so when i started in this community i was eating 1000 calories/day. that was after cutting back several times due to plateau. i hit a HUGE plateau at 180. it lasted 6 weeks. after talking to you gals, i raised my calories to 1200, even though it terrified me to do so. still nothing.

someone suggested calorie cycling and i went to a calculator. it showed that most days i should eat 1250, one day a week 1450, and one day a week *gasp* 1700.

i was so skeptical. i did all sorts of research that kept telling me that "starvation mode" is a myth, and you had to eat less to lose. finally, after 6 long weeks of bouncing between 179.5 and 181, i decided to give it a go. i was still terrified. what if i did this for a week only to see 182 or 183. last week, i dropped 1.6 lb. the biggest loss id had in months.

today i went to the scale prepared for the worst as i am on day 3 of my period. i really just wanted to see how high i was so i could note the fluctuation for the future. result? down another 0.8 lb. i was SHOCKED. i know thats not a TON of weight loss, but its more than i was losing on 1000 cal/day AND im on my period.

so 2 weeks of cycling and eating more has helped me lose 2.4 lb. maybe more is less???? i was SO skepitcal, but i encourage anyone who thinks like me (i must eat less to lose more) to give this a chance!!

That's awesome. Glad you found something to work for you

Well, i'm not too sure about the starvation mode being a myth, it really depends on who you ask. I see different programs advocating different myths and making certain claims because it caters to their plan. It's all about money and marketing for the most part, in my opinion. There's just too much conflicting information out there. To me, that's what makes dieting so frustrating for most people. I remember how overwhelmed I felt and that made me fail my diet plans many times.

I know counting and calorie cycling works for me, and that's all I know. I was very skeptical too, but figured what the heck. I tried it and haven't looked back since. It most definitely works for me. I have also never had a plateau following this particular program. (Knocks on wood LOL)

I still get that way thinking eating 1700-1800 calories is alot and there is no way I'll lose or even maintain, but then again if we weren't counting our calories before who knows how much we were really eating? It is eating less than we were before.

Congrats on continuing to lose!

That's great- my calories go anywhere from 1200-1600 a day, usually I'm on the lower end, but once in a while I change it up and have a few hundred more (like yesterday 1580 thanks to hubby making dinner lol).

I don't think I could ever do 1000 calories a day!

That is so excellent!! Thank you for posting about that here, and especially posting your results. It's because of your posts that I've decided to give it a try myself - and after losing 6 pounds of fat in the past 3 weeks and having plenty of energy to exercise intensely because of the extra calories - I believe it too! Thanks again Glad to hear it's working for you, that's amazingly awesome.

Woohoo, Julia!! Way to go - glad you managed to get over your plateau. I remember suggesting increasing your calories and when you posted saying your weight loss was still at a stall, I felt kinda guilty, so I'm uber happy you're losing now!

I've never been one for starving. I think I tried it once in college combined with 30 min of exercise everyday. I lost 25 lbs in one semester, but I couldn't sustain it for the long term and gained it all back. I've learned since then that cutting out foods for me is not going to work. Calorie counting has helped immensely. I think I cycle naturally. I give myself a range and as long as I fall within that range, I'm happy. My weight is dropping, so I guess it's working... (knocks on wood too).

What's the calorie cycling calculator you use?

I'm interested in doing this too since I'm having a lot of trouble getting out of the 150s and staying OUT of the 150s!

Oh boy, after reading your posts I think I may be a bit confused on how to determine how many calories I should intake a day. I was on a website and put in all the calculations that estimated that I should be eating 1800 cal max for an extreme weight loss which would result in 1-2lbs a week. I know the intake is different for everyone but some of you sound like have very low calories. Back when I randomly picked my calorie intake I chose 1500 and felt deprived and only kept to that for a few days before feeling ill and binging. At 1800 cal I have been experiencing some problems losing weight. I did really well for a month or two and then stalled and then I got frustrated and fell off the wagon (don't worry I am back on). So my question is there a free and reputable place to go to get a good calculation?

Another item is, I love food, I love to eat. Part of losing weight is I want to be heathly but at the same time I want to be able to enjoy those junk food items once in a while. Even eating healthy I find that my calories add up fast. Where will the junk food ever fit in? I cannot imagine only being able to eat 1200 a day for the rest of my life. I remember seeing an old interview with Rickie Lake who said her calorie intake was 1200 a day and kept thinking I would never be able to do that.

Sorry, if this is long, incoherent and possibly off topic but I am a newbie still trying to figure out what will work for me. I have way too many thoughts colliding with each other right now.

Pooh - before you start calorie cycling, you should determine the calorie range that is best suited for your weight loss. It takes a fair bit of tweaking to hit the magic range, so be patient and give it time to take effect. Wait a week before changing the range and if/when you change it, only do so by a small number, such as 100 calories.

The following sites have free calorie calculators (they will give your daily caloric needs): freedieting.com, thedailyplate.com and this site. All sites are built differently, so I would recommend starting out with these three sites and getting a few estimates. Then look at the lowest and the highest estimate and keep that as your starting range. They will usually vary by 200 - 300 of each other. Also, I always pick "sedentary" as my activity level. This way, you can get the number needed if you choose not to exercise everyday.

Once you get the range, try it out for a week and be strict about logging in those calories (I use Fitday). If you don't log everything you eat, then there is a chance you could be hindering your weight loss. Somedays you will be on the high end of your range and other days you will be on the low end of your range. This is the easiest way to cycle. However, if you want a caloric value for everyday, then use freedieting as it has a good calculator. Click on the "7 day calorie zigzag."

Good luck!!

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

thats the one i used! hope it works out for you!

yes, i think i was getting too desperate. it had been 6 or 7 months and i was STILL fat (still am, lol). i was just tired of dieting and wanted to rush it along, but in the process, i stalled myself.

i remember you and michelle among other specifically telling me that sometimes eating more is actually better and i totally didnt believe you, lol. but after a few more weeks of frustration, i decided i had nothing to lose. thanks so much for the advice! otherwise id prolly be eating 800/day and passing out.

Julia, I was once like you in believing that less was best when it came to eating. When I first started this journey, I was eating around 800-900 calories a day and yes, I lost about 75 pounds in a couple months but then it all stalled. I found 3FC and was given the advice about eating more. I understand now that my body needs fuel and I have to eat to do that. I don't have to eat like I did at 330 pounds of course but I do have to be sure I am eating enough. This is an important post, in my opinion, because I am sure there are many others out there under the same misconception of less is best. Thanks Julia and congrats on your successes

and pooh, not all calorie calculators are right. some say i should be eating 1900, some say 1200.

at your height and weight im not really sure b/c even tho we started at the same weight, im 4 inches taller. maybe ask some advice of people who started around your h/w? also listen to sunnigummi, just try and tweak til you get it right!

Julia--I am really glad you shared this. I will try this when I inevitably plateau.

Congrats on seeing the scale move again!

Cheers,

J