How will upping my calories help me lose weight (serious que

tiffjeff69
tiffjeff69 Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I've been on this journey since about the middle of January and up until this morning I had lost 14lbs thus far. After my weekly weigh in I was a bit bummed to see that I gained .2 lbs this week. While that may not seem like much of anything to some people, it's a bit depressing to me when I know I've been giving my all, all week.....ok fast forward....one of my MFP buddies (ladyfingers39...who has been such awesome motivation might I add) dared me to try upping my calories. My daily intake now is 1200 without adding in whatever I burn during exercise, and so I'm wondering how exactly this will help me?? I'm afraid that if I change my caloric goal it will just become a cushion for me to sneak in mcflurry's and things of that sort! So I'm just looking for some feedback on how upping my calories will make a difference? Has this worked for anyone? How many calories would you suggest? Should it only be for a certain time frame?? Any and all information is appreciated!! I'm not just looking to lose wight fast, I'M HOPING TO MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE!! Thanks in advance (sorry soooo long)!
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Replies

  • niftyafterfifty
    niftyafterfifty Posts: 338 Member
    Your body needs fuel to exercise. If you're not eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode. Don't use it as an excuse to eat junk. Concentrate on getting more protein and healthy fats. Try it for a while; see what happens. Everybody is different. Good luck!
  • queensassypants
    queensassypants Posts: 13
    it worked for me a few weeks. maybe try for a week? just keep it good calories - NO MC FLURRYS!!!
  • jessiewise827
    jessiewise827 Posts: 21
    One of my friends suggested this to me this week. My goal now is 1270. She told me to try upping my calories to 1400-1500 but burning off calories to still reach my goal. It's supposed to kick start your metabolism. When she done it, she lost about 3 pounds doing it for one week.
  • tiffjeff69
    tiffjeff69 Posts: 26
    it worked for me a few weeks. maybe try for a week? just keep it good calories - NO MC FLURRYS!!!

    Lol!! You know how I get tempted by those McFlurrys!!!
  • Heather68462
    Heather68462 Posts: 49 Member
    When this happens to me, I lay off the exercise for 3 days or so, and I start losing again!
  • tiffjeff69
    tiffjeff69 Posts: 26
    Ok so by adding calories, I'm kick starting my metabolism?? I'm trying to grasp the concept because I just feel like if I up my calories and then once my exercise calories get added in, I'm going to finish the night with a heap of calories leftover and I'm not understanding how this helps??!!! I'm confused....ughhh
  • FairybugVal
    FairybugVal Posts: 3
    Your body needs fuel to exercise. If you're not eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode. Don't use it as an excuse to eat junk. Concentrate on getting more protein and healthy fats. Try it for a while; see what happens. Everybody is different. Good luck!

    Yes. This. If your body thinks there isn't enough food, it will store any and everything it can. Essentially your metabolism crashes.

    I'm curious whether you're using the recommendations from MFP for your foundation caolories?

    You CAN do this!
  • tangiesharp
    tangiesharp Posts: 315 Member
    Your body needs fuel to exercise. If you're not eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode. Don't use it as an excuse to eat junk. Concentrate on getting more protein and healthy fats. Try it for a while; see what happens. Everybody is different. Good luck!

    ^^^ THIS!!!

    Here's a couple of other posts that may help you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/501511-great-read-on-plateau-ing?page=8#posts-7150335 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • ThePhoenixRose
    ThePhoenixRose Posts: 1,978 Member
    i didn't lose at all for the first few weeks i was "doing it right" with eating and exercising. I was eating 1200 cals, eating back my exercise cals, and following through. I didn't start to lose until i upped my calories to about 1500, and in keeping it there, i lost 32 lbs in 3 months. I was at my goal. I've since put my cals back down to 1200, and have gained some of it back. So, just yesterday, i upped it again, hoping to lose those lbs, and then some, wanting to get an even lower goal.

    All bodies react differently. This worked for me. It may not for you! Just keep at it, and an occasional McFlurry never killed anyone! :wink:
  • Healthy_4_Life2
    Healthy_4_Life2 Posts: 595 Member
    I started MFP eating 1200 calories and not eating my exercise calories. I was able to lose 40 pounds that way. However, the rest of the 40 pounds I have to lose has been very stubborn. I just upped my calories to 1600 even though my MFP BMR is 1450. I just lost 3 pounds this week. I was one of those that was very reluctant to up my calories, but I must say that I think it does really work.

