Confused about calorie intake, don't feel it's enough.

CottonCandyKisses

I think 1200 is too low...There was a formula on the forums I found the other day in a post I used it and it had me eating 1500 on non-exercise days and 1700 on exercise days. I'm a 4'11 female 31 years old 108 pounds. I currently eat around 1300, I tried 1200 for awhile but thought it was too low. I'm most comfortable in the 1300-1400 range.

LadyIvysMom

The first week 1200 was hard and I felt hungry a lot.

The second week, I barely noticed. Now I find it hard to even get up to 1200 a day.

soccerme8

Weight Watchers have some freebie foods so when I am still hungry and I have had all my intakes for the day I eat some of those and fill up pretty quickly, I will eat about 2-3 cups of watermelon, some carrots, cucumbers, or celery, you can see online what foods are freebies and try that b/c it's such low calories that you burn them just by standing up and going to the kitchen. Good luck!

sandygaylegunn

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

A friend sent me this link and I found it very helpful.

trulycrazed

I'm a total pusher of this --> http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ <-- website. Following it's cals per day I've been losing .5-2lbs a week (since I found it).... I personally set it to no exercise and eat back my workout cals. Good luck!

Mephinox

I'm exactly the opposite. I've only just joined MFP and it's recommending I eat 2200 calories (roughly) a day. I'm currently sitting on 1300 for today, burned off 368 through cardio earlier and now its saying that I've earned another 368 calories to eat on top of my 900 I have remaining. Honestly I find that after doing a bit of cardio, it makes you less hungry. I'm struggling to think what else I could eat other than more fruit, which I've already eaten a fair bit of today.

ptjolsen

Don't worry about the "weight" so much, as just check your bodyfat % about every 4-6 weeks. then any weight that you are losing is the bad stuff

SandyMeid

Yeah, I mean, on any given day, I sit at work, with periods of getting up and moving files/boxes around, etc. but then I get off and go do 30 mins of cardio, weight lighting every other day at the gym at least 4-5 times a week. I'm not entirely changing my diet either, just making it a bit healthier, preparing my own lunches instead of eating out at work, cutting back on the beer intake, etc.

Currently, I'm at 138 (I'm 5'4"), the most I've ever weighed. I would like to drop down to 120, 115 maybe but I almost think that would be too small. Perhaps I need to adjust the amount of calories I'm eating, start taking a bit more in and just see if that's the thing for me that jump starts the weight loss.

SandyMeid

I sit at a desk all day too, however I walk (run) up and down stairs at the office and move things throughout the day, I also park a ways from my office - I move briskly and then count the time I accumulated throughout the day IE: 10 mintues of brisk walking, Then I can eat a little more. (We often forget that all of our moving throughout the day counts toward burning calories. Not just gym time) Good luck! ( :

megsmom2

you probably told MFP you wanted to lose more than half a pound a week. You don't have much to lose, so taking it slower is better, and and much more do-able. Readjust your goal to a lower amount, and it will recalculate at a higher calorie limit. Mine is at 1610 a day...plus exercize...and I'm losing just fine, although I expect to have to adjust a bit as I get lower. 1200 is the default minimum MFP will assign you. Your mileage may vary.

sunnyside1213

Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

Doing this, I came to about 1776.

I am at 1058. Go figure.

SHHitsKaty

I'm a total pusher of this --> http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ <-- website. Following it's cals per day I've been losing .5-2lbs a week (since I found it).... I personally set it to no exercise and eat back my workout cals. Good luck!

Thanks for this link! Although I'm a bit confused as to what it all means, it seems to have shown me that I do need to eat more 1200 as I almost burn that off on my own if I would just lay around all day.

SHHitsKaty

you probably told MFP you wanted to lose more than half a pound a week. You don't have much to lose, so taking it slower is better, and and much more do-able. Readjust your goal to a lower amount, and it will recalculate at a higher calorie limit. Mine is at 1610 a day...plus exercize...and I'm losing just fine, although I expect to have to adjust a bit as I get lower. 1200 is the default minimum MFP will assign you. Your mileage may vary.

I readjusted my goal to losing 1/2 a lbs a week and it bumped me up to 1446 calories a day instead of 1200. We'll see how this works for me for the next 3 weeks!

