Calorie reccs: MFP vs. my trainer...please help.

MBH3

I would really appreciate any input that may be helpful. My slow weight loss has been a source of frustration and I am getting contradicting recommendations from my trainer vs. MFP. Here is a snapshot of my situation.

I have a sedentary job so I am sitting a good deal of the day, however, I am also the mom of 3 (ages 5, and 2 year old twins) so my evenings and mornings are pretty hectic. I am 5'3" and weigh 156 lbs. I want to lose 25-30lbs. I work out 5-6 times per week, making sure I burn in the vicinity of 2500 cals per week (per my HRM) and stay within my target heartrate zone (per my HRM.) For the past 9 weeks, I have been working with a trainer. I do cardio 3-4 days per week for 45-60 minutes and 2 days per week I work with the trainer for 50 minutes (in a group setting w/ about 5 other women.) In my first 6 weeks of training, I lost 0 lbs. BUT I lost 10 inches. I was pretty bummed about it but happy for the inches lost. Here is where the confusion lies. MFP recc I eat 1200 cals per day. My trainer reccomends I eat a minimum of 1516 per day. She says I need the calories b/c of the intensity and frequency of my workouts. She also said that her theory is that my metabolism had 'hit the floor' b/c I was not feeding my body enough and it basically shut down. According to my trainer, I had to retrain my body to understand that I was going to feed it. She PROMISED me that the weight would eventually come off and reminded me that inches are more important that lbs. I get what she is saying BUT I am a scale addict. With 30lbs. to lose, shouldn't I be losing. In the past 2 weeks (8 weeks into my training program), the scale has finally started moving and I lost 2 lbs. I am hoping this is the beginnnig of many more weeks of losing. Now, my trainer recommends I eat back 1/2 of my exercise calories. That would put me eating like 1700 calories per day which seems so high. ( I have not done this yet.) She has also given me some info on carb cycling and I am considering do that, too. It is basically 5 days of low carb diet and 2 days/week of a higher carb diet.

Anyone have any thoughts on whether my calories seem high or if 1516 seems about right? I am so ready to lose this weight. I do have to admit, though, with my trainer's guidance, I feel stronger and healthier than I have in a long time. I am eating cleaner foods and truly enjoying exercise. I like seeing the changes in my muscles (even the subtle ones.) My husband and 5 year old notice and my little boy has even begun asking to go for power walks w/ me (I love that I am leading by example.)

Thanks for listening. I am looking forward to input. I have been a lurker on this site for a long time but have only posted a little. Thanks for listening.

Marcy
SW: 165
CW: 156
GW: 125

twilight1542

I'd try it! I started @235 & have been doing 1200 per day plus half or more of my exercise cals (HRM). I work out 6-7 days per week for 550-700 cals & usually eat around 1700-1800. I have lost an average of 2lbs per week.

AmandaJ

Are you eating your exercise calories back? MFP reccomends 1200 as a base plus your exercise calories. If you take your 2500 exercise calories you burn each week and divide it by 7 days in a week then it is 357 calories per day you earn from exercise. MFP would then put your calories at 1557 which is close to what your trainer recommends.

Hope that helps!