What should I eat for fat loss?

gloryd59
gloryd59 Posts: 2 Member
edited June 2022 in Getting Started
My calories intake is 1200. What’s the correct amount of proteins and carbs should I have to lose 2 lbs per week? I exercise 6 days approximately 1 hr. at beginning stage to build muscle and burn fat.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,046 Member
    Building muscle on calorie deficit isn't as probable as it sounds since it's the opposite (anabolic) to weight loss (catabolic). You can improve muscle strength and endurance and keep the muscle you already have though.
    As to losing 2lbs a week, unless you're over 200lbs, that's quite aggressive. If you're under 200lbs, 1% a week should be your target.
    What are your stats? Height, weight, age, gender.

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  • nsk1951
    nsk1951 Posts: 1,304 Member
    There really are no correct amount of carbs, protein, and fat in a person’s diet because each person’s plan needs to be individual to what feels and works best for you. The trick to weight loss is to consume less than you expend.

    If you let MFP default to its preprogrammed macronutrient breakdown it will most likely default to what is advised by the average and is something like 30% fat 20% protein and 50% carbohydrate ( anything not a fat or a protein). You can adjust up or down to what feels the best to you for keeping satisfied from meal to meal with a good rest from eating for digestion to complete itself in between.

    Good luck.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,995 Member
    I don't think you will lose 2lbs per week. 1200 calories per day is the lowest MFP will give any woman. If you've chosen a too large weightloss goal you will get 1200 calories. So if you want to find out how much you can actually safely lose then change your goal settings. Go to 1lbs per week: still 1200 calories? It's still too high. Go to 0.5lbs per week then.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    Balance is integral. Think about the journey- 1200 is fairly low esp if youre doing 1hr workouts and can lead to hormonal imbalance which opens a can of worms (figuratively speaking, apparently some people will take this literally)
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,769 Member
    I lost weight on a lot of calories, but because I was exercising so much, my deficit was too large.

    It’s a fallacy that cutting hard helps you lose weight fast. Plus, you get frustrated, more likely to binge & cut syndrome, or giving up altogether.

    I ended up scrawny and lost muscle, even on 2200 a day. I looked like Jack Skellington. I was flat out scary. I began eating more and rebuilt muscle. It took forever to do so. I stopped eating as much and now I’m thinning out again, this time with muscle, thank heavens, so am working on adding in carbs and getting those calories back up again.

    If you’re under-eating for your level of activity, you’re simply under-nourished. You need to have balance between nutrition and activity. Food is delicious fun social and lovely, but when you get right down to it, it’s fuel.

    Unless you’re like 5’ tall and sedentary, 1200 is nothing.

    When I don’t eat enough, I don’t get hungry, yet I still know it within a couple of hours. My body has a set of red flags. “Hey, dummy! Pay attention to me.” I get dog tired and have what I call “drowning naps”, I get headaches, joint pain.

    You’re punishing your body. Don’t do that! One thing I’ve learned throughout this is, treat your body well and it will reward you in spades.

    I was well into obese range I think my body was so damn happy at the changes I made, I would have lost weight even eating higher than 2200.

    There’s also this wierd mindset people get where they think “if I can just lose enough weight, I’ve got a six pack waiting to reveal itself”. Ummmm……nope. Muscles are earned, and not at 1200 calories.