    This is my first week on upping the calories so am hopeful that the weight will continue to come one. Good luck on your journey too.
  • saugonda1
    saugonda1 Posts: 145 Member
    it's been known to work, i just started this week, so i personally can't say but i have 2 friends on MFP swears by it, I've been told that it takes 2-3 weeks to notice Good Luck!
  • MissHellsing
    MissHellsing Posts: 133 Member
    I lost my first 40 on the low end reduce calorie (1200-1400) then after reading the boards I upped it and now over 50 pounds down. This how it works. Basically you are STILL at a reduced calorie deficit, however, you are given you body enough fuel so it's know that "Okay she/he is going to have food come in so I can burn up all this other stuff I have. I don't need to store it."
  • vanillasugar
    vanillasugar Posts: 246 Member
    I am trying this now. I started out 2 years ago at around 16-1700 cals/day and lost great for a year and a half. Sometime in that time frame I had dropped to 1400ish. Then around Sept of last year, my weight loss came to a screeching halt. I dropped my cals to 1200 and nothing. I increased them and saw a gain (didn't give it enough time I think now) so I panicked and dropped it back down to 1200. Even eating back exercise calories, I can't say for sure how I managed to not realize it, but there were many many days I was only netting about 1000-1150.

    Anyway, after being "stuck" or plateaued for 7 + months, and reading tons about increasing calories etc. I finally started increasing them a few weeks ago. Saw a gain initially, but now hovering at the same for a couple weeks. Hoping to soon start seeing losses again. But I'm keeping it up for a while to give it time.

    One thing I noticed over the past couple days (I even just posted this on my feed) I am suddenly ravenous. Starving. I think I was definitely not giving my body enough and it thus it wasn't even really giving me the signs any longer that I was hungry. I am not sure even now if I am eating enough. But from what I can tell if my calculations are accurate, my BMR is 1536 (forgot my TDEE) and I have recently increased from 1200 to 1300 to 1450 to 1500 and most recently to 1670. Since being on 1670 is when I have noticed that I seem to be getting hungry a lot more often. And I do space out my meals and feel like I'm making overall healthy and good choices. I think my body is just now getting back to being good again with the metabolism being able to tell me when it's hungry. And I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't increase again in the next week or 2.
  • lordsangel
    lordsangel Posts: 167
    After eating 1200 cals a doy for so long your metabolism slows so in order to get it back up you'll need to take in more calories.
  • tiffjeff69
    tiffjeff69 Posts: 26
    Yes. This. If your body thinks there isn't enough food, it will store any and everything it can. Essentially your metabolism crashes.

    I'm curious whether you're using the recommendations from MFP for your foundation caolories?


    ^^^^^^^^^
    I'm actually not sure if I am or not, how would I find that out? When I first started using MFP on my iPad I entered in whatever info it asked for and I've just been going off of that ever since. I think the 1200 was based off of me saying how much weight I hoped to lose.
  • scullyuk06
    scullyuk06 Posts: 34
    The logical way to think of it is fuel for a car. (I am no expert here!). You can put in just enough petrol to get you from A to B, but you will not be able to put you foot down on the motorway as you will have to coserve the fuel (and if you get stuck in a traffic jam you could be in trouble).

    If you have a "full tank" you will not only get from A-B, but you will be able to enjoy the drive without worrying and may be able to go a bit faster.

    Your body wont be "conserving" fuel - it "knows" that the tank is full so can use those calories to burn!

    In people terms, you should have more energy to excercise "harder" and have more energy in your day to day life. It has got to be "good" calories (NOT MCFLURRY!). Does that make sense?
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 499 Member
    Here's the deal....after a few weeks your body adapts to changes. Your body is very, vey smart. You have to change it up a bit.
    Yes, more calories will help you start losing again but only if you consume good calories. If you fill yourself with junk it won't matter, fill yourself with healthy food and maybe make it a high protein food to help you hit those calorie goals. Try it for a few weeks. When your weigt loss slows down again it's time to change it again.

    someone else mentioned to stop working out......ummm NO! If you have gotten in a good routine of working out DO NOt stop. That is just crazy. You want to be healthy so keep up with the healthy habits. However, I do strongly reccomend ONE rest day each week. A rest day does not mean eat whatever you want and sit on the couch. It means eat smart, and take an "active" rest day! Go for a wal if you want to but don't go crazyworking out for 2 hours or anything.

    Trust me, changing things up from month to month is the best way to keep the weight coming off. I've lost more than 30 pounds. By the way my food diary is open if you want some ideas but I have to warn you that I am on a super high protein/low carb/ low fat plan for this month and I am struggling to hit my 1300 cals per day while keeping my numbers balanced. This is only a temporary thing for me and if you go back to March you will see my usual nutrition plan in there.....it is much more balanced and closer to what you are proably looking for.
  • Kenzieb07
    Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
    It has worked for me! I went a month and 1/2 with no weight loss while doing Turbo Fire and eating SO healthy. Then a MFP friend suggested that I up my calories. I was too afraid to go all in (it's suggested I up to 1600 - 1800 based on the level/amount of exercise I'm doing) so I upped it to 1300 cals... then 1400 cals... now I'm at 1500. I DO eat back my exercise calories as best I can. I've now finally started to see the scale move (only 2lbs, but I don't have much to lose so this is a huge success for me!) and I feel better.

    Try it for a few weeks without weighing in; you may see an increase at first but your body will start to burn it. There are so many success stories on MFP about increasing calories, so you may also want to check those out!

