Calories - I am stumped

SolidGoaled

I filled out the questionnaire when signing up here, and according to that, for me to lose 2 lbs per week, I am only allowed 1330 or so calories a day. That seems soooo impossibly low for me. Is that possible? How do I distribute these caloreis? I am not whining - I am willing to do whatever it takes, but I know myself, and I feel like I am starving when I "cut back" to even 1900 calories a day. So I am stumped.

Stats: 38 year old female, 5' 8", 245 lbs Goal weight: 165

erickirb

The good thing is when you exercise you get to eat those extra calories to fuel your body. So if you need to eat more then do some exercise. If you eat your normal 1330 and burn 400 cals from exercise you get to eat 1730, and still lose your 2 lbs/week.

Naomi91

Switch it to 1 - 1 1/2 pounds per week if you think it is too low... dont want to feel deprived and give up!

and best thing I do, with only 1200 calories. Is divide up my 1200 evenly across 6 meals a day. I never feel hungry since I get to eat every 2-3 hours. helps boost the metabolism and stay away from the dreaded catabolism ;D

leilanak

hmmmm....very interesting. Maybe if you find some low calorie foods that are high in fiber such as whole grains, or fruit that is high in fiber, this will help you to feel full longer? Alot of water, and making sure you're fully hydrated also helps.....try these things and see how they work for you! Best of luck! :happy:

ktblueyz

Yeah if I want to lose 2 pounds a week I have to have 1200 cal's a day...

Dakotanance

Hi,
I would say just try that amount and see. The whole point is to lose the 2 pounds a wk you put in there. If you want more calories, then change the amount of weight you want to lose on the graph and if you exercise, you will probably lose more then what you said. Does that make sense.

Beegale

Hello

My calorie intake for 1lb a week weight loss is 1390, and to begin with I was hungry. I've been going about 3 weeks now and things have changed, and I'm not so hungry. I also exercise to 'gain' extra calories, although I don't eat all of them back, it does give you a bit of wriggle room on your daily intake.

Perhaps you could have a staggered start and reduce your calorie intake by a few hundered calories over a couple of weeks to try and avoid a big shock to your system?

Good luck!

Beegale

kmm7309

honestly, I don't pay too much attention to my calories, only my carbs. I stick around 150 a day. It's hard to do, but not impossible, and I don't eat much meat (no more than 4-6 ounces a day). It's not atkins, it's what a dietician recommended to me. I find that when I watch my carbs, I very rarely mess up on calories. Most of the time I'm under on carbs, and in the supposed "starvation mode" for calories, but the doc said that the starvation mode isn't a big deal if I eat often. Anyway, fiber is so important to your diet, make that a habit! You will feel full!

Also, there are meal bars and shakes that you can use *once* a day to help maintain your calorie goal. I don't recommend a slim-fast diet for a long term adventure, but I find it really helps me keep my calories and carbs in check to replace a meal with a shake. They are decently flavored and portion controlled. Just don't try to make up your calories in your other meals!

My daily calorie goal in 1300, and it sounds impossible, but it's easy once you commit and make it a routine.

Azdak

Part of this process is a journey where you need to learn how to think differently about your food. You also need to learn more about food preparation.

As a society, we have given up too much control over our food production to soulless corporations that could care less about whether we live or die, or, if we live, the quality of our lives.

There are two things I can tell you with certainly: one is that you can get a pretty decent amount of food in 1400-1500 calories if you plan your meals properly. Part of it is learning what kinds of food are more nutrient-dense and using those as "building blocks" while you fill in the rest with low-calorie "bulk". (aka "salads and veggies are your friends").

The other thing is that there is probably no need for you to be at 1330 calories--not at your weight. Too often, we automatically select the "maximum" calorie deficit because it is thought that will provide fastest results, but that's not always the best choice.

A majority of people who chose low cal targets like 1200 eat more than that on average--they can't stick to it or they underestimate their intake. You are much better off, IMO, choosing a more realistic target -- in your case 1600-1800 would probably work--sticking to it religiously (no "cheat" days), and ramping up your exercise routine.

I don't mean this unkindly, but it's a little early to say "I'm stumped". If it was simple and easy, we'd all be thin. Give yourself a chance to learn and grow. This is not a short-term intervention, but a permanent lifestyle change. Hang out here a while--there are lots of good ideas.

dgoforth

In my opinion, losing 2 pounds a week is way too much. It is not healthy to consistently lose that much a week and even if you manage to do so, it'll mostly be water weight. There are 3500 calories per pound, so losing two pounds a week means your over/under is 7000 calories....too much.

