Just cant grasp the 1500+ calorie rule

Options
TNTwedell
TNTwedell Posts: 277 Member
in Motivation and Support
Background – I’ve been consistently on MFP for about 5 months. Work out 3-4x a week, cardio and weights. Very religious about staying around 1200 calories. Drink TONS of water. Once a week, I’ll have a crazy cheat day (to keep my sane). I try to have my macros balanced (although I am no were near successful at it yet).
I have lost 2lbs and NO inches.

All my fabulous and successful friends on here have been drilling into my skull for MONTHS that I need to up my calories – 1500 min (I’m 5’8, 158lbs).

I KNOW they are right – they’ve proven it in their weight loss. But it’s KILLING me to increase my calories.
I know, I know – “body needs fuel”, “you are in starvation mode”, etc etc etc. I GET it. But it just doesn’t make SENSE.

Everytime I have lost weight in the past, I have gone a very similar route to what I’ve been doing this time around – workout, eat fewer calories, etc – and YAY – I’m skinny.

What has changed???

The reason this is all coming out now ---
One of my friends is on Jenny Craig.
My mom is on Weight Watchers.
My best friend does HCG (I know. Its from the DEVIL – but she’s freaking skinny).
They are all having HUGE success --- and the common thread with each of these diets is that they are limited to very few calories (JC is 1200. Weight Watchers – IDK what the points translate, but its low – HCG, 500 duh)
So why – if I am supposed to “eat more” to lose weight – am I still FAILING - and everyone else in my life on “restrictive diets” are succeeding?
This is where the confusion comes in – and my inability to fully grasp the 1500 calorie mantra.

I am sooooo tempted to join JC or WW – just to see SOME results. I don’t WANT to – but I am beyond annoyed with my failure and I NEED to lose 20lbs by August (my freaking wedding)…

Is there ANYONE out there that can give me the "A-HA" that I need to stick with MFP and not cave to the commercialized, microwave meal plan?
«13456

Replies

  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
    Options
    You said "everytime I've lost weight in the past, I have gone a similar route" Those are key words right there. Obviously, it worked for the short term, but you weren't able to maintain it. Why deprive yourself? Just my 2 cents.
  • missprincessjenny
    missprincessjenny Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    Lowering your calorie intake below your bmr puts you into starvation mode. The pounds come off but once u up your calories to a healthy level they come back. It is much more beneficial to keep your calores high, change your eating habits to clean eating freshly prepared stuff and take a slow approachto weight loss. it will stay off easier. It takes time but is worth it in the end. And you will feel so much better eating healthy and knowing whats in your food. For me it's not just about weight loss. I am happier and healthier...even though I keep gaining weight....grrr
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
    Options
    You said "everytime I've lost weight in the past, I have gone a similar route" Those are key words right there. Obviously, it worked for the short term, but you weren't able to maintain it. Why deprive yourself? Just my 2 cents.

    you read my mind - that's the difference in upping your calories vs. lower calorie diets. if you are content eating 1200 calories a day for the rest of your life and always logging to make sure, then carry on. I eat 2200-3000 per day and even if my weight loss is a bit slower, i KNOW i can sustain this for life. I won't ever have to lose major weight again because I'm changing my views on food and eating plenty.
    give it a chance for 4-6 weeks and see what happens :)
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    Honestly, I've never understood it either.... I mean I GET IT, but its a weird concept to think about so I just decided to do it...
    I was at 1200, bumped up to 1300 just to see what would happen and I lost 10 pounds almost immediately.
    I would say that you dont have to necessarily jump to 1500, but maybe start out by trying 1300 and see how it goes...

    You have to play around with it to find your sweet spot since everyones bodys are different.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
    Options
    Why not try eating more as recommended but also up your calorie expenditure through exercise and see how it goes?
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 894 Member
    Options
    a few good reads, that will help explain it all far better than i can:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/501511-great-read-on-plateau-ing?page=8#posts-7150335


    Excellent article "Metabolic Damage Why It Happens, How to Avoid It and How to Fix It" by Tom Venuto
    http://www.burnthefat.com/metabolic_damage.html

    and you can also search for the group "Eat more to weigh less"
  • JenniLisette
    JenniLisette Posts: 132
    Options
    me too..i tried losing weight with 1200 and cant, but i did drop lots of weight at 1450,
    age, and diferent body types depends. it may work for others to it at 1200 but maybe yo're body requires at least 100 cals more from apice of avacado or something...
  • Beautiful_Ideal
    Beautiful_Ideal Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    I do about 1500 calories a day with my exercise. Trust me, it feels strange at first [coming from the "but if I CAN eat less, I should" mentality] but you should give it a chance because you will see results. I've lost 43 lbs doing this with 27 more to go until I reach my goal. Eating enough works!
  • missashley884
    missashley884 Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    You said "everytime I've lost weight in the past, I have gone a similar route" Those are key words right there. Obviously, it worked for the short term, but you weren't able to maintain it. Why deprive yourself? Just my 2 cents.


