Too little or too much calories

justwintan

Hi everyone!

I'm really new on this health and fitness journey. Started changing my obscene diet in March 2016 at a weight of 61 KGS, 166.6cm tall, started working out in may 2016 (4x/week of muaythai). Then, I would eat the "recommended" 1200 calories and below thinking it would work for me. Whilst I did lose 3kgs and felt better after 2 months, I was always tired and had to have caffeine to fuel my workouts.

I spent all of August on Holiday (no exercise and binge eating), gained 4-5kgs. Was so upset with myself and immediately went on my diet and exercise routines again. Managed to lose the weight but my abs are back into hibernation T_T it's been exactly a month since I've been back on this journey but despite all the reading I do online, I really don't know how much I should be eating. I've revamped my previous 1200 calories to 1500 for the past 2 weeks-ish and am still feeling tired day in day out. Could be lack of sleep though. But what's the right amount of food intake per day? I have fat to lose around my belly ,thighs, arms-typical girl issues.

Guess I just want to know how much to eat in order to gradually lose fat. Used iifym calculations and not sure to believe or not.

KristinHR01

What does your MFP calculator say you should be eating? Plug your info in and use Mildly Active. That's a good starting point.

justwintan

KristinHR01 wrote: »

What does your MFP calculator say you should be eating? Plug your info in and use Mildly Active. That's a good starting point.

That's the part I find hard to trust -1200 calories. With the workouts I do these days, definitely not enough food though I still have no idea what is enough

RodaRose

Most people eat about one third to one half of their exercise calories back.

middlehaitch

You have a healthy bmi of 22. (5'5, 134lbs aproximately) Any weight loss should be at .5 lbs a week.

If you are using MFP you are expected to eat back your exercise calories. 1200 is too low to begin with (weekly loss goal too high), and not eating back your exercise calories will leave you exhausted.

The 1500 TDEE includes exercise, so would correspond to the MFP NEAT goal, but again you are aiming for too fast a weight loss.

Put your goal to .5 lbs a week in MFP and eat back your exercise calories. Adjust the amount you eat back if you are under or over achieving your goal, or set your TDEE to 250 cals less than maintenance.

Cheers, h

TavistockToad

RodaRose wrote: »

Most people eat about one third to one half of their exercise calories back.

I eat all of them

HealthyGinny

TavistockToad wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

Most people eat about one third to one half of their exercise calories back.

I eat all of them

I tend to eat half. Below I'm starving, more and I feel my calculations might be wrong.

PAV8888

I aim for a 250 Cal a day deficit and don't always achieve it. I eat back all of my exercise calories.

Why so small of a deficit? Because I am currently at a healthy weight even though I still want to lose some fat <and note that I am closer to BMI 24 vs the OP's 22>

Since I plan on being alive tomorrow and able to continue on the same path I am on today, and since I don't plan to change anything when I am done "dieting", I see no reason to make things harder on me by trying to lose faster!

OP may want to consider recomp instead of deficit.

OblasMummy

I'm 5'4'' 129lbs. I use a Fitbit and I am very active (walk 5 miles a day, Pilates & yoga once a week each, personal train twice a week - hiit based and I strength train once a week) I can eat 1800-2000 calories a day for 1/2lb weight loss. So I would say 1200 is way too low. My weight loss has been too fast the past few weeks but I've had food poisoning. I'm now focussing on keeping a really good look at my deficit to trend over a few weeks and see what is right for me. Can you you pick a higher number 1700-1800 for 2 weeks and see how it works for you?