Am I Eating Too Little and Freaking My Body Out???

itsmandible

Okay, here's the specs:

Height: 5'5
Weight: 172
Age: 19, almost 20
Current Weight Lost: 26 pounds
Calories Eating in a Day: 1685 + whatever I gain from exercise

My typical exercise is a three mile run, occasionally four or five miles. Days that I don't run I do ab workouts and stair master. As you can see I've already lost 26 pounds; my current goal is to hit 160 and see how I feel. I am built muscularly, so though my BMI is recommended at 151, I want to see how I feel at 160 first. For that reason, I'm not sure if these 12 left for me at the moment are what Jillian Michaels calls "Vanity Pounds" or not. Anyway, I just recently slowly cut my calories from 1800-something to 1700-something to 1685 where I'm at now, and I just started running in the past month. I used to do the elliptical. I'm worried, after listening to a lot of Jillian Michaels podcasts, that I'm shocking myself into a starvation mode. I tried calculating my TDEE and BMR (which came out to 2507 and 1617 respectively) based off of the advice given to others like me on the site here, but I just got sufficiently more confused now.

What I want to know is if I'm eating too little to lose my 12 more. MFP says I'm eating, right now, enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week, but the scale hasn't really budged in the past two weeks too much, so I'm worried. Kind of hovering around 172/173.

Should I be eating more?

55in13

In a word, no. That is plenty of calories to get all the nutrients you need and a small enough deficit that your remaining fat stores should be the primary source for it.

jonnythan

If your BMR is 1617, your sedentary TDEE is around 1950. 1685 is less than 300 calories below that, making it if anything a modest goal. This is assuming you are adding exercise calories on top of that.

In other words, it sounds like you're running a daily calorie deficit in the range of 300 calories.

catgianna

Maybe you have hit a plateau? Change up your exercise routine. I've been told that your body strives for homeostasis and will "get used to" you routine and stop changing.

DancingMoosie

It doesn't sound like you are eating at a large enough deficit to worry about "starvation mode." I lost my weight with a calorie goal of 1350 + exercise, and am now trying to maintain with 1500-1600 + exercise. It seems that you are doing mostly cardio. What helped me the most was adding resistance training to the mix. Try alternating days of cardio (like running or stair master) then the next day do strength/resistance training. I lost more weight when combining the two than with cardio alone. And its a double bonus because you will be preserving your lean body mass (muscle) so you will have a nice sculpted look as you burn the fat away. Cardio only can lead to muscle loss. More muscle also means more calories burned at rest.

heybales

With a Mifflin BMR of 1551, that's not bad at all (unless you have more muscle to fat ratio than expected and metabolism is running higher).

But, as you have less to loose to a healthy level, the less you should be trying to lose, or it'll be seen as higher stress to body.

Not that starvation mode will set in, but your body can slow down and adapt to what it gets as food compared to what it's being asked to spend on activity.

12 lbs to go should be between 1/2 to 1 lb to lose, not 1.5, that's too much.

Go for 1/2 for couple weeks to unstress body, then go to 1 lb weekly until down to 8-10 lbs, then go back to 1/2 lb weekly.

With narrow margin for error and seeing success, you'll also have to confirm intake side of equation, you weigh everything, or are aware how off it can be if you don't?

And burning side of equation since correctly eating back exercise. Running is great with MFP estimate if you do the pace it uses in the description, if so better than HRM.

But other stuff could be off one way or another.

So yes to eating more, by taking less of a deficit.

__Di__

Okay, here's the specs:

Height: 5'5
Weight: 172
Age: 19, almost 20
Current Weight Lost: 26 pounds
Calories Eating in a Day: 1685 + whatever I gain from exercise

My typical exercise is a three mile run, occasionally four or five miles. Days that I don't run I do ab workouts and stair master. As you can see I've already lost 26 pounds; my current goal is to hit 160 and see how I feel. I am built muscularly, so though my BMI is recommended at 151, I want to see how I feel at 160 first. For that reason, I'm not sure if these 12 left for me at the moment are what Jillian Michaels calls "Vanity Pounds" or not. Anyway, I just recently slowly cut my calories from 1800-something to 1700-something to 1685 where I'm at now, and I just started running in the past month. I used to do the elliptical. I'm worried, after listening to a lot of Jillian Michaels podcasts, that I'm shocking myself into a starvation mode. I tried calculating my TDEE and BMR (which came out to 2507 and 1617 respectively) based off of the advice given to others like me on the site here, but I just got sufficiently more confused now.

