Should I Up Calories?

dpr73

I have been trying to come off of maintenance for about two months but still don't feel comfortable with my diet being stable. I have been working in about 100 calories per week since January but still seem to be dropping. The issue is, I don't know if I am actually dropping weight from one week to another or if it is fluctuations. Obviously I've been dropping weight but I can't tell whether this latest weigh in is more fluctuation. I really REALLY don't want to drop more weight, but I just don't know how much I should be eating.
I am estimating about 1900 calories but I honestly don't know whether I am eating this amount or not (I can get my calories throughout the day perfectly but I have no clue what calories I eat at dinner as my parents cook). I usually eat less than my whole family at dinner by quite a bit. For example, I had one plate of quinoa, asparagus, and half a filet of fish yesterday. The filet was pretty big that's why I cut it in half, but my family had much more than me during dinner. So should I up my calories more or not? I feel like I should just take the leap and do it. Just need a little guidance on what to do next to maintain. My weigh ins are below...
Weigh-Ins:

1/15/14- 147.7
1/22/14- 146.0
1/28/14-145.0
2/05/14-145.0
2/17/14- 142.5
2/24/14- 141.1
3/02/14- 140.1
3/12/14- 138

Sharonmdenham

If your parents are cooking can you at least measure your food before putting on your plate and choose from the MFP database for generic?

dpr73

My family often serves but I try to eyeball and tell them how much I want. For example, I would say I had a cup and a half of pasta and 12oz of minestrone soup today for dinner. I really don't know how many calories this should be.

I'll tell you that from day to day I am sure I consume approximately 850 calories through to dinner time.

scubasuenc

If you are trying to stay the same weight, and are concerned about the fluctuations for your weigh ins, you could try weighing daily and then averaging the daily numbers for the week. That would give you that week's weight. Do the same the next week. If the second week's number is lower then you are still losing. If you are still losing then you are still in a deficit and need to eat more or exercise less.

dpr73

I do weigh every day, but I take only one day's weigh in (every Monday morning usually unless I can't get to the scale that Monday)
To be honest, I almost never see my weight fluctuate up when I weigh in.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Overall trend is down. Eat more food.


(and do realize that maintenance is just about maintaining a range. Your TDEE isn't static, so you may still need to adjust it over time. Just set yourself a range at which you're comfortable. Also you might consider averaging your weigh-ins on a weekly basis since that can take some of the uncertainty out of it.)

mmcdonald700

If you are only consuming 850 during the day... You probably aren't hitting 1900 calories. I doubt your suppers are 1100 calories - I mean based on the example you gave sounds like you're eating an appropriate serving size. If it's homemade, like from scratch... probably not 1100 calories, especially not a meal like the example you gave. What I would suggest is upping the calories you eat during the day, and keep doing what you're doing with the suppers because you can't control those. Maybe try to get more involved with the cooking of family meals so you have a better idea of what goes into them? Even if you have to estimate the recipes that's better than picking generic things on MFP to represent what you ate. I'm sure your parents would appreciate your help!

heybales

If you are going to have so few weigh-ins to make a decision or to worry about, then you must make them valid.
You can do daily, and over a month the fluctuations will be lost in the noise.

Valid weigh-in day to minimize fluctuations.

Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels (not high or low), and not sore from last workout.

And as a woman, you'll have to wait 30 days to tell, as your BMR, base metabolism, literally does change through the month.

Also, even with valid weigh-in days, you'll need to think in terms of goal weight range, not a single number - or you are going to make your life miserable.

Eating at maintenance allows exercise to have more positive effect on body improvements. Those rarely have weight loss as side effect, but more stored water, so calorie free weight gain. Good weight gain though.

Also, with valid weigh-in days, always do the math for gains or losses.

For example, if you really did eat 250 calories DAILY over your true maintenance - it would take TWO, yes 2, weeks to slowly gain 1 lb. And if good workouts, not even 1 lb of fat.

