more calories less weight? true or false?

Can anyone help me? Please...I am finding this soooo hard.. I have been trying to lose weight now for 7months, but with no luck at all.  I have roughly counted my calories and I am only reaching up to 1000max a day.  I also try to go to the gym a few times a week. I keep being told I am not losing weight cos I am not eating enough? Is this true? I just cant get my head used to the idea of eating more to lose weight, it doesnt make sense!! I am desperate to lose weight but I am scared of putting more on.  I am aslo taking the Yasmin pill, and have heard that its supposed to be a good one for no weight gain...BUt I am wondering if this is not helping either?  Would love to know what anyone thinks... thanks xxx

WHOA 1000 calories?!!? that's crazy! of course that's the reason that stopping you from losing weight. remember one burns around 2000 calories a day from doing absolutely nothing! now your adding excercise to the mix! you're body is jus trying to hold on to whatever fat you have because it isn't getting enough fuel throughout the day. you have to figure out what you should consume daily in order to lose weight and i can guarantee you it's a lot more than 1000 calories. ask Coachdee to send you the formula to figure it out and you'll be surprised!

Its just science!!  I was eating at 1200 per day and wasn't going anywhere - so I figured that I was working out too much for what I was taking in - so I upped it to about 1300 - 1350 calories and I started losing regularily again.  So yes, it is a bonafide fact!!  You should never eat less than 1200 - your body needs that just to survive and do the most basic of activities during the day, never mind working out and living an active life!! 

Hi thanks for the replys, I have just read all the other posts and have worked out I need at least 2,200! to maintain my body weight.  So i def need to up my intake, its just a bit scary for me...when i am so used to not eating! any tips on what I can eat? Really appreciate your help....

Okay so if you need 2200 to maintain, you should eat 1400 - 1700 to lose but no more than 1400 (that is burning 800 calories per day).  Get the biggest bang for your buck kind of food.  Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, and low fat dairy etc.  Play around with your food log until you get a ratio of 50% Carbs, 30% Proteins, 20% good fats!!  It takes a little bit of time and you will probably never hit it exactly but get as close as possible, if you do this you will not feel deprived and hungry.  Take one day off - that is not to say start eating chips and dip in the morning and stop in the evening, but if you love pizza, have it this night - if you love chocolate, have some!!  Remember to treat yourself also - there are snacks etc out there for dieting people - take advantage, just don't overdo as they are still "empty" calories.  But if you deprive yourself of stuff you love, you set yourself up to fail!!  If you find you are hungry after lunch - make a spinach salad - 1 cup is 7calories!!  And it's filling.  Drink your water!!  Very important!  Exercise faithfully - make it a habit.  Your body will thank you for it! 

rox means no LESS than 1400, I think :)

That's right I did!!  Oops - thanks Saroful!! 

I was in the same fix you are for nearly a month and after upping my cals I broke the rut I was in and lost. I upped it from 1200 to 1350/1400--with one day week at 1500 or even a bit more. This brought me into a losing streak and I started dropping the lbs again. I can tell you from experience that going that low on the cals is not good. I was getting very tired, cold and felt just plain crappy as well as not even losing weight. But even if you do not feel poorly, it is not doing you any good to be so low. I started on vitamins and calcium too which I know helped. Wishing you good luck!

It's so hard to keep eating when you're STUFFED, too!! It's also difficult to get over the fact that you won't gain weight if you up your calorie-intake, allowing it still to be under your maintenance need

Eating alot freaks me out too. I'm new to this also and I was actually
afraid to eat lunch because I don't want to gain anymore weight. 
I guess I need a new mindset when it comes to eating.  Is there an
easy way to plan your day's meals/snacks on this site? My biggest
problem falls in the "dieting" part.  I've raised myself saying "I
don't diet!" I just eat whatever I want and the second I try to deprive
myself I want it even more. Then when I don't allow myself to eat what
I desire, I get depressed.  Help...

OKay I'm confused. Sooo confused with whats going on with my body. I noticed that I could follow my strict, somewhat crazy, calorie limit, but it didn't do much good. I even seemed to lose MORE weight on the weeks that I "screwed up" by going out to dinner and eating something I wanted. But then recently, after getting used to the idea that maybe I could loosen up just a little, I come check the scales and I'm UP three pounds. Thats INSANE. I mean...I was eating a limit of 800 a day, but I slowly brought it back up to 1200. Is this telling me that...1200 really is too much? I don't get it and I'm so mad at myself.

nonono, wetdog!  1200 is the *least* you should be eating.  The problem is that your body is panicked right now, trying to hang onto anything it can.  You should see those pounds fall back off- look at 3500 cals=1 pound, and you've been eating, what, 400 cals a day more than you were, it would take... um... 10,500 cals... or about 26 days, to actually gain a real pound.  Do keep your calories up, 800 is not enough!

ED- also note (somewhat gross) - if you haven't been eating food, people, and you start? you will start to make POOP which weighs something and lives inside you... that's why we are at our lowest weight in the mornign after we void ourselves...

I too have a hard time eating the 1700 calories I was told to eat.. since prior to that I was getting 900-1100 a day at most..  and my brain thinks that I should STOP eating, I understand the science of it all, but its the mental thing that is hard to get past..  the thinking that is instilled in you that if you starve yourself you will lose weight..

Ah how hard it is to EAT!  ;)   

its soo true...all day i have been thinking i need to eat more (to double my calorie intake) but my head is telling me i cant, and feel so guilty everytime I am eating food.  aghghhgghghhgghhghghghghgghghghhhhh! I want to lose weight thats all! I also dont understand, 3 years ago I ate even less than i do now, and i was the size i want to be! I didnt have the worry of being "Starvation mode" i was thin and i was eating less! Why is it not the same now?  I am 31 now, is it an age thing? Sorry if all this is frustrating!

I am going through this insane mindset right now - same as everyone else.

I have just learnt through CC that I need to up my calorie intake by 500 cals a day. Even If I just cram a chocolate bar in somewhere. I COULD NOT eat a chocolate bar without feeling disgusting. 500 calories to me is a ALOT considering my whole dinner is only 350-450.

I am now so lost as to what I should be doing. Keep doing what I'm doing - and worry that my body is going into starvation mode and I'm not losing as I should be - or up my calorie intake and worry that I'm putting on more weight!

I am so lost!!!! :(

Oops! I just realised this thread is 4 months old! My bad...

Retrovert - it's okay you responded... this sort of topic is never old. New people come here every day and many are suprised to find out this important information.

so true ninav - i found this thread looking for threads about increasing calories to break a plateau.  i'm tagging them for easy encouragement!

I havent been on here in soooo long.. but i  find myself slipping back into my eating disorder and by cominghere, it's helping me remind myself to be healthy.

The wya these people are talking about being scared to eat is EXACTLY how i feel almost every day.. if i go over 800 calories i FEAK OUT.. like ooooh my God how will i lose weight if eat more than that??? It scares me sooo badly..

but my best advice is to take it one day at a time.. this is just one day in a whole slew of days that you have in a lifetime.. why give yourself limits (ie, i have to lose weight by THIS day).. dont do that to yourself.. its pressure.. losing weight is all about baby steps or.. if you're not careful.. you might find yourself not eating, or throwing up, like i have been.. and trust me its NOT FUN.

800cals kutie5? Girl, even a newbie like me knows that - that is simply just not enough food.

I don't freak out if I go over. If I go over - who cares? I have a had a few "bad weekends" well.. maybe 2... since I started my new eating lifestyle, and I didn't put on a thing.

Are you seeking help other than this website?

So if I am 200 pounds and am currently taking in between 1200-1400 calories per day will this help me lose weight?