someone, explain how eating more = weightloss? please
Alzzak
Posts: 89 Member
This concept is lost on me, if eating more causes weight loss then shouldn't we all weight 2 pounds and be sticks? Instead it is those that don't eat, that are sticks (no offense, just lack of a better word)... Highly confused...
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Replies
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Basically, you need to eat at least 1200 calories a day because anything less than that kicks your body into survival mode. Your body will think there is some kind of famine and hold on to every shred of fat it can and slow your metabolism way down to try and keep you alive because it thinks you are in danger of dying. That's why you need to eat more.0
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What that means is when you eat enough, you aren't putting your body in starvation mode.
If you drop your calorie intake by a considerable amount (like 600 calories a day in an attempt to lose weight) and start starving yourself, your body will start to hold on to every calorie you eat and store it as fat because it thinks you are starving and there is no food. However, if you eat small meals frequently and do not starve yourself, then your body has no reason to hold on to calories, thus increasing your metabolism which promotes weight loss. Of course, exercise promotes health and increases metabolism too.0 -
then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?
I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.0 -
The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.0 -
As far as truly starving people, their BMR is reduced to maybe 300-400 calories per day. They will continue to get thinner as long as they eat below that since their body metabolizes all its lean tissue and eventually organs... which results in death.
If we were in a famine, I'd not suggest to eat as much as you can to keep your metabolism burning at peak efficiency. Since we live (mostly) in a situation where there is an overabundance of food (again, for most of us trying to lose weight that is), if we keep our bodies burning as hot as possible, we can metabolize more than we otherwise need. This allows us to maintain healthier bodies with more food... or lose weight while still eating quite a bit.0 -
So those who are starving - when you don't fuel your body with adequate nutrients you body starts eating up the muscle for fuel.
No more fat, very decreased amount of muscle - what do you have left?
Bones.0 -
It's just saying that covers the idea that you don't need to starve to weigh less and that you might get better results if you maintained a smaller calorie deficit.0
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then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?
I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.
No, one day doesn't. But constantly eating too little does. Yes, you will lose weight without eating. BUT when you do start eating normally again, after you lost all the weight you wanted to (and doing it this way makes you lose muscle too) you will gain it all right back because you'll have slowed down your metabolism so much. That is why so many ppl are on the yo-yo diet train.0 -
The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
This above is how I see it.
It's not about eating tons of food. Obviously you'd gain weight. It's about eating more food rather than being super restrictive and still losing weight. When I first started, I did the 1200 calorie thing and soon stopped losing. Increasing my calories has helped me.0 -
The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
It all totally confuses me. Maybe that is why I am not doing as well as I want. LOL.0 -
The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
It all totally confuses me. Maybe that is why I am not doing as well as I want. LOL.
Can you give me your height, weight and age? If you have it, your BF%. I'll find some real numbers for better illustration.0 -
The goal is to lose FAT, not muscle. You starve yourself, you lose both, you become anemic, have brittle bones and a whole host of other medical issues. The point with eating between your BMR and TDEE is to lose weight SLOWLY. It won't be 20 lbs in a month, more like 4. But you will be healthier for it, not just thin.0
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Basically, you need to eat at least 1200 calories a day because anything less than that kicks your body into survival mode. Your body will think there is some kind of famine and hold on to every shred of fat it can and slow your metabolism way down to try and keep you alive because it thinks you are in danger of dying. That's why you need to eat more.
This statement is far too dramatic and a total generalization. The 1200 calories is really based a nutritional recommendation. Now I am not an advocate of large deficits at all, but these type of statements muddy the discussion of what actually happens.0 -
It's not eating more but eating right.
Eat that amount where you lose 1 lb per week. MFP sets that calorie amount, and when we exercise, the burn means we need to eat back those calories to maintain our daily net calories.
It's simple.
Eat that green number of calories to goal daily.
Again, 1 lb per week is optimal. When people try to do more with absurd crashing dieting, they fail usually.
Be smart, follow the MFP recommendations for safe, healthy and steady weight loss.
Good Luck!0 -
The idea as far as I can tell is this: Your caloric intake should be on par with your activity level. The overall health benefits associated with maintaining a high enough activity level to justify (and necessitate) a higher calorie food intake are far greater than the health benefits of losing weight through simple low-calorie or low-carb dieting with a low activity level.
Basically the goal behind the people pushing you to eat more to weigh less is remind you that if you're exercising, you need to increase your calorie intake accordingly in order to keep you fueled for your activity level and preserve lean muscle mass, which leads to more fat loss in a shorter period of time and greater overall health benefits.
As far as I can tell, anyway. And it's 100% true, if that's what they're trying to push on you.
Example: Three people who both each a BMR of 1700 calories a day, leading to a 1200 calorie per day goal for weight loss (deficit of 500 calories below maintenance which is ideal). Person A sits on their butt all day and eats their 1200 calories. The other two, Persons B and C, follow a fairly rigorous workout regimen that burns ~1000 calories a day. Person B continues to eat the 1200 calories per day despite the higher activity level. Person C increases their calorie intake by 1000 to adjust for the 1000 everyday they are burning through exercise. They will all lose weight. HOWEVER...
Person A gains no lean muscle mass and gains no real health benefits aside from those that comes with lowering your BMI.
