50 pounds to lose, advice please :)

beth0277
beth0277 Posts: 217 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I weight 182 and my goal is around 130 or so (I'm 5'3"). According to MFP, I should be eating 1410 calories to lose 1 pound a week. I would prefer to eat around 1500, on days I do or don't exercise. Basically, not adding any more food if I exercise, unless I feel like I need it (after a long run or something). My fear is that if I go to 1410 calories now, it will drop me to 1200 when I get a little lower and that is just too low for me and makes me miserable. I do exercise so I am probably netting close to 1200-1300 a day and I am losing, when I count my calories.

What do you all think? Is 1500 reasonable to lose weight for someone my height/weight? I can't guarantee hard exercise every day, but I do try to do something, even if just walking my dog for a mile or two. Some days I do work out harder. I just don't want my body to get used to 1200 calories. I've lost weight at 1200 calories/day before and it wasn't hard but as soon as I hit my "goal" I gave up because I felt so hungry all the time and gained all my weight back. I feel pretty happy and comfortable around 1500 a day of healthy foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, lean proteins, whole grains, and the occasional treat.

Replies

  • beth0277
    beth0277 Posts: 217 Member
    Anyone?
  • mmredd100
    mmredd100 Posts: 50 Member
    I had very similar goals as you. I started out around 180 ish and then went on to lose ten. I now hover around 170 and still would like to get down to around 130 (or whatever seems to me to be healthy once I get there). (I also am 5'2). I used MFP auto set calories for awhile and didn't see much progress. I recently went to the TDEE method and it has really worked for me.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    There are tons of explanations of this method on MFP. It has me at about 1800 calories. Sometimes I don't eat that many and I do not eat my calories back if I work out. At first I hovered around the same weight 175-170 for a couple of weeks but for two weeks now, I've seen a steady decline. As long as you are at a deficit though you should see progress. Any exercise is going to be good for you obviously, but what has really helped me is walking/running and weights.

    If you do your TDEE calculations you'll find out how many calories you burn just by existing and then you plug in your goals. Obviously you are welcome to your own path but it really worked for me! I couldn't figure out why I kept losing and gaining the same pounds back- but since learning that method and getting accumulated to it I've seen a steady decline. I still eat what I want to within my calories and still indulge in treats within my calories. It's been a smooth process!

    Feel free to add me if you need a friend!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    It sounds reasonable to me, but there's only one way to find out.. have a go and see what happens and how you feel.
  • mmredd100
    mmredd100 Posts: 50 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    actually I like this one better, but I guess each would work.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    Yup. Sounds reasonable. The only way to know if it works for you is to try it.
  • LULUREBEL
    LULUREBEL Posts: 86 Member
    It sounds like you have the right attitude and a good plan. If you use the MFP method, then eat back your exercise calories. Scooby's workshop is great as well, as others have suggested. Feel free to add me if you would like MFP friends.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I know that its a calorie deficit thing but I really enjoy the exercise part of this. I "feel" like it keeps my metabolism ramped up. Anyway I did far better when I would eat back most of my exercise calories and try for my calorie deficit goal. When I cut back on my weekend beers and fatty foods it started to really come off. I use Runtastic to log my running calories and use either that or fitbit to log my walking calories. FitBit also tracks my general activity level. I love to eat so I take advantage of every exercise calorie I can eat back. I would say I average about 2800 calories a day and have been maintaining for about a month now. As you get closer to your goal you may want to reset your stats and goals to get the most accurate calculation. As always log accurately and make slight adjustments if the long term numbers aren't moving enough.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    If you haven't found them yet, I always recommend starting here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101

    And then read these when you're ready to take your logging accuracy to the next step:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
  • thatjosiegirl
    thatjosiegirl Posts: 362 Member
    When I started here I weighed 183 pounds with a goal of 135ish. I eat anywhere from 1400-1500 cals and workout 5-6 times a week (burning 400-800 cals per session). I have been losing about 1.5 pounds per week (with the exception of the few plateaus that I have hit).
  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
    Have you thought about the 21 Day Fix program? It is nutrition based and is all about portion control. It has 30 minute workouts with it. I would also suggest using freedieting.com to figure calories.

    OP wasn't asking for advice about portion control. They were asking for advice on appropriate caloric intake to meet their goals. No need to promote a BeachBody program when no one was asking for that.

    OP: My advice if you like eating generally the same amount of calories each day = Calculate your TDEE using the Scooby calculator or on IIFYM.com. Take 15-20% off of your TDEE and eat that amount every day, and don't eat back exercise calories. Plug your stats in to those calculators and put in accurate amounts of weekly exercise. Log accurately, and read the links that Diannethegeek posted, they are all great reads!
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
    I started at about 189, (on mfp at 184) my goal is also around 130 (135) I'm a tad bit taller at 5'-6.5"

    I don't have any set plan. Been at this for about 3 months and now weigh between 160-165 depending on how much water I'm retaining.


    I set my calories for a range. Here I have it set for 1300 but I really eat between 1200-1500. I do log my exercise but I don't eat back my calories. I'm just more likely to hit the 1500 when exercising. I do exercise almost every day but sometimes I take a couple of days off.

