Can anyone help me set my goal

HelenHuntresslocs

Hi All,

I'm a little worried that even though I have been losing weight (about 2.7lbs a week), I have not been doing it in a healthy way. So, I turn to the forum for help setting my calorie intake goals for exercise and rest day.

My stats:
Current weight: 175lbs
Target Weight: 145lbs
Age: 29
Work: Desk based
Weekly Activity: 5 gyms session burning 1000 cals on average each session. This does not include cals burnt doing weight training as I can’t work that out.
Current Calories intake: 1350 each day (that includes gym days)
Average Net Cals: 800ish

For more information you can see what I do at the gym and what I eat in my diary, as it is currently open so that I can get some help.

I need to make sure I lose 2lbs a week, but in a healthy way. So I need to know how many cals I should eat on gym days and on rest days to avoid slowing down my metabolism.

Can anyone help?

TMcBooty

you should be eating your net calories: 1500

mmuzzatti

Well I can tell you that your goals are pretty high...I know this because I am trying to do almost the same thing. I am not losing my 2 lbs a week due to food intake that I think is healthy but it still is holding me back. You may have lost the other weight by eating wrong but that is just a guess on my part. This place will get you to eat right and lets you see your progress. Don't get discouraged when you hit a wall just keep working towards your goal. Get friends on here that will ask you if you worked out today and give you crap if you didn't....I have some of them...they really pressure you to keep working out and posting.

Good luck....might not have helped you much but just my view.

erickirb

you should be eating your net calories: 1500

and you are only eating just over half.

I agree about eat all your cals, but I also think you have the wrong goal and that 2 lbs/week is too aggressive with the amount you have to lose. With only 30 lbs to go your goal should be to lose no more than 1 lb/week, once you get to the last 10-15, that should change to 0.5lbs/week.

This will help give you more energy, get you ready for maintenance, and help ensure that you lose mostly fat, instead of a large % of muscle, which a large deficit will cause when you don't have much to lose.

momma3sweetgirls

I'm not a math major but if you need 1350 to lose 2 lbs a week and you earn 1000 calories from exercise, then you need to eat 2350 calories to lose 2 lbs a week. Um, if you are eating, 1350 calories and earning 1000 calories from exercise, your NET intake is only 350 calories. Too low for you body to do what it needs to do to just function properly.

Also, why do you HAVE to lose 2 lbs a week? Is someone holding a gun to your head and making you? Just saying. Slow and steady wins the race.

woodie00001

Hi

First of all well done you.

1500 is a very good level for your requirements. Looking at your diary your eating really well.
I would recommend continue to eat little but frequently, this will help your metabolism.

But if your burning 1500 calories at the gym them you need to eat more than normal to compensate if you dont then of course your metabolism will slow down.

Eat more fruit in between meals, fill up on more vegtables etc.

Good luck with the challenge

Strive2BLean

What's your secret to losing that much per week? I have only lost 3.5 lbs. in the last 6 weeks and I have been eating right and working out. Thank goodness I have the patience to keep at it. Probably cause I like to work out and eating healthy is good for you in the long run. Being older makes it harder to lose to is what I'm told. bummer! lol

leomom72

you definitely need to eat more for your body to lose in a healthy way..add more fruits and veggies, and good luck

HelenHuntresslocs

Thanks everyone for super fast responses and your advice.

Just to clear this up in my mind if I set my Net Cal Goal to 1500, on days without the exercise I eat 1500 cals. On days where I burn 1000 cals at the gym I eat 2500 cals. To get the extra cals I could eat an avocado, nuts, tropical fruit like coconut. Is that right?

@strive489. I've managed to lose to much to quickly as I'm burning 5000 cals in the gym each week and eating only 9450. Which I've now realised isn't healthy.

@momma3sweetgirls - I need to do 2lbs a week to drop 2 more dress sizes by Dec 31. I'm being sponsored to do it in memory of my sister. Just trying to make sure I do it in as healthy way as possible. But still see results.

@erickirb - Thanks for your comment. I hadn't actually thought about my rate of weight loss. My goal seems pretty far away at the moment. When I get to the 10lbs to lose maybe then reducing my weekly weight loss. But 1lbs a week seems too slow to me. I need to see quicker results to keep motivated.