Am I not eating enough calories?

rachael1805

short answer? yes.
you're not eating enough.

long answer + tips:
So here. I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.

You are an absolute treasure :flowerforyou:

judyde

I forgot to add..... if you use MFP method, choose the appropriate number of pounds per week to lose. This is important:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

These are great guidelines, but even though I have 50+ pounds to lose, I set mine at 1 pound per week. Remember, the more slowly you lose it, the longer you will keep it off. Don't burn out, choose a reasonable calorie deficit that is sustainable and just keep at it.

judyde

Also, I can't verify that MFP's calorie burns are high, since I don't use a heart rate monitor. BUT, remember that it takes into account your weight, so you'll burn more calories jogging 1 mile if you weigh 200 pounds vs 120 pounds. So you may burn a lot when you're just starting out, and less once you lose a lot of weight.

Good luck!

crystalpool2013

Also, I can't verify that MFP's calorie burns are high, since I don't use a heart rate monitor. BUT, remember that it takes into account your weight, so you'll burn more calories jogging 1 mile if you weigh 200 pounds vs 120 pounds. So you may burn a lot when you're just starting out, and less once you lose a lot of weight.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep this in mind! I'm just going by the calories that the elliptical says, since you input your weight

RainxPain

Try eating about 1800 for a week, you will more than likely see the scale drop. I know it may sound crazy to you, but after eating 1200 calories for so long your body is like "Ok, well whatever i dont wanna lose weight lol" so it's good to adjust your calories when you hit a plateau.

crystalpool2013

Try eating about 1800 for a week, you will more than likely see the scale drop. I know it may sound crazy to you, but after eating 1200 calories for so long your body is like "Ok, well whatever i dont wanna lose weight lol" so it's good to adjust your calories when you hit a plateau.

Thank you! I'll try to eat around this. I think it'll maybe give me more energy too!