Am I eating enough calories?

dperez108

I started my weight loss journey on Jan 3rd. Only doing cardio and eating 1500 per day. I've lost 44 pounds since I've started and I joined MFP in Feb. In April I began weight training and I've tried to increase my calorie intake to 2000 per day. I usually average about 1800-1900 calories a day. I lift weights three days a week and cardio five days a week. For the past 3 weeks I've been stuck on 191 pounds. I usually have caloric defecit of about 500. I drink plenty of water I make myself drink a pint of water every hour. Am I eating enough?

hm4xmas

You're not eating enough to keep up with your activity. Even though you have a deficit, it's too much of one. Eat more veggies! This comes from a vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Mateo1985

You've already lost a lot so I think you're on the right path. Let's see what else people have to say

Buckeyt

I"m kind of in the same boat but at about 180 just trying to get to 175. I lift 3X and cardio 2X and I just bumped my calories to 2,400 from 2,100. the weight loss had stalled and I was starving all the time so I figured i needed more food.

If there are days where you're working our 2X, 1,900 won't cut it.

robin52077

looking at your diary...you may have it SET at that, but you have to actually eat it for it to count...lol

monday you only had 809 NET, and you left over 1000 cals uneaten.

sunday you had 1316 net...

the 10th you had 1232..

you need to be at at least 1800 NET every day being a male with your activity level....

robin52077

question:

When you set your goals...what did you choose? 1 lb per week? 2 lbs per week?

Are you aware that MFP creates a deficit FOR you?

Loose example, which may be true if you chose 2 lbs per week:
Lets say, to stay the SAME, you would need 2800 calories a day. you tell mfp you want to lose 2 lbs per week...so it subtracts 1000 a day FROM that and tells you to eat 1800 a day.
1000 * 7= 7000...3500 cals equals 1 lb, so a 7000 cal deficit a week would equal a 2 lb loss.

That is an aggressive goal. Your body can't take eating any less than that so you have to EAT ALL your calories in your daily goal in order to properly fuel your body, or you could be denying it needed nutrition.

Your goal is a goal to REACH, not a goal to try and stay under.... eat it ALL.

And the reason the exercise calories get added back in is because your goal is figured on your NORMAL DAILY life WITHOUT exercise, so when you DO exercise, you use SO much more fuel that your body requires more food to make up for it.

Assuming you have an accurate HRM to track calories burned, you should eat them all. If you are using an estimate from the machine at the gym or mfp's database, eat half of them to be safe because they overestimate a lot.

Also, be meticulous in weighing and measuring your food. eyeballing a serving can often end up with you eating double what you thought you were.

live2smyle

looking at your diary...you may have it SET at that, but you have to actually eat it for it to count...lol

monday you only had 809 NET, and you left over 1000 cals uneaten.

sunday you had 1316 net...

the 10th you had 1232..

you need to be at at least 1800 NET every day being a male with your activity level....

This.

mcalabrese79

augh..the dreaded plateau. i lost weight the first half of last year but i was on weight watchers. in weight watchers they will tell you to eat more points (meaning eat more calories) or change your routine... Im new to the counting calories thing and Im still learning but Im thinking that it would probably work the same way by eating a little more.

dperez108

That makes sense I figured that for the first five months the weight came off so easily by not eating my excersise calories. I will be investing in a heart rate monitor soon, so I can accuratly eat the correct calories. Because the excersie calories I am logging is from MFP. Thanks for your input.