After Upping Calories, how long before ....

spaingirl2011
spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
... you saw a change on the scale?

I'm 26, 5'4, and 160lbs. Last week (mid-week), I decided to up my calorie intake (originally to 1450, but changed it Sunday/Monday to reflect my more sedentary lifestyle) to 1310 and to eat my exercise calories (I wasn't doing that before. Bad me! I know...).

For those of you who made this kind of change, how long before you saw a change on the scale(I've been stuck at 162-160 for 3 weeks)? I know that it may take some time for me because I was grossly underfeeding myself and my body has to be able to trust me. I'm just curious so I know when I have to make changes if I need to. Thanks!

Replies

  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
    You may still be under eating. Most of the time I see changes within a few days if I'm watching the scale like a hawk.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
    Couple days usually
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    You may still be under eating. Most of the time I see changes within a few days if I'm watching the scale like a hawk.


    Hmmm ... that's puzzling as I've managed to net at LEAST 1200 calories the last week. Oy ...
  • taroe
    taroe Posts: 3
    I'm 51, 5' 2", and 175 lbs. I was and still am having the exact same problems. I just started using myfitnesspal this past Monday, but before I was only eating 2 yoplait light and no fat yogurts twice a day and for dinner I would eat a 50/50 blend salad with balsamic vinegar and a chef boyardee beef ravioli with mini meatballs. Needless to say I was way under the 1200 calorie goal I had set for myself and using myfitnesspal has really helped me to see what I need to eat to get a balanced meal and stay close to my calorie goal. I've even started walking 30 to 40 minutes a day. Hopefully, I will start to see results soon. Good luck with the changes you've made to your diet needs.

    Theresa
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    My weight loss has been sloooooooow since doing this, but it's going down...plateau for MONTHS. I did see inches first. Get the tape measure out. I've lost 3 inches in my waist in a couple of months.
  • fitby2012
    fitby2012 Posts: 167 Member
    The next day for me! Good luck!
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    Netting 1200 doesn't necessarily means you're eating enough.

    I tried netting 1200...lost like 1lb in 4 weeks.

    Within a week or two of upping to 1400, I was losing.

    I'm now netting 1400-1600 and have been losing.
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    Hmmm ... it appears that my BMR is 1450, while MFP suggests that in order to lose 1lb a week, I should eat 1310cals a day. Something seems off here ...
  • taroe
    taroe Posts: 3
    I know, right? I started my diet in Aug. 2010. My starting weight was 202 lbs. and before I started using myfitnesspal I got down to 176, but I've been at this weight for at least 6 months! I just started back using myfitnesspal two days ago and hope to be able to manage my calories and exercise a little better.

    Theresa
  • fitby2012
    fitby2012 Posts: 167 Member
    BMR and TDEE are two different numbers. Your TDEE is probably 1810 per day. If you are set to 1 lb per week, that would give you a suggested daily calorie total of 1310. Remember, BMR is what is burned doing absolutely nothing, whereas your TDEE is driven by your regular activity level (Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.).

    HTH
  • Twasney
    Twasney Posts: 186 Member
    after suffering through a 45 day plateau I can advise you to stop obsessing about the scale! Take your measurements and weight just once a week in the morning before you eat.

    I upped my caloric intake FINALLY....despite thinking it would not work and the following week when I weighed I had dropped 4 pounds!!
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    BMR and TDEE are two different numbers. Your TDEE is probably 1810 per day. If you are set to 1 lb per week, that would give you a suggested daily calorie total of 1310. Remember, BMR is what is burned doing absolutely nothing, whereas your TDEE is driven by your regular activity level (Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.).

    HTH

    Thanks for the info! I hope you don't mind me asking a follow-up question... should I eat the TDEE, the BMR or stick with the number that MFP gave me? I'm a little confused ...
  • fitby2012
    fitby2012 Posts: 167 Member
    I definitely don't mind you asking.

    What I would do is eat 1300-1400 per day, but also eat about 60%-70% of the exercise calories back. That should keep your metabolism going strong.
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    Thanks so much! I'll go ahead and try that!
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 507 Member
    Hmmm ... it appears that my BMR is 1450, while MFP suggests that in order to lose 1lb a week, I should eat 1310cals a day. Something seems off here ...

    You're BMR is what you would need to eat to survive. My BMR is 1820. My mainteance is 2220. After eating exercise cals, I usually can eat approx 2500-2800 a day and I'm still losing. I've seen a significant increase in my metabolism (and more importantly fat loss) since I started lifting (used to do all cardio) and upped my cals.

    I think you're doing it right now... just increase it and see if you feel better. But to answer your question, it would usually take me about a week to get back in weight loss mode after upping my cals... and I've upped them 5 times since 110 days ago when I first joined.
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