Am I eating enough?

melissaka7

I recently started eating 5 meals a day. A good breakfast. I snack 2 hours later of either fruit & almonds or yogurt. A healthy lunch (usually a turkey wrap). And another snack two hours later (if I'm hungry) of veggies, string cheese, or almonds. My dinners vary between really healthy to something processed in moderation, but NEVER fast food. I also no longer drink soda. I typically can make it to 1200 calories a day. I have a sedentary job & sit all day. I do walk at least 20 minutes on my breaks. I work out 6 days a week for 60-60 minutes either yoga, working out videos, or running. I do NOT eat my work out calories. I have lost 22 lbs since 5/7. I am at 166 & my goal is 145. I was planning to give myself until end of October to reach that goal in case I plateau.

My concern is I always hear about the calorie defecit & I guess I don't really understand a lot of it. I just want to make sure I'm eating enough. I know I am eating the right things. I have my goals set on MFP of 1.5 or 2 lbs a week, I can't remember. I like counting calories because I feel like it holds be accountable. Obviously I'm doing something right or I wouldn't be losing, I just want to make sure I'm doing okay.

Sandie001

I would be interested in other peoples opinions on this. Hope you get some replies

sweebum

You will plateau faster as you are keeping a very aggressive deficit. You will have to up your calories VERY slowly when you hit maintenance.

Technically, you are eating too little. But since it's working for you I also know you are less likely to listen and eat more

melissaka7

Honestly, if I need to be doing something differently I will. This is just a VERY big deal to me. I have been overweight for so long & I want to be healthy & feel good about myself. I am determined to meet my goal & I am looking forward to being able to maintain & not focus on weight loss all the time.

Greenrun99

You should change your goal to 1 lb a week since you don't have a ton to lose anymore, and eat back your exercise calories.. Why starve yourself when you don't have to.. of course if you plateau or don't like your body after you lose the weight.. the above is why.

herblackwings39

If you use MFP as it is intended you need to meet your calorie goal and eat back your exercise calories. With less than 20 lbs to go it would probably be best to change your loss per week goal to .5 or 1 lb so you have less of an increase in calories as you reach maintenance.

TavistockToad

You should change your goal to 1 lb a week since you don't have a ton to lose anymore, and eat back your exercise calories.. Why starve yourself when you don't have to.. of course if you plateau or don't like your body after you lose the weight.. the above is why.

This!

melissaka7

I don't feel like I'm starving myself though. I am eating when I am hungry & when I eat I feel full. Before I started doing the 5 a day meals I was starving all the time.

trogalicious

In short, no. You aren't eating enough. Eating when you're hungry doesn't matter.

melissaka7

If I'm not eating enoght then how much SHOULD I be eating?

wilsoje74

If I'm not eating enoght then how much SHOULD I be eating?

Your allotted calories plus your exercise calories.

MayaSPapaya

If you are working out for an hour 6 times a week, you shouldn't be eating 1200 calories. I work out 4-5 times per week for no longer than like 35 minutes, eat 1600-1700 calories and still lose. Go online, figure out your TDEE, and subtract twenty percent from that. Slowly up your calories to that amount. You'll be amazed at how much more you can eat and still lose!

melissaka7

I don't know what TDEE means, sorry. Do you have a recomended site?

tmccarter11

To see how much I need to eat I used my BMR and my TDEE. Do a search on here and you will find out tons of information on these subjects. You can use the numbers to get an idea how many calories you should be eating for the day

sweebum

Try not to net lower than 1200. Do you have a heart rate monitor for your cardio? I ask because MFP tends to overestimate the exercise calories. Do raise your calories slowly, or you will notice a big jump from retained water, and more food (it's not fat).

trogalicious

I don't know what TDEE means, sorry. Do you have a recomended site?

go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

give that a look.

catbubbles

I have had something very similar happen to me. When I had a lot to lose, eating 1200 calories worked great because my body used my "excess" to feed itself. However, once I got down to a more manageable weight I plateaued. Since I was working out a bunch, I couldn't figure it out. All the research I did said eat more. I was soooo skeptical but eventually gave it a try. It worked! Also, mixing things up works well to. For instance, if you usually walk for your workout, switch it with stair climbing on occasion. If you normally do a treadmill, do an elliptical occasionally. Same goes for food. If you always eat the same things, eat something different. I even go as far as switching up my calorie intake. Some days I stick to 1200, and some days I go for 1800 and range anywhere in there. I rarely eat the same amount of calories on consecutive days. This keeps your body from getting "used" to anything.

janegeraldine

I believe you are eating enough. I eat around my 1200 calorie goal even on days that I burn 300-500 running. Sometimes I eat a hundred or so of those calories back, but not always. I went through a phase in which I bought into the "starvation mode" nonsense that makes the rounds here...I upped my daily calories to 1500 (my BMR) and ate back at least half of my exercise calories, which so many people claimed is the only way to do it. My weight loss slowed to less than 4 pounds a month. Now that I am back in control and doing what makes sense to me, I am back at a 6-7 pound a month weight loss. I have lost over 90 pounds total throughout my weight loss journey (I started out at 267 pounds...and am now at 175). And while I have gone through phases of a couple months of not dieting and eating around maintenance calories, I have never plateaued and I have never gained any back. The people here love to tell you that you will plateau or go off your diet and be a disaster because of "starvation mode," but I have never seen evidence of any of it, and I know I am not the only one. I think people freak out over the idea of eating lower calorie and buy into the starvation mode story because it makes them feel better about eating more.

