Increased my daily calorie intake... hope I don't gain

laurs
laurs Posts: 37 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I've decided to increase my daily calorie intake from 1200 to 1330, set my goal at 1/2 pound per week instead. I've been on a plateau for 3 months now and it's been quite discouraging. I tried increasing the calories awhile ago but I didn't see anything happen right away so I decided to go back to the 1200.

I've also incorporated more weight training once a week and now I do HIIT at least once a week. I've also started playing floor hockey for a month now and also do long distance running. I hope all this will help me! I feel like I'm in a rut here. Last two weeks, I did HIIT, yoga, floor hockey, weights and long distance running and ended up gaining a pound! I don't think it's muscle either because my pants seem to have gotten a bit tighter. :cry:

So, now that I've increased my calories, I was wondering, how much time should I give it to see results? Have any of you done the same and seen positive results and if so, when? Oh and, if you've seen negative results, please let me know too!

Scared to gain more weight!

cw: 124.5
gw: 115
height: 5'2"
original weight: 147

Replies

  • laurs
    laurs Posts: 37 Member
    I've decided to increase my daily calorie intake from 1200 to 1330, set my goal at 1/2 pound per week instead. I've been on a plateau for 3 months now and it's been quite discouraging. I tried increasing the calories awhile ago but I didn't see anything happen right away so I decided to go back to the 1200.

    I've also incorporated more weight training once a week and now I do HIIT at least once a week. I've also started playing floor hockey for a month now and also do long distance running. I hope all this will help me! I feel like I'm in a rut here. Last two weeks, I did HIIT, yoga, floor hockey, weights and long distance running and ended up gaining a pound! I don't think it's muscle either because my pants seem to have gotten a bit tighter. :cry:

    So, now that I've increased my calories, I was wondering, how much time should I give it to see results? Have any of you done the same and seen positive results and if so, when? Oh and, if you've seen negative results, please let me know too!

    Scared to gain more weight!

    cw: 124.5
    gw: 115
    height: 5'2"
    original weight: 147
  • kpnuts23
    kpnuts23 Posts: 960 Member
    Good morning!

    I am in the same boat as you... Started on MFP on 1200 but i just wasnt loosing and i found it hard to stick to that amount (never reached it from fear of putting on weight), but i have accepted that that wasnt working as i never ate my excersize cals either.. oops!:tongue:
    so i upped my calories on the weekend - and went to aerobics last night... hopefully i will see a difference this time next week! Fingers crossed for the both of us!:flowerforyou:

    Im equally as scared to put on weight but i have read so many threads about people upping their cals and they have started to loose weight again!:happy: I hope this works!!:ohwell:

    :heart: Katherine
  • gilly88
    gilly88 Posts: 114
    hey both!
    i was/am in the same boat. only have about eight to lose and they are STUBBORN! so mfp put me at 1200 + exercise. i lost 2lb the first week btu then gained it back and have hovered around 24-26 ever since (3 months).
    three weeks ago i put my cals up to averaging 1500/day (inc exercise cals). this was worked out by my BMR (1380) x moderately active 1.45, - 500.
    i overall hadn't lost anything until this morning when i lost one lb. this is not a big deal but at least its the right direction.
    my point is, i Upped cals significantly and didn't gain weight - so go for it, i think! also up your strength training and see how you go!
  • laurs
    laurs Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you both! Yes, I will try and see now. Will update you all in about a week if I see changes. I guess I also need some patience!
    Wonder how long it takes to see results... praying and crossing fingers now. :)
  • porka29
    porka29 Posts: 868 Member
    I upped my cals today from 1200 to 1270, not that much but we'll see, I've been the same for early three weeks. Interested to see how this works out for you guys.:happy:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    you won't gain weight. to gain weight you have to eat OVER your maintenance calories. I don't know how much it would be for your weight but to give you a vague idea, I weigh 148 lbs. To maintain that weight , I'd have to eat around 1800 calories each day. To lose weight, I have to eat any number less than 1800 a day and to gain weight I'd have to eat any number higher than 1800 per day. Makes sense right? Now even if you DO over eat on occasion that's ok, because it's take 3500 calories of OVEReating to gain just one pound. If MFP tells you you can eat 1330 cals a day and lose about 1/2 lb a week, trust it. You may not see the results right away though, 1/2 lb isn't much to a scale, and your body naturally fluctuates all the time, but stick with it and you will see it happen.:flowerforyou:
  • laurs
    laurs Posts: 37 Member
    I get what you're saying keri, thanks for the encouragement.

    I'm just scared that since I'm plateauing now, that maybe it means my metabolism has slowed down to 1200 cals a day, that's why i'm maintaining at this weight right now. So if I increase, then I'll gain. But I do believe in what everyone is saying about increasing cals, and I will trust them. We'll see what happens!
  • fullofjoy720
    fullofjoy720 Posts: 161
    Oh yey! I havent lost much in awhile And i'm afraid to add calories. I barely make it 1200 sometimes! So I hope it works out and keep us posted :D
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I get what you're saying keri, thanks for the encouragement.

    I'm just scared that since I'm plateauing now, that maybe it means my metabolism has slowed down to 1200 cals a day, that's why i'm maintaining at this weight right now. So if I increase, then I'll gain. But I do believe in what everyone is saying about increasing cals, and I will trust them. We'll see what happens!
    I would increase your workout before increasing calories....good luck
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    I get what you're saying keri, thanks for the encouragement.

    I'm just scared that since I'm plateauing now, that maybe it means my metabolism has slowed down to 1200 cals a day, that's why i'm maintaining at this weight right now. So if I increase, then I'll gain. But I do believe in what everyone is saying about increasing cals, and I will trust them. We'll see what happens!
    I would increase your workout before increasing calories....good luck
    when you're working on those last 10 lbs or so it IS always a good idea to pump up your workouts. You really have to kick your own butt, I'm finding that now also. But at the same time, the last thing you want to do is make you deficit bigger (because you're so close, you really don't have the energy reserves (fat) left to be able to do that in a healthy way). However, I do agree, pump up your workouts if you can, just be sure to eat those calories back so your deficit isn't getting larger than it should be.
  • pettmybunny
    pettmybunny Posts: 1,986 Member
    I get what you're saying keri, thanks for the encouragement.

    I'm just scared that since I'm plateauing now, that maybe it means my metabolism has slowed down to 1200 cals a day, that's why i'm maintaining at this weight right now. So if I increase, then I'll gain. But I do believe in what everyone is saying about increasing cals, and I will trust them. We'll see what happens!
    I would increase your workout before increasing calories....good luck
    when you're working on those last 10 lbs or so it IS always a good idea to pump up your workouts. You really have to kick your own butt, I'm finding that now also. But at the same time, the last thing you want to do is make you deficit bigger (because you're so close, you really don't have the energy reserves (fat) left to be able to do that in a healthy way). However, I do agree, pump up your workouts if you can, just be sure to eat those calories back so your deficit isn't getting larger than it should be.

    It sounds from Laurs first post as if she has picked up her workouts already, with HIIT, more strength training, floor hockey, etc. Hang in there Laurs!
  • laurs
    laurs Posts: 37 Member
    thanks everyone!
    will keep persevering, up the cals a teeny bit and make sure i eat them and pump up the workouts like MAD. :angry:
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