MFP takes into account your info, and then the calorie defecit needed to get to 2 pounds. It is not necessarily accurate of what you need to do. I always shoot for losing .5 to 1 pound a week calorie wise and then add in all sorts of exercise during the week to help get there. Remember that 1) Dieting is great, but you're only doing half the battle without exercise and 2) With exercise, comes more calories that you can eat. And at first, with exercise, you may lose 2 or more pounds a week.

Be patient with your weight loss. Too many people try to lose a lot, real fast and they don't see results physically because they aren't burning fat...they are only watching a number on a scale go down.

...again, only my opinion, not professional, but from experience. Good luck on reaching your goal!

reikichris

To lose 1.5 pounds per week, I am at 1240 calories (I recently decreased from 2 lbs per week). At first I had a hard time with a calorie count so low. After the first week, it got easier, after the first month it was no problem to keep to my calories. Now, I sometimes have a hard time eating all of my calories.

My diary is filled with raw fruits and veggies, low-calorie dips like hummus or yogurt dips, low fat dairy and lean meats. Oh, and often a glass of wine.

Reduce your weekly pounds lost if you need to. Just stick with it and you will do great. Good luck!

pkd1

Switch it to 1 - 1 1/2 pounds per week if you think it is too low... dont want to feel deprived and give up!

and best thing I do, with only 1200 calories. Is divide up my 1200 evenly across 6 meals a day. I never feel hungry since I get to eat every 2-3 hours. helps boost the metabolism and stay away from the dreaded catabolism ;D

Thats a great idea ,i never thought to divide my meals up like that, Ive been trying to have a happy medium w my calories/exercise also . Im going to give that a try

rockabyesarojane

make sure that none of you calories are sneaking in through your beverages.
stick to water and EAT all your calories.

stay away from processed.
eat every few hours 200-300 calories in clean efficient foods.

pretty soon you may feel like 1330 is too much food for you.
just give it some time and dont freak out if you go a little over your calories as you are adjusting. remember, even if you go over you are still eating on a deficit.

good luck!

writtenINthestars

Switch it to 1 - 1 1/2 pounds per week if you think it is too low... dont want to feel deprived and give up!

and best thing I do, with only 1200 calories. Is divide up my 1200 evenly across 6 meals a day. I never feel hungry since I get to eat every 2-3 hours. helps boost the metabolism and stay away from the dreaded catabolism ;D

Thats a great idea ,i never thought to divide my meals up like that, Ive been trying to have a happy medium w my calories/exercise also . Im going to give that a try

This is a really good idea....I started really planning to a "T" my food for the day...but it never occurred to me to take my amount and divide it up....thanks, definately going to try this!

slimpower

Can I ask you where did you come up with 150 carbs a day? I am doing more of a lower carb diet too. Much success to you! I am just starting today....and new to fitness pal.

Gond

The way I do it is to just split my total allocated calories into 3 or 4 meals per day, because it's easier to keep on-track when I know how many calories per meal I have. Also, stick close to veggies, fiber, and stay away from sugar if at all possible. Lastly, the tip someone else gave of adding exercise to increase your allowed calories per day is one I use: I just take 15 minutes going up and down the stairs and it "adds" an extra 260 calories to my daily food allowance, without me going over.

SolidGoaled

OP HERE:

Wow - thanks everyone for all this great advice! I guess I am wondering if making 1300 cals per day a goal for the future, and approaching it gradually rather that cutting my caloric intake down so drastically all at once would be safer in the long term? One thing I am afraid of doing is starting out too low and burning out fast because I can't stick to it. I am also afraid of losing it fast in the beginning, then plateauing and having nowhere to go from there. I also watch carbs because I am pre-diabetic, so I try to keep it around 30 carbs per meal, if possible.

I planned a 1300 menu for today, broken down into 4 meals at 325 cals a piece. Not easy! And I don't my body to head into the dreaded "starvation mode" after such a drastic change. I definitely have a lot of reading to do... there seem to be a lot of new concepts in dieting and eating right.

caburk02

I know processed food should be avoided, but I am having luck with the Lean Cuisine/Healthy Choice frozen meals. They have come out with a lot of "steamed" varieties that don't taste like cardboard and a quick glance at the ingredients proves its not all preservatives- they actually use a lot of fresh, recognizable ingredients now. If you eat a reasonable breakfast, sub a Lean Cuisine in for lunch, and eat a smaller portion than you usually would for dinner, you will probably not even reach your calorie limit.

I am on a 1200 calorie diet and here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast:
2 pieces of white toast with peanut butter

Snack:
Blue Raspberry Freezer pop

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Five Cheese Lasagna

Snack:
One large banana

Dinner:
Baby Spinach salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, asian pear, and wine-marinated flank steak. I made a dressing out of one teaspoon honey, juice from half a lemon, one teaspoon of sake, and one teaspoon of olive oil.

