people who have had success by upping their calories!

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  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    you look great!(: great job! i was around 155 last year around this time and started taking walks around the neighborhood and cut out fast food and lost 15 pounds..so i'm sure we can do this and still lose!!(:
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 999 Member
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    I upped my calories towards the end of the week last week. I was trying to stay around 1350 but that is too low for me. I upped it 1500 but that might even be too low. Although I do plan on eating back my exercise calories. I burn anywhere from 300-700 on a daily average.

    Any thoughts on where I should be calorie wise? 5'2, 166/167, 31 yrs old?

    are you trying to tone up or lose weight? i just recommend eating AT LEAST your BMR..and have a net minimum of 1200..below 1200 you're body will go into starvation mode!

    Both I guess. I'm fine with not losing weight if I can build muscle and tone because then my body would look smaller even though the scale doesn't reflect that. I'm going to try and net around 1500 at least. Well for now anyways. I guess we'll see how that works out.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
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    For those of you who have upped your calorie intake to 1800 or more, are you eating back your exercise calories?

    Yes!! Maybe not every single exercise calorie, but certainly most of them. Your body is a machine and needs fuel. Feed it and work it, and it will work for you! :D
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I lost 17lbs in 5 weeks by upping my calories to 2000. I've also learned that I can easily lose in the 2100-2200 net range and can easily maintain in the 2300-2500 net range.

    For those who've upped their calories and saw a gain, it is normal. Your body is adjusting to getting more food. Don't give up. Eventually your body will realize what is going on (you're getting adequate nutrition) and will start losing.

    I've recently upped my calories to mainenance (2160) and haven't gained, but thought maybe not eating back my exercise calories would help. Have you been eating back your exercize calories?

    Yes, I always eat back my exercise calories. My body gets grumpy when I don't. :)
  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
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    I just upped mine last week, weighed in this morning and lost .6 pounds. I upped my cals because I want to be sure I'm losing fat and not lean body tissue - muscle/organs/bones. In conjunction I'm checking my body fat percentage each week as well as my lean body mass. I want the percentage to go down and the lean body mass to stay the same or rise. This past week, my percentage did indeed go down and my lean mass was up a slight bit, which I'm attributing to the lifting I've been doing helping to build muscle.
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 999 Member
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    I got these results in 2 1/2 months by eating 6-7 meals, and 1700-1900 cals/day on average. My first couple of weeks I tried that 1200 calorie stuff, and I've never been so cranky and miserable. I'm 5' 7", and I've lost 3 lbs since the "during" picture (currently 149), and I will lose about 15 more. I will do it by EATING and training hard. Others may choose a different path and that's fine, but I feel FANTASTIC eating like this, and I can maintain this forever! LOVE IT!!

    152lbsphotobucketbackview-1.jpg

    Wow, you look awsome!! Any specific workout/diet plan you are following to get such good results? Is your food diary open? I love to see what others eat. I am good with my food until the weekend comes so I am working on that now that my husband also wants to lose a few pounds. I know that'll help us both on the weekends. Great job though!
  • jmy1975
    jmy1975 Posts: 56 Member
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    Wow I guess I should up my calories. I have been trying to keep them between 1200 and 1400 and my net after exercise has been under 1000, and sometimes as low as 100-200 depending on the amount of exercise I do. I have lost about 1-1.5 lbs each week for the last 3 weeks, but am tired all the time. I don't feel like I'm starving, but I'll join you in increasing a bit. So what type of foods are you adding, protein, carbs, fats, or a combo? I am nervous to increase, but sounds like the right think to do.
  • marci423
    marci423 Posts: 130 Member
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    bump :o)
  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    i just started adding bananas, strawberries, grapes, multigrain bread...i'm starting to look at sodium now starting after this week because i realized sodium can effect weightloss AFTER i went grocery shopping..but trying to eat meals high in protein and fiber so they fill you up!(:
  • fowlerly
    fowlerly Posts: 40 Member
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    ok people help me...I want to lose around 10 lbs. and I would like to average at least a 1lb a week. It tells me I should stick to 1200 calories which I have been trying to do. I also exercise 6 days a week usually run 3 days a week and do a brisk walk on the other 3 burning probably about 300-400 calories a day. What calorie intake should I shoot for? What is the bmr and amr that I see mentioned?
  • NubianSpirit
    NubianSpirit Posts: 101 Member
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    i have seen a few things where the "experts" say that you are supposed to take your goal weight and multiple it by 10 to get your calorie goal. for me that meant increasing from 1200 to 1500 (which i have transitioned into over a couple of weeks). i've been more focused on measurements than weight, but i can attest to the measurements going down :happy:

    as i wrote the calorie guideline suggestion of goal weight x 10, i started to wonder about folks who aspire to a weight under the 1200 calorie level that is deemed as the lowest you should go?
  • mscarmen803
    mscarmen803 Posts: 40
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    bump
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    i have seen a few things where the "experts" say that you are supposed to take your goal weight and multiple it by 10 to get your calorie goal. for me that meant increasing from 1200 to 1500 (which i have transitioned into over a couple of weeks). i've been more focused on measurements than weight, but i can attest to the measurements going down :happy:

    as i wrote the calorie guideline suggestion of goal weight x 10, i started to wonder about folks who aspire to a weight under the 1200 calorie level that is deemed as the lowest you should go?

    Depending on your activity level - this doesn't always work. My goal weight was 150lbs (I range between 145-150), so in theory I should be eating 1450-1500. I know from experience that is FAR too low for me. It really depends on how active you are... if you're very active, this isn't going to be enough.
  • SOOZIE429
    SOOZIE429 Posts: 638 Member
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    ok people help me...I want to lose around 10 lbs. and I would like to average at least a 1lb a week. It tells me I should stick to 1200 calories which I have been trying to do. I also exercise 6 days a week usually run 3 days a week and do a brisk walk on the other 3 burning probably about 300-400 calories a day. What calorie intake should I shoot for? What is the bmr and amr that I see mentioned?

