There is a big difference between eating more to lose weight

I am one of those who says that they cannot eat back all the exercise calories and sometimes finds it hard to eat 1200 cals a day. For me this is because it is what I am eating now. I accept that in the past I was probably eating a lot more in terms of calories but the food was crap e.g. large bag of tyrrells or kettle chips as a snack, Mc Donalds meals which meant I was full at the time but 2 hours later I wanted more. Now I think hard about my calories and what I put in my mouth. I make the most of what I eat and find that I am fuller for longer, which means I am not hungry between meals as I have been in the past and this is why I can't always get my calories in. Don't know if this is the same for everyone, but this is my experience.

What I don't understand is, most people came to MFP because they were eating well above their recommended caloric intake, so how all of a sudden are they now not able to eat exercise calories back and not eat up to 1200, 1300, 1400 calories?

The problem is that we are now eating good food that fills you up. If I eat good protein and lots of fruit and veggies and try to keep fat < 20%, calorie intake will be low and I will be stuffed. 400 calories of good protein and fruit and veggies will stuff you.

Sure when I was eating bad...I could eat 1/2 a pizza ( 4 pieces) and calories would be 1500-2000 calories or go to the chineese buffett and blow them out of the water with a couple egg rolls.

Today, I have to work on trying to add good calories. Maybe add some protein powder or nuts to my food or eating greek yogurt.

I don't understand why you would keep fat <20% of your calories. It's suggested that it be between 20-30% of your daily intake. Eating HEALTHY fats helps you lose fat. Nuts are a great source of healthy fats & are high in calories, so if you'd up your fat intake you'd probably be able to eat enough...
Just my take on this

Bump for later!

Gonna give this a good ol' "Bump!"

So…I didn’t read ALL the responses. But, I have been, in the past one of the people that found it hard to eat enough calories when trying to ‘diet’. Part of the problem was ‘doing it on my own’ and not understanding really BMR/TDEE. I remember one time (pre-MFP) when I was trying to ‘eat healthy and work out’ and I would write down and add up all my calories of what I was eating and I’d have trouble getting 1000/day. I know that sounds crazy but I think it was because, since I was eating far too few calories/day my metabolism was just very slow. So when I ate a 250-300 calorie meal I was stuffed and not hungry enough to eat enough. So I’ve had times where I literally went probably about one month eating around 1000-ish calories/day and working out for at least ½ hr every day and DIDN’T LOSE A SINGLE POUND. =D So I already know that doesn’t work.
Since joining MFP and getting educated a little more I now have a better idea of how much to eat/day. I’m hungry when it’s time to eat too. And I’ve been losing. Go figure. I don’t necessarily know if I was eating ‘far more’ calories prior to MFP…..though I had to have been since I was slowly but surely gaining weight. But I’d go a whole day only eating twice or something like that (granted those 2 meals weren’t healthy at all)

Basically if someone is having trouble ‘eating all their calories’…..their metabolism is suffering and that’s the reason they aren’t hungry. That’s what I think at least. I think when trying to lose weight, one of the easiest ways to tell if you’re doing it right is this: if your ravenous --- you’re not eating enough calories. If your appetite is non-existent…you are also not eating enough calories. You should be hungry when it’s time to eat and satisfied with the meal you have --- not stuffed or still hungry.

I read a lot of posts from people from both sides of the fence: the ones who tell you to eat more to lose weight, and the others who say they simply "can't" eat all their exercise calories back, or reach their calorie goal for the day because they're so "stuffed", or lose weight if they aren't eating at MFP's 1200 calorie guideline.

What I don't understand is, most people came to MFP because they were eating well above their recommended caloric intake, so how all of a sudden are they now not able to eat exercise calories back and not eat up to 1200, 1300, 1400 calories?
normally take in.

I am one of these people. I used to eat all kinds of bad high calorie foods. That stuff never filled me up so I ate more. I also ate after I started feeling full, just because it tasted good. Now I am eating better foods, more fruits and vegetables. They fill me up and I don't eat once I feel satisfied. I could easily go a day on 1000 calories and not feel hungry. I don't do it, of course, because I know it isn't healthy and I want to lose weight the right way.

It seems simple to me...when people make that change they go from eating higher calorie, more processed foods that only fill your body up temporarily to eating less processed, higher fiber, higher protien, fresher foods that keep your body full longer. Essentially your getting less calories per day but your body is satisfied and not wanting more.

What I don't understand is, most people came to MFP because they were eating well above their recommended caloric intake, so how all of a sudden are they now not able to eat exercise calories back and not eat up to 1200, 1300, 1400 calories?

The problem is that we are now eating good food that fills you up. If I eat good protein and lots of fruit and veggies and try to keep fat < 20%, calorie intake will be low and I will be stuffed. 400 calories of good protein and fruit and veggies will stuff you.

Sure when I was eating bad...I could eat 1/2 a pizza ( 4 pieces) and calories would be 1500-2000 calories or go to the chineese buffett and blow them out of the water with a couple egg rolls.

Today, I have to work on trying to add good calories. Maybe add some protein powder or nuts to my food or eating greek yogurt.

THIS. We end up eating much more because its all much healthier. And if it's not more, it still fills you up to the point where you cant eat back ALL of your exercise calories.

agreed!