Upping your calories?

MJesuele126
MJesuele126 Posts: 55 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I keep reading that people who up their calories lost more weight. I am on 1300 calories a day (eating my exercise calories back) and sometimes I find it hard to even eat that much. Is that bad should I try to eat more to see more results?

Replies

  • adietron
    adietron Posts: 155
    I've been wondering the same thing lately...

    It seems like as you diet, exercise, and lose weight, your body uses more calories over time (metabolism improves). So, as your metabolism improves, you can afford to increase your calorie consumption. I feel like as long as I create a daily/weekly calorie deficit and maintain a challenging exercise program, I can afford to eat more calories.
  • Miss_Leez
    Miss_Leez Posts: 7 Member
    I just upped my calories from 1200 to 1400 based on everything I've been reading as well. But it makes me nervous, especially since I've been used to the 1200 for a couple months now. And often I'm plenty full off the 1200 in a day I've yet to feel starved
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    I'm starting my third week and still waiting for results.
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    When you think about the fact that you were probably eating close to 2500-3000 calories a day before starting MFP, you will see that upping your calories to even 1500-1700 is still a great improvement. 1200 in my opinion is way too low. I would say try 1400 or 1500, it seems to be enough to fuel your body and allow you to lose weight. Keep eating back those exercise calories though! :D
  • NWdreaming
    NWdreaming Posts: 95 Member
    I went from eating 1200 calories and not eating calories back, and lost at first but stalled. Now I am working my way up. I'm now eating 1500 - 1700 and always trying to eat my calories back from working out. I lost 2.2 pounds the first week I upped my calories. :) I also find I have more energy. I am a supporter of eating more! Good luck!

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  • kelkir
    kelkir Posts: 20
    I just upped mine. And now I can't fit into my "fat" pants. I have been eating approx 1000-1200 calories for maybe two years, mostly due to the fact that I don't have time to eat. But for the past three weeks I have been eating more, successfully getting about 1400-1500 net calories in. Healthy food, lots of protein, veggies, and healthy fats (I usually keep my carbs between 50 and 100). I expected a weight gain for a few weeks, but I'm hoping my body/metabolism adjusts. However, I am worried it will take longer than I will be able to put up with the weight gain and give up and go back to my old ways. How long should I be upping these calories since I ate so little for so long? I don't own a scale, but I can tell I'm gaining weight by the way my clothes fit. I think I weigh about 140 lbs, would like to be 125. I'm 5'3" and 22. I exercise at least 4 times a week, including HIIT and strength training. Somebody help please! Should I wait it out and keep my calories up? I'm set to lose 1/2 a week now and MFP tells me to eat 1520 calories/day.
  • MJesuele126
    MJesuele126 Posts: 55 Member
    thanks for all the help.. I will try it this week. I know I went over yesturday due to easter dinner but even with that it was less then 1400 and I was stuffffed lol but I will try anything to get rid of some of these pounds! thankyou <3
  • sarahd150
    sarahd150 Posts: 17 Member
    I recently increased my calories from1200 to 1500. While I was definitely never hungry on 1200, I have a little more leeway to eat a better variety on 1500. I dont eat a bigger quantity necessarily, but try to change what I eat so I feel more like a "normal person" and less like a bunny. Even just adding a little olive oil to cooking can tack on 100 good calories you won't regret. I don't think of it as eating more, but giving yourself a little more freedom in the kind of food you eat.

    ETA: after a brief 2-ish weeks of not losing, I'm still losing at about the same rate I was before.

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