How many calories should I be consuming to lose weight?

michellemabelle09

Hello there! I'm 5'4.5" and 145lbs and looking to lose 20lbs or so in a healthy way. For the past month, I've generally been eating well - including protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and veggies. I'm currently on my 3rd week of the Insanity workout program (a high intensity interval training workout 6/7 days a week for 40 min). I'm getting an average of 7-8 hours of sleep a night and consistently drinking 7-8 cups of water a day. I realize that weight loss is the result of healthy lifestyle changes and, as frustrating as it is, I understand that it takes time: it took longer than a few weeks to put on this weight; it's going to take longer than a few weeks to lose it. (Ahhh the stubborn pear shape)

I'm somewhat new to the whole calorie counting jazz. After my first day of tracking my calorie intake/bruning, I'm worried that I might be undereating and unknowingly putting my body into, as I've heard it called, "starvation mode", causing my body to hold into fat. At my height and weight, I've found that my BMR is 1500 calories/day. Since I've begun my workout program and walking 40 minutes to/from work, I generally burn 400cal/workout and 300cal/round trip, totalling 700cal burned a day (ballparking, of course). Since I've only just begun to count calories, I don't have a good idea of how much I was consuming before.

To lose weight and be healthy, how many calories should I be consuming a day? A part of me is worried that if I up my food intake, I won't lose weight. It's somewhat counter intuitive. Any advice for my situation would be much appreciated!!

michellemabelle09

If any more information regarding my situation (maybe what I eat on a general day?) would help you help me, I'd be super happy to give it! I truly appreciate any advice from you experienced healthy people!

fivethreeone

The specific foods you eat matter less than the total number of calories. Second to that, it is important to get enough fats and proteins in your diet.

So with the weight you have to lose, you should be losing no more than a pound a week, and if your BMR is 1500 and you burn 700 calories a day, you should be eating about 2200-2300 calories a day. You should be getting at least 100 grams of protein and a minimum of 50g fats per day.

michellemabelle09

2200-2300 calories? Really? It sounds like a lot, which worries me slightly. Yesterday, I consumed ~1250 calories, or so, which worried me slightly as, with the exercise, there was a net of ~500 calories. Should I really up to it over 2000?

fivethreeone

2200-2300 calories? Really? It sounds like a lot, which worries me slightly. Yesterday, I consumed ~1250 calories, or so, which worried me slightly as, with the exercise, there was a net of ~500 calories. Should I really up to it over 2000?

You really should. If your BMR is 1500, that is the absolute minimum food you need for efficient body function in a coma, basically. Your net intake should be an absolute minimunm of 1500.

At ~1200 you are essentially starving yourself.

You may not feel hungry. That's okay. Realize that you cannot trust your body's hunger signals because leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that regulate hunger in our bodies, respond to input. So if you eat less, your body produces less of a hunger signal. If you eat more, your body produces more of a hunger signal.

That's how you get anorexics who say they don't feel hungry and they are eating 500 cals a day (this is what you did yesterday, by the way. Not saying you're anorexic, just saying that is an anorexic intake level). That's how many of us gained weight. We ate more, and our bodies made us want to eat even more after that. That's the way your body works.

However, knowing this means you can tell your body how much it needs to eat (2200-2300 a day for a net of about 1500) and your body will adapt to that intake level. You can bump your calories up by 200-300 a week until you get to that point, but weight loss is about eating as much as possible while still losing weight. You want your body to function efficiently and work with you, not feel really stressed by lack of intake and fight against you.

michellemabelle09

2200-2300 calories? Really? It sounds like a lot, which worries me slightly. Yesterday, I consumed ~1250 calories, or so, which worried me slightly as, with the exercise, there was a net of ~500 calories. Should I really up to it over 2000?

You really should. If your BMR is 1500, that is the absolute minimum food you need for efficient body function in a coma, basically. Your net intake should be an absolute minimunm of 1500.

At ~1200 you are essentially starving yourself.

You may not feel hungry. That's okay. Realize that you cannot trust your body's hunger signals because leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that regulate hunger in our bodies, respond to input. So if you eat less, your body produces less of a hunger signal. If you eat more, your body produces more of a hunger signal.

That's how you get anorexics who say they don't feel hungry and they are eating 500 cals a day (this is what you did yesterday, by the way. Not saying you're anorexic, just saying that is an anorexic intake level). That's how many of us gained weight. We ate more, and our bodies made us want to eat even more after that. That's the way your body works.

However, knowing this means you can tell your body how much it needs to eat (2200-2300 a day for a net of about 1500) and your body will adapt to that intake level. You can bump your calories up by 200-300 a week until you get to that point, but weight loss is about eating as much as possible while still losing weight. You want your body to function efficiently and work with you, not feel really stressed by lack of intake and fight against you.