    Your BMR is what you burn when you are motionless. So if you eat at least your BMR, you will be guaranteed to lose weight since just getting out of bed your burn more than your BMR. Your body needs your BMR calories to function properly.

    There are many BMR calculators on-line, but there is one here too under TOOLS. It's pretty accurate. You can use as a guide.
  • mccarol1956
    mccarol1956 Posts: 422 Member
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    I started last week and am up 4 pounds this week. Will hang on 2 more weeks to see if my body adjusts as they say it will. If not I am going back down to the 1200 calories I was initially on.

    Just curious did anyone else experience a weight gain after increasing their calories?? I am 5'11 and was only on 1200 cal a day... I thought I would die. I went up to 1400 and am eating back my exercise calories... I am so worried my weight will skyrocket!
  • purpledelight
    purpledelight Posts: 134 Member
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    I got these results in 2 1/2 months by eating 6-7 meals, and 1700-1900 cals/day on average. My first couple of weeks I tried that 1200 calorie stuff, and I've never been so cranky and miserable. I'm 5' 7", and I've lost 3 lbs since the "during" picture (currently 149), and I will lose about 15 more. I will do it by EATING and training hard. Others may choose a different path and that's fine, but I feel FANTASTIC eating like this, and I can maintain this forever! LOVE IT!!

    152lbsphotobucketbackview-1.jpg

    Hubba Hubba and WOW!! You look amazing!!
  • bgirly55
    bgirly55 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thank you so much for posting this! It was so strange, as I was literally just telling my hubby that I am upping calories now, and read this... I have been upping to 1400 cals. from 1200, only about a week now. I have felt as though I am at a plateau.... scale isn't moving, but I keep seeing improvements overall in clothing fit etc. I am @115- 5'2 and lost 42 lbs. in a very reasonable amount of time on what I thought was the right way- 1/2 to 1 lb. per week... eating 1200 cals, as MFP has set, with 5-6 days exercise about 500-600 cals per day. I haven't been eating back workout calories most days... I see now that I likely should be... just felt that the point of working out was to have a larger deficit, to lose those 3500 cals. = lb, but obviously now that I am down to basically goal weight, I am thinking I need some further push. I really am okay with 115, though as some of you have said, would like more toning and more fat loss. I feel as though when I eat those calories back, they usually are not good things that I am eating, if this makes sense. Like for instance, I am not eating an extra 600 calories of protein, veggies/fruits, grains for the most part... typically, sadly I know.. the extra cals are snacks like popcorn, fiber one brownies, and other treats. Is this terrible? I know some insist upon clean eating, but I know some say also a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Of course, I know I need to take in the most healthy calories to be healthy. I am eating mostly healthy for the 1200 portion, it just seems the added ones become less healthy. Thanks for any input! :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    Upping my cals helped build muscle, but everytime I reduced cals iI just lost weight. Strange I know. :smile:
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I don't know if this will help, but here's what my journey has looked like. Maybe it will make you feel better...

    For 7 months I ate 1200 - 1300 calories a day - Massive weight loss.

    Adjusted up to1600 - 1800 a day for 3 weeks - was still loosing ~2 lbs a week

    Adjusted up to 2000 - 2200 a day for a month - still loosing ~2 lbs a week

    Adjusted up to 2300 - 2500 a day for a month - loosing 1 lbs a week after a 2 week "stall"

    Adjusted up to 2500 - 2700 a day for the last three weeks - still loosing about 1 lb a week after a 2 1/2 week "stall"

    Don't be afraid of the calories. Adjust up a little, give it a couple weeks and see what happens. I "gained" 1 - 2 lbs the first week of each adjustment, but them started blasting through it.

    Eat more to lose more, awesome concept. I can now, because of my LBM and exercise levels eat as much or more than I used to if I wanted.

    -M
  • kaitlynnrogers
    kaitlynnrogers Posts: 142 Member
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    Thank you so much for posting this! It was so strange, as I was literally just telling my hubby that I am upping calories now, and read this... I have been upping to 1400 cals. from 1200, only about a week now. I have felt as though I am at a plateau.... scale isn't moving, but I keep seeing improvements overall in clothing fit etc. I am @115- 5'2 and lost 42 lbs. in a very reasonable amount of time on what I thought was the right way- 1/2 to 1 lb. per week... eating 1200 cals, as MFP has set, with 5-6 days exercise about 500-600 cals per day. I haven't been eating back workout calories most days... I see now that I likely should be... just felt that the point of working out was to have a larger deficit, to lose those 3500 cals. = lb, but obviously now that I am down to basically goal weight, I am thinking I need some further push. I really am okay with 115, though as some of you have said, would like more toning and more fat loss. I feel as though when I eat those calories back, they usually are not good things that I am eating, if this makes sense. Like for instance, I am not eating an extra 600 calories of protein, veggies/fruits, grains for the most part... typically, sadly I know.. the extra cals are snacks like popcorn, fiber one brownies, and other treats. Is this terrible? I know some insist upon clean eating, but I know some say also a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Of course, I know I need to take in the most healthy calories to be healthy. I am eating mostly healthy for the 1200 portion, it just seems the added ones become less healthy. Thanks for any input! :)

    well, for toning up you probably should eat a little cleaner..like fruits and veggies, but if you're working out make sure you have a 1200 net at least because if not. your body will burn lean muscle instead of fat..calculate your BMR and dont eat below that..you can still have snacks like popcorn but not everyday, maybe have a cheating day on the weekend..make yourself work really hard all weekso you can have one day of cheating, hope this helps!(:

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