Starting out again, questions for 5'5"

jenjam27

As I mentioned I am 5'5 190 lbs, obviously I want to lose weight and be healthy, I'm trying to tackle my goal at 10 lbs increments. Questions to those with success, how many calories did you start out with? How did you deal with the "exercise calories" did you eat them all back, eat half, eat when you felt you needed it. I'm finishing up a 3 day shakeology cleanse and feel good and feel like my cravings for sweets and salts that get me into trouble are gone or at least are not so crazy. Any tips would be great

dg09

With a sedentary lifestyle and no exercise, you're probably burning somewhere around 1,900-1,950 calories. I would get a HRM, exercise, add the cals from your HRM to that figure. Then subtract 500 calories every day for a loss of 1lb/week.

Easy peasy, sister

OutsideCreativ

Hey. I am 5'4" and was about 196lb when I started. I have an office desk job, so failry sedentary. I went to see a dietician (mostly for fun, since I had met my insurance deductible)... and if I recall correctly, she told me I'd burn about 1450 calories just by laying around and breathing all day.

Kassadeedle

I'm 5'5" and started around 180...I have a desk job and don't get a chance to exercise very often but when I do I eat back my exercise calroies...I've been eating between 1300-1400 calories with a few days where I went way over and I'm down to 158 in 2 months. Add me if you wanna!

NJL13500

I'm 5'6" and have lost over 100 pounds from my highest weight. When weight loss was my goal I set my calories to 1200. I ate back most of my exercise calories. I was eating between 1500-1800 per day. I always tried to leave 200-300 calories "on the table" at the end of each day. In my mind this makes up for overestimates on exercise and underestimates on food.

I did my weight loss in phases. I lost 25 pounds and then maintained for a bit and then I lost 25 more and ended up gaining some back. At my last effort I started at 190 pounds and am now 129. 130 is my goal weight, so I am maintaining now at 2,000 calories. I go to the gym for about an hour each day. I lift 3 times per week and do cardio on the other days. I'm currently training for a half marathon, so on my long run days I end up working out a bit more.

Definitely figure out your BMR and eat above that. Good luck to you!

SARgirl

I'm 5'5" and currently maintaining. I started at setting MFP for 1 pound a week loss and set my activity as lightly active. I ate the majority of my calories back. Once I got to those last 10 pounds or so I changed to .5 pound loss. I work out generally 5-6 days a week (mostly cardio although I have started to incorporate lifting into my routine). Good luck!

staplebug

I'm 5'4". I lost 25 pounds by eating 1,200 calories a day and doing circuit training 4x a week and cardio 1x a week (try Jillian Michaels 30-day shred, ripped in 30, or body revolution). I did not eat my exercise calories back because I had a lot of weight to lose and it came of sooo fast! Now that I'm a little closer to my goal weight (within 15 pounds or so), I eat about 1,500 calories, but still do the same amount of exercise; I still have a calorie deficit, but it's not as huge as before so the weight is not coming off as fast.

Jaulen

I'm 5'5, re-started at 186 pounds. Last measured my body fat was 39% (haven't measured in 6 months)

My BMR (what you'd burn laying in bed all day) was around 1550 calories.
Desk job, so I entered sedentary as activity level.
This gave me a total daily energy expenditure of 1892 calories.

I bought a bodymedia fit link armband, and have started exercising daily. My normal TDEE averages to around 2150 calories a day. I subtracted 20% from my active TDEE and came up with a number of 1735 calories a day. (I was eating 1500 and not losing, so I upped to 1600 and may up in a couple of weeks to 1700). This method you eat up to your calorie limit, but don't log or eat back exersice calories. I try to eat less on days when I know my activity level won't get to that 2150 calories used goal. And now I'm losing weight again.

If you go with the number of calories that MFP calculates for you, and you entered sedentray, but you start working out regularly, then eat back some or all of your exersice calories (this worked GREAT for me when I first started MFP, but then I jumped off the bandwagon....I hated having to log exercise). Also, don't go with a 2 pound a week weight loss. MFP will give you 1200 calories to eat....and that is hard to stick to (for me at least it was without feeling hungry/deprived/and cranky...and prone to wanting to binge on whatever was at hand...everyone is different though).

Good website:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Good thread here to explain the BMR tools and the TDEE method is:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

bf43285

My diary is open and I'm open to help.

I am 26, female, 5'5", desk job, want to lose 30lbs. Right now my settings are 1500 calories and 35C-40P-25F macros. I workout 3 times a week and have a Polar FT4 to track calories. I have been eating back excercise calories. I did Insanity last year and lost 10lbs but hurt my knee and its too painful to do again. I gained the 10 back and then some I'd love friends to motivate me or any suggestions.

swingsintherain

I'm 5'5" and currently 187 (so we're like twins lol). MFP has me at 1660 calories/day (lightly active), and I'm trying to stick with that, though I often end up going over (I try to stick under 1800 though). I eat my exercise calories back.

I've been really trying to not have junk food around, and stocking my cupboards with healthier snacks. Measuring my portions has helped too, especially with things like ice cream- I can still have the "bad" food, but I'm only allowed one serving. Things like ice cream bars (instead of a tub of ice cream) are really good on that front, as I can't just sit in front of the tv and eat 2 or 3 servings.

Also, try to get your fruits and vegetables in! They're filling, so you might not eat as much that isn't good for you.