XXXMinnieXXX

With 10 pounds you lose, you should only be aiming for a half pound a week, which will give you more calories.

Larger calorie deficits, ie aiming to lose 2 pounds a week, is best for those with more than 75 pounds to lose. You don't have enough excess body fat to support that kind of deficit. Probably around 1500-1600 plus exercise calories would be ideal.

Most likely this^^. Adjust your weekly goal to half a pound and see how many calories it gives you.

3rd this...

psuLemon

Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

Doing this, I came to about 1776.

Does this include exercise or not?

SHHitsKaty

Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

Doing this, I came to about 1776.

Does this include exercise or not?

I put exercising 3-5 times a day, because that's typically what I do.

TheRealParisLove

Decrease carbs and increase protein. When you have so few available calories, you need to get the most bang for your buck. Nutrient dense foods rule the day. Eat lots of fresh fruit and veg and stay away from anything that is even remotely processed. Anything with flour as an ingredient has to go except for cheat days. Also, whole grain foods need to be limited as well as starchy vegetables (potatoes and corn mostly).

psuLemon

Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

Doing this, I came to about 1776.

Does this include exercise or not?

I put exercising 3-5 times a day, because that's typically what I do.

So it told you to eat 1750 calories, try that for awhile and see how it works. Also, depending on your current stats, you may or may not be able to lose more weight. You look pretty thin in your profile. Do you know your body fat? If you haven't, you may want to look at the link below.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/684493-how-to-determine-weight-goal?hl=how+to:+determine&amp;page=1#posts-10001020

SHHitsKaty

Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

Doing this, I came to about 1776.

Does this include exercise or not?

I put exercising 3-5 times a day, because that's typically what I do.

So it told you to eat 1750 calories, try that for awhile and see how it works. Also, depending on your current stats, you may or may not be able to lose more weight. You look pretty thin in your profile. Do you know your body fat? If you haven't, you may want to look at the link below.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/684493-how-to-determine-weight-goal?hl=how+to:+determine&amp;page=1#posts-10001020

I mean, I am by no means overweight and probably by most peoples standards they would say (and most have said) you look fine and don't need to lose weight. Like I said, 10 lbs, 15 lbs lost would be great for me, I'd love to tone up as well as I cheered and did gymnastics in high school and was 90 lbs soaking wet till I turned 21 and now at 25 I'm 138 and pudgy and have the stubborn lower stomach pooch that I will attribute completely to my ability to drink A LOT.

SHHitsKaty

I'm 5'0 and on 1200 a day. My BMR is 1380. I sit in my office all day, but at the same time, I'm running around this building all day too.

I feel like 1200 is PLENTY *for me*. I eat food that fills me up and will supply me with enough energy to work out for 1.5 - 2 hours 5 to 6 times a week. There have only been 2 days I "ate back" some of my work out calories.

Realistically, I shouldn't lose more than 10 lbs. 10 & I will be happy with my body which is ALL that matters. Sometimes i think my scale is on crack anyhow.

One more thing... cut out the beer I have only had a few days where I've had anything alcoholic. I saved calories for a "treat" and I felt like COMPLETE crap the next day. i didn't even have enough to get me buzzed and I just felt gross. The alcohol "fun" isn't worth the hard work I've dedicated.

If you'd like to look at my diary, feel free to friend me!

The HARDEST part for me is cutting out the alcohol, ESPECIALLY in the summer. My weekends are spent drinking by my pool, going out once it gets to be too late to lay by the pool where I continue to drink.

I'm a huge sports fan, NFL, MLB, I have season tickets to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cincinnati Reds, tailgating comes around, Reds games come around and I'll drink 3-5 beers before ever going into the game, then another 3-5 in the game, THEN if I'm not TOO drunk, we'll go to the bar after. I wish I could place myself around friends that aren't total booze hounds but unfortunately, that's all I've found to be my friends and it's either don't hang with them at all or go to the bar where it's temptation city!

I feel like this makes me sound like I have a drinking problem, let me add, that once I have other things to do, my drinking reduces drastically. I've stopped completely for 3 whole months before, when I'm in school (just started classes today) I RARELY go out which is how I got straight A's last semester, lol. It's just in the summer or on Sunday's when it's football day, all will power goes out the window.