people who LOST weight eating MORE

I am having a hard time believing you can eat more calories than your goal and still lose weight. When I eat more calories I GAIN weight. Isn't that the reason we keep track of calories? Just sayin'

CrazyGirl - I hear you on this. I think it's fabulous that some people can eat more and still lose weight. If I go over my 1200 calories a day - even when working out - I gain weight. For instance, last night I ate 1500 calories, worked out for an hour, and gained a lb. today. I know if I did that again I'd gain another lb.

The biggest problem is, I haven't lost in over a month. So my 1200 calories only sustains my current weight. I can't seem to lose anything.

Don't confuse fluctuation with "weight gain." It takes 3500 calories to gain one pound; having an extra 300 isn't going to make you gain.

Exercising one hour can stress your muscles, causing them to hold onto fluid, causing the number on your scale to go up. Ditto for having excess sodium. Or needing to poop.

Also, when you've been chronically undereating, when you do have a little extra, your body sometimes freaks out and says, "FINALLY! Some food! Who knows when she's going to give us extra again... better hold onto it." Give it a few weeks to let your body get used to it before dismissing it.

I always ate 1000 or just under that and would lost abt half a kg each week, the week I decided to eat my MFP prescribed full calories (still making heathy choices), I lost 1.6kg and i had exercised only 2 times that week.

For those people who added calories to lose weight - was it easy for you to only consume 1200 calories?

For me, It takes all the willpower to stay close to 1200. Before my fitness pal, I easily consumed 2400-3000 calories a day!

So losing weight works for me when I stay at 1200 or close. It is just really hard.

From what I'm picking up, those people who are overweight to start with and are use to consuming only 1200 calories or under are the ones who need may need to bump up the intake.

I have started to eat my exercise calories back and have lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks. It is scary to think that eating MORE can cause weight loss since eating too much is what got alot of us here to begin with. All I can say is keep logging, and see what works for you. Make weekly adjustments, get enough sleep, drink enough liquid and move your body. My favorite way to get motivated to workout is to start the workout. That is my first goal. Once I start, I usually (always) keep going.

I'm currently trying this to see if it helps. I've been maintaining (fluctuating 1 to 2 pounds in either direction) for the past two months. I still have 20 pounds to reach my goal (which is toward the high end of my healthy BMI), so thought I still had plenty of time to maintain a fairly large deficit.

A couple of weeks a go I finally gave in and got a Bodybugg. Now I'm trying to maintain right around a 500 calorie per day deficit. I haven't quite gotten it yet, but it's getting easier. And during this time I've been maintaining, I have lost inches, so my body is still changing and getting more fit. I'm hoping keeping the smaller deficit will help get the scale moving downward again.

And for anyone who's scared to eat more, I think I haven't started losing again because some days I've still had too large of a deficit (around 800) and it hasn't been long enough for my body to adapt. I have not gained any weight and have lost inches. So if you're contemplating it, give it a try.

I didn't read everyones responses but I started at 1800 calories and plateau'd quickly, now I am at 2800 and gaining muscle. Since i have revamped my eating, I lost another 7% body fat (at 11% now).

I am having a hard time believing you can eat more calories than your goal and still lose weight. When I eat more calories I GAIN weight. Isn't that the reason we keep track of calories? Just sayin'

I started MFP and WW at the beginning of June, 25 weeks ago, and have lost 56 lbs, or an average of about 2 lbs a week. I usually eat about 1700-1800 calories a day, and there are a couple days a week where I eat more, about 2300 calories if not more. I'm female, 5'5'. I eat a lot! And the weight is coming off

I'm following the biggets loser guidelines (how the feed the competitors) and doing the workouts too. They suggest your weight times 7 should be your intake. Its pretty much what MFP gives. They also suggest 45% carb, 35% protien and 20% fat. It has to be clean carbs protiens and fats though. They don't allow the contestants to eat back their calories until they have a certain BMI. MIght explain how some things work well for fatter people not eating them back than fitter people who need to.
I'v elost 14lbs since starting but lost more body fat than the scales indicate. I can see the difference and my Dr is thrilled.

I'm following the biggets loser guidelines (how the feed the competitors) and doing the workouts too. They suggest your weight times 7 should be your intake. Its pretty much what MFP gives. They also suggest 45% carb, 35% protien and 20% fat. It has to be clean carbs protiens and fats though. They don't allow the contestants to eat back their calories until they have a certain BMI. MIght explain how some things work well for fatter people not eating them back than fitter people who need to.
I'v elost 14lbs since starting but lost more body fat than the scales indicate. I can see the difference and my Dr is thrilled.

I would be allowed 1,050 calories. I was gaining at that amount. I'm losing on 1,500.

me too....i am currently at 145 lbs. i can't imagine surviving on 1050 calories a day when i dont exercise.

Just adding my story to the "Eat More to Lose More" chorus. I was at 1200 lost for a few weeks, then stalled for 6weeks. I was told to up my calories. I honestly thought "that is just ridiculous" But I also thought "what can it hurt.

I went to 1350 and lost 2lbs. I stuck with 1350 and eat all my exercise calories until I got within 5lbs of my goal. Then I upped my calories to 1400 and still ate every single exercise calorie and the last, supposedly impossible to lose 5lbs went off at a great clip (about .5lbs every ten days). 5'7" started at 135 and ended at 115 (yes I know that that's 3lbs underweight, don't bother setting me on fire, I'm not going any lower. This is just were my weight settled and my body seems happy at.)

I started at 39ish and was done by my 40th birthday and I've help a friend find MFP and gave her this advice and she's 65 and she had the same experience I did. Just wanted to address the "it's so much harder when you're older" thing also.

