1700 calories... WHAT!?

thesophierose

Okay, don't get me wrong... I do understand why you need calories. But this is like, based on not being active I believe. I do workout like at least 5 times a week, but this week I've only come close to about 3 times for 30 minutes.

During my weight loss (I started at 200lbs and am now at 112lbs) I've made some stupid food choices to aid weight loss, like eating less. But now that I've started to eat more and realize that it helps me with toning I do want to eat more. But I am scared to death that eating the 1700 calories MFP has told me to eat to maintain my weight will like pack on my pounds.

This past week has been my tester week where I have eaten between 1300-1700 calories and nothing seems to be happening... but like my head is all over the place with this. I guess I let food become my demon.

I guess the point to this post is...

Does anyone else eat this much and maintain!?

I am 18.
My BMI is 19.5.
My BMR they say is like 1230
I workout as in circuit training at curves, walking, resistance bands, and squats. I plan on intensifying this next week by getting a gym membership.
I'm 5'4.
And I weigh 112.

felicia_s

My daily goal is set to about 1750(TDEE - 20%)...many days I meet that goal, many days not quite as high...and I am losing. I think you should try and see what happens. If you start gaining go down 200 cals and see if that will help you maintain. Good luck!

Felicia (As of last weigh in I was 157...I weigh tomorrow, but snuck a look at the scale today and have lost about 4 pounds this week. My goal is 130 to 140. I am 42 years old and 5'6")

vegan519

My goal calories started at 1780, I've lost a few pounds and if you go in the settings and pick your same goals it adjusts every time you weigh, so now they recommend 1750. I've only gone over once, but some days I get really close, and I'm losing. I've only been on for about a month.

daydream_believer

firstly wow, your stats and goals etc are basically exactly the same as mine.
I had these same worries as I reached my goal weight (or even a bit below), and honestly still do.
try increasing your calories in 100 kcal increments (maybe weekly), as it allows your mind to adjust to eating more.
I am eating approximately 1750 cals.. and am still losing (so I need to increase again to find maintenance). since my stats are so similar to yours and I only do cardio for like 60 mins a week I believe you will not gain weight at 1700 cal.
it is really just a mental challenge. goodluck!!

heybales

Besides the 1200 that MFP originally gave you, and the 1700 now, do you actually have any experience or knowledge of calories levels to even have an informed idea if that seems high or low?

Do you know how much you used to eat that got you in to trouble when you probably weren't exercising at the time?

That's what you would base an opinion on. Probably not shocking that you would have eaten around 3000 daily on avg, so compared to that 1700 is nothing.

The only problem with 1700 that you'll just have to discover, that is based on a BMR based on average amount of fat mass and non-fat mass ratio.
If like many eating probably too little the entire time, you likely burned off some decent amount of muscle mass, so that 1700 is an over-estimate.

How much were you losing for the last 3 weeks?

How much did you eat daily for those 3 weeks?

lbs lost x 3500 (if really only fat) / 21 days = deficit to real maintenance figure.

Avg eaten daily + deficit = real maintenance.

Now when eating at maintenance finally, you should gain the same water weight you lost fast the first week when starting a diet. Need, required, desired water weight, because it increases metabolism - don't fear it.

thesophierose

I am quite unsure about how much I lost the past 3 weeks but since the beginning of May, I went from 119 to 112. I usually stuck to being above 1000 calories. And I do have a high muscle amount and low visceral fats. I just want to make sure I eat enough to gain muscle mass now, instead of fats.

So should I try the 1700? And see? Try toning workouts more.

Since eating more, if realized working out has caused me to get more sore. So like, I was maybe thinking that eating more by smallish increments was truly helping my muscle building? I haven't weighed myself this week since upping my calories to at least 1300 a day. I really want to get over this fear of weight gain.

I am also a mesomorph so I gain muscle easy like I gain fat. I eat a lot of proteins (Egg whites, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna, salmon, cod, haddock, basa, chicken breast , whey protein powerder and sometimes ill have some roast) , my carbs consist of veggies, oats, fruits esp apples , brown rice... (I rarely eat bread and if I do it's rye or brown rice bread from UDI's, I cut back a lot on gluten) and my fats are now from the natural fats in the foods I do eat and almond butter/peanut butter. So I eat rather healthy.

shadow2soul

If it makes you feel better I eat 1500-2500 (depending on activity level from fitbit readings) and I am losing weight.
I average about 2lbs per week loss. I had everything set for 1lb per week, but have recently changed it it 0.5lbs per week.
A little about me:
5'4"
CW: 191.2lbs (this mornings weight.....most recent low was 190.6)
GW: 135lbs

I'd say try it. You might very well maintain at that number. Although you will probably gain a few pounds. Here is a thread about why:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

thesophierose

It does help.

I just get so nervous because during my weight loss i struggled big time with calories, like I was very close to starving myself. Or I'd get physically sick after eating because I'd over calculate, then i'd make sure i'd work off 1000 calories a day to ensure I would not gain weight. I got on a healthy regime after where i'd workout for 2 days a week, 45 minute long bootcamp type ordeals and that helped my mind a little.

This really is a mental struggle. So at first glance, 1700 does seem like a lot but I want to get over my fear of eating so bad. So I've eaten a lot of calories this past week to just see but my mind is all adfkjghjdfg still. But it literally scares the living day lights out of me to think that I have to get up to that number because I can't really lose any more weight or i'll be under weight and look awkward.

My mission is to tone now, thankfully. I got that into my head. I just need to get it on track with calories and why I need so many to reach my goal.

Thank you so much for letting me know that I can manage and I should fool around to know my body. I will conquer this.

devonrmorris

Unhealthy relationships with food run both ways - both eating too much, and eating too little. Food should never be your enemy - it helps to nourish and maintain a healthy and active body. I think the main problem will be in addressing this relationship.