increasing calories/a little nervous

ddiestler
ddiestler Posts: 353 Member
edited 9:19AM in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've decided I'm going to increase my calories. I started out weighing 195 and am now down to 158. My weight loss is slow with some weeks not losing anything. I am currently on 1200 calories. I workout 4-5 days a week burning between 400-600 cal depending on workout(per HRM).

On non-workout days should I eat my 1200 and then on workout days eat like 1400? Curious what others think and suggest..thanks
in advance.

We've all been taught to eat less move more so increasing calories is a bit scary for me. I finally have control of my eating and the thought of gaining is frightening..yet, I do believe my body needs more fuel.

Replies

  • melodyking
    melodyking Posts: 4
    So, I've decided I'm going to increase my calories. I started out weighing 195 and am now down to 158. My weight loss is slow with some weeks not losing anything. I am currently on 1200 calories. I workout 4-5 days a week burning between 400-600 cal depending on workout(per HRM).

    On non-workout days should I eat my 1200 and then on workout days eat like 1400? Curious what others think and suggest..thanks
    in advance.

    We've all been taught to eat less move more so increasing calories is a bit scary for me. I finally have control of my eating and the thought of gaining is frightening..yet, I do believe my body needs more fuel.

    thanks for sharing. will keep an eye on this topic. hope you would update us on progress :)
  • JaclynnGail
    JaclynnGail Posts: 204 Member
    I don't think you need to be nervous. You are working out, your body needs fuel for those workouts and, assuming you aren't planning to increase your calories by a thousand calories or something, you will still be eating below your maintenance amount. I recently increased mine from 1200 to 1400, and I kept losing the same amount of weight. Considering increasing by another couple hundred. 1200 calories is the bare minimum of what you should be eating...you'll be fine. You'll see. And you'll feel better.
  • Stazed
    Stazed Posts: 55 Member
    I have upped my calories now on approx 1800/day (5"8 and 141lbs), and am now losing again, I had stopped losing for a few weeks. I work out most days but even if I don't I still take in between 1600-1800. My energy is better and I don't feel hungry. Good luck
  • ddiestler
    ddiestler Posts: 353 Member
    So did you increase your cals from 1200-1400 on non exercise days as well? Do you eat back exercise calories?
  • ddiestler
    ddiestler Posts: 353 Member
    Do you eat back exercise calories? or is that your total calories weather you exercise or not?
  • JaclynnGail
    JaclynnGail Posts: 204 Member
    Do you eat back exercise calories? or is that your total calories weather you exercise or not?

    I always eat back most of my exercise calories.
  • kazzamcamille
    kazzamcamille Posts: 117 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

    CHECK THIS OUT ^^^ :)
  • akjstyles
    akjstyles Posts: 75 Member
    I find increasing calories to be a scary thing as well. I tried going up from 1200 to 1380, the 2 pound per week loss to 1.5 pound loss that mfp assigned. The first week I not only had a hard time meeting the 1380 but I actually didn't lose anything for the first time in months. I dropped it back to 1200, then manually increased it to 1250, next weigh in day I will increase it manually again to 1300. I think when you do something for such a long period of time that it is better to slowly move up. At least for me it was. I also try to eat half of my exercise calories back.
  • dododo123
    dododo123 Posts: 105 Member
    I raised my calories from 1200 to 1400 which seems to be better. Not sure.
  • KOrogue
    KOrogue Posts: 26
    I have upped my calories now on approx 1800/day (5"8 and 141lbs), and am now losing again, I had stopped losing for a few weeks. I work out most days but even if I don't I still take in between 1600-1800. My energy is better and I don't feel hungry. Good luck

    Did you gain when you first upped your calorie intake?
  • deanaimee
    deanaimee Posts: 36 Member
    I have increased my calories and after an initial 3 lb gain, i have lost it and am going in the right direction. I am 5'9" and started at 214. MFP suggested I eat 1200 cals for 2 lb loss per week. Sounded crazy to me, but I did it and lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks and then nothing in the next 2 weeks. I exercise 5 or 6 days a week and always eat back my exercise calories.

    I decided to up my calories and really give it a month, no matter what my scale said. The first week I went from 1300net to 1400 and then to 1500. I gained 3 lbs and then went 600 calories over one day and the next day I was down a lb. Stayed at 1500net and a couple days later ate like 800 calories over and am down again.

    I think I will up my net to 1600 now, since my going over still allowed me to lose.

    It can really help :)
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    I am 5'2" and lost around 20 pounds on a 1200 calorie allotment, but I stalled about 5 lbs from goal weight for the last few months. I upped my settings to 1330, then 1460 and kept maintaining. Recently, I went up to 1600 calories per day, and a pound came off finally! So, up your calories slowly and monitor how it affects your body, and adjust from there.

    Also, I lost the 21.5 pounds eating back 50-100% of my exercise calories.

    Edit: I eat 1600 calories on non-exercise days, but I don't count the copious amounts of walking I do living in a city as "exercise." I eat closer to 1800-2000 calories on days I go rock climbing or take hip-hop class.
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
    After being stuck at the same number since early Jan., I've lost 2 pounds this week and the only thing I changed was I started eating my exercise calories. I can't believe how much I eat on those days and not gain weight.
  • DuChene2012
    DuChene2012 Posts: 24 Member
    First of all, CONGRATS on your success! That is no small task, so hats off to you! :happy: Secondly, if you've reached your goal weight you can opt for one (or a combination of) several solutions:

    1. Reduce your workouts by time spent per day OR by number of days.
    2. Good calories to add that do not promote much fat regain are avocados, walnuts/almonds, DEFINITELY "blue" foods (berries, red/purple grapes, pomegranate, cherries, watermelon, blood orange, beets), dark green veggies, coconut (does not get stored as fat but gets used for fuel), and FIBER.
    3. Match your calorie intake by the amount of calories you burn in exercise in order to maintain your weight. If you want some wiggle room, get within 100 calories.
    4. Try fruit water. It's spring water with real fruit (sliced strawberries, lime or orange, etc). You can drink the water and then eat the fruit!

    Hope this helps!
  • Stazed
    Stazed Posts: 55 Member
    No I lost weight when I upped. I only weigh once a week so may have had a change in the days in the middle. I was stuck on 146 for a while and now 141 (upped my cals a few weeks ago- had gone home and mum told me I was too thin and spent the week trying to feed me up a bit!!!) my trainer had also told me off for not eating enough, he still thinks it should be more as I train hard most days, I'm still nervous about increasing it more but we'll see. Can't decide on gw, thinking I'm now going with how I look rather than scale, easier said than done when I've spent almost a year obsessing about that number!
  • KilikiMom
    KilikiMom Posts: 237 Member
    i started out at 1200 calories and was eating maybe 1300-1400 with exercising and i wasn't loosing a thing!! i upped it to 1500 and eat anywhere from 1500-1700 during my exercise days and i started loosing weight....so dont be nervous!!
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