What I want to know is if I'm eating too little to lose my 12 more. MFP says I'm eating, right now, enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week, but the scale hasn't really budged in the past two weeks too much, so I'm worried. Kind of hovering around 172/173.

Should I be eating more?

No, you are not eating too little and if you tell MFP to adjust the daily calorie total when that little box appears you will find it reduces your calories intake further.

You are eating plenty and may need to reduce those calories - some people won't like me saying that, but that is the way it works.

ced1389

I hope this doesn't come off rude, I don't mean it to, but what are you eating? We have almost the same specs except I'm an inch shorter & 3 years older. I'm at around 1300 calories a day, so I can definitely say you're not eating too little (not saying you necessarily need to eat less either!) but what are you consuming?

I also agree that when you hit a plateau, you might need to change up your workout. Try some hills, even if it's walking, backwards incline, sprint workouts, etc.

I started out at 203, I'm now 165. I hit a plateau around 175; switched up my workouts, starting eating a lot more lean protein and veggies, and the 10 came off like nothin!

itsmandible

I think starvation mode was the wrong word... Jillian Michaels was calling it your body hanging on to the weight because it believes it is now healthy and wants some extra weight "in case of famine" because that's how we've evolved.

Anyway, what heybales said makes a lot of sense to me; that's kind of what Jillian Michaels was saying, I was wondering if my 1.5 pounds wanting to be lost was too much for the last ten or so pounds, and it sounds like he's agreeing. In terms of what I'm eating, I've never seen that as a problem. Chicken breast, lean ground turkey, salmon, veggies and fruits and non-fat yogurt and brown rice is what dominates my diet I'd say - I do indulge in ice cream, eating out, et cetera but always within my calorie allotment for the day, which is why I've been confused by this plateau and hearing this new information from the podcasts, very confusing!

Hezzietiger1

1600 is plenty.

itsmandible

To those who say eat LESS, personally for myself, I don't see how that makes sense as a solution. The last five pounds I just lost (from early-May to early June) was eating 1830-something I think (from 178 to 173), and then I recalculated (as I've heard you're supposed to do every 5 pounds) and it came up to be 1685 this time, and that's supposedly got me burning 1.5 pounds a week...

itsmandible

ced1389 - I see you run, too! I'm trying to increase my running endurance so for the past two months my main fitness goals have been to clock in more mileage, faster run times, et cetera. What kind of things did you do to change up your workouts while maintaining your endurance and such?! (ps - you didn't come off as rude at all, no worries!)

Hezzietiger1

On another note.. if ur not losing and u still have fat to lose, which u do... u r not at a deficit. I eat 1200... run 3 miles a day, crossfit 5 days a week and throw in 2 days of weights each week. I lose 2 lbs a week. When i hit a wall at 165 i dropped calories and cleaned it up... im 2 lbs away from my 145 goal and decided to go for 135 bc i can. Im strong, healthy, and getting faster everyday.

jonnythan

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

jwdieter

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

Yep. Stick with the plan.

Might want to review the calories you're eating back from exercise. May be overestimating on that front.

itsmandible

On another note.. if ur not losing and u still have fat to lose, which u do... u r not at a deficit. I eat 1200... run 3 miles a day, crossfit 5 days a week and throw in 2 days of weights each week. I lose 2 lbs a week. When i hit a wall at 165 i dropped calories and cleaned it up... im 2 lbs away from my 145 goal and decided to go for 135 bc i can. Im strong, healthy, and getting faster everyday.

Wow, that's amazing! Good for you!

CallMeCupcakeDammit

With a Mifflin BMR of 1551, that's not bad at all (unless you have more muscle to fat ratio than expected and metabolism is running higher).

