If you are scared to increase calories

MinMin97 · May 2012

Very cool, thanks for the post! :)MinMin

kiku76 · May 2012

Ok, I've read through a lot of these, and it seems I may need to increase calories. I'm going to state my issues and see if any one can help.

Staring weight was 195 December 15, 2011 and now I weight 155, I'm only ten pounds from my goal! I might lose another 10 after. I've hit my plateau and hard! no weight lose or inch lose in almost a month! my calorie goal per day is 1200 and sometimes I'm under other times I'm over , and once every couple of weeks I'm way over. it's how I've always eaten, be diligent but with days of "it's ok to splurge" and it has worked really well up until now. if any one has any suggestions or has delt with this themselves any advice would be helpful really. Thank you so Much

Your body gets used to how much you eat. This is not necessarily a good thing when you are eating too little.

WHY 1200 CALORIES (or fewer) MIGHT BE A BAD IDEA:

You lose weight for a while and maybe you will make it to goal (the bigger you are, the longer this will work, however most people can't get those last 10-20 lbs off at 1200 calories).

The longer you do this, the longer your metabolism has to adjust downward and get used to 1200 calories. Assuming you make it to goal, you want to maintain, right? What do you think is going to happen when/if you get there and it's time to maintain, when you start trying to eat "maintenance" calories? You'll gain. Welcome back to the yo-yo.

WHY EATING AT THE TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) OF YOUR GOAL WEIGHT MIGHT BE A BETTER IDEA:

Eat now, like the thin you at maintenance. Fat2Ftiradio.com can help you find the TDEE of your ideal weight: Choose ALL CALCULATORS, MILITARY BODY FAT%, then get your bodyfat estimate. Now calculate your BMR, and look in the chart below to see the TDEE of your goal weight -- that is how much the thin you will eat at maintenance.

Eating at maintenance for your ideal weight is a great idea because you will eat THIS SAME AMOUNT of calories for life. Your metabolism will not slow down to match too little fuel (1200 calories), and consequently stall on the way to goal, or cause you to gain when you try to increase calories later to maintain.

BTW, if you have been eating below your BMR for an extended period of time, and especially if you have been stalled/plateaued for an extended period of time, you may experience a slight gain for some weeks after you increase to the proper amount of calories. However, at the point where your body adjusts to the proper amount of fuel based on your dally activities, you will begin to lose again and break through the plateau.

Blessings.

ok, this is the most understandable explanation I have read. I kept thinking, I understand the numbers, but how in the hell will I lose if I eat 2000 calories, even with exercise.
I'm 143 now. If I'm eating the amount of calories to maintain my goal weight which is 125, then my body will naturally lost weight until I get to 125 and then stay there. Is this the basic idea of it?

sleepytexan · May 2012

ok, this is the most understandable explanation I have read. I kept thinking, I understand the numbers, but how in the hell will I lose if I eat 2000 calories, even with exercise.
I'm 143 now. If I'm eating the amount of calories to maintain my goal weight which is 125, then my body will naturally lost weight until I get to 125 and then stay there. Is this the basic idea of it?

yes

sleepytexan · May 2012

Ok....I am very curious about this because I have been stuck! According to these charts I am actually eating about 1000 calories to little (900-1300 per day) Here is my problem. I am not hungry so at the end of the day when I am sitting at 1000 calories I feel like what the heck should I eat to have more calories that aren't just empty. I am working out 5 days a week doing the 30 day shred right now. When I AM hungry I eat. I eat alot of protein so I stay satisfied. Thoughts?!? Feel free to friend me so you can see my logs !!

Thanks,
Beth

see just a few postings above, someone quoted my WHY 1200 CALORIES MIGHT BE A BAD IDEA.

amculver1 · May 2012

bump

jjelizalde · May 2012

Raised my calories to 1500 after having been stuck for a month. I immediately lost a pound - no gain, just loss.

