Raising calories...not feeling great

draby2011

So I calculated my macros today and I am anxious about the results. I exercise a minimum of 5x a week by walking/running, exercise classes at the local gym, and will be adding strength training back to the mix in a couple of weeks after I am all healed up from my gallbladder surgery. I did have myself on a 1200 calorie diet with an emphasis on low fat (less than 20g per day per surgeon recommendation) and the scale really hasn't been my friend (which is what prompted the macro calculator). It recommended that I eat 1,648 calories a day. That seems REALLY high to me but I am wondering if my not eating is limiting my weight loss? I came home from the gym last night and I was ravenous!

Any advice? What worked for you? Would you raise it this high?

SuzySunshine99

I think you need to give us more information for anyone to give you advice.

What is your gender, age, height, current weight, and goal weight?

How are you calculating your calorie intake? Weighing your food, using measuring cups, package labels, or estimating?

Are you allowing yourself any extra calories for your exercise? If so, how are you calculating your calories burned?

How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how long has it been stalled? Have you lost ANY weight?

The problem usually is either logging errors that lead you to be eating more than you think, or unrealistic expectations about how fast your weight loss should happen.

1,200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a woman, and that's usually only necessary for short, older, sedentary women. If logging correctly, a lot of women could lose weight on the 1,648 your calculator estimated for you.

But, it's hard to say without knowing more about you.

draby2011

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I think you need to give us more information for anyone to give you advice.

What is your gender, age, height, current weight, and goal weight?

How are you calculating your calorie intake? Weighing your food, using measuring cups, package labels, or estimating?

Are you allowing yourself any extra calories for your exercise? If so, how are you calculating your calories burned?

How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how long has it been stalled? Have you lost ANY weight?

The problem usually is either logging errors that lead you to be eating more than you think, or unrealistic expectations about how fast your weight loss should happen.

1,200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a woman, and that's usually only necessary for short, older, sedentary women. If logging correctly, a lot of women could lose weight on the 1,648 your calculator estimated for you.

But, it's hard to say without knowing more about you.

I am a 30-year-old female, 5 foot 2, I'm currently 248 pounds, and goal weight is 175 pounds.
I calculate my calorie intake my using recommended serving sizes, and I measure EVERY thing whether it be with a food scale or with measuring cups.
No, I do not typically eat back the calories I burn.
I am going on a month coming up on the 7th and I haven't really lost any weight at all. Just the same 2 to 3 pounds that I keep fighting with.
I use my Fitbit and myfitnesspal to log my workouts.

Thanks!

joyneville253

Ive lost 137 lbs and I think ur calories r too low with the amount of exercise ur doing i would def up them some. U will have more energy too👍❤

SuzySunshine99

draby2011 wrote: »

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I think you need to give us more information for anyone to give you advice.

What is your gender, age, height, current weight, and goal weight?

How are you calculating your calorie intake? Weighing your food, using measuring cups, package labels, or estimating?

Are you allowing yourself any extra calories for your exercise? If so, how are you calculating your calories burned?

How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how long has it been stalled? Have you lost ANY weight?

The problem usually is either logging errors that lead you to be eating more than you think, or unrealistic expectations about how fast your weight loss should happen.

1,200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a woman, and that's usually only necessary for short, older, sedentary women. If logging correctly, a lot of women could lose weight on the 1,648 your calculator estimated for you.

But, it's hard to say without knowing more about you.

I am a 30-year-old female, 5 foot 2, I'm currently 248 pounds, and goal weight is 175 pounds.
I calculate my calorie intake my using recommended serving sizes, and I measure EVERY thing whether it be with a food scale or with measuring cups.
No, I do not typically eat back the calories I burn.
I am going on a month coming up on the 7th and I haven't really lost any weight at all. Just the same 2 to 3 pounds that I keep fighting with.
I use my Fitbit and myfitnesspal to log my workouts.

Thanks!

So, at your current weight, to lose 1 pound a week, the 1,648 would be accurate if you are sedentary outside of your exercise. You should be adding at least some of your exercise calories in, although Fitbit and MFP can exaggerate these numbers, so a lot of people only add in a portion.

The food scale is way more accurate than measuring cups, so I'd try to use that more often.

Also, to consider, how long ago was your surgery? You might still be retaining water as your body heals, and this could be masking any fat loss. New or increased exercise can do this as well.

I'd give it a little more time, and if you still don't see any progress, it might be worth asking your doctor about it. Some blood tests can rule out medical reasons, such as thyroid issues.

NovusDies

draby2011 wrote: »

So I calculated my macros today and I am anxious about the results. I exercise a minimum of 5x a week by walking/running, exercise classes at the local gym, and will be adding strength training back to the mix in a couple of weeks after I am all healed up from my gallbladder surgery. I did have myself on a 1200 calorie diet with an emphasis on low fat (less than 20g per day per surgeon recommendation) and the scale really hasn't been my friend (which is what prompted the macro calculator). It recommended that I eat 1,648 calories a day. That seems REALLY high to me but I am wondering if my not eating is limiting my weight loss? I came home from the gym last night and I was ravenous!

Any advice? What worked for you? Would you raise it this high?

