Is this enough exercise and food for weight loss?

beekween
beekween Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'2 and weigh around 168lbs. My measurements are 39, 34, 45. I'm trying to lose weight and inches in a healthy way. I use myfitnesspal to keep track of food and exercises. I'm eating 1350 (or a few hundred less) calories a day and doing 15 minutes of cardio and strength training work out (I plan on adding more exercise next week, so as to give my body time to adjust but also gives me a challenge, I'll be running on a treadmill next week) and 45 minutes of Pilate's everyday. I want to lose about 25-30lbs within maybe 6-9 months. Is this good enough to help me reach my goals? Any tips or advice would be great, thank you!

Replies

  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
    As your workouts increase, the amount of calories you consume should also increase. Your 1300 amount is what you should be eating to lose weight if you didn't exercise. Once you exercise, you get to eat more :) I know it seems weird, but it's true! I'm still getting used to that as well.
  • beekween
    beekween Posts: 2
    Wow, that is very odd! So, if I plan on burning 350-400 calories a day, how much should my calorie intake increase? I'm new to this so I'm pretty lost :/ thanks for your help!
  • luvriden
    luvriden Posts: 52
    Make sure you don't go less then 1200 calories per day if you aren't exercising. 1350 is a good basic goal, but if you exercise, make sure you eat back most of your calories. Watch your NET. What is nice is eating back your exercise calories :-) Great incentive to exercise regularly. Try and make sure to eat good calories most of the time like lean meats, fish, chicken, lots of veggies & fruits. Drink lots and lots and lots of water :-) I personally hate water so I use those squirt flavors for a little sweetness.

    Best wishes for your lifestyle change :-)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Wow, that is very odd! So, if I plan on burning 350-400 calories a day, how much should my calorie intake increase? I'm new to this so I'm pretty lost :/ thanks for your help!

    MFP is a NEAT method calculator (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). What this means is that when you set your activity level, you do not include exercise as part of your daily activity...just your normal day to day. This is why there is no mention of exercise when you're setting up your activity level in your profile...only what kind of job you do, etc.

    So, if you're sedentary then your 1300 calorie goal has a weight loss deficit built into it for sitting on your *kitten* and eating 1300 calories (net). When you exercise, that becomes extra activity that needs fueled. So if you burn 350 calories, you will note that MFP will up your calorie GOAL by the much when you log. When in doubt, get out your dictionary and look up the word goal...that should tell you all you need to know.

    You'll want to make sure you're appropriately estimating burn though...a lot of people over estimate and log stuff like house work and the like and then wonder why they aren't losing weight. Done correctly and honestly, it works. I lost 40Lbs so far doing this. I've always eaten back about 70% of the calories burned per my heart rate monitor to account for estimation error. I currently use the TDEE method rather than the NEAT method...with the TDEE method, your exercise is included in your activity level though so you don't eat back...it really comes out 6 of 1 though. Just as an example...

    MFP goal for me: 1,850 (net)..to lose 1 Lb per week
    Avg exercise: 300
    ______
    2,150 gross calories per day

    TDEE: 2,685
    -20%: - 537 (roughly 1 Lb per week)
    _____
    2,148 calories per day

    As you can see, the difference in methods comes out to about 2 calories per day.

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