Happily maintaining for the last year. So glad I learned this.

The more I read stories like yours, the more it makes me think I must be doing something wrong...:( I was opposite. Whenever I up calories, I stop or even gain. I can't seem able to get rid of that last few pounds. Maybe because I don't do intensive workout?

I walk my dog and bike to work. That bike ride used to me 6.5 miles and now it's just shy of 5. I think the most important thing I did was get a food scale. Actually my boyfriend got it for me, at my request. $4.00 simple scale and boy did that open my eyes. The first morning I measured out what I thought was an ounce of cheese....wow....it was 4oz. I had been eating 400cal of cheese with 140cal of eggs. Best gift I've ever gotten. If you don't have one I really recommend it as the most important thing along with my collection of measuring cups. I have some really pretty ones now that they have to sit out all the time.

Good luck, I hope you find a system that works for you soon.

I'm following the biggets loser guidelines (how the feed the competitors) and doing the workouts too. They suggest your weight times 7 should be your intake. Its pretty much what MFP gives. They also suggest 45% carb, 35% protien and 20% fat. It has to be clean carbs protiens and fats though. They don't allow the contestants to eat back their calories until they have a certain BMI. MIght explain how some things work well for fatter people not eating them back than fitter people who need to.
I'v elost 14lbs since starting but lost more body fat than the scales indicate. I can see the difference and my Dr is thrilled.

My weight (127) x 7 = 889. 889 calories per day? did I read that incorrectly? I eat bt 1800-2400 cals a day depending on exercise. 889 would get me right back where I was in the past -- starving and gaining.

I'm following the biggets loser guidelines (how the feed the competitors) and doing the workouts too. They suggest your weight times 7 should be your intake. Its pretty much what MFP gives. They also suggest 45% carb, 35% protien and 20% fat. It has to be clean carbs protiens and fats though. They don't allow the contestants to eat back their calories until they have a certain BMI. MIght explain how some things work well for fatter people not eating them back than fitter people who need to.
I'v elost 14lbs since starting but lost more body fat than the scales indicate. I can see the difference and my Dr is thrilled.

My weight (127) x 7 = 889. 889 calories per day? did I read that incorrectly? I eat bt 1800-2400 cals a day depending on exercise. 889 would get me right back where I was in the past -- starving and gaining.

We must remember that this is for the "Biggest Loser". The contestants start out around 300lbs. That would give them 2100 calories. But I don't think this ratio is at all useful to people that are no in the extremely obese category.

I'm following the biggets loser guidelines (how the feed the competitors) and doing the workouts too. They suggest your weight times 7 should be your intake. Its pretty much what MFP gives. They also suggest 45% carb, 35% protien and 20% fat. It has to be clean carbs protiens and fats though. They don't allow the contestants to eat back their calories until they have a certain BMI. MIght explain how some things work well for fatter people not eating them back than fitter people who need to.
I'v elost 14lbs since starting but lost more body fat than the scales indicate. I can see the difference and my Dr is thrilled.

My weight (127) x 7 = 889. 889 calories per day? did I read that incorrectly? I eat bt 1800-2400 cals a day depending on exercise. 889 would get me right back where I was in the past -- starving and gaining.

We must remember that this is for the "Biggest Loser". The contestants start out around 300lbs. That would give them 2100 calories. But I don't think this ratio is at all useful to people that are no in the extremely obese category.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

7 times your weight is a TERRIBLE metric if you aren't obese. And its even more terrible if you have a lot of muscle or something. I would only get to eat 1150 calories doing that - I need at least 1500 just to FUNCTION as a body with blood and organs.

I have been on Weight Watchers for a long time - exercising and not eating any of those calories and yet the weight wouldn't budge!

I realise now, since joining MFP, that I've been undereating for the amount of exercise I do! If I gain 300-400 calories a day from exercise, then I need to eat some of that. Since doing that, I have been losing. It's wonderful!

SO YES, if you earn extra calories - eat them. In time, your body will say, 'hey she's eating enough - we can lose some' instead of it not letting go of weight because you are undereating. I hope this makes sense?

And to the lady who says she eats all the time and sticks to calories, but eats berries, fruit etc. How do you do that when an apple and two fresh dates take me over my sugar levels daily!!!! That's the other thing I noticed since joining MFP. I'm over on sugars daily. I thought it was carbs I was over indulging on while doing WW, but no I'm under on these - sugars found in fruit even in vegies! It's all very interesting.

I don't watch any macros. I don't think it's necessary for everyone. Most important for me to reconcile the calories I eat to the calories I burn. I eat plenty of sugar and am at goal.

I had a similar problem with WW (I am a former leader). I think the program is geared to people who don't exercise and/or are obese or extremely overweight. WW would be much more useful to active people with less to lose if they told people that they NEED TO eat their exercise points within 24 hours of burning them! (eat them in advance if you have a big event -- I eat extra over 2 days before a long bike ride where I will burn 2000-4000 cals).

Telling people that eating exercise points is optional is hurtful, and results in very active people stalling or actually gaining weight. If you run a race on Tuesday and undereat (because you're only eating minimum points), but plan to blow it out on Saturday night, you will gain. Your body only knows it's starving on Tuesday when you just consumed net NEGATIVE calories. It doesn't know you're going to have a pizza and beer party Saturday. You can't make up for it later -- that Saturday night binge is gonna result in added pounds even though you're starving the rest of the time. (see LIVING WITH OBESITY AT 700 CALORIES A DAY article).

blessings.

bump