ideal method to increase calorie intake

Question
QUESTION: some background info: i'm 17, 1.56m tall and currently 45kg. that puts my BMI at 18.4. i've been restricting and eating an average of 900 kcals everyday for the past year or so and have lost 11kg in 12 months as a result (with some episodes of ups and downs in between).  i also brisk walk/jog for 50 minutes everyday as exercise.

I think my body has kinda adjusted to surviving with only 900 kcals, with my metabolic rate slowing down, cause i have amenorrhea and i don't feel hungry if i eat 900 calories but feel bloated when eating more than that.  

i wanna be able to maintain my current weigh but increase my calorie intake,so should i increase my calorie intake slowly to reach the ideal intake of 1800 kcals for my age (e.g. eating 1100 kcals per day for 2 weeks, then 1300 kcals per day for the 2 weeks and so on) or should i just increase to 1800 kcals straight away?  

p.s. i've read from various sources that a sudden increase in calorie intake will create this thing called hypermetabolism, which actually prevents weight gain despite the increased calorie intake. is this true?

thanks

ANSWER: Dear Veron,

Congratulations on your weight loss! You are doing great and I'm sure that if you follow my suggestion, you will be able to maintain your weight.

I don't think increasing your calorie intake will result in hypermetabolism. Hypermetabolism typically occurs after certain conditions such as infections, burns, multiple trauma, fever, surgery, bone fractures and hyperthyroidism.

I would suggest you to slowly increase your calorie intake. It's a great idea to add 200 calories more every two weeks.  

You can increase your metabolism if you add strength training exercise to your routine. It's a great idea to carry small dumbbells or use wrist weight and ankle weight when you walk. That way you will burn more calories and increase your metabolism.

Best wishes,
Linda Yo
Author of Asian Slim Secrets
http://asianslimsecrets.com





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks!! but if i keep the intensity & duration of exercise the same will i gain weight when i increase my calorie intake from 900 kcals to 1100 kcals?

also, most of my calories come from fruits (i eat 2 red apples, 2 green apples and 2 oranges daily) and i've heard that my body expends more energy digesting some foods, like celery, than the actual calories contained in the food (i.e. negative calories). are the above fruits part of this kind of food that contains negative calories?

Answer
Hi Veron,

While that's true that some foods are hard to digest and our body expend a lot of calories in digesting those foods, experts are still debating about whether there is such a thing as negative calorie food.

If you eat foods that are high in fiber & resistant starch, your body will have to work hard to digest the food, thus increasing your metabolism. Fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains and beans are rich in fiber and resistant starch.

I don't think you will gain weight is you increase your calorie intake to 1100 calories. However, the best method to ensure that you can enjoy more food and not gain weight is to increase your muscle with strength training exercise because muscle consumes a lot of calories, thus increase your metabolism.

Stay healthy,
Linda Yo
Certified Weight Consultant
Author of Asian Slim Secrets
http://www.asianslimsecrets.com

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