Narisong · May 2012

Excellent post. I upped my calories about 4 weeks ago. 1st 2 weeks no loss (or gain), 3rd week was almost 4 lbs. No loss this week, but that's only because I had too much sodium on Friday night and I was swollen like a balloon on Sat morning.. darn it !

ermickel · May 2012

Ok....I am very curious about this because I have been stuck! According to these charts I am actually eating about 1000 calories to little (900-1300 per day) Here is my problem. I am not hungry so at the end of the day when I am sitting at 1000 calories I feel like what the heck should I eat to have more calories that aren't just empty. I am working out 5 days a week doing the 30 day shred right now. When I AM hungry I eat. I eat alot of protein so I stay satisfied. Thoughts?!? Feel free to friend me so you can see my logs !!

Thanks,
Beth

see just a few postings above, someone quoted my WHY 1200 CALORIES MIGHT BE A BAD IDEA.

Thanks...makes sense! Ok what about Fat, Carb, Protein combo's is this a low fat etc way of thinking or just the net calories that matter?

jesspants · May 2012

Thank you so much for posting this!! I have been working out steadily for the past two months, doing some sort of high activity up to 6 days a week. I have been working out SO hard and not seeing any results (Currently 145 lbs at 5'5" and would like to be 125). I knew it was always about the calories, but I never thought I could actually just be eating too FEW. Will definitely be giving this a go!

sleepytexan · May 2012

Thanks...makes sense! Ok what about Fat, Carb, Protein combo's is this a low fat etc way of thinking or just the net calories that matter?

Personally, I shoot for 30% protein and let everything else fall where it may.

maryb2374 · May 2012

bump

shreddin_mama · May 2012

Thanks for the advice! i just upped my calories. The past few days i have been starving after already have gone over on MFP calories but i just ate anyways trusting my body

OSC_ESD · May 2012

~ I started out with the " 1200 to 1400 " calories mentality ... and I lost steadily for a long time, of course the numbers prove when you have a lot to lose ... it will come off much easier in the beginning. But I am here to tell you that eating more is the way to get to your goal !

Present day ... I eat anywhere from 1800 to 2500 calories a day ... I do workout ( extreme ) ... 6 to 7 days a week. Not because I think I have to ... because I love it ! I've also learned that " Protein " plays such a huge rule in your success. The macros are so important ... when first increasing my calories, I was terrified I would start to gain and just as I thought ... the scale went up. BUT, after going a few weeks battling out the " do I or don't I " eat more war ... I won the war by doing my research, bouncing my ideas off of my favorite guy who tolerates all my insane " scenarios " .... and just listening to my body ... I was starving ! I needed more protein and now I feel awesome !

I still have 20 to 25lbs to lose ... but, with my strength training and eating properly ... the 1lb loss a week works for me now ... I feel stronger, leaner and I know I am doing this in a healthy manner.

If I could take my journey and plaster it on every wall of the person who thinks " less is better " ... they would not only see how wrong they are ... but they would also see what eating healthy looks like ! A full belly = a happy person ! A starving tummy = depression. There are soooo many ways to improve your lifestyle .... why not get the knowledge and start moving forward towards those goals that are not only attainable ... but, also a sure fire way to maintain !

The best part is ... I don't ever have to think about changing my eating habits again ... how I eat today, is how I will eat forever !

Best of luck to everybody on this journey ... :flowerforyou:

themommie · May 2012

I eat 1200 calories or a little under a day, and guess what? I am doing just fine *points to ticker* I'm happy happy the way things are going. People need to realize that not everyone is like them. What works for you might not work for me!

Yep I too eat 1250 or under a day have for 21 mths do not eat back exercise cals and guess what " point to ticker" LOL. I reached my goal of 100 lb weight loss last week YEAH.... Now I am going to start maintenance and up my cals to 1500 . So if this is theory is true then i should start losing more rapidly. i will let you all know.......But I think everyone is different and you need to find what works for you......

fairestthings · May 2012

Thanks for the reply. Haha, not sure about the "working out like an animal" though. LOLOL. Holy cow 3700 calories?! I overate today according to my 1300 calorie budget. I ate about what I "should" according to the calculations. If I lose weight in two days of overeating -- I'm game.