But, as you have less to loose to a healthy level, the less you should be trying to lose, or it'll be seen as higher stress to body.

Not that starvation mode will set in, but your body can slow down and adapt to what it gets as food compared to what it's being asked to spend on activity.

12 lbs to go should be between 1/2 to 1 lb to lose, not 1.5, that's too much.

Go for 1/2 for couple weeks to unstress body, then go to 1 lb weekly until down to 8-10 lbs, then go back to 1/2 lb weekly.

With narrow margin for error and seeing success, you'll also have to confirm intake side of equation, you weigh everything, or are aware how off it can be if you don't?

And burning side of equation since correctly eating back exercise. Running is great with MFP estimate if you do the pace it uses in the description, if so better than HRM.

But other stuff could be off one way or another.

So yes to eating more, by taking less of a deficit.

QFT

itsmandible

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

Yep. Stick with the plan.

Might want to review the calories you're eating back from exercise. May be overestimating on that front.

Okay, I think I was just worrying myself with the podcasts I'd be listening to! What would be too long of plateau where I should look at my fitness side? Definitely going to reevaluate my calorie intake too since it doesn't seem like it's right according to MFP!

jonnythan

Your only mistake was listening to Jillian Michaels podcasts.

danasings

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

Yep. Stick with the plan.

Might want to review the calories you're eating back from exercise. May be overestimating on that front.

Okay, I think I was just worrying myself with the podcasts I'd be listening to! What would be too long of plateau where I should look at my fitness side? Definitely going to reevaluate my calorie intake too since it doesn't seem like it's right according to MFP!

If you don't lose anything for six weeks, that may indicate a plateau.

ETA: while I was losing the "big chunk" of weight (60 pounds), my weight would level off for three weeks, then I would drop 3-4 pounds. Just keep doing what you're doing, because it sounds like you are doing great...but if after six weeks the scale hasn't budged, then re-evaluate. Good luck!

itsmandible

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557.................. and if I subtract 750 for a pound and a half from that higher numbers it puts me right where I'm at now, more of less. so I'm calculating something wrong....

itsmandible

Your only mistake was listening to Jillian Michaels podcasts.

hahah not a fan of hers?

itsmandible

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

Yep. Stick with the plan.

Might want to review the calories you're eating back from exercise. May be overestimating on that front.

Okay, I think I was just worrying myself with the podcasts I'd be listening to! What would be too long of plateau where I should look at my fitness side? Definitely going to reevaluate my calorie intake too since it doesn't seem like it's right according to MFP!

If you don't lose anything for six weeks, that may indicate a plateau.

ETA: while I was losing the "big chunk" of weight (60 pounds), my weight would level off for three weeks, then I would drop 3-4 pounds. Just keep doing what you're doing, because it sounds like you are doing great...but if after six weeks the scale hasn't budged, then re-evaluate. Good luck!

GOT IT! Thank you, that's very helpful (:

jwdieter

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557..................

You don't subtract from BMR.

If you're doing a TDEE approach that accounts for your exercise level, you don't eat back exercise calories.

If you're following the MFP approach, you input an activity level that reflects your non-exercise activity level, then eat back your exercise calories.

jonnythan

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557..................

IMO it's a bad idea to just look at a chart and estimate a category of how active you are. The categories are too broad and vague and individual activity levels vary too much day to day, week to week.

Instead, stick with "sedentary" (multiply by 1.2) and then add exercise calories on top of that number. So your sedentary TDEE would be about 1870. Take 20% off that and you're looking at a goal of 1500 calories a day. Then you add exercise on top of that.

For example, if you go running for an hour and burn 600 calories, your actual TDEE that day is 1870+600 = 2470. If you eat back those 600 calories, you ate 1500+600 = 2100 that day.

heybales

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557.................. and if I subtract 750 for a pound and a half from that higher numbers it puts me right where I'm at now, more of less. so I'm calculating something wrong....

So do you count the walking as exercise? That adds to the day for sure if not thought of as exercise. Probably higher than Moderately Active by that method.