    I think your calories are fine, just don't get discouraged by the scale. Some weeks you'll lose 2 or more pounds and some weeks you won't lose any.

    Keep in mind, if it comes off slow, it's more likely to stay off. Also, I eat what I want (within my calories) so I won't feel "deprived" of the things I like. It's easier to stick with it.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    I weight 182 and my goal is around 130 or so (I'm 5'3"). According to MFP, I should be eating 1410 calories to lose 1 pound a week. I would prefer to eat around 1500, on days I do or don't exercise. Basically, not adding any more food if I exercise, unless I feel like I need it (after a long run or something). My fear is that if I go to 1410 calories now, it will drop me to 1200 when I get a little lower and that is just too low for me and makes me miserable. I do exercise so I am probably netting close to 1200-1300 a day and I am losing, when I count my calories.

    What do you all think? Is 1500 reasonable to lose weight for someone my height/weight? I can't guarantee hard exercise every day, but I do try to do something, even if just walking my dog for a mile or two. Some days I do work out harder. I just don't want my body to get used to 1200 calories. I've lost weight at 1200 calories/day before and it wasn't hard but as soon as I hit my "goal" I gave up because I felt so hungry all the time and gained all my weight back. I feel pretty happy and comfortable around 1500 a day of healthy foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, lean proteins, whole grains, and the occasional treat.

    A lot of people track calories by the week instead of the day (which makes sense - you need a 3500 calorie deficit a week to lose a pound). That means some days they go a bit over, and some they go a bit under. Just as long as your weekly total has a deficit you're happy with, you should be fine (IMO).

    So why don't you focus on your total for the week for a week or two and see where you end up?
  • becs3578
    becs3578 Posts: 836 Member
    I am .2 lbs away from finally losing 50lbs (I'm 5'4). It took me about 3 years... but that was a windy road. 40 of those were in the last 16 months. As first I just started with exercise, then started to eat "paleo-ish" (i.e. mostly fruits, veggies, and meats and not a lot of grain, dairy or sugar). During that time I didn't count any calories. I started with MFP about 4 months ago and that is when I started paying attention to calorie counting to lost the last 13 lbs.

    I would say, since you have 50 to lose... 1500 is a great start. Don't make yourself miserable with being hungry all the time. Eat smart and get your calories from healthier choices which usually means you get to eat more quantity of them.

    You are gonna do great!!!!
  • dcoburn72
    dcoburn72 Posts: 1
    There are a lot of different ways you can accomplish your goal and may people will have there own way to do this. My personal method has been mainly my diet. I have changed my diet to a Paleo lifestyle, fruits, veggies, and protein. You need to read up on it as there are many things you can't eat. Ex. Protein must be grass fed or wild caught (fish) to eliminate, nitrates, nitrites and many other things subjected to food our bodies are not used to processing. I changed my diet 8 months ago and weighed 237 pounds and lost 17 lbs in about 4 months, weigh 220 now. I have started weight training a few months ago which has leveled out my body weight but I see a difference in my clothes size.

    From an exercise stand point if you change to a paleo lifestyle you only have to do moderate exercise to achieve the goals you are looking for. I personally like to wake up and do cardio first thing in the morning before breakfast, this burns the glucose in your liver and kick starts your metabolism. A good rule of thumb after any work out is to try and eat the number of calories you burned, especially if you are doing crossfit or weight training...this will kick your metabolism into high gear! But eat clean! If you have the time, try and get at least 30mins of cardio in the morning before breakfast and then get a good workout in the evening.

    I wear a Garmin vivofit which tracks calories burned during the day and at night when you are sleeping. I wear the heart rate monitor during workouts to get an accurate calorie burn. This was a good investment and it syncs with myfitpal app to get accurate food intake + calorie burned results. There are many fitness trackers that will sync with myfitpal I just tried the Garmin because it has a one year battery life and doesn't have to be charged every day, I wear it 24/7 and it syncs to my phone app through Bluetooth throughout the day.

    As far as calorie intake...if you plan to exercise you should put protein back into your body right after your workout. A high protein diet regardless if you get it from veggies or meat will help burn fat. So really its not so much a calorie goal to stay under each day but a calories deficit you want to achieve. Basically if you eat 1,400 calories a day and you burn 2,000 calories a day you are in a 600 calorie deficit. So if you happen to eat 2,000 calories you need to burn more then that to stay on goal. I eat about 2,000-3,000 a day and probably average burning about 3,000-4,000, which really isn't a lot but that's where I am with the training I do. some days I eat more then others, depends on my workout for the day.

    A great supplement from GNC is the Ultra Mega Green Active - its actually a vegetarian protein which I mix with 1 cup of frozen fruit (berries), water and make smoothies. 2 scoops is only 125 calories + the fruit calories. It provides a great source of multivitamins, BCAA, B-vitamins and a ton of other benefits. I usually have this for breakfast with scrambled egg whites and some other sort of protein.

    I hope this helps...I am not an expert or trying to be by any means lol just trying to help....

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