Eating too little won't limit your weight loss physically. However, doing all that activity on 1200 calories will make you miserable and possibly very fatigued which will limit your ability to sustain this course mentally.

The reason your scale is likely not moving is the amount of stress you are putting on your body. Stress increases cortisol which increases water retention. So while you are certainly reducing fat you are increasing water weight at the same time and masking it.

With the way you are probably feeling I am surprised you think 1648 is "REALLY high." With the specifics of the exercise I can't say for certain but I doubt it is high enough.

draby2011

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

draby2011 wrote: »

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I think you need to give us more information for anyone to give you advice.

What is your gender, age, height, current weight, and goal weight?

How are you calculating your calorie intake? Weighing your food, using measuring cups, package labels, or estimating?

Are you allowing yourself any extra calories for your exercise? If so, how are you calculating your calories burned?

How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how long has it been stalled? Have you lost ANY weight?

The problem usually is either logging errors that lead you to be eating more than you think, or unrealistic expectations about how fast your weight loss should happen.

1,200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a woman, and that's usually only necessary for short, older, sedentary women. If logging correctly, a lot of women could lose weight on the 1,648 your calculator estimated for you.

But, it's hard to say without knowing more about you.

I am a 30-year-old female, 5 foot 2, I'm currently 248 pounds, and goal weight is 175 pounds.
I calculate my calorie intake my using recommended serving sizes, and I measure EVERY thing whether it be with a food scale or with measuring cups.
No, I do not typically eat back the calories I burn.
I am going on a month coming up on the 7th and I haven't really lost any weight at all. Just the same 2 to 3 pounds that I keep fighting with.
I use my Fitbit and myfitnesspal to log my workouts.

Thanks!

So, at your current weight, to lose 1 pound a week, the 1,648 would be accurate if you are sedentary outside of your exercise. You should be adding at least some of your exercise calories in, although Fitbit and MFP can exaggerate these numbers, so a lot of people only add in a portion.

The food scale is way more accurate than measuring cups, so I'd try to use that more often.

Also, to consider, how long ago was your surgery? You might still be retaining water as your body heals, and this could be masking any fat loss. New or increased exercise can do this as well.

I'd give it a little more time, and if you still don't see any progress, it might be worth asking your doctor about it. Some blood tests can rule out medical reasons, such as thyroid issues.

My surgery was July 7th, so coming up on a month. I did have labs afterward with primary and she ran a whole panel. The only thing abnormal was my Vitamin D which she wrote me a prescription for. I am going to try this and only add partial exercise in and see if/how that works.

AshHeartsJesus

How many carbs are you eating? If it is a higher rabge it could cause you to retain water weight. What types of food are you eating?

claireychn074

First, before you make any changes to your diet - have you got clearance from your specialist? Gall bladder surgery frequently means you need to phase foods back in slowly to prevent unpleasant side effects. You need to check what you’re allowed to eat and how much. Some people find they need to stay low fat for ever and others can up their fat intake - so speak to your doctor, make sure you’re giving your body enough calories and rest to heal and only then start playing with your macros. Take care!

heybales

NovusDies wrote: »

draby2011 wrote: »

So I calculated my macros today and I am anxious about the results. I exercise a minimum of 5x a week by walking/running, exercise classes at the local gym, and will be adding strength training back to the mix in a couple of weeks after I am all healed up from my gallbladder surgery. I did have myself on a 1200 calorie diet with an emphasis on low fat (less than 20g per day per surgeon recommendation) and the scale really hasn't been my friend (which is what prompted the macro calculator). It recommended that I eat 1,648 calories a day. That seems REALLY high to me but I am wondering if my not eating is limiting my weight loss? I came home from the gym last night and I was ravenous!

Any advice? What worked for you? Would you raise it this high?

Eating too little won't limit your weight loss physically. However, doing all that activity on 1200 calories will make you miserable and possibly very fatigued which will limit your ability to sustain this course mentally.

The reason your scale is likely not moving is the amount of stress you are putting on your body. Stress increases cortisol which increases water retention. So while you are certainly reducing fat you are increasing water weight at the same time and masking it.

With the way you are probably feeling I am surprised you think 1648 is "REALLY high." With the specifics of the exercise I can't say for certain but I doubt it is high enough.

Dittos to this OP.

Until you logged some common eating days that caused you to gain weight now being lost, and perhaps without the workouts at that time - you really have nothing to compare to except the ill-advised constant diet of 1200 thrown out there.

And your body will adapt as best it can to foolishness as well as getting stressed.
And a diet after a surgery while body is trying to heal - not the best time for additional stress on it anyway.

draby2011

claireychn074 wrote: »

First, before you make any changes to your diet - have you got clearance from your specialist? Gall bladder surgery frequently means you need to phase foods back in slowly to prevent unpleasant side effects. You need to check what you’re allowed to eat and how much. Some people find they need to stay low fat for ever and others can up their fat intake - so speak to your doctor, make sure you’re giving your body enough calories and rest to heal and only then start playing with your macros. Take care!

Yep Saw the surgeon Monday and was cleared! I learned the hard way within the first two weeks after surgery that I would need to switch from keto to a low-fat diet. I just can't tolerate high fats anymore But I am learning!