So hungry!

JagerLewis

Hi all! I'm in my home stretch to lose my last 10 pounds. I've recently kicked up my workouts (last couple of weeks). I am doing 30day shred, and will do 2 or 3 of them back to back, followed by some cardio, yesterday was Jillian's kickboxing. The last couple of days I have been hungry...especially today, and tired. This tells me I need more calories. My minimum cal is set at 1400, but normally eat over that with exercise. I have it set to that for my tdee. My protein intake is ok...I try to get it up there, its normally near 80-90 gm a day. I eat damn near every 2 hours, I'm starting to feel bad for eating so much (cooking a boiled egg as we speak). My weight loss is slow. Very slow. So it makes me nervous to go higher in calories. Can someone help a chicka out? Maybe a new tdee to go by? I workout 6 days a week, burning normally around 500 calories each time. I'm 5'2" and 135. Thank you in advance!!

JagerLewis

One more thing, I don't know if it will help...but one source tells me that my body fat% is 23.18%. That's with my weight, and measuring my waist, hips, forearm, and wrist.

deksgrl

Set MFP to lose half a pound a week if it isn't already. Does it give you more to eat? Weight loss slows down as you get closer to goal weight.

Upon re-reading, you have it set at 1400 as a deficit from TDEE? Did you recalculate your TDEE when you added more exercise?

If you are using the TDEE method, why are you eating more food for exercise?

JagerLewis

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

Chief_Rocka

You're hungry because you're eating less than your energy needs. If you're not careful the body will have to tap into reserve energy stores for fuel.

Confuzzled4ever

This is at a 10% deficit.

3-5 hours of moderate exercise per week at your age height and weight has you eating 1888 with a BMR of 1354 and a TDEE of 2098

1-3 hours of light exercise (which it sounds like you fall into moderate) per week has you eating 1861 with a BMR of 1354 and a TDEE of 1861

You're not eating enough

deksgrl

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

1776 TDEE seems very low.

butterfli7o

1776 TDEE sounds low for the amount of exercising you're doing...

Blacklance36

BF of 23.1 is well within normal healthy tolerances.

Are you trying to get lean and reduce BF? That's not totally something that comes from just losing weight. In order to get leaner you need to build muscle mass, not just lose weight.

For example, I could weigh 180 and have a BF of 21.
I could weigh 170 and have a BF of 23.

Depends on whether I am losing weight and/or pressing weights.

If a reduction in BF is your goal don't reduce your calories, hit the gym and do more weights and resistance training.

JagerLewis

BF of 23.1 is well within normal healthy tolerances.

Are you trying to get lean and reduce BF? That's not totally something that comes from just losing weight. In order to get leaner you need to build muscle mass, not just lose weight.

For example, I could weigh 180 and have a BF of 21.
I could weigh 170 and have a BF of 23.

Depends on whether I am losing weight and/or pressing weights.

If a reduction in BF is your goal don't reduce your calories, hit the gym and do more weights and resistance training.

Thanks, I got that BF% from only 2 sources of measurments...no calipers were used. I would love to get lean and build a little muscle. Do you think resistance training can do that? I do use a whole lot of strength in my workouts.

TavistockToad

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

You exercise 6times a week and your TDEE us 1776? Maybe check your calculations, that sounds low.

JagerLewis

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

You exercise 6times a week and your TDEE us 1776? Maybe check your calculations, that sounds low.

Which calculators are the most accurate for me to use?

deksgrl

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

You exercise 6times a week and your TDEE us 1776? Maybe check your calculations, that sounds low.

Which calculators are the most accurate for me to use?

The differences in TDEE calculators is because there are 3 different formulas for calculating BMR. Any of them should be "close enough". Calculators are estimates and might or might not reflect actual reality for your body. Many people here use this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Strength training, while getting enough protein, and eating at a small calorie deficit will allow you to lose fat while retaining lean body mass (muscle). Taking too large of a calorie deficit and not having enough protein or strength training will cause you to lose fat and lean body mass, so you will be proportionally just as "fat" at a lower weight. This is why so many people get to their goal weight and are still unhappy with their body and struggle to try to lose even more.

JagerLewis

1776 is my TDEE. I met a medium at 1400. If on days when I'm famished, I feel "safe" to eat more.

You exercise 6times a week and your TDEE us 1776? Maybe check your calculations, that sounds low.

Which calculators are the most accurate for me to use?

The differences in TDEE calculators is because there are 3 different formulas for calculating BMR. Any of them should be "close enough". Calculators are estimates and might or might not reflect actual reality for your body. Many people here use this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Strength training, while getting enough protein, and eating at a small calorie deficit will allow you to lose fat while retaining lean body mass (muscle). Taking too large of a calorie deficit and not having enough protein or strength training will cause you to lose fat and lean body mass, so you will be proportionally just as "fat" at a lower weight. This is why so many people get to their goal weight and are still unhappy with their body and struggle to try to lose even more.

Ok, according to the Scooby site, my BMR is 1353, TDEE to maintain is 2098, and to lose 25% reduction is 1573, 20% red. is 1678. Following the 1678, it says a loss of .8 per week.

deksgrl

20-25% reduction is WAY too aggressive when you do not have very much weight left to lose. Choose 10-15%. Even 15% may be too much. But definitely not 20-25.

Otherwise, you will create a situation where you are losing muscle, and when you get down those last number of pounds, you will still have a higher body fat % than you want.

Confuzzled4ever

This is at a 10% deficit.

3-5 hours of moderate exercise per week at your age height and weight has you eating 1888 with a BMR of 1354 and a TDEE of 2098

1-3 hours of light exercise (which it sounds like you fall into moderate) per week has you eating 1861 with a BMR of 1354 and a TDEE of 1861

You're not eating enough

Re posting my own post.. I did the work for you.

JagerLewis

Thank you all so much! I increased my calories a bit, and increased my protein today....Not nearly as hungry as yesterday. Phew!