    this!!!! 1200 calories is only short term, wait til your body goes into starvation mode, and youll end up storing everything you eat, probably as fat
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    what you are doing will work for weight loss, the unfortunate part of that is you will lose a large % of lean muscle, not just fat. The smaller your deficit the larger the % of fat will be lost, but it will take longer to get to your goal weight, but you will have a lower BF% at that goal with the smaller deficit.
  • scottstephens79
    scottstephens79 Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    I have the same view as missprincessj. I put in your numbers and your BMR is about 300 calories higher than what you are eating; so when you do have your splurge day your body is probably like "sweet! fuel! Lets store these calories because I've been running dangerously low these last five months" And, from MY past experience, your body puts the fuel in the safest spot it can find- the midsection.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    Why not try eating more as recommended but also up your calorie expenditure through exercise and see how it goes?

    If you eat more and burn more you are exactly where you are by eating less exercising less as it is net caloires that really count and your net cals should not be below BMR unless you are obese.

    Eating 1200 and burning 300 would be the same as eating 1400 and burning 500 as 1200-300=1400-500= 900
  • Judys59
    Judys59 Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    well put!
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
    Options
    because this is for life. this is a life change not just a diet that stops when you get "skinny". you can not maintain all that forever. think about how to change your life for healthy reasons and for fitness reasons. skinny is out....healthy/fitness is IN!! :)
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
    Options
    The answer is a simple phrase that is the answer to just about every question on here: Everyone is different. That even includes prior, younger versions of yourself. If what you are doing isn't working then you need to do something different. If eating 1200 despite high exercise burn is not working then why not try eating a bit more and fueling your workouts? Unlike some people on here, I would never tell you to eat more if what you were doing is working, but it obviously isn't.
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    And yes people have had success with JC, WW, all of those diet plans, but I most people do the diet plans because they need more guidance, more motivation from peers, and have a hard time doing it on their own. I feel like if all else fails, then you might could look into doing something like that knowing that you gave it your all but still need a little extra motivation.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    Options
    You said "everytime I've lost weight in the past, I have gone a similar route" Those are key words right there. Obviously, it worked for the short term, but you weren't able to maintain it. Why deprive yourself? Just my 2 cents.

    exactly what i was going to say.
    If you have done low cal diets in the past and are now needing to diet again, it obviously doesnt work long term. Low cal diets make people feel deprived, so you have to 'cheat' and eat the 'bad' foods - when the diet ends and you go back to normal eating, you will generally regain some or all of the weight lost.
    Higher cals allow you to have just a normal balanced diet, everything in moderation, so you are not deprived and there is no reason not to stick to it forever.

    Ive done the low cal diets with and without exercise for the last 15 years, and every time the weight goes back on. This time I am eating much more (1950), losing 1.5lbs per week and have not once felt like i am 'on a diet' in 6 months :-)

    By eating lower cals you generally lose muscle mass as well as fat, so you weigh less but look flabby, and will burn less calories, so you need to eat less to lose and find it very easy to gain, and so it goes round and round!!

    By eating higher cals, combined with weight training, you preserve your lean muscle mass, so you burn more calories 24/7, so the extra food you are eating gets burned up as fuel not stored as fat. Muscle is also more dense than fat so you may weigh the same, but lose a few dress sizes for your wedding!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    You probably are already eating those extra calories on the "crazy cheat day". Since I upped my calories I haven't needed any cheats- those cravings are just gone. The peace of mind of not being tempted to cheat is enough to convince me.
  • RAKB02
    RAKB02 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    It seems everyone thinks the same. All your methods before we fad diets. Diets meant to give you quick results but not maintain in the long run. It seems that you can't live on 1200 calories per day which is why you need your cheat day... You need to find the amount of calories you can live with. Learn to eat that amount everyday. And no you won't lose 10lbs in a week but you will feel better and get to a healthy you. It was difficult for me to understand too. So I get it. I recently read this book "Calorie Queens" and she broke it down to me. It is finally sinking in.
  • ladyfingers39
    ladyfingers39 Posts: 335
    Options
    I eat around 1800 cals a day, there is no way I could do less for the rest of my life. it has to be a lifestyle change, I'm sure you hear that all the time, but until it happens it will always seem like a "diet" to you.

Categories