Is 1400 calories too low for fat loss?

Dollfit09
Dollfit09 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm 144 pounds and 5'7. I'm trying to lose fat and gain muscle. I workout 3-4 times week strength training, some cardio, and sometimes Kayla Itsines's circuit workouts. I've been doing the 40/30/30 (protein/fat/carbs) macro split. Do you think this is a good setup for my goals? Any suggestions/advice are welcome! Thanks :)
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Where did you get the goal of 1,400?

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You got it a bit backwards. Weight loss works by sticking to fewer calories than you burn. The fewer the calories, the faster you lose, but it's also also harder to stick to. You can do any macro split you want, but the more extreme, the harder it is to stick to. 40% protein is hard to stick to. You don't have to exercise to lose weight.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited November 2017
    Losing fat and gaining muscle (recomposition) requires a very small deficit. So I'm not sure if 1400 calories is enough. You might look up your TDEE (include exercise) and take calorie deficit of around 100 calories.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    If you want to focus on fat loss & muscle maintenance, then take no more than 250 calories (1/2 pound a week) off your TDEE as you don't have much to lose.
  • Dollfit09
    Dollfit09 Posts: 6 Member
    @janejellyroll, I got it from MFP. I plugged in how much I wanted to lose weight a week and thats the number I got. Im
    Going for 1/2 pound a week.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Dollfit09 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll, I got it from MFP. I plugged in how much I wanted to lose weight a week and thats the number I got. Im
    Going for 1/2 pound a week.

    MFP gives you a goal before exercise. So you will want to add back more calories if you are going to be active.
  • Dollfit09
    Dollfit09 Posts: 6 Member
    @YepItsKriss, fat loss first then muscle gain, not at the same time. Sorry if it was not clear.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    also remember then that the MFP guideline - DO NOT include purposeful exercise

    but at 144lbs - maintenance is likely a better option and then focus on recomp
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,319 Member
    Dollfit09 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll, I got it from MFP. I plugged in how much I wanted to lose weight a week and thats the number I got. Im
    Going for 1/2 pound a week.

    When you do those workouts, enter them into the Exercise tab. You will be given probably 300-500 more calories to eat on those exercise days. Myfitnesspal works a little differently than TDEE estimates. Here's how they figure your calories: https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

    You're at a healthy weight, mid-range in the range to be exact. I agree with recomp.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited November 2017
    Dollfit09 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll, I got it from MFP. I plugged in how much I wanted to lose weight a week and thats the number I got. Im
    Going for 1/2 pound a week.

    So that's probably a good base number to start with. MFP is counting on you logging your exercise as well and eating back the calories you burn doing that (their base recommendation assumes you are doing no exercise).

    If you aren't confident in the estimate of calories burned for your exercise, you can begin by eating back just a portion of those calories (some people like to start at 50%) and adjust from there based on your progress to goal.

    (Like others have mentioned, it might be worthwhile to consider a recomp rather than weight loss).
  • Dollfit09
    Dollfit09 Posts: 6 Member
    edited November 2017
    Thank you! I really dont have a good estimation of how much I'm burning while I'm doing my workout except for the machines I use for cardio sometimes and even then they are not accurate. So, I havent really been eating back my exercise calories....
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    You can gain strength power and flexibility through exercise while at a caloric deficit for fat loss. You will not, however, gain muscle mass. At best exercise while in deficit will lessen the amount of muscle you lose, hopefully to zero if your deficit isn't too high.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,735 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Just from my own experience I dieted to lose fat several years ago for about 9 months. I kept to a 500 calorie daily deficit and worked out 6 days a week for an hour alternating weight lifting with cardio. I gained significant strength and my ability to do bodyweight exercises went way up. I tracked my weight daily and my bodyfat from calipers weekly. After all of that I had lost 30 pounds, my muscles had hardened and become much stronger and more responsive. But from my weight to bodyfat I could tell I hadn't put on any actual muscle mass, if anything I'd lost about a pound of muscle but that was well within error of measurement. And I'm a man, and men have a much easier time building muscle mass than women.

    I am not trying to discourage weight lifting while dieting, actually I'd encourage it. But don't think you are going to be gaining any muscle doing it. If what you want is strength and flexibility and coordination then yeah you can gain that. Honestly I think that is what most people want anyways and they don't act care if their lean mass goes from 50kg to 54kg.

    Man, when you put something well, you really do it up fine. True, clearly illustrated, and succinct. There've been soooo many threads here over the last few months that would've improved if this post had been in them. :)
  • Dollfit09
    Dollfit09 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks @Aaron_K123. My first goal is to lose fat and have more definition and to do that I'll continue being in caloric deficit and exercise moderately. Once I have reached that goal, I will eat more to gain muscle. But I totally agree with you, strength and flexibility is want I want.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »

    I am not trying to discourage weight lifting while dieting, actually I'd encourage it. But don't think you are going to be gaining any muscle doing it. If what you want is strength and flexibility and coordination then yeah you can gain that. Honestly I think that is what most people want anyways and they don't act care if their lean mass goes from 50kg to 54kg.

    I would venture to guess the vast majority of people confuse *building* muscle with muscle *toning*. I know I didn't have a proper understanding of it before MFP. In fact, someone provided a very clear explanation of the difference for me on a thread once, but naturally, I didn't save it! Muscle building requires a calorie surplus.
  • Lesscookies1
    Lesscookies1 Posts: 250 Member
    No it's not I'm losing weight eating 1800 calories good luck!
  • larapringle
    larapringle Posts: 4 Member
    I would love some insight. Please.
    I would like to tone. Possibly after that muscle but one thing at a time.
    I am female, 36. I weigh about 169lbs and am 5'4"
    I am seeing a calorie I take of 1487 per day based on minimal excersise. I do plan to increase that but that is my current state.
    Any helpful info would be much appreciated.
    Thanks.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,072 Member
    larapringle wrote: »
    I would love some insight. Please.
    I would like to tone. Possibly after that muscle but one thing at a time.
    I am female, 36. I weigh about 169lbs and am 5'4"
    I am seeing a calorie I take of 1487 per day based on minimal excersise. I do plan to increase that but that is my current state.
    Any helpful info would be much appreciated.
    Thanks.

    It would be better to start your own thread than to try to piggyback (hijack) someone else's. When you do, you might want to explain what you mean by "tone." If you mean cut fat %, just say it.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,735 Member
    larapringle wrote: »
    I would love some insight. Please.
    I would like to tone. Possibly after that muscle but one thing at a time.
    I am female, 36. I weigh about 169lbs and am 5'4"
    I am seeing a calorie I take of 1487 per day based on minimal excersise. I do plan to increase that but that is my current state.
    Any helpful info would be much appreciated.
    Thanks.

    You'd probably get more and better answers if you start your own thread, rather than asking on this semi-related one.

    That said, I'm not sure I understand the question. "Toning" is a word with different definitions to different people, but most of the ones I know of involve firming up muscles. As far as I know, the same exercises that build strength/muscles also tone - the results are maybe just different points on the same progress timeline.

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