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Old 01-24-2013, 12:41 PM   #1  
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Default Eating more and feeling so much better

When I started losing weight back in January 2009 I didn't really know what I was doing. First I started a low carb diet but in November of the same year I started counting calories. The first few months I stuck to about 1900 (I was 16 at the time, 200lbs+ and growing. I needed that much!) but then I came up with the genius idea of restricting to 1200 calories.

And so my personal little **** began. I lost slower and slower. In a year and a half I only lost about 10lbs. I was deprived and on the verge of a mental breakdown. Eating only 1200 calories per day (which was and still is WAY below my bmr! Not a good way to go) meant I couldn't eat things I wanted. I restricted to the point where I'd binge every other day. I think I lasted about 5 days tops without a binge and, obviously, this slowed down my weight loss considerably.

I didn't lose at the rate I wanted, the scale just wouldn't budge. I started researching and found the concept of eating more to lose weight. Could this really work? Everything I've heard about weight loss is that if you're in a calorie deficit you'll lose weight. The lower the better! Surely I lost weight but at a ridiculously slow pace. As I said, I lost 10lbs in a year and a half. Not impressing. I didn't dare up my calories because a voice in the back of my head told me that less calories were the way to go. Thus I continued with my restriction and binging episodes.

I did everything I could to lose weight in 2012 but I only saw a 3lbs loss during the entire year. I had no idea what I was doing anymore - am I really unable to lose weight? I had my metabolism checked - it was fine. During Christmas 2012 I ate whatever I wanted for 3 days. Ten days later I weighed in to a 5lbs loss.

I went back to researching eating more and BOY this is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I have no idea if I'm losing or not but for the past two weeks I've upped my calories to 1600 and I feel like a new person. I don't obsess over eating anymore because I know I can actually afford good stuff for my calories. I don't binge. THIS is what losing weight should be like. A life style change, not something that breaks you down. I might lose, I might not... All I know is that I'd rather not lose weight in 1600 calories than not losing on 1200 calories.

TL;DR: Eating more can be the way to go sometimes. If you count calories and find yourself at a stand still I would recommend you to up your calories to at least your BMR and to make an accurate calculation of your tdee just to see how you do. Most of us can't take a deficit larger than 500 calories. The less we weigh the smaller the deficit our body can handle. Don't starve yourself and hurt your body! Don't make yourself go insane and deprive yourself! WL isn't easy but it's completely unnecessary to make it more difficult than it has to be.
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Old 01-24-2013, 01:52 PM   #2  
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The more you weigh, the more calories you need. My starting weight was 195 and 1400 a day is considered "extreme weight loss." Sounds as if your body was actually starving and that is why you couldn't lose weight.

At your current weight, I would suggest 1400-1500 calories a day as well. Just make sure you're eating healthy calories, not just sugar. Veggies and lean proteins will also help you feel fuller without added calories.
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Old 01-24-2013, 02:02 PM   #3  
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Glad you found something that works. Too low just makes me grumpy.

I'm significantly heavier than you but I keep around 1800, which has me on track to lose around 1-1.5 pounds per week. It's also enough to have plenty of wiggle room if something comes up.

On a side note, are you on MyFitnessPal? You're avatar looks familiar.
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Old 01-24-2013, 03:49 PM   #4  
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I'm glad you're feeling better but I really am having a difficult time putting two and two together.

Let me try to understand this.

Starting around March 2009 you tried to eat 1200 calories a day and because you felt so restricted you would binge every other day or at least every five days.

Over the course of 18 months which takes us to the end of 2010 you lost 10 lbs following this routine. You obsesses over food constantly and felt like crap.

December 2012 you ate what you wanted for three days and lost 5 lbs. You then uppded your calories to 1600 and you feel great.

My questions are:

How did you get to 150 lbs?
What happened between the end of 2010 and the end of 2012?
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Old 01-24-2013, 04:54 PM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XLMuffnTop View Post
Glad you found something that works. Too low just makes me grumpy.

I'm significantly heavier than you but I keep around 1800, which has me on track to lose around 1-1.5 pounds per week. It's also enough to have plenty of wiggle room if something comes up.

On a side note, are you on MyFitnessPal? You're avatar looks familiar.
I'm on mfp but I don't use this avatar lol!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnP View Post
I'm glad you're feeling better but I really am having a difficult time putting two and two together.

Let me try to understand this.

Starting around March 2009 you tried to eat 1200 calories a day and because you felt so restricted you would binge every other day or at least every five days.

Over the course of 18 months which takes us to the end of 2010 you lost 10 lbs following this routine. You obsesses over food constantly and felt like crap.

December 2012 you ate what you wanted for three days and lost 5 lbs. You then uppded your calories to 1600 and you feel great.

My questions are:

How did you get to 150 lbs?
What happened between the end of 2010 and the end of 2012?
Oh no, I started restricting calories in like April 2010. By then I had gotten down to 170ish. The first months with 1200 I lost weight and got down to 163ish lbs by September 2010.

Since that I've only lost about 10lbs with 1200 and binging. It's actually been two years! Time flies lol.

Last edited by out from under; 01-24-2013 at 04:55 PM.
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