Advice on diet/calorie intake

mommadearest3

I`m new here, and haven`t quite gotten my diet/exercise perfected yet.

Before deciding to change my lifestyle, my average calorie intake was around 3000/day. But the last few weeks I was binging and probably consuming closer to 5000/day I had avoided checking the scale and when I finally did, I immediately started changing my eating habits and exercising.

I am trying to stick to 1500 cals/day, and working off as many as possible. I have been doing the T25 Alpha workouts, which seem to burn around 400 cals/ workout. I have also started walking, approximately 45 mins per day. I have 100 lbs to lose, and want to do it as quickly as possibly, while still being safe and healthy.

Last night and even this morning I have been feeling slightly weak, which could be from the drastic change in diet and exercise, but I wanted to get some input. Should I be consuming more calories? I was thinking of increasing to 1700.

I am 5`5, 249 lbs.

Thanks!

MinnieInMaine

Are you eating back at least 1/2 of earned exercise calories? If not, start doing that and it should help make up the difference. Without that, you are definitely eating too little.

It's hard to comment on more as your food diary is private but also make sure you're getting a good balance of nutrients - plenty of protien, some healthy fats and carbs.

Good luck!

yopeeps025

How much water do you drink?

AnthonyThrashD

Are you using the MFP goal calculator? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals
I would set my activity level to sedentary, and weight loss goal to 1.5 lbs per week and use the caloric limit MFP generates. If you're not weighing your food with a digital scale, I would get a scale so you can accurately count calories in. You also want to accurately count calories burned by exercise, if you can afford it, I'd get a chest strap heart rate monitor. If you can't, I'd use the MFP exercise calculator, but only take 75% of the calories it says you burned.

Hope this helps

mommadearest3

Are you eating back at least 1/2 of earned exercise calories? If not, start doing that and it should help make up the difference. Without that, you are definitely eating too little.

It's hard to comment on more as your food diary is private but also make sure you're getting a good balance of nutrients - plenty of protien, some healthy fats and carbs.

Good luck!

I am not eating back half, but some. I do eat after a workout...I will increase the amount that I eat back. I am trying to eat a good balance, and I`m definitely making much healthier choice then I have been. But I will increase my protein. Thanks!

mommadearest3

Are you using the MFP goal calculator? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals
I would set my activity level to sedentary, and weight loss goal to 1.5 lbs per week and use the caloric limit MFP generates. If you're not weighing your food with a digital scale, I would get a scale so you can accurately count calories in. You also want to accurately count calories burned by exercise, if you can afford it, I'd get a chest strap heart rate monitor. If you can't, I'd use the MFP exercise calculator, but only take 75% of the calories it says you burned.

Hope this helps

I will be purchasing a scale within the next few weeks, so hopefully that helps give me more accuracy. I`m going to look into getting a HRM as well. I am using the MFP goal calculator, and it had suggested 2000 calories/day, but I manually changed it. I will make some adjustments. Thanks!!

mommadearest3

How much water do you drink?

I have been drinking around 6-7 bottles of water a day.

Kate7294

While I am not an expert. I would say yes you need to consume more calories. At 5'7" 212 my goal is to lose at least 65lbs. My calorie intake is set at 1590. If you've ever done weight watchers? You start off with more points/calories and then when you start losing you're calories go down. (*** highest weight was 262lbs here).
What does your doctor say? I know I have PCOS ( was pre-diabetic at first also ; once I started treatment lost 67lbs and became pregnant at 39yrs old). Right now I'm trying to get my cholesterol down and become healthier. People who lose too fast by not consuming enough or overdoing it usually end up crashing and burning. Seems like your setting yourself up for failure.
Please don't take that as criticism ^^^ just trying to be helpful. Good luck!

earlnabby

Last night and even this morning I have been feeling slightly weak, which could be from the drastic change in diet and exercise, but I wanted to get some input. Should I be consuming more calories? I was thinking of increasing to 1700.

I am 5`5, 249 lbs.

Thanks!

1700 seems like a good number to go with, as long as you eat back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories. My current weight is a little higher than yours and I eat 1800 calories. MFP will remind you to reset each time you lose 10 lb.

mommadearest3

While I am not an expert. I would say yes you need to consume more calories. At 5'7" 212 my goal is to lose at least 65lbs. My calorie intake is set at 1590. If you've ever done weight watchers? You start off with more points/calories and then when you start losing you're calories go down. (*** highest weight was 262lbs here).
What does your doctor say? I know I have PCOS ( was pre-diabetic at first also ; once I started treatment lost 67lbs and became pregnant at 39yrs old). Right now I'm trying to get my cholesterol down and become healthier. People who lose too fast by not consuming enough or overdoing it usually end up crashing and burning. Seems like your setting yourself up for failure.
Please don't take that as criticism ^^^ just trying to be helpful. Good luck!

No offence taken I`m looking for genuine advice, not for someone to tell me what I want to hear. I haven`t spoken with my doctor, nor have I done weight watchers. I did lose about 70 lbs a couple of years ago, and then got pregnant and gained it all back, but I wasn`t paying close attention to my calorie intake and just making healthier choices and eating less. I think I will stop worrying about the calories as much as what I am putting into my body.

thanks!

mommadearest3

Last night and even this morning I have been feeling slightly weak, which could be from the drastic change in diet and exercise, but I wanted to get some input. Should I be consuming more calories? I was thinking of increasing to 1700.

I am 5`5, 249 lbs.

Thanks!

1700 seems like a good number to go with, as long as you eat back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories. My current weight is a little higher than yours and I eat 1800 calories. MFP will remind you to reset each time you lose 10 lb.

thanks!