Dessert:
One square of hazelnut chocolate
One shot of Grand Marnier on the rocks

I eat like that every day. You don't have to deny yourself, just sub in a low-calorie lunch, control your portion at dinner, and snack on lots of low-cal fresh fruits and veggies. I wish you the best of luck!

mathergirl

Do the 1200 but start by not counting any veggies, you will be surprised how many salads and carrots and celery you will eat when they don't "count" against your daily calories. Just remember to count the dressing.

amuhlou

I've been doing around 1200 calories and at first I was hungry a lot. Here's my breakdown

8am: Breakfast ~200 cal
10ish am: mid morning snack ~100 cal
12ish: Lunch ~300 cal
3-4pm: Afternoon snack ~100 cal
6-7pm: Dinner ~400-500 cal

If I have leftover calories I will use those as an evening snack. Some say that dinner should be your smallest and breakfast the largest, but I don't have a ton of time in the morning and don't care for most breakfast food so this works for me.

As for starvation mode, I don't think you need to worry about it unless you are coming in under 1200 calories consistently. For example, I suspect a reason for the huge weigh-ins on The Biggest Loser is because they drastically cut calories.

Katie091

My best advice to you- to make it a little (or a lot depending) easier is to avoid drinking calories.
If you ask me, I'd rather EAT my allowed calories then DRINK them all!
Try brewing your own green tea, taste great and is calorie, sugar, carb, sodium free! Plus tea has great antioxidants! Also, water with lemon is awesome, calorie free and a natural cleanser.

I've learned this from experience, I'm allowed basically what you are, and trust me, I LOVE to eat!



Good luck and keep at it

SolidGoaled

So, it will yield good, steady, long term results if I cut from my current 2500 or so cals a day right down to 1300 cals per day starting TODAY? No gradual decrease, not doing it in phases, just 2500 down to 1300? I won't plateau in about a month and be stuck at 220 lbs forever?

Also - do any of you believe in that idea that you should have one day every once in awhile where you go over your calorie allowance and splurge so that your body never gets "immune" to the calorie reduction?

aviduser

I think you are setting yourself up for failure. Start with the recommended 1 pound per week. That will give you a higher daily calorie allowance. Stick to that. If you exercise (always a good idea), log your exercise (heart rate monitor is best for this). The calories burned in exercise get ADDED to your daily allowance. If you do more activity you get to eat more.

The real acceleration in weight loss comes when you have a good workout (say 500 calories or more) and don't eat back all of the extra calories. I lost 10 lbs in my first month on MFP this way. That is twice what the MFP allowance would get me because I strive to be under 6 out of 7 days. On one day I will sometimes go over because my trainer told me this would help keep my metabolism up (prevent the body from switching to starvation mode).

IMHO, losing weight is an effort that gathers momentum. It is hardest at first, but as you begin to see the scale change, then notice physical changes and loser clothes, your motivation increases. It gets easier as you go.

So work hard, be careful to keep track of what you eat and try the strategies that the other posters suggest (snacks, etc). But set your goal for 1 lb/week and try to do better every day. For me, just keeping track was the eye-opener. I never really thought about eating more when active and eating less when not. I just ate what I ate and hoped for the best. Plus, learning that you could eat 2 cookies or almost 3 apples for the same calories was a big one. I think that MFP teaches you to eat smarter.

The other thing is that as you lose weight, your BMR changes, and MFP will reduce your daily allowance. So keep that in mind too.

Good luck.

SolidGoaled

Thank you, whwhite. But, isn't it pretty impossible to lose ONLY ONE pound per week in the first couple/few weeks? I mean, all the years I've been struggling with weight, and tried different eating programs, in the beginning, the weight comes off fast then tapers. Is there any way to avoid that? Is it as simple as doing what you said and starting out much more slowly?

SolidGoaled

And I just want to thank everyone again for all this great info. I don't mean to sound so dense... I am just trying to learn, and I don't know where to start. I have a lot of years of struggling with weight under my belt to un-learn and build on. I bet y'all who have been here for awhile just love the noobs when they come along! LOL

aviduser

I would say it is more of a slow and steady wins the race mentality. Reasonably, "they" say that more than 1 lb a week is too fast. I have also tried lots of different plans. The idea of varying what you eat with your level of activity just never really clicked with me until now. But at its core, the principle is simple: 2500 calories = 1 lb. If you want to lose 1 lb in a week, you have to eat 2500 calories less over that week than your body needs to maintain its weigh (ie, Basal Metabolic Rate).

