Am I eating enough..?

Kc40e

Hi! I have been using MFP for 45 days or so and have lost 18 pounds (Yay!) But...I have not lost anything for 2 weeks now. When I started my 'daily goal" was 1567 calories ( including 267 a day for exercise). After losing 15 pounds I changed my goals, factoring in the weight lost. Now my daily goal is 1456 (256 for exercise). I usually try to eat 100-200 less than my goal. But now I am wondering if not eating all of my calories is causing me to stall? Are you supposed to eat all of your calories every day? My BMR is 1510, does that affect the calories I should be eating?

Kc40e

I changed my goal and now it says I should eat 1686 which seems like a lot! It's even more than I started MFP with. I don't want to gain...

StaciMarie1974

Change is good. It keeps you from getting into a rut, from your metabolism stalling out & getting 'used to' a new normal. Updating your calories, goals from time to time is important.

But other than that - is it correct to assume you are female? I only ask because I have noticed something about me & my body. Monthly cycles can wreak havoc on the scale number. Hormones, water retention, etc. I'm a scale junkie but I step on every morning knowing that the # I see that day does not really define me. Doing this, though, over a longer period of time, has helped me to find my body's pattern. For ~2 weeks of the month I see to not lose or even to gain a little even though I'm doing all the 'right' things. Then it catches up looking like I lose 3-4 pounds in a week. You may just need to stick with it. A 2 week hiatus on the scale moving could be just the way your body does things. If you're eating right, being fairly active, then keep at it.

If I start a new, more intense fitness routine: the same thing. Scale stops for 1-2 weeks. Something about the body holding water to prepare the muscles for the activity, but I don't remember all the science behind it.

If your BMR is 1510 then you can't gain on 1500-1600 calories per day. My BMR for comparison is ~1485. BMR usually means your bodily function calories. What your body uses to keep you alive, lungs working, heart beating, food digesting, temperature maintenance, etc. You use another 15-30% of BMR to move thru your daily life, depending on your normal activity level. And then you burn more in exercise.

Now I'm off to update my goals. Have not done that in a while and you reminded me.

alex6971

What do you have MFP set at?

kuolo

Umm why do you eat 200 cal less than your already low goal? So you are basically eating 1000 cals plus exercise. No this is not enough, probably, if you are logging accurately. Unless you are tiny it's not healthy long term either.

In terms of not losing for 2 weeks, it happens, loss is not always linear. But I don't subscribe to the idea of not eating enough causing weight gain/stall.

mschicagocubs

Stick with neting about 1400 calories.

2 weeks isnt a long time to not lose especially when you just lost a good chunk.

Patience is a virtue.

Start taking measurements, you may be losing inches in the process. Or you could just lose 2 lbs next week.

Weight is crazy.

Kc40e

Thanks for the replies! I think what happened was when the scale slowed down after I readjusted my goal I panicked and got into this old " eat way less= weigh less" mentality so I was scaling back onthe daily calories suggested by MFP. I was not eating enough. I understand the way MFP works better now that I have spent a lot of time researching and reading the forums.

Just to clarify though- I should eat my net calories(1430) , not the amount combined with exercise? ( MFP says this would be 1686)

My MFP is set at:

193 pounds
Goal: lose 1.5 a week
Net calories says 1430/ day
Calories burned 1240 /wk

BMR 1510
TDEE is around 2100 I think (different answers on different calculators)

I started taking measurements today since it might be more helpful than weighing myself.

Kc40e

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