were set at 1,300 and I work out M-F. In May I didn't lose any weight. So these last few weeks I started eating back almost all of my exercise calories so that I was netting 1,200, and WHA- LA! I started losing again at a fast pace. Due to that, I decided to up my calories by 100. I now feel like the more you eat the more you lose. Calories in and calories out. :)
  • jennahiggins
    jennahiggins Posts: 56 Member
    It is not healthy to go under 1200 calories ( was told this by a nutritionist and a doctor). When you plateau, kick up your calories, but I would recommend doing it in 100-200 increments until you find what works for you. You would hate to up them only to find out that you actually gained weight on weigh in day. If you work out, make sure you are hitting your calorie intake also. Sometimes our bodies get used to the same regime and we have to throw in something to "shock" it.

    I also agree with taking one day a week and "splurging" as long as it isn't over the top. It is much easier to gain a pound than it is to lose it. Good Luck hun, but by the sounds of it you are doing great.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    How tall are you?

    what worked for me was...

    Right around the point when I entered the healthy BMI range I down shifted to lose .5lb/wk.

    Even if you selected lose 1 lb/wk MFP won't let you go below 1200 cal per day so click on the tab MY HOME then click GOALS at the bottom of the 2nd column you'll see the rate you are losing at

    I found I was more successful giving myself a range rather than an exact number.

    Good Luck
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Not sure who told you to up your calories. Personally, I'd drop your calories 50-100 and see what happens.
    This doesn't sound like a smart idea to me. I'd keep at, at least 1200 calories.
  • svanhoecke
    svanhoecke Posts: 266
    How tall are you?

    what worked for me was...

    Right around the point when I entered the healthy BMI range I down shifted to lose .5lb/wk.

    Even if you selected lose 1 lb/wk MFP won't let you go below 1200 cal per day so click on the tab MY HOME then click GOALS at the bottom of the 2nd column you'll see the rate you are losing at

    I found I was more successful giving myself a range rather than an exact number.

    Good Luck

    Thanks for the advice. I am just a little under 5' 4". I think I will up my calories by 100 next week. Especially if this week is a no loss. :) Thanks! Congrats on your loss
  • Countrymade
    Countrymade Posts: 183 Member
    If you are getting steady weight loss at 1200 calories.
    I wouldn't change what you are doing until you reach a plateau.
    Why fix something that isn't broken?
  • jcch00
    jcch00 Posts: 57 Member
    Not sure who told you to up your calories. Personally, I'd drop your calories 50-100 and see what happens.

    Also, Have a skip day where you just eat what you want. I do it once a week and it seems to be working.

    Sorry, but this is NOT good advice. Taking in less than 1200 daily can cause your body to go into starvation mode resulting in weight GAIN. I do agree however with the "skip day" theory. That works for me as well.

    OP, have you thought of zig-zagging your calories? It helps keep your body guessing so as not to adjust to the same caloric intake everyday. Here is a link:
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • svanhoecke
    svanhoecke Posts: 266
    Not sure who told you to up your calories. Personally, I'd drop your calories 50-100 and see what happens.

    Also, Have a skip day where you just eat what you want. I do it once a week and it seems to be working.

    Sorry, but this is NOT good advice. Taking in less than 1200 daily can cause your body to go into starvation mode resulting in weight GAIN. I do agree however with the "skip day" theory. That works for me as well.

    OP, have you thought of zig-zagging your calories? It helps keep your body guessing so as not to adjust to the same caloric intake everyday. Here is a link:
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    I agree. I would never intentionally eat under 1200 calories. Although sometimes it happens. I have thought about zig-zagging my calories. That will be another good game plan if I hit a plateau. I was just wondering if there was something wrong with continuing the way I am now since it is working. Thanks for the advice!
  • krista1325
    krista1325 Posts: 2
    MFP changed my calories for me which has helped me maintain my weight loss at 2 pounds per week.
  • pkpzp228
    pkpzp228 Posts: 146 Member
    I realize I just posted a topic on here but it brought about a whole new question for me.

    I have been doing 1200 calories or so a day since the beginning of May. So far I have lost 15 pounds and that seems to be about the right amount to make me full and satisfied. :smile:

    I want to lose another 10-15 pounds. I am hearing that I should start increasing my calorie intake. Is it too soon to do that if I am still seeing results from the 1200 calories? Should I wait until the 1200 calories isn't working? I don't want to up my calories if it is going to stop the steady weight loss I have seen so far.

    Any advice on this topic is appreciated. :) Thanks!

    Right now I am 140 pounds and hope to reach either 130 or 125 eventually. I was thinking of maybe upping calories around 135?

    I'd up your calories if you feel like you're bonking or not able to maintain a level of physical intensity for your exercise routine. As others mentioned, if you're stuck increasing your cals might help, especially via protein and increasing your resistance training.

    As per the 50-100 drop, let me start by saying I do believe in starvation mode but in the context of using a website to manage your calorie intake vs bmr and daily exercise burn, (an additional) 50-100 calorie deficit is highly unlikely to put you into starvation mode... with the caveat that you're currently eating at a sustainable level. MFP's "guestimation: of your BMR alone I wouldn't put at better than +/- 100 calories, calories in are typically underestimated and calories out are typically overestimated. You body doesn't go into starvation mode because you didn't eat your 100 exercise/diet calories, it happens due to prolonged significant calorie deficit.

    bump it up a little, if that doesn't produce reasonable results drop it down, MFP is not a rule book it's a tool.
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