AmyRhubarb

I do walk at least 20 minutes on my breaks. I work out 6 days a week for 60-60 minutes either yoga, working out videos, or running.

This is NOT sedentary. Even with a desk job, with daily walking & workouts, you're definitely not sedentary. Changing that setting would bump up your daily goal.

And you should also be eating back those exercise cals. MFP has your daily goal with a deficit already built in - meaning eat to goal every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. Add in the exercise, and now you've got a much larger deficit, which is not a good thing - a small deficit is best for fat loss, and eating too little for too long can cause a stall in weight loss, slow your metabolism, jack with your hormones, etc. You are supposed to eat them back.

As for how much you should be eating - hard to say without knowing your stats. If it helps, I'm 45 years old, 5'8", workout about an hour a day (running and weights every other day), and I lose eating 1800-2000 cals a day. If you're barely making it to 1200, and not eating exercise cals back, you aren't eating enough.

catbubbles

I think everyone is different. It is just a matter of figuring out what is best for your body. For me, eating 1200 plus half my exercise calories works best. If I eat less, I gain weight. If I eat more, I gain weight. However, when I was 30 pounds heavier staying at 1200 was the best. So basically, for me this was very accurate.

melissaka7

I'm 5'5" (and a half). I'm 28. I work out six days a week. Mostly running (3-4 miles a day) I already have been told it's too much running) I also do yoga once a week for an hour & 3 ten minute work out videos on some days. I want to start P90X soon.

janegeraldine

How is running 3-4 miles "too much" running? That doesn't even make sense. I run 3-4 miles 5 times a week, and I am always working to add more to my mileage. Who is saying this kind of thing?

AmyRhubarb

I think people freak out over the idea of eating lower calorie and buy into the starvation mode story because it makes them feel better about eating more.

No freak out here - but personally, I'd rather keep my muscle and lose the fat, not the other way around, which were my results when I was eating that standard 1200 cals a day. Plus I was irritable, tired, lacked energy for workouts, and was hangry (hungry + angry because I was hungry ).

I don't need to "feel better about eating more" like it needs to be justified or something - i DO feel better eating more because by doing so my body is well fueled for workouts, burns fat efficiently rather than wanting to store it, and while doing so I lost more inches, fat and overall weight, dropping several clothing sizes and looking and feeling better than I have in years!

So heck yeah, I feel better about eating more! If I can lose the fat, look and feel awesome while eating 1800 cals a day, why on earth would I drop to 1200? Food is fuel, and I like it! :drinker:

astrampe

I believe you are eating enough. My weight loss slowed to less than 4 pounds a month.

Uuhmm...yeah - that's a healthy loss - enjoy losing a huge amount of muscle - just don't encourage others to do so with you......

melissaka7

People were saying that running 4 miles a day 6 days a week was too much.

astrampe

How is running 3-4 miles "too much" running? That doesn't even make sense. I run 3-4 miles 5 times a week, and I am always working to add more to my mileage. Who is saying this kind of thing?

It is too much if she does not eat enough - and running works wonderfully with a huge calorie deficit to help you lose even more muscle mass....
OP, start doing P90X and eat at least some of your exercise calories - if you are not hungry, drink a protein shake before bed...That might help save some of your muscle mass.....

janegeraldine

I don't see how how running a few miles a day six days a week is too much if you don't feel taxed by it. If you are trained to run that much and are not achy or feel awful afterwards, I don't see how it can be bad. Listen to your body. If it says it's too much, then it probably is. If not, then don't worry.

gatorginger

Take baby steps and try eating half of your work out calories back. It will give you morce choices of foods to eat :}

janegeraldine

Take baby steps and try eating half of your work out calories back. It will give you morce choices of foods to eat :}

Yes! this way you can gauge your results and see how much of an increase still allows a loss. If your loss slows down too much, you can shave a few calories, or if it stays the same you can add a little at a time.

janegeraldine

I believe you are eating enough. My weight loss slowed to less than 4 pounds a month.

Uuhmm...yeah - that's a healthy loss - enjoy losing a huge amount of muscle - just don't encourage others to do so with you......

Since you don't know me and haven't seen my weight loss over time, I will let you know that I am losing fat and not muscle. As the fat disappears from my body, I am actually starting to see the muscle structure that I have been working on building over the past few years. My measurements consistently go down, which indicates a fat loss, and my cellulite areas have reduced dramatically, also a sign of fat loss AND muscle building. I am stronger and in better shape than I have ever been. All of my other markers have reduced and I have discussed all my diet concerns with my doctor, who supports my current weight loss plan.

Do not come here and tell people about their own weight loss. I was sharing my own experience, which works for me and has worked for other people.

catbubbles

People were saying that running 4 miles a day 6 days a week was too much.

That is nuts. That is not too much running. The key is fueling your body for it. I would be so tired if I worked out a bunch and only ate 1200 calories.