Active and fat loss on 2000 calories or more?

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BlackPantherChick123
BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Are there any active women who eat 2000 or more calories and still lose fat? I workout for about 2 hours a day doing intense cardio and I been eating around 1800 calories a day but feel like I can eat a tad more. I'm tired of feeling hungry if I eat anything less than that and was just curious is it possible to lose fat on 2000 calories or more a day.
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Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,183 Member
    That would depend entirely on whether you will be burning more calories than you take in if you eat 2000 calories or more. I would lose at 2000 calories a day, albeit slowly.
  • erienneb66
    erienneb66 Posts: 88 Member
    I eat usually about 2100 a day and I am losing fairly quickly still (I'm over 300lbs though). I also powerlift a few times a week and eat more than that on those days. Oh, and I'm 6' so 2100 calories is a big deficit for me right now.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    I'm not overweight but I would like to burn the last unnecessary fat I have put on in the last year. And I tried multiple different calculators to help me but I'm still not sure and would like to hear it from other women who lost fat by eating more.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    Are there any active women who eat 2000 or more calories and still lose fat? I workout for about 2 hours a day doing intense cardio and I been eating around 1800 calories a day but feel like I can eat a tad more. I'm tired of feeling hungry if I eat anything less than that and was just curious is it possible to lose fat on 2000 calories or more a day.

    Yup. I'm currently losing on 1850 net, usually 2100 or so gross. I admit I'm losing verrrrry slowly on that, but I'm only 5'5", around 130 pounds, and freakin' 61 years old.

    If your loss rate says you can eat more, that's a much more accurate guide than any calculator's estimate.

    Also, if hunger is the problem (not an unhealthily high loss rate, i.e. over 1% of body weight weekly), then try experimenting with timing of eating and macro composition (within a healthy range) to see if you can fund a more satiating routine.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Calculators are all educated guesses. Track for a while and use real world results. Losing too quickly? Eat a bit more. Losing too slowly? Eat a bit less.

    This process is easiest the more accurate your logging and as a female I'd give it a good 8 weeks before making any dramatic changes, particularly as it's the last few vanity pounds and losses should be small.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    I am 5'7", 48 and active. I walk at lunch during the work week, lift 3 days a week and do at least 1 yoga class. I cannot lose at 2000 calories now, but I did when I weighed 225 lbs. I can lose .5 pound/week on 1620 and half of my exercise calories. Today, I weighed 166.8 at the gym. I over ate for half of June due to an unexpected death in family and was up to 170. Stress eating is over now and I would like to get back to 160-163 and see where my body fat is at that point.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited June 2017
    2500 is maintenance for me, so yes.

    If you only have a few pounds to lose, you may want to look into a body recomposition.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    I do want to make this a life time goal. I wanna be able to burn fat on a high number and every now and then, have a cheat meal. I don't mind it being slow, but I do wanna see if it works in the next 27 days (30 day experiment I'm trying). I am 5'2 (medium body frame), 20 years old, I don't weight myself anymore bc it triggers something for me but I can see some changes in my body. I do 2 hours of intense cardio on my treadmill and thinking about using weights.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    If your goals include appearance, higher calorie goal in the long run, or improved daily functioning, do strength training, too - you could even reduce your cardio time to fit it in, if you wish. A respected progressive weight training program delivers the best results the most quickly.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    Should I try increasing my intake to 1900-2000 and see if it works? I do want to keep my metabolism high too.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    Should I try increasing my intake to 1900-2000 and see if it works? I do want to keep my metabolism high too.

    How much weight are you losing, on average (over say a 4 week period), now?
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    Have you lost any weight yet? If so, how much, and over what time period?

    If none, yet - if you just started - eat what your MFP settings recommend, plus half your exercise calories. Do that for a month to 6 weeks, then adjust based on actual results.

    If you're hungry doing that, either make your MFP target loss rate less aggressive, or experiment with timing and macro composition of your eating (within a healthy range) to find a more satiating approach.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.

    I don't want to lose 10 pounds in a month. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in at least 2 months but I'm more focused on fat loss than the number on the scale. A lot of calculators I used said my tdee was like 2300-2500 to maintain my weight. So I was assuming if I eating anything under 2300, I could lose weight even if it's slow. I'm not in a huge rush since I'm at a good healthy weight but I do want lose fat and build muscle.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,960 Member
    edited June 2017
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.

    I don't want to lose 10 pounds in a month. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in at least 2 months but I'm more focused on fat loss than the number on the scale. A lot of calculators I used said my tdee was like 2300-2500 to maintain my weight. So I was assuming if I eating anything under 2300, I could lose weight even if it's slow. I'm not in a huge rush since I'm at a good healthy weight but I do want lose fat and build muscle.

    If your TDEE is truly 2300+, then eating less than that should help you lose weight.

    If you eat only slightly less - like 250 less- you'll need to be as accurate as possible with logging, because that's getting pretty close to the unavoidable margin of logging (estimation) error. Also, it will be difficult to see the loss amongst normal daily weight fluctuations except over the long haul.

    Try it for 6 weeks (I'd say 4 weeks, but I'm assuming you're female & premenopausal), then adjust if necessary.

    Ten pounds in 2 months may be reasonable if you're around 25-50 pounds over goal weight, or more. If 10 pounds is the whole goal, I'd recommend aiming for 0.5 pounds a week, which would be 250 calories below TDEE.
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
    TDEE are just estimates. The proof is in the doing. Try it and see if you still lose?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.

