Adding calories, breaking stalls...

Please educate me.   

I just read a recent thread suggesting adding calories to break a stall.  I've experienced this myself, but my calorie intake was very low, only about 500 cal daily (Ms. Grouchy Pouchy  has been very uncooperative).

Assuming your current calorie intake is appropriate for you until you hit a stall:

*Do you maintain the higher caloric intake indefinitely?
or
*Do you at some point cut back to your previous calorie level?

  Anyone???

I can't answer for others, I can only tell you what I've been doing and it's worked for me so far.  When I hit a stall, I go back to Pam T's stallbreaker checklist.  What I have been doing since my last decision to up my calories 2 months ago is this.  I'm 10 months out now.  I vary my calories from 1100-1400 per day, protein always over 100g, usually closer to 120-140g.  Some days are carbier than others, if I have a carby day (like today) then the next day I hit the protein harder.  At 8 months out I upped my calories from 800 to over 1000 per day, I have not gone back to the 800 since then.  Hopefully this answers your question, at least somewhat.

ETA: Here's Pam's stallbreaker checklist, in case you don't already have it:

• Are you tracking your food intake in a food journal? Is it on track?
• Are you tracking every single calorie that passed your lips? (flavored water, vitamins, gum, single pieces of candy) Even if you aren't keeping track of calories, your body is!
• Are you eating too MANY calories?
• Are you eating too FEW calories?
• Are you taking in enough protein? 80-100g/day
• Are the fats you're eating healthy (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated)
• Are you eating too many simple carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar, pasta, rice)
• Are you eating enough fruits and veggies?
• Are you drinking enough water (water flushes fat toxins from our body)?
• Are you grazing?
• Are you eating the right quantity? Measuring and weighting foods?
• Are you eating on a schedule?
• Are you exercising hard enough? Long enough? Fast enough?
• When's the last time you changed your exercise routine? (The body becomes efficient and doesn't burn as many calories after we've done the same thing for 4-6 weeks)
• Have you added weight training to your workouts? (muscle burns more calories at rest)
• Are you taking all your vitamins and supplements?
• Have you started taking any new medications that might promote weight gain?
• Have you taken your measurements (you might be losing inches even if the scale isn't moving)?

 

Whenever I have hit a stall I look at my calories in/calories out. If I am working out consistently and my calories are low, raising my calories usually breaks the stall (if the stall was meant to be broken that is...who ever friggin knows???)

On days I work out (today notwithstanding) I shoot for 1350-1400 calories. Non workout days I shoot for 1200. Today I worked out and burned 550 calories and I've only eaten about 750. Not good.

I've said it once and I'll say it again. If you can't eat volume, eat more caloric foods. Add an ounce or two of nuts to your day (each ounce is about 180 calories). Eat egg yolks (meaning don't separate your eggs before cooking...not literally eating raw egg yolks...some folks do it...I think that's kinda gross). Buy 2% or even full fat greek yogurt. Do full fat cheese instead of low fat. Do what you need to do to get your calories!!! (well short of eating Greasy McNasty food...make them healthful but calorically packed foods). Your body will truly thank you.

Every time I have hit a stall, I have added 100-300 cals a day of good protien to my diet and maybe a little bit of it in the form of carbs and i start losing within two days....
WORKS EVERY TIME FOR ME......i have gradually increased from 400 cls a day to where I am now which is about 1200.

I also work out at least three to five times a week,

Thanks all.    You each hit it dead on in your own individual way. 

I find individual experiences so much more informative than the blanket one size fits all answers you get from most web sites.  The benefit of your experiences is the only reason to post (or to read postings) as far as I'm concerned. 

All printed and filed for future reference.