Feeling bad about eating more to lose weight.

Im hoping that this is gonna work for me, im 147 and 5.3", 30 years old, ive been reading alot about how eating more calories can help you lose weight, is this for real?? 

My calorie intake is set at 1400 and thats what ive eaten today but i feel really bad about it, when you think of dieting you think of eating less and thats what i've been doing but it wasnt working and the weight on the scales stayed the same, (really depressing) so ive taken new steps today and im trying to put my mind at rest, please can someone tell me if im doing the right thing????  Has anyone else gone through the same as this?  I know if this doesnt work and i put more weight on its gonna be really bad for my motivation.

Help please?? 

I think it is for real and I think you are doing the right thing.  I'm 44, 5'4" and about 153.  I've been losing the last couple of months at 1600-1700.  I do exercise, but even on days I don't exercise I eat at least 1500.   I have been losing about 1 pound a week by eating that much. 

Do you feel bad about eating on a diet? i feel shameful today, im really full more that what i normally feel.  I guess it just takes time to adjust your mind to that way of thinking. 

I walk between 1.5 to 3 miles a day and also 20 mins on treadmill, im building my self up after a bad chest infection which has lead to adult asthma so ive gotta take my time. 

Fingers x i will start to see some decent results, but i would be happy losing 1lb a week if it was consistant.  Thanks for your input.

We're very similar in stats, I'm at 146 and also 5'3"... I eat 1400 daily also with one day per week at 1600-1700 (with extra GOOD foods not junk). And yes!!!! I did feel guilty because when I first starting losing weight I was at 1200. I do enough exercise per day to burn between 300-500 calories. Slow and steady at this stage since not much more to lose, approximately 20 pounds. What's your goal?

I hope to get down to 121, it seems a long way off though, i started about 6 weeks ago, not really counting calories but eating less, excersising more etc, its taken that long to get from 152 to 147, going on hols 20th july then a family wedding 1st August and i really want to look nice for both, plus more confident.

I added you to my friend's list. My goal is 125. Maybe we can aide each other in the process. What kind of workout are you doing? I do level 3 of the 30 Day Shred video during the week and on the weekend Burn it Up of Slim in 6 on the weekends.

I don't feel bad about eating.  Sometimes I feel guilty when I go over 2000 calories.  I've done that a couple of times, but I just put it behind me and get on with my life.  I was fat and happy 19 pounds ago,  getting little exercise, eating like a pig.  No I'm slimmer and happier and have tons more energy by eating better, exercising and eating less... not starving at all, just eating at that ~1600 calorie range. 

I have bad days like Saturday when I had 2200 calories, and so yesterday I only had 1400.  Yesterday, I slept late and was very busy during the afternoon, so my calories were a bit lower than normal.  I knew it was about my BMR, and since I'd been a little pig the day before, I didn't worry about getting any more calories for the day.  Today I'll be at about 1700 again... It's been working well for me.  In fact I went out and got a weight bench and some weights yesterday and I can't wait to get home and try them out. 

As long as you get exercise in you should be fine.

Woke this morning and weighed, ive got to tell you im not disapointed, i know its early days but ive lost a few ounces??!!!  at the moment i weigh less now than i have done in a few years, this has helped me try and get over the eat more weigh less anxiety cause now after 1 day it seems to be working.......baby steps i know but if it makes you happy then why not shout about it.

shout away - thats what we are here for!

I guess it's just showing you it really does work. slow and steady definitely does win the race.

thanks, i cant wait to see some solid results i know i will feel much better about myself when i shift the weight.  Watch this space.....I'll be back shouting from the rooftops!!

One thing no one's posted yet is why eating more can lead to faster weight loss. If you eat too little, your body thinks it's starving and will hold on to anything it can, whereas if you are eating a healthy deficit (500-1000 calories lower than you burn) you can safely lose weight.

If 1400 cal/day makes you feel "guilty," how little were you eating before? Because it may have been too low - especially if you started exercising, which adds to how much you burn each day.

So far I find that taking one day a week to have a meal and dessert I really want, and sometimes, one other something extra like a latte, keeps me on track and helps me feel good about my food intake.

I'm taking in around 1500 - 1800 per day. The one day where I take my 'free" day, gives my metabolism a bit of a shock, I believe. Moving the calories up and down has been working for me - so far. I'm still experimenting and learning as I go.

Keeping my exericse pattern different keeps my body guessing too. It is very possible to eat what you want one day out of the week, and get right back on track for the rest of the week with your set calories and still lose. Or, there is people who have good results with "calorie cycling" or "calorie shifting".

 

I agree with acerria. I eat every 4 hours to keep my metabolism going. It's all healthy food, yogurt, vegetables, etc. I am still losing weight. Because my body doesn't feel like its starving; it processes all of the food I eat. Also, it saves me from being starving at dinner time and bingeing on unhealthy food. It's a win-win.

