Upped my calorie goal to get more loss

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khollyk
khollyk Posts: 150 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My goal was set at 1200 (as per MFP default for the settings I entered). I've been on here for going on 30 days (tomorrow, I believe) and I've only lost a pound. I know below it says 5, but that's still set from the last time I was doing MFP about 6 months ago. So, currently 30 days of healthy eating and exercising and all I've lost is a pound. However, I've noticed that I typically weigh less after cheat days. Last weekend my mom visited and I ate relatively healthy (for a mom visit) but what would typically be considered a "cheat" and when I weighed in that Monday, I had LOST! I noticed that after a previous cheat, that I had lost as well. So today, after visiting http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm I decided that perhaps I wasn't eating enough, so I've gone in and manually changed my MFP goal to 1400 caloric intake per day. What are your thoughts? Would you try this if you were me?

I had been eating as many of my exercise calories as I could stomach previously, and since that didn't seem to be working, for the past week I had been trying to NOT eat them back, since I've noticed that some people have success with that. (Just wanted to add that so that if you went into my diary and saw that I was leaving a big chunk of calories over for the past week, you'd know why. It's not typical for me, because I'm a pretty firm believer in eating my calories back, but it was just an experiment.)

Replies

  • dlbarroso
    dlbarroso Posts: 17
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    I seem to be having the same problem. Working out, eating well within my 1200 calories per MFP and not making much progress. I'm not sure about upping my calories just yet. I am going to try much harder to eat back my exercise calories to see if it makes a difference. If not, then I will try upping my calories. What have I got to lose? Ha! Keep me posted on how you make out.
  • WBish3
    WBish3 Posts: 35 Member
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    I have noticed the same thing, losing more after cheat/ bad days. So I did the exact same thing... I changed my calories from 1200 to 1400.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Excellent idea. This has worked for me at least twice and for other people I've advised to do the same. Best of luck!
  • sheila0321
    sheila0321 Posts: 110 Member
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    I am going to try this also.
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
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    bump
  • Gemnildy
    Gemnildy Posts: 124 Member
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    Something I might need to look into as well. maybe by 100 calories a week to see if there is a difference. It has been a month for me too and I am working harder than ever on my cardio and workouts and still only 2 pounds on my last weigh-in. Next weigh in is tomorrow morning and I am going to check against measurements as well (although not even my clothes fit different yet).

    On the upside, at a social event last night I had more compliments than I ever expected.. so something is different..lol
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
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    I did this. I found 1225 to be my sweet spot. On days I don't exercise, I'll still eat enough to not starve, on exercise days I'm eating between 1400-1600 calories.
  • 2dayirun4me
    2dayirun4me Posts: 336 Member
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    I would definitely try it if what you are doing has not been working. good luck :smile:
  • BizReynoldsS
    BizReynoldsS Posts: 23
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    HI, I have been having the exact same problem! I did go to the website you mentioned at freedieting.com and not only did it tell me to consume more calories, it mentioned zig-zaging.. same amount of calories per week, but changing it up daily.. so I am going to try that. :) Thanks for the website info!
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 600 Member
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    Same here. I had set mine to lose 2 lbs a week, was eating 1200 for about a month. Lost nothing. I reset to lose 1.5 lbs a week and calories automatically upped to 1450. I have lost about 1.5 this past week. I don't always eat back ALL my exercise calories on a light work out day where I burn 300-400 I will usually eat all those back but on a day where I burn 800-1000 I only eat back about 400-500 hundred. That is what is working for me anyway. It has taken me about a year to really agree and understand that whole eat more lose more thing.
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 600 Member
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    HI, I have been having the exact same problem! I did go to the website you mentioned at freedieting.com and not only did it tell me to consume more calories, it mentioned zig-zaging.. same amount of calories per week, but changing it up daily.. so I am going to try that. :) Thanks for the website info!

    I have been using that site for it's tools for along time. good stuff there.
  • djnufer
    djnufer Posts: 8 Member
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    Keep in mind that if your exercise program includes weightlifting or any activity that builds muscle, the muscle weighs more than fat and you may be becoming leaner without seeing it on the scale. That being said, it certainly is possible that your calorie goals were too restrictive. When you go too far below the calories required to maintain your weight, your body goes into 'starvation mode' and decreases your metabolic rate and thus the number of calories burned and fat lost.
    Other possibilities might include underestimating calories consumed or overestimating calories burned.
    In any case, trying different approaches to see what works for you is a great approach.
    Remember to give yourself credit for all your hard work and try not to be discouraged by the scale.
  • LynneGG
    LynneGG Posts: 95 Member
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    Google zig zagging dieting...there was a post earlier today and it seems many do this. This is what I do with my range 1200-1600. Usually 1600 for the weekend and then start the week off 1200-1300/day for maybe 2 days....just keep bouncing around. Some have a set pattern. The whole idea is to keep your metabolism confused.

    I've lost 27lbs in 10 weeks...I don't feel deprived. For me this is more realistic..I don't feel like a failure:smile:

    Good luck in finding what works for you!

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