Question- Net Calorie v. Food Calorie

rusialeelee

Hi Hi! It's been one week since I've joined MFP. I'm not sure if I made progress on the scale because my scale at home was broken. One week in, I was finally able to buy a scale today and my starting weight was measured. Besides numbers, I do look healthier and happier, according to my friends and the boyfriend.

Now for my question.....
I try to eat 1330 calories and work out and burn anywhere from 200-500 calories daily (on avg. around 300cal). Majority of the time it ends up being less than net calories of 1200. Nevertheless, I am eating healthy, getting all my nutrients, and best of all I feel more energetic and lighter. Must I increase my calorie intake? I'm not sure if I want to increase it because (1) the 1330 calories is enough to keep me satisfied all day and (2) I don't want to eat more only to have to exercise more.

What do you think?

Additional Info:
W :193
H: 5'7
Age: 21
-I would love to lose 2 pounds a week or maybe even 3, if possible, because my best friend's wedding is in August.


Thanks for the advice in advance
P.S. Add me as a friend if you want to share motivation/support daily

mcarter99

In my opinion, you're just fine doing what you're doing. Good luck!

rusialeelee

Thank you so much for your opinion! After having a good day today... eating everything I want (healthy, of course) and working out... I had a net of 1000. I'm feel great and am really sore, yet energetic.
Thanks for your words of encouragement.. it meant a lot.. good luck to you too!!

TanKiwi2394

I wanted to let you know, NEVER go under your BMR amount of calories. You will lose crazy amount of weight for the first month but after you will plateau, and the only want to break it is if you eat LESS. Which is ultimately starving your body, and once you increase your calories, you're going to gain all of it back. You should find out how much you need to eat with your exercise to lose weight. I'd do the zig zag diet because you have an event coming soon, and you dont want to hit a plateau. Just know that losing 2 pounds a week is healthy, but because you're not that big, you should soon even out to .5 to 1 pound a week. Only extremely obese people lose 2 or more pounds a week. You want to feed your body so that your metabolism never drops. I eat 1800 net calories and im slowly losing weight.
Make sure you're weight training and such as well, because muscle helps keep your metabolism up.
If you have any more questions, just ask

I trust this calculator a lot, so i'd follow it!
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

mcarter99

rusialeelee- Don't listen to the advice that it's not safe to eat below your BMR and that you can't shoot for 2 lbs/week and that you have to eat back every calorie you expend in the gym. And forget starvation. Think critically and read some books or authoritative web sites yourself.

ladyraven68

I would say if you are exercising that much you should eat more.

Here's some pictures that can say it a lot better than I can.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/531086-before-and-after-pics-no-starvation