Eat more or less to lose weight?

Untilproud11

Hello all ...
I've had success losing 40lbs but now I've been stuck for 2 months !?
Scoobys calculator recomended me to eat 1471 cals and I didn't lose nothing If while mfp recommended much less which is impossible for me ,if I drop to 1400 I get too hungry as already 1471 is hard enough...plz help ...how many cals should I eat ?

My stats
- 29yo
- 143lbs
- 5'1
- No excercise due to back injury but very active mother of 4 during the day
- Currently eating 1471cals and hungry
- Never lost a single pound for the last 2 months
- Weigh and measure everything

usmcmp

Open up your food diary.

Bxqtie116

Do you have your goal set at losing 2 lbs per week? Maybe change it to .5 lb per week. Have you taken measurements? Sometimes we'll lose inches instead of pounds. What matters is it's something coming off. I know 2 months may feel like forever and can be frustrating, but hang in there. Sometimes it's takes your body some time to adjust to the new changes.

lynn_glenmont

If you haven't lost anything for two months eating 1471 calories, you need to eat less.

It's possible that you're actually eating more than 1471 calories if you're not weighing your food, choosing accurate database entries, and logging everything. No "free foods" that you don't bother logging or "days off" from logging.

But even if you really are eating more than 1471 calories, you still need to eat less than you have been. So if you're hungry eating 1471 calories (or whatever you're actually eating), you're going to be even hungrier if you eat fewer calories, unless you find foods that provide a better satiety-to-calorie ratio. For some people that's fat, for some it's protein, for some it's fiber, for some it's no-calorie drinks and foods with lots of water (soup, watery vegetables). You have to find what works for you.

For other people, different eating patterns make a difference in not getting hungry on their calories. Breakfast v. no breakfast; small breakfast and lunch to save calories for evening; bigger meals earlier; intermittent fasting -- these are all options that work for some people. Again, you have to experiment to find what works for you.

tl;dr Eat less (than you are) to lose weight.

ogtmama

My first reaction is that I am 2 inches taller and 10 pounds heavier and I maintain at 1650, so if you were the same as me (which you aren't) you'd have a 200 calorie deficit per day...1400 per week. No wiggle room for any mistakes regarding calorie burn or mismeasuring intake.

If you absolutely can't go down at all in calorie intake...maybe swimming or walking?

ogtmama

You could also look through your diary and try to find foods that are more satisfying for less calories.

lynn_glenmont

Bxqtie116 wrote: »

Do you have your goal set at losing 2 lbs per week? Maybe change it to .5 lb per week. Have you taken measurements? Sometimes we'll lose inches instead of pounds. What matters is it's something coming off. I know 2 months may feel like forever and can be frustrating, but hang in there. Sometimes it's takes your body some time to adjust to the new changes.

If OP hasn't lost weight in two months, eating another 750 calories a day is not going to result in weight loss, barring a possible water weight loss if the current diet is stressful and raising calories relieve the stress (stress hormones can cause water retention). But eventually the extra 750 calories over what has been maintenance will cause weight gain.

selfepidemic1

I would recommend eating more fat and less carbs, bread, sugar, pasta, rice etc. You don't have to cut them out entirely but I would try to eat less. Since carbs give you quick energy, you want sustaining energy.

As for the kids, being a teacher I do have some recommendations, firstly, you could make them pair up and have team names and reward 10 points for the winner and 5 for the loser, and use that as a way to create healthy fun competition.

You could also invest in a clean up song if they're young, and a morning song for long enough to brush their teeth.

Make them do the work, play hide and seek or make treasure hunts.

I would also say go IF, don't eat breakfast, and try to have a 16 hour break from your last meal. So if you ate at 6pm then 10-11 would be a good time for a good lunch.

Fats are good for sustaining, and long energy, so eating eggs, avacados, and other healthy foods high in fat and protein will keep you going!

I personally do Keto, which is low carb. Lots of steaks, burgers, meats, omelettes and pasta alternatives! You could try making low carb meals that are high in bulk. For example:

Kids have lasagna? You have lasagna but with eggplant instead of the pasta.

Kids have rice? You make cauliflower rice, a lot less in cals and carbs and as filling!

Kids have pasta? There are low GI and low carb alternatives, or you could bake a thin layer of egg with cream cheese and slice it, that will make you noodles.

You could even look at Bento boxes, or cute lunch boxes. You can chop little sausages and give them 8 legs, fry them and it'll be an octopus! Make food cute, fun, friendly and make it an activity that you can share with your children, though, not so messy I guess!

Finally, resting and relaxing is as important as everything else, if you're stressed, have a nice bath. You are a mum but your health is equally important. Create a healthy relationship with food, learn about your macro's and what is best, and look up lifestyles that will suit you! There is paleo, keto, the body coach (he does low carb and then HITT exercise, and later on more carbs). Find something that suits, sometimes its not just the calories but they type of energy you want, need and deserve to be healthy.

There will be a lifestyle that suits you, you have to find it! Good luck!!!

Maxematics

eveandqsmom wrote: »

My first reaction is that I am 2 inches taller and 10 pounds heavier and I maintain at 1650, so if you were the same as me (which you aren't) you'd have a 200 calorie deficit per day...1400 per week. No wiggle room for any mistakes regarding calorie burn or mismeasuring intake.

If you absolutely can't go down at all in calorie intake...maybe swimming or walking?

Everyone is different. I'm the same height as you and 108 pounds. I still lose weight if I eat 1600 calories and have to eat at least over 1900 to maintain. I think the OP isn't eating a true 1400 and if they are they're just being impatient about their rate of loss.

jennifer_417

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

If you haven't lost anything for two months eating 1471 calories, you need to eat less.

It's possible that you're actually eating more than 1471 calories if you're not weighing your food, choosing accurate database entries, and logging everything. No "free foods" that you don't bother logging or "days off" from logging.

But even if you really are eating more than 1471 calories, you still need to eat less than you have been. So if you're hungry eating 1471 calories (or whatever you're actually eating), you're going to be even hungrier if you eat fewer calories, unless you find foods that provide a better satiety-to-calorie ratio. For some people that's fat, for some it's protein, for some it's fiber, for some it's no-calorie drinks and foods with lots of water (soup, watery vegetables). You have to find what works for you.

For other people, different eating patterns make a difference in not getting hungry on their calories. Breakfast v. no breakfast; small breakfast and lunch to save calories for evening; bigger meals earlier; intermittent fasting -- these are all options that work for some people. Again, you have to experiment to find what works for you.

tl;dr Eat less (than you are) to lose weight.

Great answer!

Untilproud11

Thank you all

trigden1991

1)It is not impossible to eat less.

2)If you're not losing weight, you're not in a caloric deficit, so decrease your calories.