Calories help from an expert...please

melimomTARDIS

Im new on MFP, so please excuse me if this question is asked often here.

I have lost quite a bit of weight, and a few clothes sizes since september of this year. As I have gotten smaller, I notice I dont need to eat as much. I used to eat 2000+ cals a day when I was 183 lbs.

Now I am 160 lbs, and I feel full and satisfied at about 1800 cals a day. Should I be cutting this further? I have tried going to 1600 a day, and feel tired and cold, and sort of hungry.

At 1800, I feel full and happy, so can I stay here and still lose lbs? I actually saw the scale go up a few pounds, (at a friends house, I dont own a scale yet) but my clothes feel looser then they did 2 weeks ago. (?)

For reference I am 26, 160 lbs, stay at home mom, and I excersize 5 days a week. I only do aerobics (on DVD),yoga(on DVD),walking my dog, and some light weights. I am unsure if I am "active" or "lightly active". My kids are young, so I feel like I am on my feet quite a bit, cleaning and cooking and chasing.

My diary is only a week old, but its open.

melimomTARDIS

added, I always log everything in here, so there arent any secret cookies or whatever.

MinnieInMaine

How tall are you?

How long do you workout every day (actual exercise)?

I wouldn't necessarily count cooking or cleaning as some of that would be included even at a sedentary level as it's assumed everyone does things like self grooming, cooking a meal or two, light housework, dishes, etc on a daily basis.

Have you been losing weight and if so, at what rate?

What is your goal weight?

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

TeaBea

added, I always log everything in here, so there arent any secret cookies or whatever.

I'm not any kind of expert......but plug your data into here & see what you get

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

BMR would be the calories you use doing nothing (if you stayed in bed all day). Not a good idea to eat below this.

TDEE would be maintenance caloires....this includes activity level AND exercise too. So you start at this highest value & subtract from there.

500 calories less than TDEE would be 1 pound a week. This may help you with the 1800 - 1600 question.

As far as being hungry....I did look at your diary. MFP allows you to change your settings. One thing I changed....I track fiber instead of sugar. If you have medical issues re: sugar continue to track it. But I find that fiber is very filling. I try to eat more veggies....generally lower calorie & high fiber. I swap out whole grain bread for white ....more fiber & more protien.

Also, treat your protein goal as a minimum.....going over on protein is not a problem.

WBB55

If you can handle some of the techy/java stuff, I LOVE this calculator for estimating how much I'll weigh a year from now, if I eat x number of calories. It makes a graph of the effects of mid-diet calorie changes and how they'll speed up or slow things down. (But it is kinda tech-y to use.)

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/LBM/integrative-physiology-section/body-weight-simulator/Pages/body-weight-simulator.aspx

EDIT TO ADD: see, I just ran it again a few times for myself. It's SO COOL. I told it I'd eat 1700 every day. It showed the graph and said I'd weigh 5 lbs less in 45 days. And it even shows the first 4 days on the chart as a sudden dip before leveling off... It's so cool

EDIT TO ADD #2: and then I did a simulation of if I started at 1200 calories for 2 months, then shifted to 1800 calories, and how there'd be this spike and leveling off of the weight loss... it's sooo cool.

melimomTARDIS

I am 5'5 and as of my last weighing 160lbs.

I work out by either doing a brisk paced walk with my great dane, a 30 minute excersize cardio DVD that incorporates weights, or a light intensity yoga DVD for the lazy days.

I think I have lost 20ish pounds since September. This didnt start out as a weight loss thing though, instead as a medically prescribed diet/excersize change to help with my GERD. Which is under control without zantac now! Yay!

But I like feeling lighter on my feet, and I'd like to get into a healthy BMI range.

melimomTARDIS

Ok I did the scoby website at it says my TDEE is 1723 and my BMR is 1253

Whoops I messed that up. I put that I was 5 inches tall the first time, instead of 65 inches.

My BMR is 1650, My TDEE is 2035. And the last number (step six?) is 1753

bachampion04

Im new on MFP, so please excuse me if this question is asked often here.

