I want to see how it works for me-I've been eating 1400 cals a day, and though I feel plenty satisfied, I have been doing a ton of exercise, and sticking to my plan, measruring, weighing, being good and allowing myself a treat here and there within my calories. Well, I haven't lost any weight for almost a few weeks. It has been suggested by members here and my husband that maybe I should up my cals, as my activity level is pretty high, and maybe it would help me break this stall this upcoming week. So, I think I'll put my cals at 1700 and see where it goes from there. This scares me a little, so do you guys think that this is a good thing to do? Also, I'm not messing around when it comes to my workouts. I have been working on a three mile run this month, and I can now almost run all of it without walking but my heartrate stays high, about an average of 168 (it does get higher) throughout the whole thing. I also do kettlebell presses that day, and on my off days, my 'rest days' I do kettlebell swings and up them by a set of ten each day I do them. This keeps my heartrate very high as well. I also do a heavy hands walk, or intervals on the treadmill that day. Now, no matter what happens, I'm not giving up. I know that I will have stalls and plateaus that are a lot bigger than this, and that they happen and life goes on. I guess I have been worried that I actually am not eating enough, and I don't want my body to hold on to every little thing. 1700 seems high, but I have to remember that I am 246 pounds and have a fairly high activity level. What do you all think?

I think you might give it a try. Are you eating your calories back from your workouts?

I would highly recommend taking about 3 days off of excercise rather than upping your calories. Any day now, your body will probably be ready to drop some weight, (the whoosh thing we all talk about). I wouldn't add calories yet. It is easy to add them, but not so easy to take them away after you are used to more. Anyway, that is just my opinion from my past experience.

Jess, I'm not really sure what you mean, but if you're asking if I am eating the amount of calories I burn from my workouts and not counting them, no I have not been. It has been previously 1400 calories, though sometimes I had gone as high as 1600, but only one or two days back when I was losing. I don't usually eat after workouts either, well, not right after them. And everything that goes into my mouth is counted. Period.

Lori, that is true, I'll definitely think about doing that. I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I'll definitely evaluate all of this-I'm not making changes today, I was thinking that maybe I could really think about the adivce I am given here and then change it up tomorrow. The idea of backing off of my exercise makes me a little wary as well

I am with Lori Bell. Actually, I would stick with the exercise though. You are due to have a whoosh any day now. If you weren't satisfied with 1400, I would say to up it, but since you are I would keep plugging along. Maybe calorie cycle a bit, 1200 calories some days, 1600 others. I am not a believer of starvation mode, or upping calories for more weight loss though.

i found for myself that it wasnt so much how many calories i was eating it was WHAT kind. I found if i had too many carbs or starches i wouldnt loose weight. But when i up my protein the weight FALLS off.


Just a suggestion: maybe look at the calories you are eating and what they consist of...maybe its just not the right combo for your body right now. I'd still keep up with the exercise though.

Another thing to think about... is how your weight cycles.

I would tend to lose big a couple weeks in a row... 3-5 pounds in just one week. Sticking with the same calorie/exercise regime I would then lose nothing at all for 2 or 3 weeks, and then the next 2 weeks I would lose again... that is just how my body works.

Good advice, guys. I have a lot to think about today. I guess I can try just sticking to what I'm already doing for a bit and see if it goes. I do eat a ton of protein-my meals mainly consist of it, since it satisfies me the most. Not a lot of carbs, unless they're veggies. I don't really eat potatoes or pastas or anything like that. I usually don't even eat bread, because bread isn't really worth it for me. I might have as much as one slice of bread every few days, but I don't think you get enough bang for your buck calorically with that.

according to your current weight of 246lbs and you are only eating 1400 calories a day, when you lose more weight what will you drop your calories too then. you should be eating about 2400 calories a day now. 10 X your body weight

According to my fitday account (I know, it's not the most accurate thing ever), I need in the vicinity of 2400 cals about to maintain my weight. My cals may seem a tiny bit low now, but the thing is, there is no way I could get myself to eat 2000 calories or over justifiably.

I lose on 1700-1800 cals/day 1-2 lbs/week (with some days going as high as 2400 cals and even yet had a 3700 cal day), am basically sedentery except for the 4 days a week that I run 5.4 miles (total of 21 miles/week), and am 44 yrs old.

I think if your protein is good, it DOES sound like your calories may be too low and therefore you may be stressing your metabolism to slow down. Just yesterday I was talking to a a/c repairman who came to my house who was very much overweight. He told me the sad thing is that he really hardly ever eats! I believed him cuz I never ate so much when I was overweight as I do now...I eat every 2 hours now.

Hope this helps.

I do the small meals throughout the day thing-every three hours! I also feel like I'm eating constantly on this diet, but I am eating much less at a sitting and am satisfied with a lot less. I may be eating too little-I really wish I knew for sure.

I upped my calories from 1200 to 1800 and gained 18 pounds in one month. Didn't work for me. Be careful. It's difficult emotionally to regain.

That math doesn't make sense. To gain 18 pounds you'd have to consume 63,000 calories over and above what your body needs to live on. Even if you calculate your increase of 18,000 calories over a month, that's only 5 pounds.

Three was clearly something else going on in your body. You did not eat an 18 pound gain.

There is no way that makes sense. There definitely is something going on with your body. 1800 calories is not even maintenence for me!