Lowering Calorie Intake?

LifeInTheBikeLane

Hello all! I have an issue with wanting to lower my calorie intake when I start to get discouraged during weight loss. I realized today that I may be eating more calories then I think (I measure my food but not with a scale) and it really got me down. I consume 1400 calories a day, give or take a few depending. I don't eat back my calories burned, either. I work out 5-6 times a week and am so afraid that I'm still somehow maintaining my weight instead of losing it. Would it be a stupid idea for me to lower my calories to 1300? I don't want to be crazy like I used to be and only consume 1200 or less. I strength train, do some lifting, and cardio.

My Love tells me I'm stressing it too much.

segacs

Instead of lowering your calories, why not invest in a food scale and start tracking them a bit more carefully for a while? You may find you're actually eating far more than 1400 calories, so if you stick to actual 1400 calories you'll start losing again.

Without knowing your height and weight, there's no way anyone could tell you if it's too much or not enough. But at first guess, working out 5-6 times per week and not eating back workout calories would seem to suggest that, unless you're really petite, 1400 would be too low. And 1300 definitely would be.

peachyfuzzle

How long have you been keeping track of your weight? Also, what is your age/height/weight? You might not have enough data to truly go by just yet.

It's going to come down to if you're gaining, you're eating too many calories, and if you're just maintaining, you're ingesting just the right amount. You might be logging them incorrectly, or something.

malibu927

Buy a food scale. That will help you know you're consuming 1400 and not more.

Kalikel

If you aren't losing, it makes sense to drop the calories by 100 to see how it goes.

If you want more accurate logs, you can weigh and measure everything, but you don't need to do that to lose. If you keep dropping your calories by 100 every 3-4 weeks until you begin losing, you'll get there. You might be eating more than you think, but who cares. Losing is losing. The numbers don't matter.

WatchJoshLift

Using a food scale is really the only way to get an accurate count of the calories you are consuming. It can be tedious and time consuming, but your goals are worth it.

LifeInTheBikeLane

I'm actually probably going to purchase a food scale this week. I watched a video showing the difference between how I am measuring and how a scale measures. BIG difference.

I'm 5'3, 157lbs. I weighed 159lbs for almost a year when I decided to lose again and that was without me measuring and keeping track, I was just watching what I ate. I'm not gaining weight or anything.

applesandbananaz

Honestly, I wouldn't lower your intake much more. Just pump up your cardio..1400 is not that much for you to consume. You can still lose weight off of that amount. Your body is burning so many calories during the day that you're not aware of.

I wouldn't focus on how much you're eating..but WHAT you're eating. Pay attention to what kind of carbs, how much sugar..etc...

A lot of people pay too much attention to the calorie intake, and not the quality of their food.

LeslieB042812

Like others have said, how low is too low is really relative and dependant on many things. I don't think that 1200 is ncecessarily too low, even if you're "working out" 5-6 times per week. There are many levels of working out and if you're walking or jogging or doing weights for 30-60 minutes, that's not going to burn enough calories to make an average of 1200 too low, especially since you're not strict about your measuring.

I try to average about 1200/day, which means that I'm typically between 1150 and 1250 with some days going as low as 950 and some days going as high as 1650. This is working for me to consistently lose without feeling overly deprived.

I also agree that you should get a food scale and use it. I use a combination of strict measurement and loose measurement, that is also working for me. When I can (meals at home, packed lunches, etc.), I weigh everything. When I can't (eating out), I guesstimate based on what I typically see when I am weighing things.

Good luck!

malibu927

applesandbananaz wrote: »

Honestly, I wouldn't lower your intake much more. Just pump up your cardio..1400 is not that much for you to consume. You can still lose weight off of that amount. Your body is burning so many calories during the day that you're not aware of.

I wouldn't focus on how much you're eating..but WHAT you're eating. Pay attention to what kind of carbs, how much sugar..etc...

A lot of people pay too much attention to the calorie intake, and not the quality of their food.

That's because all you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit. The types of foods you eat work for health and nutrition, but you can eat 1200 calories of just pizza and lose weight.

segacs

applesandbananaz wrote: »

A lot of people pay too much attention to the calorie intake, and not the quality of their food.

Not to restart this debate, but the calorie intake is what will determine weight loss, regardless of quality of food.

Quality of food will determine how full you feel, how hungry you get, how much energy you have for workouts, how healthy your body is, how satisfied you are with the food you eat, and how long you'll likely to be able to sustain eating at this level.

In other words, you can lose weight whether you eat 1400 calories of health food or 1400 calories of junk. The deficit is the same. But the process will feel different.

aniqa109

I agree! I was in hospital for 3 weeks and didnt like the food. I had breakfast ( 2 slices of toast .jam and tea) and my hubby would get me mcdonalds for my lunch. Thats all i ate for 3 weeks not sure how much calories totalled but despite being stuck in a room on a bed for 3 weeks i still lost weight!

deksgrl

LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »

and am so afraid that I'm still somehow maintaining my weight instead of losing it.

Well, are you losing or maintaining? (Over the longer term of weeks and months, not days.)
If the trend over time is downward, then you are eating at a deficit.

Your training performance will be better if you fuel your workouts. However, that said, if you are not weighing your food and logging accurately and consistently, then you have no idea how much you are really eating. Small errors in measuring can add up to possibly several hundreds calories.

LifeInTheBikeLane

I went from 159 to 157 and then I'm just sitting here. Patience, I guess. I'll see what I weigh this time next week.

I'm going to buy a scale off Ebay. I'll put my mind at ease with it!