Only need to lose a few pounds

kristen887

I only need to lose about 6.5 pounds to reach my goal. This may seem like a silly question, but should I be eating more calories since I only have to lose a few pounds? MFP set me at 1300 calories for .5 weight loss per week. This still seems a little low, espeically since i'm only 16 years old. Should I be eating more, or should I just stick with what MFP says? Thanks for any suggestions/opinions

ngsnewlife

i suggest you don't eat processed carbs for at least 4 weeks and if you can exercise.... thats very low cal and you will starve your body .... trust me you too young to stuff your metabolism. just don't eat rice, bread, pasta, etc for few weeks and go for a walk at least 3-4 a weeks

merrillfoster

I have to disagree on the low carb thing, lol. At 16 (also, isn't the age limit on here 18, or am I crazy) you should be eating alot more than 1300, especially if you are active, and those calories should be balanced across all the food groups. I'd increase the calories commensurate with the activity level.

kanata

Did you enter all your data correctly? I'm not sure MFP has an age below 18 as BMR can be quite tempermental to predict below that age as our metabolism is a lot higher when younger.
Due to this, i'm sure your BMR is a lot higher than most people on here, but if you're already quite thin, your BMR will likely be quite low. So to be sure make sure your BMR, BMI and body fat % are within healthy range and figure out if you really need to lose weight, and make sure it's somewhere age-appropriate as lying about your age on them will give false readings.
If you do, i would suggest using numerous BMR calculators and making sure you log your activity levels towards more calories to be eaten and make sure your daily levels (ie whether you are active or inactive) are correct on the calculator.

j_courter

first of all, (assuming you are aiming for a healthy end weight) congratulations on looking to improve your health now before it gets out of control. as for the advice about calories, i would say at 16 you really shouldn't even need to log calories as long as you eat sensibly. if you really want to jumpstart the weight loss thing, i would agree with ngsnewlife about avoiding processed carbs. if you wanted to take it a step further, google "clean eating." i know at 16 my complexion was a major concern and clean eating will help with weight loss as well as giving you a healthier complexion, healthy nails, and hair.

the goal should be making exercise a priority. i would shoot for 4-5 days a week doing both cardio (running or whatever) as well as some strength training. if you are consistent and stay active at 16, the results will come and you won't have to use the word "diet."