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Should I lower calories?
xxzenabxx
Posts: 948 Member
I’ve got 25 lbs to goal weight. My stats are:
F 26 5’ 4” and 157lbs. Tdee is 2250 with 5 days of exercise a week. My weekly average is 1750x7= 12250. I admit I do go over my weekly calories by a few hundred. I’m just not very consistent with my 500 calorie deficit. Some times it’s a 500, 400, 300-200 calorie deficit. Sometimes even maintenance. I’ve lost 8 lbs since September. For the next few weeks I’m going to try and stick to my calories. My question is how often should I change my calories? My average rate of loss is 350 calories a day because I’m so inconsistent. But then I know it will slow down. Should I focus on sticking to 1750 calories or should I lower them? Ugh, I’m so confused. Goal weight is 132lbs because I have quite abit of muscle.
F 26 5’ 4” and 157lbs. Tdee is 2250 with 5 days of exercise a week. My weekly average is 1750x7= 12250. I admit I do go over my weekly calories by a few hundred. I’m just not very consistent with my 500 calorie deficit. Some times it’s a 500, 400, 300-200 calorie deficit. Sometimes even maintenance. I’ve lost 8 lbs since September. For the next few weeks I’m going to try and stick to my calories. My question is how often should I change my calories? My average rate of loss is 350 calories a day because I’m so inconsistent. But then I know it will slow down. Should I focus on sticking to 1750 calories or should I lower them? Ugh, I’m so confused. Goal weight is 132lbs because I have quite abit of muscle.
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Replies
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Why does it matter if your deficit and your resulting weight loss is inconsistent?
IMHO it's the direction that is the main battle not the speed or consistency - time passes anyway.
Is that additional restriction of consistency actually a benefit to you or would it make adherence more difficult and dieting more unpleasant? That's a very personal choice and not one to which there is a universal answer.
Change your calorie goal when it no longer works for you in terms of adherence, enjoyment of food, hunger signals and weight loss results.
Personally losing weight didn't mean I had to eat less, as I exercised more and became more active my calorie allowance went up not down. Although my BMR would have decreased a bit as I got smaller my exercise and activity multiplier went up to more than compensate.8 -
Generally you're meant to increase calories as you get closer to goal, not lower them, to gradually bed into Maintenance.
IMO though, if you're fairly inconsistent and only in 350 deficit average though, I'd just stick as you are.3 -
I’ve got 25 lbs to goal weight. My stats are:
F 26 5’ 4” and 157lbs. Tdee is 2250 with 5 days of exercise a week. My weekly average is 1750x7= 12250. I admit I do go over my weekly calories by a few hundred. I’m just not very consistent with my 500 calorie deficit. Some times it’s a 500, 400, 300-200 calorie deficit. Sometimes even maintenance. I’ve lost 8 lbs since September. For the next few weeks I’m going to try and stick to my calories. My question is how often should I change my calories? My average rate of loss is 350 calories a day because I’m so inconsistent. But then I know it will slow down. Should I focus on sticking to 1750 calories or should I lower them? Ugh, I’m so confused. Goal weight is 132lbs because I have quite abit of muscle.
You should not go lower than 1750 at all. You are approaching the last stretch when going slower is better to help retain muscle. I think you are doing great and you should just stick with your current average of 350 and adjust your calories down as you lose weight and your TDEE dops.
If you are worried about Holiday eating then I would try to be more consistent with the 500 for a short time so you don't worry about indulging a little.
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A 350 average deficit is excellent. Once within normal BMI, a 250 or even less deficit is common. Loss is glacially slow usually for the final 10-20 pounds.
It sounds like you are doing a great job balancing a deficit with fueling your active lifestyle. Keep on doing that.
With a lot of muscle, you may find that you want even a higher final weight. Don't be afraid to change your goal.
Do you use a weight trend app (Libra/ Happy Scale)? It is especially helpful when loss is slower.
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Loss is glacially slow usually for the final 10-20 pounds.
Do I ever say, "hear, hear!" to this! I've been "losing" the Final Fifteen for over a year now lol
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include me in the trying to lose the final 10 pounds for the longest time- but slow and steady wins the race!- BTW- who's racing- not me!2
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Go_Deskercise wrote: »
Yep.
It took me nine months to lose the last 15, and that merely got me to 21-22 BMI.
I was hungry. It was hard. It hasn't been nearly as difficult to stay at this weight, though. Surprisingly.7 -
cmriverside wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »
Yep.
It took me nine months to lose the last 15, and that merely got me to 21-22 BMI.
I was hungry. It was hard. It hasn't been nearly as difficult to stay at this weight, though. Surprisingly.
**raises hand**
Same. Sometimes I look at that target weight and think 'really?'4 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Generally you're meant to increase calories as you get closer to goal, not lower them, to gradually bed into Maintenance.
IMO though, if you're fairly inconsistent and only in 350 deficit average though, I'd just stick as you are.
