Need Calorie Advice

momo284

So, I am on a limit of 1200 calories a day. I usually stay around that pretty well and try to exercise around 500 cals 4x a week, sometimes more if possible around school and work. Basically my question is whether I am pushing myself to hard and aren't eating enough. I have lost 70 pounds previously, but have not dieted this extensively for over a year so my body has been comfortable for some time.
I have been dieting for almost 3 wks now and haven't seen much change- though my clothes sometimes feel a bit looser. So do you think im just gaining muscle? Or is my calorie intake to blame for lack of weight loss?

Thanks for replies

driscollmc

look at your sodium levels; those might be high and it makes you retain water. also, sometimes when you're starting out your body starts kind of freaking out and resisting the weight loss, and then suddenly you drop a huge amount of weight. just keep going, if you're feeding your body good things and properly balancing everything, you should be okay

karljp

Just make sure you eat back those excercise calories when you do burn 500. 1200 is the minimum. You have to do this in a way so your weight loss week after week can be sustained, so be realistic and think long-term, not short-term.

Kelblue1

Are you eating your calories that you burn?

Btropical

Also, take a look at your protein and make sure that you are getting at least 75 g of protein in your 1200 calories!

pftjill

Are you eating your exercise cals back? If not that is something you need to do. It won't help you to lose more if you are not giving your body enough to function. I have been gaining muscle for the past few months, but continue to see a loss on the scale. I can see the difference in my body-fat going away. So as I asked before-are you eating your exercise cals back??

meggonkgonk

You should be eating 1200+the 500 you burn on days you exercise as a minimum- if you arent doing this than my answer is wholeheartedly YES you are pushing too hard!

On a side note I typically don't dip below 1300 (+exercise, this is called NET calories and is how your goal is calculated)

Be prepared for a gain when you up your cals- you metabolism is resetting. Go a bit higher- maybe 1400+exercise for a week or two and then drop back to the 1200-1300 range. It will help your body trust that it's getting enough food and be willing to lose.

heatherlfulton

How many of the calories should we eat back? I though we wanted to have extra at the end of the day after exercising.

Example: Start with 1200, exercise for 275 calories. Eat 1200-1300 and have the other 100+ left.

SamisHealthy

I only eat back 1/2 my exercise calories and I am set at 1,200 calories is that wrong ?

momo284

sodium levels could be an issue, my usual dinner is Lean Cusines since i eat at work. Those tend to be on the high side for sodium, I will watch for that- as for eating for my exercise, i tend to not make up the calories lost in exercise. I look at the calories i ate are those i need to lose. so basically it would be 1200- 500 with exercise. that apparently is not the way to go without going into starvation mode.

meggonkgonk

I only eat back 1/2 my exercise calories and I am set at 1,200 calories is that wrong ?

Generally speaking that is too low. The equation on your homepage:

GOAL FOOD-EXERCISE=NET <--- Your goal is to have your NET calories fall between 1200 and your GOAL amount. So you should at MINIMUM be eating all 1200 plus ALL exercise cals.

My best recommendation is to up your cal goal to 1300. This way you can concentrate on eating enough of your calories back so that your NET range can be between 1200 and 1300. *caution* if you've been eating under 1200 for a while, you WILL almost certainly gain the first week or two upping your calories. It is NOT permenant or real. It's just your body adjusting.

SamisHealthy

Sounds good I'll try it I haven't been losing
MOre than .5 a week so maybe after a while this will help since I burn between 300 and 800 extra a day (: