Increasing my calories for better fat loss
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Increased my average calories to 2136 this week.
I intend to keep my calories around 2200 for the next 4 to 6 weeks and then cut calories to 1800-1900. Hopefully, I will then lose some weight on this amount of calories, instead of having to go back to the low level of 1400 that I was eating at the start of February.
7 December
Weight – 76.9kg, Fat % - 47.6, Cal – 1670
15 March
Weight – 73.1kg, Fat % - 44.0, Cal – 2136
My daily weight has stayed between 72.1kg and 73.2kg since the beginning of February and my average weekly weight has been 72.8kg. My average weekly calories have gone from 1400 to 2100 in this time.1 -
@BarbaraHelen2013
I am trying to increase my metabolism by slowing increasing my calories. My body should adjust its metabolism to the amount of calories I take in. I am now eating 2100 calories and my average weekly weight has remained the same. This way I will be able to start dieting again at a higher number of calories and I will adjust reset again if I need to.3 -
frees1spirit wrote: »@BarbaraHelen2013
I am trying to increase my metabolism by slowing increasing my calories. My body should adjust its metabolism to the amount of calories I take in. I am now eating 2100 calories and my average weekly weight has remained the same. This way I will be able to start dieting again at a higher number of calories and I will adjust reset again if I need to.
If this were true to the extent you’re relying on it, nobody would be overweight. If metabolism adjusted to intake we’d all be a healthy weight. Walk down almost any street and you’ll clearly see the flaw in the theory!9 -
One thing I would point out is that my weight loss seems to lag my calorie deficit by 1 or 2 weeks, so just keep that in mind. When I first reached my ultimate weight loss goal and increased calories to maintenance I continued to lose weight for 2 weeks. Not sure if that is a consistent experience for people, but does seem to be the case for me.4
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@BarbaraHelen2013
This method can be used to bring my calories up to my TDEE. My TDEE is around 2500 or so. You are right, I can't just increase my calories to say 5000 and expect to not put on weight but I am managing to bring it up, closer to my TDEE, without putting on weight.
What happens is called metabolic adaptation. When we lower our calories, in order to lose weight, our bodies usually adjusts its metabolism to accommodate the shortfall in calories. That's what happens when we plateau. Well the body also does adapt its metabolism to increased calories, up to a point. I am trying to do this.
If you are interested, look up reverse dieting or metabolic reset/adaptation. If not, you can just see what happens with my experiment. I have already increased my calories by around 500 since February and will start dieting again in a month's time.
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frees1spirit wrote: »@BarbaraHelen2013
This method can be used to bring my calories up to my TDEE. My TDEE is around 2500 or so. You are right, I can't just increase my calories to say 5000 and expect to not put on weight but I am managing to bring it up, closer to my TDEE, without putting on weight.
What happens is called metabolic adaptation. When we lower our calories, in order to lose weight, our bodies usually adjusts its metabolism to accommodate the shortfall in calories. That's what happens when we plateau. Well the body also does adapt its metabolism to increased calories, up to a point. I am trying to do this.
If you are interested, look up reverse dieting or metabolic reset/adaptation. If not, you can just see what happens with my experiment. I have already increased my calories by around 500 since February and will start dieting again in a month's time.
if your TDEE is 2500, why are you only increasing to 2200 cals for the next 4-6 weeks?
That would mean you're in a 300 cal deficit so you'd still be losing half a pound a week, which negates the idea of a refeed to help your metabolism doesn't it?4 -
BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »frees1spirit wrote: »@BarbaraHelen2013
I am trying to increase my metabolism by slowing increasing my calories. My body should adjust its metabolism to the amount of calories I take in. I am now eating 2100 calories and my average weekly weight has remained the same. This way I will be able to start dieting again at a higher number of calories and I will adjust reset again if I need to.
If this were true to the extent you’re relying on it, nobody would be overweight. If metabolism adjusted to intake we’d all be a healthy weight. Walk down almost any street and you’ll clearly see the flaw in the theory!
Actually, it is true to an extent...reverse dieting is a thing...metabolism does adapt both downwards (when you're dieting) and upwards (when you consume more calories). Obviously not to the extent of just eating calories with abandon, but adaptation does work both ways.8 -
@thisvickyruns
Good point.
I meant my TDEE should be around 2500 as given by online calculators. At the moment I am not losing at 2200 but maintaining. I had hoped to get up to 2500 and cut at 2000 or so. However I am feeling pretty full most days but maybe I should see how I can increase calories without feeling so stuffed. I got used to eating low calorie dense foods which are not what I need right now.
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frees1spirit wrote: »@BarbaraHelen2013
This method can be used to bring my calories up to my TDEE. My TDEE is around 2500 or so. You are right, I can't just increase my calories to say 5000 and expect to not put on weight but I am managing to bring it up, closer to my TDEE, without putting on weight.
What happens is called metabolic adaptation. When we lower our calories, in order to lose weight, our bodies usually adjusts its metabolism to accommodate the shortfall in calories. That's what happens when we plateau. Well the body also does adapt its metabolism to increased calories, up to a point. I am trying to do this.
If you are interested, look up reverse dieting or metabolic reset/adaptation. If not, you can just see what happens with my experiment. I have already increased my calories by around 500 since February and will start dieting again in a month's time.
I did something similar. I called it trying to see the highest amount I could maintain on. I maintained the same weight I am now for about 5 years on 1600-1700. I wanted to really push and see if I could eat more and still maintain. I ended up increasing calories slowly and now my maintenance is about 600 calories more without deliberately increasing any formal exercise.
I found that when eating more calories I had SO much more energy and just moved more during the day, took extra steps, danced or jumped around when I was excited or a good song came on, offered to go the long way without thinking, offered to do things for others, felt like doing extra cleaning etc. And it didn't feel like I was forcing myself to like it did when I was eating less. Just came naturally. All the little extras added up. I also noticed small things like that my hair grew faster.
I did a similar thing to what you did. I just kept increasing my calories a few hundred per week and seeing if I gained anything or if I naturally started having more energy and burning them off thus still maintaining. Eventually I got to the point where I couldn't increase anymore and started gaining slowly so I stopped. Been maintaining on the higher amount though for over 5 years now.
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I'm sure reverse dieting won't work in every scenario, but it's too easy to believe it will never work at all. I, too, believe that it can, in the right situation, if pursued carefully. It's kind of the flip side of people who eat too low calories, and lose slower than they'd expect, basically because of subtle fatigue and subtly lowered activity.
The balance of calories in and calories out isn't static. It's dynamic. Calorie intake has an influence on calorie output, through pretty much the same mechanisms that cause "adaptive thermogenesis" (subtle fatigue, slowing of stuff like hair growth, maybe slightly lower body temperature, etc.) when calories are too low for too long.
Some people seem to be more subject to this "dynamic" response, judging from the occasional post in the maintenance part of the forum: It's not that unusual to see people report maintaining for a bit on calorie level X when they reach goal weight, then seeing weight start to drop slowly again, so they eat more, and maintain again at a higher intake level. It's presumably the same set of mechanisms behind some of the value of "diet breaks".
"Reverse dieting" is not going to be a capacity to increase calories indefinitely much; it's just a way to try to push back on any adaptive slowdown that may've happened, and try to increase calorie needs a bit. It doesn't violate the laws of physics, it just recognizes that people can sometimes have more energy and vitality with increased fuel - kind of common sense, really, IMO.3 -
The balance of calories in and calories out isn't static. It's dynamic. Calorie intake has an influence on calorie output, through pretty much the same mechanisms that cause "adaptive thermogenesis" (subtle fatigue, slowing of stuff like hair growth, maybe slightly lower body temperature, etc.) when calories are too low for too long. Some people seem to be more subject to this "dynamic" response, judging from the occasional post in the maintenance part of the forum
These days I think I could ALMOST skip weight-ins!
Changes to my Fitbit "resting heart rate" seem to correlate quite well (and slightly precede) increases/decreases or flat stretches in terms of my weight trend.
When i was at the tail end of major weight loss a few years back, my resting heart rate was in the mid 50s, a good 10 points down from where I tend to be these days when I am weight stable.1 -
Correction: increases/decreases to the next daily weight ins (not to the weight trend)0
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BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »frees1spirit wrote: »@BarbaraHelen2013
I am trying to increase my metabolism by slowing increasing my calories. My body should adjust its metabolism to the amount of calories I take in. I am now eating 2100 calories and my average weekly weight has remained the same. This way I will be able to start dieting again at a higher number of calories and I will adjust reset again if I need to.
If this were true to the extent you’re relying on it, nobody would be overweight. If metabolism adjusted to intake we’d all be a healthy weight. Walk down almost any street and you’ll clearly see the flaw in the theory!
Actually it is true! I did a reverse diet where I gradually increased my calories to 2400. A while ago I was consuming 1500 calories and I felt miserable. I now have more energy overall and in my workouts. I’m still waiting for hair regrowth but I know that takes time. My joints are no longer inflamed and I sleep much better at night.2 -
frees1spirit wrote: »@thisvickyruns
Good point.
