Calorie count doesn't feel right

ixiHemlock

I've calculated the amount of calories I need to eat daily to lose weight on several websites and generally they come up with a little over 1200/day. They do not recommend I go under this number, but I've been eating this way for the last few days and have gone from 105 back to 110. (For anyone who's wondering, this is still in a healthy BMI range for my height.) In fact, I would describe myself as feeling bloated.

What shall I do?

asyouseefit

How tall are you?

ixiHemlock

5'3

MissMaryMac33

Most sites do not include your calorie deficit when they give you the number -- MFP does.

1200 is too low for most people -- especially if you have little to no weight to lose.

My Home > Goals > Change Goals > Guided

Enter your heigh/weight/goal/age etc..
Enter you activity level as sedentary
Enter "lose 1/2 lb a week"

Now what is the number?

If you are not sedentary, change it to the one that fits. THEN you track your workouts and eat those caloriees back too.

Aviendha_RJ

Could be salt content... or your monthly clock striking twelve. That happens... it puts me up about 4lbs on the scale then plummets me over the course of the next 5 days.

Drink water... work out... eat more IF you are hungry... it's just your body reacting.

MissMaryMac33

Bloating could be a lot of things -- sodium being the most obvious.
Your diary is not open so we can't see what you're actually eating.

_Peacebone_

I would describe myself as feeling bloated.

What shall I do?

Drink lots of water.

ashnm88

Why do you want to lose weight, I'm the same height and the range is 104.4 to 141.1lbs...losing weight will put you underweight which isn't healthy!!

brooke0206

Are you drinking enough water? I know that when I dont drink 8+ glasses a day I retain water really bad. Also, you said you are sticking around 1200 calories but are you eating healthy foods or junk foods?? Is it around that time of month? Do you measure your foods with a food scale or are you just "eye balling" it? Sometimes what you THINK is a correct portion is in fact more which would make your calories off. Also make sure when you search the database for foods, IF you dont get the nutrition facts off of whatever it is that your eating, use the entrys without a * next to them because they are going to be the most accurate. Anything with a * next to it was entered by another MFP user and it might not be 100% correct... Good luck!

funkycamper

1200 is used as the minimum as that is the least amount of calories someone can eat and still meet their nutritional needs. It's based on a study done by a world health organization, don't recall which one off-hand, done in Third-World countries with a lot of starvation to see what the minimum was needed to get these people healthier again. If you eat below that, the odds are you are also malnourished. Long-term eating below that amount can also slow your metabolism.

Is it possible that you've been eating below this level for awhile and have screwed up your metabolism already? If so, the best way to heal your metabolism is to raise your calorie level and exercise to help off-set it.

I don't totally understand the particulars so I hope someone pops in here who can explain it better. You might do a search of the forums to see if you can find more information in here. I know that there is some good information about it in the stickies (see the posts at the top of the forum).

ETA: I didn't notice that you are at the low-end of the healthy weight for your height. I also wonder why you want to lose more. It sounds like your body may be trying to tell you something and you should probably listen to it. If you're not happy with your current shape, it sounds like exercise to tone is what you should be doing instead of dieting. This is usually when working out with weights is the most helpful as that is the best way to re-shape your body. I suggest you consider something like that instead of dieting.

MyCoachNYLA

I've calculated the amount of calories I need to eat daily to lose weight on several websites and generally they come up with a little over 1200/day. They do not recommend I go under this number, but I've been eating this way for the last few days and have gone from 105 back to 110. (For anyone who's wondering, this is still in a healthy BMI range for my height.)

What should I do?

If you went up 5 pounds in a few days, I can confidently say that it's water rentention. Especially if it is around your cycle. Also, in whatever you are choosing within your food plan. Bars and shakes (too many) will induce water retention and high sodium intake in processed foods.

If you are eating 1200 cals a day, your stats should be 4'9" tall, 132 pounds to justify that being a safe intake number. Otherwise if you weigh more than that and are taller - I can guarantee you that your caloric intake is not enough and most likely you are on a 50/30/20 split on your ratios with the carbs being at 50%. MFP usually defaults to 50% of carbs on a food plan.

Coach Nyla
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susanswan

Hi,
I'm not sure if I am understanding you correctly, but it sounds like you are eating your prescribed "over 1200" calories per day. But the problem is you have gained 5 pounds. According to the experts you should not go below 1200 calories. Nobody should. And those are NET calories. Your body needs 1200 calories per day just to function - heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, etc. Then if you add exercise (above and beyond going to work, grocery shopping, going through your regular day stuff, etc.) such as a gym work out, running, walking, whatever, you add those calories to your allotment, too. My base is 1200, but I walk the dog twice and do maybe a 30 minute work out so add 300 - 400 calories back to compensate for the energy expenditure. So my goal is to eat around 1500 calories per day usually.

My take on this is even though when I started to count my calories here and restricted my eating to the MFP limits, my body did not want to lose weight. It dropped a couple of pounds at first and then held and would go up and down a pound or two. What you must do is NOT GIVE UP. Your body is resisting. It doesn't like the change, it may think you are starving it so it won't let go. But give it a few weeks and you will see the changes that you are looking for. Of course, your current weight might be so close to your goal that your loss will be especially slow.

Just keep going with your healthy eating plan and exercise and in time your body will have no choice but to give in.

Good luck to you!

Ssocrrbabe

At 5'3' and 105 to 110 pounds you are at the lower end of the healthy BMI range for your height. Why do you think you need to lose weight? If you go under 104 pounds then you would be considered underweight and that is not healthy! Perhaps it is better to focus on building muscle and getting a toned body rather than losing pounds! Then you will lose inches and look skinnier but will still be healthy.

UponThisRock

you could be counting wrong

ixiHemlock

Hmmm. Well, I don't menstruate- saw a doctor for that years ago, even a prescribed course of estrogen did nothing.

Less sodium, and drink more water in general?

I don't know, I mean I realize this all sounds bad or disordered; so allow me to assure you that I love food and am in a healthy range. I see a doctor every three months, she says my weight is in the medium range of healthy.

But it seems so counter-intuitive to eat more when I already feel full at less than 1200 calories. I am only lightly active, so maybe an increase there will help. But for example, MFP calculated that I'd be 4 pounds underweight in a few weeks if I continued to eat the amount of calories I did yesterday; where as my scale told me I'd gained 5 pounds.

): very confused

oaken

At 5'3' and 105 to 110 pounds you are at the lower end of the healthy BMI range for your height. Why do you think you need to lose weight? If you go under 104 pounds then you would be considered underweight and that is not healthy! Perhaps it is better to focus on building muscle and getting a toned body rather than losing pounds! Then you will lose inches and look skinnier but will still be healthy.

I agree. I don't see a problem here with being 5'3" at 110 pounds. Seems like you are on the lower end of ideal here, but why would you want to lose weight? And how much are you planning on losing?

I'm dying to do Crossfit once I get my weight to a healthy level that I can handle Crossfit. I bet you'd like it too. Look at some videos online. The women in Crossfit are often times called "Nasty Girls" -- not for any gross reasons, but because their bodies are SICK!