Weight-Loss Wary of Increasing Calorie Intake

[Matt2]

I recently made a thread asking why I had suddenly hit a brick wall on losing weight. Some of the suggestions were that my calorie intake is too low (1,000 or less).

The problem I'm having is that if I'm not losing any weight now, why would eating MORE help that; I just don't understand. Is it the extra nutrients that I need? Is my body in starvation mode? Will I gain all my weight back if I do increase my calorie intake to what was recommended to me (1,900 - 2,300)?

Please post with any help, thanks. If it's any help, I'm 15 and 245 lbs.

 

[paydirt]

First of all, you need to place some trust in the advice you are getting. What's the harm in trying out the advice that makes the most sense to you? You are going to have to be flexible throughout the term of your weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance... Flexible in what you eat, flexible in your workouts. If something isn't working, change it up. Insanity = continually failing and then going back and trying the same thing.

I've read and posted a bunch on these forums. Even for people who are 150#, folks do NOT recommend eating less than 1200 calories per day. At 1000 calories per day on a 250# frame, you will lose weight, your body will go into starvation mode and you will lose muscle. Vitamins and minerals are crucial for your cells (production of energy, removal of waste, etc). Is it your goal to lose weight or to be healthy?

6 days doesn't make a plateau, so your original question isn't even valid. You really should eat more than 1300 calories per day. How about you try 1300 for a month and see how that goes and if you're losing at a good weight, try 1600 per day and try that for a month. If you did absolutely zero activity and ate 1800 calories, you would still lose about 2 pounds per week.

1000 calories simply is not healthy/sustainable for someone your size. If health or long-term sustainability don't matter to you, then keep eating 1000 calories. You've set the calorie bar too low and now you are shocked that folks are saying "increase your calories"? (say that outloud to yourself) Even if you ate 1800 calories, that would still be lower than what you used to eat (which would be a reduction in calories)

 

[Matt2]

First of all, you need to place some trust in the advice you are getting. What's the harm in trying out the advice that makes the most sense to you? You are going to have to be flexible throughout the term of your weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance... Flexible in what you eat, flexible in your workouts. If something isn't working, change it up. Insanity = continually failing and then going back and trying the same thing.

I've read and posted a bunch on these forums. Even for people who are 150#, folks do NOT recommend eating less than 1200 calories per day. At 1000 calories per day on a 250# frame, you will lose weight, your body will go into starvation mode and you will lose muscle. Vitamins and minerals are crucial for your cells (production of energy, removal of waste, etc). Is it your goal to lose weight or to be healthy?

6 days doesn't make a plateau, so your original question isn't even valid. You really should eat more than 1300 calories per day. How about you try 1300 for a month and see how that goes and if you're losing at a good weight, try 1600 per day and try that for a month. If you did absolutely zero activity and ate 1800 calories, you would still lose about 2 pounds per week.

1000 calories simply is not healthy/sustainable for someone your size. If health or long-term sustainability don't matter to you, then keep eating 1000 calories. You've set the calorie bar too low and now you are shocked that folks are saying "increase your calories"? (say that outloud to yourself) Even if you ate 1800 calories, that would still be lower than what you used to eat (which would be a reduction in calories)

I tried eating roughly 1,500 calories for 2 days, and I still gained a bit of weight. :-/ I walked for 3 miles, went boxing for 45 minutes, and did some sit ups and curls with one of those fitness bands, and I still somehow gained weight.

I definitely took the advice, I was just wary of doing so is all. My friends suggest that the weight I'm gaining is muscle mass, but can you really gain muscle mass in one day? Maybe I'm doing the wrong types of exercises?

I'm definitely upping my calories (though in a healthy way, fulfilling my needed portions of each type of foods e.t.c), but it's been 10 solid days, what happens if this persists? It makes no sense to me, I'm exercising ten fold what I used to, eating a lot less calories (though more now), and the scales won't comply. :-(

I have to be doing something wrong, or maybe I just need to give it more time?

In any case, thanks very much for your help, it truly did knock more sense into me. I'll keep doing this and try and change things up if it still doesn't work, thanks though!

 

[paydirt]

Sounds like you might be working out too much as well. Dunno.

CHILL:
Step 1) While counting calories and continuing your workouts... Don't weigh yourself for 2 weeks.
Step 2) Post and let us know what happens.

No, you're not gaining muscle, you are either retaining water or there is more poop in your system.

Patience is a virtue...

 

[Matt2]

Sounds like you might be working out too much as well. Dunno.

CHILL:
Step 1) While counting calories and continuing your workouts... Don't weigh yourself for 2 weeks.
Step 2) Post and let us know what happens.

No, you're not gaining muscle, you are either retaining water or there is more poop in your system.

Patience is a virtue...

Alright, thought not, I'll be sure to update this in 2 weeks then . Thanks!

 

[paydirt]

Cool. BTW, while dieting, it is believed that it is difficult/impossible to add muscle mass, but you can add muscular strength (& increase the capacity of blood flow to the muscles).