Advice on my daily food & exercise intake

kprimaverab
kprimaverab Posts: 32 Member
edited August 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
So I have gotten a lot of people on mfp telling me (rudely) how I am "starving myself" eating 1300 calories the past 4 weeks. (1500-1600 when I exercise) however I don't feel hungry when I go to bed nor do I feel lethargic. I do 70 mins of cardio 4x per week and eat (what I think is) a well balanced food intake. If you are able, please let me know how I am starving myself. I am 5'7 with 88 lbs to lose (16 lost so far which is apparently too much in 4 weeks?) .

Breakfast @ 9am: English muffin, 2 eggs, piece of fruit like an orange or apple
Snack @ 11am: 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
Lunch @ 1pm: smoothie (spinach,whey protein, almond milk, banana, strawberries) with a small piece of fish
Dinner @5pm: chicken breast, quinoa, veggies

This averages out to 1300 calories and YES...if I am hungry at around 7 still I WILL have a snack - (protein bar, toast, healthy cereal).

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2016
    I live by the motto, "He who can eat the most and still lose weight, wins!"

    I'm 5'9, 180 pounds, and am losing on 1930 calories per day. I would eventually freak out and binge on 1300 per day.

    But, if it works for you, do it!

    If, after a few weeks, you find that your body is lethargic or starving, it may be time to up the calories.

    Good luck!
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    OP people were advising you to decrease your deficit from 2 pounds a week to something more sustainable. I believe that thread was about going over on calories (I will have to look it up). Your rate of weight loss was pretty significant if remember correctly.

    If your deficit is too steep and unsustainable then yes you are eating too little. This is driven by your energy levels, the need to binge later on the day, etc.

    If you choose to loose at this deficit with no problems then the 1300 calories is fine. Albeit the slower you go the better for many many reasons.
  • ShrinkingStargazer
    ShrinkingStargazer Posts: 26 Member
    Hi, your food consumption looks fine. If you feel good and you're losing then stick with it. 1300 calories is great! i wish i could eat that amount. Man let me tell you i been doing horribly with my calorie intake. At night i always binge and wish it would stop. I will do so good all day and workout and then i sabatoge it by the time night comes. Anyways i think 1300 calories is great don't worry about what others say listen to your body! I wish you all the best hun!
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    I'm a bit biased because I'm greedy and I like to eat (plus I was never very overweight so I won't pretend to be able to relate to how someone who has more excess weight to carry might want to get rid of it faster), so I always preferred a slower rate of loss and a bigger calorie goal, so 1300 for me would be very hard.

    That said, the day of food you listed sounds tasty and looks reasonably well balanced (without knowing your personal goals or requirements). If you're not feeling tired or really hungry then you're probably OK for now.

    16lbs in a month is a lot though, and fast isn't always good.
  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    I say do what works for you. If you're getting the nutrients your body needs and don't feel tired all the time or worn down then go for it. I could not sustain myself on that much of a deficit, but maybe you can. I have MFP friends that do just fine at even 1000 calories a day. They simply keep their macros in check and eat more when they need it. Just pay attention to your body. Losing weight too fast can lead to a lot of loose skin, but if you're young you can likely still recover from that over time. Stay hydrated.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    So you started this to continue an argument? Just lose your weight.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.

    Yeah you can be right.. Maybe 30% or so maybe (I would have to see the diary)..

    I was also simply pointing out that people are blunt and perhaps not meaning to hurt feelings in their posts. And if the deficit is too steep (which in this case my opinion it is for the short term) causing cheats and over eating later on, and perhaps falling off the wagon, etc.

    My biggest concern is the muscle mass. Again without seeing the diary or calculating the protein consumption this would be an issue for me advise further.

  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.

    Yeah you can be right.. Maybe 30% or so maybe (I would have to see the diary)..

    I was also simply pointing out that people are blunt and perhaps not meaning to hurt feelings in their posts. And if the deficit is too steep (which in this case my opinion it is for the short term) causing cheats and over eating later on, and perhaps falling off the wagon, etc.

    My biggest concern is the muscle mass. Again without seeing the diary or calculating the protein consumption this would be an issue for me advise further.

    True, we can't know for sure from what little information we have.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.

    Yeah you can be right.. Maybe 30% or so maybe (I would have to see the diary)..

    I was also simply pointing out that people are blunt and perhaps not meaning to hurt feelings in their posts. And if the deficit is too steep (which in this case my opinion it is for the short term) causing cheats and over eating later on, and perhaps falling off the wagon, etc.

    My biggest concern is the muscle mass. Again without seeing the diary or calculating the protein consumption this would be an issue for me advise further.

    True, we can't know for sure from what little information we have.

    Agreed! :)
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    So I have gotten a lot of people on mfp telling me (rudely) how I am "starving myself" eating 1300 calories the past 4 weeks. (1500-1600 when I exercise) however I don't feel hungry when I go to bed nor do I feel lethargic. I do 70 mins of cardio 4x per week and eat (what I think is) a well balanced food intake. If you are able, please let me know how I am starving myself. I am 5'7 with 88 lbs to lose (16 lost so far which is apparently too much in 4 weeks?) .

    Breakfast @ 9am: English muffin, 2 eggs, piece of fruit like an orange or apple
    Snack @ 11am: 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
    Lunch @ 1pm: smoothie (spinach,whey protein, almond milk, banana, strawberries) with a small piece of fish
    Dinner @5pm: chicken breast, quinoa, veggies

    This averages out to 1300 calories and YES...if I am hungry at around 7 still I WILL have a snack - (protein bar, toast, healthy cereal).

