Is this enough?

blakebraden21

I am trying to eat around 1200-1300 calories a day. My friends are telling me that is not enough, but i am losing weight for now i started at 260 and i am down right now to 242. I am worried that this will slow down my metabolism. My meals start off small but i get bigger during the day, i am having issues trying to reverse that since i am the hungrier at night after i work out. Is this okay to do this? I can bump the calories up but i worry if i go to 1500 or more then my body will just hold the weight on. AHHHHH!!!! I dont know what to do!!!!

blakebraden21

sorry i am 6'4" also if that can help any.

Panda86

I would go with what MFP gives you, because it takes into account your weight, height, age and activity level.

ladytap

I would stick with where you're at for now since it's working. If you hit a plateau later, then maybe think about changing it up for a while, but right now keep going with what's working Congrats on the weight-loss!

kaittx13

Well here is some info.

To lose a pound of fat you must burn or cut out 3500 calories a week. so that is about 500 cal a day.
It is easier to do so by eating better and lowering your calories.
I dont think some people understand what it take to lose the weight.
I dont think 1200 is too little especially if you arent very active. You just have to listen to your body. portion control and make sure your eating right.

My dad is that tall and im sure he would be fine it he ate around 1200-1300 a day.

If you eat a bigger breakfast then it casues you not to be as hungry later in the day.
Maybe instead of a big dinner have an afternoon snack
and make sure your drinking waterrrr

hope this helps a lil

blh_1010

just follow what myfitnesspal.com says to do. If it says eat 1200 cals a day then do so. But when you work out you should be logging in those exercises as well. Then more cals will be added for you to eat that day, since you exercised. For example: I did light housework for 30 minutes and I gained 99 cals (or something like this, just an example) to eat that day. I also walked 30 mins at a brisk pace (4.0 mph) so I gain 220 cals (again just another example: dont kow if this is right on or not). So instead o eating my 1500 cals I now can eat 1819 cals. The reason for this is it will help keep your metabloism up plus not put you in starvation mode. Good luck and great job with everything you have done. Just follow myfitnesspal.com and do what it tells you to. Honestly I thought I was stuck with the evil Master's twenty for life, but it is coming right off. Just bought my very first scale last night, and I am not scared to look at it now I know I am doing what I am suppose to and I am eating healither so good things are happening

ladybug1620

Looks like MFP gave you a goal of over 1700. I would try to stick with that. If you go too low (which I think 1200 is too low for a male and someone of your size) you may go into starvation mode and stop losing. Either that, or when you DO start to eat normal again the weight is going to pile on much quicker than it came off.

KristoferJames

I believe that, of course, if you cut your calories considerably, then you will start losing weight quickly, but it may slow down your metabolism, and you may hit a plateau. If you increase your calorie count, your weight loss my not happen as quickly, but it should be more steady, and therefore have a better chance of staying off. You do not want to put your body in a position that it starts utilizing both your fat and your muscle for energy. This may happen if you do not eat enough calories. Also, have you considered eating smaller meals, more times a day?

Another thing that has helped me is that I have read that a lot of times we often feel hungry, but we are mistaking that for being thirsty. Americans, apparently, are one of the most dehydrated peoples in the world. So if you keep increase your liquid intake, this may help with the late night hunger pangs.

I don't know the real data behind this, but I have heard that it may be a myth that eating later in the day helps add the pounds. You should still be able to have a snack after you work out. Apparently, our bodies are constantly breaking down the foods we eat, including while we sleep, so our bodies are working this process throughout the night with everything we have consumed the day before. So the times that we eat during the day may not have effects once thought (although you still want to start early in the morning with breakfast).

I hope that helped some!

Life_is_Good

6'4" - 23 year old Male - you're too low - 1200 calories is the lowest maintenance calorie amount for a female.

Alot of info here, but take a look at the website.

This information from www.bmi-calculator.net

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:


If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9


Calorie Needs to lose weight
There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue) If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie-restriction alone, or by a combination of fewer calories in (diet) and more calories out (exercise). This combination of diet and exercise is best for lasting weight loss. Indeed, sustained weight loss is difficult or impossible without increased regular exercise.

If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 calories will be too much of a deficit. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low.

An alternative way of calculating a safe minimum calorie-intake level is by reference to your body weight or current body weight. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily calorie maintenance needs is a useful start. You may increase this depending on your weight loss goals.

aippolito1

Yeah somehow being a 6'4" male versus a 5'4" female doesn't translate to the same calorie goal. The latter is me, and that's what I started with. I burn about 2,000 calories per week and am on a base of 1400 per day and I also eat my exercise calories. If MFP recommends 1700, eat 1700. Your weight loss will stall quickly if you undereat. Fast isn't always the way to go.

chilli

I totally agree with Ladybug, you are not consuming enough ..1200 is the minimum amount to survive on MFP says but given your sex and size I would say your body needs more which should have been worked out for you? You mentioned 1500 a day, thats not a lot more in reality. Remember your body is an engine that you have to feed to work properly so feed it to burn the fat off. :bigsmile:
I am sure that given time your metabolism will work properly but you have to experiment to find out whats right for you. We are all different!!!

blakebraden21

thanks for all the insight!! I will take all the information i can!!! Once summer is over i can get back to teaching so that will help me and i can go back to getting onto a better workout schedule!! Then I can start swimming again haha

LotusF1ower

I am trying to eat around 1200-1300 calories a day. My friends are telling me that is not enough, but i am losing weight for now i started at 260 and i am down right now to 242. I am worried that this will slow down my metabolism. My meals start off small but i get bigger during the day, i am having issues trying to reverse that since i am the hungrier at night after i work out. Is this okay to do this? I can bump the calories up but i worry if i go to 1500 or more then my body will just hold the weight on. AHHHHH!!!! I dont know what to do!!!!

You are keeping track of your food and drink and you are sticking to your calories - couple this with losing the pounds - what is the problem here? Nothing as far as I can see, except perhaps for your friends sticking their noses in, when it is not needed.

Take no notice of anybody else, your methods are working just fine, have a bit of faith in yourself and less awe for everybody else.

Regarding your metabolism, just make sure you continue to exercise, walking is good, nothing wrong with walking whatsoever if that is all you want to do and it does burn the calories.

Don't wonder what to do when you are already doing it, you are doing fine x :flowerforyou:

akaDumbo

I read the other day Jillian Michaels answer to a similar question, I can't remember her answer word for word or the full calculations (which I see someone else has posted) but she advices women never go below 1200, men never go below 1400, and at least 1 day a week you eat more (usually the day after a weigh in so you have the rest of the week to burn it off).