I meant my TDEE should be around 2500 as given by online calculators. At the moment I am not losing at 2200 but maintaining. I had hoped to get up to 2500 and cut at 2000 or so. However I am feeling pretty full most days but maybe I should see how I can increase calories without feeling so stuffed. I got used to eating low calorie dense foods which are not what I need right now.
peanut butter is your friend for that one!3 -
@Noreenmarie1234
Thank you so much for sharing this.
I am feeling more energetic too. I still have some weight to lose but I am much more comfortable than I was when I was at my highest. I also have some health issues so figure that eating enough would benefit me there too.
@thisvickyruns
You are so right. Plus I love peanut butter.
@AnnPT77
I hope I can get it to work for me. Thanks for your insight.
@xxzenabxx
How long did it take you to increase your calories to 2400?
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frees1spirit wrote: »@Noreenmarie1234
Thank you so much for sharing this.
I am feeling more energetic too. I still have some weight to lose but I am much more comfortable than I was when I was at my highest. I also have some health issues so figure that eating enough would benefit me there too.
@thisvickyruns
You are so right. Plus I love peanut butter.
@AnnPT77
I hope I can get it to work for me. Thanks for your insight.
@xxzenabxx
How long did it take you to increase your calories to 2400?
Well I did it in stages but I’d say about 6-7 months.
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I'm sure reverse dieting won't work in every scenario, but it's too easy to believe it will never work at all. I, too, believe that it can, in the right situation, if pursued carefully. It's kind of the flip side of people who eat too low calories, and lose slower than they'd expect, basically because of subtle fatigue and subtly lowered activity.
The balance of calories in and calories out isn't static. It's dynamic. Calorie intake has an influence on calorie output, through pretty much the same mechanisms that cause "adaptive thermogenesis" (subtle fatigue, slowing of stuff like hair growth, maybe slightly lower body temperature, etc.) when calories are too low for too long.
Some people seem to be more subject to this "dynamic" response, judging from the occasional post in the maintenance part of the forum: It's not that unusual to see people report maintaining for a bit on calorie level X when they reach goal weight, then seeing weight start to drop slowly again, so they eat more, and maintain again at a higher intake level. It's presumably the same set of mechanisms behind some of the value of "diet breaks".
"Reverse dieting" is not going to be a capacity to increase calories indefinitely much; it's just a way to try to push back on any adaptive slowdown that may've happened, and try to increase calorie needs a bit. It doesn't violate the laws of physics, it just recognizes that people can sometimes have more energy and vitality with increased fuel - kind of common sense, really, IMO.
Very much this ^^^0 -
15 February
Weight – 72.7kg, Fat % - 43.7, Cal - 1423
22 February
Weight – 72.6kg, Fat % - 43.5, Cal - 1840
1 March
Weight - 72.1kg, Fat % - 42.9, Cal - 1864
8 March
Weight - 72.5kg, Fat % - 43.4, Cal – 1874
15 March
Weight – 73.1kg, Fat % - 44.0, Cal – 2136
22 March
Weight – 73.3kg, Fat % - 44.2, Cal – 2151
29 March
Weight – 72.8kg, Fat % - 43.8, Cal – 2050
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As I saw that my weight was going up I decided to lower my calories to between 1800 and 2000 last week. I ended up being just higher than that but I will gradually work my way down this week. I hope to keep in this range for 3 weeks and see what happens. I weigh myself everyday and the average weight has also shown the same trend.
I still have a lot of weight to lose and did not feel comfortable seeing the scale go up but dieting on 1800 to 2000 calories as a 5 feet 1 inch female is pretty cool.3 -
As I saw that my weight was going up I decided to lower my calories to between 1800 and 2000 last week. I ended up being just higher than that but I will gradually work my way down this week. I hope to keep in this range for 3 weeks and see what happens. I weigh myself everyday and the average weight has also shown the same trend.
I still have a lot of weight to lose and did not feel comfortable seeing the scale go up but dieting on 1800 to 2000 calories as a 5 feet 1 inch female is pretty cool.
That’s great! Dieting on 1800-2000 is definitely a lot of food for your height so that is pleasing! I’m also in a calorie deficit after reverse dieting and then bulking for 6 months. I’m currently eating an average of 2100 calories a day to lose fat. I cycle my calories so I have more on exercise days (2200-2300) and less on rest days (1600-2000). It honestly feels amazing to cut/drop body fat on such high calories. The main thing is that I have enough energy because I always felt tired when I was losing weight in the past. Good luck with your diet!2
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