SERIOUSLY, eat more! I did, and look what happened! (pics)

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Awesome results!!!

Wow! YOU look great! I will keep this in mind!

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What an awesome example you are! Some of the posts on here scare me. I see people getting too thin too fast and looking very unhealthy. Then, I see others looking amazing. To see pictures of the same body going through weight loss the wrong way and then getting trim, fit, and healthy the right way is so powerful.

Congratulations on beating the temptation to starve yourself. Kudos on wanting to be strong more than wanting to be thin. Good on you for noticing your energy lagging and not pumping it up artifically. And, thanks.

(You know, you may just save someone's life with this post.)

You look awsome, I would continue to exercise but you do not need to lose any more weight !! Great story thanks for sharing

Amen. You look fantastic and I hope more people follow your example.

Awesome work!! Yes, 500- 900 calories is tooo low!!! I try to eat at least 1200, sometimes 1300 - 1400. You are an inspiration to me!

You look super fit and fantastic! You have a slammin hard body now! I used to believe I had to eat 1200 calories and then work out 4 to 5 times a week. I was about 500 to 700 NET calories. I did it for 3 weeks and lost nothing, although I was toning, just not losing. Then I increased my calories to 1590 a day, and I work out 6 days a week. I try to NET about 1200 a day. I have been consistently losing since then. I was about 194 on June 6th. I am currently 182.4. Eating more and exercising WORKS!! You are physical proof! Outstanding work!!

If eating more calories is better,,,,,,,,isnt that how i got to be fat in the first place? I am so confused.

Me too, if I eat more than 1200 or 1300 cals. a day I dont lose, and I only work out 3 to 4 sometimes 5 days a week, I thought that is what Im supposed to be eating according to MFP, Im kinda confused..

first to the OP - GREAT JOB!! AWESOME!

In answer to the 2 questions here, it's really about calories in vs. calories out, and finding a balance that works for you. if your body burns 2000 in a day, and you eat 1500, 'technically' (and this isn't always the case but get's the point across) technically, this would get you 1 pound lost per week (3500= 1 lb)

When you eat too low, your body slows the metabolism to conserve calories, so it learns to function on less. if you don't lift weights/build/maintain muscle, you lose muscle AND fat - and muscle is what helps keep your metabolism High.

so basically you eat a LOT less calories, which slows your metabolism, then you lose muscle, slowing it further, so that 2 people at the same weight may not burn the same calories (example, someone could burn, at rest, 1800 calories, while another person at the same weight may only burn 1300, because the metabolism is slower).

There's a lot more to it, but the idea is, find out what your total burn is in a day - referred to commonly as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) if you burn 2400 calories, then eating 1900 should get you a good 1 lb per week loss. Hence, eating more (1900 vs 1200/day) to lose.

if you keep eating very low calories, you're going to get into a slump where you have to eat less and less as you plateau (or you think you do). Better to find the balance, and increase energy output through exercise/weights, than to keep lowering your calories to next to nothing to compensate.

This is REALLY a summary of it - but I hope it helps a bit. (i.e., I am 233 and eat, on average 1800/day and losing consistently. The more activity I bring in, the more I will up the calories to keep around the same range)

Good luck!

and GREAT JOB to the OP!!!!

Great job Emily!

You go girl! I have also noticed that it helps to eat more.

That was a really good article.

Thanks for sharing and a big well done to you.

You look great, and that is brilliant.

One thing - you say eat MORE. Well, yes, if you are eating 500-800 cals a day of course you need to eat more, but what about most of us who are already on 1500 or more cals a day and are still hungry? I always feel like this advice only applies if you are starving yourself.

Good job. So, when you increased your caloric intake how did you decide what to eat? Did you stay to the MFP ratios or increase protein? How often did you find yourself eating? Thanks.

I have this same question. Also - are you talking net calories or gross (i.e. including or excluding calories burned during exercise)?

I'm still struggling with finding the best balance of calories / ratios of proteins to carbs / calories burned. I pretty much consistently eat 1400 - 1700 calories per day net but haven't seen much movement on the scale in the last month.

Thanks for any input!