    I don't want to lose 10 pounds in a month. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in at least 2 months but I'm more focused on fat loss than the number on the scale. A lot of calculators I used said my tdee was like 2300-2500 to maintain my weight. So I was assuming if I eating anything under 2300, I could lose weight even if it's slow. I'm not in a huge rush since I'm at a good healthy weight but I do want lose fat and build muscle.

    So, 10 lbs in 2 months is still pretty aggressive. It's more than 1 pound per week. I would suggest forgetting about tight time lines and focusing on a slight deficit, based on info you have provided about TDEE, about 2000 calories per day and weight training with a progressive program. If I am reading you correctly, you don't have a lot to lose. You just want to look better and like your body shape more. Slowly losing fat and slowly developing your muscle structure will have you looking great over a couple of months! Especially at your young age, you should see positive change after a month.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Yes ma'am
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.

    I don't want to lose 10 pounds in a month. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in at least 2 months but I'm more focused on fat loss than the number on the scale. A lot of calculators I used said my tdee was like 2300-2500 to maintain my weight. So I was assuming if I eating anything under 2300, I could lose weight even if it's slow. I'm not in a huge rush since I'm at a good healthy weight but I do want lose fat and build muscle.

    So, 10 lbs in 2 months is still pretty aggressive. It's more than 1 pound per week. I would suggest forgetting about tight time lines and focusing on a slight deficit, based on info you have provided about TDEE, about 2000 calories per day and weight training with a progressive program. If I am reading you correctly, you don't have a lot to lose. You just want to look better and like your body shape more. Slowly losing fat and slowly developing your muscle structure will have you looking great over a couple of months! Especially at your young age, you should see positive change after a month.

    Exactly! The question is, it is possible? I want it to help me in the long run so I can maintain a good physique and eat at a high number.
  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
    Yes its possible to lose weight eating 2000 if your TDEE is at least 2300 but your goal of 10pds in 2 months wont be achieved because you are probably going to lose about 0.5pds a week if your deficits around 300. With only a little to lose it may be hard to see the difference. Since you mention issues with weighing rather than a weight based goal why dont you focus on measurements and photos. Make sure yo are eating enough protein for the amount of activity you do as well.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    My maintenance is around 1800 NET and I'm at the high end of my healthy weight range and pretty active. I eat based on my activity level that day so sometimes it is well over 2000, other days as low as 1500.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for a specific number. Maybe a good 5-10 pounds in the next 27 days to two months. I'm more interested in losing a few inches off my thighs. I'm worried about fat loss and building muscle.

    P.S. 10 pounds in 27 days risks being unhealthily fast unless you currently weigh well over 250 pounds. Shoot for 1% of body weight weekly at the max, less if you're within 50 pounds of goal.

    I don't want to lose 10 pounds in a month. I want to lose at least 10 pounds in at least 2 months but I'm more focused on fat loss than the number on the scale. A lot of calculators I used said my tdee was like 2300-2500 to maintain my weight. So I was assuming if I eating anything under 2300, I could lose weight even if it's slow. I'm not in a huge rush since I'm at a good healthy weight but I do want lose fat and build muscle.

    So, 10 lbs in 2 months is still pretty aggressive. It's more than 1 pound per week. I would suggest forgetting about tight time lines and focusing on a slight deficit, based on info you have provided about TDEE, about 2000 calories per day and weight training with a progressive program. If I am reading you correctly, you don't have a lot to lose. You just want to look better and like your body shape more. Slowly losing fat and slowly developing your muscle structure will have you looking great over a couple of months! Especially at your young age, you should see positive change after a month.

    Exactly! The question is, it is possible? I want it to help me in the long run so I can maintain a good physique and eat at a high number.

    Yes, it's possible. The only way to see is try for a month and adjust based on results.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I do. At my current weight 2000 amounts to a little over 0.5 lb per week loss. I'm not overweight either (BMI 22), just active.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    OP, you said you're 5'2, what's your current weight?
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    OP, you said you're 5'2, what's your current weight?

    I no longer weight myself but if I'm guessing I say 120-125ish.
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
    You should weigh yourself for an accurate TDEE.

    My maintenance at 170 pounds, 5 ft 7, very active (ie 10-15k fast paced steps per day) is allegedly 2,800. I have PCOS so reduce by 500. Not saying you can't have a TDEE that high, you should try after all, but it seems a huge amount for someone as petite as you.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    I'm 5'2" weigh 161lb and lost 7lb last month (a little more than planned) on an average 2000 Calories a day, in fact altogether I've lost 128.4lb eating an average of 2000 and up to 3000 (or more) on a particularly active day. But I am very active, 20000+ steps a day, running 5-15km 3-4x a week, Up to 6 high intensity classes, heavy lifting 3x week and PT 3xweek on deload week
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,174 Member
    On my active days, I eat anywhere between 2100-2600 calories. I'm 5'8" and around 225lbs and I have been losing an average of 1lb per week for 6 months. It all depends on your stats and calorie burns really.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I'm 5'3", 148 and maintain on about 2350 a day (I carb cycle, so I have high days of 2500 and low days of 2200, but the avg is about 2350) - I'm focusing on recomp and down 3.5% BF and up 1lb of LMM in the last 4 months
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