Wow! I did not know I was eating at an anorexic level - that's pretty frightening as I was not at all intending to starve myself. You said that my body will adapt to the higher intake level. My question is that will I gain weight while I am upping my calorie intake to reach something more reasonable? Would it be safe to intake more healthy foods? Should I be focusing on eating more protein and healthy carbs?

Don't get me wrong - I believe you! It's just frightening to think I need to eat more in order to actually lose weight. It makes me skeptical since it's so counter-intuitive. Eating over 2000 calories, will I still have the calorie deficit needed to lose weight? Thank you so much!

fivethreeone

Well, I'm talking 2200-2300 gross intake here. If you burn 700 a day, net will be about 1500, which is your BMR, which is the absolute minimum net amount that you should ever eat, just for staying alive. Which might even be a little too low, honestly. I lose at 1650 net (so I'm eating more than you, essentially, and still losing) and I am about the same size/weight as you.

It's hard to get over that mental hump, I know. I was doing it too because we are so programmed to believe that the most extreme thing is what gives results, but results come from slow, steady, consistency. And when you do this, you will feel more energy and lose weight more comfortably.

I wrote a blog about this topic that might explain everything for you:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fivethreeone/view/how-did-i-eat-the-basics-tdee-calories-macros-570878

michellemabelle09

Well, I'm talking 2200-2300 gross intake here. If you burn 700 a day, net will be about 1500, which is your BMR, which is the absolute minimum net amount that you should ever eat, just for staying alive. Which might even be a little too low, honestly. I lose at 1650 net (so I'm eating more than you, essentially, and still losing) and I am about the same size/weight as you.

It's hard to get over that mental hump, I know. I was doing it too because we are so programmed to believe that the most extreme thing is what gives results, but results come from slow, steady, consistency. And when you do this, you will feel more energy and lose weight more comfortably.

I wrote a blog about this topic that might explain everything for you:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fivethreeone/view/how-did-i-eat-the-basics-tdee-calories-macros-570878

Oh wow your blog and success story are so informative and inspiring! If you don't mind answering just a few more of my questions, I would appreciate it very much! I'm excited to become more healthy, properly.

1. At 64.5 inches, 145 lbs and age 19, according to the TDEE calculator from your blog, my BMR is 1427calories. Putting in sedentary (desk job and studying as a student), my TDEE to maintain my current weight is 1713 calories. At minus 20% of that, I should aim to NET 1370 calories. I plan to eat the exercise calories back. With that, I should consume 93.98 g of protein and 50.75g of fat. Is this a healthy deficit that will let me lose weight?

2. Clearly, I've been eating too little. As I've been netting ~600 calories a day, should I increase it incrementally per week until I reach my correct TDEE-20% or just start tomorrow to net properly?

3. From your story, I read that you also started with Insanity! I'm really enjoying the exercise program so far, and I'm learning to keep disciplined. Did you find the program conducive to weight loss at all? I haven't lost any weight over the past month - though now I understand it might be because I've been eating too little. You've inspired me to learn how to lift and tone up that's way! Should I finish Insanity then start lifting? What do you suggest exercise wise?

Thanks a ton! You've really given me perspective on being healthy.

fivethreeone

Well thank you! Glad I could help!

1) If you decide to use TDEE method, you should put lightly active, as sedentary is really only good for people who are on bedrest. I was on bedrest for a while and I lost weight eating at my sedentary TDEE-10%. So for you, lightly active should take you to about 1550 for weight loss (TDEE-20%), and of course eat back exercise calories. Never eat below your BMR. Remember that the protein and fats are minimums. Aim for them, but if you go over, it's absolutely fine (and even good).

2) It honestly doesn't matter. If you jump your cals all at once, expect to see a few pounds of gain. Stick to it and it will come off, though.

3) I lost 14 pounds with Insanity, most of that in the second month, but I also had 20 lbs more to lose than you do. Your results may vary. And absolutely the big reason you aren't losing is because you aren't fueling your body enough. Eat. Rest. Get your protein. Lift. Learn the true science and not the fads and you will be able to take good care of yourself because you deserve the strongest, healthiest version of you that is possible.

I suggest that you finish the program and use the time between now and when you are done with Insanity to really delve into researching and studying weight lifting using the resources I wrote about on my blog (Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women, and YouTube videos). If you understand what you are doing, you will have knowledge and confidence, and together that is an unbeatable combo. Altogether the two books cost about $40 (assuming you buy new). That $40 literally changed my life. It's absolutely worth it. Good luck!