I'm 5'0" even and it's telling me to eat 2046 O_O. That seems so... off. I exercise 5-6 days a week and eat healthy regularly. Due to the fact im not obese and only need to lose 20-30# weight comes off very slowly for me anyways. I'm really concerned about upping to 2,000!!!

I'm just confused now >.>

It's because you're young and workout like an animal

For reassurance sake, my maintenance is around 3700.

When you're close to goal, you should try and eat closer to what your goal weight maintenance would be so you can maintain your loss - even if it means it takes you a couple more months to get there.

anarod0513 · May 2012

Interesting. I am at goal and i am scared to increase calories, but I'm not losing anymore either. I do feel "hungry", weak and kinda shaky every few hours, which to me says i'm probably not eating enough at my "meals". I've never had to think this hard about maintaining a healthy body and menu before....SIGH!!!

Ditto I am so confused.....

sleepytexan · May 2012

I eat 1200 calories or a little under a day, and guess what? I am doing just fine *points to ticker* I'm happy happy the way things are going. People need to realize that not everyone is like them. What works for you might not work for me!

Yep I too eat 1250 or under a day have for 21 mths do not eat back exercise cals and guess what " point to ticker" LOL. I reached my goal of 100 lb weight loss last week YEAH.... Now I am going to start maintenance and up my cals to 1500 . So if this is theory is true then i should start losing more rapidly. i will let you all know.......But I think everyone is different and you need to find what works for you......

Congrats on your weight loss. That is a fantastic accomplishment. While you are obvious proof that people can lose at 1200 calories, that is not the point of this thread. The point is that you can lose on MORE calories, and more importantly, eating more calories while losing makes you more likely to succeed at MAINTENANCE, which is really the whole point.

After 21 months, you will likely gain as soon as you up your calories. That is the yo-yo problem with 1200 calories.

Stick it out, because it will likely take you a while to readjust your metabolism. It will hold after a while, though, it may take quite a while. Don't give up too soon and drop back to 1200, unless you really want to be stuck there for life.

blessings.

moerketid · May 2012

I checked my numbers on Fat2fitradio and my BMR is 1254 and TDEE (assuming that's the number if I use their "How many calories should I eat" calculator) is 1493.
I entered that I was sedentary since I have a desk job and I am a sporadic exerciser. Should I eat 1493 and eat back my exercise calories on workout days? Will I lose weight with that number of calories or should I reduce it slightly?

Sporadic exercisers should go with BMR + exercise calories.

Am I understanding it right that you're saying that sporadic exercisers shouldn't go with sedentary TDEE, but instead purely with BMR + eat back exercise calories? :S There's a pretty big difference between the two figures.

chubbypanda89 · May 2012

Can someone please advise me how to add more calories in to my day?

I currently eat 1200 6 days a week.

Today I have eaten:
2 eggs & two slices of bacon
Tin of tuna
A chicken breast with salad (lettuce, capsicum, cucumber, beetroot, pineapple, celery)
Low carb banana protein muffin
30 g almonds
Pork chilli and garlic with asian vegetables
Protein shake
50g ricotta and sugar free jelly

... That is ALOT of food and it is only 1180 calories.

What foods should I be adding in? I'm losing roughly 0.5 kilos a week and so far have lost 10 kilos in 3 months. I just don't want to be doing harm to my body but not feeding it enough as I exercise 6 days a week, strength and cardio (treadmill on incline)

Would love ANY advice?

ciaobella47 · May 2012

bumping for later. thank you!

ironanimal · May 2012

I checked my numbers on Fat2fitradio and my BMR is 1254 and TDEE (assuming that's the number if I use their "How many calories should I eat" calculator) is 1493.
I entered that I was sedentary since I have a desk job and I am a sporadic exerciser. Should I eat 1493 and eat back my exercise calories on workout days? Will I lose weight with that number of calories or should I reduce it slightly?