Oh I’ve never heard of increasing calories as you get closer to maintenance. Sometimes I do feel as though I’m undereating due to my iron deficiency.2 -
I’ve got 25 lbs to goal weight. My stats are:
F 26 5’ 4” and 157lbs. Tdee is 2250 with 5 days of exercise a week. My weekly average is 1750x7= 12250. I admit I do go over my weekly calories by a few hundred. I’m just not very consistent with my 500 calorie deficit. Some times it’s a 500, 400, 300-200 calorie deficit. Sometimes even maintenance. I’ve lost 8 lbs since September. For the next few weeks I’m going to try and stick to my calories. My question is how often should I change my calories? My average rate of loss is 350 calories a day because I’m so inconsistent. But then I know it will slow down. Should I focus on sticking to 1750 calories or should I lower them? Ugh, I’m so confused. Goal weight is 132lbs because I have quite abit of muscle.
You should not go lower than 1750 at all. You are approaching the last stretch when going slower is better to help retain muscle. I think you are doing great and you should just stick with your current average of 350 and adjust your calories down as you lose weight and your TDEE dops.
If you are worried about Holiday eating then I would try to be more consistent with the 500 for a short time so you don't worry about indulging a little.
Thanks I’ll stick to 1750 as my baseline! Especially during the next few weeks.0 -
bold_rabbit wrote: »A 350 average deficit is excellent. Once within normal BMI, a 250 or even less deficit is common. Loss is glacially slow usually for the final 10-20 pounds.
It sounds like you are doing a great job balancing a deficit with fueling your active lifestyle. Keep on doing that.
With a lot of muscle, you may find that you want even a higher final weight. Don't be afraid to change your goal.
Do you use a weight trend app (Libra/ Happy Scale)? It is especially helpful when loss is slower.
Yeah I use weight diary which helps me0 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Generally you're meant to increase calories as you get closer to goal, not lower them, to gradually bed into Maintenance.
IMO though, if you're fairly inconsistent and only in 350 deficit average though, I'd just stick as you are.
Oh I’ve never heard of increasing calories as you get closer to maintenance. Sometimes I do feel as though I’m undereating due to my iron deficiency.
I'm anemic if I'm not careful but don't understand what you mean by "Sometimes I do feel as though I’m undereating due to my iron deficiency."
When I lived in vegetarian yoga retreat centers, I became anemic despite eating plenty of calories because I was neither focusing on iron-rich foods nor supplementing with iron.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Generally you're meant to increase calories as you get closer to goal, not lower them, to gradually bed into Maintenance.
IMO though, if you're fairly inconsistent and only in 350 deficit average though, I'd just stick as you are.
Oh I’ve never heard of increasing calories as you get closer to maintenance. Sometimes I do feel as though I’m undereating due to my iron deficiency.
I'm anemic if I'm not careful but don't understand what you mean by "Sometimes I do feel as though I’m undereating due to my iron deficiency."
When I lived in vegetarian yoga retreat centers, I became anemic despite eating plenty of calories because I was neither focusing on iron-rich foods nor supplementing with iron.
I suppose what I meant was last year I was undereating and redeveloped my anemia because of that. I underestimated my calories and ate 1200-1500 calories a day whilst being very active. That caused a lot of deficiencies in me. I’m scared of undereating again like last year.1 -
I suppose what I meant was last year I was undereating and redeveloped my anemia because of that. I underestimated my calories and ate 1200-1500 calories a day whilst being very active. That caused a lot of deficiencies in me. I’m scared of undereating again like last year.
Now I am confused as to why there is confusion in the first place!
So last year you went below 1750 and it was bad. and you don't want to repeat bad. Cause who the heck would.
So why are you wondering if you should go below 1750?!?!?!?!
Sounds like a smaller deficit, while possibly even eating MORE than 1750--or rather by concentrating on losing 150-300 a day on average--and a gradual loss to goal would probably make more sense while you concentrate on the benefits that come from increased activity and the pursuit of non weight related goals such as you might also pursue while maintaining!
6 -
I suppose what I meant was last year I was undereating and redeveloped my anemia because of that. I underestimated my calories and ate 1200-1500 calories a day whilst being very active. That caused a lot of deficiencies in me. I’m scared of undereating again like last year.
Now I am confused as to why there is confusion in the first place!
So last year you went below 1750 and it was bad. and you don't want to repeat bad. Cause who the heck would.
So why are you wondering if you should go below 1750?!?!?!?!
Sounds like a smaller deficit, while possibly even eating MORE than 1750--or rather by concentrating on losing 150-300 a day on average--and a gradual loss to goal would probably make more sense while you concentrate on the benefits that come from increased activity and the pursuit of non weight related goals such as you might also pursue while maintaining!
Yeah I was abit confused myself but now It makes sense NOT to eat below 1750. I do feel that I could eat abit more so I may add an extra 100 calories a day to make my deficit 1850. Maybe that’s why I’m eating more than 1750 some weeks because my body needs more calories (and nutrients)?2
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