I have lost quite a bit of weight, and a few clothes sizes since september of this year. As I have gotten smaller, I notice I dont need to eat as much. I used to eat 2000+ cals a day when I was 183 lbs.

Now I am 160 lbs, and I feel full and satisfied at about 1800 cals a day. Should I be cutting this further? I have tried going to 1600 a day, and feel tired and cold, and sort of hungry.

At 1800, I feel full and happy, so can I stay here and still lose lbs? I actually saw the scale go up a few pounds, (at a friends house, I dont own a scale yet) but my clothes feel looser then they did 2 weeks ago. (?)

For reference I am 26, 160 lbs, stay at home mom, and I excersize 5 days a week. I only do aerobics (on DVD),yoga(on DVD),walking my dog, and some light weights. I am unsure if I am "active" or "lightly active". My kids are young, so I feel like I am on my feet quite a bit, cleaning and cooking and chasing.

My diary is only a week old, but its open.

Hello!

All depending on what your goal is. I would say plug in your actuals into MFP and follow the caloric intake they provide. They will decrease the intake when they feel it is safe as you drop pounds. Congratulations on the weight you have already lost that is a huge decrease!

Dont ever starve yourself, make sure you stay filled so that you have energy for the day. if necessary find foods that make you feel full or you can snack with all day.

Since i lost weight i have the same feeling that i dont need to eat NEARLY as much as i use to. Sometimes i skip meals when im not hungry or feel like eating like today for lunch after my workout. Listen toyour body trust me when i say it knows what it wants and needs and it will let you know :-)

WBB55

My BMR is 1650, My TDEE is 2035. And the last number (step six?) is 1753

So what this means is, if all the numbers you entered were correct, you can eat anywhere between 1650 and 2035 every day and still lose weight at a predictable, reliable rate. If you stay at your 1800 calories per day, every day, you'll lose about 0.5 lbs per week on average over the long term.

melimomTARDIS

omigod I can lose weight and still be full?! This is great news to me

WBB55

omigod I can lose weight and still be full?! This is great news to me

Of course. But if you're off on your calculations, or don't measure accurately, or eat close to the 2035, then you won't lose weight. Ok?

eatspopcorn

If you can handle some of the techy/java stuff, I LOVE this calculator for estimating how much I'll weigh a year from now, if I eat x number of calories. It makes a graph of the effects of mid-diet calorie changes and how they'll speed up or slow things down. (But it is kinda tech-y to use.)

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/LBM/integrative-physiology-section/body-weight-simulator/Pages/body-weight-simulator.aspx

EDIT TO ADD: see, I just ran it again a few times for myself. It's SO COOL. I told it I'd eat 1700 every day. It showed the graph and said I'd weigh 5 lbs less in 45 days. And it even shows the first 4 days on the chart as a sudden dip before leveling off... It's so cool

EDIT TO ADD #2: and then I did a simulation of if I started at 1200 calories for 2 months, then shifted to 1800 calories, and how there'd be this spike and leveling off of the weight loss... it's sooo cool.

Holy cr@p that's amazing!!! Thank you so much for that link! I'm totally going to save the Tabulated Data and see how close it is to daily/weekly weigh-ins!

Yippeeeeeeee!!!

melimomTARDIS

thanks for your help! I wish i could get that weight loss chart tool you showed me to work, but i am so NOT a techie.

ell_v131

If you are happy on your current intake and still see progress (doesn't always have to be scale, can be measurements or how your clothes fit), then I'd say just continue doing what you do.

As for feeling full on less calories, make sure you include plenty of protein and fat into your diet, these things will keep you satiated for longer.

melimomTARDIS

Thanks ell_v, I am just trying to incorporate more protein into my life, as before now I didnt eat much of it.

ell_v131

Thanks ell_v, I am just trying to incorporate more protein into my life, as before now I didnt eat much of it.

I think that can only add to the success you're already having

evileen99

omigod I can lose weight and still be full?! This is great news to me

Yes, you don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.