Sporadic exercisers should go with BMR + exercise calories.

Am I understanding it right that you're saying that sporadic exercisers shouldn't go with sedentary TDEE, but instead purely with BMR + eat back exercise calories? :S There's a pretty big difference between the two figures.

Nonsense. You still move around a little bit as Sedentary. You also digest and think. That takes calories.

Sedentary TDEE + (75% for error/90% with HRM) Exercise Cals.

ironanimal · May 2012

Can someone please advise me how to add more calories in to my day?

I currently eat 1200 6 days a week.

Today I have eaten:
2 eggs & two slices of bacon
Tin of tuna
A chicken breast with salad (lettuce, capsicum, cucumber, beetroot, pineapple, celery)
Low carb banana protein muffin
30 g almonds
Pork chilli and garlic with asian vegetables
Protein shake
50g ricotta and sugar free jelly

... That is ALOT of food and it is only 1180 calories.

What foods should I be adding in? I'm losing roughly 0.5 kilos a week and so far have lost 10 kilos in 3 months. I just don't want to be doing harm to my body but not feeding it enough as I exercise 6 days a week, strength and cardio (treadmill on incline)

Would love ANY advice?

First of all, looks like your protein intake is pretty good from what you're eating daily, so well done - don't see that very often! Remember you can drink some of the calories - full fat milk is a good start. Double up your portions of bacon and almonds for a little more still.

lucysmommy · May 2012

bump for later

Ladyiianae · May 2012

I'm kinda confused and I am not sure if it's just me trying to "over think" everything. I plugged in all my numbers as accurately as I could (shockingly it says I am still 50% body fat...though I am pretty sure I was over 60% a year ago...) still...made me want to cry. Anyway, I received the warning when I put in current weight versus what my "goal weight" should be and was told I would be better off putting in an intermediate goal weight then as I got close to THAT weight putting in my actual goal weight. So, doing that I put in a goal weight of 200 lbs, I work out 6 days a week for 45-55 minutes a day...this is 3 days of Elliptical trainer at 45 minutes then 3 days of Elliptical trainer at 35 minutes and 3 days of weight lifting at 20 minutes. I chose "Lightly Active" for my activity level and it gave me a calorie goal to eat of 2,252. If I eat this I should not eat back any extra exercise calories?

This seems like a lot of calories to me...however, my weight loss has been peetering off it seems. I seem to be gaining and losing the same 3-4 pounds lately.

Am I just being a dough head here or something? Why do I feel so confused?

ps...and those who will go look at my food diary, Saturday's are hit and miss and I never log on Sundays. Monday - Friday I log everything without fail, those are the best days to look at to see what my daily food intake looks like.

Please, no flaming, I am honestly wanting to understand this.

Edit for spelling check

AmyLRed · May 2012

bump

HeidiHoMom · May 2012

I eat 1200 calories or a little under a day, and guess what? I am doing just fine *points to ticker* I'm happy happy the way things are going. People need to realize that not everyone is like them. What works for you might not work for me!

Yep I too eat 1250 or under a day have for 21 mths do not eat back exercise cals and guess what " point to ticker" LOL. I reached my goal of 100 lb weight loss last week YEAH.... Now I am going to start maintenance and up my cals to 1500 . So if this is theory is true then i should start losing more rapidly. i will let you all know.......But I think everyone is different and you need to find what works for you......

Congrats on your weight loss. That is a fantastic accomplishment. While you are obvious proof that people can lose at 1200 calories, that is not the point of this thread. The point is that you can lose on MORE calories, and more importantly, eating more calories while losing makes you more likely to succeed at MAINTENANCE, which is really the whole point.

After 21 months, you will likely gain as soon as you up your calories. That is the yo-yo problem with 1200 calories.

Stick it out, because it will likely take you a while to readjust your metabolism. It will hold after a while, though, it may take quite a while. Don't give up too soon and drop back to 1200, unless you really want to be stuck there for life.

blessings.

This!