Person B loses a lot in the beginning, unfortunately a lot of it is lean muscle mass as well as fat. Also, Person B is unable to maintain their activity level for very long and eventually falls off the exercise wagon due to lack of fuel for the machine that is their body. They then become Person A, or something close to it with their activity level.
Person C keeps losing, keeps working out rigorously building lean mass, improving overall health, and losing fat (but not necessarily weight due to the lean mass gain) at a greater speed than Persons A and B.0 -
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No, one day doesn't. But constantly eating too little does. Yes, you will lose weight without eating. BUT when you do start eating normally again, after you lost all the weight you wanted to (and doing it this way makes you lose muscle too) you will gain it all right back because you'll have slowed down your metabolism so much. That is why so many ppl are on the yo-yo diet train.
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Love this explanation.
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The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
It all totally confuses me. Maybe that is why I am not doing as well as I want. LOL.
I'm with you. I don't understand it either - I've even tried to read up on it. I used to think I was good with numbers, but now my head hurts.:sad:0 -
This is all quite helpful and very informative!!! Thank you!!!0
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bump.. want to read later0
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Very simple concept to attain a sustainable weight loss platform (most people have come from and failed multiple times on VLCD diets)
Eat more than your BMR but less than your TDEE. This creates a calorie deficit which your body can lose weight with, slowly, steadily and for a lifetime.0 -
I'm no expert or anything, but the way I look at it is that it's more about what you're eating than how much. You can eat tons more vegetables and fruit for the same amount of calories or less than if you go out or eat processed empty calories.0
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The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
It all totally confuses me. Maybe that is why I am not doing as well as I want. LOL.
Can you give me your height, weight and age? If you have it, your BF%. I'll find some real numbers for better illustration.
For argument sake... Hugh Jackman Height: 6'1" Weight: 215 lbs Age 45ish...0 -
If one doesn't eat enough good fats,proteins, and complex carbs cals the body is going to eat away at the muscle. Muscle=faster metabolism. The body being in survival mode will cling on to any calories it can get when consumed, for example eating little calories all week, then the weekend comes along and eating more calories than usual it is going to pack that on as fat. ( I suck at explaining lol, I tried. )0
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I'm no expert or anything, but the way I look at it is that it's more about what you're eating than how much. You can eat tons more vegetables and fruit for the same amount of calories or less than if you go out or eat processed empty calories.
Broscience.0 -
It is simple the concept of the "sweet spot".
Find the range that you perform best. You lose fat, retain muscle, and aren't a complete @$$wipe to those around you who you love.
Like Sidesteal said, set for a 1 pound loss a week and hit your net goal each day basically.
If you exercise regularly to improve your fitness and retain muscle while trying to drop the fat, track it.
Those days you will have to eat more to hit your net goal. While to some it is counter-intuitive, it is about recovery and fuel for activity.
No magic bullets and it is not a race, but a lifestyle.0 -
I've read a lot of the comments and I agree with most of those comments. When I lost my weight, I didn't count calories (this was back in the 80s and I had NOOO clue what i was doing lol). I just started exercising and portion control. I didn't go back for 2nds and cut out the soda. Lost my weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week and didn't make drastic changes b/c I already knew I wouldn't stick with them. Fast fwd to now...I eat roughly every 3 hrs, whether it's a snack or a meal. I've cleaned up my food choices and have cut out A LOT of processsed foods. The only lowfat or nonfat stuff I eat is dairy products. I've packed on muscle to speed up my metabolism all the time, even when I'm sleeping. The end result is I can eat 2000 calories per day, I'm 39, 136lbs and 5'7" and I can eat 2000 calories per day. Imagine that! And I come from a long line of obesity with slow metabolism...0
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bump for laters0
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The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
Could you help me figure mine? I'm female, age 38, 5'9 and I weigh 250. I want to weigh 170, after an 80 lb loss. Thanks!0 -
The minimum amount you'll burn in a day is BMR. The actual amount you burn in a day is called TDEE around here (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which includes exercise AND a whole bunch of other activities like showering, eating, driving, moving around an office, changing diapers, sex, and whatever else you do in a day.
If you eat more than BMR but less than TDEE you will lose weight.
So some of us want to eat closer to our actual TDEE to lose weight (I like a ~400 cal/day deficit, personally) to lose weight slowly and without much effort while preserving lean muscle mass. Others choose to eat closer to BMR... or less.
Many people decide they want to lose weight and are bombarded with messages about eating 1200 calories/day, eating 500 calories plus HCG injections, eating 300 calories plus B vitamin injections or whatever... the truth is, as long as what you eat is somewhat less than what you burn, you'll lose weight.
It doesn't have to be super restrictive. Just tracked accurately.
Could you help me figure mine? I'm female, age 38, 5'9 and I weigh 250. I want to weigh 170, after an 80 lb loss. Thanks!
WHat is your weekly exercise like?0 -
This is not true- "If you lose it faster you WILL gain it all back because your body has gone into starvation mode and your metabolism is ruined and you lost it all in muscle not fat like we do when we eat over BMR".
It's not an all-or-nothing. Many people who lose quickly maintain fine. Many people who lose slowly gain it all back. We ALL lose a mix of muscle and fat when we lose. Yes, slower losses are better. But it's not black and white. And it doesn't happen at BMR or 1200 calories, it's a continuum.0
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