Decrease calories?

blackcars7411

My weight loss has slowed down. I am losing about 5lbs every 2 months. My starting weight was 215 & I am now 173. My weight loss is set up to loose 1.5lbs a week. As my weight dropped, I adjusted my calories per mfp recommendations. However, the last recommendation want calories cut to 1230. I was eating at 1300 & felt that was low enough for me & couldn't see myself eating anything less than that. 1300 works for me, and although I am still loosing, it has slowed down considerably. I workout 3-5 days a week with 2 of those days strength training & I do eat over every Saturday as I do allow myself cheat meals on that day, but I do stay within calories limit the other days. Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can speed up the weight loss without having to cut more calories? I'm 4'11 and currently 173lbs. Goal weight 115-125 lbs. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

StaciMarie1974

If you don't want to eat less, then you may need to accept a slow process.

It would not hurt though to improve accuracy in your logging. Do you approximate at all? If so use a food scale for all solid food. Even single serve items like bread slices. They typically weigh more than they are supposed to. You may already be great at getting lots of bulk for low calories. But in general the way to eat more on a low calorie # is to increase portions of veggies, lean meats while cutting back on calorie dense foods.

Do you log your Saturday/cheat days? IF not you may want to track it. That will be a factor. If you eat an extra 2500 calories over maintenance for example on Saturday while aiming for a 750 deficit Sun-Fri, your weekly total deficit would only be 2000 for about .5 pounds a week loss rate.

blackcars7411

Thank you for you suggestions. I have not been weighing my foods. And I may just go ahead a lower my calories & eat more veggies to keep my full on the lower calories. Thank you for responding.

PrincessMel72

Most definitely agree with @StaciMarie1974 - get a food scale. And double check your cheat meals as they may be high enough to completely kill your weekly deficit

blackcars7411

Thank you for your suggestions. I think I will just cut out the cheat meals completely, or make healthier versions of them at least.

blackcars7411

And no I wasn't logging my cheat meals cuz I really didn't wanna see that number. These all all awesome suggestions. Thanks ladies. I will definitely start doing what y'all suggested & see what happens. Thank you!

JaydedMiss

youd be beter off upping your calories and cutting out your cheat day most likely, Fit a little of what you crave in daily. Track 1 cheat day accurately as youd of had it, Not eating less because you know your tracking, And see. Chances are the calories are big and you could add 100-200 calories a day in for snacks and still be under your calories now

blackcars7411

That sounds good too. I may try it. Thank you for your suggestion.

youdoyou2016

My one meal in a diner on Saturday can mess up and erase everything I did the previous seven days. Grrr. That sort of thing may be happening to some extent with you, too.

anybeary

Cheat meals are no bueno. Stick with the program all week long, or you're erasing your results on the weekends. at your height, 1300 calories is a good amount of calories. I'm 5'6" and get daily exercise and eat 1200 and weigh everything and still only lose about a pound a week at this point. You're lucky to be losing what you are losing.