Original Post by nmc2021:

I agree with acerria. I eat every 4 hours to keep my metabolism going. It's all healthy food, yogurt, vegetables, etc. I am still losing weight. Because my body doesn't feel like its starving; it processes all of the food I eat. Also, it saves me from being starving at dinner time and bingeing on unhealthy food. It's a win-win.

I find that your method works the best. I'm currently 175 lbs, 5' 5" and 18.. I eat about 1350 cals a day and I eat 3 meals (450,300, 250) and  3 snacks (150,100,100).  I find eating that way a lot easier since like you said, I don't find myself binging out. I just started a weight loss/lifestyle change again and this website and its members are really helpful!

 

Stick to your plan, aliceyoung.. you'll see results if you are eating right and being active. I have felt how you feel right now but don't let it stop you.  I made a mistake of quitting because I had a bad day with overeating.. just keep going!!! :)

I just read through this post it cought my eye because of the "Eating more" According to my burn meter I am supposed to consume 2300 cal a day. That just seems like a huge amount of food especially when I put it all down in my log. I am 5'4 and weigh 65 kilos I want to lose 7 kilos I do workout 5 days a week  2 days with a personal trainer and the rest I combine spin classes Swimming, Step Hi low and Rep classes. I have no problem with the workouts I love them but I want to see results....now 

Go to this thread, http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/872 63.html

 

Or search for The allowance tool should be shot and buried!

It has a very good link on it.  They say if you are in starvation mode it can take 2 weeks of weight gain until your body will let go of fat.  But I am 5'4 158lb.  I just started to increase my calorie intake to 1500.  I was doing about 1,000 I run 3 miles 6days a week.  And the scale was not budging.  Finally after a week of eating more (which I was terrified of doing)  I lost 2 more pounds!!!   Let me know if the link doesn't work.  But it has great info on how many calories you should eat and why.  Oh what I found very interesting is that if you are in starvation mode your body actually will get rid of lean muscle before fat!!! Muscle takes more calories to maintain so it gets rid of the high maintenance source!

don't feel guilty or shameful about eating!! this is a lifestyle change not a 'diet' (in the popular sense of restricting food groups etc.). you have to be doing something you can maintain for life (slightly modified) not just until the weight goes - otherwise it'll just pile back on. i try to stay between 1500 and 1700 and LOVE the days i exercise because then i can eat even more!

Could someone show a typical days food intake when they eat around 1500 -1700c  a day.  I have porridge for B, a chicken or tuna sandwich on wholemeal for L and around 500 cals for dinner plus 3/4 pieces a fruit, and a yoghurt.  I walk for 2 to 3 miles 5 times a week but I don't lose weight.  I'm 5' 4"" around 163lbs and 55.  I need to lose around 20lb.

oh ok kangarookate - let me go copy and paste a typical day....

Original Post by kangarookate:

Could someone show a typical days food intake when they eat around 1500 -1700c  a day.  I have porridge for B, a chicken or tuna sandwich on wholemeal for L and around 500 cals for dinner plus 3/4 pieces a fruit, and a yoghurt.  I walk for 2 to 3 miles 5 times a week but I don't lose weight.  I'm 5' 4"" around 163lbs and 55.  I need to lose around 20lb.

 this is todays:

Wed, Jun 18 2008 Grade Grams Cals Bananas A 59 53 Sesame Seeds A- 1 6 Quinoa A- 2 7 Breakfast Cereal - Porridge Oats, Scot's 30 110 Linseed - Seeds 1 5 Almonds, Slivered B 2 11 Honey Squeezable 4 12 Homemade flapjack B 39 163 Fromage Frais - Raspberry 60 64 Bread - Rolls, Wholemeal, Finger, Soft 60 156 Egg, Whole - Cooked, Hard-boiled B 50 78 Tomatoes, Red, Ripe - Raw, Year Round Average A 31 6 Doritos - Chilli Heatwave 20 100 Gala Apple A 115 60 Pineapple A 78 39 Bread - Naan, Garlic & Coriander, Mini 50 148 Chutney - Mango, Green Label 10 23 Rice - Basmati, Brown, Dry 40 141 Chicken Style Pieces - Chilled - Ingredient 50 52 Jalfrezi (exc. quorn) A 355 155 Poppadoms 10 41 Cake, Yellow, Prepared From Recipe - Without Frosting C 68 246 Total Calories Consumed 1,673

all that stuff at the top is in my porridge (i like to add lots of stuff to my porridge) and i'm going to have a curry tonight (homemade and with quorn - i'm veggie). it is a friends birthday today so we're having cake this lunchtime so i've added that on otherwise i would have had allowance enough for something sweet after my curry tonight. lol. i walk for about 60mins a day so my burn meter is just under 2000 but often i'll go to the gym and then i'll eat 1700+. i've been losing 0.5-1lb a week pretty consistently for about 13 weeks now but i only had about 10lbs to lose so will think about switching to 'maintaining' soon.