So you see how high you could go and probably maintain weight, easily 2400 or more.

Since you've been doing the MFP method, stick with it, just some tweaks since so close to goal weight, and nows not the time to lose muscle mass.

MFP Activity level outside exercise - Lightly Active, since you walk daily.
Weight loss goal, 1 lb weekly since you are down to final 10 lbs.

Should give maintenance of 2102 for non-exercise day, sounds about right.
500 cal deficit makes it 1602 NET eating goal.

Eat back exercise calories except for walking which was included already, minus 10%. (if you were to do the TDEE method with exercise included, you'd be doing 10% off total TDEE, which includes exercise).

So 500 cal burn is logged as 450 to eat back. Or log the whole thing for sake of records and remember to leave 50 on the table.

So rest days will be 1600 about, exercise days will be upwards of perhaps 2000-2100 depending on your burn.

itsmandible

.

itsmandible

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557..................

IMO it's a bad idea to just look at a chart and estimate a category of how active you are. The categories are too broad and vague and individual activity levels vary too much day to day, week to week.

Instead, stick with "sedentary" (multiply by 1.2) and then add exercise calories on top of that number. So your sedentary TDEE would be about 1870. Take 20% off that and you're looking at a goal of 1500 calories a day. Then you add exercise on top of that.

For example, if you go running for an hour and burn 600 calories, your actual TDEE that day is 1870+600 = 2470. If you eat back those 600 calories, you ate 1500+600 = 2100 that day.

I see!! Okay, what good information! I was struggling to navigate through all of the numbers. So is 20% looking at a pound a week then? Do you recommend this method over MFP or is it kind of to each his own?

itsmandible

Okay, so my BMR came out to be 1557, according to this calculator (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-How-Many-Calories-You-Need-to-Eat-to-Lose-Weight). Now, since I workout 5 days a week (plus walking a mile to and from work 6 days a week), I figured I should multiply by the moderate activity one, so I multiplied by 1.55. Now, that puts me at 2414, so do I subtract 500 from that to lose a pound a week or do I subtract it from the original 1557.................. and if I subtract 750 for a pound and a half from that higher numbers it puts me right where I'm at now, more of less. so I'm calculating something wrong....

So do you count the walking as exercise? That adds to the day for sure if not thought of as exercise. Probably higher than Moderately Active by that method.

So you see how high you could go and probably maintain weight, easily 2400 or more.

Since you've been doing the MFP method, stick with it, just some tweaks since so close to goal weight, and nows not the time to lose muscle mass.

MFP Activity level outside exercise - Lightly Active, since you walk daily.
Weight loss goal, 1 lb weekly since you are down to final 10 lbs.

Should give maintenance of 2102 for non-exercise day, sounds about right.
500 cal deficit makes it 1602 NET eating goal.

Eat back exercise calories except for walking which was included already, minus 10%. (if you were to do the TDEE method with exercise included, you'd be doing 10% off total TDEE, which includes exercise).

So 500 cal burn is logged as 450 to eat back. Or log the whole thing for sake of records and remember to leave 50 on the table.

So rest days will be 1600 about, exercise days will be upwards of perhaps 2000-2100 depending on your burn.

Wow! Okay, I didn't realize the methods didn't coexist - I thought everyone knew something I didn't! I'm shocked I lost a chunk of weight without knowing all of this! I don't log the walking whatsoever since it just started a month ago for my summer job, as I figured it'd be a nice surprise supplement to what I've already been doing! haha (: Okay, this is very helpful, thank you SO much for your time!

jonnythan

My method is the MFP method. MFPs categories are meant to cover non exercise activity, like if you're on your feet a lot at work. Add exercise on top of it.

nikilis

Two weeks isn't enough time to warrant changing things up.

Yep. Stick with the plan.

Might want to review the calories you're eating back from exercise. May be overestimating on that front.

yah, not at all. my loss went on the go slow for 3-4 months, my body changed a lot but the scale went slow. you cant drop 1lb a week forever.

give it time, but yeh, its possible that a little shake up in routine could help as people suggested.