    Don't let your body starve... it does the opposite of what you want!
    Ok so I've been on this journey since about the middle of January and up until this morning I had lost 14lbs thus far. After my weekly weigh in I was a bit bummed to see that I gained .2 lbs this week. While that may not seem like much of anything to some people, it's a bit depressing to me when I know I've been giving my all, all week.....ok fast forward....one of my MFP buddies (ladyfingers39...who has been such awesome motivation might I add) dared me to try upping my calories. My daily intake now is 1200 without adding in whatever I burn during exercise, and so I'm wondering how exactly this will help me?? I'm afraid that if I change my caloric goal it will just become a cushion for me to sneak in mcflurry's and things of that sort! So I'm just looking for some feedback on how upping my calories will make a difference? Has this worked for anyone? How many calories would you suggest? Should it only be for a certain time frame?? Any and all information is appreciated!! I'm not just looking to lose wight fast, I'M HOPING TO MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE!! Thanks in advance (sorry soooo long)!
  • lincolndavid
    lincolndavid Posts: 2
    I was surprise by this, too. I just stated on this site and put in my breakfast, dog walking, rapid walking (one hours worth all together) and the hour and a half I spent cleaning and my caloric goal shot up from 1880 to 2475, wow. This site says that I've basically taken in negative 550 calories.
  • papaye8
    papaye8 Posts: 20 Member
    Everyone has a specific BMR according to their stats (age, height, weight). This is the MINIMUM amount of calories your body requires in order to survive and keep your heart beating, lungs working, other organs working, etc, if you were in coma.

    Eating below your BMR will slow down your metabolism. In turn, you will burn less and less which translates to less body fat burned. This is a natural mechanism in our bodies to protect itself. There is no way around it. Your metabolism WILL slow down. Period. Eventually you will plateau.

    (I found this information here: http://faithhealthlife.com/?p=158 - there is also a long speech about your AMR/BMR and how many calories you should actually eat.
  • jesscaponigro
    jesscaponigro Posts: 114 Member
    I upped my intake from 1250 to I think it's at 1480, I eat back about 80% of my exercise calories, I never net less than 1200. I have been losing weight since this change.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    By all means, you can give it a try, but what this post is missing is your stats. If I sit on my *kitten* all day, I'll burn 1600 calories. I'm more of a lifter than a cardio girl, these days, although I'm fairly active, so my calorie burn tends to be around 1800-2000. I wear a bodybugg, so these are pretty reasonably accurate numbers. I then eat a deficit of 500 calories. Since I am watching the numbers really well and not guessing, when I raise my calories, I stop losing. I honestly think that most of the time that raising calories works it is really just because the person doesn't have all the data they need to really know what they should be eating.
  • Babygirl928
    Babygirl928 Posts: 378 Member
    Ok so by adding calories, I'm kick starting my metabolism?? I'm trying to grasp the concept because I just feel like if I up my calories and then once my exercise calories get added in, I'm going to finish the night with a heap of calories leftover and I'm not understanding how this helps??!!! I'm confused....ughhh
    I went from 1200 to what MFP stated. I stayed at no loss no gain for 2 weeks....weighed this morning...lost 5 i think it works :) hope that helps
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
    Also read this.. so you don't freak out as your body adjusts to eating more

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience
  • wilson58
    wilson58 Posts: 1 Member
    Think I will try this, I lost 15lbs and now I am stuck, will up my calories from 1200 to 1300 and save my exercise calories which are not that much!!! I will let you know how I get on!!:smile:
  • tashaa1992
    tashaa1992 Posts: 658 Member
    This last week I've been hitting 2,000, I had my weigh in at the hospital today and it turns out I've lost one pound. I'm not happy about it because I'm trying to gain but it proves it does works:)
  • stevewynjones
    stevewynjones Posts: 1,052 Member
    The way it was explained to me:

    your body is a furnace, load fuel and wait for it to blaze...then top it constantly to keep the blaze going....

    so eat clean, no crap, and exercise regularly...it will happen
  • amculver1
    amculver1 Posts: 36 Member
    bump
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    Also read this.. so you don't freak out as your body adjusts to eating more

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience


    Thank you so much for posting that link. I'm also trying to up my calories, and that was extremely helpful. :smile:
  • tiffjeff69
    tiffjeff69 Posts: 26
    By all means, you can give it a try, but what this post is missing is your stats. If I sit on my *kitten* all day, I'll burn 1600 calories. I'm more of a lifter than a cardio girl, these days, although I'm fairly active, so my calorie burn tends to be around 1800-2000. I wear a bodybugg, so these are pretty reasonably accurate numbers. I then eat a deficit of 500 calories. Since I am watching the numbers really well and not guessing, when I raise my calories, I stop losing. I honestly think that most of the time that raising calories works it is really just because the person doesn't have all the data they need to really know what they should be eating.

    Sorry I didn't think to include my exercise routine but I'm very active but it's more cardio than lifting. I usually do a Zumba class every day or either pop in my Insanity dvd's if I'm unable to get into class. And on the weekends I usually power walk for about an hour or do a combination of jogging/walking.

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