5 foot 8 ladies eating 1600 calories

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alabbey
alabbey Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all. I'm just curious if anyone here has been successful losing weight eating 1600 calories. That's what I've set my goals to and I eat half my exercise calories back. I wear a polar hrm and burn around 600 calories each workout 4 times a week. I've just recomitted to getting these extra pounds off and am looking for some guidance. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!

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  • triddering
    triddering Posts: 81 Member
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    I guess it depends on your activity level outside of the workouts and muscle mass and BMR. I am 5' 8.5" with a high weight of 265lbs, when I started using MFP and a vivo fit last May. I have been at goal calories of 1000-1200 depending on activity level (I have been sedentary, though now intentionally walking 10500 steps a day) and more like consistent 1200 cals, once I started to strengthen muscles, though I primarily walked up to more recently. I rarely eat my exercise calories back. I am now 193lbs. I listen to my body and if I am hungry (normally because I worked out more), I will eat a bit more, or an extra healthy snack. I am sure I wouldn't have gotten here eating 1600 calories a day, but for you it depends on your BMR and activity.
  • alabbey
    alabbey Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm a high school teacher and a jazzercise instructor at night. I tried 1490 calories a day and was starving! I upped it to 1600. I checked my bmr online and it said its 1640.
  • triddering
    triddering Posts: 81 Member
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    alabbey wrote: »
    I'm a high school teacher and a jazzercise instructor at night. I tried 1490 calories a day and was starving! I upped it to 1600. I checked my bmr online and it said its 1640.

    Sounds like you need the extra calories if you have to keep up with school kids and especially as a jazzercize instructor. I know that I also couldn't dramatically reduce my calories or I would be starving, so I would reduce little by little. Maybe try at 1600 and then reduce by 100 the next week and see how you feel and the results comparison.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    5'9" here, and my low intake is 1600 on a non-hungry day. I do cardio and lift weights 3-4 times a week, so my intake can be as high as 2100. I have lost 23lbs so far (started at 175lbs), and I haven't had any problems losing.

    I can't say that I am trying too hard to create a big deficit now, especially with weight lifting. I am seeing more of a difference in body composition with weight lifting and eating to fuel that than I ever did doing a lot of cardio.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,853 Member
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    I shouldn't really be answering, but:

    I'm losing (very slowly, by intention) at about 1600 net (i.e, I eat back pretty much all my exercise calories but estimate the exercise very carefully). I'm aiming for half a pound a week, but have been losing a little less through the holidays.

    I'm also 5'5", 125.8 pounds as of this morning (very near goal), 60 years old, retired with mostly sedentary hobbies outside of an active exercise schedule, menopausal (of course) and hypothyroid (though controlled on meds).

    You're younger, taller, quite probably more active daily (non-exercise) but I don't know about your current weight. Sure seems at least possible you might lose at 1600 . . . . ?

    Everybody's different, so no guarantees . . . but why not try it for a couple weeks or a month & see? Sustainability is important!
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited January 2016
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    triddering wrote: »
    alabbey wrote: »
    I'm a high school teacher and a jazzercise instructor at night. I tried 1490 calories a day and was starving! I upped it to 1600. I checked my bmr online and it said its 1640.

    Sounds like you need the extra calories if you have to keep up with school kids and especially as a jazzercize instructor. I know that I also couldn't dramatically reduce my calories or I would be starving, so I would reduce little by little. Maybe try at 1600 and then reduce by 100 the next week and see how you feel and the results comparison.

    I don't want to be bluntly rude, but this isn't good advice because it is unhealthy. Especially if you're only eating 1000 some days. The lowest you should go is 1200 as a female, and at your height, should be higher. If OPs BMR is 1640, why suggest going lower? BMR is what your body needs to function if it were in a coma (for the most part), so going below that is not a good idea long term. I think you may be thinking about TDEE, which accounts for activity.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I was eating under that at 1500 kcal per day, and lost about 40 lbs in under 6 months. I'm 5'8" and was mostly sedentary. I'm now 150 lbs and a size 8, maybe a 10.
  • alabbey
    alabbey Posts: 28 Member
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    Thank you so much for the responses. I'm coming from weight watchers where we did points and I have no clue how many calories I ate to lose on that program. I've slowly put on about 20 pounds after losing 75. I'm at 196 right now trying to get back to 175 and hopefully my goal of 165. I like to eat and do not want to feel deprived or starved. I've lost weight before and I know I can do this again I'm just lost at what a good calorie goal would be. Thanks again! !
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    alabbey wrote: »
    Thank you so much for the responses. I'm coming from weight watchers where we did points and I have no clue how many calories I ate to lose on that program. I've slowly put on about 20 pounds after losing 75. I'm at 196 right now trying to get back to 175 and hopefully my goal of 165. I like to eat and do not want to feel deprived or starved. I've lost weight before and I know I can do this again I'm just lost at what a good calorie goal would be. Thanks again! !

    It can be done. The best thing you can do though, if you haven't yet, is buy yourself a food scale. As you get closer to goal, your logging can only benefit from accuracy. It's truly an eye opener. Especially after weight watchers, which obviously has a completely different system in place (with the same fundamentals in the end).

  • Tinawood40
    Tinawood40 Posts: 65 Member
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    I'm 5'8.5" and I've lost 36 lbs eating 1650 a day. 1 lb per week. It's working because I don't feel deprived.
  • tinab190
    tinab190 Posts: 110 Member
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    I'm just a little shy of 1600 calories myself. I was as low as 1300 and I was HUNGRY! 1600 works and I lose. :)
  • sandie25610
    sandie25610 Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm 5'8 and In the last 3 months I've lost 34 lbs. and my intake is roughly 2000 calories a day.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    Did you input your stats into MFP to lose .5 lb/ week?

    I am 5'8" and lost really well at 1700 per day - but I was hungry on that (yes, even with added exercise calories.) I upped it to 1800 calories a day and still lost.
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
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    I'm 5'7", and stay in the 1500-1600 range to lose, eating back all my exercise calories. I'm active, sahm to 3 boys and do weightlifting as my main exercise.

    If I eat less than 1500, I don't even have enough energy to get out of bed.

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