    What has your average net calories been over the 4 weeks?
  • kprimaverab
    kprimaverab Posts: 32 Member
    edited August 2016
    LazSommer wrote: »
    So you started this to continue an argument? Just lose your weight.

    No. My old post was about water retention after cheat day. This isn't an argument... It's me clearing up how I am "starving myself" as people were saying that on the other post even though it wasn't the topic.
  • kprimaverab
    kprimaverab Posts: 32 Member
    edited August 2016
    So I have gotten a lot of people on mfp telling me (rudely) how I am "starving myself" eating 1300 calories the past 4 weeks. (1500-1600 when I exercise) however I don't feel hungry when I go to bed nor do I feel lethargic. I do 70 mins of cardio 4x per week and eat (what I think is) a well balanced food intake. If you are able, please let me know how I am starving myself. I am 5'7 with 88 lbs to lose (16 lost so far which is apparently too much in 4 weeks?) .

    Breakfast @ 9am: English muffin, 2 eggs, piece of fruit like an orange or apple
    Snack @ 11am: 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
    Lunch @ 1pm: smoothie (spinach,whey protein, almond milk, banana, strawberries) with a small piece of fish
    Dinner @5pm: chicken breast, quinoa, veggies

    This averages out to 1300 calories and YES...if I am hungry at around 7 still I WILL have a snack - (protein bar, toast, healthy cereal).

    What has your average net calories been over the 4 weeks?

    1465 calories .
  • fallingwave
    fallingwave Posts: 108 Member
    Everyone is different. I have to stay around 1000-1200 per day to see a loss. Don't sweat it... as long as you feel good and you're seeing results do what you need to do.
  • kprimaverab
    kprimaverab Posts: 32 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.

    Yeah you can be right.. Maybe 30% or so maybe (I would have to see the diary)..

    I was also simply pointing out that people are blunt and perhaps not meaning to hurt feelings in their posts. And if the deficit is too steep (which in this case my opinion it is for the short term) causing cheats and over eating later on, and perhaps falling off the wagon, etc.

    My biggest concern is the muscle mass. Again without seeing the diary or calculating the protein consumption this would be an issue for me advise further.

    I do make sure to meet my daily protein goal every day with the knowledge my calorie intake is pretty low.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I looked it up. Your OP said you were eating 1200 - 1500 calories and you lost 16 pounds in 25 days which is a bit aggressive. You were telling the forum that your 1300 calories a day was healthy for xxx reasons. I do see that you have 90 pounds to loose, and at this rate of loss you will loose significant muscle mass not just fat.

    The folks here can be snarky or blunt at times and yes this comes from being on an internet forum of this sort, but take the advice or not, they are trying to convey to you to reconsider your choices.

    To be fair, a lot of that might be water weight loss.

    My mum has been on a calorie deficit diet for about 18 days now and the scales says she has lost half a stone, when really in terms of calorie deficit vs her maintenance she could have only lost 3lbs of fat in that time.

    Yeah you can be right.. Maybe 30% or so maybe (I would have to see the diary)..

    I was also simply pointing out that people are blunt and perhaps not meaning to hurt feelings in their posts. And if the deficit is too steep (which in this case my opinion it is for the short term) causing cheats and over eating later on, and perhaps falling off the wagon, etc.

    My biggest concern is the muscle mass. Again without seeing the diary or calculating the protein consumption this would be an issue for me advise further.

    I do make sure to meet my daily protein goal every day with the knowledge my calorie intake is pretty low.

    Carry on with your current plan. Be advised if the weight loss is to aggressive and causing you side effect in the short term, change the plan and up the calories. :) I am unclear on the exercise part of your OP.. You wanted us to advise on exercise intake as well. This puts another equation to your circumstance.

    Use your scale and body measurements to help you with trending your weight and keeping your rate of loss in check should you want to preserve muscle mass with the low intake. :) Might want to double check to make sure MFP has an adequate protein setup on your diary for your specific needs while eating low calories.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited August 2016
    If its working for you, meaning you have energy to get thru your day AND your workouts, then you're golden. "They" say 1200 minimum for women unless very small and/or with supervision. 1300-1600 is above that. The thing with advice is you have to filter thru and figure out which tidbits are useful to you.

    Do spot check that your nutrients are being met. Such as not cutting fats too low and such.
    So I have gotten a lot of people on mfp telling me (rudely) how I am "starving myself" eating 1300 calories the past 4 weeks. (1500-1600 when I exercise) however I don't feel hungry when I go to bed nor do I feel lethargic. I do 70 mins of cardio 4x per week and eat (what I think is) a well balanced food intake. If you are able, please let me know how I am starving myself. I am 5'7 with 88 lbs to lose (16 lost so far which is apparently too much in 4 weeks?) .

    Breakfast @ 9am: English muffin, 2 eggs, piece of fruit like an orange or apple
    Snack @ 11am: 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
    Lunch @ 1pm: smoothie (spinach,whey protein, almond milk, banana, strawberries) with a small piece of fish
    Dinner @5pm: chicken breast, quinoa, veggies

    This averages out to 1300 calories and YES...if I am hungry at around 7 still I WILL have a snack - (protein bar, toast, healthy cereal).