Eating more really does help! LOST 6LB!

bluemorpho1247
bluemorpho1247 Posts: 300 Member
edited November 12 in Motivation and Support
I was on here at the beginning eating just under 800kcal a day, really thinking that was what i needed to lose weight!
I dont think I could have been more wrong!

On a daily basis now I eat around 1200-1500kcal a day, with high protein foods and healthy fats (eggs, poultry, fish, veg) and i have lost 6lb in doing so!

As hard as it may seem, do not think that you need to eat less to lose the weight, I am proof that it really doesn't work. It was achievable only by a certain member on here, who I want to say a huge thanks to (you'll know who you are) who made me change my habits permanently and get this success. In her words:

"You can lose and eat good at the same time! keep eating right and sufficient!"

Eat more of the good foods rather than so little and the weight should budge! dont starve your body or youll store fats and find it sooo much harder to lose. Thanks for reading, and I hope it helps those who still believe in eating less...

My diary is open if you want to look too :)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/bluemorpho1247

Replies

  • i used to think like you did as well. eating less means i will lose weight.

    but it doesn't. people who have daily calorie goals of under 1000 and try to eat even less and then wonder why it isnt working... they make me so sad because i used to think like them. (for like, 30 years...)

    i have tried telling a few people that they are totally working against themselves, but they don't believe it. :(

    i'm glad you have started eating a healthy amount of healthy foods!!!
    i wish you the very best of luck!
  • blueeyedcristi
    blueeyedcristi Posts: 304 Member
    I think I need to increase my calories but that would make my journey slower than I'd like. I have trouble eating 1200 calories in a day so I'd struggle eating more.
  • rcramer7
    rcramer7 Posts: 138 Member
    Thank You for saying this! I've been saying it over and over. But, untill a person does it, it falls on deaf ears.

    I eat well over 4k a day and lose weight. Every one is different but toooo many people try to survive on 1.2k or less and I just know they're F-ing hungry!

    You should get a medal!
  • bluemorpho1247
    bluemorpho1247 Posts: 300 Member
    I think I need to increase my calories but that would make my journey slower than I'd like. I have trouble eating 1200 calories in a day so I'd struggle eating more.

    I struggled loads too! but trust me, its worth it... even adding oils or something simple to the diet helps (olive oil) If u need any help add me and ill try and help u out! look for a lady called Janeinspain, she is my biggest influence!
  • katiej122
    katiej122 Posts: 125 Member
    Thats really good news :) I just increased my calorie goal from 1200 to 1395 (1lb per week instead of 2) and I'm hoping it'll make a difference :)
  • cejubitz
    cejubitz Posts: 21 Member
    If you surf over to the Fat 2 Fit site and look at their calculators, they recommend higher calories than MFP. And if you listen to their podcast, they really make a lot of sense.

    I was at 1280 calories a day, and if I didn't exercise and tried to stay at 1280 or below, I felt really crummy. Have a look at Fat 2 Fit, and use their calculators, and then decide what your daily caloric intake should be.
  • I think I need to increase my calories but that would make my journey slower than I'd like. I have trouble eating 1200 calories in a day so I'd struggle eating more.


    once i upped my caloric intake i had trouble eating more also. i was scared to and i couldnt find food but the increase is well worth it
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    It's great that you've increased your calories and lost weight!

    But am I the only one who feels glum when people talk about 1200 to 1500 calories like its a boat load to eat . . . :sad: when I want so much more . . .
  • austindog2
    austindog2 Posts: 128
    If you're eating too little, your body can go into 'starvation mode' and your metabolism will slow down. Eating more calories (from good food!) will speed up your metabolism and kick-start your weight loss! Just make sure those extra calories are coming from healthy things (fruit, veggies, healthy fats, etc) and not sweets -- I'm guilty of breaking that rule! ;)
  • abouck
    abouck Posts: 71 Member
    I am really confused! I have been dieting for 2 weeks eating the recommended 1200 calories a day (mfp). I began working out toward the end of week one and burned over 200 calories per day 6 days this week ( I have a heart rate monitor). I have not lost any weight yet. So I am wondering if my calorie goal is too low? I do eat my workout calories most of the time. I went to the fat 2 fit website and according to them I should be at 1400 calories per day. Any advise?
  • gridder
    gridder Posts: 8 Member
    delte
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
    It's great that you've increased your calories and lost weight!

    But am I the only one who feels glum when people talk about 1200 to 1500 calories like its a boat load to eat . . . when I want so much more . . .

    I gross 2350 a day. Granted, I do quite a bit of strength-training and exercise almost every day of the week. (I have Sundays off.)

