I am shocked it really worked..

Ok so I was skeptical about eating back the calories I am burning in the gym but I tried and upped my calories to about 1500 a day I know I could probably use more but  I am doing this slowly.  It is mentally hard and physically hard because I am not used to eating so much but I did it.  I first gained 2 pounds then lost them now I am down another pounds.  I started this diet 3 weeks ago at 155 now I am down to 150.8 I am so excited.  I can't believe eating helps you to lose weight.  When I did WW they restricted my calorie intake and this diet has proven other wise.  I have told many of my friends about this and they love it.  Thanks CC and thanks to all of you who helped me to understand...  How is everyone else doing?

The old advice of eat less and exercise is still true... it's just people think to eat less and less and workout more and more will allow them to cheat their way to faster weight loss.   Obviously now you know this isn't true and you've found the line between eating too little and eating en ough to maintain some healthy weightloss .

I'm glad all the coaching didn't go to waste.  You did it... now to keep on going!

How funny you should answer me I just emailed you.  Thanks a bunch.  I am still figuring out which deficit would be better but for now I think I am at a 600 calorie deficit on most days. 

Sure does work!  I was eating 1200 (not eating back exercise) and stalled.  I'm back up to 1700 and losing like a DREAM!  3lbs since last week.  CAN'T BELEIVE IT.  Of course, you are still limiting your calories - you probably need at least 2000 a day.  So 1500 is an immediate deficit, yes?  WTG on your success....
Love and LIght,

Zee

Thanks a bunch Zee.  I was eating 1200 for years so when i was told to eat like 1800 I was shocked and wasn't going to do it but tried and YEAH it is working.  I am so happy.  Only ten more pounds to go hopefully I can do this by the end of june.  Lets See.

Hopefully now that everything is working again you can get these last few pounds off... and keep increasing your calories afterwards to get to 2000 for maintaining.

It worked for me too!  But I had to spend 4 months correcting the damage I'd done by eating 1100 to 1200 a day.  I went on a full, 2000 calorie regimen, gained back 6 pounds, then cut back 100 calories a week.  I'm now at 1700 a day and starting to lose again.  I have some catching up to do, but I'll never make that under eating mistake again!

Same experience with other diets like WW over the years.  I'd hit a plateau and they would more or less accuse me of cheating. I'd eat less and less, exercise more and more and would still be stuck, so I'd give up after a while.  This time is different!  I've stuck to it for 15 months now!

Wow that is great claire.  Keep up the good work!  I have a question though if I was to hit a plateau how many weeks should I wait to change something whether it be exercise or eating?

I have actually stopped working out because I freak out on the eating back your calories thing.  I KNOW I should, but I just get hesitant about how many calories i'm actually burning.  Like do I believe my machine? Should I just average workouts to be 300 calories-400 calories burned?  It makes my head crazy.  I gotta get back in the game and start working out like a mad woman again but until I can get my head mentally in the calorie system I cant!

AND I work out at night.. not during the day.. I have hardly any time to work out in the morning for my hour duration. So I work out then eat dinner wait a few hours and sleep.  Do I eat back my calories at dinner or throughout the whole day?

Seeee I'm confoooosed :)

x17star17x,

You can eat them all back at dinner, but that may be too freakin hard so you could do what I do.   On the days I plan to work out I eat a little more with my meals.  50 calories here... an extra 100 there ... and by time I'm working out not only do I have the energy to do it, but I don't have to eat a load of calories when I'm done.

All of my gym time except on Saturday is done in the evening.   Sometimes before dinner... sometimes after.   If it's after dinner then that means a nice snack afterwards of whole curd (whole milk/4%) cottage cheese or something else where I can get the calories without having to eat too much.

I think what you did was wise though.  It's better to eat the 1200 calories minimum and not exercise... than eat 1200 and exercise and be confused on how many calories you burned and try to guess what to eat.

What is this "eating back" system? can anyone spell it out for me?

I am so happy for you!

ewisness - thanks for asking the question!  i've been trying to figure this thing out too...

I was just thinking that this might be my problem.... I've been "stuck" now for about a month or so... it's taken 3+ months to get to 10 lbs lost... (and I'm fanatical - not cheating).   For awhile, I was eating 1200 plus whatever the pedometer said I burned off during the day (which is usually between 400 - 500 as I walk at least 10K steps a day) and that was ok... but now, I'm getting frustrated.  Sure, my clothes are getting big and lose in the butt (woohoo!!) but for 4 months, I should have a bigger loss to show for my work.   I'm going to strive for 1700 - 1800 a day for the next week and see what happens. 

I, too, am confused about this....I'm am regularly at 1200-1400 calories a day and working off about 500 at the gym-but, dundunduun, NO weight loss. I have a really hard time wrapping my head around the idea of eating MORE--help?!

Thanks for spelling this all out.  I still have a problem with eating more than 1200 calories though...but at least now I know why i didn't lose ANY WEIGHT when I went to the gym every day for a year for an hour of cardio and an hour of weight training  every day.....

Now I will eat 14-1600 when I'm running....still though I'm sure that's not enough.  I guess the mind makes you feel like you're not allowed to eat more than what you're used to and I feel guilty even though I know it's the best way to achieve a healthy weight.

Spelling it out...

A woman's body needs 1200 calories to function before going into starvation mode (wether early starvation or serious starvation depends on how low you go).

In addition to that anything you burn through exercise has to be eaten.   This is because of how the muscles take the energy to perform the action from the food you eat, not the fat on your stomach/thighs/where-ever.    So a woman needs....

1200 + calories burned exercising

Then there's work.   If you sit down all day at work or don't move around much then you are ok.  IF you are pretty active all day then you need to eat a few hundred more calories (pending the type of work and so on).


Too many people under eat though.   They think they can keep cutting and cutting calories and upping the exercise without harm.   There is harm... it's stopping the weightloss, damaging your muscles and eventually organs... and sadly... even death in the extreme cases.   Even more sad is how this affects a persons brain and self image and so on.

So re-evaluate your exercise program, your calories eaten and make sure you are on the right track.   If you've hit a roadblock and you are doing everything right then read this thread:
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/3541 1.html

I always lose more weight at 1500 calories, provided I am exercizing, than I lose at 1000-1200. I love it..........Formaly 280 now at 240 and dropping...............

       &nb sp;               &nb sp;               &nb sp;               &nb sp;      Carolopolis

I just broke my plateau as well.  I was eating 1500 calories a day and working out to burn off 300-500 a day, but it stalled for a month.  I started upping my calories to 1700-1800 then doing zig zagging of 1700-1900 sometimes even more.  It seemed scary at first, but I have more energy and I workout a little harder (interval training); and eat a little more when I burn more.  It worked!  :)  I finally broke that plateau.  woohooo!!!

this is a little confusing, but i think i'm starting to understand.  I'm just not sure how much i'm supposed to be eating - i'm 145 lbs. (probably 150+ after the cinco de mayo weekend!).  i try to exercise and burn 200 cals. a day.  i've just recently started counting calories and am eating 1400 a day.  does this mean that on the days that i exercise i should have a 1600 cal intake?  and on the days that i don't get a chance i should stick to 1400?  sorry if i'm not getting it!!!  i need help. 

Interesting topic. I saw this in the newsletter so I thought I'd chime in with some guidelines that might be useful.

After your 2nd week on Weight Watchers they have you add 1 point (approx 50 calories) for every 15 minutes of exercise. You log your exercise just like your food and "deposit" points for exercise.

At Curves if you hit a plateau they recommend eating enough extra to add 1-2 pounds and then return to the program to give your metabolism a jolt.

Lots of inspiring people here! Kim