Read that again. So any fast gain of 1 lb is water weight. Must be. Fast loss, water weight.

And with full burning metabolism (don't know if there yet) - your body can adjust to eating in surplus better and actually raise metabolism, so 100 more for a day may end up being nothing really.

mmcdonald700

Also... I thought at 1900 calories you were female, but I just saw your profile said male... How tall are you? How active are you? 1900 seems like really low maintenance for a guy. I'm a 5'10" female and if I'm sedentary my TDEE is 1900 - but I'm a student so I walk around a lot during the day so my TDEE is probably a few hundred calories higher than that in actuality. Also, if I'm working out then I need to eat more.

dpr73

I am male, 5'7ish, 140, 19, and a college student. I'm home on break. I workout 5x a week: 4 weightlifting and 1 cardio approximately 45minutes total for all of them.

heybales

I am male, 5'7ish, 140, 19, and a college student. I'm home on break. I workout 5x a week: 4 weightlifting and 1 cardio approximately 45minutes total for all of them.

LOL - sorry. In which case any valid weigh-in day counts for you. But hard to find perhaps with that workout schedule. I'm betting you have 1 good day only to weigh-in.

Unless you have a girl-friend, and her special times of the month cause you to eat more salty chips!

dpr73

If you are only consuming 850 during the day... You probably aren't hitting 1900 calories. I doubt your suppers are 1100 calories - I mean based on the example you gave sounds like you're eating an appropriate serving size. If it's homemade, like from scratch... probably not 1100 calories, especially not a meal like the example you gave. What I would suggest is upping the calories you eat during the day, and keep doing what you're doing with the suppers because you can't control those. Maybe try to get more involved with the cooking of family meals so you have a better idea of what goes into them? Even if you have to estimate the recipes that's better than picking generic things on MFP to represent what you ate. I'm sure your parents would appreciate your help!

Could you tell me where homemade meals will probably net themselves at if I keep them to one plate full of food (and eyeballing portions)?

mmcdonald700

Okay I put your stats into this calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and it says your TDEE is about 2500 calories. That's what I figured, and sounds about right. If you really don't wanna lose anymore, I would add about 500 calories to the ones you're able to accurately count. If you're still losing after that, eat more. If you want to gain back you'll have to eat even more like 3000-3500. Cardio 5x weekly for 45 mins per session seems a little bit excessive to me, but I mean if you really love cardio all the power to you - it's just that a cardio session for that long 5x a week is going to hugely increase the amount of calories you need to maintain so if you don't mind eating more then continue. It's just some people struggle to hit 2500-3000 calories a day.

dpr73

I work out 4x a week and cardio only once a week. Not 5 days of cardio.

mmcdonald700

I have no idea it completely depends on what you're eating, how big your plates are, etc. If you really want to know the easiest answer is get involved in cooking. My homemade meals that are like 200 gm veggies/lean protein (6 to 8 oz of chicken/fish) and like 100 gm or potatoes or quarter cup of rice or something are usually about 500-600. Salad with protein can be as low as 300-400. But if you're eating a plate of fettucini alfredo that could be like 1200 calories or more. I guess try to log what you can but I don't think it would kill you to eat more and experiment - if you put on 5 lbs and you're doing strength training it wouldn't be the end of the world some of it will be muscle.

mmcdonald700

I work out 4x a week and cardio only once a week. Not 5 days of cardio.

oops misread sorry. Okay that sounds alright then

Dewymorning

I am male, 5'7ish, 140, 19, and a college student. I'm home on break. I workout 5x a week: 4 weightlifting and 1 cardio approximately 45minutes total for all of them.

Up your calories, dude.

dpr73

Okay. I guess I should just take the dive and up the calories but I just fear for some reason that I won't be able to figure out the right routine and just continue to gain. Probably somewhat of a frantic thought but something I need to get over nonetheless.

Sjenny5891

You have lost weight. It wouldn't hurt to add 100-200 more calories each day.

I try to get my MIL's recipies so I know what I have to work with.