Also, the weight loss does not break down to exactly a pound a week. But I am losing more than 4-5 lbs in a month so far. I am also far exceeding my goal of 1850 calories of exercise per week. I am working out 4 days a week, two strength and two cardio, between 400 and 1100 calories per workout. So even though I get to eat lots of extra calories on a big workout day (up to an extra 1000 calories!) I typically do not eat all of that back. Remember, MFP has already calculated your allowance for losing a pound a week.

I suggested that you reduce your goal because you looked at the calorie allowance and said "Ugh! This will be impossible!" So set a goal that you feel is reasonable and achievable, set yourself up for success. Stay within the allowance every day. Add in some exercise and allow yourself a treat or a meal out when you have earned extra calories. Always keep track, because I think that is the lesson here--how much food should we be eating every day? What foods are really high in calories? Olive oil is something like 140 cal per tablespoon! And I always thought olive oil was healthy.

I have the same thing for breakfast every day-- a protein smoothie. Here is my super-secret recipe:

1.5 cups Silk Regular Soy Milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries (the berries are eyeballed, and the ratio can change)
1/2 banana
1 TBSP natural peanut butter
2 scoops Nature's Life Soy Protein - Super-Green Pro-96

BLEND!

This breakfast has 641 calories, 68 grams of protein, no added sugar, low glycemic index/load. It is delicious, nutritious and most importantly, it keeps me satisfied all morning -- even till a late (2 PM) lunch. No sugar crashes.

If your calorie allowance is too low for a 640 calorie breakfast, reduce the portion size of the smoothie.

I still put sugar in my coffee :-)

Just get started. Work at it everyday. Commit.

You will get there. As far as plateaus, I am only at 13 lbs lost, so I can't really say. I would imagine that if you recalculate your BMR on MFP periodically (that will reduce your allowance of calories), you will not plateau. Remember, less calories in than your body requires to maintain constant weight results in weight loss. It is that simple.

Good luck.

annakatc

Outside of different stradegies for eating and exercising (which are very important to know), there is the mental space that occupies our ability or inability to lose weight. You have to really look at yourself and your past efforts at weight loss and see what has really worked. I'm talking about the things that don't necessarily have to do with food. Like losing weight with friends and family or having something in the horizon to focus your efforts toward or even overlooking past failures.

Some people need "cheat" days. I know I do. Giving yourself a day to take a break from this part-time job that is losing weight. In fact, I have a cousin and his wife that lost weight together (I think somewhere around 40 lbs) and they took the whole weekend off. But I know they worked hard over the week, did low carb (veggie types), lean proteins, mulitple meals, and exercised quited a bit.

One more thing about customization, don't necessarily look at someone else's food/exercise plan or menu and think you have to follow theirs just because they happened to be successful. (Including mine) Don't give up if one week some plan doesn't show results. Just make a couple of tweaks and give it another go.

When it comes to plateauing, I think that is the time to switch things up. We get into food and exercise ruts eating the same calories and doing the same old 30 mins of walking. At some point you have to ramp things up. But that is not something to be discouraged by at this point. Just get yourself started. Do it gradually.

It was certainly a baby step phasing for me to get started.

I started off decreasing my calories for a week without changing the types of food I was eating. Then I changed the foods I was eating for the next couple of weeks (more veggies and fish, less pasta and such). Then I added exercise at 30 mins a couple of times a week. I did that for a couple of weeks. Then increased the workout time to 60 mins. Now I am up to 90-minute workouts but I certainly didn't start there. If you try to do everything at once, you will get burned out. PLUS, I have my roommate and aunt losing weight and changing lifestyles at the same time. We hold each other accountable and it has become a competition between my roommate and me.

If you are a socialable person, get someone to be accountable with. If you are a writer, start a blog. This is all about you and what works for you and your life. Experimentation and customization is key!

(Sorry this post is everywhere. Can you tell I have a little mental diarrhea?)

liznotyet

Everyone is different. The most important diet tool knowing how many calories you are eating. So you are on the right track by coming here!

I was also prescribed a low number of calories that made me dizzy, when I only ate that much. I customized my profile (see (myHome...Goals) to raise both my allowed calories (from 1200 to 1600) and raised my fiber goal (should be at least half of your fat grams). I am losing more slowly than I would like (2 pounds in two weeks) but I am tracking my calories and my portion sizes are getting smaller. I am still hungry more often then I would like but I am not dizzy.

I agree with the other poster that splitting up the calories throughout the day really helps fight the hunger.

Good luck.

aviduser

But at its core, the principle is simple: 2500 calories = 1 lb. If you want to lose 1 lb in a week, you have to eat 2500 calories less over that week than your body needs to maintain its weigh (ie, Basal Metabolic Rate).

The principle is so simple that I screwed it up! It should be 3500 calories= 1 lb.