Should I increase my Calorie Goal

fruitsalad15

Hi There,

Sorry if this is a repeated question, I just wanted some advice from some people who have done this before!

I am 32, Female, weigh 160lbs, 5ft4. I set my goal at 1200 cals but I'm finding that I get starving hungry and then cave and eat extra calories. In the week I probably only go up to around 1500 calories, maybe 1700 on a 'bad' day but I feel like I've failed.

Weekends are tricky. I have been on and off for a while now but I our holiday is booked for November so I want to get a some weight off in a sustainable way. (on our last holiday my son was just under 2 and I didn't want to be in any of the photos - I want to be in them this year!)

I was thinking of increasing my calorie goal to 1300 - 1400 so that I don't get AS hungry and might be able to stick to it. Also, won't be as demotivated that I always go over my goal.

Do you think this is sensible?

I looked at my TDEE and it said mine was 2056 so 1400 should still result in great weight loss, shouldn't it??

Thank you!!!

bennett180790

if your TDEE is 2056 then all you need to do is minus 500 which would give you 1556 and eat that. 1200 is not enough food hence why you are binging. too much restriction leads to binging. if you exercise then you need to eat back roughly 50-75% of the cals burned. go to iifym.com and it will give you the exact calories, carbs and protein and fat you need to eat whether you exercise or not. i'm 24, 5ft 7 and weigh 154 and i eat 1800 and on average i am losing 1 -2 lb a week. i do exercise 6 days a week though.

kwtilbury

bennett180790 wrote: »

if your TDEE is 2056 then all you need to do is minus 500 which would give you 1556 and eat that. 1200 is not enough food hence why you are binging. too much restriction leads to binging.

Agreed. A daily deficit of 500 calories translates into a weekly loss of one pound, which IMO is reasonable and sustainable.

Keep in mind that, as you lose weight, your TDEE goes down, meaning you'll need to adjust to maintain the same deficit.

hotwaxsurfer322

Try not to worry so much about a quantitative goal (calorie number), but a qualitative goal! Healthy food will always be healthy for you and 1200 calories of nutrient dense food should give you results you want... But 1500 calories of clean, dense foods can too! Remember: the object is not to eat LESS, it is to eat healthy food MORE.

sixxpoint

You need to factor in bodyfat % as well. Google images of bodyfat % for women and see where you fall. If you're Sedentary, your TDEE is more like 1764-1858 (assuming 25-30% bodyfat). Up that to Lightly Active, and you're TDEE is more like 2021-2129.

To safely cut, consume 10-20% less than your TDEE. This will prevent muscle loss as it is not as drastic as cutting all the way down to 1200 cals. To bulk without putting on too much fat, consume 10-20% more than your TDEE while weightlifting.

Remember to continually adjust your TDEE with every 5 lbs. gained or lost (or if your activity level changes).

fruitsalad15

Thanks everyone!! I do exercise, time permitting (I have a young child and sometimes I am up at all hours with him) and I try to eat back at least 50% of the calories, when I am concentrating. I just wanted to check that I wasn't just trying to find a way to eat more - finding excuses!

Thanks again!

try2again

hotwaxsurfer322 wrote: »

Try not to worry so much about a quantitative goal (calorie number), but a qualitative goal! Healthy food will always be healthy for you and 1200 calories of nutrient dense food should give you results you want... But 1500 calories of clean, dense foods can too! Remember: the object is not to eat LESS, it is to eat healthy food MORE.

All of us should strive to eat more healthful, nutrient dense food but the OP is trying to lose weight, so that does require a deficit.

M30834134

bennett180790 wrote: »

if your TDEE is 2056 then all you need to do is minus 500 which would give you 1556 and eat that. 1200 is not enough food hence why you are binging. too much restriction leads to binging. if you exercise then you need to eat back roughly 50-75% of the cals burned. go to iifym.com and it will give you the exact calories, carbs and protein and fat you need to eat whether you exercise or not. i'm 24, 5ft 7 and weigh 154 and i eat 1800 and on average i am losing 1 -2 lb a week. i do exercise 6 days a week though.

I would say that this is a solid advice. In order to lose weight we dont need to starve ourselves - a moderate deficit of 500 calories from TDEE should be enough to lose weight in a sustainable manner while giving you enough to eat so you dont binge