Not enough calories- rant

KristyDonovan
KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Over the last year I have lost about 60 lbs. I'm 5'4" 140 lbs. I exercise almost every day, sometimes twice a day. My registered dietician has me eating only 1500 calories a day! We've talked about upping my calories. I was tested and have a RMR of 1350 calories.

I tried carb cycling but it doesn't seem to work when I'm always hungry. I have 27% body fat and about 100 lbs lean muscle mass. I know my dietician will up my calories but I'm so frustrated! I'm still losing weight slowly but mostly focusing on losing body fat.

I'm in this for the long haul but I'm sick of feeling like I'm on diet! I don't think my dietician understands that I don't want to lose weight this quickly!

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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Just eat more....
  • AgentFlex
    AgentFlex Posts: 211 Member
    I'll echo the "just eat more" statement. Honestly test it out, don't go adding 1,000 calories today or anything, but bump up a bit and see how your body reacts.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    As long as you are losing I think you should get to decide how fast or slow the progress will be.
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
    At 5'4", 1500 does not sound that low unless you are very active. Perhaps it is more what you are eating than your caloric intake. If your food choices aren't satisfying then you feel deprived.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Am I the only one bothered by the math?

    If you are 140 lbs with 27% BF you do not have anywhere near 100 lb of lean muscle mass.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Am I the only one bothered by the math?

    If you are 140 lbs with 27% BF you do not have anywhere near 100 lb of lean muscle mass.

    ????

    140 * 27% = 37.8.
    140 - 37.8 = 102.2

    So this person is made entirely of fat and muscle? :o
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Am I the only one bothered by the math?

    If you are 140 lbs with 27% BF you do not have anywhere near 100 lb of lean muscle mass.

    ????

    140 * 27% = 37.8.
    140 - 37.8 = 102.2

    So this person is made entirely of fat and muscle? :o

    LBM counts everything other than fat, including organs, bone, etc.
    So this calculation is correct.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited September 2017
    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Am I the only one bothered by the math?

    If you are 140 lbs with 27% BF you do not have anywhere near 100 lb of lean muscle mass.

    ????

    140 * 27% = 37.8.
    140 - 37.8 = 102.2

    So this person is made entirely of fat and muscle? :o

    LBM counts everything other than fat, including organs, bone, etc.
    So this calculation is correct.

    No, the calculation is wrong because of that.

    LBM =/= lean muscle mass

    LBM = lean body mass
  • ugofatcat
    ugofatcat Posts: 385 Member
    In the original post the OP said "100 lbs lean muscle mass". They don't understand lean body mass includes tissues, organs, blood, bones, etc. They think they are 27% body fat and everything else is muscle.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    ugofatcat wrote: »
    In the original post the OP said "100 lbs lean muscle mass". They don't understand lean body mass includes tissues, organs, blood, bones, etc. They think they are 27% body fat and everything else is muscle.

    I know. But I guess I was the only one bothered by it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    First, unless you paid for a scan, the fat % you got is probably not accurate anyway (I know that they often use scales, and those are not accurate at all).

    Second, I'm confused about how you're both losing weight slowly and too fast. You will lose muscle mass if you lose weight too fast at this point. I'd talk more to your dietitian or fire her (really, what does she offer you that you can't do with MFP?).
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Am I the only one bothered by the math?

    If you are 140 lbs with 27% BF you do not have anywhere near 100 lb of lean muscle mass.

    ????

    140 * 27% = 37.8.
    140 - 37.8 = 102.2

    So this person is made entirely of fat and muscle? :o

    LBM counts everything other than fat, including organs, bone, etc.
    So this calculation is correct.

    No, the calculation is wrong because of that.

    LBM =/= lean muscle mass

    LBM = lean body mass

    And there is no such thing as lean muscle mass. I pointed that out in posting further down.

    But that confusion always comes up with muscle mass and LBM equated.
  • tayusuki
    tayusuki Posts: 194 Member
    Also consider switching the kinds of food. People are satiated on different macros! I can eat a bunch of carbs and be hungry inside an hour. Eat less calories of protein? I'm good for hours. Everyone is different.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    if your dietician doesn't understand that stuff - then you need to find a new one...
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    Are you NETTING 1500, or are you just eating 1500 (not compensating for exercise calories burnt)?

    I've been averaging 1300 calories with a 30 minute circuit training workout 3 days a week for 6 weeks and feel fine. And I'm 5'11 and very close to my goal weight. So, if I can do 1300, 1500 would be a vacation.

    I think it might be "what" you are eating, not "how much". Fat and Protein are your friends.
  • KristyDonovan
    KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
    She didn't understand the nuances because I did not give her all the information she needed. It was my fault. I don't eat back any exercise calories. Think my dietician is bogus.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    KristyDonovan wrote: »
    She didn't understand the nuances because I did not give her all the information she needed. It was my fault. I don't eat back any exercise calories. Think my dietician is bogus.

    or like you said, you didn't give her all the information she needed...

    what have you upped your calories to OP?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    and if she is calculating your calories based on TDEE then you DON'T eat back workout calories...difference in how MFP calculates calories compared to other calculators
  • KristyDonovan
    KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
    She hasn't gotten back to me with my new intake. We've been playing phone tag. Until she does I'll probably eat 1600-1700 calories. I'm sure I'll hear from her today, though.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    using http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/ and your stats (I assuming 30 for age) and moderate activity - your TDEE is 2077 (to maintain weight) - this is using Mifflin St Jeor calculation; if you take an average of the 6 calculators then it gives you 2180 calories

    I would potentially increase up to that and doing progressive strength training - will help with recomp
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    KristyDonovan wrote: »
    Wow I had no idea the thread would go in this direction. People are extremely interesting! I appreciate everyone's feedback and I apologize that my original post was not through. It was simply a rant.

    Yes, I know I am made up of more than muscle and fat- I simply misspoke. I originally was losing 5-10lbs a month. Now I'd be happy just doing body recomp. I don't have a goal weight. I spoke with my dietician about my goals and we are going to up my calories. I have no desire to lose 1-2lbs a week. I solely want to focus on body fat percentage. I know scales are not 100% effective at measuring body fat but as long as I am consistently decreasing on the same scale I am satisfied.

    My measurements are decreasing quite a bit every month which feels great! The reason I want more calories is because I am training for an inline skating marathon. Some weeks I skate 70+ miles. I also have a neurological disorder that requires me to eat a certain amount of calories when I take my medications or I'll get wicked sick.

    My dietician simply didn't understand the nuances of my situation or the demands I've been placing on my body.

    Thanks everyone!

    Even though you don't have a particular goal in mind, unless you have a small frame, at 5'4" and 140 pounds you must be within 20 pounds of goal yes? In that case, I suggest you use MFP to obtain your calories.

    Set your weekly weight loss goal to a half pound per week and eat back some to all of your exercise calories - experiment with what works for you. Some here easily eat 100% and others recommend 50% as the MFP database entries are inflated for them.

    Or perhaps you want to maintain and just recomp. In which case you'd eat at maintenance.

    Congrats on your loss so far! At this point with your current goals, you might be better off working with a trainer than a dietitian. (Don't get nutritional advice from your trainer.)
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