    I found it hard to eat that much at first, but now I'm used to it. My appetite and metabolism have caught up. :) My weight is actually starting to move down, however slowly. It was not moving at all before.
  • JBott84
    JBott84 Posts: 268 Member
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  • gersoco
    gersoco Posts: 155 Member
    Speaking only for myself, eating when I wasn't hungry is what got me into this overweight mess in the first place.

    I wouldn't worry so much about your daily calories as much as the average of your daily calories over the course of a week. I try to make it a habit to go above and below my daily calories every now and then just to keep my body guessing and the weight loss going.

    Plus I've been on the Primal/Paleo/Caveman diet for almost two months which helped with almost completely removed my desire for sweets and such.
  • stormdancer
    stormdancer Posts: 32 Member
    Abouk, you may not be seeing results because you are a woman, ie, you mentioned you have been doing it two weeks. Every fourth week lots of women find they dont make progress, or even seem to gain weight that week, but they find that after their time of the month goes by, the scale is showing that progress is there. Its likely just water weight. Keep going, you are doing great. Don't get worried until you see no results after four weeks. If you search the topics, you will see many others have had this very conversation.
  • slimgal613
    slimgal613 Posts: 52 Member
    If you surf over to the Fat 2 Fit site and look at their calculators, they recommend higher calories than MFP. And if you listen to their podcast, they really make a lot of sense.

    Just went on their site...according to them, I am not eating enough. I am at 1200 per day, and by their suggestion, should be at 1500. Think for a couple weeks, I am going to up it and see what happens. I am pretty active...exercise about 4-5 times weekly. Very curious to see what happens.

    BTW...I can't figure out this quote thing. My remark is in the quote. ahaha. Oh well.
  • austindog2
    austindog2 Posts: 128
    I am really confused! I have been dieting for 2 weeks eating the recommended 1200 calories a day (mfp). I began working out toward the end of week one and burned over 200 calories per day 6 days this week ( I have a heart rate monitor). I have not lost any weight yet. So I am wondering if my calorie goal is too low? I do eat my workout calories most of the time. I went to the fat 2 fit website and according to them I should be at 1400 calories per day. Any advise?

    I am by no means a professional, but from what I've read elsewhere, if you're eating around or below 1200 calories, your body may be in 'starvation mode' and your metabolism could be slowing down, which would explain the lack of weight loss. Every body type is different, though, and some people only need 1200 calories.

    I looked at my BMR (basic metabolic rate, MFP has a calculator under 'tools') - that's the amount of calories that you would burn if you literally just laid in bed all day... the absolute base number of calories that your body needs to run efficiently. I'm 5'10'' and my BMR is about 1570 calories. MFP originally had me eating 1410 per day and I lost 7 pounds in the first week, but I think that was mostly water weight and shocking my body with less calories. I just upped to 1610 (above the BMR but reasonable with exercise) and I'll see how that works! :)

    Like I said, I'm not an expert and everyone's bodies are different, I'm just going by what I've seen around the site and how I understand the (basic!) mechanics of weight loss :)

    (edited to add quote.. still don't know how to work this site!!)
  • bluemorpho1247
    bluemorpho1247 Posts: 300 Member
    I am really confused! I have been dieting for 2 weeks eating the recommended 1200 calories a day (mfp). I began working out toward the end of week one and burned over 200 calories per day 6 days this week ( I have a heart rate monitor). I have not lost any weight yet. So I am wondering if my calorie goal is too low? I do eat my workout calories most of the time. I went to the fat 2 fit website and according to them I should be at 1400 calories per day. Any advise?

    Yes have more! make sure u eat the calories u burn too :) eat more good foods to increase kcal :)
  • abouck
    abouck Posts: 71 Member
    Thanks to all!
  • Hello everyone.
    One thing that we all have to keep in mind and that it helps when we diet is the way that we eat our calories. "starvation mode" is not because of the number of calories only its also because of the way you eat them. If you spend the whole day without eating and then your dinner is 1200 calories your body will go in starvation mode for sure. Now if you eat every 3-4 hours and you make your dinner the lightest of the meals then your boddy is going to be burning fat all day. the heaviest meals should be breakfast and lunch. everything else should be as light as you can. And you should never skip a meal. I hope this helps you a little bit.
  • abouck
    abouck Posts: 71 Member
    I just increased my calorie goal from 1200 to 1300 per day. My BMR according to MFP under tools is 1292 so I rounded up. I also went with 40% protein, 30 fat and 30 carbs. Hopefully this will make a difference. I will also continue to eat my exercise calories. My BMR according to the fat to fit website was 1400 but I was afraid to go to high.
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