new & need some motivation!

arielleguerra100

Hey everyone,

I am looking to lose 50 lbs before July and could really use some encouragement. I am new to MFP and have never used calorie counting as a way to lose weight. I am 5'2 and I am 23 years old. I have a few questions. MFP has me on a calorie count of 1200 a day but I was wondering if that is a sufficient amount if I am doing strength training? And what are some quick, low calorie snacks to keep satisfied while on the go? Also, if there are people on here with success stories about calorie counting, including what to do if the hut a plateau, please share your advice with me!

PS. Add me as a friend!

Xox

terbusha

If you're pretty active, you may very well need more calories. I think people should eat as much as they can while losing weight. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

This is what I did to drop 64 lbs. It took me ~7-8 months. Since then, I've been focusing on gaining strength and muscle mass. It's fun

I've gone through plateaus and such too, so hit me up if you have questions and need some advice. I'm always happy to help.

Allan