upping my calories

Question
Hello, I've been dieting for awhile, and I've almost reached my goal, thankfully. I exercise for an hour 5 days a week and I've been eating about 1200 calories a day. I understand you are never supposed to go below this, but sometimes I still feel like it  is not very many calories. I want to increase my intake a little, but I'm afraid I'll put the weight back on; how much do you recommend I increase by?  

Answer
If your "goal" is a number on a scale, you're shortchanging yourself and possibly setting yourself up to fail. The scale doesn't know if it's weighing 5 lbs of nuts 'n bolts or 5 lbs of feathers! Same with your body. While you've probably lost significant 'fat', you've also likely developed muscle - which weighs more (it's more dense, like the nuts 'n bolts). In order to sustain this muscle you actually NEED to increase calorie intake; however, the other thing that concerns me is that you've been "dieting". If you've been "on" something you look forward to one day being "off", there's a higher than 90% chance (as high as 99% !) that you'll regain all your lost weight and add 20% more than what you started at.
  This, I also know from first hand experience (many times)

If you've denied yourself things you like (from chocolate to pizza) you have probably had some strong cravings, mood swings and perhaps even gone on a binge now and then, which made you feel awful afterwards.

A diet isn't a lifestyle change and that's the only way to keep weight off. To eat a certain way forever and that means chocolate, pizza and ice cream are part of your life as casually as whole grains and fruit.  

So, yes, increase your intake - and to find a lifestyle (not a diet) that suits you, check my site. There's NOTHING for sale, NOTHING promoted and NO ulterior motives. There isn't even the usual "sign in" or "sign up".

www.GetTheReal.Info

Let me know how you do!
TheRev

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