Will increasing my calories make me gain unwanted weight?


Question:
I have been told that my calories are too low and that my body is in starvation mode, so my weight loss is really hindered.
I am currently taking in about 1200 calories daily. Eating very healthily but those pounds are shifting VERY slowly.
I have calculated (according to burn the fat) that to burn bodyfat, i should be on at least 1700 calories daily.
It seems ALOT!
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
I work out 6 days a week (3 days weights and 3 cardio)
help please.

Answers:
The simple formula is "calories in vs. calories out". Calories do not automatically translate to fat. It depends on your physical activity level how many calories you will burn in a day. If you take in more calories than you burn, then yes, you risk gaining weight. If you are working out as you say, you likely need to increase your calorie level even above the average levels of most people, as most people are highly inactive. It is also true that if your goal is to lose weight, cutting back calories too drastically will put your body into starvation mode where it stores all the calories it can get in anticipation of a famine situation, rather than burn off any unnecessary calories you might eat in a day, thus making it even harder to lose weight than if you consumed more moderate calorie levels. Without knowing more specifics about your size, weight, age, etc., I cannot provide more complete recommendations for your particular situation.

I am a certified Sports Nutritionist and hope this answer has been helpful.

Other Answers:
Try some tips and articles on health
no
You haven't listed your current weight but 1700 calories is not likely to make anyone but a small child gain weight. It is below the suggested intake for weight maintainance for most women.
You need fuel to burn if you're exercising that much. You can add 500 good calories and not worry much about very noticeable weight gain.
It's very possible that you are in starvation mode at 1200 Calories. You probably decreased your calories too much when you decided to gain weight.
This simulates starvation or famine conditions and your body will respond by slowing its metabolism until "conditions improve". So while yes you will gain a little bit of weight when you increase your calories, you will also be able to lose weight again once your metabolism gets back to its appropriate level.

BTW see what happens when you try drastic measures on your body? It ain't easy to fool that machine that's been evolving for millions of years...


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